Spring Break 2015

It had sunshine, sand, drinks, all the makings of a fabulous Spring Break, and it was pretty fantastic. We've never been typical vacationers, so instead of a trip to a beach, we decided to head to Tennessee, where we spent plenty of time basking in the sunshine among the rocks.


On Good Friday, Brian and I made our way south, and though it was a less-than-stellar drive, taking nearly 14 hours as opposed to 10.5, the rest of our time in Chattanooga more than made up for that.  The rain that plagued almost our entire drive made me worried about our chances of climbing, but by Saturday morning, it was sunny and dry, and we headed to nearby Georgia for a day in the boulder fields of Rocktown.  I had never been before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  So too did I enjoy the next day and our return trip to Stone Fort, a climbing area just outside of Chattanooga that we visited a few years ago. I cannot say I had much success on day one, which Brian and I chalked up to being holed up in a car for all too long the day prior.   Perhaps I was inspired by the Badgers' performance in the Final Four or I fell into a groove, but by day two, I had found my inner strong woman, and I was happy to accomplish a few goals.

Once back home on Monday evening, in time for the basketball game (I'm still reeling), Brian returned to his normal routine, and I enjoyed a few more days of break, which included reading (a lot!!), running (now, thanks to PT and some strength training, seems to be less painful - maybe I'm on the mend!!), a coffee date with my cousin Ruth, dinner with my parents, a motorcycle ride, the first of the year, and some at-home, relaxing dinner dates with Brian.

I loved having a chance to get away and I loved the leisurely pace Brian and I settled into over break.  He and I both decided we could get very used to having all of our meals together, taking mid-day walks, and feeling less stressed (apparently the school year makes me tenser than I even realized).  Maybe every week can be Spring Break week...

swirls in the stone 

my favorite rock climber (and blogger)

Stone Fort, Chattanooga, TN

getting some work done 

Add caption

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AJ Runs Several Ks...and Writes About It

Image
On Saturday, May 6, I returned to half marathon racing. It had been quite a hiatus, and my previous half marathon, was completed with a blown out IT band, so I did have to balance high hopes and realistic expectations. After all, a lot has changed since that last race. They say that age is just a number, and by that logic, a half marathon is just miles. 13.1 long and hilly miles in this case, and now officially in the next decade of my life. Yeah, yeah, just a number. Last year, still in my 30s, I toyed with the idea of returning to racing and with running the Door County Half Marathon. We were in Peninsula State Park for our annual Mother’s Day weekend, and the race was taking place. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back to some really good training. Our plan - always - is to be in Door County for our Mother’s Day celebration, so why not sign up?! Well, back to numbers. Two children, one partner, too many hours at work each week, one bike ride/race to each weekend, an
Read more

My Dad, OUR Hero

Image
This past weekend, we celebrated my dad’s 30 years of service to and retirement from the Mukwonago Fire Department. As both a volunteer fire fighter and EMT, he has spent several decades in service of others. During what surely was one of their most trying times, it was my dad who was with people he’d never met and likely wouldn’t see again. To do that on top investing in full-time work, his family, and his other interests is simply remarkable. And that’s my dad: a driven, generous, passionate man. The Mukwonago Fire Department was a part of my youth. The men and women he served with became my dad’s second family, and thus they were there for many of my milestones. My weekends were were filled with various events hosted by MFD, including community events and that one family picnics that ended with Dad getting stitches. Sometimes my weekends - and weeknights - were also filled with quick goodbyes as another call pulled Dad away from our family plans. The sound of his pager and the
Read more

Milestone

Image
I mentioned, not too long ago, interest in a birthday trip to ATL. Michelle Obama would be there for her book tour, the weather is fall-like this time of year and perfect for a long run, and it’s a city I haven’t explored much of. My partner heard me. He showed up, like really showed up!   Just about a week ago, Harper brought me a birthday card and gift she and B had been working on. It was my own copy of  The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times , and a Happy Birthday picture of a plane, a peach, and a pink and purple suitcase (my favorite colors).     I had otherwise been planning a jaunt from home along the Glacial Drumlin Trail and snack day at H’s school. That would have been great. But Brian has been helping me work on prioritizing myself to maintain balance; time away was earned, needed, permissable. To say I was excited for the weekend was an understatement. B attended to all the details (also needed AND appreciated): flights, hotel accommodations, transportation,
Read more