October 22, 2025 • 38 mins
In this warm and reflective episode, Kristen reunites with returning guest Caity for a conversation that feels like your favorite fall sweater — comforting, familiar, and full of meaning. Together they explore seasons in every sense: the shift into fall, the natural cycles of friendship, and the personal growth that comes from learning to embrace change.
They share stories about wardrobe swaps and capsule closets, reminisce about Florida’s “seasonless” life, and laugh about scrapbook retreats and “nowhere to wear this” parties. But as always, their conversation deepens into gratitude and reflection with what it means to grow where you are, to appreciate the stage you’re in, and to measure your moments by love and connection rather than milestones.
Inspired by the song “Seasons of Love,” Kristen and Caity invite listeners to reflect on their own seasons of change and to find beauty in the growth happening right where they are.
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Episode Transcript
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Kristen (00:02):
Welcome to season two of Talk with Kristen with an E.
This season, we're digging alittle deeper into leadership,
personal growth, and the courageit takes to follow your passion.
Real conversations, honestreflections, because life isn't
perfect and neither are we.
(00:26):
Hey everybody.
Welcome back.
Super excited about today'sepisode because not only is it a
fantastic topic, we also haveone of our favorite guests back.
Hi Katie.
Hi everyone.
Hi Kristen.
Thank you for having me back.
I feel like we just connect andhave some of the best
(00:48):
conversations and it's like wehave this endless supply of
topics.
So what are we talking abouttoday?
Caity (00:56):
So today, very timely, we're talking about seasons.
Kristen (01:00):
Seasons of life.
Seasons of the year.
Right now it's supposed to befall.
But here in St.
Louis it's still 90 degrees, soit's hard to think of fall
things.
And where you are in Montana,you said you were getting a
little bit cooler weatherthough, right?
Caity (01:22):
Yeah, it kind of just turned.
It's also been in the eightiesand some days still up in the
nineties and today the high wasin the sixties and it was real
nice and cool.
Oh, the trees are just startingto turn around their edges.
Kristen (01:37):
Oh, that's beautiful.
Some of our leaves have beenchanging, but it's just because
we haven't had rain forever andthey're all dying.
So it's not the pretty fall.
It's just like sad.
Oh, that's a sad time to fallchange.
Yes.
But while we're talking aboutseasons, would you have a
favorite season?
Caity (01:57):
This is it for sure.
Kristen (01:58):
Yeah.
Caity (01:59):
Yes.
I do not do well in the heat.
I don't really like humidity,and if I could live in a nice
sweater and some leggings.
365 days out of the year, Iwould be a very happy girl.
Kristen (02:14):
Yes.
So that's exactly how I am.
Like growing up I really likedsummer.
You're out of school and it'sfun.
And then I liked Spring becauseit's when everything would come
alive and I love seeing all theflowers bloom.
But as I got into my earlyadulthood through now, it is
fall.
And it's the exact same reasonyou said, I always talk about
the fall fashion, I love.
(02:36):
Fall fashion, legging sweaters,jeans and hoodies, boots, scarfs
hats, all the accessories.
Like fall fashion is my absolutefavorite.
Caity (02:48):
Totally.
And it's just comfortable to beoutside.
The farther north you are, thedays are getting shorter and
it's just like this beautifulforcing function slow down spend
a little bit more time inside.
Maybe that's when I catch up onreading books that I've been too
(03:08):
busy for all summer.
And just kind of more time toreflect on.
Year and then kind of startplanning for the next year.
Kristen (03:18):
Yeah, and I think along with that, the slowing down,
even the activities are slower,but I think fall activities are
so fun.
It's when you are havingbonfires, going through corn
mazes or picking pumpkins likeyou said, it's that slowing down
time too, where you get a momentto refresh reflect and focus.
Caity (03:42):
We both have spent some time living in Florida.
Which is a place unlike St.
Louis and unlike Colorado andMontana does not experience
seasons, the same way the leaveson the trees stay green all year
long.
The days, the length of the dayspretty much.
(04:02):
Are unchanged because you're somuch closer to the equator.
I remember when I was a kid, wewould have traditional matching
Christmas outfits leggings andsweaters, and we would, you
know, reluctantly put that stuffon to take a picture and then
immediately peel it off becauseit was 85 degrees on Christmas
(04:22):
day.
Kristen (04:24):
What I remember from Florida is the only season you
were really focused on washurricane season.
It wasn't even the hurricanes,it was the rain.
It would be like, almostreligiously every day at like
four 30 it would start rainingand it would be this crazy
sideways rain, and then it wouldstop again, that was the only
real season that you cared aboutwas hurricane season.
Caity (04:47):
Yes.
And even that had its own kindof predictability.
And consistency.
There was something about livingthere that drove me nuts.
The older I got, it felt likeGroundhog Day, it didn't have
that same physical environmentalforcing function.
(05:08):
To think about change and toplan ahead in some ways it was
like I didn't have thatenvironmental impact to force me
to think differently or getoutside of my routine like I do
in places with seasons.
Kristen (05:25):
Yeah, and I can see that because there's nothing
really breaking it up.
Like you said, the GroundhogDay, and it's like every day
really is the same.
Like, oh, it's sunny again.
It's sunny again, which islovely.
And I know why a lot of peoplego there.
Growing up outside Pittsburgh,we had a lot of rain, we had
snow, we had yucky winters.
So when I was going to college,I was like, that's it, I'm going
(05:46):
to Florida.
I am getting away from this.
And I did and I loved it.
And then later as an adult, mythen boyfriend, now husband, we
moved to Florida for a whiletoo, because I love Florida.
But it's like after a while it'sthe.
Monotony or kind of like themundaneness of it.
While it's lovely, it almostgets boring for that same
reason, because there's nothingchanging, which, doesn't create
(06:10):
any opportunities or real reasonfor change if the seasons aren't
changing, then why do you needto change?
It's just the same thing dayafter day after day
Caity (06:17):
you having grown up in Pittsburgh and then going and
living in a place like Florida,maybe, Florida got you out of
the monotony and the expectationand the cycles of Pittsburgh.
Oh, yeah.
And going from Florida to adifferent place that has
winters.
It was the same thing, butopposite because.
(06:38):
I would, meet people who grew upwith Colorado winters, for
example, and they would groanand complain when the ice storms
and heavy snows came.
And I loved it.
For me, yes.
And it still is, it just isnovel and knew and I, I just, I
have not become bitter yet aboutthe cold winters, but maybe that
(07:00):
will happen one day.
But to me it's new and exciting.
Different than, yeah.
Kristen (07:07):
Well, and you know another point to that, as you
talk about how, they're kind ofover it'cause it's something
they've had and you're like, oh,this is still new.
This is exciting for me, it'skind of like when people aren't
content with.
What they have and they wantwhat somebody else has and they
don't understand why the peoplewho have that don't appreciate
it.
I remember when I was younger, Ihad a friend and she said, all
(07:30):
the curly haired girls wantstraight hair and all the
straight hair girls want curlyhair.
Like you always want what youdon't have.
You want something else, whenyou see somebody who has what
you want and it's like they'reunappreciative of it or they're
complaining about it, you'relike, but that's what I want.
That's so wonderful.
I think it's kind of that waywhere we will get frustrated or
(07:51):
unhappy with our currentcircumstances, the weather or
whatever current life situationyou're in and you see somebody
else's life and you're like, butthey have everything I want.
Why aren't they happy?
It's almost like learning to becontent with what you have and
appreciate what you have.
When you were talking about howthe Colorado people don't
appreciate it or see it for whatit is and you as an outsider do,
(08:12):
that's something that made methink about that.
Caity (08:15):
Yeah, there's definitely an element to that.
Hopefully I never lose that kindof, wonder about the seasons,
I'm a gardener and, I help outwith the community garden in
Boulder.
This is the time of year when weare collecting.
