Self Moments

On Tuesday evenings a group of people gather at Up and Running here in Dayton to get in an hours worth of running and enjoy the company of others. They are people from all walks of life, who do all sorts of different things, but who get together to enjoy the sport of running. I started going to improve my running and learn to run longer distances. I keep going back for the wonderful company and great friendships that develop over the miles.

I was on my Tuesday run this week when we started to talk about "Self Moments". I was running with two ladies who began to share stories of their lives and of moments that they did something on their own that made them feel a stronger sense of self. Some of their experiences were tough ones, ones that they wouldn't wish on anyone and would rather not relive, but those experiences lead them to self moments where they knew they could stand on their own. Other experiences that they shared were ones of hope and of love; of having kids, getting married, and of overcoming obstacles to stand tall and proud in who they had become. As I listened to the conversation and reminisced about some of the self moments I have had myself, I felt inspired to be surrounded by so many people who were willing to give of themselves and share their stories to impact others. They are people who realize that self moments are so important, for in those moments, we become more and more the people that we are meant to be.

I hope that my life is filled with self moments. Moments of unfailing hope and unshakable faith. Moments of unconditional love and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. And also moments of sorrow and of hurt; moments that are so tough that I never want to experience them again and others that are so beautiful I can't relive them enough. I want my life to be full of experiences and full of moments where I can stand up and be proud of who I am and who I am becoming no matter what the circumstance. And in these self moments, I hope that I will be as open and sharing as these ladies were so that my own experiences can uplift and inspire others.

I had a self moment recently: Crossing the finish line of my 2nd half marathon in Indianapolis. I had set a goal to not walk at all this time and to finish around 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was the last mile and I was tired. TIRED as in EXHAUSTED. I didn't want to run anymore, I wanted to stop and walk and get some water and maybe an ice cream cone (or two). I wanted to stop.Right.There. But I wasn't running by myself this time, I had a friend beside me. A friend who wouldn't let me stop and a friend who pushed me all the way to the finish line. And when I did finally cross the finish line and had met all of my goals I felt proud of myself. So proud. Because I didn't give up. And because, this half marathon, I had a friend to run beside me.

Becky and I running on the Indianapolis 500 track. I know its a little blurry, but its difficult to take a good picture when you're running as FAST as we were :-)
A whole group of us in our corral before the start. I have great people to run with!
A new picture of Gavin from my weekend home a few weeks ago. Playing in the pond.
I love this little guy.
Such a big boy.

I hope that this post finds you doing well, experiencing life, and having "self moments" of your own.

Much love,

Tough Love

Easter weekend my good friend Jaclyn came to visit. We've started our own little Easter tradition...the first year both traveling in to Boston for the weekend, last year I visited her on Cape Cod, and this year she came all the way from Providence, Rhode Island to visit me in Dayton, Ohio. It just so happened that that same weekend Liz was home from Graduate School, and my friend Brittany was celebrating her birthday. So, I was able to spend time with many of my good friends all at once. Here are some pictures of the weekend

At a park overlooking Cincinnati.
Liz and I sitting on the wall
Same picture with everyone else
Jac and I hiking in Yellow Springs

Celebrating Jaclyn's Birthday!

A few months ago, in the heart of Winter, I was planning a ski trip with some of my friends. Not a big trip, just a night of skiing at a local Mountain here in Ohio. Okay, okay, it wasn't exactly a "mountain" but you get the idea. Anyways, the more we talked about and planned the trip the less and less excited I became. And this isn't like me. Usually, I'm excited for everything. Literally, EVERYTHING. Plus I love skiing so I became frustrated at myself for not being excited which just made the vicious cycle worse. So I called my Dad. Mostly because he knows me so well and can tell it like it is to me. He listened to me complain about having to teach people to ski and how I wasn't going to get to even do any runs and how it wasn't going to be any fun and on and on and on. Then, he said to me: "So what? It's not about you, Ash, you're going to help your friends learn to ski. Go. And have fun." That was it, he had put me in my place and he was right, it wasn't about me. So, we went skiing and my friends learned to ski. I did have fun. And I even got to do a couple of good runs.

Sometimes tough love is all you need. Someone who knows you and isn't afraid to put you in your place so that you can recenter yourself and move forward. Someone who isn't afraid to tell you that it isn't about you, because, if we're honest with ourselves, most of the time, it isn't. I've skied down a mountain hundreds of times. But never with those friends on that mountain. My Dad helped me realize that it was more about being there, for my friends, being in the moment having fun and not getting so worked up about myself. And he helped me to remember that I want to live a life that isn't always about me. He showed me that tough love is always necessary.

In my short life, I've already been given some of the best friends anyone could ask for. Friends who aren't afraid of tough love. Who tell me like it is and put me in my place when I need it. Friends that, like my Dad, help me to remember the person that I want to be. And even more than that, they are friends that I can laugh with, who aren't afraid of adventures, and who constantly inspire me to see more and do more and experience more. They inspire me to be better, everyday.

