Wednesday, June 4, 2014

National Running Day

It's funny to me that on every National Running Day, I always seem to find myself sitting in a car for more hours than I would like to admit. The summer after my freshman year of college, I was driving home from Missouri on National Running Day, so obviously no running happened for me that day. I'm not entirely sure where I was the next two years, but today I will be making yet another one day trip to Houston and back. Though that is quite the daunting task, especially when I will be driving for significantly longer than the reason for the quick trip, I am so excited for my first official English I team meeting taking place this afternoon. I received an email on Saturday afternoon from the English I team lead, so that's when I officially learned what grade I would be teaching. Since I will also be coaching freshman volleyball, I was really excited to learn that I will be able to fully dedicate myself in the 2014-2015 Bellaire High School freshmen.

My freshman volleyball team - crazy to think that I'll be the coach this round!
I can't wait to meet the other members of the English I team, and to find out what I will officially be teaching, along with the reading list and curriculum, as skeletal as that might be. I will surely come back with a full report, so for those of you who are interested, be sure to hold tight for my next post!

Workout

Anyway, I was determined to not let this day pass without at least some sort of run, so I woke up just before 6am and made the quick drive over to Mt. Bonnell for a little stair workout. 104 steps x 10 sets = quite a lot of steps, but it felt great to start my day with a workout, especially one that afforded me such a stunning view. Seriously, I think Mt. Bonnell might be one of my top five places ever. I couldn't tell you exactly why, but I just feel so much peace up there.





After 10 rounds up the steps, which took just under 20 minutes, I found a ledge and completed a very mini bootcamp workout that resembled a lot of what I would have done during volleyball practice.



I was sweating like crazy by the end of it, which is surely the sign of a great workout!

Once my workout was complete, I returned home for a quick shower, and then made my way over to SRD, where I will work until about 12:30pm before making my way to Houston. Phew! I have a feeling I will sleep very well tonight.

Breakfast

Same ol', same ol' - Scrambled egg whites and spinach topped with salsa,


with a chopped mango on the side. Healthy and refreshing - what could be better?


Nine Loves

It's time for day two of the Ten Day You Challenge - nine loves. This one was hard for me, because there is so much that I truly do love, but I tried to narrow it down for y'all. And, aside from Jesus, whose death on the cross is the truest display of love, here are nine of my most favorite things, people, and activities.

Family
My family means the world to me, and I am so thankful for their constant support and encouragement, no matter what crazy idea pops into my head. I am always welcomed back home with open arms, and they have given me so much in terms of laughter, advice, wisdom, and yes, material things too (Spoiled Rotten Daughter, right?). They believe in me always, and I am so very grateful for their love that I know will never be broken.




Friends
I am very lucky that I have some of the very best friends - both from high school and college. I love going home and picking up where I left off with my Houston friends, and I have loved living these past four years with my Austin friends, and though I know these long-distance friendships will be tough, I am confident that our friendships will outlast the distance between us.



Dylan
I asked him if he would be embarrassed of me including him on this list, but I got the go-ahead, so, here I am. It's crazy to me that this time last year was the very beginning of our relationship, and I am so incredibly thankful for the way he cares for, leads, and loves me. He is one of my favorite people on this planet, and though two and a half hours isn't technically "long distance," I sure will miss living ten blocks away from him next year!



Books
Lately I haven't been in much of a reading mood - I think because I still feel like I am running one hundred miles an hour in about ten different directions and I don't feel like I have time to sit down and read - but when I do get in a reading mood, all I want to do is sit and read my book. I take my Kindle everywhere, just in case I have a few extra minutes, and I could spend hours in Barnes & Noble reading the backs of books. Some of my very favorites include -
  • The Catcher in the Rye
  • Redeeming Love
  • The Harry Potter Series
  • Life of Pi
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • East of Eden

Exercise
If you haven't figured it out by now, exercise is truly one of my favorite things to do. My day just doesn't feel complete without some sort of physical activity - even if it's just a short little power walk through my neighborhood. It instantly turns around any day, and it gives me energy I didn't know I had. 


Sunrises and Sunsets
I think sunrises and sunsets are my love language. They happen every day, but every time I see one, I just have to pause to admire it. I read a quote the other day that said, "If God made the sunrise once, we'd celebrate it as the greatest thing we've ever witnessed. But he does it daily, so we take it for granted." And I think I would have to disagree. I take way too many things for granted, but the sunrise/sunset is not one of them.





Travel
If you look at my "take me there" board on Pinterest, there are so many beautiful places that I hope to visit - both in the country and out of it - one day (perks of being a teacher, right?), and I hope to make it to as many of them as possible. I was bitten by the travel bug after studying abroad in Europe for almost two months the summer after my sophomore year, and I already know that part of my paycheck will be put towards crossing things off of my travel bucket list.



Frozen Yogurt (and dessert in general)
It's no secret that I love frozen yogurt, and though many consider it to be "healthy," I'm going to go ahead and say that it's just healthy-er than some other dessert choices. On occasion, Dylan and I will be out to dinner and we will order dessert. I will start out by eating a forced bite, but then I will continue eating all on my own accord. His surprised, "Wow, you must be hungry if you're eating dessert," comment really isn't necessary - I love love love dessert, and I have a major sweet tooth, but I try and be good and not go too crazy, because I could eat it after every meal. But, I'm very glad that Dylan doesn't ever let me (fully) skip out on dessert!


Good Food
I consider myself to be a foodie in every sense of the word (well, I don't always try everything), but there is nothing that I enjoy more than a good meal - extra points if it photographs well. Whether it's something that I or someone else whipped up, or a meal from a 5-star restaurant, I will always take the time to appreciate what is going into my body.


Next up on the list is eight fears, so be on the lookout for that one coming soon! I hope you all enjoy this National Running Day, and that you can squeeze in a run, or any workout of your choice. It's also only fitting that I entered the lottery for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon today - fingers crossed!

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