February Wrap-Up

February has been a pretty lackluster month. It's been filled with training runs, homework, work, and classes. It's also been a pretty beautiful month, weather wise. We had a brief cold spell where the temps dropped into the 50s. (I KNOW! And we complained. We are winter wimps.) Other than that, it's been hitting the upper 70s most days with a slight breeze - perfect weather.

Looking back, February has had it's share of ups and downs...

• The Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl. I was really rooting for the Packers to win, mainly because I think Aaron Rodgers is adorable but also because the Steelers have won enough and it's time for some fresh faces! It was a great game with an awesome outcome. (But it's not looking good for a 2011 NFL season. I'm getting worried.)
• My mom and I booked our cruise! I'm over-the-moon thrilled about our upcoming cruise in late May and cannot wait to travel a little! I've never been out of the Eastern timezone so I think it's going to be a memorable five days, to say the least.
• I developed shingles. AKA adult chicken pox. It's no fun, but definitely not as painful as people are telling me. I'm uncomfortable, but my pain is minimal. I think the most annoying part of it is the pills I have to take five times a day. Yuck.
• I'm down 7 pounds. It wasn't a stellar month for weight loss, but I did stick to the plan every week. I'm not positive much weight loss will occur until I'm recovered from my shingles, but I just want to stick to the plan as best I can and track, track, track! I'm losing it slowly, but I'm losing it nonetheless.
• I decided to take a big step back from blogging. No more five posts a week for me! I really need to focus on school, getting well, and learning how to de-stress better. I know blogging can get stressful for me when I try to stick to a rigid schedule so it's back to posting when I can for me.

How did your February turn out?

School, Stress, and Shingles

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It's been a while.

Well, only 5 days since my last post, but it feels like forever. I had to take a big step back from blogging this week (and probably will continue until I'm done with school) because I got overwhelmed. I looked at my homework list, realized I almost missed completely an assignment, and realized I was in over my head. It didn't take long for me to figure out what had to go first: blogging. And by stepping back, I was able to regroup, make out long to-do lists, and get stuff done. This semester isn't too heavy on homework and projects and tests, but it's all those little things that I'm trying to do now so I'm not overwhelmed with everything in April. But it's better now. I know I have to keep school and work and exercise and downtime at the forefront of my mind and leave blogging to when I can get around to it.

I don't think I can stress enough how much I am loving my classes this semester. My creative writing and literature classes are everything I have ever hoped for. I am totally in love with all the work I'm doing for those classes, especially those long reading assignments. My past five semesters as a journalism grad have been filled with interviews, research, and paper writing - nothing that excited me or fueled my passions. I am now realizing I want nothing to do with the journalism world. It's not where my passions - or my talents - lie. Some days, I flirt with the idea of getting my teacher certification and teaching middle school. Some days, I think about missionary work or getting involved in a ministry. Other days, I just want to keep inside my bubble and do something that comes easy for me. But the best part about this time in my life is that my future is so wide-open. It's a little scary but mostly thrilling to realize how much life I have yet to experience and how many milestones I have yet to achieve. And I can't wait to take this little blog along for the ride.

But enough about school, let's talk about shingles!

Shingles? Yes, shingles. (AKA, adult chicken pox.) Guess who was diagnosed with shingles last night? Yours truly. Quite a fun way to spend a Friday night, if you ask me!

It all started on Wednesday when I started feeling pain on the left side of my body, close to my hip. It felt like I had bruised my side or pulled a muscle and noticed two red marks that looked like insect bites around the area where it was hurting. For the most part, I shrugged it off, thinking it wasn't something major. I would ice it tonight and try to stretch out my hip flexors. No big deal.

