So. Today, instead of running, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I have an Elliptical and did a 20 min work out with it. Jeepers, that thing will kick your butt! My legs are as sore now as they were after the first time I jogged. Actually, no. They're more sore. Jello. Jello, comes to mind. BUT I feel amazing. I feel accomplished. I feel worn out, but in the good way. I think I'll incorporate the machine into my weekly routine. Maybe run 3 times a week, machine 2-3 times a week. I can't replace running all together because I love it and I love exercising outside, but it's nice to have a way to mix it up. Just running can get a little monotonous, so I'm excited to have this option. If it's too hot outside, I have the machine inside. Also, when it's raining, I'll have no excuse. Crap.
One of the best things about this job is the fact that I have so much free time. I'm able to take my time doing everything. I'm able to exercise at any point during the day and not restricted to morning or evening. I love it. Now, when I start back with classes that will change, but with the machine, I'll be able to get a workout in later in the evening without worrying about running outside in the dark alone. Did I mention how happy I am to be getting into a new routine? I'm pretty darn happy. I already feel better, lighter, healthy again. Like I said, getting off track was so not worth all of this. It's so much harder to fight your way back onto the tracks than it is to slip off. But I feel like I am no longer off track. That one good workout somehow made that *click* happen again. All of a sudden, because I finally just did the darn thing, I've gotten my bearings once again and I'm working harder this time to right my mistakes. Of course, I can't reverse the mistakes, but I can keep moving forward in my progress.
Size 6/8
<3 "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Rohn <3
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A Day In The New Life
I just got in from my first run in a long time. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely could have been better. I could have pushed myself to run farther, but I'm trying to rebuild at a healthy pace. It feels good, though, let me tell ya. I already feel more energized and more awake than I did yesterday. When I stop for a while and get outta the habit, I don't feel good about myself, inside or outside. When I run, I feel amazing all over, which makes me think "why do I ever stop?" It makes no sense to not want to feel good! It's no excuse, but it's an excuse that I had so much to do and I was in the process of moving across the country, blah blah blah....But I'm back now! I'm not getting back into my routine, I'm creating a new one!
So, I thought I would do a little "A Day In The Life" of my new life! So, here's what I've got so far:
6:15- wake up, fix my coffee, take a little time to check email, Facebook, texts, etc.
6:30-7:00- make sure the kids are starting to wake up, fix their cereal, give the their medicine/vitamins, eat some breakfast myself
7:00-8:00- I make sure they're dressed, teeth and hair brushed, fix myself up a little bit (at the very least, presentable to society), the kids hang out and watch tv, play games on their ipad, make sure lunches are packed, backpacks are packed
8:00-8:15- get jackets on, pile up in the car and out the door by 8:15-8:20
8:15-9:00- drop kids off at school (two different schools at this point) and drive back home
9:00- get ready for a run and get out there and do it!
After the run, I have the rest of the day to run errands, clean the house up a bit, just whatever needs to be done. Pretty sweet, right? I know. My eating habits are pretty similar to what they were before. Ya know, breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. I've been a little less regimented about the times of eating, I've been mostly just eating when I'm legitimately hungry. I'm doing much, much better with this than I was with trying to stick to a certain timed schedule. I'm not staring at the clock constantly waiting to eat. I feel much more in control this way.
2:50- pick Tony up from school
3:00-4:15- make sure Tony does his homework, chores, etc.
4:15- leave to pick up Isa from preschool
5:00-8:30- hang out with kids, prepare dinner, eat dinner, make sure everyone has their bath, clean up kitchen, lay out clothes for the next day. Isa is in bed at about 7:30, Tony between 8:30-9.
After they go to bed, I make their lunches, make sure all homework is ready to go back to school, and then I'm done for the night to do my own thing. I watch my shows, shower, just whatever I have to do. Now, on the weekends (after about 5pm on Friday), I'm completely free to do my own thing. I can get out, explore, just whatever I want to do, and it's amazing.
