Day 17: Away

a·way əˈwā/

adverb
to or at a distance from a particular place, person, or thing.

Just as a disclaimer: Even though you have been away for 21 total days, this is still day 17 of the blog, since we spent the past couple of days together. The time we spent together was magical. There's really no other way to put it! Also, with each waking moment, I realize more and more how beautiful, incredible, and wonderful you are. You are deserving of so much beyond anything I could ever have the power to provide to you. You are captivating, motivating, and easy to love. You make life just make sense. Being with you helps me realize that, but being away from you makes me realize it even more. It is a harsh reality, with an incredible silver lining. You are coming home soon. There isn't much more time left on this trip. I can tell that you have changed a little bit. You aren't so much a baby in many instances that you once were. You are a fighter; and right now, you are stronger than ever. I can't wait for you to be back, and for us to continue this journey of life together. Because being away really stinks.

always & forever

Mateo

Day 16: Nervous

nervous ˈnərvəs/

adjective

1. easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious; highly strung.

2. relating to or affecting the nerves.

Tomorrow, we both fly to San Francisco, California. We will finally see each other after 16+ days apart (but who's counting?)!!! I must admit that I am feeling as if we are meeting for the first time. I know it's sort of girly, or hopelessly romantic(ish), but it's true! It has been super hard to be without you. I keep thinking about what to do when we see each other, but I really just want to be around you - soaking up the time we have together. I never thought I would ever be nervous to see you, but I sort of am. I know everything will be okay, but I'm just looking forward to this so much, while also hoping time won't go by too fast. That's all! I hope to be able to blog as normally done, but we will see.

See you soon.

Day 15: Perseverance

per·se·ver·ance ˌpərsəˈvirəns/

noun

steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

This blog has quickly become entry after entry of praising your subtleties. That's okay though. You really do deserve recognition every once in a while. And why not load you up with these compliments while you are not able to read it!? Once you do though, hopefully it will be reassuring and make you happy. Anyway, back to today! This word describes your actions perfectly. I suppose the word "will" would have done the trick as well, but this will do. It is also fitting that it is in the same stream as you being so motivational. I couldn't see it any other way though. Your actions speak louder than any words. You excel in everything you can get your hands on. That isn't by any form of an accident. You are built like a well-oiled machine. You go through life, striving to find something appealing - yet difficult, only to work through it flawlessly, and showcase your amazing capabilities in the process. It is not something that can really be learned. You are just a natural-born killer. You seek out these things, and hunt them as if they were measly prey. To sum this up appropriately, you are everything that anyone could imagine and dream of being. It is a privilege to be in your life, and a miracle that we both persevered long enough to find each other at the right time. 

Day 14: Impossible

im·pos·si·ble imˈpäsəb(ə)l/

adjective

not able to occur, exist, or be done.

I have never seen a task that you couldn't take on. In fact, when faced with any challenge, you absolutely demolish it. You rarely take no for an answer, and you move through life with such vigor and a strong attitude, that nothing can stand in your way. With you, anything and everything is possible. There doesn't seem to be anything you can't handle. I have noticed this more and more as you go on the road trip. You are the strongest person I know, and you seem to have zero fear for anything. I admire that. I really do. You are an incredibly special person, with the courage and heart of a lion. Please don't stray too far from that (no pressure), because you are the best motivator there is. 

I love you

Day 13: Concentration

con·cen·tra·tion ˌkänsənˈtrāSH(ə)n/

noun

the action or power of focusing one's attention or mental effort.

It is extremely hard to remain intrigued by something or somebody. Oddly enough, when you have that feeling towards something or somebody, it is incredibly hard to break it. Concentration is a nearly impenetrable force. With respect to you, in particular, when you have devotion to your concentration, nothing can stop you. Your efforts and desire goes beyond anything else I have ever seen. With that, comes incredible motivation for those around you. I think I can speak for everyone when I tell you how motivational you are. Everyone has such a crazy respect for you and everything you do. Yesterday, Julissa was saying how proud she is of you, how much you deserve, and how great of a person you are. A whole post could be written about what she said, but I will spare you. Just know you are loved, cared for, and overall outstandingly adored by so many people. Everything you do is given credit where it is due. You really are a remarkably amazing person. Thank you for never giving up. 

I love you.

Day 12: Abnormality

ab·nor·mal·i·ty ˌabnôrˈmalədē/

noun
an abnormal feature, characteristic, or occurrence, typically in a medical context.

the quality or state of being abnormal.