Oh, but Thursday, I realized something was up. Still experiencing pain and little red marks began forming on my skin all around my side. They began to make a trail towards my belly button and down my upper thigh. At this point, I started to worry. I was in pain but nothing excruciating. The marks didn't itch or hurt, but they were there. I asked about it on Twitter, where Stephanie mentioned shingles. I didn't want to believe that, so I shrugged it off again. (Plus, hi, I have no insurance. I don't make visits to the doctor unless it is absolutely necessary. At this point, I didn't think it was.) At first, my mom and I thought it was a bad reaction to an insect bite. I am slightly allergic to insect bites where some can make me swell up and develop lots of redness around the bite. But I've never had a reaction like this...and I've never been in pain. (Just itchy/uncomfortable pain.) Then, after my mom looked at them again, she thought they looked like hives. Hives? Oh, I can do hives! Hives is nothing! Yay, hives! I figured the stress I was putting on myself to complete this half-marathon was the reason behind my hives. I kept pouring Benedryl lotion on the marks and taking baths to hopefully heal it.

Then, on Friday, after still experiencing a lot of pain in my side (and now my back), we went to see my grandma. She has a nursing background, took one look at them and said, "Oh, that's shingles!" No. No, no, no, no, no. I cannot have shingles! Shingles is something old people get. I'm 23 and fairly healthy (ish). Heck, I'm training for a half-marathon. People training for half-marathons don't get shingles! She advised me to get to a doctor ASAP, so my mom and I found an urgent care clinic a few blocks away. It took me about an hour to see a doctor, where I worried it was some strange disease that would give me 3 days to live. (My mind, you guys. MY MIND!) Less than 10 minutes after seeing the doctor, he diagnosed me with shingles. I have adult chicken pox. Awesome. (Oh, and did you know anyone who has had chicken pox still technically has it? It just lies dormant in your body. For some people, it stays dormant. For others, it rears up it's ugly head in the form of shingles. Interesting!) Basically, there's no real reason why a person gets shingles, but it has been linked to low immune system. I know I have a low immune system thanks to those lovely kiddos who like to sneeze and cough all over me. I get sick every 2-3 months. (Meanwhile, I can't remember the last time my mom had a cold! Not in the past 10 years, at least!) It's also linked to stress which causes a low immune system.

Basically, they put me on an antibiotic and told me to take Advil for any pain. (Although, I haven't yet filled the antibiotic because it rang up at $282! There is another kind that rings up for just $30 so I'm waiting on the phone call to see if the doctor will approve that one.) The pain isn't too bad. I can do all of my normal activities, although I'm laying off exercise until this clears up. At it's worse, the pain is at a 3 or 4. But, most of the time, it doesn't hurt at all. It's just ugly to look at.

And that's about it. There's nothing much I can do about it, although I'm taking about two oatmeal baths a day. (LOVE!) I'm just trying to relax and let it run its course. It's been a stressful few days, but I'm glad I have an answer and a solution. (Plus, I think this gets me out of housework for at least the next week, right?)

Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck

Dining with Joy was about cooking show host Joy Ballard who can’t cook. She inherited her show from her father and her executive producer knew about her lack of cooking abilities, as well as a lot of the staff. The producer then sells the show to Allison Wild, who believes she can make Joy an even bigger star. Only problem? She doesn’t know Joy can’t cook. Enter Luke Redmond. Successful chef, owner of a failed Manhattan restaurant. During one failed live cook-off, Luke steps in to help her and saves the day. They begin working together. While Luke is a master at cooking, he is terrible on screen. (Joy is the opposite.) He soon finds out about Joy’s lack of cooking ability and proceeds to help her learn, keeping her secret. But sooner or later, the cat has to come out of the bag, right?

This was a sweet love story, with Christian themes. The main character was strong and someone I could identify with. Joy had a hard time trusting people, especially men. She had a hard time defining her worth, especially as she is a fraud in the foodie world. She doesn’t exactly know what she wants out of life, but wants to make her father proud, since she never seemed to connect with him while he was alive. There was something about Joy I deeply connected with, and was just rooting for her to take a chance on love. And Luke. Oh, Luke is one of the good guys. Another strong character with his own hang-ups, but someone who strives every day to make something more out of his life. I was incredibly sad when I finished this book because these two characters wouldn’t be a part of my life anymore.

