The Week I Didn't Run + What I've Been Doing Instead (We're Moving!)

Sometimes life is just too much to have any motivation to do anything else but exist. That was me this past week. A couple weeks ago Brett and I came to the decision that it was definitely time for us to move out into our own place. This is something we've been thinking about for a while and a direction that we wanted to move in for a really long time. We haven't had a place to ourselves since 2013, and even then we were living on a college campus, where we both worked, so it still didn't feel like we were truly on our own. We've been together for 7 years now and it's finally time that we found a place that belongs to just us. No roommates. No work obligations. Just us.

The next few days after deciding it was time, we reached out to a few different apartments to set up viewings. I gotta say - it's weird apartment hunting when there's a global pandemic going on. It's a risk interacting with new folks while maintaining social distancing and a risk looking at new places that aren't your own. Luckily, this apartment hunt did not take us too long. The process to find the apartment we ended up going with went like this:

Tuesday → Contact the landlord to express interest

Wednesday → View the apartment

Thursday → Submit an application, get approved, sign a lease

And boom, we had a new apartment.

Though the process was quick (it was only about a week of searching), it was stressful and sadly, without going into detail, we're moving again because of a not-great living situation. This is twice in a row that we've felt we had to move quickly because of our living situation being negative, and it's always stressful. Because of this, my motivation to do anything outside of the minimum was at a zero. Add in the fact that it was gray and rainy everyday last week, I had absolutely no desire to go running or exercise.

So, I didn't run last week and I don't really have a training update for you for this week. 

BUT!

Now that our new lease is signed and we have plans to start moving in to our new space next Monday (!!!). Brett and I are both feeling so much better and are truly excited to start this new chapter in our lives together. Physically moving into our space will, of course, be taxing, and it will take a while to get used to, but we're ultimately so thrilled to finally have a space of our own. 

I'm also excited to get back to training this week! Now that this part of my life is figured out and we have some next steps in mind, I'm feeling like I have the mental capacity to get back to my training plan. Rock n' Roll just postponed their San Diego race weekend which happens to be the weekend before Seattle, so I'm really not feeling confident that Seattle will be happening as scheduled. 

With that in mind, I'm going to be tweaking my training plan based on how I'm feeling. With the stress of the COVID-19 outbreak and the additional stress of needing to move, I feel like I've fallen a bit behind what my usual marathon training schedule would look like. That would typically stress me out, but because I'm fairly certain that Rock n' Roll Seattle will be postponed, I'm feeling like running the mileage that feels good to me while still working in my usual 2 mid-distance, 1 short, 1 long run schedule and keeping up my general fitness will be the best for my mental and physical health. I'll keep you posted with my actual runs on a weekly basis!

Here's what I've been doing *instead* of running:

Reading up a storm! As you know I'm participating in the OWLs readathon this month and it's been great to make time for reading each day! This isn't part of my OWLs TBR, but I have a collection of Flannery O'Connor stories that I've been trying to read from every morning when I wake up. It's kind of nice to start the day with a short story and I'm excited to continue reading this. My goal is to read a story each morning until I finish the whole collection. It's been sitting on my "Currently Reading" shelf since last march so it's about time it gets the attention it deserves!

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Geocaching! This is something that I've been wanting to try for ages and over the weekend I finally tried it out. It is SO much fun! I found two things on my first hunt and I can't wait to go on even more hunts as the weather starts to warm up. I'll be sure to update you on my geocaching adventures on my socials, and probably right here on the blog as well!

Following CDC recommendations :P I barely leave the house these days except to go to to grocery store (which I try to limit to once a week) or to run/walk outside. This weekend I had to go to laundry and since the CDC recommends wearing a mask in public places to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (this is more so in the event I have it and I don't know it, I won't accidentally spread it to someone else, and not to prevent myself from getting it) I wore a buff to the laundromat. I felt like a huge weirdo because no one else was wearing one, but I want to do my part as much as possible!

All in all, I'm thankful that Brett and I have our health and we have each other in this time. Moving is going to be a huge time commitment and I'm sure it will bring its own set of stressors, but we're excited to finally be in our own space together and I'm sure there are many happy memories in our new home to come. 💙 Updates will of course be shared so soon! 😊

When It Rains It Pours

Hi all! I wanted to write a quick update on what's been going on in my life. 

You all know that my professional life has been quite hectic the last few weeks and will continue to be on the crazy side until June. Lucky for Brett and I (*sarcasm*) our personal life is now just as busy and chaotic because now we are urgently seeking a new place to live. Our current living situation  - and I'll get into this more at a future date - has become unbearably challenging and we are looking to get out ASAP. This means that in our down time, we are frantically looking for somewhere we can move that is affordable, something we like, and something that's available immediately. That also means we're competing with lots of other people for the same places, so needless to say it is STRESSFUL. Our hopes are really high that we will find something soon so we can finally move and feel like we can breathe again.

