There aren’t many things that I’m afraid of trying. I like to think of myself as fairly adventurous. I love to try new food and travel to new places. Generally I like to meet new people, although there are still certain groups that never fail to intimidate me. Even then, I try to not let that get in the way of my participation. I suppose I always liked the idea of putting in effort and making the attempt, even if I wasn’t sure it would really work out. I remember my dad telling me a long time ago, “If you don’t ask, the answer is automatically no.” So I suppose I always liked the idea of trying for the yes.

But rejection isn’t easy. I’m not perfect, of course, and I haven’t always tried. Sometimes nerves do get in the way, but I feel like when I have found something I’m really passionate about, I’m less likely to let my nerves interfere. I’m passionate about my book, so I faced rejection when I attempted to get my book signed with a publisher. I’m passionate about Blue Cupcake, even though I had no idea if anyone would actually buy them. Now I’m setting myself up for potentially more rejection because I’m in the middle of applying for nursing schools. Although I know I need to try (because I’ve already put thousands of dollars toward my pre-requisite education) there is the ever-present fear that comes along with every decision to try for the yes.

On Monday night, I attended an Open House at a college I’m applying to. Their method of admissions is to look holistically at the whole student — GPA, grades, personal essay, recommendations. The whole enchilada. I asked if there was anything that the Admissions committee looked for, and the director was fairly vague.

I tried again and asked, “So why did students get rejected?”

Because that’s sort of what I always wish I knew. Even though I always try if I think there might be a chance, I also like being able to prepare myself for a rejection. When I applied to my first school of choice, I knew it was a long-shot. My GPA is much lower than their minimum, and I only had two out of their pre-reqs finished (although that’s not a requirement to apply, just a requirement before you actually enroll). I applied at the beginning of January. And I still haven’t heard anything. I’m sad, but I’m also not surprised. It could still turn around, but I feel like trying was safer because I had some idea of where it might go.

I try to have faith in myself that this whole nursing career — and thus diabetes educator career — will pan out and actually happen. But each phase of this process seems more nerve-wracking than the last. Someone has to accept me into a nursing program. I have to graduate the nursing program. I have to pass the NCLEX (the nursing equivalent of boards). Someone has to hire me to be a nurse. Someone has to hire me to be a diabetes educator. I have to pass the NBCDE exam. There are a lot of phases. A lot of potential rejection.

So I get a little nervous. My nerves over the process was the entire reason it took about ten years to finally convince myself that I actually needed to stop pretending I was a diabetes educator and actually become one. And now that I’m actually trying, my nerves are freaking me out. Some people are worried they’ll never find their calling. Well, I know what my calling is. But will I actually be able to live that out?

My faith in myself has always been a little shaky. But this is something I’m passionate about, so I’m trying for the yes. But I wish I had more confidence in my abilities to know that this will happen, instead of crossing all my fingers and toes, hoping that it will. I wish I had as much confidence as my husband, my family and my friends when I tell them I’m worried I won’t get in. I know I won’t get in if I don’t try, but how do you prepare yourself for rejection? Is it even possible?

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It’s the last week of Best Body Bootcamp! I’ll have a full recap of my progress next Wednesday. Until then, here’s a little survey I snagged this from Tina Reale’s blog.

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

I actually haven’t had breakfast yet! But yesterday I had an egg frittata. Yum.

2. How much water do you drink each day?

I’m not sure. I usually drink a big glass of water (about 20 oz) with my meals, but sometimes a little less at breakfast and lunch. And then whatever I end up going through while working out, which is usually a water bottle’s worth. So maybe 40-50 oz. a day?

3. What is your current favorite workout?

I really like running right now. Zoom zoom. (Not really. But you know.)

4. How many calories do you eat each day?

I don’t count calories, but I did for a few days in January when I was curious about how many calories I was consuming on the Paleo diet. It was roughly between 1400 and 1600 calories. I feel like if you’re eating healthy, with lots of protein and veggies, you don’t have to spend as much time counting calories. If you’re not eating a bunch of junk food that keeps you going back for more, then it’s a lot easier not to overdo it.

