Currently: May

Currently living/working in: For the first time in a very long time, J & I have been apart. Just about 3,500 miles apart! I have been in Paonia, Colorado, doing a writer residency program this month and he has been climbing Denali in Alaska.

Current mood: Anxious to see my hubby again and for this whole climb to be over!!

Currently excited about: Taking our nephew to Alaska! Ryan is our oldest nephew (13) and he is graduating 8th grade, so as a gift, we are taking him to Alaska for 6 days. It all started when he was a toddler. He was pretty obsessed with trains and at the time, J was working up in Alaska riding the train everyday. He told Ryan, “someday, I will take you to Alaska.” Wouldn’t you know it that kid asked pretty much every time we saw him about going to Alaska! He is super stoked and we are equally as stoked to show him one of our favorite states.

We surprised him with the trip via a FaceTime call last month. We sent him a book about the Alaska Railroad with his itinerary detailed throughout. He was speechless.

Currently not excited about: Upcoming doctor appointments when we return from Alaska.

Currently worried about: Besides the whole, “my husband is on a deadly mountain,” … also worried about having to figure out what happens after June 16, when we return from Alaska. We’ve been putting off life decisions as usual!

Currently thankful for: J’s safety on Denali (so far – need this to continue). He is in good hands with RMI, but I’ve had 1 or 25 sleepless nights while he’s been climbing.

Currently proud of: A very talented and successful friend interviewed us for his Podcast, “Inflection Point.” It was an honor to be his guests and we are glad to spread the message about living a life less ordinary. You can have a listen here, or find it on iTunes to download and listen later.

Currently amazed by: Colorado. I’ve never been to Paonia or the surrounding area (it’s a darn big state) and I fell in love with my little mountain town of Paonia. I don’t think there is a place in CO that I’ve said, “meh, it’s alright.” Love it here!

Current confession: I really want a new iPhone. Mine is falling to pieces, but I am not willing to spend the big bucks until I absolutely have to. What ever happened to free phone upgrades?

Current guilty pleasure: I’ve been living a pretty simple life here in Paonia. I guess I would say my biggest “indulgence” has been my weekly yoga classes.

Currently reading: Finished 2 books this month.
“Tracks” by Robyn Davidson. This is the story about a women who walked across the Australian outback in the 1970s solo (well, with camels). This book has been out for awhile (1980s) and was recently made into a movie. It has been on my radar for a long time. But, the book majorly disappointed me! Maybe the movie will be better??
“How to Tell a Story: The Secrets of Writing Captivating Tales” by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost. I didn’t love it, but some parts were helpful!

Currently watching on Netflix: Blessed by speedy, unlimited Internet at my residency, I thought there was no better way to celebrate a long day of writing than with watching Netflix every night. And without J around, I binged on chick flicks. Let me tell you, there are a lot of bad movies out there. The only gem I found was called “You’re Not You.” Hilary Swank did an incredible job playing a women diagnosed with ALS. It was a real tear jerker.