I think this nearly six-month
hiatus is the longest break I’ve taken from this little blog of mine. And while
I am tempted to blame it on the fact that I just “didn’t have time,” the truth
of the matter is, I was so ashamed that I had neglected fitnessandfroyo for
months upon months upon months, that I couldn’t even bring myself to log onto
blogger. I just couldn’t. I received emails now and again asking me to do a
product review, and I wondered how my website could even possibly be getting
any traffic. Just the other night I found myself shrugging and telling myself,
“I guess it was just a phase, not something that was going to last forever.” I
felt like I was so far gone that I was past the point of return. And my old
goal of ten posts a month? Not going to happen. Funny enough, I think I was
feeling the way some of my students feel on a regular basis. I get so
frustrated when they sit there and won’t even try to do the work that I’m giving them. And when I talk to them
about it, it’s because “I’m already failing so badly anyway that doing this
won’t even help.” Okay, maybe that’s kind of true. But how about looking at it
this way instead?
Doing it is a step in the right
direction. It won’t erase all the assignments they didn’t do previously, and it
won’t erase the months of nonexistent blogging, but doing it helps build a
habit. And good habits are the stepping stones to success. And that’s how I’m
going to approach this blog from here on out. That, and I ran into my principal
in the hallway earlier today, and he said to me, “I saw that you have a blog.”
To which I probably gave an embarrassed, “Yes … and I haven’t written anything
… in months.” But I could feel my face light up while talking about my blog,
and just that one 30-second conversation inspired me to set a new, more
realistic goal for myself. Ten posts a month is a lot. But what about one post
a week? Whether it’s my favorite Survey Sunday, a new recipe or workout, or
just anything that comes to mind, one post a week is more than manageable. Lord
knows I spend more time Instagram stalking the brother of a friend’s cousin’s
sister’s boyfriend than I care to admit, and that time could easily be spent
doing something a bit more productive.
So, what have I been up to while
I haven’t been blogging? To start, I finished (!!!) my very first marathon.
26.2 miles through the city in which I was raised. I grew up hearing about the
Houston Marathon, and I felt like a million bucks walking through downtown
wearing a medal almost the size of my face around my neck. I met my goal of
finishing in under four hours (just barely!), and I can honestly say that I
loved every single minute of the race. The weather was perfect, the signs were
laugh-inducing, the spectators were encouraging every step of the way, the beer
at mile 21 was clutch, and while I spent most of the next day curled up
watching Family Feud in bed, and much of the next month nursing a tender knee,
I wouldn’t change one thing about that day. Though I did limit myself to the
half marathon in 2017.
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| One of my students held this sign up for me at the race |
I reentered the world of club
volleyball – thanks, BPal, for luring me out of retirement – and though I frequently
questioned my decision to tackle the whirlwind of club volleyball in the midst
of an always stressful STAAR season while dealing with a new puppy, I can
say without a doubt that it was more than worth it. Not just because of the
extra travel money deposited into my bank account each month, but because I
realized just how passionate I am about the game, as well as the opportunity to
be a positive influence in teenagers' lives.
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| Beach practice |
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| Ran into a few of my sweet Bellaire girls |
It’s a big time commitment,
though. I missed out on more than a few outings with my friends in favor of
spending my Saturday inside a gym. And it made me so grateful for all the
coaches I had growing up, who gave up time with their families and friends –
and probably even some time spent on the couch watching Netflix, if we’re being
honest – to help mold me into the person that I am today. Am I getting sappy
enough for you guys yet?
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| I may be a Cardinal now, but Spartans forever |
I survived my second year of
teaching, and man oh man, was it ten million times better than the first year.
Not that the first year was bad. But it was my first year. As you all know, I
had my own classroom, I grew more comfortable with the curriculum, and I felt so
much more confident this time around.
I wouldn’t say that I totally know what I’m doing, but I’m
learning more and more every single day. And I love it. And I can’t imagine
doing anything else. I sometimes feel guilty when I tell people that I have a
job where I don’t dread Mondays, and I actually mean that. I’m challenged in so
many ways, and I learn so much every single day from not only my colleagues,
but also from my students. And let’s be real, when you’re around high schoolers
all day, you’re never lacking in laughter. I heard you kind of start to figure
things out in year three, so I’ll be sure and keep you guys posted on that
front.
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| Thanks for putting up with me as I counted down to my birthday for three weeks |
I moved to the cutest one bedroom
apartment, and I L O V E living by myself. Okay, not totally by myself, because
Mack has the energy of about three additional humans. But I actually think this
move has caused me to make more of an
effort to see my friends on a regular basis, because I know that it’s all too
easy to stay home with a book and a blanket and shut out the rest of the world.
So this has been great for my introverted tendencies.
If you don’t follow me on
Instagram, Twitter, and we’re not friends on Facebook, I spent three weeks
traveling solo around Argentina. And let me guess, you’re saying to yourself, “Wow!
She went to Argentina all by herself?” I can’t tell you how many times I got
that reaction. But I really did it! And it was awesome. I wish I had a better
adjective to describe my time in such an incredible country, but awesome is all
I can come up with right now. I’m hoping I’ll be inspired to write a couple of
posts about my time there, because while I posted plenty of pictures, I would
love to be able to put into words some of the incredible sights that I saw, the
food that I ate, and the things that I did. I’ll leave you with a couple of
sneak peeks, though if you follow me on any form of social media you have
likely already seen them. But if you’re anything like me, you never tire of
looking at them.
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| Houston --> Buenos Aires |
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| Teatro Colon |
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| Recoleta Cemetery |
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| Tango lessons |
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| Biking the park |
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| Fruit stands on every corner |
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| The mountains are calling |
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| Hook 'em from the top! |
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| Cerro Campanario |
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| Cerro Campanario |
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| Biking Circuito Chico |
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| El Caminito |
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| Hotel Llao Llao Spa Day |
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| Iguazu Falls |
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| Empanada class |
And I’ll also leave you with this
now-laughable moment (that was only shared with my mom long after the fact):
Thanks to an allergic reaction to lotion used during a massage (and they tell
you to treat yourself), I was treated to a cortisone shot in the butt just
minutes before boarding a flight back to Buenos Aires from Bariloche. Every trip
has to have something, right? But in all seriousness, I fell in love with the
culture and history and country of Argentina, and it will always hold such a
special place in my heart. My first – and it won’t be my last – solo adventure
abroad, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience what
else this world has to offer.
I have watched some of my friends
move to new cities, I have welcomed other friends home to Houston, I have
walked my sweet pup to the point of exhaustion, I have tried new restaurants –
and revisited my favs, I have completed over half of my 2016 25-book goal
(goodreads link), celebrated my 24th trip around the sun, relived my
soccer days – Clutch City FC third place chumps, served my first jury duty
summons, been in two accidents (yes, in a brand new car), experienced the goodness
and strength of a community in the face of an unimaginable tragedy, reconnected
with old friends, shared endless laughs with my favorite people, learned, grew,
failed, and have learned how to be intentional with and present in each day.
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| Houston Rodeo |
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| Blading into 24 |
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| Beer and baseball in the bullpen with the bro (and we won!) |
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| Let the good times roll(erblade) |
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| Golden |
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| Suite 1 forever |
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| My best bud |
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| Hopdoddy does Houston |
And I look forward to all of the
future posts to come. It’s a little bit nuts when you realize that it takes
only one conversation to get that mojo back, but it makes you realize how much
impact a single conversation can have on another person. And now I’ll have
something else to think about as I run myself ragged in and around Hermann Park
and the Rice jogging trail.
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