blog archive
• 2012-2014 •
Scare the Crap Out of Yourself..and LIVE.
Lately, my days feel longer. Time still flies, but I can look back on a day and feel good about how much I accomplished. A year ago, time was flying and I would look back on the day, feeling like all I did was work, and I might as well just go to sleep because it was already so late. I am so glad this is not the case as of late.
(The pictures in this post are from a one-night camping trip I took this weekend with my friend and her family. I got to try out my new Kammok that I won and I LOVE IT! All photos here are shot with GoPro Hero2).
I think part of it is that I have this buzzing energy, constantly reminding me that life should be lived, and lived well. "It" has been dormant for the last few years in my brain; I'm sure poorly managed stress, alcohol, and the normal things that deter people from their purpose caused "it" to hibernate.
I am glad it is awake again.
I am glad I am awake again.
This is not the first time I have been awake.
When I first started college, I felt it. It kept me up late at night, creating, writing, and thinking. It's back again - "it" being something I think everyone is capable of. It is YOU. Your purpose is also you. When you start to uncover your purpose and true calling, you feel it. Every part of your being is buzzing and humming with the energy of being awake.
How do you find "it?" You allow yourself to change. I had to quit drinking, leave people behind, and leave a perception of unhappiness I had created for myself and for others. I simplified my life by simplifying my mind. Nature helps. Travel helps. Adding yoga and meditation to my daily routine have helped me the most. Getting yourself out of your day-to-day routine also helps. This allows you to look at your life from a distance, and not necessarily a safe distance. You also might not like what you see.
But you can change it. You are the only one who can. Fill your mind with positive thinking by changing your reactions. Change your scenery. If your job really is awful and there is no way to find any shred of positivity about it, leave it. What do you have to lose? If continuing college is like pullling teeth and you're skipping class more than you're going, quit college. (See previous blog post about quitting college). You do not have to stay in any situation you're in if you don't want to. Free yourself. FREE YOURSELF. You deserve it - this life is yours and you get to live it.
I'll leave you with this great quote & a link to watch the video on Vimeo. Have a wonderful week, and if you have a blog, link it to me in the comment section; I'd love to read! :)
"If you're living your life where you scare yourself a lot, that's really living. None of us are getting out of here alive so you might as well scare the crap out of yourself and do things that are important to you." -Todd Sanders, Roadhouse Relics in Austin, TX.
Wanderlust Colorado in Photos!
I had the wonderful chance of attending Wanderlust Festival, Colorado, at Copper Mountain Ski Resort last week!
Climbing up Copper Mountain - BEAUTIFUL fields of wildflowers!
My friend Megan and I drove from Texas to Colorado. We took the route through New Mexico on the way there, and the route through Kansas on the way home.
Cities we visited:
- Capulin, NM (We hiked into the volcano!!)
- Frisco, CO
- Pueblo, CO
- Copper, CO
- Buena Vista, CO (We whitewater rafted through Brown's Canyon and rode horses!)
- Vail, CO
- Cakwer City, KS
- Oklahoma City, OK
Rather than talk about it, I'll let the pictures speak the story!
Cameras used: GoPro Hero2, iPhone 5, iPhone 4 w/ Olloclip
Leaving Dallas at sunrise
9 hours later...
Capulin, NM did not have a gas station or restaurant; but they had a working pay phone.
Inner rim of the Capulin Volcano!
Our site in Pueblo, CO
Time for a mountain pass....or four.
White River National Forest
Up Copper Mountain we go!
Crow posing on the side of Copper.
Beautiful Megan and beautiful scenery.
Half awake.
Phrase most often said by Tiffiny, "We need to find coffee."
Best face, Megan!
Breakfast with a mountain.
Blueberry popsicle!
Working my way through the field of boulders. Reminded me of this quote:
“Jumping from boulder to boulder and never falling, with a heavy pack, is easier than it sounds; you just can't fall when you get into the rhythm of the dance.” - Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
This is the mountain I climbed. It looks smaller from the highway..
Our site in Frisco, CO
First horse ride!
Largest Ball of Twine can be found in the middle of nowhere, Kansas.
Channeling Georgia O'Keefe.
*********
I was able to attend Wanderlust because I received two free Sage passes from So Delicious, simply for replying to a Tweet of theirs. They also gave me these coupons (I used them FAST). Thanks again, guys!
I also got some free camp coffee for my trip from Nature Coffee Kettle! Their concept and quality is fantastic and I LOVE COFFEE so I can take all I can get!
Stay tuned for more adventures! I'll be at Wanderlust Austin, the All-Girls Slackline Festival in Oregon, & whatever else I can!
You can also find me here:
twitter.com/tiffinyepiphany
instagram.com/tiffinycostello
facebook.com/turbotiffiny
<3 Tiffiny
**Clothing/gear/companies that kept me warm, cute, nourished, footed etc:
The Ozarks!
Last weekend, I trekked from Dallas to Northwest Arkansas to The Ozarks! My intrepid, little, white Hyundai made it over 900 miles, round trip, and the only issue I had was it started to overhead while we descending into Devil's Den - after a bit of investigation and phone calls to my dad, I discovered the car was out of coolant. Crisis, MAJOR crises, averted $11.38 & a gallon of coolant later!
Anyways, The Ozarks were very pretty. They were not as mountainous as I expected, but nonetheless it very a very lush and rich forest environment. The first night we camped in Devil's Den, there was a tornado outbreak and in the middle of the night, I woke up to the sound of a freight train, getting louder and louder; a sheer wind gust was sweeping down the valley like a dementor, and almost took out the tent. It DID sustain however! (The make and model of tent we used can be found here).
I couldn't believe how much lichen was everywhere. We went hiking around the bat caves and there was so much life around me. Moss, mushrooms, fern, birds, ants crawling on the moss, dead trees with new life growing on them..it was so wonderful. I could have stayed in the forest for hours, just sitting and taking in the life around me. I definitely want to return to a place like Devil's Den and take it all in.
We had to leave early because of the weather, but I did enjoy The Ozarks. My next camping trip is already in the works with some people from work - we are going to The Smoky Mountains!
Here are way too many pictures of the weekend, but I hope they are enjoyed.
<3 Tiff