Living Life
In October 2007 I went skydiving. If you knew me before I jumped out a plane, you would agree that this is probably the last thing you would think of me doing. I really wanted to go skydiving since I had never done anything adventurous and am, by nature, a scaredy-cat. After drunkenly setting a date to go skydiving, I actually did it (and didn't wet my pants!) I remember the first thought that I had after I stepped foot on ground. Well I guess the first thought was "holy bleepballs, I just did that", so my second thought was, "Oh my god. I can do anything. I CAN do it! I want to climb a mountain, I want to run in a race...." That Spring I climbed Mount Washington and that following March I ran my first 5k...the rest is quickly becoming history. Ever since that day I can honestly say I've been committed to taking risks and enjoying all the amazing things we can do in our lives.
Running
Since that 5k in March of 2009, I have run in 8 races. I am in the process of training for my first half marathon (Rock n Roll Philly in September!). Due to a minor knee issue in 2010, I was unable to run for the majority of spring and summer months. After dealing with that injury and successfully getting my mileage back up, I have a new perspective on running and running in-jury free and have become fascinated with becoming more educated on the sport.
Hiking
I don't know about everyone in New Jersey, but I knew very (if any) people growing up that went hiking. Maybe this was because my mom wouldn't even let me play in the woods due to her fear of ticks, but I literally did not realize that people would wander through forests for fun regularly. Living in New England (CT and MA) opened my eyes to nature and hiking quickly became one of my favorite hobbies. Meeting my boyfriend, J, shortly after he completed a 10-day hike on the Appalachian Trail definitely put my hiking to the test. Together we have hiked 4 of the high points in the U.S. (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts) and have plans to do as many as possible (I'm still a little hesistant about doing Mt. Rainer in Alaska!)
My niece
Okay, shameless plug to put in cute baby pictures, but I love her! It's so fun to see her grow and enjoy life in the way that only babies can. She brings a smile to everyone in my family's face and for that, I'm grateful.
Puppies
I do not have one yet and this has been something on my mind every day for the last 91283018923 days. So bear with me folks, you WILL see a pic of me and my puppy-to-be soon!
Cooking
Throughout high school and college I was always interested in food and healthy eating, although I had quite a few struggles with being able to implement this into my own life. Through reading blogs and online articles on health and fitness, I have become extremely interested in eating and making delicious and healthy food. It is so much fun to cook something yourself and be able to enjoy the results with others. Although I am by no means a great cook, I do love experimenting with food and trying out new recipes.
Laughing
I love to make people laugh and I love people who can make me laugh. I'm not always in a happy-go-lucky mood, but by surrounding myself with people who can make me laugh and funny TV shows (Modern Family!!!), I'm reminded to let some things go, relax and enjoy the moment.
Dessert
Wawa
I love a lot of different types of food but above all, I love sandwiches and sandwiches from Wawa are the shiz. For those of you who are not lucky enough to live a state that has one (don't worry I lived in states without a Wawa for 8 years..it was tough!), I consider Wawa an upscale convenience store. It is NOT a 7-11! Besides having great coffee, tons of on-the-go snacks (even healthy ones), they also have a delicious deli where they make sandwiches in front of you as you order!
Education
I swear I'm not a complete dork but I think education is probably one of my biggest passions. Although I recently graduated with my Masters in Education for School Counseling and want to work in a high school, I don't mean education as in books, classes and degrees. In the last three years or so I have really begun to see life as a long-learning process. I believe it's important to look at every experience as a learning opportunity. The main reason I am starting this blog is because I have learned so much from other bloggers about food, fitness, healthy living, and life in general, while reading their blogs religiously over the last two years, that I now want to share some of my insight with others.