Well, there you have it. So far, that's a typical day in my new routine. I am feeling pretty great about what I'm doing and I love these kids, I love Adele, and I just love being here and doing something new. I'm officially on my own on the job and I'm feeling pretty confident :)
So, I thought I would do a little "A Day In The Life" of my new life! So, here's what I've got so far:
6:15- wake up, fix my coffee, take a little time to check email, Facebook, texts, etc.
6:30-7:00- make sure the kids are starting to wake up, fix their cereal, give the their medicine/vitamins, eat some breakfast myself
7:00-8:00- I make sure they're dressed, teeth and hair brushed, fix myself up a little bit (at the very least, presentable to society), the kids hang out and watch tv, play games on their ipad, make sure lunches are packed, backpacks are packed
8:00-8:15- get jackets on, pile up in the car and out the door by 8:15-8:20
8:15-9:00- drop kids off at school (two different schools at this point) and drive back home
9:00- get ready for a run and get out there and do it!
After the run, I have the rest of the day to run errands, clean the house up a bit, just whatever needs to be done. Pretty sweet, right? I know. My eating habits are pretty similar to what they were before. Ya know, breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. I've been a little less regimented about the times of eating, I've been mostly just eating when I'm legitimately hungry. I'm doing much, much better with this than I was with trying to stick to a certain timed schedule. I'm not staring at the clock constantly waiting to eat. I feel much more in control this way.
2:50- pick Tony up from school
3:00-4:15- make sure Tony does his homework, chores, etc.
4:15- leave to pick up Isa from preschool
5:00-8:30- hang out with kids, prepare dinner, eat dinner, make sure everyone has their bath, clean up kitchen, lay out clothes for the next day. Isa is in bed at about 7:30, Tony between 8:30-9.
After they go to bed, I make their lunches, make sure all homework is ready to go back to school, and then I'm done for the night to do my own thing. I watch my shows, shower, just whatever I have to do. Now, on the weekends (after about 5pm on Friday), I'm completely free to do my own thing. I can get out, explore, just whatever I want to do, and it's amazing.
Well, there you have it. So far, that's a typical day in my new routine. I am feeling pretty great about what I'm doing and I love these kids, I love Adele, and I just love being here and doing something new. I'm officially on my own on the job and I'm feeling pretty confident :)
Monday, February 25, 2013
"What's this life anyway, what's it to you and me?"
I now know how much I've truly changed. I have been going with the flow, playing things by ear, just not getting stressed about anything. Until I've been here and been in the routine for a while, I'll still be doing just that. And ya know what? I have found that life is even more enjoyable. Sure, I have a basic daily plan here, but because Adele is a doctor and I'm working with kids, nothing is ever really set in stone. And that's OK. I'm enjoying getting out, driving around, exploring, just settling in to my new life. I drove into downtown Napa today and holy moly, is it beautiful. The countryside out there is amazing with the vineyards and such, but the town itself is just gorgeous. Also, I think I've decided I'd rather attend school there at Napa Valley College rather than the more local community college (though NVC is also a community college). NVC is, according to Adele, a bit more reputable and come on, it's in freaking Napa Valley!
I also visited Monterey Bay this weekend and it is ridiculous. This is a place where celebs and millionaires live. Clint Eastwood owns 3 of its golf courses....Just sayin'. On my way back, I drove up the Pacific Coast and it literally took my breath away. Driving along a two lane highway over-looking the deep blue ocean with the windows down was the perfect way to spend my Sunday. Just...so much yes.
Back to real life today, I weighed and found that I've already lost about 3 of the pounds that I'd gained back and I'm good with that. I'm not pushing myself extra hard yet, but I'm slowly getting back to my old self. I've also yet to add running back into my routine, but I will be doing so tomorrow. I was going to today, but errands and such got in my way. No excuses tomorrow, though! Back to it! I'm eating better for the most part. I've been watching my portions much more closely and eating less junk. Now, to cut the junk out completely like before will make a huge difference, but I'm still getting back into the habit.
