Wow, I can't believe it's been three months since my last blog post. So much has happened over the last 365 days, I might as well write it all down...the good, the bad and the down-right ridiculous! Fasten your seatbelts...it's gonna be a somewhat bumpy ride down memory lane!
January: The start of every new year. The month that seems to never end. The month with snow and depression levels through the roof. However, this month seemed different. I was happy, I was spending time with a very special member of the opposite sex and life was good. At least that's what I was telling myself. Wow, 2011 was beginning on a good note. Even though it was cold, the wind was fierce and snow was falling, I was excited for what this year had in store. Little did I know, the bottom would fall out.
February: The month of red, cupid and love. Someone really needs to just wipe this month from the Roman calender and save us from the awkward moments of not having dates and feeling lonely, desperate and angry. Remember that guy from January? Well, he ran away from me faster than Usain Bolt in the 2008 Summer Olympics. I should've seen it coming, but I didn't. Maybe I didn't want to see it. At any rate, this month was not kind to me. It didn't help matters that I work nights, never see the sun and had just been left to wonder why? Why was I not good enough? Keep reading, I promise this sob story has a happy ending!
March: At last...small glimpses of the sun and the restoration of my sanity! After wanting to spend every waking moment in my house during the month of cupid, I vowed that life was still amazing and that I needed to go out and experience it! Besides, no one really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy. I was trying to convince myself of this...some days were better than others. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do well and that was work. My thought was that, if I just worked all the time, I wouldn't have to think about the disappointments of the year thus far.
April: Like the flowers in Spring, I was beginning to show signs of life again. It's amazing what motivates you when you think you are at your lowest point. I had had enough and I vowed right then and there, I needed to do something to pull me out of my "Winter Coma". I had heard about the "Couch to 5K" program but didn't have much hope that I could do it. So, I researched. I scoured the internet. I talked to people who had graduated from the program. Maybe I could do the impossible. The unthinkable. April became known as the month that I decided to try running. After the first day, I thought I was going to die. Yep, right there in the gym. On the treadmill. After only 30 seconds of "running", I thought my life was coming to an end. My face was red, my clothes were soaked in sweat and I was panting. Sort of like when a woman is trying to push something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon, except there was no bundle of joy at the end. All I wanted to do was pass out, walk out the door and give up. But, somehow I kept pushing and, by the end of this pivotal month, I was actually looking forward to hitting the treadmill and continuing with a program that would ultimately be the biggest lifesaver for me in 2011.
May: I kept running. Just like Forrest Gump.
June: Surprise! Still running.
July: A trip to Cancun was on the agenda and I was anxious, excited and nervous all in one. I'm not exactly a big fan of flying, but it's really the only way to get to the beaches of Mexico! So, I sucked it up, took a Dramamine and prayed for safe travels south of the border. Wow, what a vacation! I've never seen water so beautiful, so clean, so aqua!! If you've never been there, GO! I was fortunate enough to experience this vacation with three fabulous friends! And, we had the time of our lives! I continue to be thankful that I was able to go on such a wonderful vacation to one of THE most beautiful places on this great Earth!
August: The month of Schweizer Fest. I had finished the "Couch to 5K program" a few weeks prior and was really proud of making until the end. Somehow, I had become addicted to running. If I missed a day, I was bummed. Could I really call myself a runner? I started to search for races. Why not? After running the SF 2-mile road run faster than what I had last year, I was on cloud nine! I found a 10K in French Lick and thought that I could do that. With the help of a great running partner, we started to train.
September: The month of the 10K. That's 6.2 miles for those of you not familiar with running. How bad could it be, right? Ha! So, the race organizers failed to mention the 10K route was HILLY. A half-mile in, I was mad...maybe that was an understatement! I wanted to quit, roll myself down Mt. Everest (at least that's what it felt like!) and go home. How dare they not mention it wasn't all flat!! With the help of a wonderful inspirational running friend, I dug deep. No, it wasn't pretty and there were several moments when I had to stop and walk, but I crossed the finish line in 1:22.53. Not exactly lightning fast, but I felt like I had just won the race of a lifetime!
October: The month of Halloween candy and dressing up in as little clothes as possible. I had become good friends with some nurses at work and we decided to dress up as sexy football players. I had my hair curled sort of like Shirley Temple, lathered myself with butter and slid into my outfit. I'm not sure Troy will ever be the same after that night. All in all, good times with great friends!
November: The month of gobble, gobble and stuffing as many carbs as humanly possible inside my body. Also, the month of a fun trip to PCB! The only thing I can say about this trip is it was A LOT of fun. But, what happens in Panama City Beach stays in Panama City Beach! This was also the month I fell off the wagon...the running wagon! I had lost my ability to be excited it. It hurt. It wasn't fun. So, I quit.
December: Christmas, which just so happens to be my brithday. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Work kept me busy. Apparently, sickness doesn't stop for anything. I worked a lot of OT during December. What can I say? I can't say NO! December's the time for gatherings with old friends, being thankful for surviving yet another year and being grateful...for everything! Santa, thanks for including me on the "NICE" list for 2011! Also, many thanks to December and a great friend for getting me back to that big lifesaver earlier in the year! Slowly, but surely, I'm back to running and I've never felt so good. Since August, I've lost about 20 lbs. and I feel like a new woman!! Look out, world!!
Here we are. The last day of 2011. As I think back over the last 365 days, I find myself feeling all the emotions over again. The happiness. The sadness. The nervousness. The anxiousness. Every single second of this year has brought me to this place. This time. It's made me who I am. And, I'm excited to say I MADE IT! It was touch and go for a few months, but I'm back and better than ever! I am hopeful that 2012 will be even better than 2011. I have discovered a lot about myself. I learned that it's not the end of the world if the person you like doesn't like you back. I learned that some people just aren't worth your time and energy. I learned that I do deserve to be happy and that, sometimes, you find it where you least expect it. I learned that you can't always get what you want. But, if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need. I learned that everything happens for a reason and it may take you a long time to see the silver lining and learn the lessons. I learned that God brings people into your life for many different reasons. Some hurt you, some help you and some make you a better person. I learned to trust my judgment and that, if something or someone seems too good to be true, it or he/she probably is just that. I learned that bad things happen to good people and vice versa. I learned that I am a really good nurse and actually know what I'm talking about from time to time. I learned that, even though I get paid to "fix" people at work, I can't always do the same in my normal, everyday life. I learned that I am quite a catch, as evident by the fact that, in one night, I was close to getting asked out on three dates. I learned that I can do anything that I want, especially run! I learned that life goes on, even after heartache. I learned that there's someone out there for me and that it will happen when I least expect it. Finally, I learned that I learned A LOT this year and hope the same continues in the upcoming year.
As Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". How true! Take a moment and think back on this year. Be grateful and thankful for being alive and being able to experience it all...the good, the bad and the downright ridiculous!
Sometimes, the light at the end of the tunnel is you. Here's to a wonderful 2011. Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Be careful, be good and may all your dreams and resolutions come true in 2012!!I
Now, where's the wine? :)
