One Little Word 2017: Inspired

January 10, 2017 - lynne 2 Comments

Rather than picking a single or handful of resolutions for the new year, I’ve taken to selecting a single word to act as my guide for the upcoming 12 months.

Last year, after a hard transition from Denver to Pittsburgh, I selected ‘resilience’ to reframe the negative attitude I had (especially around things I can’t/couldn’t control) to that of seeing silver linings. I needed more joy, more bounce back, more ‘can do’ attitude in my life if I was going to survive 2016. Through a year of transitions and unknowns – from Pittsburgh to a temporary summer in Denver to a full time relocation to Denver to post-MBA plans to open heart surgery – keeping ‘resilience’ on my mind and heart helped me keep perspective and a more positive attitude.

This year’s word found me on New Year’s Eve. After striving to exercise creativity the past few months through my sewing machine, I realized that in order to be creative, I need to feel inspired. And as I thought about it, I am craving inspiration in nearly every facet of my life. I want to focus on and notice the details around me for inspiration. I want to feel inspired to create art or projects or creativity. I want to read books that inspire me. I am inspired to find time to act and engage with my community, to give back – and I don’t want that inspiration or drive to push to the back burner. I want to find inspiration in those around me to do my job better, to be a more present wife, to be a more engaged sister and friend, to be a more active citizen.

‘Inspired’ is another mind shift – from going about life with my blinders on, focusing solely on what needs to be done next to stepping back and taking in the world and people around me. There’s so much ‘go go go’ in my days right now and I want – and need – to slow down, look around and find moments of inspiration in my everyday life.

I’m looking forward to approaching the next 355 days with a more thoughtful and inquisitive outlook and translating inspiration to action.

When The Holidays Include An Open Heart Surgery

January 3, 2017 - lynne 5 Comments

Back in Denver tonight after 2 weeks in OH/PA and I am really missing my family.

I flew home to Cincinnati on a Saturday, one full week before Christmas and for the first time in several years, all of my siblings (5 of us!) were home, too. Our youngest sister, Lexi, was scheduled for an open heart surgery on Monday, 12/19, so we kids made it a point to be home a few days before to celebrate Christmas together and rally around Lexi ahead of her surgery.

Per Lexi’s request, we went to a Christmas church play, ate Christmas dinner (including her favorite ‘red noodles’) and exchanged gifts on the night before. I snapped lots of photos throughout the night and ensuing days; while we all expected and hoped for the best on Monday, our baby sister would be facing a major, 8 hour operation during which machines would be pumping her blood and breathing air into her lungs. It was hard not to acknowledge the seriousness of what the next day would bring and push out the worst case scenarios from bouncing around our brains. But that night, we put aside differences, laughed and hugged, and really savored our moments together as a family.

We caravanned down to Cincinnati’s Children’s hospital on Monday morning after a night of restless sleep to spend the last few minutes with Lexi before she was wheeled back to the operating room. In true millennial fashion, she sent out one last snap before the doctors came for her.

The next hours were agonizing. Lexi was the longest case of the day so we were shown into a consultation room to post up for the next 8 hours. A nurse came in to update us every 1.5 hours; in between, we read books and emails, slept, colored, took coffee breaks, flipped through hospital TV channels. Time has never moved so slowly as it did that morning.

And then, early in the afternoon, Lexi’s doctor joined us in our room to deliver the best news I’ve ever heard – surgery was a success and everything went smoothly. They were cleaning her up and moving her to the ICU and we’d be allowed to see her in a couple of hours.

Miraculously, Lexi came out of surgery and surprised everyone with how great she was recovering. There were hilarious post-surgery conversations that I will never forget (although, she may not remember them as clearly). She was awake, aware and in good spirits. After 1 day in the ICU, she was moved to the ‘step down’ room where she spent one night and came home the following day. After 2 days in the hospital after open heart surgery, she was coming home!

The week between Lexi coming home and Alex and I trekking back to Pittsburgh was truly magical. My brothers and sisters were home, my husband was with me, my parents and their spouses were home and off work. I went to yoga with my brother and my husband; we played cards around the kitchen table; my dad and his wife came over every single day.

Alex and I spent great time with his family, too – snuggling with our newest nephew and his amazing parents, catching up with a brother who just started college and sister who is about to graduate college. We spent an afternoon bowling and eating barbecue and instead of exchanging gifts this year, we opted to play games together on Christmas morning, spending precious time together that we rarely get as adults.