So, as crazy as everything has been, it has been just as uncrazy, if that makes sense. As if being here was never anything out of the ordinary. I don't feel like anything is out of the ordinary. I truly feel comfortable here and that I'm at home. Of course I miss family, but I honestly feel that I belong here, that I 100% made the right choice. This is not just because I love it, but because after observing the family, I can see how much Adele really needs help in her daily routine. She needs a partner and I'm more than happy to fill that position. I feel that I'm doing some good here in helping this wonderful woman become a little less stressed, and in helping these kids find more stability in their lives.
I just could not be more grateful to have been handed this opportunity and this new life. I am grateful that Adele so willfully opened her home to me and immediately made me feel welcome. It also helps that the kids seemed to have opened themselves up to a new friend, and that makes me feel even more happy to be here. I think Isa is excited to have a fellow-girly girl to be a princess with, and Tony has more consistency in his daily routine. I'm just happy. And that's all there is to it :)
I also visited Monterey Bay this weekend and it is ridiculous. This is a place where celebs and millionaires live. Clint Eastwood owns 3 of its golf courses....Just sayin'. On my way back, I drove up the Pacific Coast and it literally took my breath away. Driving along a two lane highway over-looking the deep blue ocean with the windows down was the perfect way to spend my Sunday. Just...so much yes.
Back to real life today, I weighed and found that I've already lost about 3 of the pounds that I'd gained back and I'm good with that. I'm not pushing myself extra hard yet, but I'm slowly getting back to my old self. I've also yet to add running back into my routine, but I will be doing so tomorrow. I was going to today, but errands and such got in my way. No excuses tomorrow, though! Back to it! I'm eating better for the most part. I've been watching my portions much more closely and eating less junk. Now, to cut the junk out completely like before will make a huge difference, but I'm still getting back into the habit.
So, as crazy as everything has been, it has been just as uncrazy, if that makes sense. As if being here was never anything out of the ordinary. I don't feel like anything is out of the ordinary. I truly feel comfortable here and that I'm at home. Of course I miss family, but I honestly feel that I belong here, that I 100% made the right choice. This is not just because I love it, but because after observing the family, I can see how much Adele really needs help in her daily routine. She needs a partner and I'm more than happy to fill that position. I feel that I'm doing some good here in helping this wonderful woman become a little less stressed, and in helping these kids find more stability in their lives.
I just could not be more grateful to have been handed this opportunity and this new life. I am grateful that Adele so willfully opened her home to me and immediately made me feel welcome. It also helps that the kids seemed to have opened themselves up to a new friend, and that makes me feel even more happy to be here. I think Isa is excited to have a fellow-girly girl to be a princess with, and Tony has more consistency in his daily routine. I'm just happy. And that's all there is to it :)
Friday, February 22, 2013
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." -Will Rogers
Day one of the job went well, though it was mostly just riding along with Adele and trying to learn where everything is. Day two is treating me kindly, as well. I'm trying to get back into a good sleep schedule because I honestly miss being a morning person! Crazy, no? But seriously, I've enjoyed waking up early the past two days and spending the entire day awake and alert. It's going to take a while to really get everything down and running like clockwork as I'm still learning the family dynamic, but I can tell that this is going to work. Adele said that she's very glad that I'm here and feels the same. This makes me very happy :) And Isa asking me for a night night hug last night just made my heart melt. Precious.
