Groove is in the Heart

You've heard of kids with imaginary friends? (a sign of brilliance?) Well, I took imaginary friends to a whole new level. Donna and Dosa were my best friends. I communicated with them through the air vent in my dad's Lincoln Continental. But that's not all. My imaginary husband was Danny Verno, but I'm sorry to say that it didn't end well for us. He cheated on me, we got a divorce, and he moved to California. I was five. I remember feeling uneasy when my family would ask why he hadn't been around lately. Crazier than my early childhood relationships was the fact that I created it all in my own head.

Yes, I've been told that I have an active imagination.

Anyway,... As I begin thinking about the spring and long alpine routes, running is my go-to exercise for cardio training. It's a great way to exercise while I take advantage of the sunny weather (sorry, East Coast), watch the eagles along the river walk, and provide an open space for my mind to wander.

I threw some new material in my ipod for my morning run. Before I got to my music, I noticed a new episode of Dirtbag Diaries. The opening for 2010, guests explored their goals for the year. One that stuck out as I trotted along was a woman who wants to find a place to live this year.

It's something I’ve been thinking about for a long time… well, since I left Chicago over four years ago. To those who are more settled, this may be a question of neighborhoods and school systems, but to a wanderer it a much deeper question.

When I lived in Chicago, I had an anchor, for sure (see 'job at Accenture'). Pulling up that anchor was a good thing, sure; but the limitlessness of what comes next can be too much at times. It's a Paradox of Choice.

So what do I need? More floorspace than a backpack, bigger than a Subaru; but not something to tie me down or force me to travel to Houston in July. Hmm, maybe a yurt would do nicely...

What about the wandering? I love traveling, and not in a match.com, Facebook things-I-like kind of way. Traveling each summer has become my status-quo. If I didn't travel, I wonder if I would enjoy Ouray as much as I do each winter.

Maybe the difference is that traveling is an excursion away from basecamp and wandering is the excursion alone, without the basecamp. Perhaps I will graduate from wanderer to traveler by putting better definition around home than 'the greater-Ouray area.'

(While I'm considering my basecamp requirements, I'd like to include: indoor plumbing and hot water, someplace big enough for the dining room table I've been patiently waiting to unpack since 2003, and a place to plug in the espresso machine. I don't need everything. As evidence, I'm actually growing fond of the crash-pad coffee table. God knows I'm not getting much use out of it bouldering.)

Rarely do I solve problems as I run, so don't expect a nice, neat conclusion to these musings. Just a few minutes to consider things. I suppose it was comforting to hear another woman with a similar goal for herself this year.

After a few regulars on my ipod (maybe there is such a thing as too much Abba), I rolled into some new tunes that lightened my mood considerably.

Let me preach for just a moment... I strongly believe everyone should have a hip-pocket karaoke song. Something ready to go, should the need arise. I mean, imagine yourself standing on-stage with a crowd cheering you on to sing. Do you want to be unprepared for that moment? I mean, I’ll admit it may not be as critical as your emergency savings account; but it could happen. Thankfully, I got a chance to practice my Mary Chapin Carpenter set. Hopefully the passersby on my run didn’t mind. Yes, Mary Chapin Carpenter. When the day comes, I'll be ready.

And check this one out…. Groove is in the Heart! If you graduated from Northwestern with me, you heard that song 1,000,000 times during Dance Marathon. Basically, Dance Marathon was a weekend-long party, masquerading as a ‘charity’ event. 30 hours of dancing, it was highly memorable and somehow also all a blur. I love how a song can take me to such a happy memory, if a hazy one. We should dance more often. Maybe that's why Ellen is so popular. (Is she still popular? I hope so.)

Anyway, have a great day. Shuffle up the ipod and let your imagination take you away.