So I have a friend who constantly amazes me with how determined she is. She is only a couple years younger than me and was recently diagnosed with a complicated form of Multiple Sclerosis. On top of that, she’s had every side effect to every medication in the book and if there could be a complication having to do with her MS (or sometimes NOT having to do with it), she seems to have it. And yet, she persists. She keeps going, day after day. She’s a feisty gal and determined as anything to continue living her life.

Her husband and friends are quite supportive but Kate would no doubt move mountains all on her own if she had to. She advocates for herself and is constantly posting about her journey on social media in an effort to not only keep her loved ones up to date with her daily life but to also educate others on what living with MS and autoimmune illness looks like.

Kate and I have known each other since we were pretty young kids but have stayed in touch through the years primarily through social media outlets like Facebook. Katie lives in Louisiana and I lived in California until about 5 years ago when I moved back to upstate NY.

Katie and I started to chat via text and then on the phone even before her MS diagnosis when she was struggling with migraines and a severe tremor in her body. I was going through my own health challenges at the time and sometimes it was nice to have someone who I didn’t have to sugarcoat things with. Someone I could be real with and say, “yeah, I look like my face is about to explode and I have linebacker arms. I haven’t been able to sleep lying flat for 6 months and I can’t breathe if I squat or bend over.” She would just listen to me and tell me how badass we both were and I would echo those sentiments and then we would usually finish our conversation of cursing like sailors.

See Katie is one of those rare people I can REALLY let my hair down around and JUST BE ME!! And sometimes “being me” means I’m having a bad day. And I’ve learned that often a bad day is just a bad day. You need to feel it, acknowledge it, maybe even revel in your pain a little and then go to bed. Start fresh tomorrow.

There is a saying that I generally love “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Well sometimes, I’m too tired, or I hurt too much, or I just don’t feel like it. So you know what. It’s also ok to just stack your lemons. Stacked lemons in a bowl make a pretty centerpiece. Sometimes you don’t have to go the extra mile. You can just do the bare minimum and it’s enough. Because we’re all allowed to have bad days and to stack our lemons. Even perfectly healthy people have bad days, and you know what, it’s all GOOD. It’s how you handle the next day and the one after that. The good days will come. They always do, but bad days are normal, they’re not especially fun, but they build character and in the end, they make us stronger people. So take the GOOD with the BAD and remember it’s ok to just stack those lemons.

I’ll admit, I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately and writing didn’t seem to be coming very easily to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to say, but like Springtime itself, I guess I was feeling a bit stifled and gloomy. But today was a nice day and not only am I back with my furry friends, (I am cat sitting for a friend while she and her husband take a few trips this spring) but the past few days I have had LOTS of my chubby bunny sightings!! I’ll get back to the bunny in a bit.

But see I was not brought up with pets really, (save a goldfish named Darla who lived an unusually long life of 9 years) as many members of my family suffered from allergies that prevented us from having furry friends in our home. But I have always had a love and appreciation for the special bond humans and animals can forge. So I have found quite a lot of joy in being around the kitty cats lately. They are quite full of love and can tell when you want company and when maybe you just need some space. Animals are truly so smart and perceptive that way.

My Aunt Sandy had a dog named Herman who had the most compassionate soul I’ve ever come in contact with. He was by my side every step of the way as I recovered from my car accident at their house in Orange County. He would fearlessly guard me while I stayed in their downstairs guest room, walking me to and from the bathroom each night. Herman went from being a dog who didn’t know how to enter a house comfortably when Aunt Sandy got him because he was so emotionally scarred from his previous owners to a dog who would do a slow, tantric prance around a fake potted plant my aunt kept in her home especially for him. He would zen out and let the leaves of the plant stroke his fur and you could see that he was truly happy in that moment. I loved Herman. We had a bond. We had both been through dark days and come through to the light. Been granted second chances and we were thankful for the little things we both had. He saw me at my worst and I like to think I saw him at his best. He’s been gone a few years now, but I still think of him fondly and miss him often. The sweet, wondrous soul he was.

My good friend Sandy recently wrote a beautiful Facebook post about her cat George. Sandy is someone I frequently mention in my blog posts because she’s just AWESOME!! But she’s also a breast cancer survivor and was commenting on how her cat George, is actually her husband Ken’s cat & came along with Ken when they began their relationship together. Sandy admitted that she is ‘not necessarily a cat person’, but she “is a George person”. George has supported Sandy through her cancer battle and recovery and now through her reconstruction, he dutifully sits with a watchful eye and warm snuggle in that way animals let us know they “have our backs”.

