I was in deep thought sometime last week on one of my usual treadmill runs - thank goodness I stayed on the treadmill - but I was thinking about my 29th year so far. I started my final year of my 20s surrounded by some of my most amazing friends. I have a fantastic roommate who has become a big sister to me - to cry with, to share boy stories with, to work and to live with she has been there through it all. I haven't found the love of my life and I'm not sure I ever have but I have some great things for me anyway.
I recently wrote about international nutrition and tropical health. I actually spoke with a woman at Tulane about the diploma program, but she wasn't sure if I could break it up into multiple semesters. She told me to apply none the less and that she's looking forward to working with me. But I know I need to work full time and I definitely don't have 12K to drop on 16 hours of classes. It's still on the burner if I can break up the semesters. I did have a conversation with a friend of mine and I told him of my idea. He kind of turned his nose down at it, telling me that I would miss everyone and I wouldn't want to do it once I got there. Which, I suppose I would miss everyone, but I don't need to see my family all the time. As long as I can talk to them and write letters and they come visit every now and then, I should be good. Right?
My running has been going well. I still struggle to run long distances at a time without walking a minute. I can't decide if my knee or my lungs or my mind giving up. I'm 80% sure it's mental. As much as I try to convince myself that I AM a runner I still feel like I'm just an generic athlete. I am good at every athletic thing I do, and that's not to toot my own horn it's just a gift I have. I can learn a sport or game and be aces at it by the end of the day, it's just something I've always been able to do. If you were to ask me to go run a half marathon tomorrow, I could get it done in 3 hours or less. I just have a natural ability to maintain a level of fitness. With that said, I just can't see myself as a runner. Yes, by the end of my 29th year I will have run 7 half marathons and 1 full marathon in my life, but I still don't see it. It might just be due to the fact that I'm not the best at it, so I feel like I'd be lying if I called myself one?
I do have races scheduled for the next 8 months. Apparently I got roped in to the tough mudder in October, I always sign up to run the St. Jude Half Marathon in December, and then I signed up to run my 1st full marathon in March 2012 a week before my 30th birthday here in New Orleans. We'll see if I can make it through all those injury free. I do have a finish time in mind for my 1st marathon, but I'm keeping that to myself for the next few months =)
I leave for Scottsdale, Arizona on Thursday. I was selected for the American Dietetic Association's 2011 Leadership Institute. Only 300 RDs in the nation get selected every year so it's kind of a big deal. It took forever to convince my job that they should at least pay for my registration for it. Ugh. I'm excited to go though. I get 15 CEUs and a certification in Leadership - whatever that entails. For some reason the job doesn't care about a pay raise for my Masters degree, but they give us raises for certifications we receive - this better count for one. I have all my camera batteries charged for the trip, its absolutely beautiful there. Everyone has been telling me places to go sightseeing, but I'll be relaxing at my badass resort. I need the RnR.
Lastly, I have asked my diddie if we could return to my birthplace for my 30th birthday. I haven't been back to Alaska since we left and I feel drawn to it. I got my birthday tattoo this year and I feel closer to my birthplace, but I am compelled to visit. I want to see the places my parents saw. I want to take a bottle of water from the creek named after me. I want to hunt and fish like my daddie did when I was small. I want to stand in places I did when I was a toddler. I want to make an amazing photography documentary of my trip. I want to share my journey.
Life feels pretty good right now. I feel like I'm on pace to where ever I'm headed. I'm a little scared, but I know I have a AMAZING support system to complete my journey for my 29th year.
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