Well - it's April of 2020, and my last blog post was in June of 2018. Over the past several years, my blog posts have been fewer and farther in between. Even as I sat down to look at this blog, I remind myself that only 20-40 people even read this, and I write this blog for myself. If you're seeing this - thanks for stopping by! It's been awhile!
It's always interesting to look back on how I was feeling and what I was looking forward to when I read these old entries. I have just a few updates on what I've been up to since June of 2018. I'll try to keep it brief.
The Big Move
Let's start with the big move from my long-time one-bedroom apartment in Frisco to the Studio apartment in Dallas. Hands-down, the best decision I could have made. I LOVE(D) that apartment. Downsizing was not bad. I donated and sold a lot of things on Facebook Marketplace and purchased new furniture that sparks joy. I really love living IN the city. The commute doesn't bother me most days. In the mornings I listen to Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, and the afternoons are hit or miss depending on what time I leave, or if there is an accident. What gets me is gas and tolls - but honestly, it's worth it to me to be as happy as I am where I live.
I still live in the same apartment building today, however, I upgraded to a spacious one-bedroom on the 21st floor, with a roommate - Definitely the biggest life change to come out of 2018 and into my 2019.
Rico
If I hadn't moved to Dallas, I wouldn't have ventured into the Orangetheory Uptown location and taken Coach Rico's class. He is a very motivating coach, so I started to frequent his classes. I was also new to Dallas, and looking to meet new friends. We connected on Social Media and made plans to hang-out, as friends. Well, as some people would say, the rest is history. I don't know how I got so lucky to have such a good man come into my life, and love me the way I've always hoped to be loved. We date with intention, and are 100% committed to one another. We spend as much time as we can together, and although we were still very "fresh" in our relationship, we moved in together when our leases were up. Hindsight - we are so grateful that we took the risk early on. I could not imagine being quarantined without him, and in the studio apartment. We take care of eachother and I still can't believe that handsome fellow is mine. We've had a lot of fun, and maybe Quarantine will get the best of me again and I will try to document some of our adventures on this blog.
Travel
After the move in 2018, my travels consisted of Toronto, ON, CA and Charleston, South Carolina. A new state to check off of the list. Oh and a bonus, spontaneous trip to Colorado to see my good friends' John and Rachel's new house in the mountains for New Years 2019 (Rico's and my first trip together). In 2019, my travels consisted of: Fredericksburg,TX/ Amelia Island, FL/ El Paso-Marfa-Big Bend, TX, and some family time in Oklahoma. We've just barely started 2020 and luckily Rico and I got to travel to San Antonio and Fredericksburg before COVID-19 hit. We do have a big trip to Mexico planned for July, but we'll see how that goes....
Health/Fitness
I still go to Orangetheory at 4:30AM. My goals are all OTF based. I like that they can be quantified. So I try to run faster, or farther, row harder, and lift stronger. I've made a ton of progress over the past 4 years being an OTF member. You would think that dating a personal trainer would have an impact on workout habits, but really I just take his classes whenever I am able to and he pretty much takes his trainer hat off when we're together. Since the gyms are all shut down right now, we have been running outside together.
Professional Updates
Still a teacher - but I went down to 3rd Grade Math/Science/Social Studies this school year (2019-2020). It was an adjustment for me after coming off of 7 years in the world of 5th grade, and right as I was getting the hang of it, they shut school down. I must say that I am missing my 3rd graders at this time, but am grateful that whenever we do go back to school - even if it's next year, I'll get to see them as 4th graders. That was always the hard thing about 5th grade... they went off to middle school and it was rare to see them again.
2019 final thoughts...
In 2019 I turned 30, I welcomed this new decade and chapter with a handsome man at a nice restaurant. He had been telling me leading up to my birthday that "your 30s are better than your 20s." And so far, my 30th year has been overwhelmingly positive and exciting. 2020 is looking very different from 2019, as we are going into our 2nd month of quarantining and social distancing. I'll be back with hopefully more positive updates soon, or at the very least, blogs of adventures to help pass the quarantine time when I'm not teaching 3rd grade remotely.
Until next time...
Monday, April 13, 2020
Friday, June 29, 2018
Mid 2018 Update
Prepare yourself for some life updates, and seeing the power of what is possible when you shift your mindset about approaching your goals, and living your best life in general.
I rang in 2018 at Legacy Hall with my good friend Anna. As soon as the clock struck 12:01am, I was hailing my Uber driver, and went immediately home (you can make your own inferences as to why I had to bounce the party right away). As I reflected on my last 2017 blog, I was feeling very down and sad at the end of the year. Naturally, I always start the new year off with a go-getter attitude, but it usually fizzles around mid-February. I have deemed 2018 as the year to SLAY. This may seem super corny to you, but it's working and I'm going to keep rolling with it.
Health/Fitness:
An Orange Theory Fitness opened a mile away from my apartment in December 2017. I have been an OTF member since Dec. 2015, but this location is special. I love the convenience of the location obviously, but the trainers, staff, and members make it an enjoyable place to be. I started working out at 4:30AM on weekdays to see how that would go, and how long I could make it happen. I had accountability with my friend Heather, as we would snapchat each other in the mornings on our way to workout or on the way home. I found extra accountability in a Facebook group with my Houston homies to discuss all things fitness and staying on track with our 2018 goals. In January I stuck with the 8x per month membership, while I trained and did the half-marathon in Austin with my Dad. I've always been good about working-out, but MyFitnessPal helped me track how much and what kind of food (and drink) I was putting in my body.
In February I joined the 8 week Transformation Challenge and bumped my membership back up to unlimited session. I had already lost weight in January, so was excited for the challenge to keep it going considering I know my track record with resolutions. I kept going at 4:30AM, and started to look forward to it. I've got some solid work-out buddies that challenge me and make me laugh. I ended up getting 3rd place in the Transformation Challenge. :)
In April, OTF did the Marathon challenge. I did the Ultra-marathon and workout bud Elizabeth created a google sheet to help us track our milage throughout the month. We slayed the mileage goal early in the month and I ended up running around 50-60 miles. It was a fun challenge to track miles, and kept me moving toward my fitness goals. In May I went 26 times to OTF, and June I've enjoyed going mid-mornings again as opposed to 4:30AM (I may secretly miss it). I've gotten so much faster and stronger. I have lost about 25 lbs at this point, but it's the strength I am valuing more than the weight loss. Strong is the new skinny.