I appreciate tough love. Even when its hard and I don't want to hear it. I needed to be reminded this Winter that a night of skiing wasn't about me, it was about my friends and it was about making memories and having new experiences together. And I need to remind myself often that I want to live a life that isn't about me, it's about serving and helping others.

Broken Hearted

Does your heart ever break for things that you see happening around you? Do you ever watch something on the news or hear something awful that breaks your heart for others?

This happens to me, and time and time again, my heart breaks for children and hurting people all over the world.

I had the opportunity to hear Greg Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea, speak last night.If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. To sum it up very quickly, Mortenson sets out to climb K2-the world's 2nd highest peak-in memory of his sister. Putting it lightly, things go very wrong on the 70 day climb and the seasoned mountain climber finds himself lost, disappointed, and recovering in a tiny village called Korphe nestled in the mountains of Pakistan. Throughout his time in the village, Mortenson not only forges a bond with the Pakistani people, but finds the children of the village teaching themselves with sticks in the dirt, without a school and without a teacher. To thank the village for their kindness and generosity, he promises to return to Pakistan and build them a school. Holding true to his promise, he returns to to the U.S. with a single-minded drive to raise enough money to return to Korphe and build his school. So, what began as a simple quest to repay 1 tiny village, has transformed into a humanitarian effort to provide education for the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan, specifically focused on educating girls, and promote peace through education.

As I sat listening to Greg Mortenson in the auditorium, so full that people were viewing live-feed video from other rooms on campus, my heart was breaking. It was breaking as he shared stories of the number of un-educated children in these countries and the tragic effects that that lack of education was having on their society. It was breaking as Greg shared stories of the many trials and tribulations he had faced in bringing schools to such a controversial and war-torn region of the world. And it was breaking as he shared stories and statistics on the lives of children and young girls all over the world.

But beyond the heartbreak, I was completely inspired and filled with an overwhelming sense of joy for the children whose lives were being changed because 1 person decided to make a difference. One person. Who took a broken heart and did something with it. And that "something" not only changed the world, but changed the lives of many children around the world and gave them opportunities that once seemed like a distant dream.

Greg Mortenson is inspiring and he has used his life to make a profound difference in the world. He is proof that one person, with a lot of passion, can make a difference.

I want to be broken hearted. I want to hurt for those who hurt and feel for those who struggle. And I want that broken-hearted spirit to lead me on to find my own way to make a difference and impact the world around me.

I want to be inspiring. I want to make a difference.

And because I haven't shared pictures in a while, Here are some from my first "official" photography session-Senior pictures of my good friend Brittany who is graduating next month with her Bachelor's and her Master's degree from the University of Dayton.

I know you can't see her very well in this one, through some books in the library, but I like the laughter you can see in this picture!

So much to share!

It's been long. Too long. And I have a lot to share. I'll catch up on the past few months very soon, but in the meantime, I wanted to share some recent pictures that I've been loving lately:

Ben and I in his new apartment...I think this one shows our personalities well!
Krystal and I having fun at Ikea...I love seeing the laughter on our faces...and how proud my Dad will be when he sees this!
Gavin's 2nd birthday party. Love this picture. Gavin looks so happy and my Mom, well she's just beautiful.
Gavin reading a book! I've always loved books, since I was a little girl, and I love seeing Gavin enjoying books as well.
Jason and Daniela on top of a lookout tower in the Rainforest in Puerto Rico. I love the feel of it.
A sunset in St. Thomas.
Ben, Daniela, and Jason climbing into the water to snorkel in St. Thomas...LOVE the colors in this one.
The four of us trying to take a "jumping" picture in the Bahamas...I love this one because of the HUGE smiles on everyone's faces!

Coming soon: More from my Caribbean cruise vacation, Gavin's 2nd birthday party, a Fortune Cookie goal, Snowed in in Ohio, and a new running challenge. I hope that this post finds you well and enjoying the rest of winter.

Get My Picture on the TOMS Blog...CHECK!!!

Woohooooooo I've made it on the TOMS Blog :-) If you've been following my blog for awhile now, you know that I love TOMS Shoes. If you haven't heard of them, TOMS Shoes is a company that gives one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that you purchase. You buy one pair, they give one pair a way. One for One, thats their motto. To me, that alone is pretty sweet. But what makes TOMS Shoes even MORE awesome is that you can actually participate in the giving of shoes to children in need all around the world by going on something called a Shoe Drop. AND these shoes are given to children in countries like Argentina, South Africa, Ethiopia,Africa, Haiti, the United States and more. So, you buy a pair of awesome looking and super comfortable shoes for yourself while at the same time TOMS is giving a pair to a child in need somewhere in the world. And you can be there. Putting shoes onto the feet of children who have never owned their own pair of shoes. It is truly something beautiful and I can not say enough good things about them. You should check them out here: http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp

Anyways, TOMS Shoes has a blog. A blog where they communicate with their fans (people like me who spread the word about the One for One movement) and occasionally post pictures that fans send in of people wearing their TOMS in cool places or posing with their TOMS flag (which comes in the box with your shoes when you purchase them). It's been my goal for quite some time now to make it on the TOMS blog. And finally, after getting creative and having someone (thanks Ben!) take a few pictures for me on my recent vacation in the Caribbean, I'VE MADE IT ON THE TOMS BLOG!!

