Black Dog Days

Have you ever been in a deep funk in your life where you feel like you’re just going through the motions of daily life? Every day is the same- wake up, go to work, go home, maybe ride your bike, go to bed. The feeling like you’re living for the weekend, and your weekdays are punctuated by random bursts of excitement like going to Starbucks for coffee? Oh wait, no? Ok, yeah, me neither.

Truthfully though, I’ve struggled with depression most of my life, and since I’ve been able to recognize what it for what it is, controlling it has become much more manageable. I have a phenomenal primary care doctor who I trust deeply, wonderful health insurance (hello $3.00/month Prozac!), and a great therapist!

 

Even with this level of mental health management, there are still some days where it’s a struggle to get out of bed. Everyday feels like groundhog day. Wake up, work, look at the internet, go home. Repeat.

So it’s been super exciting to finally feel like I’m taking my life in my own hands again and steering it in a direction that I want it to go. I have a number of really exciting things lined up on the horizon (and concurrently happening) to look forward to, and let me tell you, when you’re depressed, having something to look forward to is seriously the BEST THING IN THE WORLD!!!

In no particular order, here is what I’m currently excited about:

·         My mom is an internet sensation!

·         My S24O article published in the Cascade Courier

·         Took my fenders and back rack off my bike to turn it into a bikepacking bike, and realized that a Revelate Tangle Frame bag fits! Bikepacking here I come!!

·         Speaking of, got invited to join the women of Komorebi Bicycling Team on a trip! I’ve looked to them for inspiration since I learned of them, and to be invited on a trip is blowing my mind!

·         I booked a trip to Anchorage for Memorial Day weekend. Going by myself to backpack and camp Chugach State Park near Anchorage. The stoke is high.

·         Lots of Point83 trips coming up- Ben Country (1 year anniversary of all this bike camping craziness), Clam Slam, Girls of Summer, and so much more!

I’m also helping put on an Intro to Bike Camping Class with Swift Industries, and going to be leading The Bikery’s Swift Campout with possibly 40 people. (I'm also really proud of this image I created for the class- I'm totally not a designer, but we've gotten really good feedback!)

So many things happening. No time to be depressed! If only it worked that way.