I applied to be the Ambassador of my studio and got it! I will be representing West Frisco Orangetheory Fitness for Quarter 3! I am so excited to spread my love of OTF more than I already do!
From One-Bedroom to Studio:
I have lived in the same Frisco apartment for 6 years. I love this apartment. It's in a great location, there are a ton of things to do in the area, many of my friends live close by, and it's a perfect amount of space for just me. I had no idea when I signed my lease here that I would still be here 6 years later. I've been itching for a change somewhere in my life, and moving was something in my control that I could make happen. Since I was a little kid, I loved movies that took place in big cities and when my Gran took me on the DART to downtown Dallas I was mesmerized. I've always dreamed of living IN the city, having an elevator, and a view. My brother-in-law got a job in a building in downtown, and it started to seem like a realistic possibility. Even my parents started to encourage me to live out my dream and just go for it. My budget called for a studio as opposed to a one-bedroom. I had to wrap my brain around downsizing from 655 sq. ft. with great closet space to 568 sq. ft. with ONE small closet. I came to the realization that I would have to sacrifice space for the sweet location, view, amenities, and finishings. I seized the opportunity when a studio on the 22nd floor with the urban view became available in my price range. I signed my lease in April, I will get my keys on July 6th, and move-in on July 9th. Since signing the lease I have been purging, donating, and selling things I've held on to only because I've had the space. Losing weight has helped with getting rid of clothes, and with my new modern apartment complex, my eclectic/post-college/Pinterest/DIY style doesn't really mesh. I've had so much fun searching for new furniture and can't wait to pull my Dallas "Carrie Bradshaw" apartment together!
Professional:
This school year was go-go-go. I love my school, I love teaching 5th grade, and I love my colleagues and students that I work with. I applied for Curriculum Writing and got to do that this summer as opposed to Summer School and learned a lot! It was so much fun to meet new people and create resources for 5th Grade Social Studies teachers in the district. I focused on applying for Assistant Principal, and grew so much through that process. I put my name in the ring for Frisco, Plano, and Dallas ISD. Fine-tuning my resume, composing a cover letter, mock interviews with friends, and PLENTY of real interviews later, I can say I have no regrets in the effort I put in for a new opportunity and to grow professionally and make an impact on students. Although I wasn't selected for an AP position this year, I made it pretty far in the process, and I am proud of that. My mentor's encouraging words, "Megan, it is not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when' and where'." drive me to keep going and see if maybe the 2019-2020 school year is the year for that change to occur. I showed grit and perseverance through finding the perfect fit when I got my first teaching job, and the same will happen for my assistant principal job. I will continue to grow as a leader and am always learning.
Travel:
If you've read this blog before or know me at all you know I love a spontaneous get-a-way or a fun vacay! I explored Atlanta (got to cross Georgia off my 50 State list), Little Rock, and Fredericksburg this year. Not as many trips as I've done in the past, but the focus on health, and now moving have caused me to pump the breaks a little bit. I have a trip to Toronto, ON to look forward to in October, and I love the thought of never knowing which destination may come my way next. The move to Dallas will be a trip in itself. Although I've lived in North Texas my entire life, I look forward to exploring the city as a proper local, and living in the heart of downtown.
2018 is half-way over, as I just turned 29 -
I am a firm believer that whatever is supposed to happen will happen, and that we have control over the perspective we take toward our lives. Turning 29 and my "Namaslay all day everyday" attitude has influenced me to live the last year of my twenties to the fullest. I have entered my 29th year with the same mindset as I entered 2018 (minus the quick uber ride home). It was my golden birthday and I am so blessed to have so many great friends (and family) in my life. I'm looking forward to the second half of my 2018 chapter, and soaking it all in.
I rang in 2018 at Legacy Hall with my good friend Anna. As soon as the clock struck 12:01am, I was hailing my Uber driver, and went immediately home (you can make your own inferences as to why I had to bounce the party right away). As I reflected on my last 2017 blog, I was feeling very down and sad at the end of the year. Naturally, I always start the new year off with a go-getter attitude, but it usually fizzles around mid-February. I have deemed 2018 as the year to SLAY. This may seem super corny to you, but it's working and I'm going to keep rolling with it.
Health/Fitness:
An Orange Theory Fitness opened a mile away from my apartment in December 2017. I have been an OTF member since Dec. 2015, but this location is special. I love the convenience of the location obviously, but the trainers, staff, and members make it an enjoyable place to be. I started working out at 4:30AM on weekdays to see how that would go, and how long I could make it happen. I had accountability with my friend Heather, as we would snapchat each other in the mornings on our way to workout or on the way home. I found extra accountability in a Facebook group with my Houston homies to discuss all things fitness and staying on track with our 2018 goals. In January I stuck with the 8x per month membership, while I trained and did the half-marathon in Austin with my Dad. I've always been good about working-out, but MyFitnessPal helped me track how much and what kind of food (and drink) I was putting in my body.
In February I joined the 8 week Transformation Challenge and bumped my membership back up to unlimited session. I had already lost weight in January, so was excited for the challenge to keep it going considering I know my track record with resolutions. I kept going at 4:30AM, and started to look forward to it. I've got some solid work-out buddies that challenge me and make me laugh. I ended up getting 3rd place in the Transformation Challenge. :)
In April, OTF did the Marathon challenge. I did the Ultra-marathon and workout bud Elizabeth created a google sheet to help us track our milage throughout the month. We slayed the mileage goal early in the month and I ended up running around 50-60 miles. It was a fun challenge to track miles, and kept me moving toward my fitness goals. In May I went 26 times to OTF, and June I've enjoyed going mid-mornings again as opposed to 4:30AM (I may secretly miss it). I've gotten so much faster and stronger. I have lost about 25 lbs at this point, but it's the strength I am valuing more than the weight loss. Strong is the new skinny.
I applied to be the Ambassador of my studio and got it! I will be representing West Frisco Orangetheory Fitness for Quarter 3! I am so excited to spread my love of OTF more than I already do!
