Artistic Traveler

Sorry about the delay between posts! Honestly, we’ve not been up to too much around here. Mostly we’ve been dedicating much of our spare time to the usual suspect – boot camp – as well as the unusual suspect (for me anyway): cleaning. Yes, cleaning. Having moved twice in the span of a couple months, I found it difficult to figure out what boxes needed to be cleaned out and sorted. Keep in mind a few months ago we went on a big closet cleaning spree and donated the equivalent of ten bags or so to Goodwill. These boxes, however, were boxes of memories, receipts, and various knick knacks we’d both been collecting over the years. They sat in a mountain in the bedroom waiting to be tackled. Thanks to Martha Stewart mode kicking in coupled with a desire to rearrange the room in an effort to utilize the space better, it’s safe to say that the bedroom is well on it’s way to being deconstructed and rebuilt with only the most memorable objects and needs remaining. The poor shredder got more use in a weekend than it had in an entire year, I think, much to the cats’ happiness. They enjoy the buzz of the motor and blades as it cuts the paper to the point where I can hold the plug in my hand and they come running over, meowing for the fancy noise-making paper piece machine to come to life. Oh cats. So much to teach us about appreciating the simple things. ;)

This effort is quite a daunting task if you know me well, however. I have severe issues with focusing on a task at hand, instead preferring to multi-task to help break up the monotony. Ryan was a little distraught at first as I left my shredding post to “make a mess,” but then he saw that the mess was a variety of watercolors and brushes. I sketched a few times before coming with a new painting, Home Life Portrait: With Cat. I would paint to calm myself down and re-center my focus, returning to my cleaning duties as each step of the watercolor process dried. The painting obviously was finished before the cleaning – there’s still a bit to do! – but I was so excited to be back in my element. It’s colorful, it’s fun, it’s a pretty accurate portrait of my home life as I see it. The iron chair outside that we saved from a trashy death in the complex (in other words, a mild case of dumpster diving), plants everywhere represented by a modification of the leave motif on our living room wall, and of course Chloe, the true cat of the house, hiding behind the leaves with that mischievous grin across her face. Yeah, I’d say that’s home life all right.

So why all the cleaning, really? Of course it is in part to remove boxes and be a little cleaner, but it’s also part of some steps I’ve been taking to better myself. I don’t want to simply be that girl who looks in the closet every five years and donates a bag to Goodwill. I want to be active in simplifying my life as best as I can. It’s hard to do as I associate so many things with positive memories… but I find myself hanging on to the bad memories as well. I had to give Ryan permission to shred an apology letter from an ex. Permission. It was like my world was going away even though that world was left eating my dust long ago. Christmas cards are difficult for me to dump because I feel like each one was so personal and filled with love for me that I don’t want to feel I’m tossing that into the garbage (or the recycling bin – I recycle your love!). It was hard. I’m not quite a hoarder, but at the same time, it’s heart-wrenching to watch a glitter-filled card crunch against the blades. There it goes. There it goes. It may seem silly, but I’m having to teach myself that while the card was sent with love, that card does not represent that love. It’s okay to put the card in the bin because I’ve acknowledged and appreciated the message it’s brought to me. It’s a learning process, but I’m happy to be going through it with Ryan helping me along the way because I still find it hard to have me doing the shredding.

This weekend we get a break from cleaning, though! It’s time to clear our minds and open our hearts to the beautiful land that is Colorado. With our roommate at home helping to make sure poor Vincent doesn’t get separation anxiety too bad, we’re free to stay for a longer period of time and visit with old friends while meeting new. We’re staying in a cute little rental room set up to be like a personalized hostel. Ryan’s spoken with the owner a few times and said she’s super sweet. It’s a mile from Pearl Street, the lovely walking area filled with shops and a tasty confectionery. There are talks of hiking, watching fireworks, going to the Ren Fest, and possibly tubing. I thought tubing was a southern thing; apparently people in Boulder get it too! It’s such a blast. :)

photo credit: joiseyshowaa

I can’t wait. Seeing friends is our main reason for going out there again, but it’s also a beautiful, beautiful place. It’s almost everything I want in a place to live. Nature sits right at the doorstep of a major city. The airport is large enough to support travel as needed. The mountains; oh the mountains! The city is bright, but the starry night sky above outshines it all. Land remains untouched by development, and outdoor activities are plentiful. Throw in a beach and that would be such an ideal place to live. Much love to you, Colorado. We’ll see you soon!