On a sillier note, I can remember my best friend Kym telling me she knew it was time for her to take a vacation from work when she had started to feel like her kitties, Rosie and Noah were ganging up on her. Now I’ve met both of them, & they do have very humanistic traits and I think they are definitely smart enough to know what you’re saying to them in certain tones of voices. And they can certainly be a bit cliquey in the right circumstance, but as far as felines go, I don’t truly believe the kitty cats were in cahoots against Kym. So I told her I supported her 100% as she had been working her ass off (she runs a design business out of her home office) and we had a good laugh about it later when she came back from her trip much less stressed. The kitties were very glad to have her return home of course too!!

My friend Kate just found out her dog Ryker has cancer and Ryker is like a child to Kate. I can only imagine the stress and emotional/financial burden something like that can cause. Animals are family members in so many ways and it’s not an option to not care for them, but there are often not the same resources for them that there are for people and a diagnosis like what Kate and Ryker are facing can just be devastating. I’m sending them both prayers and lots of love and hugs.

On my final note, I do believe that Spring is really here because there is a REAL rabbit warren behind our shed. I have been watching those rabbits burrow and make a home now for months. They stand at attention like Palace guards on either side of our shed some days for hours and now one of them is turning the most glorious shade of red. I’m not sure if one had babies and is just tending to those, which is why we don’t see her as often, but regardless they look happy and quite plump. I call my red friend “Chubby Bunny” and look forward to seeing him every day.

Animals can be such a balm to the soul that we can’t even begin to understand. The effects animals have on people in stressful situations, people with emotional complexities such as autism and people recovering from trauma are just amazing. I can see why. Allergies permitting, find a furry friend today and love on it. Even if it’s just for a few your hours at your local animal shelter. Or take your neighbor’s dog for a walk. It will do you BOTH a WORLD of GOOD.

When I began writing this blog, I found that my voice has reached far beyond what I ever could have imagined in my wildest dreams. The number of people from such diverse places who have read this blog has been mind blowing. Readers from over 20 different countries all over the World have taken the time to read & share in “Just The Good Stuff”. Sometimes I am reminded that the subjects I write about are ones that may have an impact far beyond the stories I am telling at the moment.

In my last post, I wrote about how it was the anniversary of when I left a toxic relationship that had become emotionally harmful & left me feeling wounded & raw. I then began to regain my inner strength back & rebuild my inner core & self esteem which has helped make me the strong, confident woman I am today.

In writing that particular post, I felt I was “letting go” of that particular piece & bringing some closure to that chapter of my life. What I didn’t anticipate was the vast number of people it would reach who would then write to me sharing their similar experiences and stories.

Ladies, (and gentlemen too,) I hear you!! You are brave & strong & so worthy. I know it’s scary & it feels like it’s a long way down to jump off that metaphorical cliff, but rest assured, there is water below!! You will be safe & cared for. I will be there for you and others will be too. And for those of you that have made the decision to choose yourself, “Bravo”! I know it’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

We all deserve to live our best lives & to be happy. Sometimes this means making changes that are scary & uprooting. Leaving relationships is never easy, especially if there was ever love there in the first place. But like Tina Turner so famously said in her autobiography, at the end of the day, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”

Sometimes love just isn’t enough to make something work if it’s not the right situation & we all owe it to ourselves to “find our happy”. Leaving a relationship may be the only way to do that.

Love is a complex concept. Sometimes love is accompanied by excitement, happiness and opportunity. But other times, it can come with feelings like jealousy, heartbreak, anxiety, & a whole host of other not so positive emotions. Its different for every person and we all have to be able to evaluate our individual journeys and take them for what they are. It’s important to find the courage deep within and know that we can make it through. Through the good, the bad, the ugly…and the heartbreak.

There is a beautiful song written by Lynne Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty from one of my favorite Broadway musicals, “Once On This Island” that speaks to this very thing. In the song “Human Heart” there is a particularly meaningful verse that says,

“You are part of all who took the journey and managed to endure. The ones who knew such tenderness. The ones who felt so sure. The ones who came before you. The others yet to come. And those who you will teach it to. And those you learned it from. You are part, part of the human heart.”