5. What are you favorite healthy snacks?

Almond butter and applies! I eat those all the time after working out. I also really like Larabars. But in general I don’t eat a lot of snacks because my meals tend to keep me pretty full.

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?

Usually leftovers from dinner the night before! Or I’ll toss something together like a sweet potato with some salad and a piece of fruit.

7. What is your favorite body part to train?

I’m not sure if I really have a favorite body part to train. I tend to like full body moves that train several things at once. It makes me feel like I’m getting more of a workout.

8. What is your least favorite body part to train?

I’m the weakest in my arms, but that doesn’t really make it my least favorite to train. More like it’s my least favorite in general!

9. What are your “bad” food cravings?

Cupcakes. Especially Magnolia cupcakes. My favorite is their peanut butter and jelly cupcake.

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?

I used to take a multivitamin but I don’t right now.

11. How often do you eat out?

I eat out probably twice a week, usually on the weekends. It’s a lot easier to avoid eating out now because of our Paleo diet. It’s hard to stick to it at a restaurant and so it’s more motivation to just stay in and eat something we actually like, versus having to eat a salad or go off-plan and feel yucky.

12. Do you eat fast food?

No, now that we’re on Paleo, but I used to. Infrequently though, and typically only when I traveled. I kind of used that as my excuse to indulge in fatty fried foods!

13. Who is your biggest supporter?

My husband, of course!

14. Do you have a gym membership?

Yep! We are members at a new LA Fitness that opened up near us. It’s a nice place.

15. How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

I would say between 8-9 hours. I could definitely sleep more, but I can’t sleep less or I am a zombie!

16. Do you have a “cheat” day?

Right now I’m trying to stick to a very Paleo diet, but I do allow myself a couple of cheat meals during the week. But they aren’t cheat days. Just two meals, on two different days.

17. Do you drink alcohol?

Very rarely. We might have some wine with a nice meal or if we go out, but it’s not something that I consume everyday or even every other day.

18. Do you have a workout buddy?

I go to the gym with Erik but we rarely work out together because we do different things and our cardio / strength days always seem to be off from each other. But it’s nice to go with him and then talk about what we did when we’re finished. He definitely helps me get my butt there!

19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

I think the best thing has just been feeling better about myself and being proud of the changes and progress I’ve made.

20. What is the last healthy thing you did?

I took a pilates class last night with my local Junior League. It was hard! I’m not really sure it’s my thing, either. Laying on the floor really hurt my lower back!

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How many of you have dealt with the Quarter Life Crisis? Mine hit me straight-on three weeks before I turned 25. Perfect timing, huh? I’ve always admired women who are providing smart and strategic solutions to getting over this enormous bump in our lives, so I’m thrilled to feature Jenny Blake for this month’s People I Find Fascinating.

I met Jenny in person at SXSW last year, at the same meet-up where I met Molly Mahar. I’ve enjoyed following Jenny’s blog and her Twitter account, and I just think she has such a fresh, smart, bubbly personality. (She also has amazingly white teeth, but I digress.) She’s an expert at the whole quarterlife crisis, which many of us are going through at the moment. Jenny, who worked at Google and published the book Life After College a few years ago, graciously answered a few questions while on a trip to Bali (!). So jealous!

If you’re inspired by Jenny and feel the need for some guidance, sign up for her e-course, The Acorn Project. It’s a two week online course to help you map out what’s coming next. And there’s no need to win it, since it’s free for everyone! Woohoo!

An Interview with Jenny Blake

AN) What’s been the most important lesson you’ve learned in being an entrepreneur?

JB) To get comfortable with uncertainty and have faith that I am resourceful and that things will work out for the best. Without a steady paycheck, it can sometimes get nerve-wracking about where future income will come from, but I just remember to breathe and focus on what’s in front of me, and learn from as many others as I possibly can.

One of my blog’s themes is having faith. How do you overcome doubts and have faith in yourself when “making shit happen”?

