#i will be moving next year but y’all get to hear about how denver gets snow and we get the low 80s in the meantime

[whynotcherries]

i want to go to there.

[hookingminor]

close quarters (2) - andre burakovsky

a/n: here’s part 2! hope y’all enjoy please leave me a message w your thoughts I love hearing what you guys think

word count: 2,735

one / two / three / four / five

-

Despite his sudden aloofness that past few days, Andre knocked on your door the following Thursday.

“Hi, Andre, did you need something?” You asked curiously. He never bothered you in your room.

“Actually, I had something for you. I know you’re still looking for a place, so I talked to some people and got you a showing for tomorrow at five,” he replied.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you thanked him, “Really, I can find my own place.” Though, you weren’t really sure if that last part was true. It had been a couple weeks, and you were still at a loss.

“It’s no problem,” he said with a blush, “I can send you the address and phone number of the agent later today.”

“Wait, you’re not coming with me? You have to come with me, Andre. I can’t just show up somewhere for an appointment I didn’t make,” you said hurriedly before he left.

“I don’t think—,” he began to say, but you cut him off before he got any further.

“You sent me your schedule, I know you don’t have anything going on,” you said with an accusatory finger to emphasize your point, “You have to come with me.”

Andre opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. He knew he’d been caught, and you weren’t taking no for an answer. You raised your eyebrows, putting on a hopeful face as your lips slowly quirked into a smile.

“Great!” You said cheerfully when you knew he wasn’t going to argue, “I’ll be ready to leave at three!”

When you closed the door in front of him, a victorious smile on your face, Andre threw his head back to gaze at the ceiling, cursing himself for not being able to tell you no.

-

You and Andre walked to your showing the next day as it was only fifteen minutes away and the parking in Denver was hell. When you arrived at the opulent building, you stopped in your tracks to berate Andre.

“Who the hell did you call? I can’t afford a place like this,” you said in awe, mouth agape as you stared up at the high rise.

“I may or may not have promised the landlord two years worth of season tickets in exchange for a favor,” he said, chuckling at your stunned expression.

“You really should not have done that,” you said, though the bite in your voice wasn’t as harsh as you intended it to be.

“It’s not a problem. I don’t have any family near me anyway, and I have the tickets to give away,” he said with a shrug.

Andre ushered you through the lobby and up to the seventh floor, apparently he’d been given the entrance code already. You didn’t say anything the entire way, too taken aback by the cleanliness and luxury of the building. You read the signs in the elevator that indicated the floors of a few amenities, pausing when you came across the information for a pool. This had to be way over your budget even with Andre pulling a few strings.

A middle-aged woman greeted you when you stepped out the elevator, tapping away on her phone as she stood outside the door you presumed was the apartment.

“Hi, you must be Andre. I’m Ellen, I’ll be showing you around today,” the woman said, using a key to unlock the door.

You followed her into the entryway, your eyes immediately noting the open concept and large kitchen. Granite covered the countertops, a perfect contrast against the white cabinets.

“As you can see, there’s a lot of natural light that comes from the large windows and balcony, high ceilings in all the rooms, new appliances in the kitchen, bathrooms were redone a year ago,” she listed on, but you were already sold the minute you entered.

“There is a gym on the first floor, each unit comes with its own washer and dryer, pool is on the roof, though it’s only open during the summer,” she continued as you wandered through the living room.

It was much bigger than what you needed but beautiful, nonetheless. Ellen led you to the hallway along with the attached bedrooms.

“This is the master bedroom, ample space for a king-sized bed and plenty of room for clothes and shoes in the walk-in closet,” she described with a chuckle.

“Oh, we’re no—” you started to say, shaking your head at the insinuation of you and Andre being a couple.

“We love it, thank you,” Andre said loudly, drowning out your voice, “Would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?”

“Of course, I’ll be out in the kitchen if you need me,” Ellen said with her best saleswoman smile. She left the two of you in the room, and you gave Andre a funny look.

“It’s easier if they just assume we’re a couple. Less awkward,” he explained, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. You gave him a smirk that said “sure, I totally believe you” as you allowed yourself to pace across the bedroom.

“So, what do you think?” He asked after a moment, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“It’s perfect. Way out of my price range but perfect,” you replied.

“Don’t worry about that, it’s all handled. I promise it’s within your budget now,” he said.

You stood at the window, overlooking the city and taking in the view. It was the perfect location: only a few blocks away from your new job but still close to the interstate if you needed to go somewhere. There was a grocery store on the corner across the street, and you could see three coffee shops just from your view from the window.

“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” you said sheepishly. You hated owing people, and this felt like one huge favor no matter what Andre said.

“Think of it as a welcome to Denver present,” he said, “So should we go sign the papers now?”

As much as you wanted to say no, to tell him this was too much, the offer was too good to pass up. You weren’t going to find another place like this that you could afford, and Andre had already promised the landlord tickets. It would just be rude to refuse now. At least that’s what you told yourself when Andre led you back out to the kitchen.

“We’ll take it,” Andre announced when you’d joined Ellen back in the kitchen. She set her phone down on the counter when she heard his voice.

“Perfect!” She said joyfully, removing a packet of papers from her purse and setting them on the table, “I have to make a quick call, but let me know if you have any questions.” She pulled out a pen from her purse, handing it to Andre before moving to a different room.

Andre gave the pen to you as you began rifling through the lease. You scanned the apartment rules and contract appendices, noticing the way the monthly rent had been blacked out and replaced with a new price.

“I don’t even want to know what the real rent is,” you chuckled lowly, signing where it indicated.

“I wasn’t going to tell you anyway,” he replied, leaning his elbows on the counter as he watched you read.

You flipped through the rest of the pages, most of the words were a formality and discussed liabilities, not that you intended to break anything. When you had finished filling out the last signature, Ellen appeared back in the kitchen, the same bright smile on her face.

“All finished?” She asked, putting her phone back into her purse. You nodded your head, handing the stack back which she tucked away with her phone.

“You’re going to love this place. It’s very popular with young couples starting out on their own, so you’ll have a lot of neighbors like you,” she said as she escorted you back out of the apartment.

“The least starts on the first, and there is a service elevator just out back that you will be given a key to,” she added finally, locking the door behind you, “If you have any more questions, you can call me any time, or I’m sure you have the landlord’s number.”

It was clear Ellen had another appointment to get to, so you said your goodbyes quickly and left the same way you came.

When the elevator doors shut, Andre turned to give you a big smile.

“Don’t look so smug,” you said with an eye roll, “I’m going to be surrounded by young couples all the time now.”

“Well, you can always just invite me over if you need a fake boyfriend to show off,” he said without hesitation. You widen your eyes in surprise at his proposition, and Andre is quick to backtrack

“I didn’t mean like— I just meant that… If you ever need company…” he stuttered, cheeks heating furiously. You laughed at his uncomfortable shuffling.

“It’s okay, Andre, I know what you meant. And you’re always welcome here, you’re kind of my only friend in Denver anyway,” you chuckled playfully, trying to ease the tension.

The elevator hit the ground floor, and you exited, eager to leave that awkward conversation behind you.

“Back to the apartment, then?” You asked to change the subject as you both stepped out of the building onto the sidewalk.

Andre glanced down to look at you, entranced by the way your eyes glittered in the sunlight. So, he decided to take a risk.

“Actually, do you want to get dinner? I know a good sushi place,” he asked in a hopeful tone, “You know, to celebrate the new apartment and all?”

You didn’t think your mood could've gotten any better, and Andre didn’t think your smile could get any wider, but both of those things happened when he asked you out for dinner.

“I’d love to,” you replied.

Andre walked you throughout downtown Denver to a fancy sushi restaurant that sat on the corner of the street. Despite not making any reservations, you were lucky to see it wasn’t that busy and you were able to easily get a table for two.

He ordered a bottle of wine for the table when the waiter stopped by as you read over the menu.

“Do you want to get some sample platters and just share? That’s what I usually do when I’m with the guys. It’s also the best way to try everything,” Andre asked, pouring out two glasses of wine. You agreed at his suggestion, placing the order when the waiter came back.

“So,” Andre started, bringing the wine glass to his lips to take a sip, “How do you know Taylor and Tom? In all my years in D.C., they never mentioned you.”

“Taylor and I actually met in college, she was the senior assigned to mentor me freshman year. So, we spent a lot of time together. I moved to D.C. after graduation, and she was currently there with Tom so I reconnected with her and that’s how I know them,” you explained, taking your own sip of wine.

Andre nodded his head along with your story, and then he launched into the story about how he met Tom. You knew it was because of hockey, obviously, but he went into more details about their friendship and living situation with Latta.

“I always wondered why you had three ketchup bottles in your fridge,” you chuckled along with his story. You’d only been to Tom’s apartment a handful of times and it was usually because Taylor had to swing by and pick something up but you always found it odd why one household had three bottles of ketchup and absolutely no other food. You just assumed guys were weird and didn’t know any basic cooking skills; it turned out you were not all that wrong.

“Yeah, the domestic skills of the apartment were not very high,” Andre laughed with you.

He asked about your jobs after school and why you moved to Denver, and you asked about his home back in Sweden. Questions turned into recalling childhood memories and other hobbies and interests you had outside of your careers. The sushi came halfway through an anecdote of how Tom broke a hotel TV in Calgary because he was trying to kill a spider.

You continued into a story of how your sister tricked you into walking on a bee’s nest, which resulted in ten different stings and a trip to the hospital. An hour passed and the sushi between you slowly disappeared as you took turns telling stories and taking bites. Soon, the plates were empty, the bottle of wine was finished, and you could feel the waiter hovering near the wall waiting for your signal to deliver the check.

Exiting the restaurant, you stumbled out on the small ledge that dropped down to the sidewalk, your arm instinctively reaching out to grab Andre’s arm for stability. You chuckled when you made contact, clearly a little more tipsy than you originally thought. His hand slid down to your waist, holding tightly until he felt you were steady enough without the support. And even though he removed his arm from your hip, you kept your arms snaked around his as you began walking. Andre didn’t retract his arm or look uncomfortable with your proximity, so you kept it there.

