Run. A piece inspired over the miles. Saturday breezed in on the wings of nostalgia. It was race day in Central Park, and Scotland's blue and white Saltire dotted the start and finish lines while the chilling cries of bagpipes verberated through the morning murmurs. Eight thousand runners huddled into their corrals along the edge of Central Park West; many were dressed in tartan, some paired kilts with running shoes, and even the painted face of William Wallace made an appear

Witness. A piece inspired in real time. 18th September. A dreary and misty day of uncertainty in the city of Edinburgh. Looming in the unwavering fog is the duty of decision. Stickers of Yes. Placards for No. The future of Scotland rests in the hands of its registered voters - an astounding 97% of them. Would its citizens awake tomorrow to an independent Scotland? And if they did, what would this tiny, beloved (adopted) country of mine face -- economically, financially, divis

Storybook. A piece inspired by Scotland. It's safe to say since my time in Scotland, I'm on a different path. Rather, I've always been on this path but now I see it differently, more clearly -- and for exactly what it is: my own. I've stumbled off of it more times than I can remember, but I've thankfully always found my way back. And I've finally discovered the tool to stay on this path, an inner compass to guide me along. One that I can use to sort out all decisions with, an

Fall. Fallen. Fall in. Fall in love. A piece inspired by it all. This weekend, I fell in love with Edinburgh all over again. Saturday found me up before the sun. As much as I relish my beauty sleep, I can't think of a single time that I've regretted waking up & greeting the sun as it rises in the east. Venturing out before the sun is like being in on a secret that the world doesn't know yet. Minutes after sunrise, I started my well-underestimated 26 mile hike, known as the Pe

Impact. A piece inspired by struggle. A recent professional development course introduced me to the concept of personal impact. My takeaway from this session was that impact, contrary to popular belief, is not something you have. Impact is something you do. Therefore impact is not a passive byproduct of your existence, but an active effort you make to influence and shape your environment. During this course, a swarm of "Wheels Up"-inspiring questions filled my head. How aware

Revelation. A piece inspired by the Climb. Independent. Stubborn. Optimistic. Blithe. These are the qualities I most identify with and equally take the most pride in -- yet these are the first (okay maybe not stubborn) that seem to fallaway in more relationship-eras than I care to count. In said relationships, I was always ready to latch onto someone else's dreams, jump into the passenger seat and go along for the ride. Looking back on these times, I can't help but wonder, di

Strangers. A piece inspired by the journey itself. Strangers are everywhere in a new city. The unknown faces and unknown stories of the passersby. Strangers here in Edinburgh come in all shapes and sizes. Children laughing and playing games. Couples, young and old, walking hand in hand. There's a lot of love in the city of Edinburgh, I've observed. And what more do I love, than being in the presence of love? In the brief moments we share -- the smiles exchanged or the helpful

A journal inspired by Europe. A piece inspired by Edinburgh. In getting to know new cities, like getting to know new people, I am intently interested to see the hidden layer beneath the surface. Don't show me your touristy shops with plastic goods; your fake facade hiding realness and depth. I want to get lost on the streets behind the fanfare. That's where the history is. Tell me the stories that happened behind the walls of these old buildings. Who lived here? Who died here