From One-Bedroom to Studio:
I have lived in the same Frisco apartment for 6 years. I love this apartment. It's in a great location, there are a ton of things to do in the area, many of my friends live close by, and it's a perfect amount of space for just me. I had no idea when I signed my lease here that I would still be here 6 years later. I've been itching for a change somewhere in my life, and moving was something in my control that I could make happen. Since I was a little kid, I loved movies that took place in big cities and when my Gran took me on the DART to downtown Dallas I was mesmerized. I've always dreamed of living IN the city, having an elevator, and a view. My brother-in-law got a job in a building in downtown, and it started to seem like a realistic possibility. Even my parents started to encourage me to live out my dream and just go for it. My budget called for a studio as opposed to a one-bedroom. I had to wrap my brain around downsizing from 655 sq. ft. with great closet space to 568 sq. ft. with ONE small closet. I came to the realization that I would have to sacrifice space for the sweet location, view, amenities, and finishings. I seized the opportunity when a studio on the 22nd floor with the urban view became available in my price range. I signed my lease in April, I will get my keys on July 6th, and move-in on July 9th. Since signing the lease I have been purging, donating, and selling things I've held on to only because I've had the space. Losing weight has helped with getting rid of clothes, and with my new modern apartment complex, my eclectic/post-college/Pinterest/DIY style doesn't really mesh. I've had so much fun searching for new furniture and can't wait to pull my Dallas "Carrie Bradshaw" apartment together!
Professional:
This school year was go-go-go. I love my school, I love teaching 5th grade, and I love my colleagues and students that I work with. I applied for Curriculum Writing and got to do that this summer as opposed to Summer School and learned a lot! It was so much fun to meet new people and create resources for 5th Grade Social Studies teachers in the district. I focused on applying for Assistant Principal, and grew so much through that process. I put my name in the ring for Frisco, Plano, and Dallas ISD. Fine-tuning my resume, composing a cover letter, mock interviews with friends, and PLENTY of real interviews later, I can say I have no regrets in the effort I put in for a new opportunity and to grow professionally and make an impact on students. Although I wasn't selected for an AP position this year, I made it pretty far in the process, and I am proud of that. My mentor's encouraging words, "Megan, it is not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when' and where'." drive me to keep going and see if maybe the 2019-2020 school year is the year for that change to occur. I showed grit and perseverance through finding the perfect fit when I got my first teaching job, and the same will happen for my assistant principal job. I will continue to grow as a leader and am always learning.
Travel:
If you've read this blog before or know me at all you know I love a spontaneous get-a-way or a fun vacay! I explored Atlanta (got to cross Georgia off my 50 State list), Little Rock, and Fredericksburg this year. Not as many trips as I've done in the past, but the focus on health, and now moving have caused me to pump the breaks a little bit. I have a trip to Toronto, ON to look forward to in October, and I love the thought of never knowing which destination may come my way next. The move to Dallas will be a trip in itself. Although I've lived in North Texas my entire life, I look forward to exploring the city as a proper local, and living in the heart of downtown.
2018 is half-way over, as I just turned 29 -
I am a firm believer that whatever is supposed to happen will happen, and that we have control over the perspective we take toward our lives. Turning 29 and my "Namaslay all day everyday" attitude has influenced me to live the last year of my twenties to the fullest. I have entered my 29th year with the same mindset as I entered 2018 (minus the quick uber ride home). It was my golden birthday and I am so blessed to have so many great friends (and family) in my life. I'm looking forward to the second half of my 2018 chapter, and soaking it all in.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Obligatory 2017 Re-Cap Blog
Okay... 2017 was a bad year for the blog. In my defense, I had started my Birthday trip blog, but never completed it. It's definitely been too long for me to finish it, so delete it I did, and I will just do a massive 2017 Re-Cap. I am quite positive I will have very few views on this blog (unless I post it to Facebook), but I do enjoy documenting my end-of-year thoughts and reflecting on them as the years go by. I just read my end of 2016 Blog, and it's so refreshing to see that I had absolutely no idea what the year had in store for me, and it turned out to be pretty great.
2017 in a nutshell
January - Slow start to the year, but started dating someone
February - Hot Chocolate 15K + Journeyed to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
March - Traveled to Colorado and attempted skiing
April - Went to Houston to cheer on Momma Latawiec as she did the Avon Breast Cancer Walk
May - Birthday trip to San Francisco with a little jaunt out to Napa
June - Broke my toe and had to have my toenail removed on June 14th (Gross)
I was stuck with the boot for 8 weeks, thus having to freeze my OTF membership.
June Continued - I traveled to Seattle, WA. It was absolutely beautiful in the Summer! I wish my toe hadn't been broken!
July - Presented at the PLC conference for Frisco ISD. Traveled to Denver (again), and did some hiking! Hooray for the boot getting taken off at the end of the summer.
August - Salvaged what I could of the summer and celebrated Jackson's Birthday. Began my 6th year teaching 5th grade.
September - Crazy, busy month of back to school
October - Ended things with the person I was seeing... then Traveled to MAINE with friends.
(I really should do a Maine blog)
November - Went to Napa, CA with my Mom. Cheers. Also, I became a Rodan + Fields Consultant
December - Ran in the Dallas Marathon Relay and took Mom to Austin to go to the LBJ Presidential Library
I am glad that I have friends and family that are willing to go off and have adventures with me. New Orleans, Colorado (x2), Seattle, San Francisco/Napa (x2), Maine, and Austin is a pretty good list of travel destinations. I have also had a solid year professionally, and look forward to growing more and seeing what happens in 2018. I would definitely say that the Broken Toe, and let down in the man department were my disappointments for this year, but I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason.
Again, I like to look back on my former blogs, see what I was thinking and hoping for in the upcoming year. So for 2018 -
Travel - I have NOTHING on my Agenda [yet] for travel this year! That just means that I will have to make an effort to take spontaneous trips. I want to make more of an effort to visit states that I haven't been to and explore them thoroughly. I would also like to see a trip abroad happen, or at the very least start to plan for one.
Health - I am going to run a Half-Marathon in January with my Dad! I want to get back to doing Orange Theory unlimited, but am also interested in other types of work-out classes. I can do any work-out that is thrown at me, I just have to get my food under control. Still not feeling the need to run a Full Marathon again, but may try to run a couple of Half-Marathons this year.
Career - I think I'm going to put some feelers out and attempt to become an Assistant Principal (open to other districts). It's in God's hands, but I'm going to try. If it doesn't work out, I am perfectly happy teaching 5th Grade at my current school. I'm also going to try and see what happens with Rodan + Fields.
My goals are not as specific this year as they were last year, but I hope that I can look back on this blog and be proud of what I did.
2017 in a nutshell
January - Slow start to the year, but started dating someone
February - Hot Chocolate 15K + Journeyed to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
March - Traveled to Colorado and attempted skiing
April - Went to Houston to cheer on Momma Latawiec as she did the Avon Breast Cancer Walk
May - Birthday trip to San Francisco with a little jaunt out to Napa
June - Broke my toe and had to have my toenail removed on June 14th (Gross)
I was stuck with the boot for 8 weeks, thus having to freeze my OTF membership.