This book is centered around Christian themes, such as what God has called you to do. But deep down, it is a love story. It’s one of those sweet love stories that makes you fall back in love with the process of falling in love. Character development is strong, as well as plot. While it wasn’t a book I couldn’t put down, it was one of those that sucked me right back in when I started reading it again. Rachel Hauck is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. A part of me wishes there was a sequel, just so I could get a taste of Joy and Luke again.

Has there ever been a main character that you closely identified with?

Vlog Fridays (3)

Today, I’m answering Linda’s question which refers to my decision to stay a virgin until I’m married. I made a boo-boo when I said I don’t know any blog friends who are choosing (or have chosen) to live this way, because I do! I’m not sure why I said that, but it was a flub. ;)

As always, leave me questions in the comments!

Back On the Wagon

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Five weeks is usually my stopping point. It’s when I realize how tough weight loss is and how I don’t like the pressure weekly weigh-ins put on me. So I quit and try it on my own, only to end up gaining the weight (and then some) back. It follows having a week or two when I don’t track correctly which, consequently, causes me to gain weight. That’s what happened the past two weeks and oddly enough, it didn’t defeat me. I knew what I had done wrong and I knew what I needed to do to get back on track. I knew how I felt on those weeks when I had total control over my eating habits and wanted to capture that feeling again.

And I did. This week went so much better than the past two weeks, where I maintained my weight and then gained over a pound. I was a tracking fiend, making sure to write down every thing I ate, even those things I used to “conveniently” forget about. Tracking can be a pain and a hassle, but absolutely necessary for this journey. I can’t wait for the day when it becomes intuitive for me, but I’m content to take it slow and learn first.

Some great things that happened:

• I reinstated my No-Coke-Days again, after totally and absolutely failing to drink water during the week. I would really like to get off this addiction I have to soda and I used to have a lot of success with No-Coke-Days. I’m starting with one day a week and will gradually build my days up until it’s only a special occasion type of thing.
• I exercised 5 days! I actually ran 11.25 miles out of the week, as well as completing pretty kick-ass strength-training routine that I created.
• I had to turn down home-baked cupcakes on Valentine’s Day. My boss baked them and they were staring me in the face throughout my entire lunch on Monday. Honestly, though, it wasn’t too hard to turn them down. I didn’t really want one and knew I would feel so much better about myself if I resisted. And I did. Yay, me!

I still have a ways to go and a lot of things I need to take our of my diet. But it’s going good and it’s all coming together.

Stats
Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs
Current Weight: 153.2 lbs
Net Difference: –6 lbs (-1.6 this week)
BMI: 28 (-1.1 total)

BOOKED!

During my class yesterday, I received this text message from my mom: “We are booked.”

I responded with, “Ahhh!!!” because I can’t believe it’s really happening! I’ve never been out of the Eastern time zone, much less in an entirely different country. My excitement level is through the roof!

We leave towards the end of May from Tampa and will be spending 5 days on our ship. We stop once at Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and then again at Cozumel, Mexico.

We’ve put a lot of thought into the ship, such as how long, where we want to go, what kind of room we want. (We booked a ocean-view room.) We decided that we wanted to take it easy for our first cruise but did want to make two stops at two different places. So this was the perfect cruise for us and pretty cheap at under $400 a person!

We’ve been looking at shore excursions and we’re pretty set on going snorkeling in Cayman Islands. (Although my mom did admit she’s scared to snorkel. I told her it was a must.) There is really so much to choose from! Everything from scuba diving to swimming with dolphins to shopping to sightseeing. It’s crazy!

So here’s where you come in, dear readers! What advice do you have for a cruise-going virgin? Any must-dos while I’m in the Cayman Islands or Cozumel? Anything I need to know about the cruise ship, things to bring, etc.? I’m all ears!

Ten on Tuesday (Vol. 29)

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1. Any vacations you are looking forward to this summer?
YES! My mom and I are currently planning a cruise in May which I am so excited about. It’ll be my first time out of the country and my first time on a cruise. The one we’re looking at seriously is a 5-day cruise, stopping at Cozumel, Mexico and the Cayman Islands. Eee!

