I want to be enlightened by actions.

I'm tired of all the words words words you made up all winter man. I wanta be enlightened by actions ! -  Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac

This has been a favorite quote of mine since high school and it has shaped the way I want to live my life. I have lists of things I want to do, but sometimes I have to hurdle my tendency toward laziness to actually put them into action. Let's be real, no one wants to brag about the days you spend binge watching Park & Rec while eating a jar of pickles.

In January, I gave birth to my son, Sampson, in the middle of a record breaking winter with the most snowfall Boston has ever seen. I camped out in our apartment with a freezer full of bagels, The Good Wife on Netflix, and settled into a delicious life of inactivity & naps with my newborn. A day out for us was walking four blocks to the T station near our house for the free commuter newspaper's crossword puzzle & hitting up the Dunkin Donuts on the way home for a hazelnut coffee. To check something off my List of Wants, I applied for a job at a clinic in Yellowstone National Park. I interviewed over Skype & found out I landed the job in March. As with any major change I had a rush of Can we actually do this? It would mean giving up a great apartment, a good job, and moving across the country away from all of our family & friends with a four month old for a temporary position. The answer in the face of any great adventure is YES. Seize the day.

Fast forward to the end of August. We have been living in Yellowstone for four months & our babe has seen >300 miles of trail strapped to our chest. We've been living in a trailer without TV or internet and the closest grocery store is 45 minutes away. It has been blissful.

When we first got here, it was a struggle to break out of the lazy pit I had dug myself. I missed Netflix. I missed quiet alone time while Alex was at work. I didn't want to hike ten miles. I wanted to want to do it, but my body complained and my mind was negative. We hiked our way through that and I felt my determination return. I am physically and mentally stronger than I was when I got here in May & the goal is to keep that ball rolling when we leave here. Where are we going next? Who knows. All I know is it will be on to the next adventure.