It has been about a week since I completed "The Cleaner". Overall, I think it was a positive experience and I will likely do it again near the end of August/early September. I didn't lose any pounds but I do feel like my stomach is a little flatter. I did before/after pictures but I took the before picture in the evening and the after picture first thing in the morning and I've been told that everyone looks a little slimmer first thing in the morning.
What I Did:
You are supposed to take 4 pills one evening, then 4 pills in the morning, then 4 pills in the evening and then continue the cycle for 7 days. I started on a Tuesday evening but forgot to take them by Wednesday evening but then fully started back on Friday evening. It took about two days to get things started but eventually my body got with the program.
My initial concern was that this cleanse would interrupt my time at work. I worried that I would be running to the bathroom or forever holding my stomach in pain from stomach cramps. That wasn't my experience. Typically I had to go to the bathroom within an hour of waking up; again around 10:30 (I would eat oatmeal right around 9:30); possibly again around 1pm and maybe at some point in the evening.
I would suggest that if you do this cleanse that you purchase some personal cleansing wipes. I bought Huggies "one and done" wipes and they worked perfectly. The only thing that I couldn't find a solution to was a way to discreetly bring a can of febreeze with me to the bathroom. As you are being cleansed...things can be rather toxic.
It is very important that you consistently eat while doing the cleanse. You have to have something in your system. I'm not positive but I think having food in your system prevents stomach cramps. One day I never got around to eating a full lunch and wound up only having a small late snack for dinner. That night my stomach did cramp and kept me up most of the night. I'm not positive but I think the evening pills make you go in the morning and the morning pills make you go in the evening.
I experienced very slight stomach pangs/cramps right before I would have to use the bathroom. A few times I would go to the bathroom and then need to go again in about an hour.
One last tip, the pills are in a plastic capsule but do have an odd taste. I couldn't take the pills with just water but with Mio drops (or any type of flavoring) I was able to swallow the pills.
What I Will Do Differently Next Time:
Should I do the cleanse again there are a few things I would do differently.
1. Take the time to meal prep so that I know for sure I am eating "clean" throughout the cleanse. I think the cleanse is more effective if you are eating things like brown rice/salad/grilled meats rather than a kid's meal.
2. Measure myself so that I can see if it leads to any inches lost around the waist..
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
I'm Turning into My Mother
I've been in denial about this for a while. Not that it is something bad, or something that is to be avoided. Just something that I never thought would happen. It started off really small. At first I just found myself occasionally thinking "You should really try to have the opening area of your apartment tidy before you leave for the day." Then it became "Always keep your bathroom clean, never know when someone will need to use it." Next I found myself singing CiCi Winans while driving to work in the morning. Two weeks ago I had to begin wearing a light windbreaker while at work because the AC system keeps my office freezing at all times (in my defense, I'm not the only one cold). On Monday afternoon I walked outside to the (slightly shaded) warmth of the sun and said to myself "This sun feels so good to me!" Today was the clincher, for today I bought a herbal cleanser/detox. I have officially turned into my mother.
For YEARS my mother has preached on the benefits of a cleanse. I have always smiled, nodded my head and thought "No thank you, not I, I will pass." I follow an insane number of fitness related instagram accounts and daily I will see posts related to some type of cleanse. Many of my friends are health fanatics (I really use the term in a loving way)so it isn't uncommon for me to hear someone say "I really need to clean my system out." Fitness related issues is a guaranteed long conversation starter with Light Bright and at times the discussions have included cleanse programs. My "system" may need to lose a few pounds but the idea of anything being completely cleaned out makes me slightly nervous; if it has been there this long and not caused me any issues then why change it now? What if I need something? What if it is forming a barrier and protecting me from something? Can't I just drink a lot of water and be just fine?
In case you have already scrolled down and seen the posted picture, abs by May did not happen. Positive change happened (as it isn't a drastic change please do note the picture where my hair is up is the 'before' picture; hair down is the 'after' picture; just wanted to clarify as sometimes people post "transformation Tuesday" pictures and I find myself trying to figure out which one is supposed to be 'better") but abs are still buried under some winter preparation/ front and side love handles/cushioning in case I ever happen to fall directly on my stomach/extra nourishment just in case we face a famine.