I believe we can all help teach each other how to get through these tough times, whether it’s by simply talking about them & not remaining silent any longer, or by offering a shoulder to lean on, a hand to hold or an ear to bend when the time is right, or just by giving a warm hug that says, “I see you, I feel you, & it’s going to be ok”. Validation is often the key to feeling like it’s ok to move forward when you are just starting the process of rebuilding yourself.

Thank you to all my brave friends out there who reached out to me and shared your stories after reading the blog “Choose Yourself”. You are magnificent souls & your best life is yet to come. And it is going to be so full of JUST THE GOOD STUFF.

Ten years ago today I chose myself. I walked out of a relationship that was very toxic. I was living with a man I was in a relationship with and I finally reached my breaking point. I took my laundry basket, my jewelry box and a set of steak knives and jumped off a metaphorical cliff. I had to trust that there would be water below. And there was.

But let’s back up. How did I get myself to the edge of that cliff? How had I backed myself into such a corner?

I have always believed that nearly everything in life comes from a place of love or fear. I had lost my self worth. I had started to fear I wasn’t “good enough”. That maybe I wasn’t pretty enough or strong enough or smart enough to make it on my own. I had let fear into my life and I let it overtake me. I began to withdraw from the people I loved and started to obsessively worry. I would check my phone all the time, I would always answer it if my boyfriend called or texted me and my plans were always whatever he was doing.

He was a narcissist. So he didn’t have a care in the World as far as I was concerned. If I was contributing to his life & well-being then that was great, but if not, then forget me. I was just a pain in the ass he would deal with later.

I put up with so much more than I should have or ever imagined I would. I never will again. I know now it was something I needed to go through to become the strong woman I am today. The cheating, the name calling, the silent treatments, the alienation, the humiliation. All of it was so I would find my self worth again. So I would learn that as much as I may have thought I loved him…in the end, I loved me more. It’s not only a GOOD thing. It’s the BEST thing. The love is always more powerful than the fear. Ten years ago today I chose myself…and we’ve never been happier.

Let me tell you about Laura…

She was funny. My goodness was she funny. Sometimes she was funny without even trying to be. Sometimes she knew just how funny she was. She was definitely in on the joke.

She was relatively quiet as a young child but came out of her shell later on. We had quite a system worked out when we were little kids where she would whisper what she wanted me to say in my ear and I would repeat it out loud for her. It worked out perfectly for both of us as I loved to talk and she was just finding her voice.

We would play fiercely in our little neighborhood in Queensbury, NY and often explore deep into the woods for many hours.

One time, when I was about 10 years old, I was into climbing trees when I decided to climb much higher than I probably should have. Laura and her sister Liz, dared me to jump from the very top of a tall tree. Knowing I would likely break my neck if I jumped from that height, I declined and started to climb down the tree when I lost my footing and fell about 10 feet from the tree all the way to the ground. Laura was certain she and Liz had cursed me with their dare and the fall had been their fault. We all cried. Although in truth, my tears were probably more from the broken ankle I suffered rather than the guilt they were suffering from, but it was a story we would laugh about for many years to come. The look on their Mom, Sally’s face as she drove across my front lawn in her little white Saab after we had to call her to come help us! I will never forget it!!

When it was time to choose where to go to college, Laura simply leaned forward one day when we were sitting in Math class and said, “Where are we going to college, Mandy?” I said, “Well, I’m going to SUNY Potsdam, Laura” and she just shrugged her shoulders and said, “Ok.” She leaned forward once more and said, “Can Juliet come too?” That was that. End of discussion, and off to college we all went. The three of us ended up living across the hall from each other coincidentally freshman year too.

My friend was the best.

She was beautiful but she had no idea how beautiful she was, and she didn’t even try. People loved her and wanted to be around her all the time. Whether she was running around campus in 15° weather in her shorty shorts and flip flops with her baseball cap on or if she was with her favorite person on the planet, Liz, eating Sour Patch Kids by the pound, she radiated life and everyone could see it.

I made a promise to her once that if “anything ever happened to her” I would “keep saying nice things about her.” It’s not hard to do. I could tell Laura stories all day long to anyone who will listen. She was the definition of GOOD. And today was her birthday. I miss you Laura Austin Sanford. Happy Birthday sweet girl.