June Continued - I traveled to Seattle, WA. It was absolutely beautiful in the Summer! I wish my toe hadn't been broken!
July - Presented at the PLC conference for Frisco ISD. Traveled to Denver (again), and did some hiking! Hooray for the boot getting taken off at the end of the summer.
August - Salvaged what I could of the summer and celebrated Jackson's Birthday. Began my 6th year teaching 5th grade.
September - Crazy, busy month of back to school
October - Ended things with the person I was seeing... then Traveled to MAINE with friends.
(I really should do a Maine blog)
November - Went to Napa, CA with my Mom. Cheers. Also, I became a Rodan + Fields Consultant
December - Ran in the Dallas Marathon Relay and took Mom to Austin to go to the LBJ Presidential Library
I am glad that I have friends and family that are willing to go off and have adventures with me. New Orleans, Colorado (x2), Seattle, San Francisco/Napa (x2), Maine, and Austin is a pretty good list of travel destinations. I have also had a solid year professionally, and look forward to growing more and seeing what happens in 2018. I would definitely say that the Broken Toe, and let down in the man department were my disappointments for this year, but I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason.
Again, I like to look back on my former blogs, see what I was thinking and hoping for in the upcoming year. So for 2018 -
Travel - I have NOTHING on my Agenda [yet] for travel this year! That just means that I will have to make an effort to take spontaneous trips. I want to make more of an effort to visit states that I haven't been to and explore them thoroughly. I would also like to see a trip abroad happen, or at the very least start to plan for one.
Health - I am going to run a Half-Marathon in January with my Dad! I want to get back to doing Orange Theory unlimited, but am also interested in other types of work-out classes. I can do any work-out that is thrown at me, I just have to get my food under control. Still not feeling the need to run a Full Marathon again, but may try to run a couple of Half-Marathons this year.
Career - I think I'm going to put some feelers out and attempt to become an Assistant Principal (open to other districts). It's in God's hands, but I'm going to try. If it doesn't work out, I am perfectly happy teaching 5th Grade at my current school. I'm also going to try and see what happens with Rodan + Fields.
My goals are not as specific this year as they were last year, but I hope that I can look back on this blog and be proud of what I did.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Colorado Spring Break
I have never been skiing before, and have only been in actual snow a handful of times. After my first visit to Denver, I learned that a LOT goes into winter sports, and it can be very expensive. I was nervous about this, and the fact that I had never done it before. So I could potentially go, try to learn, hate it, and be out loads of cash. Rachel told me that John (her husband) is super patient and would teach me, and that she had two of everything except for pants, so that's all I would need to buy.
I flew into Denver on Tuesday afternoon, and Rachel was not on Spring Break that week. She picked me up and we had to go back to her school as she had to be there pretty late that night for conferences. It was good to see her new school in person after seeing pictures and hearing about it. It was also nice to meet her team. We did some organizing to finally finish off the cleaning of the music classroom she inherited. It is very very interesting to hear about how different things are in Colorado with education and fine arts as opposed to Texas.
Since Rachel had to work on Wednesday and Thursday, I did what I would have done at home in Texas on spring Break during the day. I slept in, and walked to Orange Theory to get my sweat on. I also knocked out all of the papers I needed to grade, and some other school business that I needed to take care of. Even though it was Spring Break, it felt awesome to get so caught up.
Wednesday night dinner and happy hour with Rachel was at Cuba Cuba and hanging out at the house, and Thursday night was "Fancy Dinner." A fun tradition I share with the Severes. We use their wedding china (they are the only people my age I know that actually have wedding china), silver, crystal, and cook and eat a multi-course meal. Consisting of Charcuteries, Salad, Steak/Risotto/Asparagus, ice cream with berries, and 5 bottles of champs/wines. Always fun and delicious.
Friday Rachel took the day off so that we could have a Megan and Rachel day. We slept in and packed up the things we needed for skiing. We then went to have Brunch with bottomless Mimosas at Root Down. We obviously stayed there for awhile to get the most out of our bottomless mimosas, and by the time we got back home, John was coming back from work to load up the car and start our drive to the mountains.
I have to give a major shout out to the Severe duo for taking amazing care of me and guiding me through everything for skiing. If it weren't for them, I probably never would have tried it.
We stopped on the way at this discount ski rental shop. Since I was a beginner, I was able to get my skis, boots, and poles for $22.50. That was way cheaper than I was planning for, so I was pumped about that. John and Rachel got a room in Beaver Creek so we wouldn't have to wake up ridiculously early to go ski. We ate Pizza in the room and had some hot tub and drinks in the mountains. We then went out to two bars in Vail and had a freaking blast dancing.
Saturday morning we got up at a decent hour and got all ready to ski. I was feeling really really nervous. All the people we talked to and told that this would be my first time skiing kept saying, "well if you aren't falling you aren't trying!" Awesome. Got to the Vail resort, and thank god for John and Rachel having Season passes which provided Buddy Pass options for skiing. If I hadn't had the buddy pass, it would have cost me $189 to ski for ONE day. With the buddy pass it cost $116, so I saved a pretty penny there.
We spent about 2 hours on the gopher hill, and John was very patient. I had to be taught every little thing such as how to hold a pair of skis, walk in ski boots, put skis on, get on a lift, etc. I fell about 6 times in the first 2 hours, but it wasn't that bad. Super padded with the clothing, and it is snow. The first time I fell I was able to pull myself up without taking my skis off, but couldn't do it again after that. I would have to take my skis off every time. Every time I fell John and Rachel were right there to support and encourage me and help me up. They would bring me my ski if it popped off, or my pole if it flew far away.
My favorite time was skiing down the catwalk to our lunch location. I felt like I really had the hang of maneuvering myself on flat land haha. We had lunch, and since I was only there for a day, John said we were going to take the gondola up to the top of the mountain and ski some greens. This is some accelerated ski instruction people. I had 2 hours to learn! If I had the chance to do it again, I would do a half-day to learn how to ski, and then go back for a full day to have fun with it. Nevertheless, we went up and it was "learn through doing." I fell on the mountain some more of course, and would freak out when I started going fast. I was very anxious about running into people or other people running into me. I also had a mental block when it came to skiing straight across the mountain toward a run as opposed to down the mountain, because I didn't want to fall down a blue! At the end of the day I was totally exhausted and felt like my body wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. In the end though, I came a long way in the one day I had to learn to ski, and after having some time to reflect, I would totally go again. (I mean, I bought ski pants). Next winter I will prepare financially for 2 days of skiing and hope that Rachel will loan me her gear again! More importantly I hope that John has the patience to take me again and give up several hours of "big boy" skiing to take care of me.
