Settling In

As I woke up this morning to face the day, things seemed a little brighter. Quite literally. I woke up to a blanket of snow on the ground and that sound the winter makes - the sound of complete silence. As I slipped out of the warm confines of my bed, I felt things kind of fall into place. I felt, for the first time in a while, like I belonged somewhere.

When I first moved here, I didn't go through the homesickness - except when I got the call that S didn't want to be with me anymore and he didn't know why. Only then did I really long for my friends, my mom, and a cold beer with the people that could tell me he was a waste of my time.

I thought of him today and how I felt about him. It's sad to look back now and realize we were never quite right for each other. Despite that, I miss the companionship I felt with him, although that feeling came far to late to really make a difference in the relationship.

As I woke up this morning, though, and went through my day, planning my routes and errands to get ready for the biggest trip I will take this year, I felt GOOD being here in this city, whether or not it's 300 miles from home or 1,000. I chatted with someone very important to me from Las Cruces, and though I miss being a daily part of their lives, I realized how much I love getting to meet new people and be a part of something just a little bigger than I've been before. I'm just enjoying what ABQ brings to my life.

So, for now, I'm home. The Duke City is home to me...and it's nice to come back after a break from it, and I'm excited to see what it will bring in the future.

Riding the Waves

In just one short week, me and the Costa Rica Ladies Club will venture to the shores of Jaco Beach (shown in the picture), where we will have fun in the sun, drink till the sun comes up, and watch our fabulous friends, Adam and Kelsey, tie the knot in a sunset ceremony.

Waking up at 5:30 a.m., we will hop on board a U.S. Airways flight to Phoenix at 8:35 a.m., where we will connect to plane heading for San Jose, Costa Rica, about two hours from Jaco. In the capital city, we plan on painting the town to celebrate the beginning of our eight-day vacation... Then on Tuesday, it's off to Jaco--and a whole week of fun!

These ladies are my partners in crime (forgive me for posting a crappy pic--I promise I'm much thinner now!)



What makes me excited about traveling with these lovely ladies is the fact that they are so laid back and are excited about having a nice, relaxing time together! Can't wait for the adventures....stay tuned!

EasyTone

Looking at photos of myself last fall, I was overcome with sadness. I was in a relationship, feeling comfortable, and letting myself fall into a pattern of not going to the gym. My focus was on graduation, moving to a new city, working 35-plus hours, and trying to salvage a relationship that was doomed from the beginning. Needless to say, working out wasn't my main priority. And by the end of the semester, it showed.

My quest to get fit began with a class at CrossFit Albuquerque. I knew I wanted to do something, but wasn't sure that I could afford anything else on my salary. I attended a CrossFitters Anonymous free session, where they taught me the "proper squat" technique, and I was able to get my heart pumping again. By the end, I realized how truly out of shape I was, and I wanted to change it. A friend recruited me for the first CrossFit Boot Camp, which started that Monday, eight weeks ago. It was a bridal boot camp, which didn't bother me much, since I have weddings galore this year.

The week began--and I became pretty familiar with 5 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Day One was pretty simple, to be honest. I was worried that I had wasted the money on the class because it wasn't as hard as what I was used to. The second day tested me a little more, and by the third day, I was sore and really excited to be on the path to getting more fit. The first week really woke me up to what I was eating, which people say is 85 percent of the struggle to weight loss.

The next couple weeks, I replaced regular sugar with Truvia. I went to boot camp diligently, sometimes being the only one besides the instructor. I debated joining CrossFit to take my workout to the next level, but the $150/month price tag was just too much for me to handle. Then, a friend asked me to try L.A. Boxing, a boxing club less than a mile from work that had more than 48 classes a week from which to choose, from MMA Kickboxing, regular kickboxing, regular boxing, conditioning, and a gym within that entity. One class, and I was hooked. I signed up the next week, with a goal of going at least three times a week.

After the final week of boot camp, I felt great. I felt a difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I was feeling, and it has done nothing but carry me on. I haven't weighed myself since the last week of boot camp, but I'm confident it has been a great result. I've stuck with my commitment to go to at least three classes a week, and I've added playing on my soccer team every Sunday. Last week, I worked out six of seven days. This week will be the same. I need to stick with it.

Not only have I done that, I added a stability ball as my chair at work. It forces me to sit up straight and my back strength is SO MUCH better now. On Sunday of this week, I invested in a pair of the Reebok Easy Tone tennis shoes, and the first day I wore them, my booty actually ached at the end!

I leave for Costa Rica in two weeks, and I'm excited that I will feel relatively great in a bathing suit on the beach. Right now, it's been a great journey...