I was at dinner the other evening with my Mom, future sister-in-law, and her parents down in North Carolina when I excused myself to go to the ladies room. When I was in there, a young woman was in the stall next to me getting sick. I felt badly for her, but when I went out to wash my hands, I heard her friend come in to check on her. It quickly became apparent there was much more going on than just an upset stomach. She was bright red when she shakily emerged from the stall and her eyes were nearly swollen shut. She was clearly having an allergic reaction to something and started to comment on how she felt like it was getting difficult to breathe.

That’s when I knew I had step in. I’m not a medical professional by any means. I have no license to practice medicine and don’t pretend that I know all the answers. But I do have common sense and know when someone is in need of some help. Her friend looked slightly panicked and was quite relieved when I came over and introduced myself and said, “don’t worry, we’re going to get you some help.” She smiled back at me and clearly was in need of someone to say “it’s going to be ok” and mean it.

I have too often been the person on the receiving end of the kindness of strangers when a crisis has occurred. I can remember fainting in public many times in the months leading up to my heart surgery and waking up in a fit of tears (which was my typical reaction to this situation) and some kind person holding my hand and telling me it was “all going to be ok”. There really is no better medicine than kind eyes and a hand holding yours giving you comfort. Remaining calm and collected can be tough in these high stress situations, but it is so important for the person in need. Nothing good ever comes from whipping things up and panicking. I once even had a doctor agree to change his connecting flight home and accompany me on the final leg of my trip when I became incapacitated in an airport and needed someone to monitor me. Due to the extreme circumstances, I wasn’t able to properly thank him, but I think of him every time I fly and what a tremendous inconvenience it was for him to do that and how incredibly grateful I was and still am to him. He truly “saved my day” and by extension maybe even my life.

In the end, I was able to help the young woman in the bathroom the other evening. Her friend came and found me at my table after things had settled down and thanked me. The manager of the restaurant even comp’d my meal as a gesture of thanks for helping out. It took maybe 15 minutes out of my night and it definitely gave me that satisfaction of knowing that I had helped someone in need and had done a GOOD thing just as others had done for me in the past. What goes around comes around and what you put out will surely come back to you, so be sure to make it only GOOD STUFF.

She had small creases when she smiled and crow’s feet in the corners of her eyes almost as if the wisdom and wonder of each year were dancing across her face and leaving tiny little footprints in its path.

Her skin had begun to stretch and soften ever so slightly. It felt velvety smooth but still held its shape quite well. She had stretch marks. Almost resembling tiger stripes. But they had faded so that you had to look really close to see them…but she knew they were there.

Each scar on her body (and there were many), was like a tattoo of the battles she had fought and won. “Battle-scars” in the truest sense of the word.

Her body held a tan quite nicely but also some of those same sunspots and freckles that come from overindulging in the Vitamin D rays.

Her hair surely had gray salt and peppered into it, but the highlights and hair dye of the past 20 years had covered it.

Her curls which she had once sought to straighten every day, were bouncing back to life and springing in time with each step she took.

She didn’t routinely wear makeup anymore. On special occasions maybe a swipe of mascara, some eyeliner and a dab of concealer but her cheeks were so naturally rosy she always looked a bit blushed.

She looked quite a bit younger than her 36 years but some of this was not nature’s doing. Instead, she owed her gratitude to the magical hands of a pair of reconstructive surgeons who were tasked with putting her back together after she had cracked like an egg from the sheer force of a trauma.

Her body frame was petite in all ways. Her muscles were strong and lean. Her breasts were small, but fit her body and she didn’t mind them. Her butt still had a nice curve to it and her thighs still gave her that angst she suffered from as a teenager even if they didn’t touch anymore. Some things just leave an imprint on our psyche no matter what age or how fit we are.

But she was beautiful. Because she was happy. And like any good gardener will tell you, if you feed and water something and give it sunlight it will grow and be healthy. And she was.

The inside of her was the best part. It was made of love, and laughter and a lot of other really GOOD STUFF.

I’ve been reflecting on what a great this year has been. This has been a very GOOD year with lots of GREAT things packed into it.

