Wednesday, November 8, 2023
HomeHikingMy fortieth birthday and a 40-day digital detox – Bearfoot Principle

My fortieth birthday and a 40-day digital detox – Bearfoot Principle


Usually we’re on the highway this time of yr, however should you’ve been following together with these private updates that we’re leaning into house life proper now, and it’s been surprisingly nice. I’m glad I spent August specializing in wholesome routines, as a result of this month was a whirlwind of motion.

September was full of plenty of dwell music, my fortieth birthday, a social media break, extra milestones for our little man, and a wholesome quantity of labor on the weblog. We additionally ready for an enormous transfer to a brand new home (which I’ll let you know far more about in my October replace).

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Denver for 4 nights of Phish

Our month began our in Denver. September 2023 was my fifth yr catching Phish’s annual descent on Dick’s Sporting Items Enviornment. The 4 evening run was unbelievable as at all times with what was possibly one of the best mild present I’ve ever seen.

Phish playing at Dicks Sporting Goods Arena in Denver
PHISH!

The weekend at all times tends to be a reunion of kinds with pals from everywhere in the nation. In actual fact, I’d say that all through my life a majority of my shut pals I’ve met and made because of a shared love of dwell music.

This yr felt additional particular as a result of it was our first exhibits again since having Herbie. My final Phish exhibits had been at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis for New Years Eve in 2022. I used to be 35 weeks pregnant on the time, which was possibly just a little loopy in hindsight. However hey, Herbie stayed put, mama acquired to rock out, and all is properly.

The Labor Day exhibits had been the primary time we left Herbie with a babysitter. Fortunately certainly one of my finest pals who lives in Denver allow us to borrow her nanny for the weekend, so we had been in a position to go to the exhibits with out fear.

Couple sitting on the floor at a Phish concert
Ryan and I on the ground ready for Phish to return on

We had an absolute blast, even after we acquired caught in line for 3 hours whereas ready out a rain delay on evening 4.

Rainbow in Denver while in line to get into Phish concert
Benefiting from the rain delay at Phish

What else was on our Denver agenda? Seeking out one of the best vegan meals after all. The successful meal of the weekend was from Wellness Sushi, an all vegan sushi joint conveniently situated proper on Colfax. The rolls had superb taste and texture, and our non-vegan pals even beloved it.

Wellness Sushi in Denver
Wonderful vegan sushi at Denver’s Wellness Sushi

We additionally checked out a spot referred to as Glady’s that had a extremely distinctive and attractive root vegetable reuben. I’m a sucker for a great rueben, and this one made a long-lasting impression.

My fortieth Birthday

I turned 40 on September fifteenth and was fortunate to rejoice twice this yr. I usually don’t make an enormous deal of my birthday. However seeing this was a monumental one and I had a reasonably loopy yr having a child and all, I felt I deserved to be celebrated.

Having a 7 month previous child creates challenges when planning, so on my precise birthday we saved it easy. We met a small group of pals at Snowbird and took the tram to the highest. New this yr, for an additional $10, you possibly can journey on the Tram’s rooftop deck. We indulged and actually loved the recent air and views on the way in which up.

Group of people standing on the top of the tram at Snowbird Ski Resort
Using on the deck of the Tram at Snowbird

On the prime, I strapped Herbie within the child service, and we hiked the 30-minute path to the highest of Mt. Baldy. After the hike, my pals stunned me with some birthday cake from Candy Hazel, my favourite vegan bakery and restaurant in SLC. 

Group of hikers at the top of Mount Baldy in Salt Lake City
On the prime of Mount Baldy in Salt Lake Metropolis

Then Ryan and I capped off the day at a brand new spot referred to as Seasons Plant-Based mostly Kitchen. Consuming out with Herbie is getting tougher as he’s getting extra cellular and grabby, however we handed him backwards and forwards as we did our greatest to take pleasure in our scrumptious meals.

woman and baby at Seasons Plant Based Bistro in Salt lake City
My birthday diner at Seasons Plant Based mostly Bistro

My second birthday celebration was just a few days later at Pink Butte Gardens, which is one of the best music venue in Salt Lake. It’s a gorgeous outside amphitheater with a gently sloping garden on the sting of the Wasatch Foothills. (It’s additionally a gorgeous botanical backyard that I extremely advocate visiting should you’re ever in SLC). One of the best factor about Pink Butte as a venue is that they let you deliver your whole personal meals and drinks in, so you possibly can have a picnic earlier than the live performance.

The band – Goose – are making waves within the jam band scene, so naturally a big group of my pals deliberate to attend the present.

Goose at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City
Goose at Pink Butte Gardens

Ryan and one other buddy of ours acquired an enormous unfold of vegan apps – jackfruit sliders, jalapeño poppers and meatballs – and a pair dozen miniature desserts, and introduced them with us to share with everybody on the present. (We love sharing yummy plant-based meals with our non-vegan pals in order that they expertise how good it could possibly actually be).