Keep and pro and process and harand sew next spring, and we're
(08:38):
kind of starting to clear thingsout of the garden and do our
final harvesting of the pumpkinsand squashes I love this time of
year for the harvesting aspect.
Kristen (08:49):
So you're into gardening, that's one of your
seasonal activities.
What other activities do youhave that are seasonal or that
separate your different seasons?
Caity (09:00):
Well, this Friday, I'm leaving for a kayaking trip
around the San Juans.
When I get back from that trip,I'll kind of tuck the kayak in
for winter.
And so that'll not see any moresunshine until next summer.
The bike, I'll put differentwheels in the bike so it's got a
(09:22):
little more attraction for icyroad conditions.
Swapping out, you know it's thatway with wardrobes too.
Where are you with your wardrobeswap?
I love that you brought this up.
Kristen (09:35):
I love that you brought this up because this is a real
thing every time I do my swap Ido it twice a year, in the
spring and fall some pieces willstay in the closet because they
will transition from spring tosummer, clothes to winter, fall
clothes by adding a cardigan ora jean jacket.
I have some very functionalpieces but it usually is a full
swap.
I wish I were one of thosecapsule wardrobe people that
(09:59):
only had like of these sevenitems I can make 442 outfits.
Slight exaggeration.
But you know, you've seen thosethings, right?
I wish I wore a capsule.
Caity (10:08):
Is the capsule wardrobe?
Kristen (10:09):
Okay.
So you can Google it, but I'llexplain it for you because I
want to be a capsule wardrobeperson so badly.
A capsule wardrobe is you have,seven to 10 items that you can
mix and match and make like 24or something different outfits.
Don't quote me on these numbers,but you'll get the idea.
You'll have a pair of khakipants.
(10:30):
A black skirt, a pair of jeansand a dress.
And then you'll have a sweater.
A blouse, some kind of morecasual top and probably a tank
top they will show you that withthose items, you can make so
many different outfits, like,the button-up shirt and the
khaki pants, or the button-upshirt and the skirt.
Or the sweater over the buttonup shirt with the jeans or the
(10:52):
sweater over the dress, or thecasual shirt with the khaki
pants, or the jeans likeeverything is mix and matchable.
So you'll have a color paletteand then you'll have different
color pieces everything could bevery neutral, but your pop of
color personality piece wouldcome up it's like a minimalistic
thing.
So you have fewer things, butyou still have all these
different options.
(11:13):
Capsule, wardrobe, I love
Caity (11:14):
that.
Kristen (11:14):
Yes.
Caity (11:15):
When you are swapping out your seasonal clothes.
Do you do real time, cleansingpulling things out and.
Dropping them off at Goodwill?
Yes.
Or giving them to friends eachseasonal change.
Kristen (11:29):
So, like I said, I'm not a capsule wardrobe girl.
I am not a minimalist when itcomes to clothes because I have
clearly too many, but I thriftall the time.
I rationalize it that everythingis cheap and I am reusing
somebody else's stuff.
I'm helping with consumerism andeco-friendly or I, I don't do it
all for that.
I do it.
Yeah.
'cause I like a bargain and Ilike shopping and I'm not
(11:50):
breaking the bank when I'mbuying a sweater for$4.
So yes, I will do a clean outwhen I'm doing it also.
I haven't swapped out my summerstuff yet, but when I do, I will
take out pieces that I don'tlike anymore.
May not fit the way I want themto anymore.
Or I really didn't wear thissummer at all.
Then I will bag it all up anddonate it.
(12:12):
When I'm bringing my fall andwinter stuff back up, I'll do a
similar thing and I'll look andbe like, okay, do I, do I like,
does it bring me joy?
And not even that, but like,okay, how often am I really
gonna wear this?
How many pairs of jeans does onegirl actually need?
Like how many pairs of blackleggings does one girl actually
(12:33):
need?
My stuff I don't wear is in thebasement and the stuff upstairs
is in my closet.
So it's actually a workout too,because it will take me several
trips to bring things down andback up, every time I do this, I
complain to myself and say, I amnever buying any more clothes.
This is too many clothes.
Why do I have so many?
This is such a pain.
So many trips.
And of course then I'll be atGoodwill that next weekend,
(12:55):
buying more clothes.
But I do get rid of things too.
I'm sorry, Katie, but I take mywardrobe swapping very
seriously.
Caity (13:03):
I am definitely not at the capsule level of minimalism,
but I definitely err more towarda minimalist, all four of my
seasonal wardrobes.
Can fit on 20 hangers in mycloset.
And a small box that I put up inthe attic.
(13:24):
If it's winter I'll have my,summer dress shorts and tank top
running outfits in a tub, up inthe attic.
With that being said, Kristen, Ihave maybe two or three things.
One of them I've never worn, andthe other two I just have never
really had many occasions towear them.
(13:47):
I just don't fit in themanymore.
But I cannot get rid of them.
They hang in my closet and Ilove looking at them and I keep
thinking maybe one day I'll beable to fit in it again.
Even though my body keeps goingin the opposite direction, I
have this fantasy that one day Iwill be able to wear this thing
that I felt so good in.
(14:09):
And I love the color I love howit feels, and the fabric is nice
and the cut is cute one of themis this pink romper with
cheetahs on it.
I think I've worn this once ortwice in my life.
But I love it.
I just like looking at it and Idon't know where I would ever
wear it, but maybe one day itwill stay there in my closet.
(14:30):
Until the day I die,
Kristen (14:32):
you'll be buried in it.
That'll be the special occasionthat you wear it.
Caity (14:38):
I love that.
I might have to write that intomy will.
Kristen (14:40):
Do you ever keep clothes because they have a
sentimental value to you?
Caity (14:47):
Besides the Cheetah Romberg, a stented mental value.
I have this coat that my dearfriend Heidi gave me for
Christmas, many Christmases ago.
There's kind of a backstory.
She has a friend who owns analpaca wool.
Store in Boulder.
(15:08):
Early COVID, like 2020.
The shop was not doing well andthey were about to go out of
business.
So, Heidi bought a few items togive to friends to help out the
shop.
The shop did survive.
They're thriving and they'restill open now in Boulder.
It's like this camel colored,big floppy neck and it's so soft
(15:30):
and it's kind of like a longtrench coat.
It's just beautiful.
Heidi's birthday is the daybefore Valentine's Day.
Tradition has it that we eachwear our alpaca coats and go out
to brunch for her birthday.
That is super sentimental to meand will always be in my closet.
Kristen (15:51):
I absolutely love that story.
That's adorable.
And what a great tradition for abirthday, to keep the friendship
strong too.
I love that so much.
Caity (16:00):
Yeah.
I love her and I love herbirthday, but I also love that
we have never, failed to go getfancy brunch with a little glass
of champagne and just enjoy eachother's company for a couple
hours and catch up.
Kristen (16:15):
I love that I saw this reel going around and it was,
girlfriends having a party.
It's a, I have nowhere to wearthis party.
Everybody shows up in an outfitor a dress or something that
they love that they have nowhereto go in it.
Like, and some of them it's likealmost like.
A, like a bridesmaid dress or areally elegant thing.
This one reel, the girl showedup in her graduation garb.
(16:39):
So it was like the robe, thehat, the hood, everything.
And it's like, where else areever gonna wear that again?
So I love that concept and I'mlike, that would be such a fun
party to have where I havenowhere to wear this party.
Caity (16:52):
That is amazing.
You know what?
That's one thing that I talkedabout, with my friends and
Montana family we all have, nicethings tucked away in boxes in a
closet I am of the mind that ifyou like it, if it strikes your
fancy, if it makes you feelgood, and if it reflects
something you like aboutyourself, then wear it.
(17:14):
But I will agree that there aresome things that maybe are a
little too like you.
Like you can't just be wearing abridesmaid dress, or your
graduation garb down the street.
So having a party where everyonecan wear these things, I love
that so much.
Kristen (17:30):
I think that'll be fun.
You need party planning ideas.
You should definitely, get yourgirlfriends together and do
that.