And, in the grand scheme of life, I'm okay with having extra softness. For all I know, it could be protecting me from organ damage as sometimes I bump into things while walking and texting (far fetched but it could totally be true!). I'm very very very slowly learning to not compare my life to others so I am slightly hesitant to even say this but...I kinda have a lot on my plate. I could be doing more/be responsible for more but I could also be doing a lot less. And because of what I do have on my plate, it is hard to be extremely eager and excited about being in a gym.
And that is where the issue is because I AM in these daggone gyms. Even on a busy week, I'm at a gym at least two or three days a week. And on the days that I'm not at the gym then I'm likely somewhere else feeling guilty for not being at the gym. I have even chided myself for not working out twice a day (in theory, I so want to be "that" girl but in reality, going once is great- I currently lack the superpowers to go twice). I love sleep (especially sleep when you wake up early and realize you can get in 1.5 more hours before having to rush to work, that is just so glorious to me) and I hate sweat. Yet I am constantly giving up sleep and sweating. Carbs and I go way back. Do you know how hard it is to really savor some good carbs when the thought of "You know full well you don't need those fries, why are you eating them?" is running through your head?
AND, I've been trying to lose these last 10 pounds since February!! It is now July! I'm tired of having the exact same goal and not being any closer to reaching it. If there is such thing as having goal fatigue then I definitely have it. I'm ready to reach this goal and then move on with life. Yes, fitness is a life-long thing; lifestyle change; not a temporary fad; blah blah blah. But I don't think one should have the same weight-loss goal for months on end, at some point you really just need to either give the goal up (not always a bad thing, maybe the goal is too extreme) or sit down and examine the barriers that are preventing you from reaching your goal.
I think I have two barriers. The first is that I over-reward myself with food. Made it to work on time? Pumpkin pie spice latte as a treat! Made it to Wednesday without calling out for a mental health day? Totally earned the big kid's meal from McDonalds. Didn't eat out all week? I DESERVE to eat this delicious lasagna that I just made. Made it through yet another month of a long distance relationship? Haaayyyy large chocolate milkshake with whipped cream. You get the point. And weekly/bi-weekly treats are a good thing, I just abuse them and wind up having one in some form every(other) day.
The second barrier is probably mental. For years, my goal was to just be in the 150's. Now I've reached it and it is taking so long to make it to the 140's that I'm starting to wonder if it can/will happen. (Don't panic, I'm not trying to be 110 pounds, if I can be in the low-mid 140's and run a mile in a decent amount of time then I will have "made" it in my book).
All of this, has led to me deciding that I want to try a cleanse. I think (hope/wish) that it will give me a slight jump in loosing these last few pounds which will hopefully motivate me to be much more consistent with my diet. Youtube reassures me that this cleanse is gentle and will not disrupt my daily routine. I'm instructed to eat as clean as possible, drink 10 glasses of water a day and exercise as normal.
Wish me luck/blessings!! I'll write an update in a week.
For YEARS my mother has preached on the benefits of a cleanse. I have always smiled, nodded my head and thought "No thank you, not I, I will pass." I follow an insane number of fitness related instagram accounts and daily I will see posts related to some type of cleanse. Many of my friends are health fanatics (I really use the term in a loving way)so it isn't uncommon for me to hear someone say "I really need to clean my system out." Fitness related issues is a guaranteed long conversation starter with Light Bright and at times the discussions have included cleanse programs. My "system" may need to lose a few pounds but the idea of anything being completely cleaned out makes me slightly nervous; if it has been there this long and not caused me any issues then why change it now? What if I need something? What if it is forming a barrier and protecting me from something? Can't I just drink a lot of water and be just fine?
