Two months ago I was in Amsterdam for the first time, and it was magical. My first real trip on my own, exploring a strange city, lacking agenda or expectations. I saw a friend recently who explained what he thought life should be, and it reminded me of this evening on the roof, staring across the tops of buildings with more character and history than I could comprehend, and the contentment I felt in that moment.
“Life should be like a fine cheese,” he said. “You should close your eyes and savor it with all of your senses — like this moment is everything, and nothing exists outside of it. And when you’re finished, and the bite has faded away, you’re content, knowing that you’ve truly tasted, that you’ve truly enjoyed.”
We so easily lose track of what we’re doing, what we’re experiencing. It’s hard to remember to stop and savor our surroundings, but to really taste life, and to acknowledge that experience — what a gift.
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Other moments in Denver
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Change, Hard Work, Questions
There's never going to be a shining light that leads the way.
in Denver, United States -
Travel, Airports, The Future
Why do I always feel like I am running away from something? I never feel settled, I can’t get the “this is it?” thought out of my head.
in Denver, United States -
photography, Life
Fatherhood. It's pretty amazing. Being a photographer on top of it just adds to the icing.
in Denver, United States -
Mountain Bike
I ride. To explore. To escape. To experience.
in Denver, United States -
photography, Mountain Bike
Unplug. Explore. Get lost.The wilderness calls.The connected digital world has become too much. How many Friends do you have? How many followers? How many photos are in your Instagram feed? Social media has become not so social. People have forgotten what true connections are, what they can be. John Muir once said, "The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."For me, no truer words have been spoken. I find that path in small bits and pieces on my regular mountain bike rides in and around Denver's Front Range. Flashes of clarity that let me forget hours of conference calls, WebEx and TSA agents. On several occasions this summer, I had entire days of that clarity. Days that are seared into my memory forever.It is like a drug. I am yearning for more connection with the earth and the mountains. That moment of being alive, truly alive, at your physical and mental limitations. The little bits get me through the week. The longer bits get me to the next adventure. The next adventure always leads to another. Finding them takes time and that's okay. The mountains are not going anywhere.
in Denver, United States -
...and then one day you realize, walking in, that you have in fact just arrived.
in Denver, United States -
DCIS-Montbello
A trip to the Denver Art Museum to explore an exhibit on Chinese Art before our trip to China!
in Denver, United States -
DCIS-Montbello
Practicing how to use chopsticks at Kings Land Seafood Restaurant. "Xie xie" to the DCIS Foundation for all their support!
in Denver, United States -
Measure life in terms of acceleration, not velocity. Momentum is everything.
in Denver, United States