And now, back in Denver by myself, I’m feeling a little sad and lonely. The post-holiday blues. I feel so lucky and grateful for these days spent with my families this holiday season because in every facet, we slowed down and focused on the meaning of Christmas – sharing love and joy with each other. And this year, more than most, I plan to carry this light into my new year, too.

Currently, November/December 2016

December 5, 2016 - lynne 3 Comments

As you may expect, Q4 is a hoppin’ time in the land of mobile rebates and incentivized purchases so this gal has been busting her tail more than usual. So without further ado, let’s talk about what’s been up in my world recently.

(still) Grappling with election results and the future of our country, like most of us, I’m sure. Others have done a much better job articulating their thoughts than I have been able to (on what will happen to our land? on climate change. on how to be the light in this dark, Trump time.) It’s extremely frightening to see some Americans emboldened by Trump’s win to terrorize on the subway or aggressively vandalizing the home of an interracial couple. This cannot continue.
Meeting my November goals. Except for taking the stairs (I found out that I can’t actually get into my office from the stairs as my key card will not buzz me in), I managed to find time for reflection, reading a book, and making (most) of my own meals.
Splitting my time between Denver and Pittsburgh/Cincinnati. In November, I was able to spend 2 weeks in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati for Thanksgiving. In December, I’m heading back to Pittsburgh for ‘BSchool Prom’ this weekend and will return to Denver before spending the last 2 weeks of the year in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. I feel so fortunate to have the flexibility to work remotely and accommodate my strange life.
Focusing on working out/being more active. I have a bad habit of cutting exercise when work ramps up or I am traveling. In October, I experienced 2 bouts of excruciating back pain that was muscle/pinched nerve related. That served as a wakeup call that I can’t keep neglecting self-care and that I do need to prioritize exercise and stretching. Since then, I’ve been making a point to exercise at least 3x a week – running, hiking, yoga, stretching, walking breaks during the day, strength training. No system or schedule yet but I’m proud of myself for sticking to it.
Incorporating creativity. This weekend, I dusted off the sewing machine and spent my (crazy) Saturday night eating pizza and sewing pajama pants in my basement room. I want to spend time in 2017 prioritizing creative projects to tap into new ideas, finding a new community (ex: take a sewing class) and hone a skill.
Drinking Bruegger’s coffee every day. I’ve never been a Starbucks person. I do, however, LOVE Bruegger’s coffees, especially their seasonal flavors. This year, I ponied up and bought the Bottomless Mug card that lets me drink unlimited coffee and iced tea until 12/31/2017. I work a few blocks from Bruegger’s in Denver, live a few blocks from Bruegger’s in Pittsburgh and stay within a 2 mile radius from a Bruegger’s when we go home to Cincinnati so it was well worth the investment.

As it relates to work, we are barreling down the last sprint of 2016. Year-end reviews, holiday parties, influx of clients with campaigns to turn on ASAP, PTO days, etc, etc – it’s madness and chaos and thrilling and amazing, all at once.

Cheers, friends. Hope your holiday season is treating you well and you’re gearing up for some quality time with family and friends over the coming weeks.

Election Day 2016

November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 - lynne 3 Comments

It’s election day and I have so many feelings – hopeful Hillary wins, nervous about what it means from the other side if she does, exhausted of all the political ads and chatter, ready for a sense of normalcy to return.

But I feel so proud that I had the opportunity to vote for a woman to be our president. To vote for the only qualified candidate in this election. To vote for inclusion vs. exclusion. To vote for someone who know what she’s doing. To vote for someone who believes in climate change and wants to be part of the solution.

Talking politics isn’t my usual MO but today’s a day I can’t not acknowledge on my little corner of the internet.

Regardless of who you vote for, I hope you, too, got out and voted today and made your voice heard.

And definitely listening to this on repeat. Let’s do it, HRC!

Reducing Our Environmental Impact

November 7, 2016November 6, 2016 - lynne Leave a comment

Recently, I wrote a post for Trail Sisters about how we – as Trail Sisters and humans alike – can help reduce our environmental impact with a few tiny changes to our days. Things like: riding a bike or sharing a ride vs. driving, bringing your own coffee mug and more.