2. What is your favorite article of summer clothing (shoes are included)?
Last summer, I was tied to cotton skirts, tank tops, and cut-off capri jeans. I’ll probably be tied to them again this summer. (Can I just say how happy these questions are making me? Yay, summer!)

3. What is your favorite summer drink (alcoholic or non)?
I don’t really have one. Anything I drink in the summer, I drink any other time of year. I will admit that strawberry daiquiris are pretty summer-y and probably my favorite alcoholic beverage.

4. Do you tan or burn?
I never tan. I either burn to the extreme or remain pale as a ghost. I’m trying to get better at wearing sunblock when I’m outside because a) I don’t want skin cancer and b) I’d much rather be ghostly pale than deal with the pain of a sunburn.

5. Any goals you are working toward this summer?
Job searching! I’m hoping to be employed very soon after I graduate, but I know it’s going to be tough. There’s not a lot out there for a new graduate with very little experience. I’ll also still be going strong with this weight loss journey, so there’s that.

6. What is your favorite summertime food?
Hm…hamburgers? Ooh, especially hamburgers on the grill! Yum, yum, yum! And watermelon. I love watermelon in the summer. It’s just not the same any other time of year.

7. What song most says “summer” to you?
There’s really not too many songs that say “summer”. The only ones that come to mind are Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” and Eminem’s “Without Me” because they were basically my anthem’s in the summer of 2002 and anytime I hear them, I’m instantly transported to that time.

8. Any home improvement goals planned for the summer?
Not really. I would like to buy better furniture for my room, because I don’t have a dresser and my full-size bed is sitting on a queen-size frame. My room is basically the “before” picture of any home decorating project.

9. What is one thing you hate to see at the beach?
Myself? I just really don’t like the beach with the sand and the salty water and wearing a bathing suits. And now I’m realizing how odd that statement is, given #1. But whatever.

10. Did you ever go to summer camp?
Twice, with my girls’ group at church. We only went for a week but it was so much fun. I had a blast both times.

*Hosted by Chelsea

On Singleness & Loneliness

It’s Valentine’s Day. And appropriately, I’m writing a post on love. I’m quite original, yes.

I don’t feel as if I talk too much about my singleness on this blog. I write letters to my future husband and have talked about my stance on premarital sex and cohabitation. But not about the here and now. Not about living day in and day out, wondering what’s wrong with me. Cringing every time a formerly single friend finds love. Aching at the thought I may never wear a silver band on my left hand or a beautiful, white dress on my body.

I’m single. I’ve chosen to be single, but I desperately want to find love. I even went so far as to join a dating site, only to delete my profile the next day. Not that I necessarily think there’s anything wrong with dating sites, but it’s just not the path I want to take right now. I’m growing impatient and it scares me. I don’t think I’ll ever settle for Mr. Right Now, but there are moments when I think I could.

I hate to use the term because it is so overused, but it rings true for Valentine’s Day. Commercialized. Valentine’s Day is the single most commercialized holiday there is. Way more than Christmas. It’s all about jewelry and chocolate and teddy bears and flowers and cards. Love, love, love. On this day, if you don’t give me anything, you don’t really love me. I mean, really? That’s what this day has come to? This scramble to buy the one you love the perfect gift to signify your love. I’m also not on the “Valentine’s Day should be every day” camp, because let’s face it, can we really treat every day like we love the person we’re with to bits and pieces? Are we really that loveable 365 days a year? I think not. I’m never going to put that kind of pressure on my guy, that he needs to buy me some extravagant gift or take me out to an extravagant dinner just because it happens to be the Day of Love. So, future husband, if you’re reading, just know you’re off the hook when it comes to V-Day.

The truth is, I’m lonely. And not just because today is Valentine’s Day, but because there’s not a day that passes where I don’t wonder if I’ll ever spend this day with my future husband. Will I ever meet him? As single girl after single girl get paired up and swoony (I’m growing to hate that word, by the way), I’m still stuck in my pattern of singleness and loneliness. I want to stop waiting for him. I want him to be in my life right now. I read love stories that give my hope for the future, but also simultaneously make nervous that I won’t have the same serendipitous chance meeting. That I’ll be too afraid to even attempt a relationship, that my own fears and anxiety will take center stage and leave me alone once more.