Ski Pants: $162.38
Boots/Skis/Pole Rental: $22.50
Jacket, Socks, Gaiter, gloves, helmet: $0 Borrowed from Rachel
Day of Skiing Vail: $116
Lessons: $0 John taught me
Total Cost to Ski: $300.88
I know this doesn't include the room and transportation, but now I have pants and can do other winter sports!
We hit up Frisco, CO for Apres Ski, and then headed back to their house for my last night in Colorado. We had another yummy dinner using John's birthday Raclette, and more hot tub time. I had an early flight on Sunday morning, plus it was Daylight Savings time. (Note-to-Self: Don't schedule early flights on Daylight Savings time)
Once I can figure out how to join snapchat videos into one video I can upload some lol content on here.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Mardi Gras 2017
This was my 3rd time to go to New Orleans. Each trip to NOLA has been very different. You can read about my Girls' Road Trip to Nola in 2014 here, and my 2nd Marathon out in NOLA here. Travel makes up most of my "bucket list," but just going to the destination doesn't always satisfy what you are looking for. I knew I wanted to go to Mardi Gras "one day," and when the opportunity presented itself, how do you pass it up?
When I had returned from my 2nd NOLA trip, my co-worker, Laura, asked me if I wanted to go to Mardi Gras 2017. She said she found an Air BnB and had friends that we could go with. This was almost a full year ago. Since then we had the Air BnB cancel on us, found a new one, entertained the idea of driving (after seeing flight prices), found a one-way flight back and decided to drive there, then found a decent flight there so we didn't have to drive at all! Laura had done Mardi Gras twice before, so I was totally putting my confidence in her to show me the ropes. I was also looking forward to meeting the other 3 girls that would be joining us. Laura had met them several years back on a Mission trip, and they were reuniting.
Arrival: Laura and I worked on Friday, and had a late flight out. The other girls were already in NOLA and experienced 2 Parades on Friday. We got in around 9:30PM, got an Uber out of the airport, and checked out our Studio Air BnB. It was the attic of a house/apartments. Now, when you go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, prices tend to be high. I don't even know where to begin to describe where we slept for 4 nights, but there were 5 places to sleep, a shower, and was walking distance to lots of our parades (necessary). We paid a LOT for this hole, but it served it's purpose and was the location we needed. I met the girls, and we went to bed early in preparation for a first day.
Saturday, Day 1: Woke up earlier than I wanted to because the bed(mattress pad on bed slats) was super uncomfortable, and sunlight filled the room. We had breakfast in our room (bagel and banana), put on our fun clothes, and headed out to Parade #1 at 10:00AM. Krewe of Iris.
I learned SO MUCH about the traditions and culture of Mardi Gras, and I only want to learn more now that I have experienced it. Iris was a good "warm-up" parade. I was excited to get ANY beads, and threw them around my neck. The krewe doesn't just throw beads either. They throw Doubloons, sunglasses, plush animals, toys, cups, SOOO many things! We were catching all kinds of goodies! People take their kids, bring ladders with seats on them, and walk away with bags overflowing with beads and other items. Here I am with my first set of beads. Notice how plain jane they are? I didn't even know what was going to come from the more sophisticated Krewes later in the weekend.
After Iris we went straight to Krewe of Tucks, but first grabbed a quick bite of lunch in a school across the street. Tucks is a more comical parade with potty humor. Again, I caught a lot of beads, but some of my prized possessions from that parade include: A decorated toilet brush cleaner, sunglasses shaped like toilet seats, a pair of "blue balls," a gigantic cup that says, "Size Matters," etc. etc. etc. It was a lot of fun, and Laura's favorite parade.
Of all the connections Laura had, we met up with a friend of hers from college and her Aunt/Uncle. They lived in NOLA and were SO nice. They really showed us that Southern Hospitality and took us to their house where we could leave our beads, use the restroom, and then drove us to Midtown for the Endymion Parade. This was a night parade with crazy LED floats and awesome throws. It was way crowded and everyone was aggressively trying to get the best throws. We weren't even aware about the accident that had happened with the man driving his car into the parade route. It had happened 3 blocks up from where we were located. Here I am excited about getting a set of "big" beads, and I still got more goodies after that!
Our original plan was to go to Bourbon that night, but after 12 hours of parading, we decided that food was very important, and eventually came to the conclusion that Bourbon wouldn't be fun if we went as exhausted as we were. Plus, finding an Uber after Endymion was IMPOSSIBLE. We were a good walk away from our Studio, walked as much as we could, but finally caught a Lyft with a 700% upcharge. It cost us $72 to drive 10 minutes, but that saved us an hour of walking and we didn't mind paying the $13 per person. Passed out quick that night!
Injury for Day 1 - Sunburn on neck... pretty bad..
Injury for Day 1 - Sunburn on neck... pretty bad..
Sunday, Day 2: I woke up earlier than I had wanted to due to the sunlight in the room, we decided to get a little more creative with our breakfast, and toasted bagels in the oven. (There was not a microwave, or a toaster) We all got dressed in more crazy clothes for another day of parading. I had read that the wackier you look, the more you fit in, and that is definitely true. I always wore Mardi Gras Colors, usually had on a pair of mermaid leggings, and was always in running shoes. We walked a lot this day, and it started with a walk to get beignets.
Our main goal was to see the Krewe of Thoth Parade, but on the way we were able to walk and see 2 other parades: Krewe of Okeanos and Krewe of Mid-town. We were walking "upstream" of the parades, and got a head start on catching some beads. We met up with Laura's college friend again and her aunt/uncle for Krewe of Thoth.
Another thing that I was told, (but had to see in person) is how hard some of the beads get thrown. You really have to be prepared to catch them, or be alert not to get smacked in the face. I was taking a video on my phone, and a package of beads came down and knocked my phone out of my hand into the street. They won't even bother to take the beads out of the packages half the time and just chunk them!
In the midst of all of our walking... my injury for day 2 was a sprained ankle. I fell into a hole in the street...
Laura's friend's uncle was kind enough to drive us to our studio and we unloaded all of our beads. we were able to get a quick rest in, freshen up, and eat some snacks before our night parade, Krewe of Bacchus.
