No more just getting through hump day: #7daystretch

It's Wednesday! Otherwise known as Hump Day. Rather than viewing it as a day that signifies being that much closer to the weekend, I'd rather see it as the peak of the week!

For starters, for #WorkoutWednesday, I've gotten into the habit of taking class with this rad chick. I'd started doing spin classes for the first time when I moved to Breckenridge. But Burn Cycle (or Soul Cycle for you Californians) is a whole different ball game. It's 45 minutes of non-stop spinning, literally sprinting pretty much the entire time, in a dark room with DJ beats blaring. All the while, this spitfire lady is motivating and inspiring you to keep pushing, which she somehow manages to do positively while also dropping f-bombs. I leave the studio a sweaty mess (seriously, I never knew I could sweat so much), but so inspired and energetic. Jessi D is totally my #womamcrushwednesday.

Ok, so now we're getting into the nitty gritty of the issue. It's been pretty much the theme of my life for the last four years considering I postponed (indefinitely) law school in favor of some ski bum years. I knew I'd be a good lawyer, but I wasn't sure if it would make me happy. A conversation I've had many times of late with my best friend is about lifestyle. A lot of people see pictures I post (maybe even read this blog, she says hopefully) and wonder how I'm so happy, how my life is so adventurous/fun/idyllic. Two pieces of news for you:

1. It's NOT perfect! I still deal with bills, breakups, disappointments, insecurities, money issues, anxiety, and stress. There's a lot of unrest when you're changing things frequently, which definitely makes me tired and anxious. There's a lot of sadness when you have to say goodbye to people and places you love.

2. I MADE MY LIFE THE WAY IT IS! My life didn't just happen to me. When I was growing up and in college in North Carolina, I didn't envision the future and see myself as a yoga teacher in Portland, OR. To have lived in Colorado for over three years.

I give a lot of credit to my dad. (Which works out perfectly since today is his birthday, too!) But when I was on the law school track, my hippie lawyer father encouraged me to do some soul searching, working, traveling, ski bumming first. I will forever be grateful to him, for he literally changed my life (not to mention also helping give me life), and he agrees that was probably the best advice he ever gave me! Because of him encouraging me to take that initial step away from the norm, I have made the conscious choice to explore and wanderlust. To not be behind a desk all day every day. To date. To move around. To meet new people. To experience.

Back to the conversation Caitlin and I have had many times. Lifestyle. The idea that some people live only for the weekend, or only for the vacation that is 6 months away, is so sad! There should be something every day that you look forward to and that excites you! I'm not saying you have to be loving life when stapling stacks of papers and grinning as you're faxing documents all day every day. On the flip side, it doesn't have to be that you summit a mountain every day. It could be a coffee date with a friend in the morning, happy hour with work friends, a yoga class, an early morning run, your before-bed ritual. Anything!

An old friend from college recently asked me for some advice with relation to happiness. He's found himself in a grad-school-to-career path that he likes but isn't super happy with at this present moment. We both agreed he didn't need a huge life change. You don't need to be a ski bum/yoga teacher to find happiness, that was just my path! Not everybody lives in the heart of the mountains with accessibility to hiking and skiing that I had, or the flexibility with work to go on a trail run for half of a Monday that I do. But we talked about the little things he could plan for himself throughout the week. Those friend dates, actually making hikes on the weekends happen and not just thinking about it, partaking in activities throughout the week. Yes, it takes effort. But YES, it's so worth it! This is your life! Don't wish time away from yourself. Do everything you can to make the most of it!

So I don't pray for the weekend. I look forward to every day. Maybe not the whole day. But at least some part of it. Every day. I made my life that way, and you can, too!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by prAna, but all opinions are my own! Shop the fall line with the code LiveInprAnaF15 and get 15% off! Offer valid until September 30, 2015, and not valid for influencers or with gift certificates or other offers.