I’m willing to sit back and let God control my love life, but I would be lying if I said I’m content with the way he’s conducting it right now. I know He has a plan, a bigger and better one than I could ever imagine, but it’s hard to not be at the controls. I just want to jump in and take it over, but I know it would only result in a mess. Right now, I’m just searching for peace. Peace in my singleness, peace in my loneliness. Peace that I will someday find him.

Thursday Tidbits

• First of all, today I’m guest-posting over at Becky’s blog! She asked for a theme of love so I wrote about the boy I love the most: my nephew! This blog post was so much fun to write, even moreso that Becky is also an aunt and knows exactly how I feel! Check it out here.
  
• Today is supposed to be the day I recap my weight loss and tomorrow is supposed to be the day I vlog. I haven’t had time to record a vlog this week and to recap this week in weight loss: Super Bowl. Gained 1.2 pounds. The end. 
  
• I’m finding myself busier and busier with school and kind of loving it. My five-week break was incredibly delightful and relaxing, but I’m realizing that I like to keep busy. It also helps that my classes are quite fun and I get to explore my creative writing side, which is a big no-no when it comes to journalism. The papers I’m writing for my literature and creative writing classes are so much fun and so interesting to write that a part of me is glad I’m taking them at the end of my undergraduate career and not a few semesters ago because it seriously would have tempted me to switch majors. No joke.
  
• Half-marathon training-wise, it’s going okay. I missed my long run on Sunday because it was raining and I just didn’t have it in me to run 5 miles on the treadmill. My training runs have been better than I expected, even though I’m still not running the whole time but I am running more than I’m walking. I’m still extremely nervous leading up to my runs, but they’re getting done. I’m ready to tackle this upcoming week. I have a 3.5-miler scheduled for today and a 5-miler scheduled for Saturday. 5 miles will be a new (running) distance record for me so fingers crossed!
  
• I want to run one of the Gasparilla races at the end of this month. I’m debating on whether I should run the 5K on Saturday or the 8K on Sunday. I’m only scheduled to run 3 miles that weekend, but I’ve never run an 8K distance in a race and it kind of interests me. Make the decision for me! ;)
  
• By the way, March 24th is the day the world will end for me. Also known as the day I have to present my short story for critiques. I’ve never shown my fiction work to anyone and to say I’m nervous is an extreme understatement. I have a million different ideas of what I want my short story to be but nothing I feel comfortable writing down and showing.

Ten on Tuesday (Vol. 28)

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1. What is your favorite kind of donut?
Honestly, I really don’t like donuts. I’ll eat them if they’re offered, but they really don’t tempt me and I’m never like, “Ohhh…I so want a donut right now!”

2. Do you use the snooze button?
Oh, yes! Too much. Sometimes, I’ll snooze it for up to an hour. I really need to start putting my phone out of reaching distance so I just get up when it goes off.

3. Do you write in cursive, print, or a combination of the two?
More often than not, print. But when I’m trying to write fast, I usually write in cursive.

4. Tell us a joke.
Honestly, I can’t think of anything and I don’t feel like searching a joke site for a good one.

5. How many languages do you speak?
Just English. I took 3 years of Spanish in middle/high school and I’m in my second semester of it now, but I still could not hold a decent conversation.

6. Why did you start blogging?
Because I love to write. I’ve had blogs since I was in high school and while I’ve jumped from blog to blog, I’ve always had one. I need a space to write and get my thoughts out.

7. Do you use bar soap or liquid body wash?
Body wash! I can’t stand bar soap. I don’t feel like I can ever get clean enough and it always leaves my skin feeling super dry.

8. Do you buy bottled water?
We’re looking into getting a Brita filter but right now, we buy the big gallon jug of water and fill up reusable bottles with them.

9. What did you think of the Super Bowl Half-Time show?
It was awful. I like the Black-Eyed Peas but I thought the show was so painful to watch.