The Bacchus Parade was great. I really enjoyed the parades at night. This Krewe is all about the New Orleans Saints, so there was a lot of Saints floats and throws. That was another big night for beads.
We took another load of beads back to the place, and changed for Bourbon Street. I didn't walk away with too many beads from Bourbon. to sum that experience up, we each had a hand grenade, I had a hurricane, and we spent the majority of our time in the Cat's Meow either dancing, or up on the balcony. Laura was quick to get us an uber home.
Monday, Day 3: This was one of our chill days, and another reason we decided to stay out later on Bourbon. We were able to sleep in and take our time getting ready. We had plans to walk around the Quarter. In the midst of toasting bagels, I smelled them, picked up a [wet] pot holder, proceeded to get the pan out of the oven where it sizzled my skin. I yelled bad words and had to tend to my fingers for a really long time. So my injury for day 3 was burning myself. I hope you have noticed that all of my injuries happened fully sober. One of the girls needed to tend to her work in the room, and I wanted to stay and chill my burns a little longer, so we stayed back, while the other 3 went out to the quarter early.
We had lunch at Desire on Bourbon Street. Some fresh oysters and Shrimp and Grits for me. Once that was over we preceded to walk the Quarter some more. There was a Mask Market going on, and I was determined to find a mask that "spoke" to me. I found it and it is a work of art! Not some cheap-o made in china mask in a souvenir shop, but a legit, handmade mask. It will be hanging on my wall in my house soon. We also got to sample some King Cake, which was the final box to check-off on the Mardi Gras Snapchat filter. (Mask, Beads, King Cake, Hurricane)
That night we went to the Krewe of Orpheus parade. You would think that after all of the beds we had gotten, we wouldn't really need anymore, but we were just as aggressive trying to get the throws at this parade. We caught some super fun things at this one. Once we got home, we took a picture of all of the beads that we had caught thus far.
We then spent a good hour trying to figure out how we were going take our treasures home. Laura and I were flying back on United, so I had to have a Carry-On sized bag. I had brought an extra bag to carry home beads in, but had no idea how much stuff I would actually get. We sorted through the beads and made contact with a lady who would pick them up to use for next year. I am not joking when I say we left behind 3/4 of the stuff that we caught. Since this was our last night, we packed up our bags, and laid out only what we needed for our final day.
That night we went out the Frenchman Street. We had a fabulous dinner at Three Muses, and walked around listening to jazz on the street. We found an art market and walked around there for a bit, but since we had an early morning, and had to check-out the next day, we headed back early to catch our last z's in the studio.
Tuesday, Day 4/Departure: We had to wake up early on this day and get all of our things packed up. the AirBnB host was kind enough to let us leave our bags in the room until we were finished with our parades. Laura had a friend in the Krewe of Zulu parade, and that was a long walk. We caught beads at this parade, but were quick to give them away to children if they were plain jane. The coveted throw at this parade is a decorated coconut, and we all caught one! Once Zulu was over, we had the Krewe of Rex that was going down the street our studio was on. At this point, we were so over parades, but wanted to catch a set of beads at this one since Rex is like the Parade of all Mardi Gras.
We grabbed some snacks, and thus began our journey home. There were no ubers or lyfts in the area, so we were resourceful and used a former uber driver's phone number to come get us and we paid him cash, in order for him to even get to us with the parade going on, we had to do some walking with our luggage. Made it to the airport and Laura and I had stress filled journey back home. Here's the gist: restaurant messed up, we barely got to eat/made it to our flight, took off late, landed in Houston where we had 10 minutes to sprint across the terminal to our connection, and then landed in Dallas at 6:30. Luckily there were no injuries for me on this day.
Our main goal was to see the Krewe of Thoth Parade, but on the way we were able to walk and see 2 other parades: Krewe of Okeanos and Krewe of Mid-town. We were walking "upstream" of the parades, and got a head start on catching some beads. We met up with Laura's college friend again and her aunt/uncle for Krewe of Thoth.
Another thing that I was told, (but had to see in person) is how hard some of the beads get thrown. You really have to be prepared to catch them, or be alert not to get smacked in the face. I was taking a video on my phone, and a package of beads came down and knocked my phone out of my hand into the street. They won't even bother to take the beads out of the packages half the time and just chunk them!
In the midst of all of our walking... my injury for day 2 was a sprained ankle. I fell into a hole in the street...
Laura's friend's uncle was kind enough to drive us to our studio and we unloaded all of our beads. we were able to get a quick rest in, freshen up, and eat some snacks before our night parade, Krewe of Bacchus.
The Bacchus Parade was great. I really enjoyed the parades at night. This Krewe is all about the New Orleans Saints, so there was a lot of Saints floats and throws. That was another big night for beads.
We took another load of beads back to the place, and changed for Bourbon Street. I didn't walk away with too many beads from Bourbon. to sum that experience up, we each had a hand grenade, I had a hurricane, and we spent the majority of our time in the Cat's Meow either dancing, or up on the balcony. Laura was quick to get us an uber home.
Monday, Day 3: This was one of our chill days, and another reason we decided to stay out later on Bourbon. We were able to sleep in and take our time getting ready. We had plans to walk around the Quarter. In the midst of toasting bagels, I smelled them, picked up a [wet] pot holder, proceeded to get the pan out of the oven where it sizzled my skin. I yelled bad words and had to tend to my fingers for a really long time. So my injury for day 3 was burning myself. I hope you have noticed that all of my injuries happened fully sober. One of the girls needed to tend to her work in the room, and I wanted to stay and chill my burns a little longer, so we stayed back, while the other 3 went out to the quarter early.
We had lunch at Desire on Bourbon Street. Some fresh oysters and Shrimp and Grits for me. Once that was over we preceded to walk the Quarter some more. There was a Mask Market going on, and I was determined to find a mask that "spoke" to me. I found it and it is a work of art! Not some cheap-o made in china mask in a souvenir shop, but a legit, handmade mask. It will be hanging on my wall in my house soon. We also got to sample some King Cake, which was the final box to check-off on the Mardi Gras Snapchat filter. (Mask, Beads, King Cake, Hurricane)
That night we went to the Krewe of Orpheus parade. You would think that after all of the beds we had gotten, we wouldn't really need anymore, but we were just as aggressive trying to get the throws at this parade. We caught some super fun things at this one. Once we got home, we took a picture of all of the beads that we had caught thus far.