You can view the posting here: http://www.tomsshoesblog.com/http:/www.tomsshoesblog.com/toms-in-the-carribean

I love TOMS shoes and I'm so proud to be spreading the word of their One for One movement. You don't have to take my word for it, If you don't believe little old me about just how awesome they are, you should probably get a pair and see for yourself :-)

I hope that everyone is doing well! I'll be posting pictures and stories about my vacation soon!

Much love,

Albion Abroad

I found Albion College in a run-down orphanage in Ludus, Romania.

It was a one hour drive on narrow, two lane roads that wound through small roadside villages to reach the town of Ludus. We traveled by Maxi Taxi, or small bus,as a group to visit one of the worst orphanages in the country of Romania. Simply called "Ludus", this orphanage had a reputation for being a terrible place for any child to have grown up and non-profit agencies fought the government for many years to have the place shut down. We were allowed no cameras, had to show our passports to get in, and our mere presence was cause for commotion. In fact, the first time we had tried to visit the children there we were forced to leave without making any contact at all. This time, as we made the drive from Targu Mures, where we were staying, to Ludus, we were hopeful that we would have the chance to play with some of the children living within Ludus' walls that so desperately needed the love and attention we were there to provide. As we pulled into town and drove down a narrow street we saw the gates and long tree-lined driveway that lead to the three story building that was Ludus orphanage. Our Taxi driver let us out at the end and we were left to walk up the pathway to the orphanage staff and children that awaited us. It was an eerie walk, one I remember as if it were yesterday, as we looked around and realized how dire the situation was for the children who resided here. There was a distinct unpleasant odor that filled our noses as we walked together on the cracked, uneven pavement. We glanced around to see merely 1 swing set and play area that had been so poorly taken care of you wondered how it remained standing. The weeds were overgrown to such an extent that many of them reached above the windows of the surrounding buildings. We reached the entrance and formed a line to show our passports to the administrator who was unhappily awaiting our arrival. It was then that I saw her: a young teen stepping out of the orphanages main doors among a few other curious children who eyed us oddly as we stepped into their world. I noticed nothing else about this girl except the gold t-shirt she wore with purple lettering that read "Albion College Basketball". I immediately stepped out of line and walked up to her. In my broken Romanian I said "Where did you get that shirt?". Her response "from a boy who come here". A boy. From Albion College. Was here. HERE. In this very orphanage. In this very city. of Romania. And he had given her a shirt, probably because it was all that he had to give, to leave with her, as a memory and token of his visit. My heart jumped out of my chest and I had never been so proud of the small nineteen-hundred-fifty student population that was, and is, Albion College. I found Albion College that day, found what it means to be a part of a place that gives you the education and experience to impact the world.

I read THIS article today about Albion College helping out in Haiti. The picture you will see with the article is of a woman, in an Albion College t-shirt, holding a small child in what is probably some sort of relief shelter for survivors of the devastation in Haiti. This article reminded me of my encounter with Albion College in Romania and made me even more proud of my Alma Mater. It makes me proud to know that even the tiniest of schools can have a presence in helping people in need all across the globe.

And because all posts deserve a picture, the picture below is from my Freshman year at Albion taken of my good friend Aimee and I at a swim meet where we both competed for the Albion College Britons.

I left my own Albion College t-shirt with an orphan in Romania. I hope another student sees it one day and feels the same pride that I felt that day standing on the steps of Ludus, one of the worst orphanages in Romania, to be connected to Albion College as it reaches out to help the world.

Merry Christmas!

I know that it is a little bit late but I hope that everyone has had a great Christmas!

I traveled home Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with my family. To follow in tradition, we met at my Grandma's house and had a biscuit and gravy Christmas Eve dinner. It is one of my favorite traditions in its own un-traditional way. We enjoy my grandma's homemade dinner and then open gifts and enjoy each other's company. It's always a beautiful evening filled with laughter, good company, and pure joy.

Christmas day my sister, Mom, Dad, and Gavin open gifts from each other before enjoying a quiet breakfast all together before the day turns into a busy celebration as friends and family stop over for a visit. This year after breakfast I had the chance to make a few visits myself and enjoyed catching up with a good friend and one of my favorite cousins. The rest of Christmas Day was filled with family, games, and Mexican Sandwiches-another non-traditional Wright holiday meal.

I hope that you have enjoyed a Christmas filled with family, laughter, and your own family traditions. And love; lots and lots of love.

In front of the tree
Gavin learning to play music with Grandma
Playing his new piano
Mom and Dad
Sisters with Gavin
Yay blocks!!
hugs for Curious George
Krystal and Gavin.