In case you have already scrolled down and seen the posted picture, abs by May did not happen. Positive change happened (as it isn't a drastic change please do note the picture where my hair is up is the 'before' picture; hair down
And, in the grand scheme of life, I'm okay with having extra softness. For all I know, it could be protecting me from organ damage as sometimes I bump into things while walking and texting (far fetched but it could totally be true!). I'm very very very slowly learning to not compare my life to others so I am slightly hesitant to even say this but...I kinda have a lot on my plate. I could be doing more/be responsible for more but I could also be doing a lot less. And because of what I do have on my plate, it is hard to be extremely eager and excited about being in a gym.
And that is where the issue is because I AM in these daggone gyms. Even on a busy week, I'm at a gym at least two or three days a week. And on the days that I'm not at the gym then I'm likely somewhere else feeling guilty for not being at the gym. I have even chided myself for not working out twice a day (in theory, I so want to be "that" girl but in reality, going once is great- I currently lack the superpowers to go twice). I love sleep (especially sleep when you wake up early and realize you can get in 1.5 more hours before having to rush to work, that is just so glorious to me) and I hate sweat. Yet I am constantly giving up sleep and sweating. Carbs and I go way back. Do you know how hard it is to really savor some good carbs when the thought of "You know full well you don't need those fries, why are you eating them?" is running through your head?
AND, I've been trying to lose these last 10 pounds since February!! It is now July! I'm tired of having the exact same goal and not being any closer to reaching it. If there is such thing as having goal fatigue then I definitely have it. I'm ready to reach this goal and then move on with life. Yes, fitness is a life-long thing; lifestyle change; not a temporary fad; blah blah blah. But I don't think one should have the same weight-loss goal for months on end, at some point you really just need to either give the goal up (not always a bad thing, maybe the goal is too extreme) or sit down and examine the barriers that are preventing you from reaching your goal.
I think I have two barriers. The first is that I over-reward myself with food. Made it to work on time? Pumpkin pie spice latte as a treat! Made it to Wednesday without calling out for a mental health day? Totally earned the big kid's meal from McDonalds. Didn't eat out all week? I DESERVE to eat this delicious lasagna that I just made. Made it through yet another month of a long distance relationship? Haaayyyy large chocolate milkshake with whipped cream. You get the point. And weekly/bi-weekly treats are a good thing, I just abuse them and wind up having one in some form every
The second barrier is probably mental. For years, my goal was to just be in the 150's. Now I've reached it and it is taking so long to make it to the 140's that I'm starting to wonder if it can/will happen. (Don't panic, I'm not trying to be 110 pounds, if I can be in the low-mid 140's and run a mile in a decent amount of time then I will have "made" it in my book).
All of this, has led to me deciding that I want to try a cleanse. I think (hope/wish) that it will give me a slight jump in loosing these last few pounds which will hopefully motivate me to be much more consistent with my diet. Youtube reassures me that this cleanse is gentle and will not disrupt my daily routine. I'm instructed to eat as clean as possible, drink 10 glasses of water a day and exercise as normal.
Wish me luck/blessings!! I'll write an update in a week.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Humbled
I know that I need to "get" in shape but I really thought I was semi on the right path. Not knowledgeable enough to be a professional trainer, not athletic enough to be picked up for a sport's team, not in shape enough to run a 5k tomorrow, but decent enough so that I could hold my own during a fit test.
I love researching things and I absolutely love signing up for various things. These loves of mine led me to signing up for a 12 week challenge at my local Anytime Fitness (Ghent Gladiators!). There wasn't a ton of information online and I didn't know anybody who had done it before but the advertisements had a few key words that caught my attention "winner" and "prizes". Each gym location will have a male and female winner. You get your gym membership waived for a few months and a gift card to a local supplement store. There is also an overall winner. Being a participant in the challenge entails weekly nutrition meetings at your home gym, weekly Saturday morning workouts with your team at your home gym, and then monthly team competitions at Mt. Trashmore. A 5k is run in early March and a team celebration happens in May. Overall, it is a great way to hold yourself accountable, encourage others and push yourself to achieve new goals.
