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