Run Like a Girl

Last week, the Boston Marathon occurred. On the day of that marathon, I heard about Kathrine Switzer for the first time. I'm kind of ashamed that it took me 20+ years to learn of Kathrine and what she did for women in the sport of running. Do you know what Kathrine did? Well, keep reading to find out.  

This excerpt was taken from the Wikipedia page on Kathrine. And yeah, I know Wikipedia isn't the best source in the universe but this is my personal blog, not college . . . 

 While attending university, Switzer completed the race in 1967 under entry number 261 with the Syracuse Harriers athletic club,^[4] five years before women were officially allowed to compete in it. Her finishing time of approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes was nearly an hour behind the first female finisher, Bobbi Gibb (who ran unregistered).^[5] She registered under the gender-neutral "K. V. Switzer", which she says was not done to mislead the officials. She says she had long used "K. V. Switzer" to sign the articles she wrote for her university paper.^[6] Switzer was issued a number through an "oversight" in the entry screening process, and was treated as an interloper when the error was discovered.^[7] Race official Jock Semple attempted to physically remove her from the race. Switzer claims he shouted, "Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers."^[8]Switzer's boyfriend Tom Miller, who was running with her, shoved Semple aside and sent him flying, allowing her to proceed. Photographs taken of the incident made world headlines.

This is one photo taken from the race that day . . . 

1967 . . . that was not very long ago. And who knows how much longer it would have taken for women to be accepted in the sport of running if it weren't for Kathrine's courageous act. Kathrine went on to keep running marathons, and she still does so much work for women in running. 

Kathrine's story especially hit home for me as I just signed up for my first FULL marathon a few weeks ago. I've registered for so many races in the past and never realized how blessed I was to have the ability to do so. I take things for granted; things that people once had to fight for the right to. It's crazy to me that in the past, it was wrong for a woman to want to lace up her running shoes and enter a race. 

Running is my medicine. When I've had a bad day or I'm feeling stressed, it's what I do to unwind. It's something I've grown up doing: from racing kids on the playground, to breaking high school track records, to joining USU's track & field team, to now running distances that I didn't think I was capable of running. I can't imagine my life without running in it. Who knows how my life could be different if it weren't for Kathrine. I'm so thankful for women before me who chose to live bravely. Their choices have impacted me in many ways I know I'm not fully aware of. 

On the hard days of training leading up to my marathon, when I don't feel like putting one foot in front of the other, I'm going to remind myself of that woman who pinned the number "261" on her sweatsuit and ran with the boys. 

On the day of my marathon, when I'm feeling terrified and full of doubt, I'll remind myself to run like a girl. Maybe I'll even put a "261" somewhere on my body to give myself an extra little boost of confidence.  

I Am Worthy

I've been experiencing that awful thing they call writer's block. And I think there is a very definite and precise reason for my writer's block. There are certain things I've needed to write down . . . but haven't wanted to write down. It felt easier to bury the words deep inside and let them fester. For weeks now, I've wondered if this is something I should share in a public place or just save in the depths of my journal. But I had this sudden epiphany that maybe I'm not as alone in my loneliness as I believe I am. The majority may not relate to or understand this entry, but if just one person can relate and feel less alone, then I think my job here is done. In the words of Ernest Hemingway, I'm ready to write hard and clear about what hurts.

This past Sunday, we celebrated International Women's Day. To be completely vulnerable, I've struggled lately in feeling worthy as a woman. These feelings of worthlessness have left me more discouraged than I think I'm willing to let on.

I'm realizing a pattern in the life of being a woman. At each stage of womanhood, the world somehow tricks us into believing that our worthiness hangs on one single thing. As teenagers, we begin to base our worth on the amount of attention we get from boys. We grow a bit older and find ourselves measuring our worth by the body we see in the mirror. Then at a certain age (here in Utah it's our early twenties), we are only worthy if we have a diamond on our finger. The next stage of worth seems to be how well our reproductive organs perform.