And then, this weekend as I was sidelined thanks to lower back pain (again, ugh!), I watched Before The Flood and it really drove home the impact global warming/climate change is having on the earth, society and our collective future. This documentary is 90 minutes long and is free through 11/7 (tonight!) on Hulu, YouTube, Facebook, OnDemand and several other places. I highly encourage you to watch it!

There are SO many easy and tiny changes we can make to our day that can make a difference. Things like:

Eat less beef
Recycle
Compost leftovers
Plant a garden to grow veggies
Join a CSA (community supported agriculture)
Use Tupperware/plastic containers vs. plastic baggies
Use a Diva Cup vs. tampons
Use a refillable water bottle
Use a push mover vs. gas mower
Reduce air travel
Ride a bike
Ride a bus
Switch to energy efficient light bulbs
Upgrade to energy efficient windows
Choose energy efficient appliances
Turn down/off the thermostat
Unplug electronics when not in use
Wash dishes by hand vs. dishwasher
Reduce/eliminate paper towels
Use an air dryer vs. paper towels in public restrooms
Air dry laundry
Take a shorter shower
Choose shampoos/soaps/cleaners with environmentally friendly ingredients
Shop local this holiday season
Wrap gifts in recycled wrapping paper (or even a paper grocery bag)
Support companies whose values and actions align with reducing environmental impact where possible
Vote for candidates who believe climate change is real and will work with other world leaders to make big changes

I’ll admit that some of these ideas are easier for me to implement than others (I often choose paper towels over cloth towels when cleaning at home – old habits die hard) but being aware of my options and making a conscious effort to change my actions will hopefully inspire others to do the same.

In past generations, caring about our impact and the environment might have fallen more in the Counter Culture bucket but these days, it needs to be top of mind for ALL of us if we’re going to turn this climate change ship around and preserve this beautiful Earth we love and life for future generations.

I’d love to hear additional tactics you like to help reduce your environmental impact in the comments below!

Snapshot: Day in the Life, October 2016

October 18, 2016October 18, 2016 - lynne 3 Comments

From time to time, I like to chronicle a day in my current moment of life. The past few years have been full of finite moments and big transitions so pausing to take inventory of what is happening in this chapter. This chapter is particularly unique.

This post captures a fairly regular Tuesday. I’ve been watching pups through Rover.com (I miss Philly!) so on this morning, Gertie and I woke up early to walk around the neighborhood before breakfast (I’ve been spoiling myself with homemade breakfast tacos!), before biking to work.

Work consisted of internal meetings, client calls, emails and projects. I caught up with a friend over lunch and took a brief walk around downtown for some fresh air afterward. I headed home a bit early on my bike to let the dogs out for a potty break.

After feeding the dogs and grabbing myself a snack, I hopped in the car and headed back to work to watch a screening of the documentary, CODE, Debugging the Gender Gap. It was really interesting and, while I wish we were at a point in society where we didn’t have to have conversations or films about gender equality, I so appreciate that my company IS talking about it and promoting equality and diversity in tech, in the workplace, in the America.

After the film, Gertie and I went out for another brisk walk around the ‘hood before cranking out a few last emails and heading to bed. For the days that she stayed with me, my fuzzy pal Gertie snoozed right next to me like a giant, living teddy bear. It was the best.

And today, in this moment right now, my husband is traveling across the country to plant himself in Denver for 10 days and I can hardly contain my excitement – this will be the longest we’ve been together since May! It makes me so happy to know I get to have conversations in real life, share dinner and snuggle next to my favorite person every day for the next week and a half.

How’s life in this moment of your world?

Life In Denver, Again

September 26, 2016September 26, 2016 - lynne Leave a comment

More than a week ago, I packed most of my things into the back of OsCar the Outback and drove myself back to Denver. I drove 5 hours to Cincinnati on Thursday night, 5 hours to St. Louis Friday night and 12 hours to Denver on Saturday.

I moved into a duplex house with a roommate – my first roommate in 7+ years – and, surprisingly, the arrangement is going very well. We get along fabulously and spent the weekend doing very roommate-y things: making homemade pizzas on Friday night, watched a movie and YouTube videos Saturday night and Sunday, ran our own errands but caught up later in the evening.

My roommate has a little dachshund, Schnapps, who is a gentle and goofy old man of a dog. His signature move is to run up to anyone who has food and sit up on his hind legs, like a kangaroo.

I send so many snaps of this strange pose because it makes me so happy. I miss Philly a lot and it’s nice to have a little pup running around so I can get a few furry snuggles at the end of a work day.

