The Accidental Olympian

OKTOBERFEST, ALASKA STYLE

In celebration of a friends birthday a few people traveled to Girdwood, AK, a little ski town south of Anchorage. The birthday was one reason to rent a cabin in the woods with a hot tub, but the fact that Oktoberfest was going on sure didn't hurt either! 

The cabin, the friends, the hot tub, Oktoberfest fun were all great. But the icing on the cake? 

Calling Kelly at Oktoberfest and forcing her to talk to me. I'm getting quite bold with this blogger outreach thing. Watch yourselves readers. If you get too close, I WILL call you at 2am (your time, I'm so ahead in the time zones, when my night starts you're all sleeping) and force you to tell me all about your day while repeatedly telling you how much I love you and how I want you to move to Alaska so we can be best friends. 

So you know, comment at your own risk. 

A FIRST

Last Wednesday was a first for me. 

Last Wednesday I met a fellow blogger and online friend. 

Tori of Crabbily Ever After. 

I wont lie to you, I was nervous. Like manically cleaning my house nervous before Tori and her brand new husband Dan (they were on an Alaskan cruise honeymoon, which is how I managed to meet them in Alaska), arrived at my door. 

Would what works so well online via blogging comments, Facebook and Twitter work, in person? 

Turns out, it does. 

The minute we were in the car on our way to happy hour I felt like I was chatting with a close friend. As a blog, Facebook, Twitter and instagram follower of Tori's I felt like I knew as much about Tori as I did some of my close friends I met in college. It was so easy to check in about the dogs, the house, her new job, the wedding or the honeymoon. Instead of feeling like a first date, it was much more clearly a 40th date. 

Equally awesome, I finally got to have someone who only knows the dogs via my blog meet them in real life. Now Tori can confirm that I'm not exaggerating even a little bit when I say that Oly is one crazy biatch. 

This meeting feels like it opened a door. I've always felt like it was safer to keep myself behind the computer screen when it came to taking the next step with bloggers I've formed relationships with over the two plus years I've been rattling nonsense on the internet. But now, now I'd really like to crash all of your Alaskan cruise honeymoons. 

Sidenote: Turns out I am the queen of making horrible awkward champagne toasts. Like, we're talking cringe worthy. I will work on this before I meet my next blogger friend. Promise. 

So, it's official. It is now a rule that if you dare step foot in this state for any reason AT ALL, you have to come to my house so Oly can jump on you. Otherwise, we simply can't be friends anymore. 

Rules are rules. 

NOTHING LIKE A NEW DESIGN TO SPICE UP MY MONDAY

Before we get to the good stuff, a little housekeeping. I hope all my bloggy friends know that when I thanked my friends and family for their support over the last two years in this post, what I meant by 'friends' was, "real life friends who listened to me bitch, cry, squirm and flail through the tough shit, but also all these amazing people I met on the Internet who let me vent, told me it was going to get better, pushed me to be open and honest, and gave me the most amazing group therapy sessions week after week after horrid week. Without this outlet and online support group I don't know if I'd be as far as I am today."

Just in case ya'll didn't realize that your Internet love meant as much as the face time love. For realz. 

 

 

 

YEAH, so now that we got that out of the way, I'd like to introduce you to my new Facebook profile picture for the Accidental Olympian.

Design provided by my dear friend Kelly who seriously improved my Friday when he sent me this final version. Can you imagine the brainstorming that went into creating this? Weirdness.

Kelly is a fireman (hello ladies!) who also dabbles in photography and design. Enjoys camping, playing the guitar, and reading. Will also take you on a long walk on the beach. Maybe. If you bring a sandwich and good beer. 

Hmmm, pitching his design work is starting to sound like a Match.com profile....

Anyway, if you're looking for a new banner ($100), or a profile picture for your blog ($50), button for your page ($50), or just weird ass design work let me know at accidentalolympian at gmail dot com, and I'll pass you along to Kelly. 

If you're wondering, this is who will be doing your design work.

Yes, being friends with him is difficult, what with the molten lava thing. But we make it work.

 

 

So to recap:

• I love my bloggy friends. Like, a lot.
  