This past Saturday was the Kick-Off event. I went to the Great Neck location at 10am. For you all's contextual understanding it is VERY rare for me to commit to being anywhere other than on my couch prior to 1pm on a Saturday. At 9:20am I was frantically showering and trying to leave my apartment looking semi-decent as it was on the agenda to take before pictures. Due to poor planning I was unable to eat before arriving at the location. We spent the first hour getting situated, taking measurements and meeting everyone. A video was then shown giving an overview of the program, a prior winner came to motivate us and someone else spoke about suggested supplements that we should take.
At this point, it is about 11:30am and I am extremely hungry. I'm daydreaming about lunch options when one of the trainers says "Ok, time for the fit test!". A slight sense of dread comes upon me until they explain we will do a minute of sit-ups, a minute of push-ups and then a minute of burpees. I detest burpees but I rationalize to myself that this is going to be easy. Anybody can do anything for three minutes right? Besides, I'm not brand new to the sense of workout out. This will be easy, break a sweat and then go find lunch.
We do a minute of sit-ups. My abs screamed during each one but overall, feasible task. A minute of push-ups. Arms screaming, triceps screaming, forearms screaming and I'm screaming on the inside "Why didn't we take a break after sit ups? Is this healthy? Is there a doctor on site?" I push through and focus on the fact that I'm almost done. Literally 30 seconds after push-ups they are ready for us to do burpees. I do 2 before realizing that I have no energy left at all. It was only my pride that allowed for me to do 13 more (with horrible form). At this point, everybody is flushed and looks a little sweaty but I'm laying on the ground fanning myself like I just ran for 30 minutes in the heat of the day in the middle of the summer...in Texas. I feebly crawled to the water fountain and promise myself that I will never put myself through something that rigorous without eating ahead of time. (You may laugh at this point, now that I'm 2 days past the experience I can also laugh but at the time I was so drained and ASHAMED that I was so weak).
I'm feeling wobbly but I knew that I had enough strength to maintain some pride, grab my stuff, wave goodbye to my teammates and go get food. I'm gathering up my stuff when one of the trainers waves me over and says we need to have a team huddle. I really wanted to say "Just text me!" and keep walking but I thought they might interpret that as being rude so for the sake of team I went to the huddle. We are all standing in a small circle (our team consists of 6 people). As the trainer is talking, I start to feel dizzy. I see black spots and my face begins to feel hot. I have fainted before so I know I only have about 20 seconds before I will fall out (I am considering carrying alcohol swabs with me as they have prevented me from fainting in the past). I try to focus on the trainer to see if he is near the end of his speech, he didn't seem to be wrapping it up so I was left with a decision. Try to be tough, pretend I was fully okay and then just act like I was just as shocked as everyone else when I inevitably fell out ("What happened? Did I faint? Wow, that has never happened before.") or literally take a knee, acknowledge my weakness and sit down before falling down.
I decided to sit down. Everybody just paused and looked at me (they are all standing, I'm sitting down like we are at a camp fire). I pretended it was completely normal to sit while they all stood. I was hoping group think would kick in and they would sit as well but they refrained. Five minutes later the trainer wraps up, I stand back up so we can all high-five, and finally make it to my car to drink some water and eat some chocolate covered almonds I had forgotten about.
I saw a quote the other night that says "You must fall in love with the process of becoming a champion". It gave me hope because falling in love takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. But just because it takes a while to happen, doesn't mean it won't happen.
I love researching things and I absolutely love signing up for various things. These loves of mine led me to signing up for a 12 week challenge at my local Anytime Fitness (Ghent Gladiators!). There wasn't a ton of information online and I didn't know anybody who had done it before but the advertisements had a few key words that caught my attention "winner" and "prizes". Each gym location will have a male and female winner. You get your gym membership waived for a few months and a gift card to a local supplement store. There is also an overall winner. Being a participant in the challenge entails weekly nutrition meetings at your home gym, weekly Saturday morning workouts with your team at your home gym, and then monthly team competitions at Mt. Trashmore. A 5k is run in early March and a team celebration happens in May. Overall, it is a great way to hold yourself accountable, encourage others and push yourself to achieve new goals.
