Month: July 2019

undress

On By marciehallLeave a comment

Questions and comments I will receive after this post:

1. Who took that photo?

2. Marcie take it down!

3. DM’s from people who are suddenly interested in my life.

4. Family members swapping texts with one another remarking how they can’t believe I’d post such a thing. …And a multitude of others I presume.

So why even bother? To me this is a representation of a new beginning and of self love. This body has been stricken with disease, created and birthed a human, climbed mountains, carried a child miles and hours through forests just to share the magic, lugged pounds of snacks and medical supplies up and down trails for days just to prove I could, been broken and been tested time and time again and shown resilient every single time.

I am so happy to have left behind bras (and sometimes pants), hairbrushes (sorry, Hope), stress and anxiety, facades, and cookie cutter goals. In the middle of the desert, the coyotes hold no judgement, the deer don’t care when I showered last, and the breeze in the valley wraps her arms around me in an embrace everytime she says hello.

This body is mine to nurture. This body is mine to love. This body is mine to live in. This body belongs to no one – but me.

So the question shouldn’t be why bother – the question should be why are we constricting and contorting ourselves to fit into someone elses box?

Here I am, in my element, inhaling the bliss surrounding me and exhaling everything that is beyond my control. Maybe you oughtta give it a shot?

steadfast

On By marciehall2 Comments

Last night we parked off of a forest service road in Crested Butte near a downed tree and a hefty stump, both which were preventing us from going any further. After watching multiple cars pull up and turn around, I decided to hike down past the obstacles to see what there was to see. A little ways down the steep, rocky trail was a beautiful meadow with a collection of ponds. I knew I had to wake up there the next morning, obstacles be damned.

I marched back up to those two characters who thought they’d put a damper on my night, grabbed on tightly to that stumps arms and dragged him across my path and into the ditch, dusting my hands off in a bit of a celebratory way when I was done. Moving on to the tree resting nearby, I picked her up a bit more softly and gently than I had her companion, lifted her lightly, carrying her to the side of the road to be reunited with her friend, the stump, once again.

Feeling strong and empowered, I headed back to the van, loaded her up, and turned the wheel toward the road where once blocked by our dearest mother nature, was clear and inviting. The task of hefting the fallen trees was a piece of cake compared to actually rolling the van down the steep, jagged hills. Approaching the peak of our first downhill crawl, I hesitated. There were ditches on either side of the road, big enough for me to stand in, and a deep trench down the center which would only allow the left tires a narrow track to the bottom. One wrong move and we’d be slippin’ and slidin’ the whole way to camp.

Moving forward, I placed my hands on ten and two, sat up straight in my seat, and pointed Wanda directly to her lane. She hopped and she jerked and she rolled slowly right into the level patch of dirt patiently awaiting her arrival. We did it! Just in time to see the sun wave goodnight and the mosquitoes eagerly come out of hiding to welcome us home.

What a lovely community hidden here deep in the Elk range of Crested Butte, only the steadfast welcome.

books that excite me

On By marciehall2 Comments

I have always been really excited by books. I am in love with finding new perspectives and motivation in the pages of someone elses thoughts. So I thought I’d share a few with you here that have captured me, motivated me, or inspired me into action. I hope you enjoy!

You are a Badass at Making Money – Jen Sincero

Jen makes some really great points about how our perception of money is corrupt and how we can change our thoughts on the topic. Through changing our thoughts, we are truly able to change our relationship with money.

Orange is Optimism – Kit Whistler

orange is optimism.png

I have been meaning to order this book for quite some time now, but never really got around to. It just so happens that I recently won it in a raffle and got the chance to chat with Kit herself! To be completely honest, I was expecting to find something much different in these pages. I kind of assumed (I know, my bad) that I would find more stories about van life, travel, and living on the road. However, what I actually found were incredibly magical stories written by Kit in a way that I am constantly left wondering what is real and what is a fairytale. She has an awful special talent for writing and storytelling that I wish I would have discovered sooner!

The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday

This book changed the way I view difficult times in my life. I was challenged to overcome difficult and impossible situations with growth in mind. It has truly helped me focus only on the things I can control while allowing everything else to just be. Through this book, I believe we can all learn something about turning our obstacles into opportunities.

Escape Everything – Robert Wringham

So, kinda funny story, Keller (aka his uncle Zach) bought me this book for Mother’s Day. I had never heard of the book or the author, but it sounded kind of up my alley. So on a day that I was feeling particularly down and out, I cracked it open and began to read. I am not exaggerating the least little bit when I tell you that before I even finished this book I had quit my job, traded in my car for a van, and sold all of my belongings to hit the road. Extreme, I know. And I won’t say that this book was the end all be all for the path I chose, but it definitely gave me the shove I was looking for. Wringham challenges the way we think about work in present times. He sheds light on the history of work and how it has become so engulfing. There is a way to break free and find the freedom and happiness we are all searching for, and Robert tries to help us do just that.

The Four Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferris

Timothy Ferris challenges the dogma of work and retirement. Basically, why work for 40 years with hopes of a happy and fulfilling retirement, when you can take your retirement over time. Work for a few months if you’d like, then take six months off to “retire.” Enjoy it throughout your years instead of waiting for a day and time that may or may not ever come.

Braving the Wilderness – Brene Brown

This was the first Brene Brown book that I had ever read. Brene is a goddess of truth and a vanquisher of bullshit (at least in my eyes). This book is about what it means to truly belong. She tells about how much easier it is to fit in than it is to show up as our true selves. She speaks of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame and empathy. She digs deep into these taboo topics and connects them all together to show us how we can live a brave and meaningful life.

What books have you really dived into lately? I am always on the lookout for recommendations! Leave me a comment with any suggestions you may have!