the outset

mine is a traveling spirit.

an i can do anything and go anywhere kind of outlook.

an i will  conquer mentality.

after learning that my brother, {D}, was lying on a surgical table 1,800 miles and an ocean away, i frantically boxed up said traveling spirit and flew to his side.

which is where i stayed for the next six weeks. alongside my mom, five siblings, and {D}'s new bride.

and when i settled on the realization that i must return to work, a travel position in nearby nashville deposited itself neatly into my lap.

how serendipitous.

i called nashville home for twelve long months and took advantage of my family being down the street. because after being nearly two thousand miles from home, a few hundred miles may as well be just that.
i made frequent trips home to spend cherished moments with the people i love the most in this world

i drank in my two pink-cheeked, spirited nieces. two delicious souls that set my heart aflutter.

    

i basked in all things family and mundane. we all did.
when you come breaths away from losing a person so vital to your essence, mundane takes on a whole new beauty.




i soaked up all that is nashville.
honky tonks and outdoor concerts on the lawn of city hall.
all-day kayak trips with {L} and friends.
evenings that concluded with sinfully delectable bushwhackers in the heart of five-points.
late night concerts at dive bars.
i feasted on divine biscuits at the renowned loveless cafe.

i returned from a visit home in may to find the city afloat from a devastating flood. i watched as the residents united, dignitaries and celebrities descended.
together they worked tirelessly to rebuild their sodden metropolis.

nashville spoke to me.

but after a year, that box i'd stowed away began to weaken against the strain. my traveling spirit was alive and well. and it wanted out.

it yearned to once again feel the thrill of discovering a far away city. one that held mysterious wonders and unknown adventures.

the time had come to move on.

and so i began the exhilarating, nail-biting process of finding my next destination.

embarking with me on this next venture was {L}.
fresh from grad school and eager for change, she would join me on my cross country endeavor.

 

 it's intoxicating...to feed this addiction of mine.
to pack up my things, gather my dogs, and drive in the direction of new possibilities.
to leave all sensibility and trepidation behind and boldly, blindly steer myself into uncharted land.
as the powers that be would have it, i pointed myself west and  was off.


Colorado

land of rocky, mountainous terrain and capricious weather.
filled with people so friendly it slips my mind i'm not in the south.
home to a style of mexican cuisine i had yet to discover.
 a state with such natural beauty i feel inspired simply ambling out my door.
 clouds unlike any i've ever glimpsed.
 a state that's sat at the tip-top of my wish list since i began this journey three years ago.

colorado.

the place that myself, {L}, {Kibo}, and {Naya} have been fortuitously calling home for nearly three months now. we marvel daily at the wonder held within the boundaries of this state. we are frantic to explore all four corners of this temporary home. cautious not to squander our time here.

exceptional  moments are being collected here, friends.

em.

an embarkment

it's official. i'm entering a new realm. a new chapter begins.

i've been intrigued for sometime by this blogging phenomenon.

it's time to start.

i've always enjoyed writing. sadly, it became a forgotten passion somewhere along the way. 

fell victim to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

the fire was rekindled when my eldest brother suffered a life threatening injury. we created a website where i chronicled his fierce & awe-inspiring battle for his precious life.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/andrewmiddleton 

now i shall chronicle my own life. 

here. 

some might say i'm obsessed with travling. and photography.

guilty as charged...i suppose there are worse addictions.

i've worked for nearly three years as a traveling nurse and the more places i go, the more i add to my wish list. 

the size of this world is mind boggling and i'm gonna soak in as much as i can.

i want to squeeze it all in. experience as many places, people, and cultures as this one life allows.

so many moments make up each day.

some seemingly insignificant. some life altering. 

some fall somewhere in the middle. but all of them are precious in their own right. 

each moment shapes us. molds us. 

urges us to be better

stronger

wiser.

 happier.

  

...these are my  moments collected

em.