I am entering that stage of life where I'm going to a lot of baby showers. And that's so exciting! I love watching my friends become mothers. However, just because many of my friends are becoming mothers doesn't mean I'm anywhere ready to become one. I live in an area of the world where the majority of women set aside a career to become a mother, usually at a young age. Let me first say: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. I know for so many girls, they grow up dreaming of becoming moms. But to be honest, I never grew up really having that be my sole dream. Growing up in a society that often taught women we were to be wives and moms has more than once left me wondering if there is something wrong with me.

In the sixth grade, we had to do a pretty extensive career report. For years, I'd been obsessed with detective work. My mom regularly bought me mystery kits and I would spend hours in my room "solving crimes". I immediately knew what career I wanted to study for my report: a Crime Scene Investigator. When the day came for us to give our reports, I was one of two girls in my grade that didn't give the presentation of being a hair stylist/stay-at-home mom (not knocking either of those jobs. I love the hair stylists and moms in my life). My friend who was the one other girl to not give the same report quickly added at the end of her report that she would probably be a mom too. I was so proud to talk to my class about being a CSI. I even brought my fingerprint kit and took everyone's fingerprints. It was a hit. I remember for a split second at the end of my report, wondering if I should add something about being a mom, but I couldn't do it because I didn't want to lie. I was 12 and had no clue if I wanted to have children or not. I've never been one to give into pressure.

Check it out! I actually dug up a photo from my 6th grade career report. Enjoy 12-year-old tomboy Kelsey in all her awkward glory. 

Through my teenage years, I remember many a church lesson about motherhood and how as women we are natural nurturers. I know the point of these lessons was never to offend but to help us feel valued, but I never felt valued afterward. I felt worried. I didn't feel nurturing. The idea of homemaking made me want to gag. Did that mean I was broken? Would God not love me?

I can honestly say that I'm growing more fond of the idea of becoming a mother. It still freaks me out . . . but I do know it's something I want to do eventually. But I need to do it for myself and my family. I can't just become a mother because it's expected of me or because it would help me to fit in. I'm not on society's time frame. I'm on mine and God's time frame. I'm also aware that when I do have children, I won't magically turn into a wondrous homemaker as well. I know my strengths. Homemaking is not one of them. Sure, it's something I can work to improve at . . . but I still probably won't enjoy it. But you know what? I'm not going to become a mother so I can make bread and drive kids to soccer practice. I want to someday be a mother so I can teach someone of the profound beauty and value there is to life. I want to someday raise people who might have good influence in the world. That's what attracts me to motherhood. And I want to be an example to my own kids. I want them to see their own mother working at being an influence.

I know people don't always understand me. That's okay. The only person who needs to know the intentions of my heart is God. I know I am worthy in God's eyes. And that's all I need to know. So I'll try to not get frustrated when I call in sick and the whole office spreads rumors that I'm pregnant. I'll try to not get discouraged at church when people act like they pity me because I'm childless. I'll try to not grow annoyed when I'm asked for the millionth time when we are going to start having kids.

My complete worth as a person and as a woman is not based on being a mother. I'm much more complex than that. ;)

So girls, ladies, females: With whatever stage of life you are currently in, I hope you know you're worthy.

Your worth is not based on a relationship.
Your worth is not based on a prom dress.
Your worth is not based on a pant size.
Your worth is not based on a diamond ring or a white dress.
Your worth is not based on children.
Your worth is not based on how many homecooked meals you make per week.
Your worth is not based on how clean your house is.
Your worth is not based on the clothes you wear.
Your worth is not based on your education.
Your worth is not based on your paycheck.
Your worth is not based on your beauty.
Your worth is not based on your sexuality.
Your worth is not based on how old you are.
Or how young you are.

You are worthy. You are a wonderful, complex, passionate human being. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're not. You are worth more than you can imagine.      

Sunday Best: February Floral

top: Kohl's, cardigan: Smith's Marketplace, jeans: Old Navy, boots: TJ Maxx 

Please tell me there's not some rule about having too much floral in your wardrobe. If that's the case, I'm pretty sure I'm breaking a rule. Floral is one of my favorite prints. And I feel like a floral print is kind of like a snowflake. No two floral prints are exactly the same, ya hear me? 

I especially like wearing floral in the winter because if I can't have flowers in my planter boxes, then gosh dang it, I'll wear them on my body.  

