Day 3,819

Growth:

The spirit and soul of our passed loved ones are alive and well in our actions. Funny how an action learned from them rekindles their memories in our hearts.

Appreciation:

Today the boys got to experience their Christmas present – snowboarding in the Italian Mountains. Hearing how much fun they had, seeing their pictures, watching the smiles on their faces as they enjoyed sharing the memories they made together were amazing! So much fun seeing them enjoy time and experiences together – one of the best gifts a parent could ask for!

Presence:

Becky and I went for a nice long hike today, taking in more of the Dolomites. The scenery was amazing, the mountain views continuing to blow our minds, and the weather was perfect. We were able to touch history spanning from the 1100’s through WWI, and got to hear and see an Alpine Ibex.

While all of that was well worth the price of admission, what I appreciated most about the hike were the moments shared with Becky.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,817

Crazy to think this was a real life moment this morning…

Blue skies, mountains, and taking the boys to the Paralympics. Quite the Wednesday morning!

Always a great day when you have the opportunity to combine a dream with a dream with a dream – nice to have it all covered in one fell swoop.

Had a wonderful day of spending time outside, time with family, and time relaxing – I even snuck in a little nap!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,816

Gavin and I have traveled approximately 5,000 miles over the past twenty four hours – not quite planes, trains, and automobiles, just swap out the trains for a bus and we’re spot on.

It’s been a ridiculous stretch, but so much fun. We’ve made a ton of memories, had so many laughs, and have had some great food as we got to experience some new cities.

Totally exhausted, but worth every single yawn! we got to Cortina just in time to get greeted by Becky and Dominic, shower up, and make it to Matt’s curling match. Ready to crash, but enjoyed making a ton of memories with Gavin as we literally traveled across the globe!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,815

As luck would have it I started watching a series that a teammate had recommended to me a while back – the show is called Severance.

That’s a great way to explain how I felt at about noon today as Gavin and I headed off to the airport and I unplugged from work for a while.

It already a feels great to slam the brakes on what has been a nonstop train of absolute busyness – from new business, growing business, curveballs, trainings, work travel, and all the rest. This time away was more needed than I had thought, very grateful to have the time away!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,814

The sprint is almost complete! The past few weeks of nonstop action will be wrapping up by noon tomorrow as I then cross the finish line. When I finished the Grand Island Marathon many years ago the sprint into the freezing cold water of Lake Superior brought immediate relief, sitting on the plane tomorrow will do the same for me!

Today was a lot of prep for future Mike, getting everything wrapped up, buttoned up, and prepped to make the transition back to real life afterwards super easy.

Bring on the fun, grateful for the day to prep!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,812

Things work out very well sometimes even when we don’t immediately see the upside. This morning we were up crazy early (4am) to go for our run due to the super early start to my work day in Eau Claire. The alarm seemed a bit more intense than usual, I was definitely not ready to get up and moving. Regardless of how I felt we were out the door by 4:15. Nice temperatures, very little wind, and it was very close to perfect running weather.

As luck would have it, the rain started to fall at the exact time we would have been a ways out on our run, which would likely have been pretty miserable.

Had we gone through our normal routine the run would’ve been a rough one, due to the luck of a little initial discomfort it worked out pretty slick!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,811

I’ve realized today that life before a vacation and hot off a work trip lead to life seeming a lot like Doppler Effect! The closer I get to the calendar date the more everything seems to get louder and intense.

Today I felt my heart racing, like the walls were closing in, and there just isn’t enough time. By the time I am wheels up on Monday all of that pressure will decrease significantly and gig the entirety of the time I am away. Now I need to keep that in mind while simultaneously remembering that I have limits, even if I don’t care to admit them.

Deep breaths, chill thinking, calming forward motion.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,810

Whew, that was a full day!

Wake up early and get a run in. Drive 90 minutes to Eau Claire for work. Work through all types of coaching, challenges, and projects. Drive 90 minutes back home. Get tax info pulled together. Knock out a walk with the family before dinner. Help someone work through their resume and cover letter. Have a conversation with my brother. FaceTime with Dominic to catch up on his week and get excited for Italy. Play an epic chess match with Gavin. Type my blog, and then off to bed.

Wowza, that was a very full and very rewarding day!

Thanks!!!