10. How do you feel about Steve Carrell leaving The Office?
I hate to say it, but a part of me wouldn’t mind The Office ending after this season. I feel like all the stories have been told and the jokes aren’t funny anymore. A big part of The Office was Pam and Jim’s story and there’s not much to say about that anymore. And I think the show is going to be 100x less funny without Steve Carrell.

*Hosted by Roots and Rings

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen was a book about friendship and coming into your own. It focused on 15-year-old Halley, whose best friend, Scarlett, finds out her boyfriend, Michael, had been killed in a motorcycle accident. They had only been dating for a few weeks but she later finds out that she is pregnant with his baby. Halley becomes focused on helping Scarlett through this, especially with all the other girls in high school Michael had dated, crying over his loss. Halley also finds a new (and exciting) friend in Michael’s best friend, Macon. They begin dating, even though they are as different as night and day. Through all of this, she begins pulling away from her parents and sticking close to her friends and boyfriend.

I don’t want to give the story away, so that’s the gist of it. I haven’t read YA fiction in a really long time, so I wasn’t sure how I would like the story but I loved it. Dessen has this amazing voice throughout the entire book and the characters are so well developed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the plot flowed along smoothly, and it was real.

There were a lot of issues brought up in the book: virginity, sex, love, friendship, rebellion, drinking, drugs, parents, teenage pregnancy. And I have to say that Dessen did an awesome job covering them without going too over the top, or being too preachy. It was a little hard for me to read because I have cousins the same age as Halley and Scarlett and I see a lot of the same emotions in them as I saw in these friends. Many times, I just wanted to hit Halley upside the head for the hurtful things she said to her mom or the way she treated Macon as the best person she’d ever known, only because I’ve seen the way my cousins have lashed out or acted like their friends were better than family. But it also helped me to see their side. In high school, things are crazy. Emotions are all over the place and the only people who really understand what you’re going through are your friends, because they’re going through the same things. They get you.

This is the first book of Dessen’s that I’ve read and I enjoyed it so much, I’m definitely going to pick up more of her books. The story was real and honest, and something I would definitely recommend for a teen or someone who enjoys YA fiction.

What was the last YA fiction book you read?

Vlog Friday (2)

I’m not even going to tell you how many times I filmed this vlog. It’s disgusting. So I’m sticking with this one.

Enjoy!

What do you want to accomplish in the coming year?

Not Quite a Setback

I had a feeling about this week. About halfway into the week, there was just this feeling that it was going to be one of Those Weeks. While I was staying within my Points and not even using as much of my Extra Points as I usually do, my body was rebelling.

I could pinpoint just what I did wrong. Not enough exercise (only 3 days). Not enough water (although I did drink my 24oz 3 out of the 7 days). And the biggie: eating bad points. While I stayed within my limits, I wasn’t eating the good stuff. The problem with staying within your limits with the bad stuff is that you tend to undereat during another meal to make up for it. So if I had a 20-point lunch, I could only have a 5- or 6-point dinner, unless I wanted to use up the vast majority of my extra points.

It’s never a good idea. But it wasn’t a big setback, just showed me I have to be careful of what I’m eating and whether or not it’s a Power Food that’s going to be good and filling for me. I tracked my food, but would conveniently “forget” certain things I ate.

This isn’t a big set-back for me that causes me to go crazy, cry, and doubt I’ll ever be skinny. I know what I did wrong and I know how to improve it. I want to really put my focus back on tracking and eating Power Foods, drinking more water (24oz a day, for now), and getting in exercise. I really want to strive to do some sort of physical activity every day of the week, even if it’s just a 20-minute walk. I get very lazy or busy with schoolwork that exercise can take a backseat to other things, but I’m going to work hard to do something every day.