This coming week, I'm going to buy myself some real flowers. My Valentine flowers are kind of looking more like zombie flowers, but I just can't bring myself to toss them in the trash. So yes, I'll replace them. I'll replace them with some of the cheap, overlooked flowers at the grocery store. I've made it a habit to do this, to buy the pathetic bouquets that no one else wants. I do this because they are hella cheap, and also because there's this part of me that wants to make something ugly and broken into something beautiful. It's a small life achievement each time I bring these bouquets home, nurse them, trim them, love on them, and arrange them tenderly in a vase.

I feel like the unwanted flowers at the grocery store are a lot like trials. No one looks at a trial and thinks, "Dang, I want to take that trial home and display it on my dining room table for everyone to see." However, I'm learning that as ugly and hopeless as some trials may feel, with some nursing, some hope, some love, and some work . . . these trials can become truly beautiful feats in our lives. 

If you're fighting a trial in your own life, no matter how big or small, I want you to go out and buy yourself a sad bouquet of flowers this week. Do it.   

Costa Rica: Sloth Sanctuary

I figure I better blog about our trip to Costa Rica before it's really old news. I can't believe it's been two months since our awesome vacation!

Our first full day in the country was spent at the Sloth Sanctuary over on the Caribbean Coast. The Sloth Sanctuary is basically the WHOLE reason we even went to Costa Rica. Random, right?

You see, most normal people have things on their bucket lists like, "see the Great Wall of China" or "go skydiving". I have things on my bucket list like, "go see the sloths at the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica". I can't even remember how or when I first heard about the sanctuary. I just somehow discovered it and then knew I had to go.

To anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica, I would highly recommend adding the Sloth Sanctuary to your list of things to do. It did not disappoint. The people who run it are incredible. They take in injured and orphaned sloths. The goal is to nurse the injured ones back to health and free them into the wild. With orphaned sloths or babies born in the sanctuary, they will stay their whole lives since they don't really know what it's like to be a wild sloth (I feel like wild sloth is a total oxymoron, by the way). I love sloths (don't they just look like the best cuddlers?). Really, I'm just an animal lover, so being in close proximity to these creatures was exciting for me. We learned a lot of random facts about sloths, like that they only have one bowel movement per week. Who knew?  

The only downside of this part of the trip was getting there. The main airport in Costa Rica is in the middle of the country. Granted, the country is relatively small but traffic if unpredictable. Looking it up online, the destination time from San Jose to the sanctuary varied from two to five hours. We left early that morning to leave ourselves plenty of travel time. It ended up taking us four hours because we got stuck waiting to cross a bridge for an hour. Not fun. However, the drive was breathtaking. At least we had a lot to look at. Driving was also quite the adventure. We rented a car and BWell drove. There were a million one-lane bridges. On some of them, you couldn't see the other side. So you kind of would just cross the bridge and say a little prayer that a car wouldn't be coming from the other direction. Poor Brian, he was a trooper during our journey.

We arrived to the sanctuary before our lunch was quite ready. That left me and Brian time to meet Buttercup and have her all to ourselves. Buttercup was the first sloth at the sanctuary and basically the reason the sanctuary was started. She is 22 years old and just a sweetheart. When we entered the room and saw Buttercup on her swing, I forgot how to breathe and almost started crying. I am such a dork. I think between waking up early, our frustrating drive, and then just coming face-to-face with a sloth . . . it was just a lot of emotions. But really, look at how cute Buttercup is . . .

I felt like she was almost human. Like you know how Yoda from Star Wars is just this adorable little dude but then he's full of infinite knowledge? That's how I feel Buttercup is. Buttercup is Yoda. 

After we ate lunch with Buttercup, we went on a boat ride. We spotted some sloths sleeping in the trees, watched lots of pretty birds, and our boat guide even showed us some baby bats living in a log.

After the boat tour, we paid a visit to the injured and sick sloths. It was heartbreaking. A lot of them get electrocuted in power lines, some get hit by cars, others are abused. The worst story we heard was about a particular sloth who was set on fire by two stupid teenage boys. That poor sloth will probably never fully recover. It was sad to see so many of them hurting but nice to know they were in a safe place. We were able to pet and feed the injured adult sloths.

Then there were the babies. Oh, baby sloths, be still my heart. Baby sloths must be one of the top five cutest things in the world.