On top of all of this, I just took my car into the garage over the weekend and have been informed it's time for me to trade ol' Dory girl in for a new car. So that'll be a fun challenge to take on after we move. HA.

Anyway, with all that's going on, both personally and professionally, staying active on YouTube and on my blog feels impossible at the moment. I know I was going to try to continue to upload somewhat regularly through this busy time at work (I was actually working on a weekly vlog when all this proverbial shit hit the proverbial fan last week), but now with all this extra stuff happening in our personal life, it just isn't feasible to keep up right now. I'm hoping we can resolve our living situation sooner rather than later, but we just do not know what the immediate future holds right now. I'll likely still be somewhat active on Twitter and Instagram (just because it's so much easier to post there when you have limited time/energy!) but if my blog and my channel are a bit silent for the next few weeks/months, you'll know why. Once we do move, I'm hoping to do a moving vlog and a little apartment tour, so get excited for that!

I really hope something works out for us soon and we'll keep you updated once something does. I really appreciate all the well wishes that we've been receiving over Twitter and Instagram lately. You all are so sweet and it's been so good to know how understanding you are about my needing to take a step back. You've made this decision to take a break so much easier because I know once I am able to come back you'll all be there, so THANK YOU for that!

I'll be back so soon. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

A Few of my Favorite Links {#23}

Hey y'all! It's been quite an eventful week/weekend thus far. I've officially moved out of my apartment and in with Brett which is super exciting! We spend most of this past weekend packing, moving, and settling into *our* new space. We're adjusting back into sharing space with one another full-time but it is so nice to only be a couple of steps away at any given moment and planning dinner every night. There are still some boxes to be unpacked and furniture to be moved but our place will feel like our home very very soon! 

We will be celebrating Fourth of July weekend with a Weezer concert tomorrow (thanks for the tickets, Lindz!) and a trip to New Hampshire to spend the actual holiday on the lake with my whole fam which includes a visit from my South Carolinian sister! It will be good to all be together again. That hasn't happened since Thanksgiving! I hope you all are planning fun, eventful holiday weekends as well!

I'm really happy with this month's selection of favorite links! It's a good combination of things that I love and things that I'm looking forward to this season. I hope that you can find something to enjoy in this handful of internet gems and be sure to share your favorite links of the moment in the comments!

Game of Thrones Houses as Pokémon 

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Talk about two of my geekiest obsessions colliding to make something awesome! This is a series of illustrations created by Kaleb Raleigh that reimagines the house sigils of Game of Thrones as Pokémon evolutions! (The series is titled A Song of Blue & Red... awesome.) All of these are pretty awesome and accurate to what I would have imagined them to be. Of course, I had to share with you my favorite house here (#TeamTargaryen fo' lyfe) but I strongly encourage you to click the link and check out the other houses as well!

The Little Prince Official US Release Trailer



The Little Prince is one of my all time favorite stories and I am OVER THE MOON that it is being released as an animated feature on Netflix in July. I guess this film was dropped by its original studio at some point in the process so I am extremely happy that Netflix did the smart thing and picked it back up! If you haven't read The Little Prince, I strongly - STRONGLY - encourage you to do so and be just as excited as me that this is happening!
Simone Biles Floor Routine at the P&G Gymnastics Championship
Raise your hand if you're excited for the Olympics! ME: *flails arms both arms around in the air like an idiot* So I've been watching some of the Olympic trials and championships for Olympic sports in preparation for the summer games and getting SO PUMPED for the Olympics! It's just over a month away and I can't wait to sit on the couch all month and be amazed at how talented these athletes are while I shove handfuls of chips and Oreos into my face. This gymnast, Simone Biles, is incredible and a force to be reckoned with. Just look at this floor routine - especially that last pass. WOW. She won this championship and will be going to the Olympic trials for the Women's team, but I don't have a doubt (barring disaster) that she will be representing the USA in Rio. She is amazing! Strawberry Ravioli with Balsamic and Basil

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This recipe looks incredible. It looks complex to make, but sooooo delicious to eat. And a perfect dish for summer, too! The blogger that wrote about this recipe said that it took them a few attempts to make it the way it appears in the image above (I'm pretty sure that making pasta is ALWAYS a pain in the ass) but that the pay off is super worth it. I would love to attempt this recipe some time this summer because it looks so yummy!

What links have you been loving lately?

