A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...Sort of

The last 24 hours have been interesting, to say the least. Cancelled flights, delayed flights and flights that leave minutes before you arrive at the gate (breathless after running across the entire airport) were common occurrences yesterday.

It's funny because no matter how well you have something planned, you have no control over the weather and no say as to when a plane will take off. So after spending too many hours in the airport yesterday and spending a short night in Minneapolis, I'm at the airport to try my luck again today.

I'll admit, yesterday there were a few times when I got frustrated...then I remembered that I'm not in control. That reminder helped me to smile when I discovered I'd missed my flight by mere minutes and that I'd have to wait until today to arrive at my meeting.

So often we let one bad situation ruin our entire day, but why? Yesterday was a prime example that smiling in the midst of not-so-ideal situations helps to make the hours pass more quickly.

Yesterday was plagued with several unideal situations. Despite that, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with my best friend and I'm getting a blog post done. See, good things do come from bad days! I hope that when life throws a curveball your way, you endure it with a smile on your face and the knowledge that you aren't in control.

P.S. I'm headed to North Carolina to attend a Bayer CropScience sustainability conference. I can't wait to share some of the things I learn when I return!

Until next week,

Thankful for the Occasional Breakthrough

Papers spread across the table, country music playing on the radio and my pen frantically jotting down my thoughts...today I felt like a college student who let that paper deadline creep up on me, which I assure you I never actually let happen in college!

With the deadline for the next issue of the North Dakota Soybean Grower magazine a mere two days away, I don't even open my calendar anymore for fear that my giant 'to-do' list will grow each time I look at it. It seems that the closer the deadline is, the worse my writer's block gets...but today I finally had a breakthrough. I got through an entire article this morning, am going to put the finishing touches on a second article and I will even get my weekly post done before noon, well it's pretty close anyway!

Writing for the magazine is my favorite part of what I do and it amazes me how a few words can completely change the tone of a story. I'm also amazed at how, even when I'm writing about the incredible agriculture industry, I still encounter writer's block! I'm thankful for the opportunity to highlight our industry, even when it gets stressful.

A scene that is so reminiscent of my days as college student. 

I hope that your week is going great! If it's anything like mine, I'm sure that it has had its fair share of challenges but hopefully you've had a of breakthrough or two.

Until next week,

Gotta go long, Gotta go hard, Gotta go fast

I first hit the slopes of Big Sky at the age of five. Since then, many family vacations have occurred on the side of a mountain. Since first hitting the slopes, I have become a much more proficient skier (no lie, ask anyone!) and can keep up with my dad. Many long car rides, hours on ski lifts and nights spent playing games are some of my favorite memories from my childhood. 
Last week I had an opportunity to spend four amazing days on the slopes with my family and our family friends. The times we spend together are moments I truly treasure. Since my first time on skis to now, I have spent a lot of time on my butt (less now that I'm older!), taken many trips up the ski lift, and certainly left my mark on the slopes...it's safe to say I've learned a few lessons.
Lessons Learned on the Slopes
5 second rule: One of the very first things you learn when skiing with our crew is that the longer you spend on the ground the more likely it is that you will encounter snow fog. What is snow fog? Basically it's when everyone skiing in your group that's behind you when you fall will ski as fast as they can until they get three feet from where you lay, then they stop...abruptly thus spraying you with snow. Regardless of age or gender, you better learn to get up pretty fast when you fall because otherwise you are sure to get sprayed. Word of advice, if you think you might fall let everyone else ski in front of you!
7 hour car rides are the best: Whenever my family goes skiing we always go with the Gussiaas family. The Topp-Gush ski trips are the source of some of my fondest memories. The long car rides with my two best friends have generated stories that we still talk about to this day. I often think our dad's wished we would've had dvd players in the suburbans when we were younger so they didn't have to listen to us play our favorite game 'What would you rather be?'
Gotta go long, gotta go hard, gotta go fast: This is the mantra of the Topp-Gush ski trips. When you only get a few days on the slopes you cherish every moment. It's our anthem, a constant reminder to cherish every second we have on the slopes, every moment we have together. Growing up on the slopes with my family and closest friends is something I am so thankful for. I am glad that my parents allowed the boys and I the opportunity to spend a few days on the mountain every year. I think this a motto we can apply to our everyday life. Life is short, we never know how much time we are given, so we need to cherish every second of it. Set the bar high. Don't stop until you've carved up the entire mountain, or reached your dream!

The good lookin' Gush-Topp gang...minus Amanda.

Becca, myself and Jessica when we were much younger!

Jessica, Becca and myself. So blessed to have these two as friends!

I had a blast hitting the slopes last week, and I can't wait until the next Topp-Gush adventure! 
Until next week,