Now, the FOOD issue. I've already done much, much better today. I'm trying to get myself back into the habit of eating small meals and snacks throughout the day as opposed to just large meals. I became quite accustomed to eating huge meals, unhealthy meals, and not caring about it. That ends now. I am in the process of retraining my body to eat smaller portions at a time and let me tell ya, I'm hungry. I'm really hungry. Buh. BUT I must do this. I will continue to gain more weight back if I don't do it as soon as possible. I already feel better after just two days of eating better. Also, I'm very pleased with the fact that Adele buys as much organic food as possible. I love that she's also trying to eat more healthy and get the kids into healthier habits, as well. We can all help each other and I love it! I appreciate that this kitchen isn't just full of land mines..I also super appreciate that this is a coffee-addicted household. Enabling the habit? Yes, please.
I got a message from a friend today that made my heart and my mouth smile :) She told me that she'd been meaning to read my blog for a while but just now got around to it this morning. She told me that it has helped her get motivated to drop a few pounds and that she'll be trying some recipes. It's honestly been a while since I've received a message of this nature, so getting this kind of reminder of why I'm sharing my journey has helped me to pick up my own motivation. I've been discouraged for the past couple of months due to the poor eating habits, but I feel much better now and feel re-inspired to get back on the right path :)
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
What I take from this is that I can have the best of intentions with this journey and the idea of good habits, but if I don't continue to act in the correct manner, I'm going to fail. I wake up every day with the intention of eating well and exercising, but I don't always act in the correct fashion. I fall off the track and dangle for too long. I hesitate in righting myself, but no more. I'm back on track and am going to stay there. I have incredible will power that I know I can use to its full potential, but I let myself be weak for too long. My will power is going to be tested like it's never been tested before and I'm ready. I'm ready to reap the benefits once again. I've so missed the excitement of progress!
Now, the FOOD issue. I've already done much, much better today. I'm trying to get myself back into the habit of eating small meals and snacks throughout the day as opposed to just large meals. I became quite accustomed to eating huge meals, unhealthy meals, and not caring about it. That ends now. I am in the process of retraining my body to eat smaller portions at a time and let me tell ya, I'm hungry. I'm really hungry. Buh. BUT I must do this. I will continue to gain more weight back if I don't do it as soon as possible. I already feel better after just two days of eating better. Also, I'm very pleased with the fact that Adele buys as much organic food as possible. I love that she's also trying to eat more healthy and get the kids into healthier habits, as well. We can all help each other and I love it! I appreciate that this kitchen isn't just full of land mines..I also super appreciate that this is a coffee-addicted household. Enabling the habit? Yes, please.
I got a message from a friend today that made my heart and my mouth smile :) She told me that she'd been meaning to read my blog for a while but just now got around to it this morning. She told me that it has helped her get motivated to drop a few pounds and that she'll be trying some recipes. It's honestly been a while since I've received a message of this nature, so getting this kind of reminder of why I'm sharing my journey has helped me to pick up my own motivation. I've been discouraged for the past couple of months due to the poor eating habits, but I feel much better now and feel re-inspired to get back on the right path :)
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
What I take from this is that I can have the best of intentions with this journey and the idea of good habits, but if I don't continue to act in the correct manner, I'm going to fail. I wake up every day with the intention of eating well and exercising, but I don't always act in the correct fashion. I fall off the track and dangle for too long. I hesitate in righting myself, but no more. I'm back on track and am going to stay there. I have incredible will power that I know I can use to its full potential, but I let myself be weak for too long. My will power is going to be tested like it's never been tested before and I'm ready. I'm ready to reap the benefits once again. I've so missed the excitement of progress!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Back to Basics
I wish that I could say that I've done well with my eating throughout this process, but that could not be further from the truth. I've eaten anything and everything over the past couple of weeks...and I feel gross. I feel heavy, tired, and just that I've set myself back. All of my meals on the road were whatever was convenient, and honestly, I could have made much better choices. I ate burgers, sandwiches, mexican, pasta, sweets...Oh Lord, the desserts...I'm ashamed. I ate chocolate, pie, bread pudding, drank non-diet drinks on several occasions...just...ugh. I dislike myself a good bit right now..