Taking a Breather

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of posting over the last two weeks. There's been quite a bit going on in my life that has prompted me to kind of take a step back from the internet and my usual hobbies. I've just wanted to stay present with my loved ones and enjoy their company instead of stressing about getting a post up on time or fussing with editing a video. To be honest, I just haven't had the energy and I needed to recharge offline.

During my brief hiatus I've been dealing with a lot - from the minor headaches of trying to fix both my laptop and a broken car window, to the stress of two of my closest friends in the area moving away and the planning of my own move, to the severe emotional weight that the tragedy in Orlando, the verdict of the recent Stanford rape case, and the discussions that I followed closely on the news and on social media directly afterwards has had on me and millions and millions of people around the world - it's been a lot to take in and process as of late and it hasn't been something that I really wanted to process online. Hence, my silence on both my blog and my YouTube channel. My plan to post about my Summer Running Tips or my Wanderlust for Thailand hasn't really felt appropriate at this time.

So, I thought it'd be best to take a bit of a breather. I've spent time to focus on getting my personal life in order and addressing curveballs as they continue to get thrown at me (life is full of those things, isn't it?), planning my move with Brett and spending quality time with Cullen & Erin before they move a few hundred miles away, and reflecting on my feelings regarding these major national events. Honestly, it's been very healing to take the time away and focus on what's important instead of stressing out about the schedule I've set for myself. After all, you can't really plan life, can you?

Anyway, I hope you're all doing well and taking care of yourselves. I'm excited to get back to doing the things I love and sharing it all with you. I'll be back to my regular posting schedule tomorrow!

I Moved!

Seen above is a panoramic of my essentially empty apartment at Dean. (A few of my furniture items did not make the cut in the move to my new tiny studio.) Over the last few days I've been moving across the state of Massachusetts to my new home! This is my first *big girl* apartment - one that is away from work, that I'm paying for myself, and can really call my own. It's like I'm adult or something. YAY!

Brett and I spent the majority of last Wednesday and Thursday driving back and forth from Franklin to my new teeny-tiny hometown in central MA, which turns out to be about an hour and some change one way. Throw in the Cape Cod traffic leading into the holiday and it made for a grueling couple of days. Our hard work paid off, through, and we only had to make one trip to the new apartment when my parents came down to help with my larger furniture. We made 5 trips to the new place in total (totaling in around 10 or so hours over three days) and I can now officially say my time at Dean is over. It's been an interesting three years (to say the least), but it brought me so many wonderful things like my first two apartments, a path into the field of Higher Ed, amazing connections with students, Brett (*heart eye emoji*), and my friendships with Rob and Cassie. It was very bitter sweet to say goodbye (I mean look at that apartment) but I'm happy my career is progressing in the direction I want it to! :)

I went from living in a gorgeously too-large-for-one-person 5 room apartment at Dean, to a small studio that is actually perfect for one person with the lifestyle I have (aka always working and never home). I had to do a significant amount of downsizing and as I unpack I am still working on figuring out what I do and don't need and throwing things out or donating items that are still usable. My place is on the first floor of a small apartment complex in the mountains of central MA and it is so freaking quiet here that it's basically the opposite of living in a residence hall. It is so perfect. (The views of the mountains don't hurt either!) I can't wait to share photos and videos of  everything once it's unpack and in its place, but for now, here's a vlog from our moving experience last week!

I hope you all have a fantastic week! :)

Family Bonding, Famous Sisters, and Fleeing from Tornadoes: My Non-Working June Life

If you've read this blog at all in the past 6 weeks, you know that my entire life has been taken over by my position with Orientation at Bridgewater State University (it's just the nature of the orientation beast!) since mid-May. Yesterday, we concluded out 6th and final session and with the Orientation Leader banquet this afternoon, we are pretty much done with the program! There are a few things that I have to wrap up but soon I will be leaving BSU for good and moving to the next chapter of my SA journey! :) I'll be dedicating my next blog post completely to my experience with Orientation, but for now, here's a bit of what my life outside of work has been like!

Before our first session, way back at the beginning of the month, Brett and I went out with my new friend Kacie (who was another intern for the Orientation program) and her boyfriend, Matt! They're two awesome people and we had fun having a few drinks and chatting with them through the night (even though Kacie and I were basically falling asleep after a long week of prep for the first session)! In the morning, Brett and I stopped by our favorite ice cream spot in the area, Hanson Farm, and visited the new calf named Peach Blossom (she was born the day before my birthday!). It was the perfect way to relax before the craziness of sessions.

The weekend after the first session (June 13-14) was family time to the extreme. Saturday Brett and I spent time with his neice and nephew. We had so much fun playing with them (building blanket forts, playing video games, soccer, and Littlest Pet Shop!) and it was beautiful out so it was perfect! It's crazy to see how much little Sophia has grown up since the last time we saw her!

