Life is in the Moments

My yoga teacher said something that really stuck with me today. Today my intention was mindfulness. She said, "Breathe in the new. Breathe out having to know what's coming next." So often we live our lives thinking about what is coming up next or dwelling on what happened in the past. I'm definitely guilty of this a lot. I always want to have everything figured out. Even though so many times in my life things have come to me, just at a different time than I expected. I like to think of the change I need more as living in the moment, rather than being patient. The idea of learning patience seems like such a tough task. But learning to live in the moment is such a beautiful idea. Life is a series of moments. And if you take the time to stop and live in the moment and just be, you will notice so much more of what is going on around you.

I had a wonderful day yesterday. I decided to just do whatever I wanted yesterday, which I have the freedom to do a lot of the time in the summer. That's kind of a form of mindfulness--just doing what feels right at the time. I slept in. Then I decided to explore the 606 trail again. This time I biked it. I stopped a few times to rest and think. Sometimes in order to quiet our minds we have to let thoughts in and then let them drift away.

After the trail, I bought some things at LUSH, this really great environment-friendly cosmetics shop. Then I got coffee at this cool place I'd seen before and wanted to check out. I spent over an hour reading there which I don't take enough time to do on a day to day basis.

Then I met up with Justin and we did a little biking tour of Wicker Park/Bucktown hitting some murals, a few shops, grabbing dinner and drinks, and hanging with another friend. Great day full of great moments.

Great days

You know those days in your life that are so amazing you just know you'll remember them forever? I have three from my recent memory to talk about.

1.) The Fourth of July in Summer of 2013: This day was so freaking awesome. I remember I got up early in the morning to go for a run along the lakefront. I then went to a house party at a friend's place where I knew only a few people but had the best time meeting a ton of new people, including Joey, who is one of my good friends now. That night I got to kayak the Chicago River and watch the fireworks.

2.) Royals clinch a spot in the playoffs--September 2014: I went to the Royals vs. Sox game alone that night because I couldn't find anyone to go with. I watched most of the game from behind home plate before meeting some other Royals fans who asked me to watch the last two innings behind the Royals dugout with them. It was freaking awesome watching the final outs. (See my previous blog post for more). I met some other Royals fans on the way out and went and celebrated with one after the game. I then had people to watch some of the playoffs with too!

3.) July 3rd, 2015: Unexpectedly awesome day. I went to yoga in the morning, which is always wonderful. Then I met up with Liz and we got to play some pickup beach volleyball. We then had some biking adventures, went to Revolution brewery, and then had dinner on a rooftop.

Not a bad life I'm living.

New Things and Coming Home

The other day I was about to go for a run, but then decided to go explore the new 606 trail instead. The 606 trail is a new trail on elevated train tracks that were going to be destroyed until they decided to create a park and trail along them instead. I divvy biked down to the east-most end of the trail and then walked and ran half of the trail. It's awesome and I can already tell I'm going to be spending a lot of time there even though it's not exactly close to me.

After exploring half the trail I went and got frozen yogurt and walked around a little of Wicker Park/Bucktown. These are two really cool neighborhoods southwest of where I live. One of the things I love most about Chicago is how there is always something new to explore and discover.

These last few days I have been home in KC. When I got here this time I think I was happier than I have ever been to be home. There's something so great about coming home after being away for so long. I have changed so much since moving to Chicago--all in good ways I think. So it can be weird at times to see Kansas City from the perspective of someone who was raised here but who has also grown and changed significantly. I love getting to catch up with friends and family (only wish I had more time!). I also had a blast going to two Royals games. The energy is insane there now. Everything's different since the postseason run last year. I love it. I've now seen them in four different ballparks--nothing compares with Kauffman.

Summer's been awesome so far and it's only just starting!

I Believe

I believe in sleeping in, taking naps, and enjoying my morning coffee. I believe in yoga, namaste, and setting an intention to live my best life. I believe in days spent at the beach, volleyball until I can barely stand, and laughing until I can't breathe. I believe in spending time with my friends and family, living a life filled with adventure and passion. I believe in giving everything I have to everything I do, always seeking to do better, and learning from my mistakes. I believe in ice cream just because, and pizza more often than not. I believe in the beauty of baseball, the love of my hometown, and the acceptance and joy I have found in my new city. I believe that life is good.

Gratitude

When you go without something and then you finally get it, you never stop being amazed or grateful for what you now have. I am so grateful every day that I joined S3. It changed my life. It's the reason I'm still here in Chicago and have made a life here. Life keeps getting better every year. The friends I have made have helped me to become the best version of myself. So this is just a message of gratitude to the universe for sending me on this path. The coolest thing to me is that there are so many great things to come. Here's to another amazing summer.

Here's to 28!

Life is pretty amazing. It's almost my birthday and y'all know how I love to reflect for things like this. Birthdays, graduations, the New Year, the new school year. I can't help myself. Life keeps getting better and better each year. I'm figuring out how to grow more each year. I have so many plans for places I want to go and things I want to learn to do. I'm only turning 28. And I'm pretty psyched about it. Yeah I have a lot of debt. But I wouldn't trade where I am for the world. I'm so lucky and so blessed to have the family that I do and the friends that I do. I've already accomplished one of my promises to myself for this year--I made it to New York City! I can't wait to accomplish the rest. So shout out to some of the great things that have been happening lately and all of the amazing things yet to come.

Psychoanalyzing some Baseball

Why can't we all get along like me and Ray?

I need to process through a few things. Everything that has gone on with the Royals in the past year has changed Kansas City and the people in it and from it.  Sports are a huge part of a city's identity. For 29 years, part of Kansas City's identity was having a baseball team that was a bunch of losers. When you lose for that long you experience a lot of emotions. Apathy, anger, sadness, and especially a self-deprecating sense of humor where you poke fun of yourself to prevent others from doing it to you.  Kansas City, as a city, has also been largely ignored as a big city and seen as not much of anything. I myself have gotten teasing and a little crap for being from there and have had people make comments like, "That's not even a real city."

And then last October happened with the Royals. I wasn't in KC for it, but even experiencing it here meant everything. Many of us (all of us under 30) had never seen our baseball team be even remotely good. And then we got soooo close. We experienced winning and now we don't want to give it up.

Last night, I got to go to the Royals White Sox game. I noticed a definite shift in the energy from Royals fans and towards Royals fans. From Royals fans, there was a considerable amount of more energy and cheering and cockiness and confidence. Towards Royals fans, there was considerable more booing and taunts, wheresas before I would get pretty good natured razzing as people made fun of how long it had been since we had been in the playoffs.

Now, the fights have been ridiculous this year and there are definitely a few guys on our team (Herrera, Ventura) that need to calm the hell down. But what bugs me about media coverage and some things I've heard from Sox fans is a completely failure to mention other teams' roles in all of this. We have been disrespected and also hit by more pitches than any other team.  Most guys on our team haven't been directly involved in the fights. (It's really just been the few I mentioned). And things boiled up and spilled over. Other teams have targeted us and the Royals finally aren't taking it lying down. Kansas City isn't taking it lying down.

I never thought I might want to move back home. But this kind of Kansas City, full of pride and passion, is the kind of city I would want to live in.

Now let's freaking quit fighting and play some baseball.