This past Saturday was the Kick-Off event. I went to the Great Neck location at 10am. For you all's contextual understanding it is VERY rare for me to commit to being anywhere other than on my couch prior to 1pm on a Saturday. At 9:20am I was frantically showering and trying to leave my apartment looking semi-decent as it was on the agenda to take before pictures. Due to poor planning I was unable to eat before arriving at the location. We spent the first hour getting situated, taking measurements and meeting everyone. A video was then shown giving an overview of the program, a prior winner came to motivate us and someone else spoke about suggested supplements that we should take.
At this point, it is about 11:30am and I am extremely hungry. I'm daydreaming about lunch options when one of the trainers says "Ok, time for the fit test!". A slight sense of dread comes upon me until they explain we will do a minute of sit-ups, a minute of push-ups and then a minute of burpees. I detest burpees but I rationalize to myself that this is going to be easy. Anybody can do anything for three minutes right? Besides, I'm not brand new to the sense of workout out. This will be easy, break a sweat and then go find lunch.
We do a minute of sit-ups. My abs screamed during each one but overall, feasible task. A minute of push-ups. Arms screaming, triceps screaming, forearms screaming and I'm screaming on the inside "Why didn't we take a break after sit ups? Is this healthy? Is there a doctor on site?" I push through and focus on the fact that I'm almost done. Literally 30 seconds after push-ups they are ready for us to do burpees. I do 2 before realizing that I have no energy left at all. It was only my pride that allowed for me to do 13 more (with horrible form). At this point, everybody is flushed and looks a little sweaty but I'm laying on the ground fanning myself like I just ran for 30 minutes in the heat of the day in the middle of the summer...in Texas. I feebly crawled to the water fountain and promise myself that I will never put myself through something that rigorous without eating ahead of time. (You may laugh at this point, now that I'm 2 days past the experience I can also laugh but at the time I was so drained and ASHAMED that I was so weak).
I'm feeling wobbly but I knew that I had enough strength to maintain some pride, grab my stuff, wave goodbye to my teammates and go get food. I'm gathering up my stuff when one of the trainers waves me over and says we need to have a team huddle. I really wanted to say "Just text me!" and keep walking but I thought they might interpret that as being rude so for the sake of team I went to the huddle. We are all standing in a small circle (our team consists of 6 people). As the trainer is talking, I start to feel dizzy. I see black spots and my face begins to feel hot. I have fainted before so I know I only have about 20 seconds before I will fall out (I am considering carrying alcohol swabs with me as they have prevented me from fainting in the past). I try to focus on the trainer to see if he is near the end of his speech, he didn't seem to be wrapping it up so I was left with a decision. Try to be tough, pretend I was fully okay and then just act like I was just as shocked as everyone else when I inevitably fell out ("What happened? Did I faint? Wow, that has never happened before.") or literally take a knee, acknowledge my weakness and sit down before falling down.
I decided to sit down. Everybody just paused and looked at me (they are all standing, I'm sitting down like we are at a camp fire). I pretended it was completely normal to sit while they all stood. I was hoping group think would kick in and they would sit as well but they refrained. Five minutes later the trainer wraps up, I stand back up so we can all high-five, and finally make it to my car to drink some water and eat some chocolate covered almonds I had forgotten about.
I saw a quote the other night that says "You must fall in love with the process of becoming a champion". It gave me hope because falling in love takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. But just because it takes a while to happen, doesn't mean it won't happen.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Challenge: Abs By May
I've always admired women who are toned. The type of females who wear shorts and their thighs don't continue to jiggle after they stop walking (this happens to me all the time, I've learned to walk gracefully/glide so as to minimize the occurrence). I've been saying for forever that I want to "tone up" yet I continue to do the same thing of starting a program only to gradually lose motivation after a few weeks.
