life

Connections

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

As I loaded onto a plane the size that Ron White would describe as a pack of chewing gum, we left Oregon, our nose set for east.  I said goodbye to the mountains and was looking forward to greeting Lake Michigan and it’s cool breeze that it always has to offer. Touching down in Grand Rapids I was excited to go ‘home’, every asked me if that’s where I was going, home. This is a foreign term for me, was Michigan home? Was South West Michigan home?

My dad, since I was a kid, has always called me his Child of the Planet, I was eager to travel, always hungry to see and do and learn more. So I never learned to be at home anywhere. Where are you from? Is a question that gets blank stares from both my brother and me. This isn’t a bad thing, I wouldn’t change my nomadic childhood for anything. Not only my childhood, I’ve continued that lifestyle into my adulthood.

My trip’s purpose was to be a bridesmaid for my friend in her wedding, it just happened to be a month before I’m leaving for SE Asia, perfect timing to catch up with everyone back in Michigan. I left Oregon excited to see Michigan, I was in Michigan for a week and didn’t dream of Oregon once, didn’t think about the mountains, the trees or the crazy hippies that dance around the courtyard at the Co-op. I was completely in Michigan.

Discovering my lack of connection to Oregon was disturbing. I always figured I would love the west coast and never want to leave. Realizing that I don’t think I could move back to Michigan was also disturbing. I’m realizing as I grow up that I don’t know where I belong, I’m like that kid that eats lunch in the bathroom—no where else to go. I guess Thailand is my bathroom? (okay, bad analogy…but you get it, right?)

I’ve never felt at home, so I just keep moving in search for that connection with some place. I’ve got the wanderlust, we know that, but is it such a bad thing? I’m moving on from Oregon, maybe I’ll return, maybe I’ll leave it behind forever.

I’ve moved on Michigan for the time being, I love the lake, I love the people, but the land is flat and love high elevation. For now I guess I’m just super excited about this adventure afoot. Oh yeah, I also bought my plane ticket yesterday, so this is REALLY happening!!!!!

 

Let's get real, this is why I actually came to Michigan

Let’s get real, this is why I actually came to Michigan

Sterrified

/ Sloan / 2 Comments

I think people like to think of me as a spontaneous person. I often would hop in the car and drive across states to go visit someone, do a race or satisfy a craving for something. Or on a bigger note I’ve been known to quit my job, fly to California and spend a month exploring with a friend, decide to move to Oregon and pack my belongings and drive from Baltimore to this little town in the Rogue Valley.

More recently I’ve quit my jobs and am selling my belongings and am moving across the WORLD to Thailand. What most people really don’t quite understand is that every move I’ve made has truly been well thought out, lists have been made, pros and cons sorted and discussed with gusto. My brain often ticks away wondering if I’m doing the right thing. At this point I have decided that there is no way that this isn’t the right decision.

 

Things I’m looking forward to:

–A really long plane ride. (It means I’m going somewhere awesome)

–Meeting amazing new people.

–Learning as much as I will be teaching.

–Sending letters and receiving them.

–Traveling everywhere. Running through different mountains and streets.

–Many more…

 

Things I’m scared of:

–A really long plane ride…what if I’m stuck next to that guy that snores, or worse, the guy that won’t shut the eff up!?

–Teaching. Kids scare me.

–Losing my routine. I love getting up at 5:30 and making a pot of coffee and hanging out by myself or with my roommate.

 

The list of excitements could obviously go on forever. This summer I developed a term that seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life. The word Sterrified sums up my current life pretty well, (Stoked + Terrified = STERRIFIED) Right? It’ totally works.

 

Though I’m leaving behind so many amazing friends and family I have felt so much love through all the support you’ve given me for my travels. I don’t think people realize how much their donations have helped me already. Every penny counts. If you’d like to help me on my travels and explorations please click here to learn a bit more. THANK YOU!!

 

Choose Your Trail

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

Me: I planned out our 11-mile loop,

up up up then descend.

Him: I haven’t ran in weeks, I

may not be up for that.

Me: You’ll be fine. We’ll go

slow! And we’ll figure

out what we wanna do

when the time comes.

 

We were planning on a long trail run on Thursday morning. I woke up tired, for some reason it was hard to get out of bed and just push the brew button on my coffee pot. But I had a friend to meet at 8am to run…11 hard miles. He met me at his door and we started walking, the weather perfectly chilled with Fall on it’s way. I told my friend my difficulties this morning and he said he was feeling the same.

My friend reminded me of our text conversation last night; we can do whatever we want. “oh yeah” I thought. Just because we planned on doing 11 miles didn’t mean we absolutely had to. That’s the beauty of running, you choose the distance, pace and location—all you really need are shoes.

We decided to walk up through the park and up the road called 2060. We hike up for a good 90 minutes, talking, sharing, trying to solve each other’s problems, or just be there to listen which is what we both actually needed.

 

Him: I have a plan. Let’s run down.

         Then around the park for a

few miles. Yeah?

Me: YEAH!

 

The run down was quick and easy. We turned off onto the trails of Lithia Park, I chose the direction, then my friend cut ahead and took the lead, twisting around, changing direction quickly and keeping me on my toes and eventually leading us back down town. It was a game of cat and mouse, the leader followed and then they switched places. It was fun.

A lot of times I forget how much we’re actually in control. Just because something doesn’t go as planned doesn’t mean you can’t take the reins and still make it a great run, day, experience. You’re, more often then not, in control of the direction of you future. Sometimes just making the decision to go for the run, change jobs or (in my case) move across the world, is exactly what you need to remember to make something happen—today!

 

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