Strucknwords

This weekend, I was hanging out with a friend in Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. If you’re not familiar with the Anchorage area, this is pretty much the only real alpine ski resort in the area, and a very special place. Deep down, part of me believes that I’ve just grown a love affair for it because I don’t have many other options as far as that goes :-).

Anyways, we were talking about all of these plans that we have for travel, both in state and out; she is a lucky dog because she is about to go to Japan for a month to ski, and while she is a regular traveler who gets out 1-2 times per year, she said something that stuck with me. “I am so bad about reflecting on what’s exciting right now. It isn’t that I’m not living in the now, but I could be a lot better about it.” So true. I feel like my daily mindfulness can sorely lack because I spend a lot of time bullshitting about my future plans. This past weekend, my group of friends was super chatty, and in an awesome mood, but I bet at least half of our conversations revolved around what our next plans were going to be. Even on this blog, when I write, when I’m on social media, I’m constantly talking and thinking about the next event that is going to happen. When I’m with family, we talk about the next time we are getting together, even though we are together right then. In that moment, we are together, but we are busy talking about the next time it will happen, even if it’s months away from that now. Why?

Right now, I’m celebrating my hot tea and this class I’m taking on educational leadership. Wow-did I just say that? That is my now, and in this second, I’m digging it. Later, I’m not sure what it will be, but my now will change and I’ll have to remember to stop and enjoy it before it slips by. Or do I?

I wonder if I set a timer to go off every hour of the day to intentionally celebrate the little piece of my now, I would be better at it? Maybe I’m mindful enough, and really don’t need to worry about it, but how do you know? All I know is that when my friend said that, I felt like I had let the now slip away; when I returned home, and looked at the pictures I had taken from the weekend, I smiled, and was thankful. In that moment of reflection though, I questioned if I ever really dedicated to the right now during the weekend. Except for when I was on top of the mountain, about to go on my first alpine of the season-I remembered that dedication to the now right away, but there were so many other opportunities so I dug deep.

When had I celebrated in the moment? They started coming to me:

• During the hug I gave one of my best buddies on his 39th birthday
• When I woke from sleeping in my car at 7:40 as opposed to it being in the middle of the night
• When I pulled up and saw how much snow had accumulated in my driveway while I was gone
• When I was eating sashimi (I hadn’t had it in awhile)
• During my long Sunday ski

I took a deep breath in and out. This weekend, I had done a decent job, but I wonder how I can maintain that. How can I ensure that I’ll be appreciative of the right now? Maybe doing this post will help me, if for only the next few moments :-).

I go in circles, but my now is just as important as my next week, next month, next year. Loving the now should be a consistent practice! Remembering my now will allow me to feel ok about shouting out about all of the winter trippin’ I have planned over the next few months:

• Sister’s Wedding and I’m the officiate (Oh Boy-I hope I don’t mess it up!)
• My 42nd Birthday Party
• Nancy Lakes Ski Cabin Trip (Turning into an epic annual)
• Skiing for the first time at Eaglecrest in Juneau
• Tolovana Hot Springs Trip (this is one of those things you put on your list each year, and then it doesn’t happen year after year. I wonder if 2014 will be the winner!)
• Mexico Trip (3rd time to Mexico!)
• And even later, the Kodiak Crab Festival

I can’t help myself! Now is so good, and later will be too. What’s on your winter trippin’ list?