Author Archives: BackToMe

I woke up to an ache in my chest. A glance at my watch and I saw that it was 11 PM – another 4 long hours before my alarm would sound. We had left the rain tarp off our tent, and through the mesh window I could see millions of stars glimmering in theContinue reading “Holding Hands with Fear”

Summer is here, with June 21st marking the official opening of the season. While Spring was a time for planting seeds in our lives, Summer involves letting go and allowing those seeds to flourish. The Summer months are symbolic of youthful innocence – a time for enjoyment, for play, and for the appreciation of beauty.Continue reading “Romanticizing Summer”

Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, but our roots remain as one. – Anonymous The above quote hangs in my parents kitchen – curly black font across a shimmery gold canvas that I painted as a gift one Christmas. These words frame the experience of my family quite beautifullyContinue reading “Branches on a tree”

“Women friendships are like a renewable source of energy.” – Jane Fonda I hate to think of where I’d be without the incredible female relationships that I have in my life. These women who provide a compassionate ear at a moment’s notice, who get me to laugh so hard that it aches, who inspire meContinue reading “Women of the Wild”

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” – Henry David Thoreau  An hour spent outside shifts my mood in a way that few other things can. Feeling the sun on my face, the soft grass beneath my feet, listening to the songs of birds as they dart fromContinue reading “Loving on Mother Earth”

To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.  – Unknown The other morning I found myself caught in a snowstorm. Central Oregon ski season will most certainly extend through April this year. Yet, March 20th marked the Spring Equinox. Despite what the day’s weather displayed, in the Northern HemisphereContinue reading “Planting Seeds”

After two glasses of red wine, a bowl of raviolis, and a slice of cheesecake, I sat in my hotel bed feeling a deep sense of disappointment with myself…a sadness. I’d told myself I’d refrain from drinking on this trip (as it interferes with my sleep). I’d packed a bar of HU dark chocolate, intendingContinue reading “The Promises We Make”

“There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a bit further, it transcends the mind. A bit further yet, and what you have before you, laid bare, is the soul.” ― Kristin Armstrong Being inside for too long makes me…itchy. My body, my soul, aren’t meant to beContinue reading “Women who run alone”

Last Saturday I spent 5hrs and 45minutes on my mountain bike, covering a course of 52 miles and climbing over 5K feet in elevation. This ride covered a wide variety of terrain, from road, to gravel, to thick mud riddled with cow dung. At one point, every rider had to dismount and carry their bikesContinue reading “Productively Uncomfortable”

Arbitrary deadlines have been dictating my blog post production. Each week I sit myself down with pen and paper in hopes to write something of substance that will inspire, or atleast resonate, with others. Some weeks it is easy to come up with a topic upon which to write, and other weeks I end upContinue reading “When Less Means More”