I recently found a photo of John and I during our winter in Aspen—I had shared it on Facebook at the time. In the photo, we are standing on our new (to us) cross country skis on the Forest Service road we lived along, a steep forested mountainside behind us, leaning into each other and … Continue reading Embracing the True Meaning of Adventure at Solstice
John & I set off on our two-day journey on Friday morning, packed and ready for the longest bike ride either of us had ever done. Our destination: Mounds View Grassland, a property owned and managed by The Prairie Enthusiasts that was sure to have specialist grassland bird species I would have a hard time finding by bike in Madison. Still, it was 35 miles away.
I stare at the cards in front of me—78 of them, to be exact. Each one is adorned with bold, colorful illustrations, along with a single word. Words like mindfulness, generosity, compassion, and order. Each of these signify a value — a belief or principle that we believe is important to guiding the way that … Continue reading Reflections on Solstice: Living a Life of Values
The sound of excited, whimpering dogs filled the room around me as I sat down on an orange plastic chair in the newly-built Humane Society for Southern Wisconsin. On the wall behind us, name plates and paw plates of humans and their companions who supported the construction were scattered up to the ceiling. I tried … Continue reading Finding Sylvie
If I were to assign a word to the past year, it would be “acceptance”. Acceptance of the things I cannot control, the people I cannot change. Acceptance of the things I can. Acceptance of the fact that I am in control of my own happiness and expectations, of fulfilling my own needs. This fall, … Continue reading 2022: A Year of Living Slowly
How do we start to unpack a lifetime of widely held beliefs and values that we now suddenly want to stop holding us back? How do we begin to view weight gain as morally neutral? Because this is what diet culture is. A $72 billion industry that makes us believe being thin is objectively healthier, more beautiful, and more desirable.
Bozeman will likely be the only dog I ever have that I truly believe was sent to me. Sent to change my life, my family’s, and eventually John’s life, too. I know I'll find love in a dog again, someday. We all have more love to give. But some say that every once in a … Continue reading The Life of a Dog: 10 Years of Bozeman
https://youtu.be/DUtHErwNaSQ?si=JvRK_jiNycGY1VAA This was my first year trying to capture a second of every day, and boy am I glad that I did. I'm missing some days, and others I filled with photos. It certainly isn't perfect, it's almost messy. But that's life for you, isn't it? Messy and beautiful all at once. Welcome to my … Continue reading 1 Second Everyday: 2021
By the time I graduate come August, my entire 15-month graduate program will have been eclipsed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Do I mourn for the experience that I dreamt of for two years leading up to the start of my program? Of course I do. Do I regret starting my program in June 2020, despite knowing that most of it would be virtual? Not for a second.
For most of us, it's been 32 days. Thirty-two days since the real beginning of a coronavirus invading our neighborhoods and communities. I remember the night that everything changed—I was at work, stocking grocery shelves. Numerous news outlets would later say that three events in succession on March 11th made America wake up to the … Continue reading Working for a Grocery Co-op During COVID-19
The Curiosity Chronicles 