Caity (17:36):
Yes.
You know, thinking about clothesand seasonal stuff, for me more
than clothes, I'm swapping outgear.
Like I have one medium sizedtote that I swap out my
seasonal, clothes.
But it's, for me, it's gear.
(17:57):
I've got a whole gear room in mycondo with my kayak trip coming
up, I'm staring at a dry suitand a wetsuit, which take up a
lot of space and those will bepacked away for winter.
Kristen (18:13):
So, aside from the clothing, are there other
rituals or reflection activitiesyou do as the seasons change?
Caity (18:23):
This is definitely the time when I pick up books.
Last year I did a year reviewbook.
For my Montana mom and dad andit was so fun.
You kind of forget all of thethings.
Or maybe in the moment they feelsmall and insignificant going
(18:47):
for hikes going out to breakfastor visiting with friends from
out of town.
Pull them all together and ittells a story over 12 months of
your time together.
It becomes more remarkable andit sits on the coffee table in
the living room, we findourselves, almost weekly picking
(19:10):
that book up and looking atpictures together, it's such a
beautiful way to coalesce andreminisce
Kristen (19:17):
is it a scrapbook or is it like one of shutterfly's
photo books what kind of Yearendreview book is it?
Caity (19:23):
It's not Shutterfly, but it's something like that.
Kristen (19:28):
Okay.
Caity (19:29):
Where you just kind of drag and drop the pictures and
put stories in it.
Yeah.
Do you
Kristen (19:34):
use scrapbook?
I used to, I was really intoscrapbooking.
Like I went on scrapbookretreats, like I'd go with, um,
other girls, like for a weekendaway.
My first one was 2006, 2007maybe.
I went a couple times then, wemoved away and I made new
friends and I did it again inmaybe 20 15, 16.
(19:56):
I had scrapbook on my own too,but the scrapbook retreats were
legit, like.
You'd get all these people,you'd have, there'd be several
women, you'd each get like along, like eight foot table so
you could spread out all yourstuff.
And it was like sleepaway camp.
You would stay in a place.
First time we did it, we did itin a hotel the banquet room was
our scrapbooking room you couldcome down all hours of the night
(20:16):
or go up to your own, later, wedid it at a camp retreat place.
Not camping, camping, but theyhad dorms with double beds
you'd, have a roommate mealstogether and scrapbook the whole
time.
I was super into scrapbookingbecause.
All through high school andcollege, I was the girl who
always had my camera, like I wasdocumenting my entire life.
So I had so many pictures, butas I was, busy living my life,
(20:39):
everything was just stored inboxes.
I had all these boxes of justpictures.
So I ended up scrapbooking Iscrapbook a New York trip that I
took in college, and then I dida whole high school scrapbook,
by grade and by activity.
And then I did a college mydifferent theater productions I
was in and all of that stuff.
I did other trips.
As an adult.
(21:00):
When my husband and I, weredating, we'd go on trips.
I did our camping trip or ourtrip to visit wherever.
So yeah, I have a lot ofscrapbooks and I loved doing it,
but I kind of didn't have thetime for it, or it wasn't a
priority for me to make thetime.
Caity (21:18):
I feel like.
Okay.
So in an earlier conversation,we talked about how, um, Zenga
was one of the original socialmedias.
I feel like really.
Scrapbooking was the OG socialmedia.
Kristen (21:32):
Oh yeah.
Well if you even think about itbefore then, yeah.
our parents and before, likethey would have photo albums,
right?
And you'd go to your grandma'shouse or whatever and take out
the photo album and you flipthrough the pages and you see
the picture of like your parentswhen they were kids photo albums
were a way of people sharingtheir lives my parents who are
very old now, had slideshows notlike PowerPoint, they had their
(21:55):
honeymoon trip on slides andthey would take it out and be
like invite their friends overlike, oh, look at our trip to
the Grand Canyon.
Let's go through the slideshow.
Caity (22:05):
I remember doing that one time it was these fun projectors
in this, in this like wheel.
Yes.
And they kind of spin thosepicture and make that sound.
Yes.
And one followed and I rememberthere's a picture of an amp and
she had these white cat eyesunglasses.
(22:26):
I love those.
Fell like in love with cat icesunglasses.
Yes,
Kristen (22:34):
I love my cat eye sunglasses.
Caity (22:36):
Wait, so do you, do you do um, annual?
Kristen (22:41):
No, my life is not that organized.
Caity (22:43):
Oh,
Kristen (22:44):
I have pictures of my ears and they sit on my phone.
I don't even print pictures offanymore.
Sometimes at Christmas time, Iwill get a bunch of pictures
printed off we do calendarsthough.
Like for, my parents.
I think I've done it for all thegrandparents.
I will do a Shutterfly calendar,which is kind of like a year in
review I'll try to matchpictures from the previous year.
(23:06):
Our Christmas pictures from 2024will be what I use for December
for next year's calendar, butno, my life isn't, organized to
do that kind of stuff.
Now beyond just the physicalseasons and transitions have you
thought about the differentseasons of life and seasons of
friendship, and do you noticeany changing seasons in those
(23:31):
aspects of your life?
Caity (23:34):
I feel like the seasons of my life have been a bit out
of order.
I got married when I was prettyyoung.
We met, I had just turned 21 andwe're together for over 11
years.
Lovely human, in so many ways.
(23:54):
Really glad and grateful forthat time together.
We end up getting divorced.
Two days before lockdown.
Before that I didn't have toomany girlfriends.
The girlfriends I had were alsomarried.
Most of them had little kids.
The husbands kind of hung outand that was the dynamics.
(24:17):
I find myself trying to makefriends for the first time in my
adult life, and that waschallenging.
But fast forward five years, Ihave an incredible, tight-knit,
group of friends, girlfriendsand guy friends.
I'm really thankful and gratefulto be in this kind of friendship
(24:39):
season of my life.
I think more recently, we'veboth taken on new jobs.
Mm-hmm.
And at least mine.
And I think yours too.
It's been demanding of time alot more.
Yes.
(24:59):
Agreed.
Really fun.
And again, I'm very grateful forthis job, but it's also changed
the way.
This year has gone, I haven'tbeen able to participate in as
many things or see my friendsand been as generous with my
time as I would like to be, ormaybe I have previously been.
(25:22):
So that's taking a littlegetting used to.
But I have to remind myself,I've been really lucky to have a
lot of flexibility with myprofessional career in the past
few years, it just happens to bea time where I've gotta hunker
down and double down and there'sa lot of work to do and throw
myself into this job, which isalso fun and challenging in its
(25:45):
own way.
Kristen (25:48):
Yeah, and I think.
You show the point exactly thatthroughout our lives there are
different seasons highs and lowsand kind of like the sunny days
and the snowy days.
Like there's days we love andthere's days that are more
challenging.
I think you bring up a reallygood point.
The friendship one isinteresting'cause I remember a
quote from years ago.
(26:09):
You make friends for a reason,friends for a season, or friends
for life.
I was thinking about that evenwhen you were talking about your
story of how, you had to learnto make new friends in that new
season of your life some ofthose friends have stayed for
life, but maybe some of thoseyou had for, you know, just that
season too.
Because I didn't have a lot of.
(26:29):
Long term girlfriends, I alwayshad social friends, in school, I
had friends that I did thingswith.
In college, I had friends that Ilived with, or friends that I'd,
do activities with.
I wasn't really good at makinglong lasting bonds.
Some of it was because I wasonly in places for a short time
and you lose connection.
I wasn't.
Open or vulnerable enough tocreate those friendships with
(26:51):
people.
So it was always just shallowfriendships.
And then I look back on some ofthose friends who I'm not
friends with anymore, but theywere friends for a reason or a
season.
Maybe it's because we wereliving together and it was a
season we were in.
Other ones.
I've had friends who have beenvery supportive for me when I've
gone through a challenging.
Emotional relationshipsituation.
(27:13):
I may not be friends with themnow, but they really helped me
through a dark season of mylife.
