Starting Over

My goals are still in tact, but all the schoolwork due last week through a kink in my running plans. As a result, I went nearly a week without doing a single run. I'm starting back up with week 2 of my running program so I don't fall too far behind. This morning's run was hard, but I felt so good afterwards.

In addition, Greg and I finally made a pact to start eating better - our habits are getting out of control. A few times a week, we'll go to the grocery store, grab a loaf of Italian bread and consume the entire thing...at 10 or 11pm! Not good if you're trying to lose weight (or in general). So tomorrow starts the habit of making lunch for the week. We're going to use the crockpot to make about 12 servings pasta e fagioli soup and the breadmaker to bake some english muffin bread. I'm pretty stoked. This is something I've been wanting to do for a while, because I know I won't lose weight until both my diet and exercise habits get under control.

In the meantime, I've been looking for pictures and quotes to inspire me through the beginning...always the toughest part of forming a habit. I plan to share them on a weekly basis (which will also help with my habit of reflecting and writing). Here are the picks for this week:

I chose this picture for a few reasons. First of all, it reminds me that a healthy lifestyle is a journey, and a long one at that. Also, it helps me remember that I need to have a goal I'm working toward, or it's hard to stay motivated. And lastly, it shows that if I make balanced, healthy lifestyle choices, the reward will be incredible (as I'm sure the view is incredible from the top of Mt. Rainer).

This weeks quote is directly correlated: If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.

* Quote by Julius Erving. Picture by Jim Frazier.

Taking Time For Myself

So I'm getting off work early today. Usually on a day like this I would go home and lay around all night until Greg got off work - then on Saturday I would feel completely unfulfilled because on the evening before I took no time for myself. Well not today!

Today I am going to do two very productive and fun things. First, I am going to visit two museums right by my work (considering our office is literally blocks from the National Mall). I'm heading to the National Gallery of Art first to see a really interesting photography exhibit by Richard Misrach. The exhibit is called "Ocean Views" and is a collection of a bunch of photographs taken of people on the beach. I didn't find the title too interesting, but after I read the description I knew I had to see it:

"For more than thirty years, the American photographer Richard Misrach (b. 1949) has made provocative work that addresses contemporary society's relationship to nature, especially the American West. Since 2001, he has made a series of large scale (six by ten feet), lushly colored photographs of swimmers and sunbathers in Hawaii. Looking down from a hotel room directly adjacent to the beach, he has eliminated all references to the horizon and sky to record people immersed in the idyllic environment. Yet, despite the beauty of the scene, a strange sense of disquietude pervades these photographs. Made in the days immediately after September 11, 2001, these photographs speak of the unease and sense of foreboding that pervaded the country after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The title of the series, On the Beach, is drawn from Nevil Shute's cold war novel about nuclear holocaust. This exhibition will present 19 of these photographs."

WOW! I'm really excited about this. It makes me want to see more of his exhibits. I think I just might.

After that it's off to the Museum of Natural History where I will see a photography exhibit entitled "Ocean Views". Pretty self explanatory, it is a bunch of nature photographs taken both beneath and on the surface of the ocean. Humorous how they coincide so well. While I'm sure I will look at other things along the way, these are the two exhibits I will set out to see. No longer will I go home and sulk rather than taking advantage of my incredible surroundings!

Then on the way home I will stop off at Pentagon City for an adventure of another kind: shopping for a business suit. I have a really exciting job interview next week and I want to enter into it feeling as professional and confident as possible.

This should be an great evening. I am excited. Doesn't it make you want to go out and enjoy time to yourself?

Spark of Inspiration

I had a job interview today. Although I'm not sure how it went yet (I should know by next week), that is not the point of this blog. The point is, I've been in a MAJOR rut for...oh...2 years or so! Now, some parts of my life have definitely taken off, especially my love life and my academic life. However, the professional part of my life is still struggling, to say the least.

So the interview today reminded me of a real goal, and mission for my life. To be the most passionate, intriguing and fulfilled person possible. I want to have a job that is challenging, engaging, intellectual and fun. I want to ride a motorcycle to work. I want to be in the church choir. I want to be a hiker. I want to be half of the cutest couple on earth. I want to travel and live abroad. I want to be active and healthy, well into my 90's. I want to love my life - EVERY part of it.

Now this isn't to say there won't be parts of my job, the church choir, the hiking, the exercise, some of the travel experiences, and my relationships that will be unenjoyable. However, the overall tone of my life will be balanced and enjoyable.

So there you have it. I'm inspired to achieve these goals. I want to live a passionate, intriguing, and fulfilling life!