A look back at some of the best, hardest and most surprising parts of my week.
The Good
Family. My sister and her family now live on the East Coast, 3000 miles away instead of less than 200. I don’t get to see them as much as I would like. But, I had the opportunity to spend some time with them and jumped at the chance! It’s been great just hanging out and talking into the wee hours. Getting to see their favorite places. Spend time in their home. I love that in the future when we talk, I’ll know just what they’re talking about.
Travel. So much to love about travel. Whether it’s discovering new places, or revisiting places I’ve been in the past. This trip will have elements of both. I lived here for a time while in college, but haven’t been back since. Plus, I’ll be with my 15-year-old nephew, so that will make everything even more fun and interesting.
Floating. I ended my birthday weekend with 90-minutes of nothing at Float On. It was my fourth time floating in a sensory isolation tank. Each time is a little different, and always leaves me looking forward to the next time. I’m still enjoying that calm post-float frame of mind. 
Since it was my birthday, I used the time to contemplate the year past, and the year to come. It was a fantastic way to start my next trip around the sun.
15 Minutes of Instagram Fame. The photo that I used to illustrate Wednesday’s post, Acting on a Whim, was chosen in a photography challenge I’ve been taking part in on Instagram. It happened while I was traveling, so I was extra-surprised when I finally logged in to Instagram and saw all the activity. When someone with thousands of followers posts your picture it gets a little more attention than normal.
The Bad
Travel. As much as I love travel, I’m still not so good at keeping with my routines, or adapting them as I go. It’s not as easy as I would like. I get things done that need to get done — I’m finishing this post, responding to urgent emails, getting my training runs in — but it just feels like it could be simpler. Smoother. Easier. Part of the problem is I overestimate my energy and underestimate how long things will take and what’s really required. It has definitely gotten easier, and there’s plenty of improvements to be made, especially as I love the idea of a location-independent lifestyle.
The Rad
Giving Back Offer. I wrote a whole blog post on this, but it’s not enough to convey just how touched I was by your generosity and enthusiasm with my desire to give back for my birthday. The number of people that participated and the amount they gave still has me 
grinning! Plus, there’s plenty more good stuff to come — choosing the recipients of the Kiva loans, watching how they progress, and adding to the stories of boring change.
Incidentally, if you missed out on the offer, you can still grab your own Boring Change Kit. PLUS, for a limited time you can give Kiva a try and add to the Perception Studios lending pool at no cost to you! Simply sign up for Kiva with this link. While funds last, they’ll give each of us $25 to use for loans. No risk. Lots of reward.
And you?
What were the Good | Bad | Rad parts of your week? Share them here, in the comments, or on the Perception Studios Facebook page.
Photo: Duck Duck Goose, taken at Cathedral Park, during a break from writing.
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