I'm here, I'm here

I'm just very sore. Aggressive working out combined with intermittent fasting in addition to my successful quest to add my silly name to the Dean's List means that I'm a tad bit sleep deprived. BUT I'll be back, and in full force soon. Maybe even later on this evening, if you play your cards right, you saucy minx.

Health Transcendentalist

Emerson said "Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience". Well, I'm always working toward being a little more patient, especially with myself, but this week I did more tromping through nature than I did emulating her. The B's, one of my favorite families, and I went on a long, long hike on Sunday. 5.5 miles to be exact. Not bad for a few hours worth of walkin'. I kept up with an elementary schooler, so that's something :) We walked dirt paths, stream beds, rocky trails. I took a tumble, and have some nice, yellowing bruises for my effort. And I got to spend my afternoon with great, likeminded people. Pretty good for a lazy Spring Sunday. I like Emerson, and the whole transcendentalist thing; sparks of the divine everywhere you look, communing with nature, seeing G-d in the great outdoors. It's easy to feel spiritually attuned when gazing at a waterfall, or out over a flowery meadow. It's less easy to keep your breath steady when the way to said meadow is fraught with hills and streams to fjord. I love hiking because, well, I can set my own pace. The hills that I'm trying to climb will be there whether I pump up them at 4 miles an hour, calves a'screaming, or go slower, at 2. And when I get to the top, I'll have a beautiful view waiting for me. This kind of reminds me of my weight loss goals in general. I've crawled along at turtle's pace, and just lately I've been chugging along a little harder. The hill is still there, when I wake up and whenever I can't get out of seeing myself nekkid (I guess I don't NEED to shower so often), and when I have to buy clothes. But when I reach my goal, the top as it were, there will be some great things waiting for me. I'll be able to run, jump, keep up with my younger siblings. I'll have energy, I'll feel better, and I'll know that I can take care of myself. That I can set and meet a goal, wear a swimsuit without fear, NOT get the beetus. Paint my toenails without contorting. Or maybe you always contort when you do that? I don't know. I repeat this to myself over and over again, that I'll be better if I just get off my ass. After seven hours of classes when I just don't want to move, after hours behind a desk, or a book, or the computer, I try to motivate myself. Until I can keep pace with my friends and their 5ks, I'll continue to keep Emerson on the brain, and keep pace with nature, and the hare, and all those other patient people who did not take all their weight off in a day. This next hike is for you.