First, I gained a second best friend. See technically I have two, but they’re both ok with that. There is Kym, whom I’ve had for 14 years and will cherish forever. Then there’s Nick. Nick came into my life at the end of last year but really became my best friend at the beginning of this year. He is a blessing and I cherish him so. (You can read about Nick in my blog titled “Blessed With The Best” )

In February I met my cousins, Rachel and Ali in Nashville and we had a “Girl’s Weekend” there and after my flight got cancelled and I got stranded an extra day in “Music City”, I met two new friends, “Nashville Nick” & his friend Johnny. We’ve stayed in touch and I got a text from “Nashville Nick” yesterday to wish me a Happy New Year. (Read “For Armani” on this blog to re-live my weekend with the girls.)

In March I continued my journeys and ventured up to Montreal on the train for the first time. My desire to go and see new places was only growing and continues to grow now. At the end of March, my brother proposed to Candice and now I’m going to have a SISTER come this February. (You can read about Candice in the blog called “Times Not Up”.)

April was cherry blossom season and I finally went to see them with my dear friend Emily in Washington DC. We had a FANTASTIC time!! Em even did a little extra cardio and carried me up three flights of stairs piggyback style. But that’s another story. (Check out the blog titled “I’ve Got Your Back” to read about that.)

It was also the month I spent almost entirely with my friend Deb. Deb is and was a real beautiful addition to my group of friends. We spent as much time together as we could as she was leaving to move to Rochester in May, so although our time together was brief, it was meaningful and wonderful. (The blog “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye” explores how I felt about Deb and how sad I was for her to go, but how grateful I am to have met her.)

May was the month my Mom retired. It was kinda a big deal. I should also mention that my Dad retired in January. I’m so very proud of all the work they’ve done over the years and especially the difference they both made at my Alma Mater, SUNY Potsdam. (Read “Those Who Can Teach” to read more about my Mom. )

June was when “wedding season” as I call it, was in FULL BLOOM and off to NYC we went for wedding dress shopping for Candice and a Met’s Game for Father’s Day. (Read the blog “DLG” for more thoughts on my wonderful Dad. )

In July, I got to reconnect with several friends from lots of different times and places in my life for one reason or another. That is always such a wonderful blessing and I was grateful for the opportunity.

It was also the month I made a commitment to get in shape. I was going to Europe with my best friend Kym in a few weeks and wanted to be able to keep up with her, so I made an effort to get as fit as possible for that trip. There wasn’t an ounce of vanity in that decision for once in my life. (Read my blog, “In This Skin” for more. Also “Reflections Of The Way Life Used To Be” for more on reconnecting.)

August I was off to Europe. Kym and I first went and saw our friend Becky get married in The UK and then off we went to Bavaria. (Read “Love Always Wins” for thoughts on Becky & Joe’s wedding.)

Kym and I then went through Germany, Austria and took a little unintended jaunt through Italy before wrapping our sensational two weeks up and parting ways as she drove the Mercedes away and I Uber’d to the airport to fly back to London to finish up my trip & headed home to The States. (Check out “How Lucky Are We?” for details of the #bestfriendtour2017)

September had me traveling to North Carolina to meet my future sister in law’s family and then found me turning a year older. I turned 36 on September 25th and welcomed it as I felt healthy, happy and content in my life. (Read “Age Is Just A Number” for my birthday blog.)

October had me coming down to the Albany area a few times for some wedding/girls weekends with Candice and also to Burlington, VT with my friend Karen for some doctor’s appointments that we accompany each other to. (Read the Post “Still I Rise” for how I feel about Karen and her strength through this entire experience.)

November brought us Thanksgiving at my brother’s house this year and it was a special one. He and Candice did most of the cooking and we are all in the final push for this wedding now. (Read “Thankful? Indeed” for my thoughts on that particular Thanksgiving day.)

December was a full month!! I went and saw my friend Ryan in Colorado in the middle of the month. I had never been to Colorado before and just LOVED it!! (Check out “GET OUTSIDE, TRAVEL AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST” if you want to read more about that trip.)

Then Christmas was of course at the very end of the month. We had Matt & Candice up with us for Christmas as we had gone down to them for Thanksgiving. (Read my blog called “What Would Mary Do” to get my thoughts on Christmas this year.)

And now we’re brought back to New Year’s 2018. Where I spent it with my best friend Nick and my parents. We ate dinner together and then all watched the Buffalo Bills make the playoffs for the first time since I was a teenager and then toasted the ball drop at midnight. A perfect way to say “goodbye” to a GOOD year and “hello” to a really GREAT one.