Living just 3 miles from work, I’m biking to/from again like I did this summer. In fact, I’ve only driven my car a handful of times the past week (mostly to get furniture/items from Target for my new room) and I’m excited to continue biking or riding transportation regularly. Of course, the whole reason I drove the car back out is to maximize mountain time and now that I’ve situated myself in my new room, I’m looking forward to fall and winter mountain adventures!

When we left Denver last year, Alex and I talked about how whenever we did/do find our way back, it would never be the same as when we left. I agreed at the time and never really expected that I’d be back in Denver, without him, so soon after we left. It’s certainly not the life we left behind but I’m excited about it all the same. Work, travel, building new friendships, making time for hobbies, sleeping on both sides of the bed. 😉

I find myself missing Alex and Philly the most in the quiet moments in the evening, when I’m hunkered down in my basement room for the night. And in every moment of my weekend which has been such treasured time over the past year when I’d get more than a few minutes of time with my husband. Now, I’m figuring out new routines to keep myself happy and occupied during those times, as is he.

It’s emotionally hard to be separated and not feel left out when he’s hanging out with our friends or I’m at our favorite football hangout without him. But we both remind ourselves and each other that this long distance is a fleeting moment in the story of our lives. And the benefits outweigh the sacrifice. I know this to be true and I’m not wishing away the time, but I am looking forward to when Denver is OUR city again.

Heading West, Again

September 16, 2016 - lynne Leave a comment

It’s a gorgeous fall day in Pittsburgh; humidity is low, temperatures have dipped and the sun is shining brightly. The kind of day that makes me appreciate spending time in the midwest for this moment in my life, yearning for the crunch of leaves beneath my feet as I walk Philly around our neighborhood, snuggling under a blanket with my husband in the evenings in our poorly-insulated old apartment.

But this is likely my first and last midwest fall day this season because, today, I begin a drive west to move back to Colorado.

Earlier this summer while working in Denver, I knew spending this upcoming year working remotely would not be the best decision for me, professional or personally. Truthfully, I knew this the moment I left Colorado last July.

Being the sole remote person on my team was challenging; I missed interacting with my coworkers and I felt really isolated. Growing and leading a team remotely is extremely challenging and, this summer alone, I added 4 new members to my team and currently have open several open positions for my territory. Things at Ibotta are moving so fast and it’s such an exciting time to be part of this company that I don’t want to miss out on the unique opportunities and experience in front of me.

Alex immediately supported the move; he’s always encouraged me to find and follow what’s important to me in a career. After many thoughtful conversations, we made a game plan and I found a short term apartment in Denver before I left at the end of the summer. I will be spending most of my time in Denver and ‘reverse remote working’ where I’ll work remotely for a week in Pittsburgh every few weeks so I’m able to still spend time with Alex.

I’m as excited to move as I am sad to leave.

For much of the past couple of years, I’ve felt like I’m in the passenger’s seat, figuring out how to fit my plans into my husband’s school schedule. This, though, is me taking the driver seat (literally) and making a decision about what’s best for me, a decision that sets me up for current and future success and is a decision I feel really good about. I’m excited to continue to grow in my career and be in the office as the next months unfold.

Of course, it’s not without it’s tradeoff. I’ve cried many tears about leaving Alex and Philly. About the life experiences Alex and I will have separately from each other. About missing out on the precious little time I have left with our Pittsburgh friends before graduation in May. About not living a short drive from Cincinnati.

It’s going to be hard and exciting and lonely and rewarding, all a the same time. In the end, these 10 months of long distance will fly by and be an interesting story in this ‘unconventional’ moment of our lives. (And after 2.5 years of long distance dating, 10 months feels like the blink of an eye!)

See you soon, Denver. Just 1500 miles to go.

So Long, Summer Break

September 9, 2016 - lynne Leave a comment

Truthfully, I am as relieved as I am sad the summer has come to an end. This summer was full of life and excitement; I rarely had a down minute to focus on anything besides what I was doing that exact moment and what I needed to be doing the next moment.

I’m currently back in Pittsburgh and it feels SO GOOD to be in one place for more than a few days, to be back in an apartment with my husband and dog, to have some semblance of ‘normal’ for a little bit.