We then spent a good hour trying to figure out how we were going take our treasures home. Laura and I were flying back on United, so I had to have a Carry-On sized bag. I had brought an extra bag to carry home beads in, but had no idea how much stuff I would actually get. We sorted through the beads and made contact with a lady who would pick them up to use for next year. I am not joking when I say we left behind 3/4 of the stuff that we caught. Since this was our last night, we packed up our bags, and laid out only what we needed for our final day.
That night we went out the Frenchman Street. We had a fabulous dinner at Three Muses, and walked around listening to jazz on the street. We found an art market and walked around there for a bit, but since we had an early morning, and had to check-out the next day, we headed back early to catch our last z's in the studio.
Tuesday, Day 4/Departure: We had to wake up early on this day and get all of our things packed up. the AirBnB host was kind enough to let us leave our bags in the room until we were finished with our parades. Laura had a friend in the Krewe of Zulu parade, and that was a long walk. We caught beads at this parade, but were quick to give them away to children if they were plain jane. The coveted throw at this parade is a decorated coconut, and we all caught one! Once Zulu was over, we had the Krewe of Rex that was going down the street our studio was on. At this point, we were so over parades, but wanted to catch a set of beads at this one since Rex is like the Parade of all Mardi Gras.
We grabbed some snacks, and thus began our journey home. There were no ubers or lyfts in the area, so we were resourceful and used a former uber driver's phone number to come get us and we paid him cash, in order for him to even get to us with the parade going on, we had to do some walking with our luggage. Made it to the airport and Laura and I had stress filled journey back home. Here's the gist: restaurant messed up, we barely got to eat/made it to our flight, took off late, landed in Houston where we had 10 minutes to sprint across the terminal to our connection, and then landed in Dallas at 6:30. Luckily there were no injuries for me on this day.
I documented a lot more in my snapchat stories, and saved them. My plan was upload each day's story onto the blog, but for whatever reason it isn't downloading as one whole story. I will have to keep working on that.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Welcoming 2017 with Open Arms
Whew! After doing a major blog update on December 30th to catch up on the second half of 2016, I am ready to reflect on what I thought I had in store from 2016, and look ahead to what I want to see in 2017!
You can read my first post of 2016 here
It's funny how when you're busy making plans... life happens. 2016 had lots of surprises and adventures in it! After reading my blog posted not knowing what the future had in store (and now knowing what actually happened) it is fun to see the difference.
Update on the resolutions made for 2016
1. Health - I can definitely say that I embraced Orange Theory Fitness and am faster and stronger than I was in 2015. If I can keep it going with the OTF classes, and fix my issues in the kitchen, it would be a very successful 2017. Always have to start the year off with Health!
2. Principal's Certification - CHECK. I did my 160+ hours of internship under my principal, and took/passed the Principal's Certification test. I just need to put it on my certification! As far as other goals based on my career, I just want to continue to grow with Reading/Writing curriculum/best current practices. No new moves in my career are planned for 2017.
3. Continue with Fun/Travels - Of course I did! I have a lot of places on my radar for 2017, but I would really like to go to a state(s) I haven't been to. A lot of the places on my radar are repeats, which are still fun, or they are in Texas. I want to branch out somewhere I haven't been to add to my 50 States traveled journal.
Travels for 2016
January - Owasso, OK to visit then 1 month old Carson Scott Conn
February - San Antonio trip with girlfriends
February - New Orleans with Kelly to run Marathon #2
March - Seattle, WA & Vancouver, BC
April - Guess I was recovering from a busy Feb/March..
May - Glen Rose, TX tubing trip with Friends
June - Denver, CO
July - Cruise to Key West, FL & The Bahamas
August/September - no travels due to school starting and arrival of Nephew #2 Jackson Ryan Bentley
October - Washington D.C. w/ Dad
November - Norman, OK to see family
December - Owasso, OK for Carson's 1st Birthday
December - Austin, TX with girlfriends
Wishlist for Travels in 2017:
New Orleans for Mardi Gras (confirmed/paid for)
Denver, CO for Spring Break (confirmed)
Fredericksburg, TX (hopefully)
Atlanta, GA (hopefully)
Seattle, WA (in the Summer hopefully)
As far as Running events are concerned, right now I am only signed up for a 15K in February. I'm okay with that, as I really do want to focus on keeping up with OTF, and eating. If I can focus on that, I will be okay without new medals.
*3/1 - I apparently never published this blog! Whoops!
You can read my first post of 2016 here
It's funny how when you're busy making plans... life happens. 2016 had lots of surprises and adventures in it! After reading my blog posted not knowing what the future had in store (and now knowing what actually happened) it is fun to see the difference.
Update on the resolutions made for 2016
1. Health - I can definitely say that I embraced Orange Theory Fitness and am faster and stronger than I was in 2015. If I can keep it going with the OTF classes, and fix my issues in the kitchen, it would be a very successful 2017. Always have to start the year off with Health!
2. Principal's Certification - CHECK. I did my 160+ hours of internship under my principal, and took/passed the Principal's Certification test. I just need to put it on my certification! As far as other goals based on my career, I just want to continue to grow with Reading/Writing curriculum/best current practices. No new moves in my career are planned for 2017.
3. Continue with Fun/Travels - Of course I did! I have a lot of places on my radar for 2017, but I would really like to go to a state(s) I haven't been to. A lot of the places on my radar are repeats, which are still fun, or they are in Texas. I want to branch out somewhere I haven't been to add to my 50 States traveled journal.
Travels for 2016
January - Owasso, OK to visit then 1 month old Carson Scott Conn
February - San Antonio trip with girlfriends
February - New Orleans with Kelly to run Marathon #2
March - Seattle, WA & Vancouver, BC
April - Guess I was recovering from a busy Feb/March..
May - Glen Rose, TX tubing trip with Friends
June - Denver, CO
July - Cruise to Key West, FL & The Bahamas
August/September - no travels due to school starting and arrival of Nephew #2 Jackson Ryan Bentley
October - Washington D.C. w/ Dad
November - Norman, OK to see family
December - Owasso, OK for Carson's 1st Birthday
December - Austin, TX with girlfriends
Wishlist for Travels in 2017:
New Orleans for Mardi Gras (confirmed/paid for)
Denver, CO for Spring Break (confirmed)
Fredericksburg, TX (hopefully)
Atlanta, GA (hopefully)
Seattle, WA (in the Summer hopefully)
As far as Running events are concerned, right now I am only signed up for a 15K in February. I'm okay with that, as I really do want to focus on keeping up with OTF, and eating. If I can focus on that, I will be okay without new medals.