It's interesting how there aredifferent people who join you on
your journey while you're goingthrough those different seasons
of your life.
Would you say that's how you'veexperienced things also?
Caity (27:31):
Yeah, for sure.
I think we tend to.
Give more credence or value tothings that have longevity to
them, but the older I've gotten,I think there's a ton of value
with those seasonal friendshipsas well.
Kristen (27:56):
I think you're right because some of those people,
even if they aren't in my lifenow or were only there for a
short time, the impact they hadon me during that time and what
I learned from it has been sorewarding.
And then I do wonder sometimes,have I been that person for
anybody?
Have I made a difference inanybody's life?
(28:17):
That is worthwhile to them.
Have you ever thought about thator had somebody come back later
to you and be like, Katie, thankyou for doing this.
Caity (28:27):
Oh my gosh, no.
I feel like that's when I knowI've made it, you know?
I have succeeded at life when,when some.
Yes.
So locked up says like, youknow, thank you, and like a
genuine sur like surprise kindof way.
(28:48):
Like it catches you off guard,you know?
There are people who you tellthat to on a regular basis,
right?
So if they come up to you andthey're like, wow, you mean so
much to me?
And I really appreciate andvalue your friendship and input
but there's something uniquely,special when it comes from
someone you don't expect.
Yes.
And I would imagine teacherslike I've told that.
(29:11):
To, teachers and people in myearly professional past, even
years later.
You talked about recently one ofyour first bosses commented on a
LinkedIn announcement.
Mm-hmm.
I think it was maybe about thisnew job and that kind of caught
you off guard.
I think those kinds ofconnections, maybe that's part
(29:32):
of the reflecting, you know, inthis changing of the season
going into fall and thinkingabout not just the past year,
but who are the people who havereally helped shape or made you
second guess yourself or thinkabout a different opportunity or
who gave you an opportunity thathas really had an impact.
Kristen (29:55):
Yeah, and I think that's a great idea and a
challenge for the listeners too,is to think back on your life,
personal, professional, all ofit.
And those people that did, andmaybe it was even something
little.
Somebody gave you an opportunityor a piece of advice or listened
to you when you needed it.
Maybe we should all try to trackthose people down and thank them
(30:17):
because there's so muchnegativity in the world
providing that little bit ofpositivity and reaching out and
showing appreciation couldreally make a difference in
somebody's life.
And, who knows the impact you'vehad on people you don't know
when you're doing it.
We've talked about butterflyeffect and how, just changing
one can lead to changing acommunity and all that.
(30:39):
Maybe just reaching out andthanking somebody for what they
did in a season of your life maybe worthwhile.
Caity (30:48):
I love that.
And next time, that'll be one ofmy action items and goals for,
this coming weekend.
To reach out, even if it's justa text message or an email and
just.
Check in and say thank you.
Yeah, I love that.
Kristen (31:06):
That's really nice.
I think it's a great idea too.
And when we were preparing forthis episode, we were gonna talk
about seasons of life forwhatever reason.
So I don't know if this is aDHD.
I have not been diagnosed with aDHD.
But there are certain phrasesthat will bring song lyrics to
my head or music.
It's weird.
When we're talking about Seasonsof Life, my brain went to
(31:27):
Seasons of Love, the song fromRent, I don't know if you've
seen Rent or if you're familiarwith the song, don't worry
everybody, I'm not going to singit.
The lyrics start by saying 5,00025, 600 minutes, 5,000, 2,500
moments.
So dear.
5,000, 25, 600 minutes.
How do you measure?
(31:47):
Measure a year in daylights, insunsets, in midnights, in cups
of coffee, in inches, in miles,in laughter, in strife, in
5,000, 25, 600 minutes.
How do you measure a year in thelife?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
(32:08):
Measure in love, seasons oflove.
And it made me think as we'retalking about seasons.
And changes and growing anddeveloping that really it all
come, you know, how are youmeasuring your moments?
And so the 5,000 25, 600 minutesis how many minutes are in a
regular calendar year.
And when you look at your timelike that.
(32:29):
How are you measuring it?
Are you measuring it in justsunset, like, oh, it's another
day.
Like Katie, we talked early inFlorida.
Oh, it's another sunshiny day.
How are you measuring your time?
How are you spending your time?
And who are you giving your timeto show that love?
What do you think
Caity (32:49):
I love that a lot.
In a lot of ways I think I havemeasured myself with these kind
of vanity metrics in my trailrunning days, I haven't run a
mile in a long time, but therewas a time when I would get up
early and run six, eight milesbefore work.
(33:10):
I would measure, the footstepsthe miles and the elevation gain
from that trail.
One day, the battery died I waslike, what am I gonna do?
Just go for a run.
And I didn't have this thingtracking all of these different
metrics about that time.
I remember this was springbecause there are these little
(33:33):
tiny, adorable flowers calledpulsatilla.
They bloom at the edge of thesnow pack as it's melting and
receding in spring.
I saw all these little purplepole filas and I think I even
saw like a fox run by thatmorning, across the trail if I
(33:53):
had my earbuds in and wastracking my watch, I would not
have seen all of that.
Since then, I have never, everworn a watch.
I've never worn a device.
I don't even bring my phone onmost of my walks or hikes
anymore so that I can really bethere and see everything and not
(34:14):
miss interactions with otherhikers as well.
I like that.
Kristen (34:20):
Yeah, I think it's about being present.
Not being distracted or havinganything else, like being
present in the moment, lookingaround, observing what's there,
being open to whatever is there,whether that's an opportunity, a
site, a person.
I think that's the moral of thestory from everything we talked
about today, is to justappreciate the season that
(34:43):
you're in right now.
And be present and open towhatever that season has to
offer you.
Caity (34:53):
Yes.
Kristen (34:55):
That's great.
I love how we started talkingabout, oh, we really wish it
were fall weather, and Kristenhas too many clothes and somehow
we came to something that Ithink is very meaningful.
Caity (35:06):
Yes.
Absolutely.
We always get there.
Kristen (35:10):
Well, Katie, before we wrap up, do you have any final
thoughts or anything you wouldlike to share with the
listeners?
Caity (35:19):
Well, I guess I can share what I confided in you before we
started recording.
The last time we recorded wasthe first time I've ever been
invited to be on a podcast, andI was so nervous.
Apparently we discovered in realtime together that my coping
mechanism is just to have a lotof variety of liquids in front
(35:40):
of me.
I had a cup of hot coffee.
A cup of hot decaf tea.
A cup of water, I had a cup,like a can of like, you know,
busy water, like, and I didn'tdrink any of it.
Like we got into talking soquickly and it just became so
fun and flowing.
And I didn't need any of theliquids at all, but.
(36:02):
I had them there just in case.
Kristen (36:04):
I love that you had such a variety'cause you were
like, it's hard to say I couldwant any of these things, so I
need to have them all ready at amoment's notice.
Caity (36:14):
I've got just water.
Kristen (36:16):
But you know what, I actually think it's perfectly
normal.
My husband teases me that I haveto have an emotional support
bottle of water, because anytimeI go anywhere, I will bring a
bottle of water what if I have acoughing attack?
What if I'm choking?
What if there's no wateranywhere in the world and this
is all I have to survive on?
The irrational fears I have areendless.
(36:36):
But there also have been timeswhere I do need that water.
So it's better to have a notneed than to need and not have.
So Katie, I support you.
Bring as many liquids as youneed.
Caity (36:49):
I'm with you on the water thing.
Water's vital.
It's vital for life.
Kristen (36:53):
Thank you so much for joining us and I'm sure we'll be
talking again soon.
Caity (37:00):
Thank you
Kristen (37:03):
Hey friends, if you just listened to that whole
episode, you are probablythinking I'm kind of an idiot
because I was saying 5,625minutes or something, but that's
completely the wrong number.
It's 525,600 minutes.
I got it wrong every single timeand didn't realize till I was
(37:24):
editing this episode, so I hadto come back and tell you I'm
not an idiot.