Stats (Week 3)
Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs
Current Weight: 153.6 lbs
Net Difference: –5.6 lbs (-0 this week)
BMI: 28.1 (-1 total)

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind, Part 6

Read Parts 1-5 here

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26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

I would most definitely rather lose my old memories. In fact, it would sort of be a blessing in disguise to not remember my past and the things from my past that are holding me back! I know there is a lot of talk how mistakes of the past shape us into who we are today, but they seem to keep me from really experiencing life and living it to the fullest when I remember the ways my dad emotionally abused me, and the bullying I dealt with in middle school.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

In a way, no. I think this is why my faith has been such a struggle. I’m not content to just say I believe it, and leave it at that. I need more. I need answers to my many questions. I envy people who just trust God without any qualms, but that’s not my way. I am constantly challenging what I believe and holding it up to what the world believes. Obviously, they are radically different. But I think challenging the truth is so useful and Christians need to do it more. I want to know my faith inside and out, and be able to answer any question a non-Christian throws my way.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

No, not yet. It terrifies me that one day I will live in a world without my mom or my grandma or my brother, or any other family member. I feel so blessed to not know the pain of what that is like yet. I know I won’t continue with this innocence of death, but I’m going to enjoy every minute of my family while I have them.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

Five years ago, I was 18, in my senior year of high school. What probably upset me the most was college decisions and the stress of my final semester as a high school student. Looking back, it doesn’t matter. I am exactly where I need to be at this moment. But we’re not very rational when we’re deep in the moment, are we?

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?

One childhood memory that stands out especially is this silly moment in the car after we had all had a fabulous dinner at a steak house. My brother and I were maybe 7 and 8 and my parents were playing papers-scissors-rock to determine who got to use the bathroom first. I remember their laughter, which didn’t happen often. I remember my full belly and this deep peace that everything was OK right then. A lot of my childhood was uncertain and chaotic so these moments were rare but amazing to me.

I’d love to know your answer to #27 – Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? What do you think?

February

Growing up, February was my least favorite month of the year. The thrill of a new year was over and I was faced with a long month of no school breaks at all. Spring Break seemed incredibly far away and Valentine’s Day is probably my least favorite holiday. (Halloween is a very close second.)

February really doesn’t have much to offer itself to me. I have a long month of homework, half-marathon training, and regular ole work ahead of me.

But I’m also happier than I’ve ever been. I’m not sure why, but I’m going with it! There’s such joy in unexplained happiness!

Onto my goals for February…

Establish a bedtime routine. I don’t have much of a bedtime routine. I’m usually watching TV while reading blogs until 10:30pm, realizing how late it is and how tired I am and hurriedly rushing through my bedtime routine before collapsing into bed after 11pm. Since I wake up at 5am, I really need to get to bed by 9pm. I want to establish a better routine of shutting down my laptop, taking Dutch out, washing my face and brushing my teeth, as well as preparing my school bags and breakfast for the next day. I’m aiming to hit the sack at 9:30pm this month and hopefully inching my way up to the 9pm time slot by March.

Run 3 times a week, hitting my goal half-marathon pace at least once. Lately, I’ve been having some really, really good runs. I’m actually enjoying it, even if my time is slower than I like. I’m trying to take the focus off the numbers and onto just running and having fun. So far, it’s working. I’m shooting to run the marathon in 2:55, which puts me at a 13:21 pace. For me, that’s incredibly fast. (For others, incredibly slow. Ha!) Just once, I want to hit that pace to give me the confidence I need to be able to run this way on race day.

Begin to create recipe cards. Stefanie is the one who got my gears spinning on this one. My mom and I have the hardest time coming up with meal ideas and the problem stems from a) we are members of the National Society for Indecisiveness (well, maybe. We haven’t made up our minds yet.) and b) we don’t meal plan correctly. I’m hoping to be able to start a little collection of meal ideas so we can refer to them while meal planning, making the process so much easier.

That’s it. Just three goals, because I think it’s the perfect amount. They all seemingly have to do with health and fitness (sleep, running, and eating) because that’s all that seems to consume my thoughts nowadays. If I can complete all these goals, I am treating myself to an Otterbox cell phone cover. I’ve been coveting this for a while but it’s pricey so I want to work for it!

Do you have any goals for February? What are you hoping to accomplish this month?