Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Colorado Dreamin // Part I

• Scribed while sitting at my kitchen table, window open, peppers and onions on the stove 

It is time. Basically I have found a blissful moment to sit down and write. I have had so much on my brain and not enough time in the day to sit down and write about it all. I'm back logged on blogging. Even now I am getting up every so often to toss my food veggies and then sit down to resume writing. It's beautifully gloomy outside. A bit humid, but I can handle it. The house is quite because everyone's gone and I'm not playing any music. Sometimes my brain needs a break. I can hear crickets outside my window, I can hear my fingers hitting the keys, and I can hear the popping of extra virgin olive oil in the pan. Now that I have introduced the scene I can get to the rest of this happy post.

"How was your trip?!" -- "How was Colorado?!" -- I'm sure Kelsey and I heard these two questions about a hundred times after our arrival back home. Last I spoke of Colorado I told you that we quickly bought the tickets and didn't look back. I also said that if I didn't write while I was out there that I would have plenty to share upon my return. So let's start from the beginning...

The night before we left for Colorado Kelsey and I celebrated a friend's birthday at a restaurant in Norfolk. Come to find out as we were leaving we both had barely started packing. We had a long night ahead of us. The morning of a friend's mom (whom I consider to be a spiritual mother to me) picked me up and dropped me off at the airport. The excitement grew as I walked up to my gate only to find that a good friend of mine (whom I also used to rock climb with) was at my gate as a gate attendant. We chatted about my newest adventure and then before long I boarded the plane and was up in the air. I think I slept only a bit before I landed in New Jersey to connect flights and meet up with Kelsey who was on an earlier departing flight than I was. My heart skipped a beat when we reunited in the concourse of Newark. We both hadn't had breakfast and she had so patiently waited for me so it was the first thing we did. As we sat over our breakfast sandwiches and coffee I asked her about what she felt, if anything, that this trip would be for her. Originally I had bought my plane ticket and then soon after Kelsey hopped on board, which I wouldn't have changed for anything. It was a refreshing moment. Thinking now on the fact that we were at our half way point towards our destination kinda symbolizes where we both find ourselves. I can still remember how it felt to sit there and hear her heart. That is my first cherished moment of the trip. We are both in transition. I said nothing of the blog post I had written the night before but as she kept talking there was more and more connection and commonality for us than I had realized. I eventually shared about my wanting to be expectant and not expecting and she agreed that's where she was as well. What a beautiful start to the trip and a moment I will remember as a budding part of our beginning friendship. 

So how about I leave you with that for now. There may be 20 parts to this tale of adventures west but I'm down for sharing them if you're down for some reading. If you're not, well then, I'm sorry, too bad, because I am sharing them anyway. You're welcome. ;) 

I'll leave you with a photo and believe me there are plenty more to come. I gotta scarf some food and hit the rock gym! 

Freely,

Gabrielle


Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Dear Self,

I had this great moment sitting here at work during my lunch hour...I stumbled across my old Tumblr blog. I visited my page and found the following photo I took of a passage in a book I was reading:

A year ago I posted the above to my blog. I read over it now and find that it resonates so much with some things I've been talking with the Lord about over the last couple weeks. Trust. It hits home in quite a few areas of life right now. It's kind of beautiful to reflect on where I was a year ago and how much has happened and how far I have come since. I had this awesome moment of thinking on how I might start writing to myself each month. One letter a month for a year. Next year I can read the letter from that month the year before. I think it would be an awesome testament to life. It brings about thankfulness and humility and can be super encouraging. So I may start with this month and see where it takes me. I may even invest in a new journal!! Watch out Barnes & Noble I'm coming for you! If you know me I am a journal and stationary freak. I can get lost in those sections for dayyyys. So here's to the beginning of something...

Dear Self...

Gabrielle

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Weeks Later, Never Too Late

It may be about two weeks since I returned to Virginia but I haven't forgotten about sharing some photos and thoughts on my time in Colorado. Things have been quite busy with catching up on work, sending off friends on grand adventures, and helping to get two very good friends hitched without a hitch. ;) Ha. Ha. See what I did there?

I'll leave you with a little teaser. Just a few photos and comments to get by because I really want to share on this adventure with you all. For now, this is what I can do. My family comes in town tomorrow and I get a little more vacay with them the rest of the week so maybe I will have some chill time to sort through some photos and get them into the develop stage. If not, bear with me. Trust me. You'll want to see more.

The drive out to the trail head.

My favorite trees and soooo many wildflowers!

The hike out. I love that it was rainy and overcast most of the time.

Most of my free time.

12,900 ft up. Pretty rad.

Summit hike with some of the crew.

Snuck up on this girl doing some stretching. She's a dancer.

Another Kels original.

The views didn't disappoint.

Camp! After a 6 mile hike through the rain and over rivers and creeks and through valleys.

Soarin'.... Flyin'.... There's Not A ....

Being ridiculous was an absolute.

Pretty much...

...the best hiking companions.

Kels has a pretty good eye.

Punch Bowl Social

This kinda sums it up.

It's not often that I have my photo taken.

Savoring.

Freely,
Gabrielle