Kim Fuller

Kim recently completed her undergraduate degree in Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where education is easily coupled with outdoor recreation and constant inspiration. She grew up in the Colorado mountains with annual visits to Maine's rocky coast, which has fueled her passions in writing, photography, hiking and exploring. Newfound interests in strolling farmers' markets, cooking, dining, coffee-shop sitting, running, biking and practicing yoga have made Boulder a perfect place for her to follow her bliss.

This morning, I witnessed Spring clutching her most radiant bouquet as I walked with her in the company of a new day. I watched the rising sun stretch its rays over the awakening horizon as I hiked up the back of a shady, cool ridge. The soft light crept its way across the city beneath me and slowly made its way up to warm my skin.

It’s raining. The tears are streaming from my glass panes and I cannot see clearly. I knew there was a forecast for difficult conditions, but I wasn’t expecting this downpour.

It’s not the unpredictable that I don’t like. Give me sun, snow, rain or wind, and I can stand tall and adjust my layers accordingly. Any element that surprises me is just another opportunity to show strength, perseverance and flexibility.

On the eve of every New Year, a familiar tune floats over bubbly toasts and festive kisses. As the clock strikes midnight and we add another notch to the belt of our years, the words of the late Scottish poet Robert Burns are sung in unison while we sway amongst friends and family.

The harsh tones of your alarm clock blare beside your bed and you can hardly believe it’s the start of another day. Your bleary gaze moves to the window, where the dense fog and darkness whisper that the sun is still sleeping soundly. You too are not yet ready to rise, to encounter the chill lingering outside the goose-feather comforter that wraps you tightly in a cozy cocoon.

As autumn days get colder, we move our gatherings inside, to the coziness and comfort of enclosed spaces. The warmth in our homes comes from more than crackling fireplaces and steaming cups of tea. It comes from the people we surround ourselves with and bring into our vacant spaces. The genial sounds of wet boots squeaking on tile and the shuffle of jackets being hung to dry. Hugs and handshakes exchanged, smiles rising between rosy red cheeks.

I look back at my reflection as I stand on my mat in Tadasana, Mountain Pose. The mirror is only large enough to offer balance and alignment to one person in the room, and since I am the only one here, there is no need for another. A familiar teacher’s voice is riding the breath of my laptop hum as she says to “fold forward and place your fingers around your big toes.” I listen, move, breathe. This is my new yoga studio. It’s in a room thousands of miles away from where I began practicing yoga, but the practice still feels close to home.

The sidewalks have become quieter and the parks a little less playful. After the swirl of summer camping trips and beach house vacations, we find ourselves retreating back to a place we call home. Back to school and back to work, life will begin to resume its constant cadence, and the late-August air will soon find cool surrender in crisp autumn days.

There are some things in life that give you that extra edge — the play between ease and exhilaration that leaves you feeling balanced and inspired. They are the pieces of your day that not only keep you going, but boost you to your best self.

I was first introduced to Joseph Campbell in a 10^th grade English class. Although his ideas sparked my interest, The Hero’s Journey and The Power of Myth were never more to me than philosophical curriculum. Now, however, I appreciate Campbell’s teachings, and those who teach him, more than ever. It seems that now, “Follow your bliss”— his famous words of wisdom — are a part of me every day.