But ya know what? It happened, it's over, moving on. Now I can get back on track, start feeling good again, start running again, just getting back to being myself. I have NEVER been so excited to start eating healthy again. It was awesome to not have to think about what I was doing (although I subconsciously paid attention), but I am fully mentally prepared to regain my focus. I haven't weighed in a couple of weeks, but I don't need to. I know it's not good, I know I've gained a little of the weight back. I also know how to fix it. I did it after the Christmas Feast Month of 2012, so I know that I can bounce back from this.
I won't lie and say that I didn't completely enjoy myself, because I did, quite a bit. But I enjoy feeling good about myself much, much more. I also want to get back to what this blog was in the first place. I appreciate it's evolution into what it has become, but I am looking to get back to writing about my weight loss journey. For a while, there wasn't much journey to speak of, but now I have some real work to do, so here we go :)
But ya know what? It happened, it's over, moving on. Now I can get back on track, start feeling good again, start running again, just getting back to being myself. I have NEVER been so excited to start eating healthy again. It was awesome to not have to think about what I was doing (although I subconsciously paid attention), but I am fully mentally prepared to regain my focus. I haven't weighed in a couple of weeks, but I don't need to. I know it's not good, I know I've gained a little of the weight back. I also know how to fix it. I did it after the Christmas Feast Month of 2012, so I know that I can bounce back from this.
I won't lie and say that I didn't completely enjoy myself, because I did, quite a bit. But I enjoy feeling good about myself much, much more. I also want to get back to what this blog was in the first place. I appreciate it's evolution into what it has become, but I am looking to get back to writing about my weight loss journey. For a while, there wasn't much journey to speak of, but now I have some real work to do, so here we go :)
Monday, February 18, 2013
Finally Here.
The trip is finally over and I'm mostly settled into my new home. The number of things we were able to see over the course of just a few days is kind of ridiculous. The Grand Canyon was amazing, the Hoover Dam was cool, dinner in Las Vegas was great, LA was awesome, and San Francisco....SF is my favorite city now. In the past year, I've visited NYC, Philadelphia, DC, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Tampa, and a few years ago I went to Chicago. I've now visited many of this country's biggest and/or famous cities and I have to say that San Francisco is the most unique, coolest, laid back city I've ever been in. I still can't believe that I'm here and that this is now my home.
Now, let me talk about Benicia, the town in which I actually live. Ever seen "The Truman Show"? It's a lot like that town. It's gorgeous and has a really awesome historic downtown area. It's right next to the Bay and surrounded by mountains. I just can't even believe that this is real life right now. The house I'm living in is beautiful, open, bright, comfy and Adele is just fantastic. She has a great demeanor and spirit and smile. She has an awesome sense of humor and is just so sweet. I know that after meeting her my parents feel quite a bit more at ease about the situation. Did I mention they gave me their car? They gave me their car...I named her Fiona. Anyway, I met the kids yesterday and they are just precious. Isa, the four year old, is a self-proclaimed princess and is just a ham. So cute. Tony, the nine year old, is a little quieter and kind of keeps to himself, but he's very sweet. I'm excited about getting to know them :)
I'm already pretty settled in, but I am so exhausted. Sleeping in this morning was just amazing...even more amazing was getting up and not immediately getting ready and packed to go somewhere else. I can just lay around all day today AND tomorrow. I'm starting the job officially on Thursday, so I have these two days to recuperate from the week-long car ride and different-hotel-bed-every-night lag. It's going to take me a while to learn the area and get into the groove of things, but I love this area. I've honestly got the best of all worlds here: small town living, big city entertainment, my favorite baseball team, the hills of Napa Valley, a (slightly smaller) Six Flags park right down the interstate, mountains, water, beach not too far away, state park in my town, just everything. I'll never have a shortage of things to do, that's for sure.
