However, it has not come without it\’s sacrifices. The sacrifice in particular that I write of is that of my other favorite pass time. Running.

Before I began this shift my life was work and running. Pretty much all the free time I had was spent out on the trails and roads of Washington. I love running and it\’s helped me become the person I am today. It\’s helped me to have the drive to reach for my goals. It was the systematic approach to running that I am now applying to my art. The simple idea of consistency, dedication and a failure to quit when things seem tough.

But running was more than the discipline. It was my social life.

As many others I\’m sure, I\’ve led a bit of a vagabond life since I left home to attend art school. I left N.H. for Florida. Then Florida to California and then finally settled on Seattle. When I moved to Seattle I again knew no one less my brother and it was running that helped me meet many great Seattlites. And over time these fellow runners become your other family. Well, for six months I have not run. I have dedicated myself to my art and nothing else. And I miss my running family.

This last weekend a good friend who is also making some big life changes came down from Vancouver and visited her running family. It had been a while since I had seen her and the rest of the group and I took the opportunity to catch up. What was suppose to be just a walk around a park turned into breakfast. After breakfast I was convinced I had to continue the reunion of sorts by attending the running club quarterly poker night.

To wrap things up, it was a good day. I had a great time visiting with my friends, getting to know some of them a little more and meeting new ones. I miss running. I miss my friends and I hope that I can get back to my regular training soon.