fitness & fro-yo: Last Sunday

And somehow, it's the last Sunday of the month. Tomorrow is the first day of August. The first day of volleyball two-a-days. School starts in 22 days. This year is absolutely flying by and it's kind of blowing my mind. How am I about to start my third year of teaching? I swear, I was just a freshman in high school, freaking out about the fact that I was going to have to dissect a pig in Biology class. And now I'm nearly 10 years removed from my own freshman year of high school. Time flies, and so has this summer. Another volleyball season is almost upon us. But first, a survey.

Freshman year of high school

1. If you had to give one piece of advice, what would it be?
Do things that bring you happiness and fulfillment. Quit down things that bring you down, and quit doing things because you think doing them will make other people happy. If you don't love traveling, don't spend your time and money doing that simply because everybody else is. If you despise running with every fiber of your being, find another form of exercise that you enjoy. It's not always going to be rainbows and butterflies, but do your part in finding joy in every day.

2. What are you most proud of in your life (past or present)?
Honestly, I'm pretty proud of the fact that I, the most directionally challenged human being I know, rocked three weeks traveling solo through Argentina. I was forced to plan my days and my routes and ask for help when I needed it and do the things that my parents usually do when we go on vacation. And then when the things I planned didn't work, I had to work through it and go with the flow. I was forced outside of my comfort zone, and made to stay fully aware of my surroundings. I got to experience a truly new-to-me culture and meet some of the coolest people. I learned how to be comfortable eating alone (well, I have never been too uncomfortable with that), handle obstacles (read: breaking out in hives) without panicking, and I learned to appreciate the beauty in each and every day.

3. Who is your style icon?
I honestly don't think I have one, seeing as my favorite attire is athletic attire. I like to dress up and look nice (sometimes), and it's no secret that I love a good Anthropologie trip, but there's no one that immediately comes to mind when I think of who it is that inspires my daily style. It's very simple, classic, and maybe even a little bit trendy if I'm feeling sassy.

4. What is something your readers don't know about you?
What don't you guys know about me? Probably not a whole lot, as I'm pretty open around here. Did you know that during a game of What Are the Odds (before you read on, keep in mind that this was during finals time, so our minds weren't necessarily normal, if you will) I went streaking down the back alley of the 311 Clubhouse? It was probably close to midnight, and no one was ever seen back there, so it's not anywhere near the equivalent of streaking the lawn at UVA. But now you know. College. No parents. No rules.

5. How would you describe your personality?
I'm motivated, I'm focused, I'm driven, I'm obedient, I'm enthusiastic, I'm introverted, I'm hard-working, I'm thoughtful, I'm reliable, I'm compassionate, I'm a little bit stubborn and I am my own worst critic. 50% sweet, 50% sassy.

6. Favorite gift you've ever given?
I L O V E giving gifts. Love it. When my Granny turned 90, I gave her a homemade book titled, "90 Reasons I Love You," and when Dylan and I were together, I remember doing something similar for one of his birthdays or Valentine's Day. And while the only cost of a present like this is the time it takes to make it, I like to think that they mean more than any store-bought gift ever could. I love affirming people with encouraging words, pointing out unique qualities that make them such great human beings.

7. What is your biggest struggle with blogging?
Time. And not making enough of a commitment to my blog. When life gets busy - and when is life ever not busy - it's easy for me to push my blog to the side, and I justify this by saying there are other things that are more important than furthering fitnessandfroyo. But it's not even about furthering the blog, getting more followers, reaching more people, etc., rather, it's something that I truly enjoy doing, and it gives me time to reflect and put my thoughts down on paper (or Word document, but you know what I mean). And while it might not be as important as planning a kick-butt lesson, doing my weekly speed workout, going grocery shopping, doing laundry, or spending time with my family and friends, it's still important to me. And I can give it an hour a week.

8. What is your biggest accomplishment?
There are a lot of accomplishments that I would consider to be big. Graduating from UT with high honors, running a marathon, surviving two years teaching in a huge high school.
Granted, many others would probably consider those to be "big" accomplishments as well.
However, I think one of my biggest accomplishments is my ability to listen to others. I'm not sure what it is about me, but people feel comfortable telling me things, and I love that. I love that people feel as though I'm someone they can trust and be open and vulnerable with. I may not have all the right words to say back, but sometimes all a person needs is to get it off their chests and out in the open.

9. If you had the resources and time, what country would you live in for a year?
Okay, a year is a long time. I thought three weeks in Argentina was a long time, though I'm sure if I were go live somewhere for a year, I would have a pretty routine day-to-day, as opposed to having the entire day to do as I please. I haven't been to all of these places, but I would likely choose a country in Europe or the continent of Australia, as those are the countries that would feel most like home. I'm all about getting outside of my comfort zone, but maybe not for an entire year. I haven't been to Italy or Switzerland, but in addition to England and France, I could probably handle spending an entire year in any one of those countries.

10. If you could go back in time and tell yourself something when you were at school, what would it be?
What a cool question! I often find myself reflecting on this question, mainly because I'm constantly around high school students, and I strive to not only teach them reading and writing skills they can carry with them to college and beyond, but life skills and lessons they can carry with them forever. I can't stop at just one, so I'll share a couple of things:

Hang tight to your high school friends, because they're the people who saw you through it all. Seriously. High school - while they are some great years, are also some of your most embarrassing years - and five years later you'll be laughing with them on the beach in San Francisco watching the sunset while drinking way too much wine.
The things you're worrying about right now are not at all a big deal in the grand scheme of things. RELAX! That's a huge one for me. I lived my high school years in a constant ball of stress - between club and school volleyball and taking the most advanced classes and getting my volunteer hours and having the best dress for prom and trying to be friends with everyone, which is obviously not realistic. I wish I could go back and tell myself to truly enjoy every moment, because I won't get too many moments like that again.
Stick to what it is that YOU believe in, and don't let the need for approval from others change that.
Failure is okay. In fact, it's a good thing from time to time. These experiences are shaping the person you are, and the person you are continuing to become.