My favorite baby of all was actually very bad at being a sloth. A sloth's whole purpose is to use as little energy as possible. They eat a lot and sleep a lot. But my favorite little sloth acted more like a monkey. He was such a showoff and he immediately stole my heart. He kept doing tricks. Then he'd stick his little face and hands through the cage at me. I died. I died and went to sloth heaven.

 

This was such a great way to start off our trip. Luckily, our ride back to the hotel didn't take near as long. We even stopped and ate dinner at a restaurant on the beach while it was pouring rain . . . and then played on the beach in the pouring rain. It was magical. Sloths, beaches and rain. Yes. 

Up next on the vacation posts, you'll hear about how we took a sketchy little airplane to the most beautiful land on earth called Arenal, where we stayed in the middle of the rainforest and in the shadow of a volcano. Zip lining and river rafting adventures included. 

Sunday Best: For Monica

dress: Old Navy, tights: vintage, boots: Old Navy, necklace: Amalooo Jewelry & Art

My friend Monica was in town this Monday, and it was so great to see her after a year of being apart. Monica is a person who just radiates light. You want to be near her because she makes you want to be brighter and better.

Sadly, there are a few people in the world who aren't like this. There are people who are toxic and constantly negative. These people sometimes crush down on you like a heavy weight. You still want to love them, but it can be draining. 

Monica isn't a heavy weight. She's a balloon person. She makes you feel like you have hundreds of colorful balloons tied to your arms and legs and they just lift you up, up through the air. Yes, I understand it's not logically possible for balloons to lift you off the ground . . . but let's just pretend we live in the world of "Up" for a moment. Monica is one of the many lifter-uppers I'm blessed to have in my life. And while she was in town, she randomly said to me, "I miss your Sunday Best posts on your blog. They're my favorite." Of course she said this basically because she's nice, but I thought I'd make the effort to do a Sunday Best just in case she was also being honest :). So this one is for you, Monica! I'm so glad I got to spend a day with you! 

These photos aren't the best because my camera is dead. And I seem to have misplaced my battery charger. I ordered a new one off Amazon so hopefully it arrives soon. And since I bought a new one, I'm willing to bet my lost one will turn up as soon as the new one arrives, which wouldn't be entirely bad. Having a back-up is always a good idea, right? So since my camera was out, BWell took these on his phone and I think they turned out just fine. 

I love this dress. Brian bought it for me a few days ago while we were in Old Navy. It was an awesome price, the cut is just lovely, and stripes are always in style! I see myself wearing this dress a lot in the future. If you haven't been to Old Navy lately, hurry your bum over there. I've been on an Old Navy kick. I just think there fall items are cute as a button (which is such an odd expression).

Happy Sunday! Here's to a great coming week. I'm going to focus my energy on being a balloon person.      

Summer Recap

Today (or maybe it's tomorrow) is the first official day of fall. Fall is my favorite. And I'm all about the change of the seasons. There is something exciting about the air feeling cooler and the leaves turning colors. But for some reason, this year I'm a little hesitant to say goodbye to summer. I guess it was just extra sweet this year. I could go on and on with the memories . . . but I'll keep it short. Here's a mini recap of my top ten favorite summer moments, in no particular order.

1. Costa Rica 

Vacationing is ALWAYS the best part of summer, let's get real. Especially when it means getting another stamp in my passport. 

2. Lake Powell

Again, vacationing, best part. Brian comes from a big boating family and they take at least one trip a year to Lake Powell. They've been super nice to me since I know . . . not a lot . . . about boating. But I love Lake Powell! The red rock, the water, the stars at night . . . it's a much needed escape during the busy summer months. You eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, and do whatever the heck you want the rest of the time.  

3. Hiking 

Without a doubt, hiking will always be at the top of my summer to-do list and at the top of my summer favorites list. Hiking is such a spiritual experience for me. I'm a very anxious person. My mind constantly races, so quickly that I rarely even have control of my thoughts. Brian is constantly asking me, "What are you thinking right now?" I usually want to answer with, "What am I NOT thinking?" Going on a hike is one of the few things I've found that will turn my mind off. It's my saving grace. And when I'm in the mountains, it's the closest I feel to my Heavenly Father. It's moving to be out and about in His Creations. Hiking inspires me to create (one of my favorite things). It also inspires me to be still (something I constantly struggle with). The photo above was taken on one of my favorite hikes to Naomi Peak.  