He steered your bodies towards the direction of his apartment, and you knew you were probably a good thirty minutes away. The bubbly atmosphere from the restaurant followed you the entire way back to the apartment, both of you continuing the banter from earlier. It seemed as if the wall that was between you, the one that had you dancing around each other because of the unusual living situation, had been broken down and you were finally past the stage of awkward acquaintances and into the stage of friendship.

Well, you hoped it was at least at the stage of friendship, though you were silently hoping it had progressed past that. You would’ve been blind to have not found Andre attractive, but with his schedule and odd behavior and the fact that you lived together, you decided not to act on it.

But tonight you were feeling like pushing the envelope a little bit further.

The two of you entered the front door of the apartment, and for the first time in nearly two hours, a silence fell between you. It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but it was clear that your night out was over and the bubble that surrounded your date had popped. Now, you were back into the temporary roommate bubble.

Your hand finally released its grip on his arm when you both reached the kitchen counter. Andre stood between you and the marble countertop, his eyes still twinkling as he gazed into your eyes.

“I had a great time today,” you blushed, “Thank you for dinner… and the apartment.”

Still in a blissed out haze from the date, Andre didn’t think twice about lifting his hand to brush aside a strand of your hair. You leaned slightly into his body as his hand paused to rest behind your ear for a second.

Taking a deep breath, you tilted your head up a couple more inches, hopefully communicating that you wanted him to kiss you.

It was this action that seemed to snap Andre out of his stupor because one second he was moving his finger to lift your chin, and the next second he was dropping his hand and stepping away. He blinked away the lustful mist that clouded his eyes before coughing awkwardly.

“Uh, I have to get to bed,” he said, taking a few more steps out of your reach, “Practice in the morning.”

“Oh, okay,” you said dejectedly, your lips turning into a frown. Were you reading the situation wrong? You could’ve sworn he was feeling the same way you were.

“Yeah, uh, goodnight,” Andre mumbled, turning on his heels before speed walking to his room.

The air around you felt awkward for the first time that entire night. You were bouncing off each other the entire night, why was he closing himself off now? Your brows furrowed in confusion as you took a few seconds to process Andre’s suddenly bizarre behavior.

What the hell just happened?

[thetheatregang]

Insomnia - Chapter Two

I’m so excited to post chapter two! I know it’s hella late but I just wanted it to be PERFECT for y’all. This chapter is very Ricky centric, but we’ll be getting back to more Rini centric in the next chapter!

Make sure to read Chapter One before you read this one!

Ricky’s POV

In my dreams, that day is still clear. Still fresh. I remember every last detail, but I want to forget.

“I want to stay here, Ricky. I want to be with you! Please just let me stay!” Nini pleads upsetly. I can see the pain in her eyes. 

I can’t be the one to hold her back. I can’t be the reason she gives up on a dream. Something she’s worked hard for her whole life. 

“Nini, please, I can’t be the reason you stay... You should go to the Conservatory, this is your dream!” I tell her. I’m afraid she won’t listen to me. If she doesn’t go to the Conservatory because of me, she’d end up resenting me. 

“It’s too late for that… I already told them no. I gave up my spot, I did this for us! When you told me you loved me, that’s something I’d waited my whole life to hear. Maybe I’ll re-audition for the Conservatory next year…” She tells me. 

“Nini I’m moving to Chicago…” I blurt out. I didn’t mean to tell her that yet. I was gonna wait, until she was in Denver. Then we would both be gone. It would have been easier that way. 

I tell her that I was leaving because I miss my mom, but that’s a lie, I decided to leave because I didn’t think I could stay at East High without her. But it’s too late to change my mind. The plans were set. 

*beep beep beep beep*

My alarm blares, and it sounds even louder than usual. I look at the time, 7:25 AM. Shit. I’m gonna be late for school. I grab my phone off my desk. I see one notification on my screen. An Instagram notification.

niniukegirl: will you be in town april 17th or 18th? 

I smile. Nini wants to see me. Even after what I did, she still wants to see me. I change my clothes, brush my teeth, and walk downstairs. 

“Rickkkyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I’m gonna be late agaaaaaaaaaiiiiinnnnnnn!” Todd’s six year old daughter Elizabeth whines, picking up a box of crayons from the computer desk. 

“Well maybe if you don’t complain, I’ll take ya to school. You’re in first grade, I’m pretty sure they’re not gonna care if you’re five minutes late!” I smirk, shoving a breakfast bar into my school bag. Every Wednesday I take Lizzie to school so that mom and Todd can go into work early. 

“Yes they aaaaaaaaarrrrreeeeee!” She grunts. I pick her up and swing her up onto my shoulders. 

“Okay! Okay! Let’s go!” I carry her out to my, well technically it’s Todd’s old car, plopping her into her booster seat. Yes, I am a teenage boy who has a booster seat in his 2005 Nissan Altima. 

“Why are you in such a good mood this morning? You’re usually Grumpypants McGee before 8 am?” She snorts, buckling herself in. I close her door and get into the driver’s seat. “None of your business, Nosemary!” I chuckle. 

Within minutes I’m pulling up to the local elementary school in the drop off lane. “Right on time this week!” The attendant smiles, helping Lizzie out of her car seat. “I’ll see you at pickup Elizabeth!” I call out. 

As I’m pulling into my parking spot at school I hear a quick vibration from my phone. 

I look down at my screen, a Snapchat from Big Red. Shown on my screen is a photo of the poster for East High’s Spring Musical, Nini and EJ front and center in 50’s clothes and hairstyles. 

COME SEE GREASE APRIL 17TH AND 18TH IN THE NEWLY REPAIRED EAST HIGH AUDITORIUM!

That’s why Nini wanted to know if I’d be in town. Well I will be. I couldn’t miss opening night! I pull up Nini’s Instagram message.

niniukegirl: will you be in town april 17th or 18th? 

skateratricky: wouldn’t miss it for the world… 

Shit, I hope that doesn’t sound too desperate. Does it? 

*tap tap* 

I look over to my window. Standing outside is my friend Chloe Garcia. Chloe is what my new school calls my “peer mentor”. When I transferred to North Greenlands High School they assigned Chloe to show me around, eat lunch with me, etc. 

“What are you doing?” She shouts through my rolled up window. Her bright yellow dyed hair, and shiny metal piercings practically blinding me in the process. 

“I was texting Nini!” I tell her as I exit the red Altima. 

“Ooooooooohhhhhhh!” She giggles, grabbing my phone. She scrolls for a minute, and screeches. “Awwwwww you miss her!” 

I blush. Of course I do. How could I not?

“Hush, don’t you have a class to be getting to?” I sigh, taking my phone back and throwing it into my schoolbag. 

“Don’t change the subject!” She retorts. “Do you miss her or not?!” 

“Yes! Of course I miss her. She was my first love, I think about her every day!” I can feel my face turning red. “We’ll talk after class!” 

“Yes. Yes we will Richard!” She floats off into the school as my phone buzzes again. 

niniukegirl: we can’t wait to see you 💕

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Sweet angel Ryan— personality 7, 10, 14, 16, 20, 23; friends and family 7; past and present 4, 9: love 6

OOF. Sorry it took a year and a day to get to these! Ryan Brenner character asks part two! 

7- What makes him laugh out loud? 

Ryan laughs a lot when he’s with his cousins. They have tons of good memories from growing up together to call upon, and even as they’ve all gotten older the shenanigans haven’t really stopped. They still gang up on one another to tease or joke, they still poke fun at each other for things they say or do. Ryan gets back to Georgia every three years- sometimes more often if there’s a big family event or if he’s nearby anyway, but sometimes he’ll meet up with some of them on the road, too if they’re traveling. He’s met up with Taylor when she was on vacation with her family, for instance, and Zach quite a few times because he travels a lot himself, moving from place to place but always settling back home for a while in between. But Ryan is most comfortable with his family, whether it’s his cousins or his tribe, so all of his expressions are going to be bigger when he’s around them, including laughter.

10- How does he see himself? 

Ryan is comfortable with himself for the most part. He sees himself as an honest, well-intentioned, good-natured person who puts his all into everything he does and who finds enjoyment in the simple things that life has to offer. Occasionally someone gives him a look, turning their nose up or curling their lip at his dirty hands or overgrown hair, his “lived in” jacket or the stains on his jeans. Sometimes he’ll hear comments mumbled under the breath of passersby, the word “bum” or “degenerate” hitting his ear harshly. When this happens, it hurts and sometimes it makes him angry- who are these people to judge him? Why do people feel the need to form opinions on the makeup of a man based on what he wears or how he chooses to live? Why do superficial things matter more to people than the things they’d learn about him if they bothered to? But he’s very well adjusted, and the feelings of inadequacy or anger fade relatively quickly for the most part, because he knows that he’s a good person. He knows that he can sleep at night with no stains on his conscious. He knows that he loves the life he leads, and he knows that he has people who understand him.

14- What is his greatest fear? 

I inadvertently answered this one in another round of asks, but sure, I’ll ramble on it some more.

His greatest fear is dying alone. He’s not scared of much, and he knows that he’s making choices in his life that aren’t always the safest, so it’s not a fear that stops him from doing anything that he wants to do, it’s not something he thinks about all the time, and it’s certainly not something he’s ever acknowledged out loud. But his father, Oz and Cowboy all spent their last moments alone, and while the three of them had lived a little more dangerously than Ryan, he couldn’t help but to draw parallels and recognize that only the smallest of mishaps could lead him down the same road.

  16- When was the last time that he cried? 

(settle in this one’s lengthy.)

  It was a few months before arriving in Denver; October 28th to be exact. He was playing at a small Hometown Festival in a suburb of Cleveland with Georgie and Louie, the three of them occupying stools on a raised wooden stage. It had been a perfect Autumn day. The sun was alone in a cornflower sky, the crisp blue expanse painting the perfect background for the deep burgundy and brilliant gold foliage. Though it was late in the season, it had been warm all day, and Ryan had been able to roll up his jacket and tuck it under the straps of his pack, feeling much lighter as he walked the booth lined street, carefully inspecting each and every stall, watching vendors crafting or cooking, noticing the detail work on displayed items like sun catchers, soaps and silver work, sampling a warm cider or a soft pretzel.

He’d joined up with his friends that morning, after Georgie had called him a week before with news.