Since I last checked in, I moved out of my ‘summer home’ and then flew to Boise to road trip across ID + OR with Heidi. Coincidentally, my trip overlapped with Alex’s trip to Bend so it was a treat to spend ~12 hours together with our friends. I then returned to Denver where I bounced around lodging arrangements, 5 nights with a friend in Wash Park, 5 nights house/dog sitting for a friend in the Highlands.

10 days after leaving Portland, I got on a plane to head BACK to Portland (hi again, Oregon) to run 15.5+ miles of the Hood To Coast relay with a super fun team. I left the race early and boarded a bus from Seaside, OR to PDX just as my team was crossing the finish line (official time: 28:46:46, 30th in our category!) to catch a red-eye flight to Pittsburgh by way of Chicago. Tired yet? 🙂

Finishing my last leg at Hood To Coast! Can you tell our team theme was neon?

After landing in Pittsburgh Sunday morning and sleeping most of the day, I worked remotely for one day before boarding ANOTHER flight on Tuesday for Denver for in-person work meetings. On Friday afternoon, I flew back to Pittsburgh and packed my backpack for our Labor Day backpacking trip in West Virginia.

Backpacking in West Virginia #tepperlife

All of this to say…I’ve more than enjoyed my summer of chaos but I’m really happy to be in one place for a little bit. While talking to my dad earlier this week, he commented, ‘Well, you guys certainly are unconventional!’ and I don’t think a truer statement could be made about this moment in this Petre family’s life.

This week, though, I’ve spent my time doing very conventional things: working (albeit, remotely), eating meals with my husband, catching up with Pittsburgh friends, bonding with my pup, exercising, getting more than a few hours of sleep a night, reflecting.

Savoring these moments of calm before the next round of sustained chaos, rapidly approaching.

How Is It Already August?!

August 6, 2016 - lynne Leave a comment

For the first weekend since my first weekend in Denver, I am IN Denver with NO plans. For the past 8 weekends, I have either traveled, backpacked or had friends in town and, while I’ve loved every single minute of it, it feels really decadent to have a down weekend…before the next round of madness.

This weekend, I am packing up the room of my ‘summer home’ in preparation for the next, full-time tenant who moves in next weekend. On Tuesday, I leave Denver to meet up with Heidi for a wild west road trip through Idaho and Oregon in the #YourLead van. When I return, I move in (very temporarily) to a friend’s basement until I shift to another friend’s house where I’ll be house/dog sitting while they’re out of town. From THERE, I’ll fly to *back* to Portland, OR, to run with Paula, Katie, Heidi and others in Hood To Coast. From THERE, I’ll red-eye myself to Pittsburgh to spend a (probably exhausted) day with my husband before he starts his second and final year of grad school the next day.

The past few weeks have brought roller-coaster emotions, from the very high (Alex surprising me with a ticket to spend a weekend in Vegas with him) to pretty low (finding out important but scary family health news). I backpacked in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness for my final backpacking school overnight. I spent a final weekend in Los Angeles with Alex before he ends his internship this coming Friday. My brother and his girlfriend visited this past week and we went to Red Rocks Amphitheater for LCD Soundsystem (which was AMAZING!). And as work goes, I feel as passionate as ever and am very excited about what the next months hold.

I’m honestly flabbergasted that the summer is already coming to a close. And while it feels like I just arrived, I also packed so many great experiences into these past 11 weeks.

It’s hard sometimes for me and Alex to see the forest for the trees of this season of life. We can get so laser focused on how much we miss each other, how much we miss ‘real life’ together in the same city (with two incomes!) and forgetting this chapter is a finite moment.

The past year has brought so many interesting and important adventures into our life that we otherwise would never have experienced. Never in my life was Los Angeles on my radar or in my consideration set for a place to visit or consider living. We’ve road tripped across the country multiple times (and will do so a few more times before this season ends). And this summer, I’ve rediscovered my self-reliance in so many facets of life and have been humbled by the outreach and willingness of friends to loan a car or ride or, most importantly, an ear.

Alex and I have grown so much as a married couple, as individuals and as professionals this summer and past year that, without taking a step back to reflect, it’s easy to forge ahead and not appreciate what we’ve learned and who we’ve become, together and separately. And I’m pretty damn proud of who we are and where we’re headed.

With a few more weeks of summer chaos, I’m excited for the last adventures each of us has on our schedules but more excited to reunite in Pittsburgh at the end of the month. Less than 3 weeks till our little family is reunited!

lynne petre

adventures outdoors, in food and through life

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