Just.

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            Best, 

                  Anne

He hit the nail on the head

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Today I was lucky enough to think about wonderful things happening now and wonderful things to come.

Today I was able to walk to and from work.

Today I was able to read and forget the world around me.

Today I was able to see friends and have a delicious dinner full of laughs and chatter.

Today I exhausted myself with happiness and I could not be more grateful.  There is never enough time in a day for happy moments, but I think that sleep is a necessary form of happiness...

...and so I shall sleep.  And tomorrow I will just do it all again.  Is that okay, John Burrough?

         Best,
                Anne

Thoughts...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        Best,
               Anne

Amen.

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           Best, 

               Anne

Salt Lake City!

After leaving Chicago, I spent one day in Seattle before embarking on a road trip with my sweet friend Jilian.  We drove to her hometown of Salt Lake City!  I've never been there before...nowhere in Utah for that matter...but I was looking forward to it!

Jilian and I split the drive up over two days so we headed straight east on I-90 to go to Missoula.  I took this trip a couple years ago to surprise my friend Teresa for her birthday.  So whenever I think of Missoula, I think of her and how I love our matching outfits it is such a happy place.

Driving through Coeur D'Alene is such an incredible experience.  The view is hypnotizing.  I only swerved off the road a few times.

We arrived in Missoula at 3 and soon found out that we missed The Bachelor Open Casting calls that were also starting at 3.  Needless to say, Jilian was a little peeved about that.  So to get over this great disappointment, we checked out a couple breweries and walked around town.

After being significantly saddened that the pool at our hotel was closed for "cleaning", we went to bed and got up early to drive to the lovely and interesting state of Utah. 

We almost ran out of gas in Montana at the Great Divide.  We thought there would be a gas station there but we were left with nothing but the Blue Moon Saloon.  We found a spot of cell phone service and learned we were just a few miles from gas.  We headed to Melrose in search of a bathroom, water, and a full tank of gas (a lyric for the next song I write).  We arrived in Melrose and found a sign that said "No public bathrooms" and this gas "station". 

But you know what?  We made it safe and sound.  There isn't much more you can ask for, right?  Well we did see a dead grizzly bear on the side of the road in Somewhereville, Montana.  That was...unbelievable.  And I couldn't help but wonder what happened...and if the other guy is alright. 

Now...I have to touch on the whole Mormon thing...cause you know...there are a lot around the city.  I had a million questions for Jilian (who is not Mormon).  Since Jilian is an expert on pretty much anything, she told me all sorts of things.  Most of the time I would reply with "are you serious?!", but other times I would say "I still want to figure out how to get in this beautiful and secret Mormon Temple."

We spent some time in the sun and I enjoyed not having any humidity.  Although, the altitude was enough to nearly collapse my lungs when we went running!  Even still, I loved Salt Lake City.  It was different from any city I had been to because it was so quiet!  I couldn't believe it.  It helps that there isn't a major highway running through it.  I can't wait to go back someday, just without the dead grizzly bear, please...

It feels nice to be back in Seattle now.  Literally---70s and sunny!  I cannot argue with that.  Time to work and make some more money to fly me back to Salt Lake City (and everywhere else)!

        Best, 

               Anne

A voice that's buried in the hollow

I'm going back to Seattle tomorrow after an extended amount of time in the state of Illinois (with a dash of Wisconsin thrown in there).  The first half of 2012 has left me lucky enough to travel for more than a long weekend and work from wherever I may be on a given day.  Like I said, very lucky.  Sure, I can't plan for the second half of the year, but I know that regardless, I'm still lucky for what I've been able to do.  I usually come to Chicago with a half dozen or so of planned events.  That numbers starts to multiply quickly but I can't complain.  I am usually able to see everyone I hold near and dear to my heart.

When I first left Illinois, I was lucky enough to move to a place in which I fell madly in love (post University of Iowa, of course!).  And thankfully, Washington and I have not fallen out of love, nor will we!  I missed Illinois and my friends and family, but I was able to continue to talk to them constantly without being extremely homesick.  This was mostly because I was making incredible friends and experiencing all things great about the northwest.  I did get homesick...it just wasn't as frequent.  However, as I've grown and my relationships have changed, I tend to get a little more homesick.  Thankfully I don't have to travel around the world (wait----that sounds like a pretty good idea) and I can see everyone in one swoop.  I'm always ready to go back to Seattle when I have to leave.  That is a fact.  It's something about that fresh, misty air that makes my heart smile...and the fact that my life is out there...but without fail, I seem to get a tad glum as I leave the people who mean so much to me.  I can only ask everyone to move to Seattle so many times before I get the hint that the extreme weather is their preference...

But you know what?  My life doesn't get worse, it just adjusts.  And so does the time zone.  That's not so bad, after all.

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Miss you already (again and again).

        Best,
               Anne

It's hard to argue with mountains

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     Best,
            Anne