“Got us a gig, Ry! A real one with cash an’ all that.” Georgie was always full of excitement even when there was nothing to be excited about, but when there was he downright teemed with it. Some things never change.

“Woah, slow down, Georgie,” Ryan chuckled as he exhaled a puff of the cigarette he held between his thumb and pointer finger, the steel floor of the train car rattling beneath him, somewhere between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.  “What’dya sayin’ now?”

He’d gone on to explain that he met a musician up in Michigan. He’d been working some odd jobs up there, skirting the shore of the lake before the weather chased him further south, and Cole- the banjo picker he’d met- had tipped him off to a local festival in his home town that he was headed down to play at. Georgie had eagerly looked into it, ravenous as always for opportunities to play and be heard, and once he’d checked the date and location, he’d wasted no time in contacting the event organizer and booked a spot. He’d called Ryan as soon as he’d gotten off the phone with the scheduler, planning to give Louie a ring next.

“A’right,” Ryan took the last drag before stubbing out the butt under his boot. “When do I gotta be there?” Georgie told him the date and Ryan froze, leaning forward, a tight twist in his chest. But that’s… 

When ten seconds went by without a response, Georgie repeated Ryan’s name. “Hey, you still there, Ry?”

Ryan cleared his throat and shook his head. “Yeah’m here, Georgie, just...d’you say October 28th? That’s…”

“Yeah,” Georgie cut him off quietly. “Yeah, I know. Cowboy’s birthday.” He paused and Ryan could feel it through the phone line, the mutual missing of their friend. “But I think…ya know, maybe that’s what he’d want, right? Us all…”

“Yeah,” Ryan agreed. “Yeah, I think that’s what he’d want.” I know it is.

It had been the perfect kind of day, and just the kind of day that Cowboy would have loved. Ryan smiled to himself imagining his friend twirling Virginia unexpectedly before plopping a kiss to her cheek and then reaching behind her to flick Georgie’s ear while the group casually toured the blocked off boulevard. Miss you brother.

When the day had turned to dusk, music started to float through the now chilly air. The lights that had been strung up over the stage blinked to life, their soft orange glow complementing the corn husks and pumpkins that stood at either end of the wood plank platform. Bands and soloists, singers and musicians all took their turns delighting the crowd of locals, Ryan, Georgie and Louie following a pair of sisters who fiddled faster than Ryan had ever seen. They’d played a few favorites, a couple new tunes that Ryan had been toying with, his voice warming the hearts and souls of the red-cheeked faces gathered in front of the stage. Feels right to be doin’ this tonight. He poured his memories and feelings into his performance, paying tribute to his friend in the only way he knew how.

Their set ended, the three of them rising from their stools to cheers and applause, smiles broad and eyes brimming with happiness. As they turned to leave the stage to make room for the next act, a frantic young girl in an event staff sweatshirt came jogging towards them, waving her clipboard.

“Hey hang on a sec, you guys wanna play another set?” She asked the question in a way that told Ryan that she didn’t want to beg but that it wasn’t off the table. Her eye brows wrinkled up and her lips tipped down. “The next guy…apparently he had one… or six too many ciders and, well,” she dramatically winced, drawing a warm chuckle from Ryan and snickers from Georgie and Louie. “He was supposed to close out the show, so…”

“You got yourself a deal, lil lady,” Georgie Extended his hand passed Ryan and the girl eagerly shook it.

“Great, thank you so much. I’ll see that you get paid for both sets of course, and-“

“Hold on, Georgie,” Ryan turned, bemused smirk on his lips. “We just played most’a the songs we know, what’re we gonna…”

“You could take requests, maybe?” The young volunteer suggested hopefully.

“There you go, Ry, we could take requests, maybe.” Georgie grinned.

Ryan blew out a laugh through his nose and shook his head. “A’right, let’s take some requests, maybe.” He gestured towards the stage and the girl visibly let go of at least half the stress she was under, thanking them profusely. The crowd cheered as they settled back in their stools, quieting down as Ryan leaned forward to speak into the mic. “Thank y’all so much,” he said, cheeks red with more than just the chill. Singing was one thing, but talking to a crowd wasn’t something Ryan had much practice with. “We’re gonna stick around if that’s alright with you.” The cheers he was met with made his cheeks nearly swallow his eyes. “So if there’s somethin’ you wanna hear, come on over’n let us know.”

They started off with another old song that they’d played together hundreds of times before the requests started coming in. Most were songs they knew, a few they’d had to turn down because they didn’t fit their style, but all the songs they’d played had kept the crowd happy. When they got down to their last one, though, Ryan knew it would be a struggle to get through, but that he’d give it all he had. He plucked at the strings of his guitar, the first few notes slow and sweet and soothing, a knot already sticking in his throat as he started in with the lyrics.  

There are places I'll rememberAll my life, though some have changedSome forever, not for betterSome have gone, and some remain

Eyes shut the entire time, Ryan let his emotions take the reins, singing with his heart, from deep within it’s center, about the friend he’d been fortunate enough to find at a crossroads in his life; the friend who left too soon but who’d left an indelible mark on his life. As the song slowed and finished, he felt the breeze hit his face and realized that his eyes were damp. Huh. He hadn’t realized that tears had started to gather in the corners of his eyes, too focused on the song and the feeling it was filled with to even be in his skin while he sang it. He quickly swiped the wetness from his eyes with his thumb before smiling as Georgie took the lead in thanking the crowd for a second time.

As soon as everything was settled and the earnings had been split, Ryan wandered off while Georgie and Louie found a bar around the corner. “I’ll catch you guys’n a minute,” he told them. “Gotta just make a call real quick.” Leaning against a stack of hay bales near the entrance of the festival, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed one of the few numbers he had memorized. It only rang once before the voice on the other end came through.

“Ryan?”

“Hey, Ginny, yeah, it’s me. Just wanted to tell ya that Georgie’n Louie’n me just got done playin’, an…” he paused and heard her exhale, the puff of air hitting the speaker in a way that told Ryan she’d spent most of the day going back and forth between crying and smiling. “An it was… it was really good, Gin. I just… I wanted you to know.” I wanted you to know we played for him, Gin.

 “That’s great, Ryan… that’s…”

 “I miss him, Ginny. But it felt… right, ya know.”

 “I know. It is right. He’d love that.” Virginia had a way of wrapping you up in her voice, cozy like a blanket, even before she became a mother. Ryan knew that the day was a struggle for her, too, in vastly different ways that were just as strong. But they found comfort in one another, in the family that they’d formed. “I can’t wait to see you, Ry. It’s gonna be real good to see you.”

 “Yeah,” he sniffed and straightened back up, startin towards the bar where his friends were. “See you soon, V’ginia.”

  20- What is his sinful little habit? 

Sinful? This angel? Ryan has lots of habits. He has lots of quirks and things that make him unique. But none of them are sinful, especially now. He’s a man of strong morals and good values, and he tries his best to take care of himself- sure, he smokes, and sure, from time to time he drinks, but since he straightened out (his teen years were a little sketchy) he hasn’t formed any habits that could be called “sinful”.

  23- What are his pet peeves? 

  Ryan CANNOT stand when someone thinks they’re better than someone else based on job title, money or status. That’s why he had to intervene in Caribou when that bozo with the big bucks was berating you for spilling a little coffee on his jacket. He doesn’t go looking for confrontation (anymore) but he can’t hold his tongue if he hears someone being unfairly discriminated against because they have stains on their jeans or scuffs on their boots, because they make their living selling their art instead of selling stocks, because they chose a different path than the social norm.

 Friends and Family 

7- Who are his surprising allies? 

It’s not really surprising, but he and Taylor have always had a close bond. They’re close in age, but that’s not why. When Ryan came to live with his cousins and aunts and uncles – they all live in the same town, a few of them in the same neighborhood- he was a little sad and homesick at first. Even though he’d been spending summers with his extended family since he’d been born, the first few weeks after it became permanent, Ryan was quiet, withdrawn and preferred to be by himself rather than playing with his cousins. He felt like an outsider even though this was his family: they all got to stay with their parents while he had to leave his. His (half) brother got to stay, but he didn’t. It wasn’t fair, and it made him feel alone.  

One afternoon while the boys were all out catching frogs or setting off firecrackers or causing some manner of mischief, Ryan was sitting under the tree in his grandparent’s front yard, hiding from the sun and from any of the adults who were trying to get him to “talk about it”, when Taylor wordlessly came over and sat down next to him. At first, Ryan thought about telling her to leave him alone, but when he turned in her direction, he noticed she was crying. Her nose and eyes were red, and her cheeks were damp despite the fact that she was fervently wiping at them with the back of her hand in an effort to banish her tears. She sniffed, the action scrunching up her face, before letting out a melancholy little sigh, too sad for a pig-tailed little girl to make. “It ain’t fair,” she mumbled to Ryan.

Ryan noticed her right knee, scraped and bloodied and smeared with dirt, but he knew that wasn’t why she was crying. Taylor was tough, even if she was little, even if she was a girl. “What ain’t?” he asked her with a sniff of his own, the unruly mop of light brown hair on his head swinging into his eyes as he turned to face his cousin.

Taylor huffed, picking her arms up and letting them fall to her lap. “Bein’ left out,” she said, picking at the frayed white fringes trailing from her cut off denim shorts. “Just ‘cause I’m a girl, Tommy and Fitz and all them said I can’t come climbin’ trees with them.” She looked up at Ryan, a determined set to her eyes. “But I can, Ryan. I’ma good climber an’ I can do it they just don’ want me to and it ain’t fair.”

Ryan couldn’t help himself but laugh, which only made her frown deepen, made her whine ‘hey’. “I know you can climb, Taylor. I know you’rea good climber. They’re jus’ bein’ stupid.”

Her frown relaxed almost instantly, cheeks bouncing back into a near smile as a little giggle replaced the whining. “Yeah,” she giggled again, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes and leaving a smudge of dirt on her face as she did, “they are stupid, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.” Suddenly, Ryan didn’t want to sit and mope anymore. “C’mon,” he said, standing up and motioning for Taylor to do the same. “Let’s go show’m how stupid. Let’s go climb higher’n they can. I bet that’s what they’re really scared of anyway, that you’re gonna make’m look bad.”

