Showing posts with label explore more. Show all posts
Showing posts with label explore more. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2015

The Road Doesn't End Here...


It's been a while dear friend. There have been many instances where I have wanted to sit down to blog but the time and place never suited such. Then I get to my hotel room and all I want to do is take a hot shower and curl up with the duvet. Life on the road has been a whirlwind. I definitely cannot believe that it's already mid October. Excuse me, when did that happen?

Let me set the scene for you. It's a sunny but chilly 45 degrees outside. I'm sitting in a cafe called Drip Cafe // Coffee & Brunch. It's a cozy place that will be closing in a mere 30 minutes...so I'm typing crazy quick. Also, partly because that cup of coffee was just so good. There's a beautiful painting on the wall a good 50 feet from me. I could probably stare at it for a good few hours. I guess that detail wasn't necessarily needed but there you have it. Describing rather than showing is an art form in itself. I hope by writing I am growing in that area. To build the connection between what I say and what you perceive.

In any case, all of this to say I have some unfinished business that I would like to attend to. Things such as finishing my documentary on my trip to Colorado, writing about that trip itself (long overdue), writing about my fall travels and sharing some stories of my own and others that have left an imprint on my heart along the way. I want to share the moments that made my heart come alive and the moments that broke it. All of these things and so many more. I've been learning so much and a great deal about myself. There's beauty in the head-space I have been able to acquire this fall. There's freedom in it. I'm definitely thankful for it especially knowing that when I get back to the office I will have to make time to break away and find that head-space. A challenge I am accepting.

Although my time on this road is coming to it's close, it doesn't end here. I'm super stoked about the possibilities of the future. This journey is only a preview.



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


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

Friday, June 19, 2015

Jo I Miss Her So

Dearest Jordan, I don't know how exactly our friendship came to be.
Fate. I suppose it was. Regardless, my dear, you are an inspiration.

(Just a little reminder from January 2015)

"This weekend I took a trip some with friends to Lynchburg. While many of my friends took to the snowy mountains peaks to board I spent time exploring the burg with Jordan, attended my first hockey game, decided I like hockey, drank lots of coffee, took lots of pictures and enjoyed just kinda going with the flow of the weekend. Time spent in Lynchburg was therapeutic in a lot of ways. Although my body may be exhausted from staying up till 3 am and getting up at 9 am a couple times (way past my bedtime) it was well worth it. My heart and spirit are well rested and encouraged by talks of dreams, passions, faith, insecurities, strengths, growth and the ever exciting unknown full of endless possibility. My heart sighed a lot this weekend and reminded me that releasing control should be more of a constant in life."