Part of it is realizing and accepting that you WILL have down days, hit a big dip, feel self-doubt, and want to quit — and probably all of those things many more than once throughout a big project or journey!  Accepting that these are natural and not some great personal shortcoming helps me recognize them, acknowledge them, and more quickly move through them.

Most twentysomethings (and even thirtysomethings!) spend a lot of time trying to figure out what their “big dream” even is. What advice do you have for trying to hone in on our purpose in life?

I am working on sharing more of my personal thoughts and experiences — from traveling, and of my business. More of this will happen when I launch my new website (JennyBlake.me) — but it’s really about continuing to push myself out of my comfort zone in terms of what I share with others, and being willing to be vulnerable in service of others.

Even though you eventually quit, I’m dying to know: what was it like working at Google?

It was great! I absolutely loved my time there. The people are amazing, the perks are awesome, and the innovative environment was really something special. I feel like I got a priceless MBA during my 5 years there.

How do you keep a good work / life balance, especially as an entrepreneur? Is there such a thing?

I do think there is such a thing, but it is different for everyone. I make sure to carve out time for yoga, reading and writing every day if I can, and sometimes I have to force myself to unplug — it just might not be at the traditional 9-to-5 schedule. I actually love working on the weekends when the Internet is more quiet, then running errands and taking time off during the week when there are less people out and about (especially in NYC).

What’s the last great book that you read?

I’m reading so many great ones at the moment! A few of note: Living with Joy (a re-read of a book I love), Expecting Adam (great memoir by Martha Beck), Luxury of Less (a straightforward relatable take on minimalist living by Karol Gajda), and Yoga Bitch (which was just for fun since I’m in Bali at the moment and the author talks about her experience of a yoga retreat here

Last fall, I posted only one post under the category Music Monday with the intention of doing many more. But that never materialized. Even today’s feature is someone I discovered back in December and for whatever reason never got around to writing a post. I’m hoping to change that, as I do have favorite new discoveries that I would love to blog about!

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the NYC’s subway system (or any public transportation system for that matter) will come across musicians playing in the corridors and on the trains themselves. It’s called busking, and it can range from one guy strumming a guitar, to a troupe of breakdancers, to a mariachi band (which is weird, but also cool). One afternoon in December, I was in line to refill my Metro card when I heard some violin music coming from the other side of the turnstiles. At first I didn’t pay much attention because I was more focused on getting to my train. But then I noticed that there was something else playing. Regular pop music was playing over speakers alongside the violin. And I recognized it: it was Sweet Home Alabama, but without the lyrics.

Then I realized that this violin player wasn’t playing contemporary music, he was accompanying the contemporary music with his own creation. Once I got on the other side, I joined the huge crowd that had formed around him. I picked up a business card from a nearby table and saw that his name is Lorenzo Laroc.

Soon after, he took a break and introduced himself to the audience. He didn’t play your average violin. He played a one-of-a-kind electric violin made out of plexi-glass. In addition to Sweet Home Alabama, he has also created his own versions of songs like “Hot in Here,” “Kashmir,” and “In Da Club.” He sells studio albums, but I prefer his live performances. On the albums, it sounds like the violin music and the contemporary music are at the same level, volume-wise. In person, his violin is showcased much more. Not to mention he is such a fun entertainer.

Here is a video of one of his performances at NYC’s Penn Station (Sweet Home Alabama starts at 3:36):

It doesn’t feel like it should be the last Friday of the month already, but with February being a shortie, we’re already coming to a close! On the last Friday of every month, I invite my readers to tell me something good that has happened in the last month. It’s a fun way to close out a month on a high note. My Something Good for February was spending time with friends. We didn’t do very much of it in January because of our Whole30 diet, so it was nice to finally be social again. We had some neighbors over for a game night during Winter Storm Nemo, and I remarked to Erik how nice it was that we were able to have a really great evening with friends without having to spend a ton of money! I guess this means we’re becoming old farts…

What was your Something Good this month?

Lovely Melissa has tagged me for the Liebster Award!