Ryan became close with all of his cousins after that, but he and Taylor always remained outsider allies. The only one who grew up without parents, and the only girl in a pack of wild boys.

past and present 

4- What is the most offensive thing he has ever said? 

I hope you don’t take this as a cop out, but Ryan doesn’t really say offensive things. Even when he was young and got himself into trouble, it was always stuff like tagging overpasses or distracting the checkout girl while a buddy stole a bottle of whiskey or getting into a fight in public (one that he wouldn’t have started but also wouldn’t have walked away from) and never from saying anything hurtful. Even when Chloe broke his heart with her decision- he could have been mean. He could have been spiteful. But he wasn’t. He was compassionate and even though he was hurting, he only tried to be supportive and understanding of her. When he was younger he had some rough edges, but Ryan’s a good soul soup to nuts.

9- What advice would he give to his younger self? 

That life is short and its better spent on the good stuff. This is something that’s been constant in his life- losing his father at a young age, having things up-ended on him when he had to move, leaving to go out on his own at 16, losing friends too young… he eventually learned this, the hard way, but the first few years on the road he got up to no good, wasted time getting into fights and finding trouble, trying to express all the pent up anger or negative energy that he didn’t even realize he’d been holding onto. But once he met Cowboy and Georgie and started taking his music seriously, he learned that its better to laugh than fight. It’s better to make people smile than frown. It’s better to leave the world a brighter place than you’d found it. It’s better to make the most of your time instead of wishing things were different. That’s the advice he’d give to anyone in their teens, when you think you’re invincible and that everyone’s entitled to reaching a ripe old age.

love 

6- Has he ever been in love? 

Yes. I talked about this one in another answer, but Ryan was in love with a girl named Chloe, a free spirit like himself. She was a sculpture artist who lived most of the year in Montana, and the rest of the time wherever the wind blew. They were head over heels for each other and both understood the other’s need for travel and adventure, for the unknown and the call of the road. They were together for a little over two years, until she made a choice that derailed their relationship, and she couldn’t accept Ryan’s forgiveness. Now they’ve both moved on, and still keep in touch from time to time. She’s married now, and Ryan couldn’t be happier for her. 

THANK YOU so much for these asks! 

[highfivecalum]

Country Roads

Pairings: Calum and Y/N 

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Cussing and alcohol (I think that’s it?)

based off of this post

*not my gif credit to whoever made it*

-

The sigh you exhaled was one of content, not annoyance, as you looked up at the stars above you. Ever since you had moved out of the busy city and into the country you had appreciated the stars much more. Even though you didn’t live in a huge city, just a small one in Ohio, the country was a big change.

The flickering light on your back porch and the moths that were always on it didn’t bother you and neither did being able to hear the music from the inside of your cute next door neighbors house. At first, it bothered you, but after a while you had gotten used to it, and the fact that he had a spectacular taste in music helped his case.

The cushioned swing that came with the house was a perk since you used it so often it became your favorite spot in your house. Your house was small, homey, but small. Only two bedrooms and two bathrooms; a full bathroom on the second floor and a half bathroom on the main level of the house.

The swing creaked, moving back and forth, as you hummed along to the song you could hear, it being muffled since it was coming from the inside of your neighbors house. The song playing, Take Me Home (Country Roads) by John Denver, had become one of your favorite songs since you’ve moved into the country, and since you lived in West Virginia after all, you thought it would be appropriate to learn the lyrics.

You heard your neighbors creaky door swing open and slam against the wall of his house, and it startled you at first, but you regained your composure. He hadn’t noticed you yet, but you didn’t mind, it gave you a chance to admire him. You always thought he was attractive.

He had tanned skin, no doubt from being outside in his pool with his friends all of the time, the tattoos littering his arms and chest, his plump lips that he always seemed to be licking, and his long fingers that held a cigarette between them. He was a work of art.

He exhaled the smoke, turned around to sit on the railing of his porch, and was surprised to see you sitting outside alone.

“Hey neighbor,” Calum smiled at you happily. You retuned the favor with a smile and a wave. “No beau tonight?”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

Calum laughed and took another long drag of his cigarette. “Boyfriend. You’re usually out here with him. Not by yourself.”

“Oh, right. Him.” You frowned as you remembered the fight he put up when you broke up with him. He begged you, on his knees, to stay with him, to give him one more chance, but you were done. You had given him dozens of chances, but he never changed. “We broke up.”

Calum’s frown matched your own. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry.”

You shrugged. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Calum extinguished his cigarette and put it in the ashtray that was on the small circular table on his porch. “Mind if I join ya?” He pointed to your swing and you shook your head. You wouldn’t mind some company. Especially his.

“Not at all.”

Calum plopped down beside you and exhaled a sigh. “Why’d y’all break up?”

“He was super controlling and wouldn’t let me do, like, anything. Always tried to tell me what I could and couldn’t wear and who I could and couldn’t hang out with.”

You shuddered at the memory of him.

“He was kind of a dick, too, so I was just done with it, ya know? I just didn’t want to be controlled by him any longer. And with the way he controlled me I kind of restented him and fell out of love with him.”

You felt bad when you broke up with him, since he moved from Ohio to West Virginia with you. Even though you assured him he didn’t have to, that the drive between the two of you was only 3 hours, he insisted and basically invited himself to live with you.

“Good for you. No girl should have to deal with a controlling boyfriend.” Calum smiled at you. “And he was kind of an asshole. He would always glare at me when I waved to you.”

“I think he was jealous.” You giggled. Calum tilted his head to the side not quite understanding why he would have been jealous of him. So you explained. “He overheard me talking to my sister about how I thought you were cute when I first moved in and he got super insecure. So I think that’s why he was a dick to you.”

Calum laughed along with you and nodded his head. He couldn’t deny that he thought you were cute as well, ever since he saw you moving in next door to him almost two years ago, he always thought you were attractive.

He jumped at the chance to help you move, and you were thankful for that, but your boyfriend shot him down, not wanting another man to help you move in. You apologized to Calum for your boyfriend’s behavior, but Calum just shrugged it off, he knew how guys could be when it came to their girlfriends. And it wasn’t your fault, so he didn’t hold it against you, but he would still wave to you and say hello, just to be polite.

“So, why are you out here? It’s fucking hot out.” Calum wiped the sweat off of his forehead and wiped it on the black shorts he was wearing, since he was missing a shirt, and the shorts were the only clothing he had on. You didn’t blame him, though, if it was socially acceptable for you to go outside without a shirt on, you would take full advantage of that.

And he was right; it was fucking hot outside. Even with the sun down it was still a good 80 degrees outside.

“My AC broke so it’s hotter inside than outside.” You grimaced at the thought of even going back inside. If you weren’t getting eaten up by mosquitos you probably wouldn have slept outside on that very swing. “And I would invite you inside to be polite, but in all honestly, I don’t want to go back in there.”

“Sounds brutal. C’mon,” Calum stood up and extended his hand for you to take. “You can come over to my place. The AC is kickin’.”

It didn’t take you more than a second to take his hand and pull yourself up, following behind him as you walked the 20 feet from his house to yours. The AC blasted in your face and you sighed happily at the coldness of it.

Calum’s set up wasn’t much different from yours; his kitchen was a little bit bigger with a bigger dining room table in the corner and 6 chairs instead of the 4 you had at yours.

Calum immediately turned the music down and apologized for the loudness, but you didn’t mind, and he sat down across from you at his dining room table.

The two of you made conversation, it flowing easily, and you were happy that you were finally getting to know your neighbor after living next to him for so long. Your boyfriend rarely ever let you talk to him and it angered you, but now you didn’t have to worry about him and it was a relief, like a weight had been lifted off of your shoulders.

You frowned and Calum noticed. “What’s wrong?”

“I just feel bad that we’ve never really talked before, you know? We’ve been neighbors for so long and I didn’t even know your last name until now.”

Calum shrugged. “Not your fault. I’ll just blame it on your crazy boyfriend.” Calum smiled, lightening the mood, and you couldn’t help but laugh. “But hey, we’re talking now, so now we can finally be friends.”

Your smile widened. “You’re right.”

Calum mirrored your smile and got up to rummage through his fridge. You stealthily checked out his butt in the process and you weren’t disappointed. “Want something to drink?”

“Watcha got?”

“Beer, wine, water, and moonshine.”

“Ooh, what kinda moonshine?” Your ears perked up at the mention of it.

“Cinnamon Apple,” Calum lifted up the mason jar of moonshine and your face lit up as you nodded your head. That was your favorite kind. And his. He smirked and nodded his head in agreement. Good choice.”

You two drank out of the mason jar, not bothering to get two different cups, and talked and laughed and sang along to the music that was playing throughout Calum’s kitchen. It was mostly country, old and new, and for some reason, it made you nostalgic, it made you feel at home.

You had drank half of the jar of moonshine, and with it being made with Everclear, you were both tipsy and spilling secrets and embarrassing moments to each other. You gasped and shot up from the wooden chair, turning the dial up to blast the song that had started playing. “I love this song.”

It was Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton and it brought back so many memories.

“Let’s dance.” You held your hand out for Calum to take and he cocked an eyebrow at you.

“Seriously?” He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t really dance, Y/N.”

“Today you do,” you tugged on his hand and pouted your bottom lip. Calum rolled his eyes, not being able to resist your cute face, and stood up to dance with you. You cheered happily and wrapped your arms around his neck, his going to wrap around your waist. He was tall, sure, but you weren’t short, so your height difference was perfect.

You rested your head on Calum’s chest and felt his chest vibrate as he hummed along to the song. The two of you swayed back and forth with the music playing, not as loudly, since Calum turned it down a bit.

“This is my moms favorite song.” You informed him and he figured that’s why you loved it so much. “Where are you from, Calum?”

You knew he wasn’t from here since he had a foreign accent, even if he did pick up on some country lingo, you figured this wasn’t where he was born.

“Australia,”

You picked your head up and looked at him funny. “All the way from Australia? How the hell did you end up here?”

He shrugged with a laugh following shortly after. “My friends and I wanted a change and somehow, we ended up in the fuckin’ boondocks.” Calum laughed. “But we all love it, so we can’t complain.”

