If You Have a Compass, You Should Chart a Course...

We have all heard the wisdom about life. "Life is about how you live it." "The journey is the thing." "Carpe diem." "A pebble dropped in an ocean still makes a ripple." One of my favourites is as follows:

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry." Earnest Hemingway - A Farewell to Arms

For those of you who know me, I have broken into many pieces, of which I am still trying to locate a few stray fragments to glue back into place. O, Mr. Dumpty, we should talk....

So, I have decided to redirect all this nonsense. I just turned 27 last week, and I am hopefully getting a divorce soon. At 27, I find it particularly hopeless if I am hopeful about being divorced. As well, I can only assume I have just been dumped; when he just stops calling/returning calls, you are dumped, right? That was a let down. I was pretty happy with him. Now I am single again. Yikes.

To redirect, I need to make a change of course. I think I have lost some of the spunk I used to have. I've become dependent on those around me for interest, instead of myself. Now, that's a pity.

So this is the plan: every month until my 28th birthday, I am going to try - and get involved in - something I have never done before. And this is the challenge: it has to be done on a very tight budget. Very tight.

I suppose this might sound like a desperate attempt to bandage my pieces back together again. Maybe it is. I do know that I need to find new challenges, seek new interests, and rediscover my spontaneity. I also need to find my way back to that chunk of who I am that I lost along the way.

Here comes the fun part!! I am open to suggestions! If there is something out there that is fun, quirky, or totally out to lunch, I want to hear about it, but only if you want to read about it! This is what I'm thinking so far:
August - dunno yet
September - still dunno yet
October - Photography Classes
November - Rock Climbing
December - not a clue
January - no idea
February - Dog Sledding
March - help me please!!
April - egads...
May - Hunting Lessons and Workshops
June - sigh...
July - this is harder than I thought

As you can see, I need a hand. I still plan on hiking when I can, and keeping my Edmonton friend up to speed with my workout plans. Plans, plans, plans... but just for a year. After that, your guess is as good as mine.

The world will not kill me. I won't let it. One may be able to see my roughly fused seams, but at least that will be honest.

Until next time, uncharted territory is uncertain, but the direction we move in is chosen. I choose to move with certainty through the uncertain.

Sometimes You Have to Shift From Second Gear to Third...

Egads, it has been a while! Between the weather being wet and dreary for the past while, my mood has also matched. This coupling does nothing to motivate one's self. So, at the request of a friend who lives in a far off land known as Edmonton (I know, it does sound like some Martian planet, but I hear the people are pretty cool), I have decided to adjust my blog to serve as a venue for dialog regarding our mutual goal: get healthy and keep motivated!!

I kicked things off to a good start telling my friend about my home gym, and made her green with envy. I have converted the extra bedroom in my apartment into a home gym. It's not Club Med or anything, but between this, Bird's Hill Park being 20 minutes away, and a lovely riverside community walkway and park across the street from my apartment, I should be set. Now, if I can only remember where I last saw my motivation.....

In addition to this, I had also set myself on another challenge to eat as much locally as possible. I went for a little grocery shop today at the local Safeway to see what they would have to offer. I was so disappointed! It was nearly impossible to even find produce that was grown in Canada. Needless to say, I left with just enough to get through the remainder of the week, and then I will hit the farmer's market on Saturday.

So, Edmonton friend, I guess this is where we are going to begin!! I have not had any motivation to start working out because I have been too busy having a private pity party. The party is over though!! The following are my goals for September 20th:

- reach and maintain my goal weight

- run the loop at Bird's Hill Park in 60 mins (without stopping or feeling like I will pass out)

- do three (3) consecutive chin-ups

Don't worry, I will still be blogging about my hiking trips. I still hope to undertake Pine Point Rapids in the Whiteshell in the not too distant future, and I would really love to do Pinsew Falls out by Thompson. The latter will require much more planning, and hopefully a hiking buddy.

Until next time, if you get stuck in second gear, it will take you that much longer to reach your destination.