Now that I'm here, I feel so certain that this was the right decision. I was meant to come here and live a life different from what I was doing. This is my life now and I can't wait to get it all started :)
Now, let me talk about Benicia, the town in which I actually live. Ever seen "The Truman Show"? It's a lot like that town. It's gorgeous and has a really awesome historic downtown area. It's right next to the Bay and surrounded by mountains. I just can't even believe that this is real life right now. The house I'm living in is beautiful, open, bright, comfy and Adele is just fantastic. She has a great demeanor and spirit and smile. She has an awesome sense of humor and is just so sweet. I know that after meeting her my parents feel quite a bit more at ease about the situation. Did I mention they gave me their car? They gave me their car...I named her Fiona. Anyway, I met the kids yesterday and they are just precious. Isa, the four year old, is a self-proclaimed princess and is just a ham. So cute. Tony, the nine year old, is a little quieter and kind of keeps to himself, but he's very sweet. I'm excited about getting to know them :)
I'm already pretty settled in, but I am so exhausted. Sleeping in this morning was just amazing...even more amazing was getting up and not immediately getting ready and packed to go somewhere else. I can just lay around all day today AND tomorrow. I'm starting the job officially on Thursday, so I have these two days to recuperate from the week-long car ride and different-hotel-bed-every-night lag. It's going to take me a while to learn the area and get into the groove of things, but I love this area. I've honestly got the best of all worlds here: small town living, big city entertainment, my favorite baseball team, the hills of Napa Valley, a (slightly smaller) Six Flags park right down the interstate, mountains, water, beach not too far away, state park in my town, just everything. I'll never have a shortage of things to do, that's for sure.
Now that I'm here, I feel so certain that this was the right decision. I was meant to come here and live a life different from what I was doing. This is my life now and I can't wait to get it all started :)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Journey So Far
So, here we are, in the middle of our trip, spending the night in the beautiful city of Flagstaff, Arizona. This truly is a beautiful country that we live in, and I am so grateful to have gotten the chance to see so much more of it. The American Southwest is incredible. There has been snow on the ground since we hit Oklahoma. Texas was beautiful and we enjoyed quite the amazing dinner at The Big Texan. The views all the way across New Mexico were amazing. We stopped for lunch at an authentic diner on Route 66 and my oh my, was that yummy! Arizona landscape was a little boring until we drew closer to Flagstaff, but once we did, the mountain range was the perfect backdrop for a glorious desert sunset. We rode into downtown Flagstaff and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at an old general store turned hotel turned hotel/restaurant called The Weatherford Hotel/Charley's Restaurant and Pub. It was established in 1887 and had such a cool atmosphere. After, we drove up to the top of one of the mountains to look at the night sky and it was absolutely stunning. There's a lot less light pollution and the sky was so clear. I've never seen so many stars in my life!
This is my first time west of St. Louis and I must say, I am impressed by God's creation. It has been such a joy to experience and observe a completely different kind of landscape. I've never encountered such flat land before and it is so interesting to be able to see so far ahead of you! Just miles and miles of prairie and desert. Tomorrow, we're going to take a trip out to see the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and drive through Las Vegas. I am so excited! Although these are all a bit out of the way, how could we not go see them?! These will be our first major landmarks of the trip so don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures ;)
I'm just enjoying the heck out of myself and this time with my parents. But it still just kind of feels like I'm taking a trip, a vacation, not like I'm moving out here to live. I did finally break down and cry like a baby on Sunday after saying goodbye to my Jacksonville friends and then sobbed after saying goodbye to my sister, brother, and sister-in-law. That was hard, but it felt good to finally get the tears out. People keep telling me how brave I am for doing this, but for some reason, I have failed to look at it in that respect. In my mind, I just made a decision to take a job, move to a new city, and go back to school. But, now that it's been pointed out to me, I suppose this is quite brave and takes a good but of strength and courage. Two years ago, it would not have even occurred to me to so much as look into something like this. As Dad pointed out, it took me not succeeding in my first go at school and coming home to regroup, grow up, and finally figure out who I am and what I want.