You giggled loudly, making Calum laugh, and you nodded your head. “Don’t you miss your family?”

“Most of the time. We go back home for holidays, so we see them quite often, so it’s not that bad.” You nodded your head in understanding. “Where’d you move here from?”

“Just Ohio. It’s only 3 hours away, so I see my family all of the time. They’re actually coming to visit in a few weeks, maybe you’ll get to meet them.”

“I think I would like that.” Calum grinned down at you which made you smile just as big. You went back to resting your head on his shoulder and sighed in content. “Wanna know a secret?”

“Sure.” You hummed against Calum’s bare chest where your head rested. Your eyes were shut and as you inhaled you could smell the mixture of sweat, cologne, and cigarettes on his body. And normally you would find that gross, but for some reason, with Calum, it was different.

“Ever since I saw you moving in next door, with your little Daisy Duke shorts on and your small yellow cropped top and your matching yellow Converse-“

Your eyes widened and you, once again, lifted your head off of his chest, and looked at him in disbelief. You couldn’t believe that he rembered the exact outfit you had on over two years ago. Calum’s cheeks were a bright shade of red, embarrassed at how well he remembered, and you were sure yours looked the same.

“I always thought you were gorgeous. I’ve always liked you. I’ve always wanted to talk to you, grow a pair of balls and ask you out... but you had a boyfriend, so I couldn’t. But now- now you’re single and I think I’m going to grow that pair of balls now.”

Your face was hot from the blush on your cheeks and you bit your lip as you nodded your head. “And...” you urged him to speak, not enjoying the suspense any longer.

“I think I’d like to take you out on a date, miss.” Calum talked in a fake country accent and your laugh was the loudest it’s ever been and you didn’t try to hid it. Calum laughed along with you just because he found your laugh so contagious.

Once your laughter died down, you nodded your head and mocked Calum’s tone, speaking in your best fake country accent. “I think I’d like that, mister.”

And in that moment, you felt more at home and more happy there, with Calum, than you ever did with your ex-boyfriend, and you knew that was the beginning of something wonderful.

[jillmckenzie1]

Bites with Blondie: 5 Food Trucks to Try this Fall

From chuck wagons to push carts, food trucks have gained huge popularity in recent years, and as a result, transformed the way Americans dine. Food trucks have evolved from being just being a trend, to an official restaurant concept that millions of hungry diners seem to love. Although the food truck phase got its start in Los Angeles, many cities have adopted the curbside way of life. Listed as one of the “Top Towns” in food truck nation, Denver has certainly made a name for itself, with over 113 food trucks cruising around the city as of April 2018.

Being a foodie, I have been to my fair share of food trucks – and I am obsessed. In fact, it’s been a dream of mine to open one myself. Until I can figure out how to make my dream a reality, I’ll stick to noshing at food trucks all over the city – one delicious meal at a time. This year, I have sampled a wide array and so should you. Here are my top favorites to try this fall:

  Dos Gringos –   Newest to the food truck scene, Dos Gringos has been a truck in the making since 2016. Two longtime friends decided it was time to embark on the most delicious journey and show Colorado what tacos are all about. But this isn’t your average street or restaurant taco. Using all natural and local ingredients, chefs Darrow and Aaron craft Mexican-American style tacos and bowls, to cure any craving.

Each street taco was filled to the brim with all the fixing’s, featured perfectly seasoned meats, a colorful presentation and tasted deliciously fresh! I opted to try the 3 tacos for $10, which was perfect in size and oh, so good! The carnitas’ taco – was the favorite! The menu also features tortas, nachos and signature bowls, showcasing their famous Pork Green Chili – which is the trucks top seller. Clearly their menu is well planned and executed as each item is sure to impress your taste buds!

The passion for their craft is showcased through the innovative menu items, which changes weekly, and is impressive for this small truck. With its ability to move through the city, it’s easy to live every day like it’s Taco Tuesday!

Finding their niche at breweries, farmers markets and various festivals throughout town, Dos Gringos was my 2nd stop at The Big Wonderful and did not disappoint!

Farm to Truck – Featuring fresh, organic and sustainably grown products, this little truck whips up some of the best tasting meals to date! Sure, the farm to table concept has been around for years, but no one offers this level of quality, on wheels.

The truck itself is large and the menu is massive, serving up a variety of wraps, sandwiches and salads for any palate! I opted for the pork belly BLT sandwich that was loaded with bacon, arugula, fresh tomatoes and garnished with a creamy pesto aioli. Ingredients are locally grown, and grass fed, which the owners take great pride in. Highlighted on their website indicates the farms associated with each menu item, their growing processes and farm locations. Let’s face it, knowing where your food comes from is not only great, but tastes even better

When Steven, Bronson and Jon started the truck in 2017 the goal was simple – create locally sourced dishes for all to enjoy – which is easily reflected. These men are committed to their mission, while creating mouthwatering meals, proving not all food trucks are created equal.

  Goin’ South – Y’all, let’s be real.

I am a sucker for all things southern. Give me all the hush puppies, shrimp grits, po’ boys and fried green tomatoes, and I’m one happy girl. Throw in some sweet tea and I’m in Heaven.

Making his way from the South to the Mile-High City, chef Scott decided to share his classic southern dishes with Denverites, offering his take on “fine dining.” Conveniently located curbside, this truck can be found at local farmers markets and various events throughout town, serving up the classics from Louisiana.

After drooling over the delicious menu at the Federal Center farmers market , I opted to try the fried shrimp po’ boy with a side of traditional potato salad. Traditionally served on a hoagie (but sold out due to popularity) the sandwich was placed on the most deliciously toasted brioche bun. The corn meal dusted shrimp, fresh arugula, tomato and smoked aioli made the sandwich delicious and full of flavor! The side of potato salad was a nice touch, tangy and featured just the right amount of seasoning.

The menu is truly one of a kind featuring all the Southern classics – everything from Muffuletta’s, fried catfish and hushpuppies to smoked BBQ pork and house-made coleslaw! They even have vegetarian options – with fried eggplant!

Fresh from the smoker or fryer, there is literally something for everyone! Prices are insanely reasonable for all you get, and staff is ultra-friendly. Want to see where they are headed next? Check out their website or social media channels updated locations and brewery stops!

Roll it up Sushi – I know what you’re thinking. Sushi, from a truck?! I must admit I was a little skeptical myself, but that changed, quickly. Co-founders Mathew Yamali and David Jagodzinski have always had the dream of trading in their fifteen-hour work days and creating a one-of-a-kind food truck, and finally took the plunge in 2016. Enter Roll it up!

Roll it up creates restaurant grade sushi and appetizers, without the traditional sit-down experience, creating a more casual and unique style. After first hearing about this little gem at the DTC Eats, I knew I had to try it.

Upon entering the line, I was immediately taken with the staff in the truck. Cracking jokes, laughing and exuding positivity, which made the experience fun! Both Mathew and David work in the truck daily, rolling sushi and creating dishes to create relationships with their customers, which is truly genuine.

I ordered the crispy gyoza dumplings, which featured a blend of chicken and veggies, fried and topped with young onion, sesame-teriyaki and white sesame seed. With the perfect amount of crunch and killer sauce, I couldn’t resist ordering more! The menu features a variety of delicious options ranging from poke’ bowls, traditional and fancy sushi rolls, to unique street tacos! All ingredients are fresh, prepared upon order and gorgeous in presentation.

Need an even bigger reason to try this truck? They offer reasonably priced catering options, are available for any private event AND offer sushi rolling classes! Head to their Instagram for updates on locations and events!

Chicken Rebel – Hot Damn! It has been my sole mission to try this spot ever since the OG truck drove from San Diego to Denver for the entire month of July in 2017. Because the boys behind this operation have discovered just how much Denver loves its fried food, they are here to stay – for good!

Primarily parked at Finn’s Manor in RiNo, I hit up the “food truck pod” to experience Chicken Rebel’s famed fried chicken. Upon arrival, staff instantly greeted me, were outgoing and beyond helpful in choosing from their limited, but seriously-can’t-decide, menu. The boys frying up the goods, perfectly craft each sandwich by hand and ensure its quality before alerting diners their meal is ready via pager.

I opted to try the famous “rancher,” which features a thin layer of avocado on the bottom of a perfectly toasted bun, crisp bacon, and the largest piece of fried chicken ever drizzled with buttermilk ranch dressing! HOLY DELICIOUS! Another popular favorite –  the “Hot Mess,” which was deliciously spicy topped with house made jalapeno slaw. My favorite part? The tots – which are as fancy as they come! Try their feature of the day, which ranges from “animal style” and sweet potato to garlic parmesan and herb dusted with lemon zest! Wait time for each sandwich can be a bit long, but each sandwich is all well worth the wait.

Can’t make it to Finn’s? The truck does venture to surrounding breweries in the area and regularly updates Instagram of their whereabouts. Even better – the brick and mortar location is coming soon!

