On my way from Chicago to Denver I stopped in Madison, Wisconsin to visit the other grad school friend I was slated to run the 2010 half with in Chicago.
I met her at her house so I could say hi to her husband and meet her youngest son. We were going to go to a beer garden on the lake near her house but it was the windiest weather I have ever experienced and we quickly turned around to go back to her house.
We enjoyed wine and Biden beer on her back deck until the wind chased us inside.
Rachel took me to Capital Square which is the downtown area of Madison. There are tons of restaurants and shops. There also happened to be tons of graduates, prom goers, and 2 hour waitlists.
We got super lucky and had an amazing dinner at an Asian restaurant. We caught up like it hadn’t been over a decade since we last saw each other.
I was extremely anxious but not panic attack level anxious. I was worried after having such a hard time in Chicago 2 nights prior that I would have an anxiety attack in front a friend who literally last saw me at my most panicked. It took a lot of focus to stay calm and grounded and I’m so grateful I was able to.
It’s hard to know why I couldn’t ground myself Thursday but could on Friday and Saturday. This aspect of anxiety is confusing and frustrating. Is it something I do right? Or wrong? Or worse, is it completely out of my control?
Adding to my anxiety was the looming drive to Denver. I was really worried about spending 14 hours driving through the middle of nowhere heading towards the mile high city where I was worried the altitude would make it hard to breathe and trigger my anxiety to spike more. The anxious brain is exhausting but off I go.
I didnt get any pictures of Rachel and I or of Madison but I did get Benny loving the hotel chair and this Biden beer.
Also a bird shit on my head packing up my car to leave Madison and I’ve heard it’s good luck because this is the THIRD time this has happened to me. Thank you, Universe??
Where My Feet Are 