A Midlife Millennial

 Allie and I went on an adventure yesterday to check out the Devil's Head Fire Tower. It's one of those places that's a bit out of the way and easy to forget about, so I just hadn't gotten around to it. But yesterday I wanted to get out for a low-key adventure and let my legs recover a bit from doing a double incline with a weight-vest on Saturday. It was a short 2.8 mile round trip hike with almost 1k ft of climbing from the parking lot to the top of the tower. Temperatures were comfortable yesterday, especially for November. I think a little lower in elevation it was "hot" in the low-80's. To think this time last year we were getting a snowstorm as I tried to get plumbers out here to make bids for a new waterline installation. So far this year is much better LOL! Hiking up to the Tower, reading about how I can't take Topaz off National Forest Land :) No Lieutenants were hurt in the making of this photo. Allie posing with Pikes Peak in the background....

Periodically I have the desire to journal, but lately it's been pen to paper and then later shredded. This week I found myself reading my old "Deployment Digest" and being somewhat surprised at all of the things I had forgotten from that time. While I remembered some of the events, what really struck me was the rose-colored glasses I view that time with. It is perhaps a testament of resilience and reframing, to ensure that past does not cripple you emotionally and you can move forward with a kind of wisdom and knowing that makes your life better. That said, it was a nice little reminder that I was actually really stressed out in my 20's. It gives me a nice little frame of reference when life happens now, I can see that nice contrast and growth in how I handle things today. Things are pretty different in that regard and I am thankful for that growth. This year had its rough moments, getting sick this past March really took all the juice out of me. My grandmother also ...