• I have a new Facebook profile photo for the blog which makes me laugh and is equally awesome.
  
  • PLUS, you should like my Facebook page if you don't already so I can feel important, and stuff. 
• If you'd like some design work for your website, etsy store, or blog, please email me at accidentalolympian at gmail dot com so I can connect you with my friend Kelly, who designed my profile picture.
  
• The. End.
  

MY FAVORITE PICTURE, EVER

KINDNESS & KARMA WEEK, THE FRIENDSHIP EDITION

I like having posts with 'editions'.

Does that make me quirky?

Ha, who am I kidding. Being ME makes me quirky.



So, here we are at the end of a week about kindness, karma, and good o'l fashion happiness. I don't know about you, but I feel better.

One of the things I've tried to focus on this week is looking at all the pieces in my life that are working. All the layers that fit together to make this life I live a lot higher on the AWESOME spectrum and much less leaning towards the LAME spectrum.

There was a time, right after I relocated to Olympia where I believed that besides Adam and my dog, I was alone. Alone in this world, alone in this city, and Adam and I would simply be forced to soldier on together, two against the world.

And yet today I am able to stand here and say that this is so very far from the truth. Making friendships, especially lasting friendships as an adult is one of the most trying experiences next to moving and job hunting. Yet somehow, some way, we all manage to make it work.


Some friendships in our lives are less traditional. In this age of social media, the bloggosphere and the Internet it's amazing that I can stand here and proclaim to you that I believe I have managed to make and build meaningful friendships that truly enrich the quality of my life with some of you wonderful people who visit my website. Sometimes it is something as simple as connecting with another blogger and feeling as if we might actually be twins separated at birth (I'd link to some of you wonderful people, but I don't want this to become some weird popularity contest. Believe me, you all know who you are. I love you biatches!).

Sometimes it is watching as a friendship once unbreakable in elementary school/junior high then fizzled out in High School/adulthood is rekindled using the magic of Facebook. Who knew Facebook not only helped cure boredom and increase stalker tendencies, but it also helped rebuild friendships!

Then there are the kind of friendships that continue to be felt even when states and timezones separate your bond. These friendships aren't able to be felt on a day to day basis, there are no happy hours or weekend barbecues yet after a year apart, as you stand in your kitchen catching up like old times and you realize the time, money, and effort this friend sacrificed just to be there with you on your 25th birthday, you can't help but thank your lucky stars for their existence in your life.

What about the people who've known you for so long, you now consider them family? Hell, what about true family! I mean, who doesn't love having people in your life who will always know you a little deeper than the rest of the world? Even if in knowing you a little better than everyone else means they are able to embarrass you with ease!

Then we have the friendships that take you back and remind you of milestones long passed, but never forgotten. These friendships are precious because when you're together, it's as if you suddenly have the power to time travel.

Of course you can't forget those friends from life in your everyday either. By some grace of good luck I have found amazing women in this town, women who welcome me openly into their lives, women who make plans, take walks, sip wine, attend birthdays, women willing to reach out and give me support through a tough decision, take a walk along a pier, listen to my fears, invite me to a Zumba class because they know I need to be cheered up, carry my secrets, laugh with me. These women have made Olympia so much more than a stopping point in my life, but an actual home. Without them this city would indeed be a friendless wasteland, but with their acceptance and friendship, this town has become a place I love. 


Thank you to all the people in my life, both big and small. From the comments on this blog that BRIGHTEN my day, to the emails, the ghat conversations that stretch on for weeks, and the two hour marathon phone conversations, the happy hours, or Facebook repartees, dinner parties, or reunions, long walks, exercise classes, and practices, YOU NAME IT, I love you fools.



MAN, this is probably going to go down as one of the most sappy of sappy posts I've ever written! Forgive me for ending this week so damn hopeful and elated if that sort of thing gets under your skin and the only reason you ever even started reading this blog in the first place was the fact that you liked that I was snarky and mean. If you're missing the angry woman who's down on her luck and ready to snap, I'm sure she's still down there lurking around. Somewhere.

But before she rears her ugly head, come in here and give me a hug.

You know you wanna.  

Ashley, the SAPPY Accidental Olympian