It's All About the Adventure: October 2012

Go with The Flow September

I had an adventure filled summer, and it was great. I got to spend quality time playing and spending time with friends in Chattanooga and traveling outside of Chattanooga. I stayed so busy I never found time to write about my adventure camps that I led for Youth University, my paddling season, and my Boundary Waters Trip. So far my fall semester back in school has been just as much of a whirl wind. However it is a good kind of busy. I’m taking my last content classes this semester before student teaching next spring. One of the classes that I’m taking is Survey of British Literature. In class we are talking about Carpe Diem poetry. I started making goals for myself in the beginning of the summer. I wanted to make plans so that I would spend my summer break wisely doing things for me. I started to think about this seize the day mentality, which made me reflect on the things in my life right now. Am I really seizing the day?
I took time to count all of my blessingsthat are current in life right now. I realized that I have learned to make goals for my life, but also to be flexible towards things that are out of my control and to new possibilities. I am seizing the day with an adventure filled schedule, sweet time with friends, and new opportunities. All of these things have translated into a great Fall semester of my senior year. The semester started out with great staff training with all of my veteran UTC Outdoors’ coworkers and new coworkers. Through spending time with my coworkers, I realized how many people I’ve met, how many great experiences have happened, and the amount of training that has molded me into the leader I am today. This realization made me embrace trips, but also made me realize that I have done a lot through UTC outdoors, and there are more opportunities out there that I have not tried.

Eli and I were in a magazine article for a featured UTC Outdoors’ River Clean up.

Aubree and I led UTC Outdoors’ First Women’s tubing and camping trip

So a new season and a new passion in teaching spin. I have made a goal for myself this semester to embrace teaching a spin workout class at 6:15 A.M. on Mondays and Wednesdays. It challenges me, because it is something new unlike kayaking. I have enjoyed it so much that I became curious in road biking. I found an old bike that was my mom’s, and brought it back to Chattanooga to ride. At first my only intention was to ride it on the river walk and downtown to dollar wine night. Then someone got me interested in longer bike rides. I know just another hobby to add to the list. My friend brought me this road bike to use til May, and started talking about half centuries. I was excited, but nervous. I had never biked more than fifteen miles, and now someone is loaning me a bike, and talking about training for a sixty . . . mile bike ride. I felt like if someone went through that much trouble to bring me a bike and show confidence in me then I had to do it. So one Sunday we met, I learned how to use clip in pedals, and set out for a bike ride on Missionary Ridge. All my spin classes paid off, because I was able to hold my own, see some new views of Chattanooga, and have a lot of fun. September marks the date of me falling in love with biking, and now I am looking forward to a half century ride in Columbia at the end of October.

Another area that I have found fulfillment and fellowship in is running. Last spring my roommates and I signed up for The Seven Bridges half marathon in Chattanooga at the end of October. We signed up and paid early so it would force us to train and run it together. I’ve never been a runner and three miles was miserable at one time, but now we are adding on distance with hills in Chattanooga. We have enjoyed pushing ourselves, spending time together, and enjoying the beautiful views that all of the Chattanooga paths have to offer. Running has been a great stress reliever, quality roommate bonding time, and training. Now it’s the first of October, and the reality of our half marathon is setting in, but we are excited for it.

Sabin, Kate, and I running together!

Carpe Diem . . . I have seized the day with all of these new hobbies and activities, but it is with the one month yoga deal from North Shore Yoga that made me really think about seizing the day with things that really matter. A bunch of my close girl friends and I all bought a living social deal for September yoga. At first we thought it would be a great way to fellowship together while working out. However it has done so much more. I have tried new things and have a better outlook on life. The teachers say “let go and go with the flow”, and that is the mentality that everyone needs to have in life. It is ok to try new things, to be challenged, to mess up, and even look silly doing it. There is growth in these times. During this month of yoga, I started out being a total newbie, but I have improved so much.

6:00 A.M. Yoga

I need to keep this in mind when I walk into any new situation. I need to realize that I’m not perfect at everything, but there’s Grace in that. Alice Walker says “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect . . .” and that is what makes life so interesting. Everyone’s stories are so different and unique, and that’s why I want to share my stories. I am filling my days with things that make me happy, that challenge me, and that makes me grow. I only hope that my friends won’t read this and see it as boasting, but as encouragement for everyone to look at their personal stories. Look at your personal story and count your blessings so that you can be intentional with how you intend on seizing the day. Realize that with new experiences there are going to be challenges, and allow yourself some grace in those experiences. Not every experience is perfect, but that’s what makes it All Part of The Adventure.

September My Birthday Month and a great time with Friends!