Hey Whaddup Hello

Hello, internet.

After years of writing on backs of envelopes and in school notebooks where I should’ve been taking notes...I think I've finally figured out how I want to channel this whole “writing” urge: by writing. (Duh.) Oh, and sharing! The sharing part will be key because for most of my life I haven't wanted to share anything I write. It takes pressure off to ever come up with anything good, you know? But that's silly. Actually, I recently came across a few copies of the "newspaper" I wrote and sent to my grandparents as a 10 year old. Needless to say, I'm glad that was not kept secret. Too many future LOLs would have been lost!

Anyway, I'm going to write about what I love: fitness, food, and my sometimes-totally-disastrous attempts at a balanced life.  

In the fitness category...I know what I don't want to write. I desperately do not want to write a workout-log-esque detailing of the reps that I did. BORING. That's not even how I think of fitness! I think of it as an outlet, an expression, and something that naturally fits into almost every day.  

As a kid, I was a gym teacher’s daughter with dreams of being an Olympic gymnast (Magnificent Seven always and forever).  This dream died at age 10 when I was already too tall for the uneven bars.  Guys, I'm 5'8".  This was never going to happen, but bless my parents' hearts for driving me to gymnastics classes anyway.  Once I outgrew my leotards literally and metaphorically, I moved on to soccer, but my enthusiasm was less about playing the sport and more about goofing around with my friends in a field.  I also played basketball reasonably well, but I was the resident nerd on a team of “cool girls,” and man, those girls did not like me.  So, that wasn't a long-term fit, either.

However, there was a yearly race in our middle school.  It was called the Turkey Trot - and yes, the winner literally won a frozen turkey. Did I mention I was a nerd?  Well, I was a nerd with a TURKEY.  I took home four years’ worth of turkeys and running ended up becoming my athletic identity.  I continued running track in high school and college, and I loved the competitive outlet, the daily practice, fresh air and friendships.

Since graduating from college a decade ago (wuuut how so long), I have been keeping fit in all kinds of ways.  I’ve been a Bikram yogi, a Sunday kickball player, a competitive triathlete. In different ways, I have loved all of those phases.

These days, you can find me taking a barre class and trying to get back into running shape.  Oh, and here!  You can find me here.  Working on the outlet that I've always hoarded as just-for-myself, and sharing it with you (nervously and hopefully).

And that’s pretty much it.  Thanks for letting me introduce myself.  In the immortal words of Fetty Wap, “I’m like hey, whaddup, hello.”

This is me now.

And this is me then.  I'm the one on the top steps...that is, if you can see me under those bangs.

Turkey Trottin'....with SOCKS.  Some real socks going on here.

Talent level low, enthusiasm level high:  a youth soccer story.