*3/1 - I apparently never published this blog! Whoops!
Friday, December 30, 2016
July - December 2016
My poor blog has been so neglected this year. Vacation mode has settled in for this Winter Break, and I am going to attempt to catch up on everything I haven't recorded since the Denver trip. My writing may suffer due to the amount I need to catch up on, so bear with me please.
One of the reasons I haven't blogged was because the next item I had on my list to blog was the Cruise! 7 days at sea was quite the daunting task and I never felt motivated to sit down and blog it. Sad because I love my vacation blogs, and so much time has passed since I went on that vacation, but here it goes.
7 Day Cruise to Key West, Florida, and the Bahamas
I went on this Cruise with my Mom, Gran, Aunt Dori, and cousins Abby and Becca. We had an awesome time! I ate and drank like I was on vacation, and that was definitely fun. My mom and Gran shared a Balcony room, while Dori, Becca, Abby and I had an ocean view room. While we were at Sea we hung out by the pool, on the dock, and again, ate/drank. The Escargot was the most surprising thing I loved. Seriously, it was delicious. D, A, B, and I got suckered into doing some spa treatments as we were pulling out of Galveston and to start our vacation right. I got a bamboo massage and spent way too much money. Other highlights at sea including a comedy show, dancing one of the nights away, and ordering my fishbowl drink on a day specifically for day drinking.
Our first stop was Key West, Florida. Our excursion was a bike tour of the island. We saw the southernmost point of the US, and were sweating profusely. The humidity was insane. Seriously, everyone had pit stains, back sweat, and no one cared. I wanted to jump in the ocean for some relief, but my Gran wouldn't let me due the cases of bacterial infection that had made the news recently. After walking around miserable with the heat and humidity, we had lunch at this place called, "The Smokin' Tuna." That was a delicious tuna sandwich, and the only reason I would ever consider getting off a boat in Key West again. I don't know how people live there..
After another day at Sea we stopped at Freeport, Bahamas. Our excursion for this one was a kayak and nature tour. It was definitely the highlight of the whole trip for me. Abby and I kayaked 2 miles in beautiful nature, while Dori and Becca were tethered to one of the guides :). Once the kayaking was over we walked a nature trail with our guide that lead to beach where we got to eat a light lunch and take advantage of the Bahama views. Mom and Gran did a boat tour that my mom was not a fan of.
Next day was Nassau, Bahamas. the excursion was a segway tour, and that was okay. We had some of the local Bahama beer (I can't remember the name), and then went on our own adventure to another beach. When you are on a boat for 5 days, you have to make time for the beach. The water was so clear I felt like I was in a pool. Someone dropped their pony tail holder in the water and you could see it at the bottom.
We had 2 more days at sea and were finally back in Texas. It was nice to be unplugged for a little while, but 7 days is a long time to be on a cruise. I would recommend 5 for my next one. It was also a very pricey vacation. You can go in with a budget, but you end up spending way more than you could have ever anticipated.
Changing Classrooms and Subjects for the 2016-2017 School Year
I had a couple of days to rest after getting home from the cruise, but as soon as my Principal started her contract day, we had to get crackin' on the Pod switch. After moving into the new school last year, 4th/5th grade was in Pod 3 and K/1 was in Pod 1. Pod 3 was close to EVERYTHING. Gym, cafeteria, playground, music, art, etc. etc. It just made sense for the kids so we moved. The only thing that was tricky was the puzzle of moving desks and furniture, and having to coordinate with the teacher(s) you were moving with. For example, I was moving into one 1st grade teacher's room, but a different first grade teacher was moving into my old room. It was a big domino effect. We worked together and pulled off the big move, and I was able to reconfigure a classroom for teaching Reading, Writing, and Social Studies.
After teaching Math for 4 years, to 3 classes a day, and doing summer school for 4 years, I was ready for a change. I was super excited to take on the new subject areas and grow as an educator. So far it has been really fun. I miss the math at times, but it is fun to collaborate with my partner teachers. We added a teacher to our team so we have two 2-way switches. It has been hard on me not having all of the students in the grade level, but I have still gotten to know so many of them. When we moved classrooms, we inherited larger rooms. It's a good thing too because this year I have a class of 26 and my partner has a class of 27. Although that is a very high number of students to have, I am blessed to work at this school, and my students are very, very sweet. On top of teaching a new subject, the other challenge I took on was having a student teacher. It really kept me on my toes as far as having to explain the "why" behind certain techniques/philosophies, and letting someone come into my classroom and learn from me and my students.
Jackson Ryan Bentley
Another reason I probably never blogged was because I have been busy spending time with my 2nd nephew! I got to see him come into the world, and it has been a joy watching him grow these past 4 months. He is so cute and it will be lots of fun having him and Carson play together. I can't wait to do all the fun Auntie things!
Orange Theory Fitness
If you are friends with me on facebook, you see me "checking-in" on facebook a lot at Orange Theory. I moved to an unlimited membership, and I try to go as often as possible. I'm obsessed and love the work-out it provides. I have taken a big step away from running outdoors, but have challenged my speed and strength with the treadmill and weights. In the whole year of 2016, I burned 57,000 calories in Orange Theory Classes.
Washington D.C. with my Dad
I had my 3rd visit to D.C., but this trip was special because it was planned with my Dad in mind. He had never been before, and is a such a history/presidents buff. It was really neat to see his reactions to certain monuments and museums. A lot of the things we did I had seen before, but there were some new things for me that we sprinkled in there. We hit pretty much everything on our list: The Capitol, The White House (toured the inside), The Supreme Court, multiple smithsonian museums, monuments, etc. Lots of walking and taking the metro. We stayed at the St. Regis Hotel which was 2 blocks from the white house. It was really cool to walk outside and see it every morning.
2016 Re-Cap
A lot of people keep saying that 2016 has been the worst year ever. There were definitely some positive things that came from 2016, as well as some negative things. Obviously, I think Trump being elected as our president was the worst thing to happen in 2016. I'm still shocked. I will be very upset on Inauguration day, but will endure the next four years of him as best I can. The second worst thing to happen in 2016 was my best friend moving to Denver. It is hard not being able to just hang-out, have dinner or work out with her anymore, but I am hopeful to get some plane tickets out there soon.
The end of the year always calls for some deep reflection. I have some goals and adventures that I want to stick to this year, and I am anxious to see what 2017 will bring.
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