Et Cetera

Oh look! Another one that has little to do with running! I'm on a roll here...
I've had a ton of thoughts spinning around in my head lately. I seem to constantly zipping from one idea to the next, very often each one getting more outlandish. I've felt very restless and have about a billion things that I want to do RIGHTTHISSECOND! But first, I need to organize my thoughts (well, at least a little bit):

1. I overheard a conversation the other day and I'm not entirely sure what the first bits of it were, but I caught a part where are girl was wondering why anyone bothered climbing Colorado's 14ers. One of the responses to that was "Well, why climb Everest? Because it's there." And while that may be part of the reason, I think there's SO much more to it. There's so much more to exploring your surroundings than just a half-assed "Eh, cause I can." There is so much to be learned about your world and yourself by taking even the smallest step beyond your daily route.

2. I WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE! I know I've said this, but the idea has been getting bigger and brighter and more insistant. Yes, I'm going to Cleveland for my marathon (and don't get me wrong - I am SUPER excited for it and to see some of my family... my grandpa is flying in from Sarasota to watch, my mom is coming, and my cousins will be there!) but that is so not what I mean. I want to go someplace I've never been and experience a new culture and a new landscape. I want to try exotic new foods! People go on vacations all the time so I don't know why I'm having such a hard time getting this accomplished... I need to pic a place, find a time to go, find someone to go with, and just make it happen. I can do more than just sit and wish.

3. I want a new job. Badly. I'm not sure how to explain this one because I LOVE my job, love the people I work with, love all the time it gives me to run, and love that I'm an important and prodcutive member of my community. But things at work have become very stagnant. There is nothing new and exciting, no new goals to work toward, just a bunch of people (awesome as they all may be) stuck in a rut. I don't even care what I'd be doing (no that's a lie, I do care... don't really want to be mopping floors at McDonald's) - it could be something similar in a new setting or something radically different - I just want a change. I've been playing around with the idea of starting my own busisness. What kind of business you ask?? Well. I'm not sure. I have a million ideas. One of the things I've been thinking about for a year or two now is starting a running magazine... yeah. So. We'll just see how that goes. I think I have some pretty phenomenal (ha ha kind of kidding) ideas but I'm not sure how to put it all into place. How do you even get started with something like that?? Well, I guess I have an idea but not all of the details down...

4. I want to learn another language. So there's this theory that we only use 10% of our brains and I feel like I probably only use maybe 8% of mine... I speak some French and can say a few inappropriate phrases in Spanish but I'd love to be fluent in either (or, hey, why not both??). And I want to learn a new skill of some sort... I don't even know what but I want to broaden my horizons. Don't you ever meet people who go out and do all these cool things and you're like "Well crap I don't even know how to do that" and then you get all jealous? That happens to me all the time (I've met some pretty inspiring people over the past few years!) and I'm getting irritated with myself for not getting up and doing something about it. Time to get my learn on!

5. The feaking Platte River Half Marathon is tomorrow!!!!! I don't really know how prepared I am... Some days I feel great and totally ready to rally and other days (yesterday was a great example) I feel like breathing is requiring too much energy. But right this very second I'm feeling good about it. I'm looking forward to a strong race and a great morning with friends. I'm excited to compete against some of the fastest girls around (that means YOU miss Paige Higgins!) and see how I can hold up this time around. I almost (ALMOST) don't even care how the race goes... sometimes I just want to have a good run and not worry about any of that, because really and truly I run because it's fun and if it stops being fun, what the hell's the point??

6. Very randomly: along the Highline Canal there are milkweed plants. And on the underside of the milkweed leaves sometimes you can find tiny little white mounds. Those mounds are little eggs that turn into little black and yellow caterpillars which, after a couple weeks, spin themselves into the most beatiful green and gold chrysalides (yes, that is the plural... I just now googled it). And a week or two later a squished up little monarch butterfly plops out. They uncrinkle their wings and it's one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. A few times my mom and I have gone and clipped off some of the milkweed stalks and put them in huge glass jars to watch the whole process and I really want to do that again this year.