Sunday we traveled up to NH because my mom was racing in her very first triathlon! This has been something that she has been wanting to do forever and has been training so hard for, so I definitely wanted to go up and support her on one of my days off! The race was at a really cool YMCA camp in Merrimack and it was set up in a way where we could see her in all three legs! I also made her a sign to cheer her on. It was so cool to see her accomplish a goal that she had set for herself and worked so hard for. She's awesome! :)

There was a tepee at the camp, so we obviously had to take a picture.

Finisher!

Brett was awesome (duh) all through this month supporting my exhausted self, and his family was also being so supportive through my busy schedule. When I came home after session 3 (June 15-16), his mom brought home these AMAZING Italian cookies from the store and it was such an amazing treat to have after a long two days. YUM.

I'm sure you've all heard of the terrible shootings down in Charleston, and you've probably seen the image of the shooter below plastered all over the news. The crazy thing about this image is that my sister is the officer on the right (the suspect is being held at the jail she works at). Her face is now all over the news as a part of one of the most used images of this case. It's so weird to see her standing right next to the man that brought so much pain to so many people, but seeing this image is definitely a reminder of one of the biggest reasons she got into the field that she works in - to help prevent things like this from continuing to happen.

Last weekend was on the low-key end, which was something I certainly appreciated. I kicked up my feet and spent some time with Brett & friends on Friday night to unwind. Saturday I made the trip out to my new hometown to sign the lease for my new apartment and opened up a P.O. Box, so I can officially become a resident and start the next chapter of my life! Very exciting. :) When I returned to Brett's house we baked cookies and started reading the first book in the A Song of Ice & Fire series, because apparently we can't live too long without Game of Thrones in our lives in some capacity. 

Sunday was Father's Day and we had originally planned on driving back up to NH for Ribfest and to see my dad run a race, but he actually ended up being sick and since it was pouring out he didn't want to push his immune system any further. Though it was sad we didn't end up getting to see him on Father's Day, it was good to not have to drive anywhere and to spend a rainy morning in bed finally finishing the last episode of MadMen as well as polishing off the newest season of Orange is the New Black. Hooray for lazy Sundays!

On the second day of session 5 (June 23) we were greeted with a Tornado Warning in Massachusetts, which is always terrifying because we do not get tornadoes in this area and if we were to ever actually see a tornado we probably wouldn't know what to do and would likely get sucked up into the sky. Kacie, Katelyn (another girl who works in our office), and I decided to take shelter at our local bar and figured the best way to go out is with a $4 margarita in our hands (I mean, c'mon...). The storm was right on top of Bridgewater and though we were graced with a huge downpour, thunder and lightening, and the satellites getting knocked out, we did not see an actual tornado. It was pretty exciting though!

Wednesday I headed up to Mount Holyoke to meet with HR and finalize some fun paperwork items and spend some more time with my new colleagues! They took me out to a sushi lunch (YUM)  and showed me more of the Hogwarts-like campus that will be my new home away from home. They are such a kind and down to earth crew of people and I am very excited to start working there in a little over a week (so crazy)! Check out how happy I am to have my official MHC ID! :) 

And, as I mentioned, this past Thursday & Friday was our 6th and final session of orientation. I was getting a bit nostalgic as Kacie and I cruised around campus in the golf cart. It's really sad that these are my final days being part of the BSU community, but I'm happy that I've had so many amazing opportunities here. This institution has done amazing things for me and I will always remember BSU as being one of the most important stepping stones in my career. Ugh, just thinking of it now I'm getting all sappy! It's so bittersweet to be leaving, but I'm definitely looking forward to where my career will take me next!

Friday Five {#4}

Friday Five

Five things that mattered to me this week!

1. I'm blogging at you live from my OFFICE (I have an office now?) in my brand new apartment!* Brett and I moved into our new place (in the building next to us... >_>) on Tuesday and I finally finished unpacking and cleaning everything this morning/afternoon. The new place had a spare room, and I decided to turn it into a little office! It's nice having a desk again!

2. Noble and Jeff are coming up tonight for a weekend visit from Jersey! It's always a great time seeing them, so I'm pumped!

3. Yesterday I was offered a GA in the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership at Bridgewater! I'm beyond psyched to start this GA. My friend Joanne had the same GA during her time at Bridgewater and loved it, so I'm sure it will be an awesome experience!

4. Tomorrow I'm running the Superhero Scramble! Slightly terrified. If I never update this blog again, you'll know why... x_x

5. Happy National Doughnut Day! *hops in the car and drives to Dunkin' Donuts*

*I'll post an apartment tour entry in the next couple days!

Have an awesome weekend, everyone!