(Check out any of the other blogs not mentioned in this post but definitely worth reading on this site and thanks for reading!)

#HappyNewYear

I’m sitting here by my Christmas tree, scrolling through Facebook and looking at everyone’s wonderful pictures and posts about what a wonderful Christmas day they’ve had with their families. Then I came across one post that really struck a chord with me. My friend Lori posted a picture of the home she and her husband Todd, lost in a fire a few months ago.

Lori has said time and time again, how “things don’t matter, people do” and how truly blessed they were to have just gotten out safe and unharmed, but I suspect days like today make it especially hard to feel that way. And why shouldn’t it? When these things big life tests happen to us, surely they don’t happen without a reason behind them. And it’s got to be not only a test of our strength but of our faith as well.

So what is the meaning behind it all? How can we keep the faith during the tough times and not lose hope? I got to thinking about this yesterday when I was in church. The Virgin Mary didn’t exactly have a baby in her immediate plans when the angel approached her. For Mary, this was an “unplanned pregnancy” and she may have had other things in mind she would have liked to do. But she didn’t complain and there was no meltdown when the angel told her the caveat: Son of God. Woah!

They say the shepherds were “terrified” when they heard the news from the heavenly host. But Mary? She just listened. She adapted, she looked within and she drew on her faith. She had been chosen. “Someone” felt she could handle the responsibility of such a big life change.

So when times get really tough and we are faced with the questions like, “why me”, or “how can I do this”? Think of young Mary, and that tiny baby she went on quite a journey to have. How it would have been so easy to say, “why me?” or “how can I go on”, but she followed the light and the light showed her the way. And the light was GOOD.

As the end of the year approaches, I’ve been going through my many photos as I always do at the end of each year. Google has a sort of “Year in Review” photo feature on one of their photo apps I use and I am struck by just how many places I’ve been able to visit and really explore this year.

I just returned recently from a trip to Colorado to see a friend of mine. They had asked if I would like to come visit when we had spoken in the fall and I think could sense I was in need of a “change of scenery”. I was also looking to continue my on-going travels I had started last year.

A little over a year ago, I set out to start visiting places I had either never been, or to visit friends and family that I’ve been talking about visiting for far too long & either never had, or wanted to go back to now that I was trying to live my “best life”.

I love when people say to me “you look like you’re having a lot of fun right now!!” Because you know what??? I AM!! And I try really hard to be this happy! I had a lot of time where life wasn’t very much fun at all and I was feeling pretty miserable and awful. It’s so wonderful to be enjoying life again and feeling well enough to travel on my own and go visit people. Right now my soul is feeling restored and it’s the best feeling ever.

It really all began when I went to England in the fall of 2016. And it continued as I visited California, Nashville, Montreal, Washington DC, New York City then back to England, Germany (took a slight unintentional detour to Italy) & I ended the summer of 2017 in Austria. Then it was down to North Carolina in the fall and now I’ve just rounded out the year in Colorado.

I’d never been there and jumped at the chance to see a new place and have a good friend show me around. I also realized as soon as I posted where I was going on Facebook, just how many friends I actually have in the State of Colorado and I think I ABSOLUTELY have to plan another trip back there so I can make proper visits to see everyone next time!!

I also can’t recommend enough how awesome it is to have someone show you around “their town or city” or “their State or country”. Whether they grew up there or have just lived there a while, there is nothing like having a personal tour guide around a place. I would certainly try to be the best tour guide I could be when I lived in San Diego so I appreciate the favor being returned enormously!

Emily did it in Washington DC, Vera showed Kym and I around Vienna, and between Naz, Erica, Rachel, Tom & Bridget, I have had the most wonderful personal tour guides of London any girl could ask for. And there are so many more people I am leaving out, (like Maggie & Dave in Derbyshire, Karen in Cambridge and NO ONE does Los Angeles like Kym.) She’ll even hike you up that Hollywood sign & take you to drinks at “The Polo Lounge”!! Talk about a “shee-shee sha-shee” type experience!!

And Ryan did a great job showing me the Rocky Mountains. They did not disappoint and neither did he. Good friends are hard to find so hang on to them with all you have and make sure you take them up on those offers to go visit. It’s a GOOD TIME you absolutely will not regret!!

#getoutside

#travel

#livelifetothefullest

#allgoodthingsarewildandfree