One evening this past December I was watching TV and saw a scene where a woman was wearing some shorts. I made a mental note that I really needed to kick it up a notch in the gym so that I could confidently wear some shorts by Summer 2014. I then started daydreaming about walking up and down beaches while wearing a bikini. At first I laughed at myself thinking "Yeah right, like you will ever be fully confident enough to pull that one off.."but I stopped myself and realized- WHY NOT? As many of you have witnessed, I went from being chubby during my early tweens/teen years, to slimming out, to being a healthy size when I started college, to gaining a lot of weight during college and my first year out of college, to slowly yet gradually slimming back down. I'm grateful that I'm not where I used to be. My progress so far is what compels me to finish this last challenge of toning up and becoming healthy rather than just focusing on losing weight.
I love making goals and decided that my goal would be to have abs by my birthday (mid May). I found a program online that incorporates weight-lifting and clean eating (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-introduction.html). I did it for about a week and decided that it was something I could stick with. I was talking to Light Bright (the boo) one day and mentioned that gaining abs was my new goal. He then offered a shopping spree as a prize for me achieving my goal. I was relatively motivated before but the promise of a shopping spree REALLY motivated me.
I haven't made as much progress to date as I would have liked to- but life (and a holiday vacation and snow storms and naps) happens. I need to drop some body fat percentage (per several google searches most people report that their abs tend to be visible when they are at 15-16% body fat; I'm currently at 25%) and actually build up my ab muscles. This means I will need to eat more protein, drink more water, eat small meals throughout the day, work out consistently, life weights daily, and plank until I just can't plank anymore.
As you can see in the picture below- I have a LONG way to go- but I'm excited about this journey and I can't wait to achieve my goals.
One evening this past December I was watching TV and saw a scene where a woman was wearing some shorts. I made a mental note that I really needed to kick it up a notch in the gym so that I could confidently wear some shorts by Summer 2014. I then started daydreaming about walking up and down beaches while wearing a bikini. At first I laughed at myself thinking "Yeah right, like you will ever be fully confident enough to pull that one off.."but I stopped myself and realized- WHY NOT? As many of you have witnessed, I went from being chubby during my early tweens/teen years, to slimming out, to being a healthy size when I started college, to gaining a lot of weight during college and my first year out of college, to slowly yet gradually slimming back down. I'm grateful that I'm not where I used to be. My progress so far is what compels me to finish this last challenge of toning up and becoming healthy rather than just focusing on losing weight.
I love making goals and decided that my goal would be to have abs by my birthday (mid May). I found a program online that incorporates weight-lifting and clean eating (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-introduction.html). I did it for about a week and decided that it was something I could stick with. I was talking to Light Bright (the boo) one day and mentioned that gaining abs was my new goal. He then offered a shopping spree as a prize for me achieving my goal. I was relatively motivated before but the promise of a shopping spree REALLY motivated me.
I haven't made as much progress to date as I would have liked to- but life (and a holiday vacation and snow storms and naps) happens. I need to drop some body fat percentage (per several google searches most people report that their abs tend to be visible when they are at 15-16% body fat; I'm currently at 25%) and actually build up my ab muscles. This means I will need to eat more protein, drink more water, eat small meals throughout the day, work out consistently, life weights daily, and plank until I just can't plank anymore.
As you can see in the picture below- I have a LONG way to go- but I'm excited about this journey and I can't wait to achieve my goals.
The More Things Change....The More They Remain The Same
I really considered starting a new blog from scratch but I just felt so guilty letting this current one completely die. For the sake of consistency...
Recap of Life since July 2011
1) Finished the internship in NC.
2) Moved to Norfolk to start a Master's program in Higher Education.
3) Year one of the program was interesting. Considered dropping out a few times due to concern that it wasn't a good fit for me but decided to continue.
4) Did an internship in MD and in VA during Summer 2012.
5) Moved to Virginia Beach (was my first time living "off-campus" since August 2005, the feeling was so exhilarating that I vowed to never take another live-on position).
6) Completed my second year of the program. Was fortunate to find a GA position that made me excited to drive to work.
7) Had a few unexpected loops in March which resulted in me starting to frantically look for full time positions.
8) May: Graduated!!!
9) July: Gained employment in a position that I love.
10) August: Moved back to Norfolk. The goal is to stay in the same place (i.e. not move) for at least two years.