With that honor comes certain responsibilities:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

11 Things About Me:

1. My middle name is Michelle.

2. I’m a night owl.

3. My favorite TV show is The Vampire Diaries and I’m addicted to HGTV.

4. I’m a huge Trekkie, and I even have several autographs from various Star Trek series actors.

5. I’ve been out of the country twice, to France when I was 18 and England when I was 23, and I would love to visit Italy next! (Among others…)

6. My very first blog was on Diaryland. I think I lasted a month before moving to Livejournal.

7. My favorite number is 7.

8. Purple is my favorite color.

9. I would love to go on a mission’s trip.

10. My new-found goal is to run a marathon.

11. This is not my natural color.

My answers to Melissa’s questions:

1. Why did you start blogging, and more importantly why have you chosen to continue it over the years?
I started blogging primarily to reach out to the diabetes community. I was in college and I felt like the college voice wasn’t very well-represented. And to be honest, in 2005, it wasn’t. I was probably the youngest diabetes blogger at the time, although I’m certainly not anymore! I have kept going over the years because I enjoy writing. I enjoy connecting with people. I enjoy learning knew things and then sharing them. And finally, I enjoy having a chronicle of my own life, although it’s not quite a full representation, but it’s captured enough of my big moments, like my move to the East Coast, meeting my husband and getting married. All the good things that I want to remember are more or less here. And I suppose having a record of all the good things will also make it easier to forget the bad.

2. What was the ONE most important moment of 2012 for you, and why?
I think the most important moment of 2012 was when I quit my job and went back to school to become a diabetes educator. It is definitely a defining moment not just of 2012 but of my life. It was the end of one path that I thought was going to last for many years, and the beginning of another journey, which I do think will last for many years. I’m very excited about that.

3. If you were on a deserted island and could have any three things, what would they be?
I’m going to ignore the impracticalities of a diabetic surviving on just three things, and answer this in the sarcastic, fantastical way the question is intended. My three things would probably be my Bible, a really big, soft blanket to lie out in the sun on, and an iPod stuffed full of all my favorite songs.

4. What is your current favorite song that I should be listening to?
I really love Florence + The Machine, so I’ll go with her new one “Sweet Nothings.”

5. What is one favorite blog post you have written? (post a link!)
I’m not sure I have a favorite, but I published a post a couple weeks ago about being skinnier and how my body is and isn’t changing through my weight loss, and only one person commented on it! I actually thought it would get more of a response, so if you didn’t check it out, I would love to hear what other people think.

6. Name one of your guilty pleasures.
Honestly? Smoking. Hey, you said guilty pleasure and it definitely makes me feel guilty. It’s also not something I’ve indulged in in a long time, so no need to worry. I’m not some closet puffer. And please don’t tell me how bad it is or how you don’t understand why someone would do that. I know it’s bad and honestly, the desire is not something that can be explained to someone else.

7. If you could give a piece of advice to yourself when you were 15, what would it be?
Oh, dear Lord. I would probably tell my 15-year-old self not to listen to me. Ha. Actually, I would probably tell my 15-year-old self to not be so judgmental. I was really judgmental of people who did “bad” things or made poor decisions. But when faced with certain situations later on in life, I myself made some poor decisions and I have dealt with a lot of guilt, because I’m as hard on myself as I was (and sometimes still am) on other people. So I wish that I had learned to chill out and be more accepting, because sometimes I wonder if that would make me more accepting of myself.

Damn, that got deep.

8. What book are you looking forward to reading in the near future?
I’ve had The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf on my to-read list for awhile, so I’ll go with that!

9. Tell your readers something they may not know about you!
I eat kiwis with the skins on.

10. You’re told that you have to drop one of your social media accounts- which one, and why?
I would probably get rid of one that I don’t use, like Instagram! I never use it so it would be very easy to give up.

11. What is one thing that you truly could not live without?
Insulin? Okay, okay. I know that’s the cop-out answer. Let’s see… I would say my husband. He’s my friend, lover, companion, cheerleader, do-er of things I don’t like to do. He’s pretty awesome. Maybe I could live without him, but I certainly don’t want to.