I was just saying it wrong.
Your eye here in daylight, insunsets, in midnights, in cars
of coffee, in s in miles andlaughter and stride, and 525,600
(37:46):
men do measure.
That's a wrap for this week'sepisode.
Thanks so much for spending timewith me.
Until next time, be honest withyourself.
Ask the hard questions, andremember, you are not alone on
this journey.
Welcome to season two of Talk with Kristen with an E.
This season, we're digging alittle deeper into leadership,
personal growth, and the courageit takes to follow your passion.
Real conversations, honestreflections, because life isn't
perfect and neither are we.
(00:26):
Hey everybody.
Welcome back.
Super excited about today'sepisode because not only is it a
fantastic topic, we also haveone of our favorite guests back.
Hi Katie.
Hi everyone.
Hi Kristen.
Thank you for having me back.
I feel like we just connect andhave some of the best
(00:48):
conversations and it's like wehave this endless supply of
topics.
So what are we talking abouttoday?
Caity (00:56):
So today, very timely, we're talking about seasons.
Kristen (01:00):
Seasons of life.
Seasons of the year.
Right now it's supposed to befall.
But here in St.
Louis it's still 90 degrees, soit's hard to think of fall
things.
And where you are in Montana,you said you were getting a
little bit cooler weatherthough, right?
Caity (01:22):
Yeah, it kind of just turned.
It's also been in the eightiesand some days still up in the
nineties and today the high wasin the sixties and it was real
nice and cool.
Oh, the trees are just startingto turn around their edges.
Kristen (01:37):
Oh, that's beautiful.
Some of our leaves have beenchanging, but it's just because
we haven't had rain forever andthey're all dying.
So it's not the pretty fall.
It's just like sad.
Oh, that's a sad time to fallchange.
Yes.
But while we're talking aboutseasons, would you have a
favorite season?
Caity (01:57):
This is it for sure.
Kristen (01:58):
Yeah.
Caity (01:59):
Yes.
I do not do well in the heat.
I don't really like humidity,and if I could live in a nice
sweater and some leggings.
365 days out of the year, Iwould be a very happy girl.
Kristen (02:14):
Yes.
So that's exactly how I am.
Like growing up I really likedsummer.
You're out of school and it'sfun.
And then I liked Spring becauseit's when everything would come
alive and I love seeing all theflowers bloom.
But as I got into my earlyadulthood through now, it is
fall.
And it's the exact same reasonyou said, I always talk about
the fall fashion, I love.
(02:36):
Fall fashion, legging sweaters,jeans and hoodies, boots, scarfs
hats, all the accessories.
Like fall fashion is my absolutefavorite.
Caity (02:48):
Totally.
And it's just comfortable to beoutside.
The farther north you are, thedays are getting shorter and
it's just like this beautifulforcing function slow down spend
a little bit more time inside.
Maybe that's when I catch up onreading books that I've been too
(03:08):
busy for all summer.
And just kind of more time toreflect on.
Year and then kind of startplanning for the next year.
Kristen (03:18):
Yeah, and I think along with that, the slowing down,
even the activities are slower,but I think fall activities are
so fun.
It's when you are havingbonfires, going through corn
mazes or picking pumpkins likeyou said, it's that slowing down
time too, where you get a momentto refresh reflect and focus.
Caity (03:42):
We both have spent some time living in Florida.
Which is a place unlike St.
Louis and unlike Colorado andMontana does not experience
seasons, the same way the leaveson the trees stay green all year
long.
The days, the length of the dayspretty much.
(04:02):
Are unchanged because you're somuch closer to the equator.
I remember when I was a kid, wewould have traditional matching
Christmas outfits leggings andsweaters, and we would, you
know, reluctantly put that stuffon to take a picture and then
immediately peel it off becauseit was 85 degrees on Christmas
(04:22):
day.
Kristen (04:24):
What I remember from Florida is the only season you
were really focused on washurricane season.
It wasn't even the hurricanes,it was the rain.
It would be like, almostreligiously every day at like
four 30 it would start rainingand it would be this crazy
sideways rain, and then it wouldstop again, that was the only
real season that you cared aboutwas hurricane season.
Caity (04:47):
Yes.
And even that had its own kindof predictability.
And consistency.
There was something about livingthere that drove me nuts.
The older I got, it felt likeGroundhog Day, it didn't have
that same physical environmentalforcing function.
(05:08):
To think about change and toplan ahead in some ways it was
like I didn't have thatenvironmental impact to force me
to think differently or getoutside of my routine like I do
in places with seasons.
Kristen (05:25):
Yeah, and I can see that because there's nothing
really breaking it up.
Like you said, the GroundhogDay, and it's like every day
really is the same.
Like, oh, it's sunny again.
It's sunny again, which islovely.
And I know why a lot of peoplego there.
Growing up outside Pittsburgh,we had a lot of rain, we had
snow, we had yucky winters.
So when I was going to college,I was like, that's it, I'm going
(05:46):
to Florida.
I am getting away from this.
And I did and I loved it.
And then later as an adult, mythen boyfriend, now husband, we
moved to Florida for a whiletoo, because I love Florida.
But it's like after a while it'sthe.
Monotony or kind of like themundaneness of it.
While it's lovely, it almostgets boring for that same
reason, because there's nothingchanging, which, doesn't create
(06:10):
any opportunities or real reasonfor change if the seasons aren't
changing, then why do you needto change?
It's just the same thing dayafter day after day
Caity (06:17):
you having grown up in Pittsburgh and then going and
living in a place like Florida,maybe, Florida got you out of
the monotony and the expectationand the cycles of Pittsburgh.
Oh, yeah.
And going from Florida to adifferent place that has
winters.
It was the same thing, butopposite because.
(06:38):
I would, meet people who grew upwith Colorado winters, for
example, and they would groanand complain when the ice storms
and heavy snows came.
And I loved it.
For me, yes.
And it still is, it just isnovel and knew and I, I just, I
have not become bitter yet aboutthe cold winters, but maybe that
(07:00):
will happen one day.
But to me it's new and exciting.
Different than, yeah.
Kristen (07:07):
Well, and you know another point to that, as you
talk about how, they're kind ofover it'cause it's something
they've had and you're like, oh,this is still new.
This is exciting for me, it'skind of like when people aren't
content with.
What they have and they wantwhat somebody else has and they
don't understand why the peoplewho have that don't appreciate
it.
I remember when I was younger, Ihad a friend and she said, all
(07:30):
the curly haired girls wantstraight hair and all the
straight hair girls want curlyhair.
Like you always want what youdon't have.
You want something else, whenyou see somebody who has what
you want and it's like they'reunappreciative of it or they're
complaining about it, you'relike, but that's what I want.
That's so wonderful.
I think it's kind of that waywhere we will get frustrated or
(07:51):
unhappy with our currentcircumstances, the weather or
whatever current life situationyou're in and you see somebody
else's life and you're like, butthey have everything I want.
Why aren't they happy?
It's almost like learning to becontent with what you have and
appreciate what you have.
When you were talking about howthe Colorado people don't
appreciate it or see it for whatit is and you as an outsider do,
(08:12):
that's something that made methink about that.
Caity (08:15):
Yeah, there's definitely an element to that.
Hopefully I never lose that kindof, wonder about the seasons,
I'm a gardener and, I help outwith the community garden in
Boulder.
This is the time of year when weare collecting.
Keep and pro and process and harand sew next spring, and we're
(08:38):
kind of starting to clear thingsout of the garden and do our
final harvesting of the pumpkinsand squashes I love this time of
year for the harvesting aspect.
Kristen (08:49):
So you're into gardening, that's one of your
seasonal activities.
What other activities do youhave that are seasonal or that
separate your different seasons?
Caity (09:00):
Well, this Friday, I'm leaving for a kayaking trip
around the San Juans.
When I get back from that trip,I'll kind of tuck the kayak in
for winter.
