This time of year...

I was dining and chatting with a few new friends and few old friends this past Saturday. The main topic turned to (of course) what we are thankful for. Naturally, my mind started spinning and I was coming up with very simplistic things. Considering I'm a fairly simple girl, I wasn't surprised. But I felt like I had to dig deeper. Life shows us that simple things aren't all that simple. So, what am I truly, deep-down, bottom of the soul grateful for?

Let's start simply:

I'm blessed with an amazing family. Supportive, goofy, easy, loving.
I have a stable job, an affordable roof over my head, and food on my table.
I want for nothing.

Little deeper now:

I'm thankfully for an intense past two years. With almost everything being so easy for me, I thought I would have no problem getting a job, finding housing, finding a church, making a new life in Roch. I knew my relationship with God could always go a bit deeper, but I didn't realize just how deep I was supposed to go.

Deep as I can share:

I'm thankful for a city that has absolutely broken me. For a place that didn't just let me slide in, set up a quick-easy life, and continue my fun. This place, these people aren't letting me slide through life. I'm being challenged nearly daily to keep my heart open. The walls of my heart were broken and this town isn't letting me build them back up. Painful at times, but the joy is... peaceful, strong, light, life... I am very thankful for this - a community, a family, a God that never leaves.

Amen and Amen. Go Deep.
<><

Another great MN day spent outside!

I found my favorite MN state park (well, to this point atleast!). Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is exactly that. Big Woods! Big, sturdy old trees. Rolling hills, wildlife, well groomed trails, wonderfully marked trails! I'm so tired of going hiking and not knowing where I am or which way I want to go! I'm generally on some sort of time line and it's incredibly frustrating to be spinning circles trying to get on the desired trail! And yes, I know it's not all about the destination, but I haven't been that impressed with the journey's up to this point either :P I'm definitely a land person. If I'm not in the water, I don't care about seeing it! River overlooks? Boring. Looking at a waterfall? Lame. Reaching the tippy-top of a mountain? Exhilarating. Wandering through meadows? Exquisite. I'm a land person.

I digress. It was a great morning for a hike. I'm super excited to head back up there for some snowshoeing this winter! It was just nice that every time I turned I saw something that made me smile. A deer bounding off, rich-green moss, blue sky, sunshine, leaves galore, gray squirrels (red one's are feisty. i don't have issues with gray ones yet!). It was just nice.

On the way home I was hoping to stop at a ma and pa type cafe, but I couldn't find one. Thought that was weird considering I was in small town MN. Oh well. I'll research and maybe find one for next time!

So grab your mittens, I'll bring the hot chocolate, and come on out for snowy MN in a month or two! I'll be waiting :)

Rochester Love

I love living in Rochester.

I was at a friend's going away party last night and met quite the array of people! My friend is from Colombia/Spain/FL and is a software engineer. I met and chatted with a neurologist from Libya, a biomedical engineer from France, a researcher from Kenya, a Jamaican, some other Africans, tons of folks from Spain, a guy with an eye-wear fetish (I was thankfully wearing contacts!)... and a pot-smoker from Roch. Good Times! And people say Roch is boring...

Life is Meant to be Lived

You know something is going right when you wake up in the morning excited for the day!

Beginning of Nov. 62 degrees out. Heat-wave Minnesota-style! My plans involved NEVER being inside :) So, I grabbed the bike and headed to Eastwood Pard to check out the mtn. bike trails. It. Was. Fun. The last/first time I went biking like that was in Colorado at a place called Devil's Backbone. Does that sound fun? Does that name just exude a good time?! I thought it was a partial beginners course. I was wrong. Single track, sheer drop offs, loose dirt. Add a klutzy Colleen and we're in for a good time! (Upping the anti of adventure I guess!)

Eastwood was mostly single track, but if I fell, I'd fall on trees. Not down and a 50' incline. Actually the only time I did fall, I was standing up! Not even kidding. Walking up an incline, slipped on the mud and leaves.

Today, I'm looking forward to a brisk paddle around Silver Lake. Shout out to the glorious odd-ball days of Fall!

Peace. <><