Back Roads, Birthdays & Border Crossings

And I thought I wouldn’t have anything to write about since today was going to be a 12-hour drive day without any meetups or interesting stops. Boy was I wrong! 

🌳 First, the Backroads

The roads I ended up driving today are exactly the reason why I love my #SoloRoadTrips. I found myself on single-lane highways with gorgeous bodies of water on one side and forests on the other, and often both at once. Completely off the beaten path. I had to take this route to avoid the Spokane fires, but I am so glad I did. Breathtaking the entire way. 

🎂 Two Birthdays Today

Happy birthday to two people I love dearly. My friend Linda and my sister, Trish. I am wishing them a year ahead more magical than they could have ever imagined! 

☎️ A Mini Mastermind on the Way Out

I timed my departure out of Portland so I could join a call with a small mastermind of three women who I adore. The goal is to support each other as we grow our businesses. Such a good way to start the day.

⛽ Oregon, You Quirky Thing

Small delight: I stopped for gas at Costco on the way out of town and quickly remembered that in Oregon, you don’t pump your own gas. An attendant does it for you. I got to sit in the car, hand over my card, and receive a receipt like it was 1988. A small treat especially since I was multi-tasking with my phone call. 

🏞️ The Columbia River Gorge

The drive along the Columbia River was drop-dead gorgeous. The only hard part is that you’re driving it, so you can only take it in with your eyes and heart. I’ve done this drive before, on my very first SoloRoadTrip in 2019, and I know I’ll do it again. It’s just so beautiful. Truly, truly breathtaking. I did stop at a state park along the way, walked down to the river, and grabbed a few photos before getting back on the road.

🏃‍♀️ Throwback to 2007: Hood to Coast

Seeing the Hood River made me remember one of the best running experiences of my life – running the Hood to Coast Relay with a small group of friends. 196 miles – from the iconic top of Mount Hood to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Two teams of six runners .. two caravans, and we each had four legs of about 4-miles. We slept on strangers’ floors, or in the van, or on the grass. We ran through the rain, the complete darkness of night, the bright sun of the day, and up (and down) many hills. It took us something like 27 hours to finish but oh what fun we had!  

That race, in many ways, was the start of my long-distance running years: the trail runs, the long runs, the ultra marathons that followed for years after. 

A huge part of that Hood to Coast memory is my friend Joe Whelan, who passed away four years ago now. Ironically enough, he died while running the Hood to Coast relay. But he died doing what he absolutely loved. Joe was a friend. For a moment, he was a boyfriend. He was, above all, a wonderful spirit, a great guy, and the the BIGGEST supporter of any runner out there, deeply involved with Team in Training. And man did he love his Guinness. 🍻 Thinking about him today was a good reminder: life is precious, and it can change on a dime, in either direction. You are missed, Joe. 

💭 The Daily Ritual

🎧 An Inspirational Kind of Day

My podcast lineup today turned into an unintentional theme:

Every single one was good. I have so many action items from these podcasts including to buy Priya’s The Art of Gathering. My events and gatherings are about to get 10x better! 

🛂 Border Crossing Into Canada

As I mentioned yesterday, I LOVE the smaller border crossings into Canada. I had to confess that I had more than my 2-bottle of alcohol limit and while every other time I’ve been over they let me go. This time he said I’d have to pay duty on the overage. Which I was perfectly fine to do because I am going to love experiencing my mom’s reaction when she sees I brought home so much wine. It’s one of the things she and I have in common.  

🍷 Here is to a successful, and safe, Day 3.   Still two more days of glorious open roads and #windshieldtime.  

Cheers!