11 People I’m Tagging:

I’m picking 5 from the diabetes community, 5 from the twentysomething community, and bonus 11th person is my cousin!

Brown Leather Blog | Our Little Apartment | Suburban Sweetheart | Life By Kristen | A Little Pink in the Cornfields | Dorkabetic | Every Day Every Hour Every Minute | Lisa From Scratch | The Girl With The Portable Pancreas | The Corner Booth | Strangely Diabetic | Sweet and Simple Things

11 Questions For The People I Tagged:

1. What is one thing you want to accomplish in your life?

2. Who is an influential person in your life? Why?

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world for free, where would it be?

4. Would you rather be blind or deaf? Why?

5. What is one goal you have for your blog?

6. If you could have dinner with three people, alive or dead, who would they be?

7. If you could go back in time and do one thing differently, what would it be?

8. What is your favorite thing about where you live?

9. What is one book you think everyone should read?

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?

11. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment thus far?

There are a number of things I loathe about living with diabetes, but I think managing diabetes while exercising probably takes the cake (no pun intended). There is just so much that can go wrong that it’s hard to know where to begin.

First of all, the simple act of exercise is designed to spur the body to burn up glucose. I mean, glucose is the body’s first choice when it comes to energy, so that’s what’s going to go first. In normal people, the body can handle that because it can produce its own glucose fast enough, plus it knows exactly how much to dial down on the production of its own insulin. Guess what a type 1 PWD can’t do?!

The second issue is that exercise affects your body’s metabolism for longer than just your workout. Which means you can see low blood sugar drops all the way until the next day! What the crap? Sometimes it feels like a game of Russian roulette: when’s the low blood sugar going to hit?

The third issue is that exercise is usually performed because the person exercising (I won’t go so far as to athlete…) wants to lose weight or at least not gain weight. Guess what you have to do when you have a low blood sugar? You have to consume glucose, which comes nicely packaged with calories. Sometimes it can feel like you’re “eating the gym.”

These are just a few of the things we have to deal with.

Of course, once you realize the physiologically your body actually needs fuel after a workout, you can start to feel a little bit better about the whole eating thing. But still, I would much rather much on a tasty apple with almond butter than sitting in a puddle of misery at the gym sucking on a Minute Maid juice box. Not where I want my calories to come from.

That being said, exercising with diabetes is totally possible. And I totally advise you not to look at me when figuring out how to do that.

Sorry, but it’s true.

I have been semi-active for most of my life and I have yet to really figure out what the hell my body likes to do with exercise. Sometimes I drop like crazy during exercise. Sometimes I spike like mad right afterward. Sometimes I stay so stable I wonder if I actually did anything (until I look at my tomato face in the mirror and remember otherwise).

These days, I’m on MDIs (multiple daily injections), which is a technical sounding term for poking myself a bunch. The upside is that I don’t have to worry about an insulin pump bouncing around while I run. The downside is that once I take my long-acting insulin, I’m stuck with that dose for 24 hours. I can’t lower it one iota (see aforementioned dialing down of insulin prior to working out).

That said, I do seem to have a relative groove going on with my running scheme and the Best Body Bootcamp, so I thought I’d go ahead and share.

Before a Workout

My preferred time of day for working out is typically right before or right after dinner. It’s just what works for my and my husband’s schedule (since we go together typically). I prefer to have my blood sugars in a mid-normal range. Not too high, not too low. Typically around 150 mg/dl. If I start too low, then I’m probably going to go low, and if I start to high then I don’t perform as well.

If we eat dinner before working out, I’ll adjust my insulin depending on my blood sugars. I might shave a few units off my dose if I feel like I’m going to be working out intensely or if I’m eat a particularly low-carb meal. I rarely have to worry about doing anything if I exercise with no active insulin. I usually just go to the gym as usual. I might drop twenty or thirty points, which is why I make sure that I never exercise too low, but since I’m eating right when I get home, it’s rarely an issue.

