Serendipity and a Quick Trip to Northern California
Written July 15, 2021
Traveled February 12-15, 2021
Serendipity is not only a lovely 2001 film, but also appears to be the theme of my 2020 cross-country move from West to East Coast. The signs started pointing towards a path of least resistance before I even knew I’d be moving to Boston. On a random drive to work, the local country radio station in Seattle, WA was playing commercials from Boston. “Come down to Beantown,” they exclaimed! I happened to be at a national physical therapy conference (APTA’s CSM) at the same time as the Human Resources representative I was speaking to from Boston Children’s. My coworker was able to take time off to drive cross-country with me, where Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road opened on the day we’d be there.
Once I arrived in New York on July 18, 2020, I had a pocket full of faith in the alignment of the universe and manifestations of my desires. My personal life and professional life found alignment in perfect synchronicity with all I’d imagined.
What I didn’t expect was development in relationships. I knew I’d be moving closer to loved ones and would welcome more meaningful connections into my life with the transition to the East Coast, but the surprise of finding alignment with someone else was not even something I was thinking about.
When I met up with Justin for brunch in Astoria on a Sunday in July, I thought I’d just be catching up with an old friend. Crossing paths momentarily. Seeing what we’ve been up to all these years. Little would I know how our paths had found a way to align. All our little life changes, challenges, and transitions made it possible for us to be together in New York on a beautiful day. Enjoying brunch, a long walk, a sunset, and an endless stream of conversation.
One date turned into one year, six months of distance, two trips to Northern California, and countless video chats (& shots of tequila… hehe). The gratitude I have for our alignment is palpable as Justin drives cross-country almost exactly 365 days after my road trip departure date.
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NH48: Mount Moosilauke
Hiked: Sunday, June 20, 2021 (Father’s Day!)
NH 4/48
Growing up on Long Island (yes, that’s ON Long Island, not IN Long Island), I’ve known some pretty funky town names, such as Hauppauge, Massapequa, Ronkonkoma, which can be tricky to pronounce. While I’ve somewhat mastered the names of my hometown, my ability inability to correctly pronounce most other things in life is being challenged greatly by the mountains of the northeast. I have been known to incorrectly pronunciate* ‘Diablo Lake’ in Washington (one of my favorite places) and will probably never say ‘geyser’ correctly (is a boiling spring that periodically erupts, or an odd old man??).
Deciding to hike Mount Moosilauke in the White Mountains had me wanting to keep my plans secret… mostly because I had absolutely no idea how to pronounce the name. Does it rhyme with “walkie talkie” or “lock”?! I thought someone would eventually correct me, so I kept switching which way I say it. I have discovered, however, this is an age-old debate with no clear resolution. The Native American name Moosilauke means “a bald place”… and does not intend to reference any antlered animals whatsoever. Just like there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s, there’s no wrong way to say Moosilauke! You can choose your own adventure: rhyme with rock or rocky! (I choose to keep remixing and switching it up for fun.)
With the Saturday weather being very rainy/thunderstormy (plus the intense need for rest & relaxation after a tough week of work), my new hiking pal and I hiked Mount Moosilauke on Sunday, June 20th via the Gorge Brook Trail! Nichole and I met on Instagram (social media can be pretty neat sometimes) and this was our first meetup. Little did I know how perfectly the views and our conversations would match each other – inspiring and limitless! The 360-degree views at the top of Moosilauke + our conversations about goals and dreams had me really pondering the limitless potential we have as humans to achieve all we desire.
Alright, alright. Enough of the sappy stuff (just kidding, you know I love it lol), here’s number FOUR/48 and the Western-most 4,000 footer – Mount Moosilauke!
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NH48: Mount Osceola and East Osceola
Hiked: Saturday, June 12, 2021
NH 2 & 3/48
Peakbagging is something I first discovered in Washington state, having lived amongst other mountaineers and mountain enthusiasts. When Analisa (who writes the most amazing gear and mountain adventure reviews HERE… especially for gnarly women!!) introduced me to Washington’s Bulger List on our climb of Silver Star Mountain (still one of my fav mountain days evah), I thought it’d be pretty awesome to move towards the 100 high peaks in Washington. Yet, a part of me didn’t feel like it’d be achievable. A part of me knew I’d eventually leave the PNW. (Regardless, I will one day return… there’s SO MUCH more to climb!)
With my decision to begin baggin’ peaks in the northeast, the NH48 was a no-brainer. For my second peak, I was itching for more of a view than my virgin hike on Tecumseh (and perhaps less of a staircase?). In true peakbagger spirit, I wanted an easy way to knock two peaks off the list and still be home to work on my Etsy site! Discovering I could do Mouth Osceola and East Osceola in one trip AND drive 2.5 hours (one of the closer mountains to Boston!) was a WIN. With summits separated by one mile, there are a few ways to bag both Osceolas. I opted for the longer hike, starting from Tripoli Road and hitting Mount Osceola before East Osceola.
Two more peaks bagged with numbers 2 and 3/48… donezo! Read on, mountain enthusiasts… that is if you’ve navigated back from researching peakbagging… peakbagging.com is a great place to start by the way… and there’s lists for pretty much every area across the U.S., including San Francisco area!
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Self-Care is Hard, But Don’t Be Hard On Yourself
In my last post, I talk about all these magical things I do to balance and nurture myself. Prayer, yoga, meditation, EFT, tarot cards. It’s all great. Love it. But it’s not the full story.
I just wanted to take a moment to say:
It’s not possible to be in balance all the time.
In fact, I find myself feeling unbalanced about how to feel balanced (figure that one out?!). It’s the part of me that wants to do all the things all the time. It’s the part of me that’s a little indecisive. It’s the part of me that’s expected to tend to other people’s needs.
Most of all, it’s the part of me that requires the most tenderness and care.
Sometimes, I know I need to feel more grounded. But the paradox of choice hits me and I sit there thinking… should I meditate with my tigers eye crystal? What if I write in my journal for 10 minutes? Oh! But I also really wanted to work on that painting and I love when I create so I can get in the flow. But it’s also so nice outside and… maybe I should drive to go for a hike! Nature is nurturing! Ugh, but I really need to rest. Why do I always feel like I have to do something?! Am I trying to fix something that doesn’t need to be fixed?
Stop. Pause.
Hans DeJong in the Mind Silva Method would say: CANCEL CANCEL to the negative thoughts that arise. somewhere in this stream of consciousness, I become aware. I see what’s happening. I want to put myself down for not knowing what I need. I want an answer NOW, rather than sitting with the discomfort of feeling disconnected and simply breathe. This *pause* allows me to reflect and ease into the moment with kindness. I stop telling myself negative things. I stop being so hard on myself.
Behind every body is a mind, heart, and spirit that needs nurturing. We can get it from other people, but not until we give it to ourselves. Not until we fill our own cups.
My cup is full when I do my best to practice self-care. But sometimes I have to sit with it empty. Sometimes I have to give MORE when I don’t have anything to give.
This feeling of suffering is a part of life. If I can sit with this feeling and allow it to pass through me, I can soften and care for myself even when it’s most difficult. Even when I want to tell myself I should/could be doing better. Because, really, I’m just doing the best I can at every moment of every day.
Every day, in every way, I am getting better, better, and better.
Be kind to the part of you that has a hard time with caring for yourself. It’s okay. We’ve all been there.
Sending you love and compassion today and every day.
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