4. Becoming a motorcycle mama 

When BWell first presented his idea to buy a motorcycle, I couldn't have been more against it. It's not that the idea of motorcycle scares me, although it probably should, it's more that I'm a tightwad. I'm so against having toys and things that just take up space. After much convincing from that husband of mine, I finally caved. There were a few conditions. He had to sell his car and get a cheaper vehicle. He jumped at the idea. I'm glad things played out this way because, oh my holy gosh, the motorcycle is SO much fun! I'm hoping we can fit in as many rides as possible before the snow hits. And don't worry, we wear our helmets. Safety first!

5. Family reunion at Lava Hot Springs

Lava Hot Springs is the quirkiest, little resort town. My grandma held our family reunion there over a weekend in the summer and we had such a blast! We spent the days at the pool, floating the river, and eating ALL the food with ALL the calories!

6. Late night fires 

I persuaded Brian to put a fire pit in our yard. Best idea ever! We've had a countless amount of fires in our yard, sometimes with a huge group of friends, sometimes just me and BWell. I do have a slight obsession with s'mores, so thanks to this pit I may develop diabetes. Seriously though, I think one reason this summer is a favorite is because we finally have our own yard! It's been pure magic spending our first summer in our bungalow. While I love fall and winter, I'm going to miss reading in my hammock, hanging out in the tree house, eating dinner on our ridiculously huge deck, and watching movies and playing Just Dance on the lawn (we stole my parents projector and hung a huge sheet from our roof). I love having a yard. I've loved saying goodbye to the awkwardness of sharing grass with  other town home dwellers. The only downfall is that if there's dog poop on the grass, I can no longer blame my neighbor. :)
 
7. Being a redhead 

Oh, I miss being a ginger!! I recently went back to brunette and I already miss my fiery red locks a ridiculous amount! While the life of a redhead was a lot of fun, it was also a lot of work. The color faded fast with all the swimming and sun. I definitely was not a fan of all the upkeep but I was a major fan of everything else.

8. One Republic concert

 I got Brian tickets to One Republic for his birthday. We are both huge fans of the band, so we were in heaven the whole night. They are a dream live. American Authors and The Script opened for them . . . both awesome bands. You just can't beat a night of good music. Obviously music is a big deal in our household. I mean, Brian is a musician himself and I'm a goofy radio deejay.

9. Having family in town 

Both of Brian's siblings live out of state so we are lucky when we get to spend time with them. Luckily, we got to see quite a bit of them and their cute families. We had fun playing up our roles as the cool uncle and aunt. But really, they thought Munch was way cooler than both of us.

10. Seeing Wicked with my mom 

Both my mom and I have wanted to see Wicked for a while now. I was tickled when she invited me to go with her after she somehow magically got tickets at last minute. The musical was amazing, but really, we could have been pulling weeds and it would have topped my summer list. Hanging out with my mom one-on-one is always the best!

**Bonus: Starting my own online magazine for women. Check it out at sharingshine.com. It's been a full-time job on top of my real full-time job, yet it's been SO worth it. I'm overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I've received, and it's been empowering to meet new people and make connections.

Pura Vida

Pura Vida is Spanish for "Pure Life". It's the law of the land in Costa Rica. It's used as a greeting, it's used for good luck, it's used as encouragement, it's used as a so long.

Recently, Brian and I returned from vacationing in Costa Rica. People really do live a "pure life" there. It's ironic how often we talk about people in less developed countries and feel sorry that they are so poor. In many ways, we are the poor ones. We are tied down to our phones, our computers, our nice clothes, and fancy houses. The people we met in Costa Rica didn't seem to be tied down to much. They live free of the unnecessary items that so often turn us into slaves. 

I came home from our trip with a fresh outlook on life, realizing that a lot of the things I think matter so greatly, actually don't.

Brian and I felt so inspired that we are already planning our next trip. There are so many places to see in this wonderful world that are going to give me so much more life experience than having the newest iPhone ever would. Now it's just time to save up some money in the old bank account. Traveling might cost a lot but I feel like every time I do it, I come home feeling richer in character.