It's sort of interesting, how this thing called "life" works. We work hard on living for our passions, in order to live a life of happiness and completeness. Though this may be true, the line between doing what we love, and conforming to others in society, is very fine. This is the absolute truth, and runs deep enough for people to be looked at as if they have an abnormality because they do not desire to conform. I keep getting stuck on the fact that there are people out there that live their lives so loosely, that they sacrifice any base that they have already built. Mainly in relationships, people get engulfed in whatever the subject matter they are involved in, only to eventually grow bored of the state of the involvement that they have. In other words, people are far more open to open relationships. It is very sad, and seems to be some form of a cry for help. While I shouldn't ever let it get to me, I have the responsibility of taking care of you and our relationship, along with taking care of myself. The abnormality that a large section of society has deemed normal, is a grand concern. I don't ever want you to have to be in a position of compromise. I trust you, but it is never an easy feeling to be bombarded with outside "static". And truthfully, maybe this normalcy that has been created is to their own demise. In today's society, that would be received with a scoffing tone, and a confirmation of the abnormality.

Day 11: Tired

tired ˈtī(ə)rd/

adjective

in need of sleep or rest; weary.

Yep. That about describes it! Eleven days in, and I feel completely exhausted. Work this week was pretty rough, but I couldn't help staying up to talk with you. That probably didn't make the fatigue any better, though I wouldn't trade it for the world. You are my everything, and more than I could ever ask for. You make my days better, even from a distance. Hearing and seeing you makes me reassured that all in life is still good. Thank you for being patient with me, talking with me, and allowing me into the details of your trip. I miss you so much. It sounds like the trip is going very well for you though, and you are having a good time. You make missing home look easy, too!

Day 10: Staple

sta·ple ˈstāpəl/

adjective

main or important, especially in terms of consumption.

The listed definition is perfectly worded here; especially with resect to how I feel about you. You are the staple in my life. You are the most important person, thing, and I am totally consumed by you, and our relationship. Nothing makes me happier than being with you, and around you. Not having you here makes me realize all of this even more. I miss you incredibly, and you are such a large part of my life. Without you, life doesn't feel the same. There have been a lot of ups and downs while you have been gone. I'm not mad, sad, or depressed, but I still long for you. I hope you are having a great day. One day closer to California, which means one day closer to seeing you. :)

Day 9: Selfish

selfish ˈselfiSH/ adjective

(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.

Yesterday seemed so perfect for you. The travel to NYC was probably a little more than you had bargained for, but not unmanageable. At the end of the day, you were 100% happily settled in with Kristy and Chris at their beautiful apartment. Today started off wonderfully for you again! You were able to sleep in, have some alone time, and then patiently make your way to Crossfit Solace. However, during the day, you ran into an issue with Steve. I don't mean to bring up a memory from the trip, that you hopefully already put out of mind. I realize that you will be nearly a month and a half removed from the situation, by the time you read this blog post. I don't want to deviate too far from the topic WOD. The stories you were telling me about Steve got me thinking. The guy seems to be very into himself. Oddly enough, we are all that way to an extent. You have mentioned before that you are aware of your mildly selfish nature, but when there is someone selfish around you - it has a great effect on you. I really hope that two things come out of this. 1. I hope that you are able to get through the next five weeks with Steve (and his increasingly formidable attitude). 2. I hope that you are able to learn from his attitude and his behavior, (and everything else for that matter),  and bring it into your life back at home. I am not saying that you are selfish or unruly by any means, but I think there is always something to learn from everything you are experiencing. :)

Until later, 

Matthew

Day 8: Self-conscious

self-conscious adjective

feeling undue awareness of oneself, one's appearance, or one's actions.

There are certain things that effect each person differently. Regardless of the differences, each individual has a guaranteed level of self-consciousness. Though it may vary, the feeling of being self-conscious is rarely ever positive. That being said, the trigger of that feeling can be absolutely destructive. While you are away, I feel a relief from the triggers that tend to boggle my mind on a daily or weekly basis, when you are here. And so long as I do not allow my mind to wander, I can also hold confident in the fact that I will not have those same feelings when you're on the road. It shouldn't be any different. And one might think it is easier to be less thought frantic when they have their loved ones home, since they have more sight and control of the situation. In reality, this trip has brought some light to this feeling I tend to have. There has not been any occurrence that goes beyond the border of good to bad, which would lead me to believe that I have anything to worry about. In other words, until I am proven wrong, you are the most trustworthy and faithful person I know. And I love that about you!