And so that'll not see any moresunshine until next summer.
The bike, I'll put differentwheels in the bike so it's got a
(09:22):
little more attraction for icyroad conditions.
Swapping out, you know it's thatway with wardrobes too.
Where are you with your wardrobeswap?
I love that you brought this up.
Kristen (09:35):
I love that you brought this up because this is a real
thing every time I do my swap Ido it twice a year, in the
spring and fall some pieces willstay in the closet because they
will transition from spring tosummer, clothes to winter, fall
clothes by adding a cardigan ora jean jacket.
I have some very functionalpieces but it usually is a full
swap.
I wish I were one of thosecapsule wardrobe people that
(09:59):
only had like of these sevenitems I can make 442 outfits.
Slight exaggeration.
But you know, you've seen thosethings, right?
I wish I wore a capsule.
Caity (10:08):
Is the capsule wardrobe?
Kristen (10:09):
Okay.
So you can Google it, but I'llexplain it for you because I
want to be a capsule wardrobeperson so badly.
A capsule wardrobe is you have,seven to 10 items that you can
mix and match and make like 24or something different outfits.
Don't quote me on these numbers,but you'll get the idea.
You'll have a pair of khakipants.
(10:30):
A black skirt, a pair of jeansand a dress.
And then you'll have a sweater.
A blouse, some kind of morecasual top and probably a tank
top they will show you that withthose items, you can make so
many different outfits, like,the button-up shirt and the
khaki pants, or the button-upshirt and the skirt.
Or the sweater over the buttonup shirt with the jeans or the
(10:52):
sweater over the dress, or thecasual shirt with the khaki
pants, or the jeans likeeverything is mix and matchable.
So you'll have a color paletteand then you'll have different
color pieces everything could bevery neutral, but your pop of
color personality piece wouldcome up it's like a minimalistic
thing.
So you have fewer things, butyou still have all these
different options.
(11:13):
Capsule, wardrobe, I love
Caity (11:14):
that.
Kristen (11:14):
Yes.
Caity (11:15):
When you are swapping out your seasonal clothes.
Do you do real time, cleansingpulling things out and.
Dropping them off at Goodwill?
Yes.
Or giving them to friends eachseasonal change.
Kristen (11:29):
So, like I said, I'm not a capsule wardrobe girl.
I am not a minimalist when itcomes to clothes because I have
clearly too many, but I thriftall the time.
I rationalize it that everythingis cheap and I am reusing
somebody else's stuff.
I'm helping with consumerism andeco-friendly or I, I don't do it
all for that.
I do it.
Yeah.
'cause I like a bargain and Ilike shopping and I'm not
(11:50):
breaking the bank when I'mbuying a sweater for$4.
So yes, I will do a clean outwhen I'm doing it also.
I haven't swapped out my summerstuff yet, but when I do, I will
take out pieces that I don'tlike anymore.
May not fit the way I want themto anymore.
Or I really didn't wear thissummer at all.
Then I will bag it all up anddonate it.
(12:12):
When I'm bringing my fall andwinter stuff back up, I'll do a
similar thing and I'll look andbe like, okay, do I, do I like,
does it bring me joy?
And not even that, but like,okay, how often am I really
gonna wear this?
How many pairs of jeans does onegirl actually need?
Like how many pairs of blackleggings does one girl actually
(12:33):
need?
My stuff I don't wear is in thebasement and the stuff upstairs
is in my closet.
So it's actually a workout too,because it will take me several
trips to bring things down andback up, every time I do this, I
complain to myself and say, I amnever buying any more clothes.
This is too many clothes.
Why do I have so many?
This is such a pain.
So many trips.
And of course then I'll be atGoodwill that next weekend,
(12:55):
buying more clothes.
But I do get rid of things too.
I'm sorry, Katie, but I take mywardrobe swapping very
seriously.
Caity (13:03):
I am definitely not at the capsule level of minimalism,
but I definitely err more towarda minimalist, all four of my
seasonal wardrobes.
Can fit on 20 hangers in mycloset.
And a small box that I put up inthe attic.
(13:24):
If it's winter I'll have my,summer dress shorts and tank top
running outfits in a tub, up inthe attic.
With that being said, Kristen, Ihave maybe two or three things.
One of them I've never worn, andthe other two I just have never
really had many occasions towear them.
(13:47):
I just don't fit in themanymore.
But I cannot get rid of them.
They hang in my closet and Ilove looking at them and I keep
thinking maybe one day I'll beable to fit in it again.
Even though my body keeps goingin the opposite direction, I
have this fantasy that one day Iwill be able to wear this thing
that I felt so good in.
(14:09):
And I love the color I love howit feels, and the fabric is nice
and the cut is cute one of themis this pink romper with
cheetahs on it.
I think I've worn this once ortwice in my life.
But I love it.
I just like looking at it and Idon't know where I would ever
wear it, but maybe one day itwill stay there in my closet.
(14:30):
Until the day I die,
Kristen (14:32):
you'll be buried in it.
That'll be the special occasionthat you wear it.
Caity (14:38):
I love that.
I might have to write that intomy will.
Kristen (14:40):
Do you ever keep clothes because they have a
sentimental value to you?
Caity (14:47):
Besides the Cheetah Romberg, a stented mental value.
I have this coat that my dearfriend Heidi gave me for
Christmas, many Christmases ago.
There's kind of a backstory.
She has a friend who owns analpaca wool.
Store in Boulder.
(15:08):
Early COVID, like 2020.
The shop was not doing well andthey were about to go out of
business.
So, Heidi bought a few items togive to friends to help out the
shop.
The shop did survive.
They're thriving and they'restill open now in Boulder.
It's like this camel colored,big floppy neck and it's so soft
(15:30):
and it's kind of like a longtrench coat.
It's just beautiful.
Heidi's birthday is the daybefore Valentine's Day.
Tradition has it that we eachwear our alpaca coats and go out
to brunch for her birthday.
That is super sentimental to meand will always be in my closet.
Kristen (15:51):
I absolutely love that story.
That's adorable.
And what a great tradition for abirthday, to keep the friendship
strong too.
I love that so much.
Caity (16:00):
Yeah.
I love her and I love herbirthday, but I also love that
we have never, failed to go getfancy brunch with a little glass
of champagne and just enjoy eachother's company for a couple
hours and catch up.
Kristen (16:15):
I love that I saw this reel going around and it was,
girlfriends having a party.
It's a, I have nowhere to wearthis party.
Everybody shows up in an outfitor a dress or something that
they love that they have nowhereto go in it.
Like, and some of them it's likealmost like.
A, like a bridesmaid dress or areally elegant thing.
This one reel, the girl showedup in her graduation garb.
(16:39):
So it was like the robe, thehat, the hood, everything.
And it's like, where else areever gonna wear that again?
So I love that concept and I'mlike, that would be such a fun
party to have where I havenowhere to wear this party.
Caity (16:52):
That is amazing.
You know what?
That's one thing that I talkedabout, with my friends and
Montana family we all have, nicethings tucked away in boxes in a
closet I am of the mind that ifyou like it, if it strikes your
fancy, if it makes you feelgood, and if it reflects
something you like aboutyourself, then wear it.
(17:14):
But I will agree that there aresome things that maybe are a
little too like you.
Like you can't just be wearing abridesmaid dress, or your
graduation garb down the street.
So having a party where everyonecan wear these things, I love
that so much.
Kristen (17:30):
I think that'll be fun.
You need party planning ideas.
You should definitely, get yourgirlfriends together and do
that.
Caity (17:36):
Yes.
You know, thinking about clothesand seasonal stuff, for me more
than clothes, I'm swapping outgear.
Like I have one medium sizedtote that I swap out my
seasonal, clothes.
But it's, for me, it's gear.
(17:57):
I've got a whole gear room in mycondo with my kayak trip coming
up, I'm staring at a dry suitand a wetsuit, which take up a
lot of space and those will bepacked away for winter.