With food trucks checking all the boxes for diners, it’s easy to see why they are popular, and not going anywhere! Now – we eat!

from Blog https://ondenver.com/bites-with-blondie-5-food-trucks-to-try-this-fall/

[hotfitnesstopics]

Living in Colorado for almost 12 years now, I’m still a little amazed by how infrequently I make my way into the mountains.  While I love to look at them and love to see them on my daily commute to Boulder, I’m so much a city girl. True story:  I’ve only done a handful of overnights up there since I’ve lived here.  I’m like one of those people that live near the ocean, but never go.  Well, last November, I spotted a unique yoga retreat in the high country and signed up for that very reason.  These beautiful mountains are RIGHT HERE, and I need to be in them more often. I’ve been following Kady Lafferty of Big Booty Yoga on Instagram for a long time – – follow her here, y’all!  She’s an amazing Denver yoga instructor that you might have run into at Athleta-hosted events.  She’s also led Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rocks, and she’s just a lovely human to follow – – body positive, vivacious, and with tremendously positive energy. When Kady posted that she was hosting a Retreat Yo’Self event in the mountains in the spring with her friend Steph Winsor, I knew immediately that I wanted to go.  Mindfulness and Yoga in a beautiful setting with like-minded people?  Oh, and for a VERY reasonable weekend fee of just $300 for two nights, five meals, and tons of classes?  Yes, please. Before signing up, I paused for a moment in contemplation of whether or not I wanted to go alone.  I’d done a few retreats on my own in the past, and I always find them to be a way for me to meet other people and get exactly what I need out of a retreat.  Very naturally, when you go to an event with a friend, you end up with a very shared experience.  Sometimes, I want things to be curated just for me, and for some reason, I felt like going alone was a good call on this one.  I signed up, and added the date to my calendar. Fast forward 6 months…  So much in my life had changed since I’d bought this ticket.  I’d quit my work-from-home job, I’d found another (in an office), I’d even bought a new car… a lot of the “grounding” things in my life had changed.  I was two weeks into the new job when the retreat rolled around.  The day before:  I considered not going. When I start a new job, I find myself to be a little exhausted in the beginning.  Being “on” every day, meeting so many new people, even getting used to your new surroundings, it’s all a little draining.  When Thursday rolled around during week two, I really didn’t know if I was up for a big weekend with strangers.  I packed a bag, put it in my car, and fully gave myself permission to make the call as the day went on.  I also knew that I was going to need to be late.  The retreat started at 4pm in the mountains, but I knew that there was no way I would leave work early on week two.  Being a newbie still, I didn’t feel comfortable doing it.  The end of the day arrived and I got in the car just as a crazy Colorado spring thunderstorm started.  You know, the kind where there’s so much hail that it looks like it snowed.  Needless to say, it took me triple the time to get to Jefferson than expected… but I made it!  If you end up signing up for this retreat (and I hope you do!), there is definitely a long dirt road right before you arrive at the cabin.  Keep going… and the cows will welcome you along the way. When I arrived at the house, it was just as lovely as the pictures (perhaps moreso, as it was filled with the most lovely ladies and great energy.)  Hilariously, when I walked in the entire room of 25 women greeted me with a round of applause, and such a warm welcome.  They were all so kind about my tardiness, the latest of the late. The hostesses quickly got me settled into a room, assigning me a bunk and encouraging me to join the group for an amazing dinner that was underway.  You guys.  They had a LEGIT chef preparing the most colorfully deliciously healthy meals all weekend.  I felt so well nourished, both physically and mentally the entire trip. After dinner, Kady led us in a grounding yoga class that was incredible and just what the doctor ordered.  I needed a way to decompress after this long week, the long drive, and in the dimly lit room amongst beautiful yogis, it was perfection.  I wrapped the evening up sharing a bottle of rosé with a new friend and headed to bed. The whole house were tucked away and nestled in their beds, and of course, we were the last two to go to sleep.  Dark rooms are not where I should be wandering about, especially when I have to crawl into the third level bunk (and I’ve had rosé.)  There’s a long story about how I crawled into a bunk that had been assigned to another girl and me.  Let’s just say, I crawled up and found a huge surprise, woke up the room, and nestled in on a really comfy couch for the night.  Also fun, the woman that I woke up was way too kind and we quickly became friends the next day, laughing about the story… You’ll hear more about her here on the blog later this week…  The next morning started off with a beautiful breakfast by our amazing chef.  Nutella and banana toast was my choice on Saturday morning, and there were lots of options including flavorful quiche, fresh fruits, and acai bowls. The morning kicked off with an intense yoga strength class.  If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, you likely know that power yoga is not my yoga.  I prefer blissful meditative moments on my mat, and thought this would be a REALLY nice time to grab my journal, step outside to meditate, and to capture my thoughts. Writing is an incredible escape for me, and with this beautiful backdrop, I couldn’t resist.  You guys, after a quick meditation, I literally ended up writing for about an hour and a half… and really going deep.  I never take time to do this.  When I’m home, I end up moving onto laundry, working on to-do lists, and getting distracted from doing the work.  The time I spent with a pen in my hand was truly the best part of the weekend for me, in all due respect to the wonderful classes and programming that was underway.  The time I spent in these chairs was long overdue.  When the weekend’s hostesses said to make this weekend what you wanted it to be, I took their advice very literally… and I’m so glad I did. I rejoined the group for lunch, and was amazed to see our chef Randy had nailed it with another amazing meal – – this time, a roasted sweet potato and beet green salad with quinoa and avocado toast.  I still need to recreate this salad at home.  It was THAT good. After this divine lunch, Kady led us in a Bhakti Yoga session.  Have you heard of Bhakti?  I hadn’t either until this moment.  It’s referred to as yoga of the heart and it appears to be rooted in chanting.  Yes, chanting… but I promise, it’s not awkward and it’s super beautiful.  And, for whatever reason, it really resonated for me.  Kady peppered the practice with stories of deities that I found to be fascinating as well.  Whether Ganesh and his mischief or Shiva the destroyer, I loved learning all about these characters and the beliefs behind them.  This session to me was all about trying something new, and opening your heart to a new practice.  Truly lovely. One of the sessions I was looking most forward to was the session led by Steph Winsor on meditation.  Steph is another must-follow on Instagram, y’all (click here to follow her page.) Steph’s area of expertise is neuroscience, which she is studying at Columbia right now!  She shared so many scientific details around how and why meditation is helpful to the body and the mind, and walked us through both active and seated meditation practices.  Like yoga, meditation is often referenced as a “practice” and I walked away from this session with fun new tools to incorporate into mine. While there were classes to take, meals to eat, and more, I also loved the fact that there was a lot of open time built into the schedule.  Being in the high country and considering it was a (mostly) gorgeous weekend outside, this gave us all an opportunity to take time for meditation (which I indulged in heavily), wander into the wilderness, and make connections with new friends. I also feel it’s important to mention that there was also a super talented henna instructor who gave each of us our very own henna tattoo and a masseuse onsite offering massages to anyone who signed up.  Also, the house was decorated with the most stunning flower arrangements and there was an aromatherapy station set up for all of our essential oil needs.  Seriously, the attention to detail made it feel like an all-inclusive getaway and made the weekend even more special. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I truly felt that the work I was there to complete had been accomplished.  I spent more time thinking, reflecting, and planning this weekend than I have in a long time.  I’m never one to be quiet in a group of people, but this weekend, I was and unapologetically so. While my tendency was to try to find a way to connect and be my typical gregarious self, I treasure every moment I spent in silence, in reflection, and the renewed strength that I walked away with.   Thank you, Kady, Steph, and the entire supporting team for a wonderful, wonderful getaway! xo Do you have interest in participating in a mountain yoga retreat like this? Well, good news for you, Kady and Steph are offering another opportunity for you to Retreat Yo’Self with another session coming up in September!  Click here for all the details and follow both Steph and Kady to stay up-to-date on future events! Related posts: Celebrating Tiffany That Time I Got Lash Extensions That Time I Floated for 90 Minutes That Time I Went to a Mountain Yoga Retreat originally appeared on No Thanks to Cake on 06/22/2018. from No Thanks to Cake https://ift.tt/2MSqscL via IFTTT

http://www.fitnessclub.cf/2018/06/that-time-i-went-to-mountain-yoga_23.html

[hotcoffeeandbreakfast]

Two cold snaps in New Orleans and I am already disappointed I’m not getting a full Fall. Does anyone else associate the overwhelming influence of weather to a person’s mood? I wonder only because I spent most of the summer melting into a puddle inside of the koi pond house. The outdoors looked enticing, until I stepped out onto the deck to let Layla out — even she has been less than thrilled to spend time in the sunshine. On top of blistering light, heat so pooling you could drown in douses you. A day’s gorgeousness is only alluring on the surface; we are kept inwards, indoors during summer days to avoid exhaustion. And I want to feel alive.

The recent trip Neil and I took to Colorado changed my mind about the way I am rooted. I have always strongly believed that I am devoutly Louisiana in a subtly obnoxious way, unwilling to give up the peculiar looks one receives when you say, “I’m from Louisiana.” Y’all know, we’re special. If you’ve ever crossed Henderson Swamp with me, you’ve been asked, “Is there anything more gorgeous than the swamp?” because I truly think it’s a masterpiece of wonder. Such weighted darkness lives in the swamp, so the contrast of the crisp, chilling Rockies pierces me, steadily present.; as if my soul reached the correct temperature. I still feel the cool air, lingering at the back of my throat. I’ve been telling myself for two weeks now that I’m not dealing with the normal sinus infection you get when you’ve been in a foreign climate, that instead it is delicious leftover mountain air refusing to diffuse in my lungs. This thought has made me sad, haunted my dreams; I don’t think I have ever fallen so hard for a place, I can’t get the feel out of my mind.

  Louisiana friends that migrated northwest for longer than the winter: I get it. Colorado is a magical, sun-kissed, heaven-on-earth  state and I am currently trying to figure when/how I will be able to have a small piece of it. It’s all I can think of!

When I was a kid, my parents brought me to Alaska, Maine, and all over Canada. Did I love those trips? Absolutely. Seeing a glacier as a twelve year old is definitely the dopest thing anyone in your class did all summer. Unless they got to lick the glacier, that would be different. Do I remember instantly falling in love with these places? No. Winding up and down the side of the Rocky Mountains, which seemed to be continuously growing larger as we drove…well, that is something to fall in love with, to be humbled by. — AND FEAR!!! I screamed for at least an hour going up, louder after I saw the runaway truck ramps. –Neil will tell you that the second we took off on our six hour road trip from Denver to Telluride  all I could talk about was how immediately overwhelmed with inspiration I was. I sat in vocalized awe at the size of these massive, ever stretching mountains. The popping of my ears didn’t even bother me, my eyes were too busy to be bothered.

My previous encounters with Colorado-type terrain consisted of appreciating from afar, and I’m lucky enough to say that I’ve seen some beautiful places. I purposefully got lost in the Muir Woods once, a stunt my parents did not appreciate. The tour we were on wasn’t spending long enough in each area, which meant I was missing the opportunity to take an obscene amount of crappy photos (I was an avid disposable camera photographer). As soon as I heard we were loading up, I ran back to my favorite place for just one more picture, a little further than I remembered. “THE BUS IS LEAVING WITHOUT US TIFFANYJO,” my dad hollered at me as a ranger walked toward me. “IT’S A STUMP!” I could hear his frustration, I could see the ranger’s slight amusement, but was busy snapping pictures, winding as fast as I could. I needed to document this tree, dammit! This particular topiary had died, it’s stump indicating long life among beautiful friends; it devastated me. Though I honestly do not remember noticing in the Redwoods how the fresh air affected my breath and my brain, I remember feeling surrounded by friends in that moment too. I had several beautiful, refreshing, and daringly connective moments with the Pacific Ocean the handful of times we went out to whale watch while visiting British Colombia, that was life changing, yes. But never, in my adult travel experience, have I felt so nearly unhesitatingly changed.