Hopefully over the next few days, I can do a recap of our trip (no promises since I've become the world's worst blogger). I have a plethora of sloth pictures that must be shared with the masses. 

These Summer Days

Isn't it kind of sad that so many times life seems to evolve around the weekends?

It's Monday. Such a loooong time until the weekend.

Wednesday! Hump Day!

It's finally Friday!! All is right in the world!!!

I love me my weekends, don't get me wrong. However, I also love me my weekdays. That might partially have to do with the fact that I try to treat my weekdays a lot like I treat my weekends. Work hard, play hard.

Every day I'm always asking BWell, "What do you want to do after work today?"

I'm sure there are plenty of times where he just wishes I'd stop being a psycho and sit still on the couch for a minute, but he's a good sport and always finds adventures to go on with me.

The adventures feel like they've doubled this week, and I think it's because of the official arrival of summer this past Saturday.

I'm thoroughly convinced that small towns do summers right. Everything is so beautiful in our little valley right now. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

In the past five days, we've really tried living it up when we are not at the office. I might not get a summer vacation anymore, but I make do with what I have. There have been hikes, countless motorcycle rides (one of those landed us in Bear Lake with friends), trail runs, and long reads in the hammock until the sun sets and I can no longer see the pages of my book.

I've been going to bed exhausted every night and waking up grateful to live another exciting day. I hope and pray I can always live like that.

Sometimes life can be really hard, but sometimes it's really good. Right now is one of those really good moments. I'm trying not to question it or worry about when the hard times will hit next, I'm just trying to be grateful for it. I'm basking in it like sun rays. It feels so sweet right now.

A New Endeavor

I think it's pretty evident by this point that I've lost interest in blogging. I've always felt a little weird doing it anyway. Whenever someone brings up my blog, I just don't even know how to talk about it. The conversation typically goes like this:

"I like your blog."

"Oh, you're nice . . ."

Then I change the subject.

I don't know. I've just never felt like a blogger. At one point, I remember thinking, "There are tons of girls who make their blog a business. I could do that."

But then that moment quickly went away because I know I don't want that. I love sharing bits and pieces of my life and thoughts with you, but some bits and pieces are only meant for me. I'm a big, selfish meanie. Also, I have this very deep rooted fear of being unauthentic. Now I'll be the first to tell you that I'm a lot of terrible things. I'm a slob. I get jealous. Sometimes I watch R-rated movies. I love to use the word "bastard", although I'd never say it in front of my mother.

But one thing I feel I'm very good at is being authentic. I don't want to lose that by trying to be something I'm not so I can gain more "followers".

This isn't me saying that I'm ending the life of "A Little Bird Told Me". But this is me saying that I probably won't post so often. You see, I don't have much free time. Especially since I'm pouring my extra time and energy into a NEW WEBSITE!

I would absolutely love your support for this new endeavor of mine. I've started up a website called Sharing Shine. Sharing Shine is dedicated to connecting, inspiring, and celebrating women of ALL ages. We will share incredible stories of women who live right in our communities. There are also sections dedicated to women's health, DIY projects, food, and much more. It's kind of like an online women's magazine, only that it's for all of us regardless of age, background, or beliefs. Too often I think we see women tearing other women down. Sharing Shine is all about women helping other women.

We just launched the site this week . . . and the work has already been quite overwhelming. I feel like I've just started another full-time job on top of my real full-time job. I've been living in my office at my computer. My TMJ is getting so serious that I'm wearing my mouth guard right now as to stop myself from turning my teeth into tooth fairy dust. But despite the stress . . . it's also been SO rewarding. The support we've already received is humbling and sometimes I sporadically feel like I'm going to cry and laugh all at once. So as weird and corny as it is, I love you. If you're reading this and you've supported us in any way, whether you've followed us on social media, shared an article, whatever . . . I love you. Thank you for supporting this dream of mine. It feels good to use my journalism degree to write things I'm passionate about. I've always wanted to do something for women and I think this might be my little golden nugget.

We have a lot of great things planned for Sharing Shine. This is my invitation to you to follow along ;).  

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