Slow & steady wins the race, right? (Wait... there's a race?)

Queen B on the treehouse deck in Patagonia

I used to work a lot. I mean, a LOT. 60 and 70 hours a week at my desk and on-site weren't unusual. And then I burnt out. Extra crispy.

I chose wisely in the life partner department and have been able to not only take a break from working really hard and recover from my burnedoutedness (it's a word), but to take my own time doing it.

I downsized my business in September 2016 and have been tying up loose ends and figuring out "what's next" ever since.

I've had the time to cultivate new priorities and boundaries based on my post-menopausal energy level, which I'm realizing is not only a much lower physical level of energy than I used to have, but also one of lower tolerance for BS.

I started writing this particular blog in January, after my experience in Patagonia, Chile with my partner as he competed in an Extreme Triathlon race; and then I left town for my annual review & renew retreat in Central America (that'll be my next blog... with sound and video, if I'm lucky).

Mario Acuna, the world's best tour guide.

The trip to Patagonia was a trip. An excruciating race (that he finished in 16 hours one minute), a beautiful country, the best tour guide on the planet (that'd be Mario, above), and the hardest thing I've done since giving natural childbirth -- hiking a glacier and climbing it's moraine field of boulders. This adventure was non-stop, just like my husband. He came home thrilled and fulfilled; I came home exhausted and ready for MY kind of vacation... somewhere warm, where I sleep as much as possible, walk slowly on black sand beaches, and eat delicious fresh fruit.

And that's where I've just returned from... Costa Rica. More about that next time.

In the meanwhile, I guess all I really want to say is, it's okay if you're not busy all the time. It's okay if your energy level is telling you to slow down. It's okay to take your time deciding what you want to be when you grow up. It's okay to set new boundaries. But it's practically necessary to go on adventures and see new places and live in ways that expand your mind and help you to better know the world and yourself.

I know for sure I'll never climb another glacier.