For todays post I am sharing 5 things that Colorado taught me over the past three weeks while we were away in the mountains. At the end of this post in the comments, I’d love to hear what resonates with you and what taking time away does for you.

Ahhhhhh it feels so great to be here with all of you! You guys… our world is gorgeous. I’m always stunned when I take time away to be in nature. Can I live in the mountains? Want to join me?

5 Things Colorado Taught Me

1. Take time to slow down.

I don’t know about you, but in my day to day life I get less time to slow down than I do on vacation. Intentional time to slow down is necessary. Vacation is necessary. That’s why it’s built into our careers (though, two weeks is not enough!) and school systems.

Colorado taught me that slowing down is necessary for re-connecting with myself, my values, my marriage, and what I want in life. Slowing down allows me to quiet the noise and focus on what’s important to ME.

2. Nature is incredible.

I can specifically remember a moment as we were hiking to the (almost) top of a 14,000 ft  mountain peak. We were walking back from a 7.5 mile treck up to a gorgeous waterfall and I was bringing up the back of the pack.

Not because I was slower than the others, but because I HAD to take in the nature. I was walking by myself with my head up toward the sky (other than when I was watching the rocks below my feet).

The canyons, the trees, the boulders, the light from the sun shining on the snowy mountains, the streams, the AGE of everything… it was a moment where I felt closest to my mom (who, if you’re new around here) went to heaven in February.

It was a moment in nature of feeling like “everything I need is right here.” It was precious, and I can’t even tell you how soul filling it was. It was needed.

3. You can eat intuitively anywhere.

I got a question (which I’ll be answering in a blog post soon) about how we can eat intuitively on vacation and what I want to share is that you can literally eat intuitively anywhere. That’s one of the beauties of listening to your body.

This trip proved to me that there is no “perfect” formula for intuitive eating. There’s is no one way to get it right. Rather, intuitive eating is different for each person and is absolutely flexible in out of the ordinary circumstances.

For example, the grocery store we went to was more of a small market with less options than I’m used to. Non-organic cheese, milk, and yogurt, a bread brand I’d never heard of, and turkey that wouldn’t be my first choice at home. Does that mean I wasn’t going to eat or stress over less options? Not at all.

I was immediately able to, without thought, buy what I could with the options I had – bread, turkey, yogurt, and all. I made it work. I knew that the most important part of this trip was NOT the food (though, food was allowed to be a fun part of the trip – just not the main fun).

I also knew that food is not black and white. I knew that in a few weeks, my normal grocery store would be back and there was nothing to worry about. I knew that we’d all be cooking together and that I wanted to be flexible and grateful as I enjoyed the foods that others had prepared for me.

Did buying a different version of turkey or non-organic yogurt mean that I was now in “vacation” mode and that I’d now go 100% the other direction and binge on dessert each night, even if I didn’t like it? Absolutely not. It just meant I was eating a different turkey and yogurt.

However, ask me pre-2010, yes, it would have meant that. My camper would have been stocked with sugary cereal, cookies, I wouldn’t have planned for lunches, and I’d eat wayyyy to much at dinner. Why? Because that’s what dieting taught me to do with vacation.

NO longer. Intuitive eating means that you can make the best (my motivation: to feel-good and satisfied) choice for your body with the options you have available. It means you no longer have to obsess about food, rather, you can feel calm as you make your choices.

4. Being outside is soul-moving.

The other thing I learned is that being outside is soul-moving. Every time I went outside I felt refreshed and rejuvenated. I felt filled up and more alive. I appreciated beauty, my worries dissipated (other than when I was watching for bears – haha), and my gratitude increased.

Many days of our trip were spent hiking in the mountains to see the views, rivers, and waterfalls. When I’d take an hour to check-in on work I’d fill up my coffee cup, grab a fuzzy blanket, and sit by the river. The views were incredible and the nature was soul-moving.

5. People are good.

When we were passing through Las Vegas I learned that people are good. The Las Vegas shooting really hit home for me. I still check the news each day for answers, though there are none to be found. What happened in Vegas at Route 91 broke my heart.

On our drive to Colorado I asked Marco to pull over in Vegas and drive by the scene. I felt a pull to witness the aftermath of what had happened. I wanted to pray. I wanted to feel an ounce of the weight that the people who were there felt – to carry some of it for them. I felt I owed at least that.

Shortly after we left Vegas we got stopped in a traffic jam that totaled nearly 8 hours. We were completely stopped on the freeway due to a road rage accident that caused at least 1 death and several major injuries that landed several people in the ICU. Heart-wrenching.

Here’s what comes to mind when I think of traffic: people being irritated, hands on their foreheads, asking “WHY! are we stopped here?!”

However, after just a few short days of the Vegas shooting this is not the crowd that I witnessed. This crowd got out of their cars, visited, checked on people, passed out waters, shared food, bathrooms (trailers), and laughed together.

This taught me that people are good, and in spite of what horrors go on in the world, MOST people are helpful, resourceful, loving, hardworking, and generous when it comes down to the wire. I want to be this person day in and day out. How about you?

A friend posted this quote on her website and I absolutely love it: “When you care for yourself, the whole world benefits.” We’re not sure who said this, but whoever it was, they were speaking truth. Our mental health is NOT an expense. It’s an absolute necessity. It’s #1.

This month has taught me this importance of taking the time to care for ourselves each and every day. 

What to expect next:

• Regular blog posting (daily eats coming tomorrow!)
• My next VIP Q+A email comes out next week (sign-up at the bottom of this post)
• Simi and I are hosting an intuitive eating workshop + gathering in two weeks. Want to join us? I’d LOVE to meet you in person & hug you! Buy your ticket here. We’re on track to fill up the spaces!
• This November I’m taking on 3 new one on one clients – book a Discovery Session with me if you’d like to find out if one on one coaching is right for you.

Do you want to feel excited each day when you wake up? Do you want to stop living your life in cycles of dieting Monday through Thursday and feeling stuffed and out of control Friday through Sunday?

Do you want to feel excited about getting hungry, enjoy wine nights with your girlfriends, and have more confidence to meet new people? Do you want to be able to pause and check-in with yourself and ask what your body needs at any particular moment?

This is exactly what my client Bridget has gained from coaching and I can help you get there, too. Your first step is to book a Discovery Session with me. I’m taking 3 new private one on one clients this November and you could be one of them – let’s find out if we’re a good fit!

Book your Discovery Session – fill out this form.