We're a month away from the race. One whole month which sounds so far but I know it will be here so quickly. To be honest I'm nervous but so excited to get this third one under my belt. Not only will I have done a run in Yellowstone but also in the Tetons which sounds like a dream. Most people I talk to hate running so they probably would think I'm crazy for just not doing something else (like a hike ) around the area yes we will be doing that as well. There is so much to see in the Grand Tetons and I am excited to see more of that magical place. It's been almost a year since I left there and I couldn't be more excited to go back and take in the fresh air and enjoy the amazing views. 

It really is a spectacle to see. If you haven't been there you should go. It's worth the trip and if you love adventure that's the place to do it. I'm hoping that we will get to go do a local trail up the backside of the Tetons so that I can share that wonderful view with my dad and his gf. It's a hell of a hike but it is worth the trek and it is dog friendly which is a bonus to me. Lylah gets to be tired and enjoy the view once again but as an adult. 

There are a lot of adventures to go on and I couldn't be happier to take off. So much to do, so much to see. 

With that said let's hope for good weather because I really want to enjoy the race that's ahead. 

It's crazy to think that this race is coming up so soon. These last few months have flown by and I am just astounded about how quickly it's come and gone. In less than two months I will be running my third half marathon which is astronomical considering that I never thought I would do another one, especially after Yellowstone. That race was extremely hard and I thought I was going to die halfway. This race is supposedly easier and should be on better terrain but we won't really know until we get there. It's nuts to think about and I really am interested to see how it goes.

Performance-wise I really have no idea how it will be. I have been all over the place with this training and I really think it's from the change in sea level vs nonsea level. I've never had to train in higher elevations and I will say it is kicking my ass at the moment. It's wild how little of a change can make this type of training ten times more difficult but here we are. 

In the end, though I think I will do fine and I Have a ballpark of where I will land with my time. I just hope that the race is as good as I have read on. I also really hope for no surprises but who really knows with that one unless you have done the race already. I'm hopeful and ready to get this done. After months of training and I am ready to put it to work. 

And of course, I cant wait to tell you how it went. If we died, if we liked it, or if we just simply think it was ok. Races are hard to judge because of the buzz and adrenaline at the start but I'm sure we will have a fair assessment with the thirteen behind us. 

Do you know what time of year it is? I bet you can hear the cha-ching sound that is coming from around the corner. The whispers of the government saying to pay them or else and the questionable sound of calculators being used over and over and over again with the unmistakable sound of groans from the results. If you guessed that it is tax season then you are correct! You hit the big one on that and let me just say, I have learned something I was unaware of. Well....not necessarily unaware of just stupid about. 

This new job I have doesn't take out taxes so guess what I have to pay. I call it funny money because really that's what it feels like. Funny money. I watched the numbers climb as I put in the forms I received and I definitely made some noise about what I owe. NOw I know that it is inevitable when you do your"own" business-like my artwork but for this job, I actually didn't really know that they were taking it out. They don't tell you that at the orientation. Well not that I remember. To be honest my"teacher" was super boring with a voice that was impossible to listen to and she always took a million years to explain things. She was just as boring as my math teacher in eighth grade and that was not fun. Mostly because I hate math. 

But besides that, I got a hard lesson today and I wasn't ready. But if I continue this job I will know to put money aside for taxes for next year. Just another lesson in the department of ADULTING and its million rules that I just mostly roll my eyes at. Mostly. Depends on the rules that are in place. I also would like to give out a giant **** YOU to Biden for this mess not only in the taxes department but also in the gas prices. Just ****ing fix it already you monster. 

That's my thoughts, thanks, I'm gonna go have a beer now,

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Castle of Glass 12*12 $125

Buy to help out or dont, either way I appreciate you 

Life has a funny way of making you think a lot of the time. Think about your choices, what's in front of you, who you are with,etc. During this time that I have been spending getting my things together and coming up with a plan, I have been going back and forth on what I want to do in the future. do I want to travel in a van? Live in an apartment? Buy a house? Move out of state? Getmoredogs? Getanothercat? What about my car? What about art? So many questions that I cant seem to get straight and it's all so confusing and at times keeps me up at night. I sometimes even wonder about my job and the future of my career. After all, I have always been an out-of-the-box type so I know normal jobs won't cut it for me but then what? 

There are so many things to consider and so much to wonder and I finally have made at least one decision. I'm going to give the van another go. See if I can live out of it and work with the job I currently have. Really I have no idea if it will work and I have considered a lot of options. I'm Applying to other places where I can work remotely and I'm hoping one of them comes through because I would like to have a pay raise but who knows. The universe has some plan for me and I have no idea what it is but I am willing to bet its something better than where I am now. I just have to seize it and go for it. I'm not sure of my exact departure date but I do know that it will be in late summer/early fall. I plan to do blog drops on where I am, places I have seen, prices and etc. I'm ready and I'm finally feeling good about what I see in front of me. 

And of course, I can't wait to share it with you all. 

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Into the Stars $100 12*12

Purchase today to help not only me make more art but to also help with the future travels that are coming your way. 

How fun is it to be in this time period right now? Of course, I'm asking that question dipped in sarcasm. It really sucks to be in this time period, as anybody really. It may even suck for that 1% that has so much money that they don't even blink at what's happening but who really knows. I know I cant speak for those kinds of people but I can speak for those that are in the same category as me or at least close. 

As someone who is in my 20s and is already struggling enough as it is to not only make a living but to LIVE this war that has broken out has made a huge impact on our gas prices. It personally sucks big ass donkey balls to see the way that this has turned out and I think that it's awful that we are getting slammed with so much ****. The past three years have just gone from moderate to just outright outrageous in terms of "what else can go wrong?" (and whoever keeps asking that question out loud, please shut it. You're just asking the universe to drop more **** yous).  Really if you look at the scales of how this is going in our country/ world wide it just keeps going up on the scale and eventually it's going to break. We will not be able to sustain anything and a lot of people are already ****ed up from Covid so let's not raise gas prices and make it even harder for jobs, distributers, and just normal people to have a life. 

I'm blown away. In Tennessee right now the highest I have seen for Gas is around $4.60 per gallon and for diesel, it's over $5 in most parts of the state. My friend and I even traveled to Chattanooga and where we were going you have cut through Georgia for about twenty minutes or so and there the gas prices were practically $5 per gallon and diesel was, of course, higher than regular. I was blown away by this. I mean it's one thing to shut the world down but now gas has skyrocketed to a price that even I am worried about. In a van that gets 16 miles to the gallon and thinking about long-term travel, I can see that being a no-go. Let alone going to look at places to live. I'm not gonna waste money away just searching the area and thinking it COULD be a place to go while I'm spending hundreds of dollars just driving around. 

I really hope this goes down, that the prices become somewhat normal for this time period because my lord, we do not need this kind of change in gas prices with the way the world is at the moment. I'm already worried about a million things and this war in Ukraine is just the beginning of pandora's box. We were already scratching the surface with covid but this digs a huge hole into it. I'm not excited for what the rest of the 2020's hold because this is a terrible start. 

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Also, side note on this, I do pray for those that are in Ukraine and im not one who usually does those sorts of things but I am praying for those over there that are caught in this middle of this and have nowhere to go. Just a tragedy that things have come down to this.