I'm sure I've mentioned in the past that I miss living in Salem, Massachusetts terribly. I miss our amazing friends there that are more like family. I miss my really cool ghost hunting tour company that gave me the opportunity to be on TV a couple times. I earned my masters degree while living there, and my daughter was born there. It's just a wonderful, historical, magical place. I loved the seasons... The hot, humid summers, and the blizzards all winter. I loved the fall colors and spring flowers. I loved that Halloween lasts an entire month. It just had the best energy ever. It was like being on vacation for 4 years.
All that being said… The Pacific Northwest is beautiful. Mount Rainier, the Seattle skyline, the sound, the islands, the evergreen trees. I think it's beautiful even when it's dreary and raining. It's comfortable, and it's home. And since it's relatively warm all year, you can be outside and stay active almost every single day. It's so great for outdoor sports (cycling, running, hiking, kayaking… etc.) In general, people in New England just don't have that outdoorsy adventurous spirit that people have here. With each new sporting endeavor I've taken up in the past year, I spend more time with friends and family, meet new friends, and feel like part of such a great community. (Side note: Not specifically in Burien though… I keep thinking that as great of a location we have here, and a great view of the water… it's not a good fit for us… who knows though.)
I wanted to take the opportunity to share some photos from the past year. These are photos that would not exist, beauty that I would not have seen, if I wasn't so active. I have truly loved getting outdoors to run, walk, cycle, swim, hike, kayak, and race. I hope this inspires you to do the same. Get outside, breathe the fresh air, smell the flowers, the trees, the freshly mowed grass, and the ocean. Get active.
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| View from my treadmill |
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| Sunset from my treadmill |
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| The husband and me on our very first day on our new road bikes |
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| Most rainy day… still outside! |
A few from our ride on Vashon Island… one of my favorite rides…
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| The husband and me at the Vashon Ferry Terminal |
A few from our ride to Alki Beach…
Ride to Gasworks Park (Somewhere I'd never been in the 30 years I've lived here)…
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(Yeah, I know, we should have laid the
bikes down on the other side. I was new!) |
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| Riding across the I-90 bridge was so fun! |
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| On our way to Eastern Washington |
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| A beautiful country ride near Walla Walla |
A hike down the steps at Eagle Landing Park…..
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| Mount Rainer during the Daffodil Classic |
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| Blurry early morning fog |
Trip to Long Beach for the Beach to Chowder 5K…
Hiking Crystal Mountain…
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Kayaking on Alki with the husband
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| Posing with some cycling statues with my cycling wife |
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Waiting for a draw bridge with the husband
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And a few of my favorite photos from my races this year…
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| Crawling through a net at the Warror Dash |
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| Us being badass |
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| Pic stitch of the Bonney Lake Triathlon |
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| Me crossing the finish line of the STP |
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I just look so freaking happy in these
pics from the Slime Run! |
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| Getting clobbered by my BFF at the Color Run. |
