Home and Beyond

So it looks like this will be my last week in Houston! I would be completely lying if I said that I was sad. Work wise, I have learned a lot and I think I have really grown a lot in my position. However, I am ready to get HOME! I haven't blogged as much as I originally planned this summer, but I think this will definitely be something that I keep up going forward. I'm still finding my voice and figuring out what my blogging "niche" will be. I've been reading (mostly) healthy living blogs and fashion blogs for awhile now. It's a really good way to stay connected to real life things and see what other people of similar age are doing/through. The healthy living blogs have been a strong source of inspiration for me this summer. I am sad to say that my work outs have seriously diminished these past couple of weeks because I really don't have the mental energy to spend on it. My only focus this week is getting home. I am, however, super excited to get back home and back in my groove ( body pump!! I'm coming for you!).

Since last spring, I have really shaped up my life (exercise routine and eating habits). I wanted to get in to the groove of healthy living. I didn't want to diet...and I absolutely suck at it. But thanks to my favorite blogs, I have learned what it is like to be balanced. If I want a piece of cake, I can eat it. Maybe the next day, I am a little more strict about snacking or I add some time on to my workout. I don't feel deprived and I am not on a diet. I try to eat clean most of the time (except when I want cake..or pizza...or whatever). I've started watching what I eat more.. Sure I could live off of frozen meals and perfectly meet a calorie goal every day but yuck. I think about things like protein! Fiber! Sugar (lack there of)! Grains (gluten free)! Etc. And I exercise because it makes me feel good about myself. Not because I only weigh 100 lbs ( I definitely don't!) but because I feel strong. I like the feeling when I run just a little longer or lift a little heavier than I could last week. And I have gotten to the point where I feel like it's okay if I slack off for a few weeks because I have to think about my overall health..and my mental health is a big part of that. That's a big thing for me. I definitely have OCD tendencies and have felt myself slipping into the mindset of disordered eating or extreme guilt if I don't exercise X number of times that week in the past.

You might be surprised to know that my self-confidence has not always been the best. It's improved a lot thanks to the things mentioned above and also because of Kyle. When we first started dating, I didn't wear shorts. Period. And I usually wore a sweatshirt. In the summer. Yep. It's hard being a girl (and boy for that matter!) in today's world. There is always someone better than you, smarter than you, prettier than you. Sometimes it gets to even those of us who consider ourselves strong and not particularly susceptible to outside influences.

For those of you interested...Here are some of my favorite blogs.

Peanut Butter Fingers
Clean Eating Chelsey
Carrots N Cake
My Food N' Fitness Diaries
The Life and Lessons of Rachel Wilkerson
Kendi

Those are the ones I read just about every day...but there are about twenty that I frequent ( i.e. creepily stalk without commenting. Like You. You're doing it right now!). It's like reality tv minus the sleaze!!

I don't really know where this blog is going yet... a journal of my day to day happenings...a healthy living blog...a place to discuss current events and issues...a mixture.. I don't really know. So far this blog has been kind of a mix of everything, but as I continue, I really want this blog to have some kind of congruent voice. I guess you'll have to stick around and keep reading to find out which direction it's going to go! I do this for me...I love to write and often times I do feel like I have something worthy to say. But I also do it for YOU.  In the hopes that maybe something I say touches you in some way, or that you relate to it, or simply that you have better picture of who I am or my life. I figure if I could be inspired and feel connected to others, then maybe I could have something to offer as well. 

I do hope that you will continue to keep creepily stalking me! ;)

XOXO