Now that I'm seeing this in the light that everyone else has, I'm realizing that I'm even braver and stronger than I ever thought that I could be. I always knew that I wasn't going to stay in Alabama, but I never dreamed I would be making a life for myself so far away from everything and everyone I know. I'm still slightly in disbelief that I'm doing this, that I'm already 1,580 miles from Birmingham with about 1,000 (including all of our side trips of sight-seeing) left to go. I can't believe that I'm on the other side of the country and I'm no longer a resident of Alabama or even the Southeast. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy....
Sunset tonight driving through Arizona:
This is my first time west of St. Louis and I must say, I am impressed by God's creation. It has been such a joy to experience and observe a completely different kind of landscape. I've never encountered such flat land before and it is so interesting to be able to see so far ahead of you! Just miles and miles of prairie and desert. Tomorrow, we're going to take a trip out to see the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and drive through Las Vegas. I am so excited! Although these are all a bit out of the way, how could we not go see them?! These will be our first major landmarks of the trip so don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures ;)
I'm just enjoying the heck out of myself and this time with my parents. But it still just kind of feels like I'm taking a trip, a vacation, not like I'm moving out here to live. I did finally break down and cry like a baby on Sunday after saying goodbye to my Jacksonville friends and then sobbed after saying goodbye to my sister, brother, and sister-in-law. That was hard, but it felt good to finally get the tears out. People keep telling me how brave I am for doing this, but for some reason, I have failed to look at it in that respect. In my mind, I just made a decision to take a job, move to a new city, and go back to school. But, now that it's been pointed out to me, I suppose this is quite brave and takes a good but of strength and courage. Two years ago, it would not have even occurred to me to so much as look into something like this. As Dad pointed out, it took me not succeeding in my first go at school and coming home to regroup, grow up, and finally figure out who I am and what I want.
Now that I'm seeing this in the light that everyone else has, I'm realizing that I'm even braver and stronger than I ever thought that I could be. I always knew that I wasn't going to stay in Alabama, but I never dreamed I would be making a life for myself so far away from everything and everyone I know. I'm still slightly in disbelief that I'm doing this, that I'm already 1,580 miles from Birmingham with about 1,000 (including all of our side trips of sight-seeing) left to go. I can't believe that I'm on the other side of the country and I'm no longer a resident of Alabama or even the Southeast. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy....
Sunset tonight driving through Arizona:
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Just a little update:
Alright, this is the first time posting from my iPad, but I have to get used to this as opposed to my desktop, so here goes nothing. By the way, I can't wait to get a keyboard for this thing. We're now down to 5 days until departure. Yes, FIVE DAYS! That's crazy! But it's true and it's finally beginning to hit me. When I see people this weekend, it will be for the last time for almost a year for many of them. I won't be back for a long enough visit to see friends until Christmas. That's a really long time. I know I'll make new friends (how, I'm not entirely sure), but I'm going to miss everyone in my life so very much. These goodbyes are hard and I know that I'm eventually going to break down and sob, but I've maintained my composure thus far.
Throughout these past few weeks, me and my parents have made it a mission to eat at all of my favorite local restaurants before I leave. Needless to say, I haven't been particularly strict in my eating.... However, these are places and dishes I won't have a chance to enjoy for a very long time, so I don't necessarily feel guilty. I've done a decent job in keeping my eating during the week fairly healthy and low in calorie in preparation for all of these meals on the weekends. I've thoroughly enjoyed these meals, obviously, because they aren't what I would normally consume. I mean, hey, what's the point of dining at all of my favorite places if I'm not going to indulge in my favorite dishes?!