During a Workout

I don’t typically test while working out, but I do have hypoglycemia unawareness when exercising. Going low while exercising is rare, but it does happen, so I’m in the process of getting a continuous glucose monitor. This will hopefully keep tabs on me.

At the gym, I bring my purse with me, which has my diabetes bag and a juice box. When I go running, I wear a SPIbelt with a GU inside. I don’t run with a meter (I’ve tried, hence the CGM that should be arriving soon) because it’s too heavy. On occasion, if I start to feel abnormally sluggish, I’ll treat myself, wait 15 minutes, and then walk back. I also always go out with my phone so that I can call someone, and I also wear a medical ID bracelet. My adventures in running definitely motivated me to get that after years of being without one. (I know, I suck.)

Right now, my workouts are not long enough that I need to fuel in the middle. I think once I start upping my mileage, I will start consuming carbohydrates mid-run. I received a Nathan’s running pack for Christmas and I’m actually eager to break that out when I start reaching 60 minutes of running!

After a Workout

My after workout procedure is much like my before workout procedure: it all depends on where I’m at. If I end at a decent blood sugar, it’s nice because then I can eat dinner and not worry about anything. Strength training seems to give me the most sporadic end results. Most of the time, I end at my target, which is 20-30 points lower than where I started. But occasionally I’ll end higher or lower than I expected, but I’ve never taken a close look as to why. I think it’s part of the diabetes variability, but I also think it’s part of the exercise variability. How many of us exercise the exact same way each time?

I have noticed over many years that everyone has certain things that will make them drop or spike more than others, or certain routines or certain blood sugars they must be at to handle their diabetes and exercise. It reminds me that diabetes is very much a science experiment, which is why I’m glad my friend Ginger wrote a whole book about it! Working out on an insulin pump used to frustrate me a lot, because I always wanted to take my pump off, but then I would go high with the missing basal. I actually find that my own body really likes to keep things as normal as possible, with very little futzing around when it comes to compensating with lower doses. My adjustments tend to be fairly minimal, and I think that has helped me avoid a lot of roller coasters. Of course, YDMV (your diabetes may vary)!

How do you manage your diabetes and exercise?

Shamelessly stolen from Caroline!

A – August. The month of my birth! Clearly a favorite.

B – Ballet. I took ballet for a couple of years in college and fell in love. I’ve also attended a couple of performances at the New York City Ballet, and Erik even bought some ballet classes for my birthday one year. I’m too large right now to take ballet (there is a reason ballerinas are so thin…), but I hope to take some classes once I’m in better shape to perform.

C – Cats. I grew up with a cat and now I absolutely love having our cat, Natasha! I’m so glad Erik isn’t allergic to her!

D – Diners. This might be kind of strange, but I love diners! It’s such an East Coast thing, but they are everywhere here and they have such huge menus that you can literally get anything you want, at anytime. Even though most diners aren’t the classiest places, I still love them.

E – Erik. Obviously.

F – Friends. It took such a long time to really develop friendships once I moved out of Oregon that I have really come to appreciate the friends that I do have. They are absolutely the best.

G – Grandmothers. Who doesn’t love grandmothers? My maternal grandmother is the sweet old lady who is always giving you kisses, and my paternal grandmother is the globe-trotting grandmother with decades of opinions! They’re pretty much the best

H – HomeGoods. Some people are obsessed with IKEA. Me? I’m obsessed with HomeGoods. More than half our apartment has been furnished by that store.

I – Ice Cream. Ah, my weakness. I love it so much.

J – Jesus. As it says on my Facebook profile: Yay Jesus!

K – Knowledge. I definitely love learning (and teaching) or I wouldn’t be going back to school to become a diabetes educator!

L - Love. This doesn’t need much of an explanation, does it?

M – Movies. I once watched 101 movies in 1,001 days. I think that says it all.