Even on the 13,500 ft., 4 star, wildly vertical Wasatch Trail, I noticed a difference in the way I was fighting for my breath, the way I was thinking about it and physically doing it. Was I cursing Neil out in my head for encouraging a group of mostly new hikers on such an advanced trail? Yes. We endured forty-four switchbacks on shaky legs and empty stomachs. Had we taken that exact same hike under Louisiana climate conditions…..well lets just say it would have taken a considerably longer and we would have all been naked from heat and humidity by the end of it. Colorado was kinder to us. We stopped for breaks every thirty minutes or so,  all willing to kept going. We would be lined up on the trail, looking forward and back at each other after someone asked, “How much further?” No-one wanted to say, “I’ve seen enough, lets turn around,” because IT WAS SO FCKING PRETTY, honestly bordering ostentatious beauty.

Thirteen miles and six hours later, we were all exhausted but so so happy. We each milled about the mountainside house, quietly reflecting on the day as we prepared dinner. What we ate, I can’t remember; I was distracted with the reel. I thought of the gold confetti that fell on us most of the way before we encountered our first patches of snow; of Layla eager to meet other dogs on Bear Creek Trail and at the rock garden; of specifically the rock garden and the reminder that so many others have walked this trail before us, for no other reason than to be close to nature, to bathe in the freedom she gives.

  I spent our entire first day hiking feeling as though floating up and down mountains in someone else’s dream, only able to muster enough focus to keep from tripping constantly. Ever little leaf called to me, the snow glimmered. I wanted to touch everything. Us Louisiana kids packed for temperatures around 56*-64* and we were definitely met with winter temps, so for my rickety knees to work properly, I had to keep moving. We crossed a ramshackle mining bridge to get to the “top of the waterfall” and felt every inch of our lives possibly being risked; Neil would randomly say, “THE WATERFALL! It’s worth it,” when he could feel us all dying. I didn’t know there was a possibility that we might actually slip and fall to our death (though what a place to be buried). That night ended up being the most magical sleep of my life.

  Cornet Creek Falls was absolutely the most fun hike because it was so involved (at least for me) and I was ready for it. The day of rest we took in between Wasatch and Cornet was crucial for me, and for Layla, to be able to enjoy the rest of the trip. Elevation punched me in the face in the best way!  When we got to Cornet’s water fall, I went crazy wild woman and just started climbing up the rocks as fast as I could. I felt wild, totally inspired by the wild that surrounded me. I still can’t find words supportive enough to label the sensation of climbing feeling totally natural, of sliding on your bare palms and feet to just keep from seriously scuffing something up. I was a tomboy growing up, a climber…but I never dreamed at nearly 30 I’d want to climb EVERY fourteener before forty. Red dirt was flinging everywhere, I think Layla’s paws will always have a little red in them now. After playing for about an hour at the fall, we made our descent back down the trail, taking time to swing on trees and roam a bit. Neil and Zach wanted to climb a little higher than I did in an area just off the trail, but we stopped where there wasn’t much room to really rest, so I had to wedge myself in to the safest spot I could manage, and wait. It was a misty meditation, regardless of how nervous I was to be potentially, literally flying solo. Heavier rocks eventually started tumbling down and I DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO ROLL MY EYES. I had to press as far back as possible (without losing my footing and my hold on Layla) and hope that the boys weren’t about to get tangled in the trees bending around me. The real challenge came on this day when the rain arrived; we were thankful it wasn’t heavy rain but it was plenty cold which oddly motivated us to move faster on the way down! I immediately took a nap when we got home, and woke up to real, fresh, fluffy, falling snow. SNOW THAT STICKS! My mind was blown. 234567890th time in less than a week — was I dead and just reeling? No, this was tangible.

We finished up our trip with what seemed like a leisurely walk to Bridal Veils Falls, a truly breath taking experience at a pace that felt like a lazy river in summer.

  Layla often led the way on our hikes, excited by each step and smell and challenge by her favorite element. It was amusing to see the retriever that normally wants to lay around all afternoon practically sprint up these trails. She pushed herself yet seemed content no matter how long we adventured.  We encountered quite a few animals, though none as majestic as the giant elk that showed up in the DRIVE WAY after an afternoon house nap. Her spirit is not the same in Louisiana, and I absolutely feel her on it. Sometimes when she’s asleep and looks like she’s dreaming, I wonder if she’s dreaming of the next mountain or set of squirrels.

ya know…just talking a walk. 

The continuous, perpetual summer of the south removes the presence of change, therefore, we remain the same. I will never not be completely fascinated from this experience forward with the way my surroundings moved me. Louisiana motivates you to either get where you’re going in a hurry, as to avoid a sweaty, sticky mess, or to embrace the heat and move slowly, never feeling completely dry. To be brief, this year has been a whirlwind of movement, and while I’ve had quiet moments, I haven’t spent much time mentally celebrating the beauty that’s unfolding. My spirit set its wild self loose among the Rockies and will be, from here on out, totally unsatisfied with stones unturned.

The spirit can plant roots anywhere (this we know) and while I have blushed and  inwardly rolled my eyes at those that have called me “free spirited,” I think the definition is clearer now, though I still feel the term is often too blanketed. “Wanderlust” is okay, but I don’t immediately picture myself twirling in a field or ascending a mountain. — I think of Paul Rudd’s epic pep-talk in one of the funniest movies Jennifer Aniston ever pulled off. — I’m not bohemian enough to claim anything other than righteously curious and uncontrollably fascinated by the natural world around me. My continuous thought throughout the trip, a moment that pinches me just the way the cold Telluride morning would, is with me as I recount the moments now: I can climb a little longer.

And so can you.

Be affected by the world around you. Allow yourself celebration, healing, experience. YOU ARE WORTH YOUR DREAMS.

I want to take this hammock all over the world with you Neil!!! Let’s see everything together. ❤

Here’s a song from an album I heard in my head while hiking through the Rockies:: Lit Me Up

the patient recounts her dream Two cold snaps in New Orleans and I am already disappointed I'm not getting a full Fall.

[reignbowandarrow]

Queen Sugar, My Sister, and the Carceral State

Did y’all watch the season 2 opener of Queen Sugar? *spoiler alert* It was so good, Ava did the damn thing, again, of course. But I was incredibly triggered by Micah’s arrest and time in jail. Especially with the Philando Castile case ruling last week. Especially with Charleen Lyons’ murder after she called the police for help. Especially with what happened to my own sister last December. I couldn’t fall asleep last night because I was so terrified and infuriated by the police state under which black people live and die.

My sister G is an incredible human being. She’s artistic, intelligent, funny, stylish, sweet, thoughtful, and just all around a brilliant shining light. She’s almost 3 years younger than me, and we grew up Army brats, moving around every few years when my dad, an Army dentist and officer, would get a new posting. G, a sensitive introvert, had a harder time with that nomadic lifestyle than I, a sensitive extrovert, did. She had a hard time making new friends each time we moved, and she struggled with severe depression all through high school and after. Anti-depressants, cannabis, art, and our faithful dog Pepper probably saved her life. 

When it came time for me to go to college, I only applied to out-of-state schools, way off in California, as far as I could get from Colorado and our abusive and alcoholic father. My sister was alone in the house with my parents, subject to more abuse from our father and lack of protection from our mother, and leaving her in that situation is something for which I have never really stopped feeling guilty. Even after she finally moved out in her mid-twenties, she stuck pretty close to home, finding an apartment in the same city as my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We were all surprised, and I was very proud, when she decided to move from Denver to Austin, Texas, all by herself.

My father, who is white, has a cousin in Austin who agreed to let G live with her and her family until my sister got on her feet in the new city. Our mother is black, and both G and I are very light-skinned, but we do not pass for white. With my curly dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin tone, I am often asked if I am Latinx (many of whom are actually of African heritage - #colonization). G is a shade darker than me and often wears braids, and while she also would get the question “what are you?”, people more often read her as black. G was a little apprehensive about living with white people - we have had very little contact with my father’s family because he is estranged from most of them, but we are very close with our mother’s family. But my father’s cousin, C, is a very sweet person and was very welcoming to G.

I mentioned that cannabis probably saved my sister’s life. It probably saved mine too. Basically we are both huge stoners. I’ve been smoking since I was 18. G started a little younger than me, but we both started smoking heavily around the same time, as a coping mechanism to deal with the trauma of being children of an alcoholic and all the complications that produces in every single aspect of our lives. Since we have a genetic predisposition to addiction given my father’s alcoholism, I do worry sometimes that we both have a psychological addiction and dependency on weed. But self-medication helped us to survive. And there are a huge number of stats that demonstrate how harmless cannabis is, and more and more it is being recognized for its medicinal potential. I worked as a campaign organizer to make medical cannabis legal in New York state, and the NIMBY (not in my backyard) arguments conservatives would use against our campaign were not grounded in facts, but in racist paranoia.

Colorado, of course, is one of the states that has legalized both medical and recreational use of cannabis. This was great for my sister when she lived there - no need to seek out shady dealers or be unsure of what was in the product you were buying. It was safe. A month after my sister moved to Austin, she drove home to Denver to celebrate Christmas with the family. The day after Christmas, she went to a dispensary before she left town and purchased bath salts infused with cannabis, thinking that after the long drive back to Austin, she would get to soak in a nice relaxing bath and melt the stress of the road out of her body. Everything was going smoothly, until she reached a small town outside Austin and was pulled over for speeding. The cop, a white man, asked to search her car, and G, afraid and unsure, consented. He found the tin of bath salts, and because it was over a certain weight, arrested her and charged her with felony possession. He arrested her, took her to the local jail and impounded her car and her dog.

