Month: March 2017

Incredible Iceland

Honestly, I could have thought of a better way to ring in my 30th year than going to Iceland.

I collect currency from the places I visit. I’ve also started collecting patches.

I returned to Seattle around 9:00 on March 29th. The flight was delayed because the entire Keflavik International Airport had to evacuate because of a “security breach.” Good times!

The above photo is the living room of the AirBNB I stayed at. It’s called The Old Bicycle Shop, or “Gamla Hjolabuðin” in Icelandic. It apparently used to be a bicycle shop. It was such a cozy place.

My place came with a cat! Her name was Pumpkin.

Probably Seattle could learn a thing or two about having colorful buildings against the grey skies. It was mostly dark and cloudy over at Reykjavik, but the colorful contrast of these buildings made them stand out.

Kiki Queer Bar

I don’t drink anymore, and I used to go out dancing. On the night before my 30th birthday, I was like, “oh why not.” So, I danced for a little bit at Reykjavik’s only queer bar, Kiki Queer Bar. My drink of choice these days is soda water with grenadine with a cherry on top. Sip, sip.

Reykjavik had no shortage of murals and art installations.

This one was my favorite, and it was on the side of a building for an LGBT organization. Running is how I get to know a city, and this was one of the first murals I spotted.

Videy Island

I took a ferry out to Videy Island. The sun was finally starting to come out a little.

Driving to the fuselage crash site!

I had made a new friend in Reykjavik, and we went off on an adventure.

The fuselage crash site at Sólheimasandur black sand beach.
The insides of the wrecked plane.
It was kind of eerie.

We drove to the fuselage plane crash site at Solheimasandur black sand beach for my 30th birthday. This was the best birthday adventure ever! The story behind it was that the plane had to make an emergency landing back in 1973, and miraculously, nobody died. The crash site is actually about 4 km off the road, and folks have to brave the strong winds to get there. It sits on the shore of the North Atlantic ocean. The waves were so violent.

Laundromat Cafe

On my last morning there, my friend and I had coffee together at the Laundromat Cafe. Basically, you can do your laundry there while you eat. We didn’t try it, though it’s a pretty neat set up.

In case you’re wondering what an Icelandic sunset looks like.

Thank you for the good times, Iceland! Now I’m back and have hit the ground running. There’s so much to do and catch up around here, because I’m taking an enormous leap of faith pretty soon. You’ll see what I mean.

Let’s just say that I haven’t felt this terrified in a long time.

It’s My 30th Birthday

Today is the first day of my 30th year. I get to start my age with a 3 now! Someone said that life really begins at 30, and I’m really feeling it. You guys…my heart is so full with gratitude.

Today I got to see some waterfalls and then visited the plane crash site near Vík. I’m still a bit injured, so I had to skip my long birthday run. Honestly though, I think today has been one of the best birthdays yet.

Stopping by Skogafoss Falls on the way to the fuselage.
The fuselage crash site: This airplane went down in 1971, and miraculously, no one died.

Growing older isn’t as bad as everyone says it is. Folks will dread it, and I just never really understood it deep down. I see where people are coming from–there’s the fear of losing the beauty that comes with youth, but I’ve always thought that to be a bit superficial. It just seems so arbitrary. I’ve always thought that real beauty comes from within. There’s so much clarity and experience that comes with age. Sure, my skin is a little drier and I’m starting to get creases around my eyes, but I have to say that I wouldn’t trade my newly found wisdom for a younger appearance. And that’s what’s so amazing about getting older: less shit bothers you as your self-confidence grows with experience in life. It’s stating the obvious here, yes. I wonder how many people actually take a step back and appreciate their own growth.

And it doesn’t stop there. There’s always plenty of room to grow. I can’t imagining ever stopping the process. One of the most important things I’ve realized is how much I don’t know about the world, and I wonder how much more my own knowledge and experience will grow by the time I hit 40. I can’t see that far. Kind of like how I couldn’t see where I’d end up in ten years when I was 20. Holy shit, I never would have seen that rollercoaster coming. But at least I came out the other side of that storm.

Happy Birthday to me.

Spring Is Finally Here.

Greetings,

I’m so happy that Spring is finally here. It has been a long, wet winter here in the Pacific Northwest. We had a sunny weekend after weeks of rain. I was strolling around Capitol Hill yesterday to take advantage of the elusive sun. If you’re an Instagram addict like me, you scroll through your feed compulsively. Then you suddenly see something unbelievable, like it’s too good to be true.

Yeah, I ate that whole thing.

Sugar Plum Sweet Shop had an Instagram post featuring this beautiful vegan dessert with the password to win it. So, I went in and said it–And I won this delicious berry sundae that happens to match my magenta hair. It was so good. Thanks, Sugar Plum!

Anyway. During my lunch break, I usually get out of the office and take a stroll through downtown, encountering many smiling faces. This flower vendor, I’m guessing from Pike Place Market, was handing out daffodils today to passers by. I don’t say no to flowers.

I leave for Iceland tomorrow.

Welcome to Coming Full Spiral!

Hello, World! This is the first post of my new lifestyle blog, Coming Full Spiral.

My name is Ronnie, and here I will promote personal growth and healing through art, vegan health & fitness, travel, mindful living, and connecting with others. Blogging isn’t new to me, though it sure has been a while.

I live in beautiful Seattle, WA, nested in the Pacific Northwest corner of the U.S. of A.

I love making healthy vegan food. Clean eating is important to me, though sometimes I will indulge in the occasional vegan dessert.

Exercise is a big part of my life. I run 30-40 miles a week and have finished two full marathons, along with countless smaller races. Taking care of my body means taking care of my mental health, too. Endorphins help me get shit done. I also love running in style.

I really, really like cats. In fact, I practically am a cat in a human’s body. This cat here is one that I live with. He’s actually my roommate’s, but I say he’s all of ours. His name is Goose, and he’s a total cuddlebutt. Meow!

Occasionally, you’ll see me post some of my artwork here. I have a separate online portfolio for that, though. Please visit www.ronnie-art.com to see more of my work.

I will also be posting about aspects of my life beyond what is listed above. Travel is about to be a significant part of my life. I will be departing for Iceland on Tuesday. I. Cannot. Wait.

Cheers,

Ronnie.