Tag Archives: fear conquering
Fear Conquering & Roller Derby
“Mom. You are going to get owned.”
My, how the tables have turned. I’m not going to lie, I was getting a bit of pleasure out of worrying The Spawn.
The reason for their concern was not without merit — I was about to attend Roller Derby Camp. Or as the Killamazoo Derby Darlins call it, a “Fresh Meat Event”.
In our never-ending quest to find quirky things to do… CONTINUE READING >>
Veronica (aka Helln Hotflash) Does Roller Derby
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Veronica becomes “Helln Hotflash” and embeds herself with the Killamazoo Derby Darlins — not quite the brightest move for a “woman of a certain age”! She survived – barely – and it wasn’t until… CONTINUE READING >>
WHOA! Do You Ever Feel Invisible?
Exciting news! I am honored to have been chosen to be a debut video partner of WHOA! Network, an exciting new online video network dedicated to bringing out the best in women “of a certain age.”Here’s the scoop (and you can say you heard it here first!):
WHOA! Network has a simple concept at its core: Women should be seen and heard at every age and valued more as we get older, not less.
Makes sense, right?
Yet that’s not the case. In our… CONTINUE READING >>
Our Interview with Aging Insider
Becca at Aging Insider calls us “5 Alarm Boomer Bloggers” and in this episode of her fabulous show, she says:“Richard Branson says, ‘Screw it, lets do it!’ and this is a couple who is embracing that motto. The kids left for college and this rockstar couple left for the world… CONTINUE READING and watch the video >>
Fear Conquering & Snow Skiing
Learning to ski at my age had me worrying about things that a younger person might not have.
What if I plummet over a cliff, break my hip, and die from complications a week later? What if I take a blow to the back of my head from one of those chair ride thingies and end up like an amnesia-riddled soap opera character? What if I end up like Sonny Bono and that horrible tree? What if?
But as a committed GypsyNester, it is my duty to step out of my comfort zone and… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Hate Mail
A comment on our site:“In my opinion, anyone who would refer to children in such a disgusting and disrespectful way (adult or not) is an emotionally bankrupt shell of a person…”
BAM! My first hate mail.
I read a lot of blogs. Any of them worth their salt raise strong emotion and spark debate on their message boards. Sometimes it can get a bit heated, but makes for a nice balance.
We have had comments on our website that strongly disagree with our opinions and we relish them, we value every… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Whitewater Rafting
In my never-ending quest to push the envelope, I figured my next challenge would be to tackle whitewater rafting.
My trepidation wasn’t what most people would expect. I love to swim, I love being out on the water and am generally fearless when boating. What I was frightfully anxious about was the coldness of the water.
I like my water warm. When I use the word “bracing” it is always in a negative context. Never the one to just dive into a pool — no — I… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Volunteering
What is it that makes us feel so passionate about life when we are helping others? There must be something more to volunteering than the oft said “it makes us feel good to DO good.” I believe it goes deeper.When the chicks fly the coop we lose the built-in community that comes with raising a brood. Gone are the sports team gatherings, the school plays and scout meetings. Entire peer groups disappear overnight. The phone calls requesting help sewing costumes, baking cookies and manning the snack shack come to a screeching halt. It can get kind of lonely… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Paragliding in Lima, Peru
Yup, you read that right!Veronica takes on her biggest challenge yet – strapped on to a parachute high above the beach cliffs of Lima, Peru!
And it’s… CONTINUE READING >>
Veronica’s Hysterical Paragliding Antics
Veronica: I feel like we’re sideways, are we sideways? Pilot George: No. We are fine. We are going in very slow. Veronica: What? It doesn’t feel slow. (petrified laugh) No. Ayhhhhhh… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Writing A Will
In the union of David and I, I am the less fearless. David has always been the adventurer – I am the homebody, the helicopter mom, the worrier. Selling the nest and heading out into the big, wide world, for me, was stepping outside the box. WAY out of the box.My biggest concern was to have our affairs in order, in the event of my certain demise. It’s essential for me to be sure that the kids are not burdened when I go down in flames in a hang gliding / bungee jumping / snowboarding / street food eating episode… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Scuba Diving
Learning to scuba dive has been a long dormant dream of mine. I’m a water person, a good swimmer and love to snorkel. Scuba seemed the next logical step.
So I crammed my not-so-perky butt into a wet suit, strapped 16 pounds of weight around my waist (apparently I’m very buoyant) and jumped in. And immediately FREAKED OUT.
There I was in the ocean, treading water like a madwomen, embarrassed and humbled. What happened? I had aced the pre-ocean part of the lesson. In the swimming pool I was amazing – a scuba diving machine if there ever was one. I was practically one of those Discovery Channel shark chasers.
My mind frantically tried to grasp where things went terribly awry… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & the Flying Trapeze
It was my first Fear Conquering – as kids today say – “epic fail.” Not pretty at all.Maybe I was too jet lagged. Maybe it was too early in the morning. Maybe it was the ten extra pounds of delicious-food Europe weight. Maybe 50-ish is a bit too old to take up a new trick this physical – the reflexes ain’t what they used to be! Maybe I should shut up and stop… CONTINUE READING and watch the video >>
16 Boxes
Almost everyday we hear somebody say “I live vicariously through you” or “ I wish we could do what you’re doing.” As inviting as it may seem, it’s probably not the lifestyle for everybody. There is actually quite a commitment to chucking it all and becoming a gypsy. It takes a dash of nerve and a pinch of intestinal fortitude to get rid of everything you own except a handful of personal items that can be fit into a few boxes.16 boxes to be exact. Close to 30 years of marriage and 3 kids later, we’re whittled down to 16 boxes, most them in storage. Many of these boxes are tagged to go directly to the kids… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Self Defense
I must confess I have anxiety concerning this GypsyNesting stuff. I have strong ideas about the way I want to live my life, but by nature I’m not exactly the bravest person around. I’m a bit of a worrier. Okay, a lot of a worrier. It doesn’t help that half of our family and friends think that this whole GypsyNesting thing is quite mad.In order to alleviate my fears, I decided to take a self defense course to fight the urge to cop out and just “grow old gracefully.” I wanted to be able to protect myself in that dark alley that was… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting High in Toronto
Can a city with over 5 million residents seem open and uncrowded? It can if it’s Toronto. Canada’s largest metropolitan area is without a doubt urban, yet the feel is neither hectic nor claustrophobic. Toronto’s city planners were careful to include open and green spaces in the waterfront and surrounding business district, lending the city it’s unique feel.
In keeping with this unconfined spirit, Toronto is remarkably bicycle friendly. The city has about three hundred miles of bike paths… CONTINUE READING >>