Kristen (18:13):
So, aside from the clothing, are there other
rituals or reflection activitiesyou do as the seasons change?
Caity (18:23):
This is definitely the time when I pick up books.
Last year I did a year reviewbook.
For my Montana mom and dad andit was so fun.
You kind of forget all of thethings.
Or maybe in the moment they feelsmall and insignificant going
(18:47):
for hikes going out to breakfastor visiting with friends from
out of town.
Pull them all together and ittells a story over 12 months of
your time together.
It becomes more remarkable andit sits on the coffee table in
the living room, we findourselves, almost weekly picking
(19:10):
that book up and looking atpictures together, it's such a
beautiful way to coalesce andreminisce
Kristen (19:17):
is it a scrapbook or is it like one of shutterfly's
photo books what kind of Yearendreview book is it?
Caity (19:23):
It's not Shutterfly, but it's something like that.
Kristen (19:28):
Okay.
Caity (19:29):
Where you just kind of drag and drop the pictures and
put stories in it.
Yeah.
Do you
Kristen (19:34):
use scrapbook?
I used to, I was really intoscrapbooking.
Like I went on scrapbookretreats, like I'd go with, um,
other girls, like for a weekendaway.
My first one was 2006, 2007maybe.
I went a couple times then, wemoved away and I made new
friends and I did it again inmaybe 20 15, 16.
(19:56):
I had scrapbook on my own too,but the scrapbook retreats were
legit, like.
You'd get all these people,you'd have, there'd be several
women, you'd each get like along, like eight foot table so
you could spread out all yourstuff.
And it was like sleepaway camp.
You would stay in a place.
First time we did it, we did itin a hotel the banquet room was
our scrapbooking room you couldcome down all hours of the night
(20:16):
or go up to your own, later, wedid it at a camp retreat place.
Not camping, camping, but theyhad dorms with double beds
you'd, have a roommate mealstogether and scrapbook the whole
time.
I was super into scrapbookingbecause.
All through high school andcollege, I was the girl who
always had my camera, like I wasdocumenting my entire life.
So I had so many pictures, butas I was, busy living my life,
(20:39):
everything was just stored inboxes.
I had all these boxes of justpictures.
So I ended up scrapbooking Iscrapbook a New York trip that I
took in college, and then I dida whole high school scrapbook,
by grade and by activity.
And then I did a college mydifferent theater productions I
was in and all of that stuff.
I did other trips.
As an adult.
(21:00):
When my husband and I, weredating, we'd go on trips.
I did our camping trip or ourtrip to visit wherever.
So yeah, I have a lot ofscrapbooks and I loved doing it,
but I kind of didn't have thetime for it, or it wasn't a
priority for me to make thetime.
Caity (21:18):
I feel like.
Okay.
So in an earlier conversation,we talked about how, um, Zenga
was one of the original socialmedias.
I feel like really.
Scrapbooking was the OG socialmedia.
Kristen (21:32):
Oh yeah.
Well if you even think about itbefore then, yeah.
our parents and before, likethey would have photo albums,
right?
And you'd go to your grandma'shouse or whatever and take out
the photo album and you flipthrough the pages and you see
the picture of like your parentswhen they were kids photo albums
were a way of people sharingtheir lives my parents who are
very old now, had slideshows notlike PowerPoint, they had their
(21:55):
honeymoon trip on slides andthey would take it out and be
like invite their friends overlike, oh, look at our trip to
the Grand Canyon.
Let's go through the slideshow.
Caity (22:05):
I remember doing that one time it was these fun projectors
in this, in this like wheel.
Yes.
And they kind of spin thosepicture and make that sound.
Yes.
And one followed and I rememberthere's a picture of an amp and
she had these white cat eyesunglasses.
(22:26):
I love those.
Fell like in love with cat icesunglasses.
Yes,
Kristen (22:34):
I love my cat eye sunglasses.
Caity (22:36):
Wait, so do you, do you do um, annual?
Kristen (22:41):
No, my life is not that organized.
Caity (22:43):
Oh,
Kristen (22:44):
I have pictures of my ears and they sit on my phone.
I don't even print pictures offanymore.
Sometimes at Christmas time, Iwill get a bunch of pictures
printed off we do calendarsthough.
Like for, my parents.
I think I've done it for all thegrandparents.
I will do a Shutterfly calendar,which is kind of like a year in
review I'll try to matchpictures from the previous year.
(23:06):
Our Christmas pictures from 2024will be what I use for December
for next year's calendar, butno, my life isn't, organized to
do that kind of stuff.
Now beyond just the physicalseasons and transitions have you
thought about the differentseasons of life and seasons of
friendship, and do you noticeany changing seasons in those
(23:31):
aspects of your life?
Caity (23:34):
I feel like the seasons of my life have been a bit out
of order.
I got married when I was prettyyoung.
We met, I had just turned 21 andwe're together for over 11
years.
Lovely human, in so many ways.
(23:54):
Really glad and grateful forthat time together.
We end up getting divorced.
Two days before lockdown.
Before that I didn't have toomany girlfriends.
The girlfriends I had were alsomarried.
Most of them had little kids.
The husbands kind of hung outand that was the dynamics.
(24:17):
I find myself trying to makefriends for the first time in my
adult life, and that waschallenging.
But fast forward five years, Ihave an incredible, tight-knit,
group of friends, girlfriendsand guy friends.
I'm really thankful and gratefulto be in this kind of friendship
(24:39):
season of my life.
I think more recently, we'veboth taken on new jobs.
Mm-hmm.
And at least mine.
And I think yours too.
It's been demanding of time alot more.
Yes.
(24:59):
Agreed.
Really fun.
And again, I'm very grateful forthis job, but it's also changed
the way.
This year has gone, I haven'tbeen able to participate in as
many things or see my friendsand been as generous with my
time as I would like to be, ormaybe I have previously been.
(25:22):
So that's taking a littlegetting used to.
But I have to remind myself,I've been really lucky to have a
lot of flexibility with myprofessional career in the past
few years, it just happens to bea time where I've gotta hunker
down and double down and there'sa lot of work to do and throw
myself into this job, which isalso fun and challenging in its
(25:45):
own way.
Kristen (25:48):
Yeah, and I think.
You show the point exactly thatthroughout our lives there are
different seasons highs and lowsand kind of like the sunny days
and the snowy days.
Like there's days we love andthere's days that are more
challenging.
I think you bring up a reallygood point.
The friendship one isinteresting'cause I remember a
quote from years ago.
(26:09):
You make friends for a reason,friends for a season, or friends
for life.
I was thinking about that evenwhen you were talking about your
story of how, you had to learnto make new friends in that new
season of your life some ofthose friends have stayed for
life, but maybe some of thoseyou had for, you know, just that
season too.
Because I didn't have a lot of.
(26:29):
Long term girlfriends, I alwayshad social friends, in school, I
had friends that I did thingswith.
In college, I had friends that Ilived with, or friends that I'd,
do activities with.
I wasn't really good at makinglong lasting bonds.
Some of it was because I wasonly in places for a short time
and you lose connection.
I wasn't.
Open or vulnerable enough tocreate those friendships with
(26:51):
people.
So it was always just shallowfriendships.
And then I look back on some ofthose friends who I'm not
friends with anymore, but theywere friends for a reason or a
season.
Maybe it's because we wereliving together and it was a
season we were in.
Other ones.
I've had friends who have beenvery supportive for me when I've
gone through a challenging.
Emotional relationshipsituation.
(27:13):
I may not be friends with themnow, but they really helped me
through a dark season of mylife.
It's interesting how there aredifferent people who join you on
your journey while you're goingthrough those different seasons
of your life.
Would you say that's how you'veexperienced things also?
Caity (27:31):
Yeah, for sure.
I think we tend to.
Give more credence or value tothings that have longevity to
them, but the older I've gotten,I think there's a ton of value
with those seasonal friendshipsas well.