A lot has happened/changed since my last post but a lot of things have remained the same. I'm still working towards goals, always keeping in mind ways that I can better myself, striving to keep the main thing in life- the main thing, and I'm still quietly awesome.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Consistency is just NOT my thing
Notice how I only seem to post things once every 6 months- once a year? Consistency is just not my thing. Dedication, consistency, creature of habit- all words that are typically not used to describe me. Free spirit, easy going, spur of the moment, change things, kick it up a notch- much more likely to describe me. Honestly I'm not really a free spirit kind of person, more like I prefer to be free and like it when you don't crush my spirit.
Since it has been a year and a month since I last posted I will re-cap on everything that has happened in the past 13 months.
1) I completed another year as a RD. Thus I worked a total of 2 years after under-grad. The 2nd year was rougher than the first.
2) I've spent the summer interning at a university in NC with the AUCHO-I internship program.
3) In 2 weeks I move to the "757" to begin a graduate program in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Affairs.
4) I don't have words to describe how I feel about everything. I feel like I should be really excited, and I'm not unexcited- just not as excited as I feel I should be. I'm not really scared of starting all over and moving to a new area. And I'm not dreading it. I just don't really know how to describe it all.
Since it has been a year and a month since I last posted I will re-cap on everything that has happened in the past 13 months.
1) I completed another year as a RD. Thus I worked a total of 2 years after under-grad. The 2nd year was rougher than the first.
2) I've spent the summer interning at a university in NC with the AUCHO-I internship program.
3) In 2 weeks I move to the "757" to begin a graduate program in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Affairs.
4) I don't have words to describe how I feel about everything. I feel like I should be really excited, and I'm not unexcited- just not as excited as I feel I should be. I'm not really scared of starting all over and moving to a new area. And I'm not dreading it. I just don't really know how to describe it all.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
I Love the Summer!!
My building has been empty for a solid month and I LOVE IT!!!!
The summer duty schedule isn't perfect but anything is better than the restrictions that were placed on us during the actual school year and especially the last few weeks of school.
A lot has changed. Three RDs have left (grad school & other employment opportunities) so there are now 3 new RDs. I got a promotion (woot!!) so I'll now have 2 buildings instead of just 1. I typically don't like change (shocking, considering how often I moved while growing up) so I'm reminding myself to just embrace it.
One of the RDs that left was my go-to hang out buddy. It's been an adjustment to begin doing a lot of things by myself. I am enjoying it though! I'm doing things on my own time-schedule and it is very liberating. I am naturally a very laid-back person and I often just go with the flow of what others want. This is fine to an extent but I've learned that I have to start dictating what I want to do, when I want to do it, and then DO IT. I'm not implying that my hang-out buddy prevented me from doing what I wanted to do....I'm just saying that because of my personality I often put my desires on the back burner because I wanted to be easy-going and I am now discovering how unnecessary that is.
I'm struggling to have the motivation to do actual work (i.e. preparing for next year). I think I'll just relax these remaining days of June and get gung-ho about preparing for next year in July.
The summer duty schedule isn't perfect but anything is better than the restrictions that were placed on us during the actual school year and especially the last few weeks of school.
A lot has changed. Three RDs have left (grad school & other employment opportunities) so there are now 3 new RDs. I got a promotion (woot!!) so I'll now have 2 buildings instead of just 1. I typically don't like change (shocking, considering how often I moved while growing up) so I'm reminding myself to just embrace it.
One of the RDs that left was my go-to hang out buddy. It's been an adjustment to begin doing a lot of things by myself. I am enjoying it though! I'm doing things on my own time-schedule and it is very liberating. I am naturally a very laid-back person and I often just go with the flow of what others want. This is fine to an extent but I've learned that I have to start dictating what I want to do, when I want to do it, and then DO IT. I'm not implying that my hang-out buddy prevented me from doing what I wanted to do....I'm just saying that because of my personality I often put my desires on the back burner because I wanted to be easy-going and I am now discovering how unnecessary that is.
I'm struggling to have the motivation to do actual work (i.e. preparing for next year). I think I'll just relax these remaining days of June and get gung-ho about preparing for next year in July.
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