Once I've settled into a routine in my new home and job, I'll get right back to my healthy habits. I'll stick to healthy items, get back into a running regimen, and continue on in my quest for the goal weight/size. But for now, maintaining has been my focus. The special meals have been balanced by eating correctly during the week. All of the packing, painting, preparing has kept me busy and I'm going to be glad to be done with it. Did I mention that I'm going to be an aunt? Yes, my brother and his wife are expecting a baby in August! My room at home is going to become a nursery for all future grandchildren, so that's where the painting came in. I painted a beautiful tree and scripture on the walls of my former bedroom. I haven't had a reason to paint in a while, so it was quite a satisfying project for me.
Random recipe: If you're craving something chocolatey,sweet, quick, and easy to indulge in from time to time like I have been all week, try this:
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tbsp flour
-1 tbsp cocoa powder
-2 tbsp light sour cream
-pinch of salt
-pinch of baking soda
-In a microwave safe bowl or mug, combine all ingredients until well blended. Microwave on high for 1:30-2 minutes. Optional: drizzle some sugar-free chocolate syrup or caramel. Enjoy :)
-serving: 1
-calories: approximately 115 calories, depending on what products you use and without any topping.
This a really good, dense, brownie-like treat. it's super quick, easy, and relatively guilt-free. You can also simply double the recipe for a larger portion or for two servings. I've tried it with yogurt instead of sour cream, but it just wasn't the right consistency, so I would stick to the sour cream. I've also tried half dark cocoa, half regular cocoa and it was delicious.
So, there you have it, my random little update of my life and impending adventures. The next time I post will most likely be on the road next week or from my new home in California, so until then, have a wonderful week and weekend. I sincerely look forward to sharing with you all the excitement of this adventure :)
This is the result of my painting day:
Throughout these past few weeks, me and my parents have made it a mission to eat at all of my favorite local restaurants before I leave. Needless to say, I haven't been particularly strict in my eating.... However, these are places and dishes I won't have a chance to enjoy for a very long time, so I don't necessarily feel guilty. I've done a decent job in keeping my eating during the week fairly healthy and low in calorie in preparation for all of these meals on the weekends. I've thoroughly enjoyed these meals, obviously, because they aren't what I would normally consume. I mean, hey, what's the point of dining at all of my favorite places if I'm not going to indulge in my favorite dishes?!
Once I've settled into a routine in my new home and job, I'll get right back to my healthy habits. I'll stick to healthy items, get back into a running regimen, and continue on in my quest for the goal weight/size. But for now, maintaining has been my focus. The special meals have been balanced by eating correctly during the week. All of the packing, painting, preparing has kept me busy and I'm going to be glad to be done with it. Did I mention that I'm going to be an aunt? Yes, my brother and his wife are expecting a baby in August! My room at home is going to become a nursery for all future grandchildren, so that's where the painting came in. I painted a beautiful tree and scripture on the walls of my former bedroom. I haven't had a reason to paint in a while, so it was quite a satisfying project for me.
Random recipe: If you're craving something chocolatey,sweet, quick, and easy to indulge in from time to time like I have been all week, try this:
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tbsp flour
-1 tbsp cocoa powder
-2 tbsp light sour cream
-pinch of salt
-pinch of baking soda
-In a microwave safe bowl or mug, combine all ingredients until well blended. Microwave on high for 1:30-2 minutes. Optional: drizzle some sugar-free chocolate syrup or caramel. Enjoy :)
-serving: 1
-calories: approximately 115 calories, depending on what products you use and without any topping.
This a really good, dense, brownie-like treat. it's super quick, easy, and relatively guilt-free. You can also simply double the recipe for a larger portion or for two servings. I've tried it with yogurt instead of sour cream, but it just wasn't the right consistency, so I would stick to the sour cream. I've also tried half dark cocoa, half regular cocoa and it was delicious.
So, there you have it, my random little update of my life and impending adventures. The next time I post will most likely be on the road next week or from my new home in California, so until then, have a wonderful week and weekend. I sincerely look forward to sharing with you all the excitement of this adventure :)
This is the result of my painting day:
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