I didn’t know any of this was happening until I got a frantic text from my mother - “G’s in jail!” - the next morning. I called my mom and she worriedly explained that G called her from jail the night before. She had to spend the night there. She gave me a number to call so I could speak to her. I called, but was told that G had already been taken to “the back”, whatever that meant, and that I would have to try again later. I was freaking out. I’m all the way in Brooklyn, a million miles away, and my baby sister is being held captive by the pigs over some fucking bath salts, I can’t reach her, and there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do about it. Sandra Bland’s story is running through my head. A traffic stop in Texas, and she ended up dead. Please let my sister be okay. Please let my sister be alive. Please don’t let them hurt my sister. Terrified prayers.

G did get a chance to call me back. She sounded so scared. I had been crying, but upon hearing her voice, I immediately put on my big sister hat. Everything is going to be okay, this is not your fault, you are not a bad person, you are not a criminal, don’t worry. Hearing her sound so small, so broken, so ashamed, so scared, was heart-wrenching and enraging. How could this bullshit happen to such a sweet and sensitive soul?

They set her bail at $3000. $3000, for bath salts! My family didn’t have bail money! She would have to stay in jail until it was paid. Thank goddess for G’s wealthy white godmother. She paid the bail. Cousin C’s husband and daughter went to pick her up. They were able to get her dog and her car out of the pound, but it took forever for them to release my sister. They finally did. She spent almost 24 hours in jail, and it almost destroyed her spirit.

So watching Micah’s face as he is led to a cell, and seeing the frantic way Charley is yelling at everybody trying to find him, and cringing at the song-and-dance Davis does to get him released, hit so close to home. Bougie black people, like Charley, like my own family, think that the carceral state can’t touch them. But the truth is that nobody non-white is safe in this country. If my sister had white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, I am convinced that she never would have been pulled over, and if she had, they damn sure wouldn’t have asked to search her car. But she’s black, and now she’s in the system. If she hadn’t had white family to vouch for her, and a college degree to make her look like a “good negro”, I don’t know what would have happened. Luckily, the charges were reduced from felony possession to a misdemeanor, and now all she has to do is community service, drug tests, and pay a fine. But even that makes me so angry. It’s such a racket. The prison-industrial complex is a fucking racket. It’s the continuation of slavery. A way for wealthy white folks to profit off the free/cheap forced labor of black and brown people. It’s disgusting and dehumanizing. And it needs to end.

[hotfitnesstopics]

Living in Colorado for almost 12 years now, I’m still a little amazed by how infrequently I make my way into the mountains.  While I love to look at them and love to see them on my daily commute to Boulder, I’m so much a city girl. True story:  I’ve only done a handful of overnights up there since I’ve lived here.  I’m like one of those people that live near the ocean, but never go.  Well, last November, I spotted a unique yoga retreat in the high country and signed up for that very reason.  These beautiful mountains are RIGHT HERE, and I need to be in them more often. I’ve been following Kady Lafferty of Big Booty Yoga on Instagram for a long time – – follow her here, y’all!  She’s an amazing Denver yoga instructor that you might have run into at Athleta-hosted events.  She’s also led Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rocks, and she’s just a lovely human to follow – – body positive, vivacious, and with tremendously positive energy. When Kady posted that she was hosting a Retreat Yo’Self event in the mountains in the spring with her friend Steph Winsor, I knew immediately that I wanted to go.  Mindfulness and Yoga in a beautiful setting with like-minded people?  Oh, and for a VERY reasonable weekend fee of just $300 for two nights, five meals, and tons of classes?  Yes, please. Before signing up, I paused for a moment in contemplation of whether or not I wanted to go alone.  I’d done a few retreats on my own in the past, and I always find them to be a way for me to meet other people and get exactly what I need out of a retreat.  Very naturally, when you go to an event with a friend, you end up with a very shared experience.  Sometimes, I want things to be curated just for me, and for some reason, I felt like going alone was a good call on this one.  I signed up, and added the date to my calendar. Fast forward 6 months…  So much in my life had changed since I’d bought this ticket.  I’d quit my work-from-home job, I’d found another (in an office), I’d even bought a new car… a lot of the “grounding” things in my life had changed.  I was two weeks into the new job when the retreat rolled around.  The day before:  I considered not going. When I start a new job, I find myself to be a little exhausted in the beginning.  Being “on” every day, meeting so many new people, even getting used to your new surroundings, it’s all a little draining.  When Thursday rolled around during week two, I really didn’t know if I was up for a big weekend with strangers.  I packed a bag, put it in my car, and fully gave myself permission to make the call as the day went on.  I also knew that I was going to need to be late.  The retreat started at 4pm in the mountains, but I knew that there was no way I would leave work early on week two.  Being a newbie still, I didn’t feel comfortable doing it.  The end of the day arrived and I got in the car just as a crazy Colorado spring thunderstorm started.  You know, the kind where there’s so much hail that it looks like it snowed.  Needless to say, it took me triple the time to get to Jefferson than expected… but I made it!  If you end up signing up for this retreat (and I hope you do!), there is definitely a long dirt road right before you arrive at the cabin.  Keep going… and the cows will welcome you along the way. When I arrived at the house, it was just as lovely as the pictures (perhaps moreso, as it was filled with the most lovely ladies and great energy.)  Hilariously, when I walked in the entire room of 25 women greeted me with a round of applause, and such a warm welcome.  They were all so kind about my tardiness, the latest of the late. The hostesses quickly got me settled into a room, assigning me a bunk and encouraging me to join the group for an amazing dinner that was underway.  You guys.  They had a LEGIT chef preparing the most colorfully deliciously healthy meals all weekend.  I felt so well nourished, both physically and mentally the entire trip. After dinner, Kady led us in a grounding yoga class that was incredible and just what the doctor ordered.  I needed a way to decompress after this long week, the long drive, and in the dimly lit room amongst beautiful yogis, it was perfection.  I wrapped the evening up sharing a bottle of rosé with a new friend and headed to bed. The whole house were tucked away and nestled in their beds, and of course, we were the last two to go to sleep.  Dark rooms are not where I should be wandering about, especially when I have to crawl into the third level bunk (and I’ve had rosé.)  There’s a long story about how I crawled into a bunk that had been assigned to another girl and me.  Let’s just say, I crawled up and found a huge surprise, woke up the room, and nestled in on a really comfy couch for the night.  Also fun, the woman that I woke up was way too kind and we quickly became friends the next day, laughing about the story… You’ll hear more about her here on the blog later this week…  The next morning started off with a beautiful breakfast by our amazing chef.  Nutella and banana toast was my choice on Saturday morning, and there were lots of options including flavorful quiche, fresh fruits, and acai bowls. The morning kicked off with an intense yoga strength class.  If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, you likely know that power yoga is not my yoga.  I prefer blissful meditative moments on my mat, and thought this would be a REALLY nice time to grab my journal, step outside to meditate, and to capture my thoughts. Writing is an incredible escape for me, and with this beautiful backdrop, I couldn’t resist.  You guys, after a quick meditation, I literally ended up writing for about an hour and a half… and really going deep.  I never take time to do this.  When I’m home, I end up moving onto laundry, working on to-do lists, and getting distracted from doing the work.  The time I spent with a pen in my hand was truly the best part of the weekend for me, in all due respect to the wonderful classes and programming that was underway.  The time I spent in these chairs was long overdue.  When the weekend’s hostesses said to make this weekend what you wanted it to be, I took their advice very literally… and I’m so glad I did. I rejoined the group for lunch, and was amazed to see our chef Randy had nailed it with another amazing meal – – this time, a roasted sweet potato and beet green salad with quinoa and avocado toast.  I still need to recreate this salad at home.  It was THAT good. After this divine lunch, Kady led us in a Bhakti Yoga session.  Have you heard of Bhakti?  I hadn’t either until this moment.  It’s referred to as yoga of the heart and it appears to be rooted in chanting.  Yes, chanting… but I promise, it’s not awkward and it’s super beautiful.  And, for whatever reason, it really resonated for me.  Kady peppered the practice with stories of deities that I found to be fascinating as well.  Whether Ganesh and his mischief or Shiva the destroyer, I loved learning all about these characters and the beliefs behind them.  This session to me was all about trying something new, and opening your heart to a new practice.  Truly lovely. One of the sessions I was looking most forward to was the session led by Steph Winsor on meditation.  Steph is another must-follow on Instagram, y’all (click here to follow her page.) Steph’s area of expertise is neuroscience, which she is studying at Columbia right now!  She shared so many scientific details around how and why meditation is helpful to the body and the mind, and walked us through both active and seated meditation practices.  Like yoga, meditation is often referenced as a “practice” and I walked away from this session with fun new tools to incorporate into mine. While there were classes to take, meals to eat, and more, I also loved the fact that there was a lot of open time built into the schedule.  Being in the high country and considering it was a (mostly) gorgeous weekend outside, this gave us all an opportunity to take time for meditation (which I indulged in heavily), wander into the wilderness, and make connections with new friends. I also feel it’s important to mention that there was also a super talented henna instructor who gave each of us our very own henna tattoo and a masseuse onsite offering massages to anyone who signed up.  Also, the house was decorated with the most stunning flower arrangements and there was an aromatherapy station set up for all of our essential oil needs.  Seriously, the attention to detail made it feel like an all-inclusive getaway and made the weekend even more special. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I truly felt that the work I was there to complete had been accomplished.  I spent more time thinking, reflecting, and planning this weekend than I have in a long time.  I’m never one to be quiet in a group of people, but this weekend, I was and unapologetically so. While my tendency was to try to find a way to connect and be my typical gregarious self, I treasure every moment I spent in silence, in reflection, and the renewed strength that I walked away with.   Thank you, Kady, Steph, and the entire supporting team for a wonderful, wonderful getaway! xo Do you have interest in participating in a mountain yoga retreat like this? Well, good news for you, Kady and Steph are offering another opportunity for you to Retreat Yo’Self with another session coming up in September!  Click here for all the details and follow both Steph and Kady to stay up-to-date on future events! Related posts: Lazy Local Weekend That Time I Circumvented a Binge That Time I Took a Class to Help Me Find Love That Time I Went to a Mountain Yoga Retreat originally appeared on No Thanks to Cake on 06/22/2018. from No Thanks to Cake https://ift.tt/2MSqscL via IFTTT

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