Kristen (27:56):
I think you're right because some of those people,
even if they aren't in my lifenow or were only there for a
short time, the impact they hadon me during that time and what
I learned from it has been sorewarding.
And then I do wonder sometimes,have I been that person for
anybody?
Have I made a difference inanybody's life?
(28:17):
That is worthwhile to them.
Have you ever thought about thator had somebody come back later
to you and be like, Katie, thankyou for doing this.
Caity (28:27):
Oh my gosh, no.
I feel like that's when I knowI've made it, you know?
I have succeeded at life when,when some.
Yes.
So locked up says like, youknow, thank you, and like a
genuine sur like surprise kindof way.
(28:48):
Like it catches you off guard,you know?
There are people who you tellthat to on a regular basis,
right?
So if they come up to you andthey're like, wow, you mean so
much to me?
And I really appreciate andvalue your friendship and input
but there's something uniquely,special when it comes from
someone you don't expect.
Yes.
And I would imagine teacherslike I've told that.
(29:11):
To, teachers and people in myearly professional past, even
years later.
You talked about recently one ofyour first bosses commented on a
LinkedIn announcement.
Mm-hmm.
I think it was maybe about thisnew job and that kind of caught
you off guard.
I think those kinds ofconnections, maybe that's part
(29:32):
of the reflecting, you know, inthis changing of the season
going into fall and thinkingabout not just the past year,
but who are the people who havereally helped shape or made you
second guess yourself or thinkabout a different opportunity or
who gave you an opportunity thathas really had an impact.
Kristen (29:55):
Yeah, and I think that's a great idea and a
challenge for the listeners too,is to think back on your life,
personal, professional, all ofit.
And those people that did, andmaybe it was even something
little.
Somebody gave you an opportunityor a piece of advice or listened
to you when you needed it.
Maybe we should all try to trackthose people down and thank them
(30:17):
because there's so muchnegativity in the world
providing that little bit ofpositivity and reaching out and
showing appreciation couldreally make a difference in
somebody's life.
And, who knows the impact you'vehad on people you don't know
when you're doing it.
We've talked about butterflyeffect and how, just changing
one can lead to changing acommunity and all that.
(30:39):
Maybe just reaching out andthanking somebody for what they
did in a season of your life maybe worthwhile.
Caity (30:48):
I love that.
And next time, that'll be one ofmy action items and goals for,
this coming weekend.
To reach out, even if it's justa text message or an email and
just.
Check in and say thank you.
Yeah, I love that.
Kristen (31:06):
That's really nice.
I think it's a great idea too.
And when we were preparing forthis episode, we were gonna talk
about seasons of life forwhatever reason.
So I don't know if this is aDHD.
I have not been diagnosed with aDHD.
But there are certain phrasesthat will bring song lyrics to
my head or music.
It's weird.
When we're talking about Seasonsof Life, my brain went to
(31:27):
Seasons of Love, the song fromRent, I don't know if you've
seen Rent or if you're familiarwith the song, don't worry
everybody, I'm not going to singit.
The lyrics start by saying 5,00025, 600 minutes, 5,000, 2,500
moments.
So dear.
5,000, 25, 600 minutes.
How do you measure?
(31:47):
Measure a year in daylights, insunsets, in midnights, in cups
of coffee, in inches, in miles,in laughter, in strife, in
5,000, 25, 600 minutes.
How do you measure a year in thelife?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
(32:08):
Measure in love, seasons oflove.
And it made me think as we'retalking about seasons.
And changes and growing anddeveloping that really it all
come, you know, how are youmeasuring your moments?
And so the 5,000 25, 600 minutesis how many minutes are in a
regular calendar year.
And when you look at your timelike that.
(32:29):
How are you measuring it?
Are you measuring it in justsunset, like, oh, it's another
day.
Like Katie, we talked early inFlorida.
Oh, it's another sunshiny day.
How are you measuring your time?
How are you spending your time?
And who are you giving your timeto show that love?
What do you think
Caity (32:49):
I love that a lot.
In a lot of ways I think I havemeasured myself with these kind
of vanity metrics in my trailrunning days, I haven't run a
mile in a long time, but therewas a time when I would get up
early and run six, eight milesbefore work.
(33:10):
I would measure, the footstepsthe miles and the elevation gain
from that trail.
One day, the battery died I waslike, what am I gonna do?
Just go for a run.
And I didn't have this thingtracking all of these different
metrics about that time.
I remember this was springbecause there are these little
(33:33):
tiny, adorable flowers calledpulsatilla.
They bloom at the edge of thesnow pack as it's melting and
receding in spring.
I saw all these little purplepole filas and I think I even
saw like a fox run by thatmorning, across the trail if I
(33:53):
had my earbuds in and wastracking my watch, I would not
have seen all of that.
Since then, I have never, everworn a watch.
I've never worn a device.
I don't even bring my phone onmost of my walks or hikes
anymore so that I can really bethere and see everything and not
(34:14):
miss interactions with otherhikers as well.
I like that.
Kristen (34:20):
Yeah, I think it's about being present.
Not being distracted or havinganything else, like being
present in the moment, lookingaround, observing what's there,
being open to whatever is there,whether that's an opportunity, a
site, a person.
I think that's the moral of thestory from everything we talked
about today, is to justappreciate the season that
(34:43):
you're in right now.
And be present and open towhatever that season has to
offer you.
Caity (34:53):
Yes.
Kristen (34:55):
That's great.
I love how we started talkingabout, oh, we really wish it
were fall weather, and Kristenhas too many clothes and somehow
we came to something that Ithink is very meaningful.
Caity (35:06):
Yes.
Absolutely.
We always get there.
Kristen (35:10):
Well, Katie, before we wrap up, do you have any final
thoughts or anything you wouldlike to share with the
listeners?
Caity (35:19):
Well, I guess I can share what I confided in you before we
started recording.
The last time we recorded wasthe first time I've ever been
invited to be on a podcast, andI was so nervous.
Apparently we discovered in realtime together that my coping
mechanism is just to have a lotof variety of liquids in front
(35:40):
of me.
I had a cup of hot coffee.
A cup of hot decaf tea.
A cup of water, I had a cup,like a can of like, you know,
busy water, like, and I didn'tdrink any of it.
Like we got into talking soquickly and it just became so
fun and flowing.
And I didn't need any of theliquids at all, but.
(36:02):
I had them there just in case.
Kristen (36:04):
I love that you had such a variety'cause you were
like, it's hard to say I couldwant any of these things, so I
need to have them all ready at amoment's notice.
Caity (36:14):
I've got just water.
Kristen (36:16):
But you know what, I actually think it's perfectly
normal.
My husband teases me that I haveto have an emotional support
bottle of water, because anytimeI go anywhere, I will bring a
bottle of water what if I have acoughing attack?
What if I'm choking?
What if there's no wateranywhere in the world and this
is all I have to survive on?
The irrational fears I have areendless.
(36:36):
But there also have been timeswhere I do need that water.
So it's better to have a notneed than to need and not have.
So Katie, I support you.
Bring as many liquids as youneed.
Caity (36:49):
I'm with you on the water thing.
Water's vital.
It's vital for life.
Kristen (36:53):
Thank you so much for joining us and I'm sure we'll be
talking again soon.
Caity (37:00):
Thank you
Kristen (37:03):
Hey friends, if you just listened to that whole
episode, you are probablythinking I'm kind of an idiot
because I was saying 5,625minutes or something, but that's
completely the wrong number.
It's 525,600 minutes.
I got it wrong every single timeand didn't realize till I was
(37:24):
editing this episode, so I hadto come back and tell you I'm
not an idiot.
I was just saying it wrong.
Your eye here in daylight, insunsets, in midnights, in cars
of coffee, in s in miles andlaughter and stride, and 525,600
(37:46):
men do measure.
That's a wrap for this week'sepisode.
Thanks so much for spending timewith me.
Until next time, be honest withyourself.
Ask the hard questions, andremember, you are not alone on
this journey.
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