The present was implausible (aside from ending early as a consequence of lightening), and the entire night left me feeling very particular. Earlier than my birthday, I wasn’t tremendous stoked about turning 40, however now I’m really fairly excited for what this subsequent decade will deliver.

For my fortieth birthday, I made a decision to offer myself a 40 day break from social media. Since February when Herbie was born, my display screen time has gotten out of hand. I spend numerous time breastfeeding and with him napping in my lap, and social media has been a technique to go time.

I’ve been beginning to really feel the unfavourable psychological impacts construct up over the previous couple of months. First, I’ve skilled emotions of unhealthy comparability (like are most mothers actually crushing 10 mile hikes with infants or is that simply what the algorithm desires me to suppose?). I’ve additionally been feeling fairly overwhelmed with life and work, and I do know I can put my time to higher use than scrolling on IG.

That is what my hikes appear to be as of late

Lastly, as Herbie has turn into extra alert, he’s beginning to clue into my cellphone. The very last thing I need is for him to really feel ignored as a result of I’m scrolling social media. The months are actually flying by, and I don’t wish to get up in a yr and notice I missed out on these treasured moments as a result of I used to be distracted by my cellphone. I wish to be current and soak all of it up, as a result of that is time I’ll by no means have the ability to get again.

Woman with baby in Central Park in Denver
Hanging with Herbie in Denver’s Metropolis Park

The tip of September marked two weeks off of Instagram and Fb, and I already really feel lighter. I’ve more room to take care myself, my household, my enterprise, and different priorities, and I’ve been in a position to get a lot extra carried out within the restricted time I do have.

The 40 days are flying by, and I’m wondering what the top of this break will imply. Perhaps I’ll prolong it. Or possibly I’ll rent somebody to assist with me with social media for my enterprise so I don’t get sucked in as simply.

40 Days of Meditation

You seeing a theme right here? One in all my finest pals additionally turned 40 in September and for her birthday, she requested me to hitch her in a problem to meditate 40 days in a row.

I used to be so recreation. Again in 2020, I meditated for 100 days straight, and I’d been toying with selecting the behavior again up. Life has been very busy currently, so taking 15-20 minutes a day to only be with none agenda sounded oh so beautiful.

I’m the type of individual that has my fingers in numerous totally different initiatives the entire time. I are likely to overcommit myself, and I’ve a tough time slowing down. Whereas I’d say I work properly beneath strain, I additionally know that this go-go-go mentality has penalties.

On September 26, I accomplished the 40-day problem. It wasn’t at all times straightforward to squeeze it in, however I made the purpose to meditate for at the very least 10 minutes each evening earlier than I went to mattress. The outcomes? I’ve been sleeping higher, my creativity is flowing extra freely, and I’ve been in a position to deal with the strain of every day life as a mother and a enterprise proprietor (in the course of a transfer) with extra ease.

Enterprise Updates

This month has been loopy busy with work, and I’m doing my finest to maintain up. One in all my three group members is shifting on, so I’ve been taking up extra duties to maintain the prepare shifting.

I additionally posted a job announcement for a author and acquired over 140 candidates! I’m honored that so many individuals are fascinated about working with me at Bearfoot Principle. I haven’t employed in almost three years, and I’m actually trying ahead to bringing on somebody new to hitch my small group.

Woman with baby working at desk
Attempting to stability mother life with work life

In different information, the vacations are notoriously busy since that is when most of the manufacturers I work with have budgets to assist my work. We additionally publish a sequence of vacation reward guides, which my group and I’ve been cranking away on. Our large outside reward information simply went dwell this previous weekend, and we’ve 5 extra on the way in which for outside girls, outside males, van lifers, and extra. Should you benefit from the weblog, making your vacation purchases from our reward guides is a manner you possibly can assist our work.

Our Transfer

Should you subscribe to my weekly e-newsletter, that Ryan and I moved from our home in Salt Lake Metropolis as much as the mountains exterior Park Metropolis. We love SLC (and we additionally beloved our home), however for years I’ve been involved in regards to the air high quality, significantly within the winter after we spend probably the most time stationary at house. Now that we’ve a child, it put our plans to relocate on the quick monitor.

Woman with baby in a backyard
Absorbing certainly one of my final nights at my previous home, which I’ll dearly miss

I’ll share extra in my October replace about why, the place and the way our transfer went, however within the meantime, I’ll simply say that shifting with a child is HARD! We spent a great chunk of September packing up, however as a result of certainly one of us needed to be watching Herbie always, the method took twice as lengthy. Ultimately, we had been prepared on shifting day, and we’re settling in properly at our new place.

I’ll be excited to share extra as soon as we’ve had an opportunity to unpack, discover the native trails, and get into a brand new groove right here.

Nicely that’s it for September. It was an enormous month, and I’m glad to be on the opposite aspect of it. That is the beginning of a brand new thrilling chapter, and I can’t wait to see what it brings.

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