For All Newcomers, Welcome!
In a journal entry from 2022, I wrote, “My car caught on fire yesterday. Or was it the day before?”
Just a couple months before that I think I accidentally committed tax fraud. What? I’m an independent contractor who never learned how to do this in school.
One year before that I peed in my ex-boyfriend's passenger seat. If you ever get stuck in Chicago highway traffic, you have a better chance getting out of the car and dropping trou on the freeway than making it to a toilet.
In 2024, I fell asleep for 9 hours at a race I was actively supposed to be running.
One month ago today, I dropped my entire life in my hometown to travel to California and live out of my car. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but will definitely keep you posted.
In all honesty, this blog was originally created for all the wrong reasons. Back in 2022 I wanted to be some travel-loving lifestyle girl with incredible stories filled with danger, adventure, and victories. Now that I’ve had the chance to explore and experience some of this wonderful world, I’ve been struck by both creativity and reality. Truth is, not every encounter is going to be an incredible fairytale. In fact, many are the opposite. One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn is to take everything in life as it is, and that it’s our perspective and outlook that makes life beautiful. The Travel Center gas station in Big Springs, Nebraska is not necessarily a “beautiful” place, but anytime I drive past it I smile and remember the man who stopped to help me fix my RV’s engine when it broke down there. The first ultramarathon I ran is remembered not only by the photos of me vomiting all over my windbreaker but by the lessons I took away from it. I’ve ran plenty of races since then and will continue to do so. Some of the closest friends I have now are not people I met in absolutely wonderful encounters, but in the absolute strangest ways. Seriously, I’m talking really weird. It’s not “eureka!” moments of blissful perfection that stick with us, but the value of experiences like these that remind us of our humanness. Many of our best stories come from them.
These blog posts are not going to be done by some egotistical writer who thinks they’re doing the Lord’s work by writing witty paragraphs. They’re also not the musings of some hip creative who wants to inspire the masses. Most importantly, they are not the bantering of a composed or intellectual professional. These are stories of places, people, and moments I cherish, told in the way that I would if we were having coffee or wine together in the comfort of a couch. While there are probably some lessons to be found in them, I would get the most joy out of writing knowing that those who read these stories enjoyed them. That is my goal in life: to share stories with you. To friends, family, and strangers, thank you. I have so much love to give, and I hope these stories can be a little piece that I can share with you all.
Cheers!
Abby