Mateo

Day 7: Perspective

per·spec·tive pərˈspektiv/ noun

1. the art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other when viewed from a particular point.

2. a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

This is a word/topic that has become a center of our relationship. Most times, oddly enough, a perspective is the most difficult thing to have a perspective on. If that makes sense. In reality, we spend so much time trying to figure out what the other person is saying, that we lose sight of what is actually right in front of our face. Again, it is an incredibly difficult feat to see how everything is, from everyone's perspective, while maintaining your sanity and persona. A lot of times, we end up sort of shrugging it off, agreeing to disagree, just so we can get "past" the currently discussed topic. I am sleepy, and don't know if any of the above sentences make sense. My hope for you, on this trip (and always in life), is that you are able to see what the other people are thinking, without wavering from your feelings. Compromisation is not normally a good thing. It takes you far out of your comfort zone, only to feel as though you fit in. You are really good at being yourself at home, and even on the road so far, but I hope that you are able to keep that up. You are more than capable, and will always succeed at hearing people out, while continuing to be yourself. And since you have been away, all I can think about is how much we have to take each other into consideration in order to be successful in our relationship. Accommodating, yes, but more so understanding. Speaking of understanding, I hope you got everything I was trying to say.

Love,

Matthew 

Day 6: Understanding

un·der·stand·ing ˌəndərˈstandiNG/ noun
the ability to understand something; comprehension.

adjective
sympathetically aware of other people's feelings; tolerant and forgiving.

This road trip has been sort of enlightening. At least so far, and from my end. You know - when you left - I had this impression that this would solely be a learning experience for you. I have come to realize that it has been quite the learning experience for both of us! Lately, I have been very in touch with my emotions, and feelings towards you. I have even been a greater listening ear for you, and even more patient as well. I hope it shows!

It is also incredibly noticeable how positive you have been, and how well you are getting along with everyone, despite some road bumps the trip is throwing at you. You are far more influential and motivational than you will ever know! Thank you for making such a huge difference in my life, as well as everyone else around you. I hope today was better than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today!

Until later,

Mateo

Day 5: Patience

pa·tience ˈpāSHəns/ noun

the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

It takes an immense amount of patience to be on the road, away from home, working with people that you don't know. Not to mention, your travel is for 42 days, six weeks, or the equivalent of either time denoted time period. Regardless how you break it down, it is for a while. I have to salute you though. 5 days in, and it isn't like you really left home. Yeah, you aren't home. Yeah, you probably think about being at home more than you lead on. Regardless of your situation, you always seem to make the most and best of it! For the first couple of days, it seemed like there were plenty of negatives to complement the very minimal positives of the job travel. Today, though, it became apparent to me that you don't complain about things to show how bad things are. You explain each situation from multiple angles to allow for a complete and concise background of the stories you are telling. Maybe it was just a simple matter of perspective for me, or lack thereof, but during a conversation we were having today, it hit me! You are one of the most patient people I know. With everything you have handled, and continue to handle, I am continuously impressed. This current situation you are in, for the job, displays your patience to the max. In order to maintain your positivity and keep everything kosher between you and your work mates, you have had to be so patient. Technically, this is the beginning of the trip still, but 5 days have passed by fast, and you are seeming to be more and more comfortable by the day. I wouldn't expect any less. You always impress me. 

I love you.

Mateo

Day 4: Misfit

mis·fit ˈmisˌfit/ noun 

a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably conspicuous way.

I know this blog is about you and your journey across the country, sporting and supporting Reebok and their marketing/brand activation efforts, but I also want it to be a blog where I would share the same things with you that I would if you were here in person. (I hope that all makes sense)

Anyway, today I felt sort of left out. Not that I could not function, or that I felt like a loser, but I generally feel (at least for some time now) that I am so much different than anyone else around me. I suppose it isn't the worst situation to be in, especially if I am comfortable being myself, and enjoy life the way that I have it. But there are some times when I feel like things are being said to or around me, and I do not feel like it pertains to me at all. Or at least not enough to relate or think it's funny, etc. I felt that today at work, and it was hard for a moment there. I will spare you the details, but being so much different than so many other people was sort of a concern of mine, when I was shifting in life, and moving into the corporate world. Solely for the dynamic of the workplace, it could be awkward if someone is that much of an outsider. It's all good though. The time passed, and was all good in the end.

I love you. I can't stop staring at you, as you fall asleep on FaceTime. I miss you so much. You are such a huge part of my life and every day. Thank you for allowing me to have that great opportunity. I wouldn't know a good life without it.

Until later,

Mateo