N – New York City. I absolutely adore New York City and I feel so lucky that I not only got to live there, but that I have lived in the area for such a long time and have had the opportunity to experience so much of it. Many people dream of visiting NYC just once, and it’s something I get to do on a regular basis. I’m definitely blessed.

O – Oregon. My home state and my first love. Oregon is amazing, filled with great people, gorgeous scenery, and it’s so diverse and fun. If I could have one wish granted, I think it would be that Oregon and New York were right next to each other.

Crater Lake

P – Photography. I have no illusions of becoming a professional photographer, but I sure do have fun pretending!

Q – Questions. As a journalist, questions are innate. They are part of my existence and answering them is what I do.

R – Running. I never thought I would become a runner, but slowly I am getting there. It makes me very happy to finally have found a sport that I’m actually interested and passionate in. I never thought it would happen!

S – Sweet potatoes. I could eat these every freaking day.

T – Tattoos. I got my first one in August 2011. I definitely plan to get more, but not anytime soon. Still thinking about what I want to get!

The top says Faith in Hebrew, the bottom says Grace in Greek.

U – Urban living. Erik and I have already decided that we are definitely city people, and if we do move anywhere else, we need to live in — or at least near, like we do now — a large city. I can’t do rural. No way, no how.

V – Vacations. Vacations are the best and something I don’t really take very much. Sometimes we’ll travel for a weekend, but we don’t take very many extended vacations. Not that we have the money for them! Someday…

W – Weddings. I happen to love weddings. The dresses, the vows, the dessert. Seeing old friends, meeting new people. It’s just such a special, loving time. Mine was pretty awesome too.

X – training Totally stealing this from Caroline. X-training is so important! I’m trying to mix things up by doing more cycling, and I’m hoping to get into yoga at my local gym soon.

Y – Yogurt. Especially the frozen kind. With a dozen different toppings, like Oreos, M&Ms and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Here’s another Y: Yummmm.

Z – Zen. I think Zen is one of those things that really transcends religion and something that can be applied to anyone. That peacefulness and contentment is something I think everyone craves.

Watching… the Walking Dead! It’s back on and my husband and I absolutely love this show. It’s suspenseful and entertaining. We can’t wait to find out what happens next… Each episode ends on such great cliffhangers!

Reading… I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns for Twookclub, and now I’m starting The Road by Cormac McCarthy. One of my goals for my 101 Things List is to read 10 Pulitzer Prize winning fiction books, and this is one of them. So far I’ve read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (didn’t like) and A Visit from the Goon Squad (liked).

Preparing… my application to New York University. It’s another one of the nursing programs that I’m interested in, and their priority deadline is March 1st. Gotta get a move on!

Hoping… that I actually will get into a nursing school! The anticipation is killing me!

Excited… to finish up the Best Body Bootcamp and see what kind of results I got from the beginning to the end of the program. The next one starts on April 1st and you can bet I’ll be participating in that one too. I really think this is something I’ll stick with for as long as Tina does it. It’s the most affordable training program I’ve ever come across — just $25 for 8 weeks! And you can win prizes!

Working… on homework, my book, my body, my business, my applications, my marriage, my friendships, my relationship to God. Seriously, what am I not working on?

Loving… almond butter and sweet potatoes; my kitty, Natasha; blueberries; having more energy; finishing a great book; making progress in life goals; mindless TV; accent pillows; spending too much time looking at home we can’t afford right now; game nights and brunches with friends; sunny skies.

(This is my twentieth Friday Finds! Wow!)

Several mystery acronyms are spelled out – like HSBC, CVS and M & M

I really loved these resolutions for a better marriage

10 Simple Truth Smart People Forget

I absolutely adore tilt shift photography!

The most adorable story about a woman and her pet tortoise

Apparently couples who sweat together, stay together

13 Healthy Ways to Begin the Day

Great advice on how to make relationships last

Amy writes a lovely post on being true to yourself

Today is the last day of the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign!

This weekend will be fairly low-key. I have two exams next Wednesday (!) so a good chunk of the weekend will be spent at Starbucks studying. Nothing but fun and excitement around here!

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