Where is she now?

That's what I feel like everyone is saying these days. Somehow I find myself over a month behind on my gratitude journal. I hate having large chunks of time missing from the daily blog so I'll be spending the next several hours trying to catch up. I am recommitting to spending 5-10 minutes a day to evaluate my days and find the good in each one.

Over the last few months I've been on quite a roller coaster. Andy & I had to decide if we were moving to Chicago, and then my company made it easy to figure out when they told me they would not pay for any moving expenses or the cost of living difference. I was approached by my old company to come back and work for them. After thinking about several options I decided to go back. I started on April 15th and was very excited to go back. A week later, for no particular reason, I found myself wondering if I made the right decision. Something wasn't feeling right---it felt like I went back two years to the same exact thing. No growth. Although one of the positives of going back was I know almost everything there is to know about selling for my old magazine, I felt somewhat empty because there wasn't really anything new to learn.

As if I was shouting out how I was feeling, I received a phone call from one of the owners of my company on Wednesday evening. Our company publishes five magazines in the Delaware Valley and someone resigned from one of the other pubs. He presented the opportunity for me to move over and work for this other pub, I started yesterday. I am so excited about this! I still report to the office in Norristown so my 10 minute drive doesn't change. I will still see the same people in the office everyday and I don't have to go to the warehouse to pick up magazines anymore. Woohoo!!

I am most excited about the growth and financial opportunities. This was the answer I was looking for; a new opportunity within a realm in which I am comfortable. I get to learn about a new product, meet new prospects/customers and run away with a great opportunity!

I was really feeling uneasy about all of this change, or maybe I should say it was my ego. I was dreading telling people I've changed jobs again, I wondered what people will think. What I've realized over the last few months is it doesn't matter. I know who I am, why things have ended up why they have (completely out of my control), who it really all matters to (me and Andy) and that I have Andy's support 100%. I know what I'm good at and enjoyed a confidence boost as I started telling people I was probably going to be looking for a new job. There was no lack of opportunity.

So here I am. It's the end of April, I don't know how that is even possible. I have some things I need to turn around---I was doing so well with working out until about two weeks ago. I was working a trainer (he's since left my gym) and exercising 4-6 days a week. With starting the new job and trying to get acclimated I've completely fallen off the wagon. That changes today---I have a month until bathing suit season begins! I also need to refocus on eating better. It's not that I eat unhealthy foods all the time, it's more like I'm not eating enough healthy foods.

Spring is the time for renewal, new beginnings, cleansing, self-improvement. I'm working on it all, and I'm excited to see what the rest of this year brings!

Anybody Out There?

Oh boy, it's been a while (again)! I can not believe it's been almost 3 months since I last updated the blog (again)! How is this possible? How is it mid-July? How is summer half over? Where is 2012 going???

So I have all of May and some of June logged in my planner for my "Gratitude" blog. I'm trying to piece together the rest and hopefully will be caught up by the end of this coming weekend. Why do I do this to myself? It takes 5-10 minutes a day to do the blog and I keep falling so far behind. I had Dr. Oz on the other day and Dr. Weil was his guest. He said keeping a gratitude journal makes you live longer--how about that?

A quick update on the last few months:

- I lasted with not eating any meat whatsoever for 7 weeks. It was a great experience and I will definitely do it again. I visited Grandma & Grandpa in the beginning of May and had a little bit of chicken. I've been gradually inching back to eating chicken 1-2 times a day. It's time to read a book or two that will totally gross me out---my plan is no meat for at least one month each quarter. August is my "no meat" month for Q3.

- I started running! Yes, me. I mean, I'm not running everyday or anything, but I'm trying to not hate it. A bunch of us in Andy's family decided to run Avalon's "Run from the Sun" 5k this summer in memory of Melissa. I ran for the first time in years in June; I did 1 mile and thought I was going to die. Yesterday, I ran 3.2 miles (on a treadmill, no less) and I was so excited. The race is Sunday and I'm confident I'll be able to run the whole thing. I'm in love with "yurbuds"---earphones that are designed by marathon runners that stay in your ears and sound great. I saw them on The View one day and had to try them out, they've made a huge difference!

- I've been to 6 DMB shows so far and each one has been filled with incredible memories. A few were lackluster sets but I was happy to spend the time with such special friends. Mansfield N1, Camden N1 and both Pittsburgh shows were especially great.

- I've fallen in love with reading again. It had been so long since I read a book and now I have a list a mile long of books I want to read. So far this summer I've read The Necklace, Water for Elephants, The Middle Place, American Idol- The Untold Story (please do not judge, it was very interesting and it's actually fascinating what a business/brand American Idol has become) and half of 50 Shades of Grey (so far I could take it or leave it). Next on my list, The Help.

- I'm loving my job at GlobalOptions. I get to meet new people all the time and I never have the same day twice. I still feel like I have a lot to learn but I am getting there. I feel so lucky that this opportunity fell in my lap (thanks Ian!)

- Andy & I decided to extend our lease for at least an additional 6 months. We love the house (minus a few quirks and a very hot 3rd floor; ie: my office.) We have no desire to move again unless it's into a house that we are buying so it works for us to stay a bit longer for now. It kills me to pay such high rent but we are in a great area and it is nice not to worry about the bills when the A/C isn't working, the sink is dripping, screens need replacing and so on.

- We booked a couple of trips and I'm reallllllly looking forward to them! We're going to CA in September. I'll spend a couple of days with Becky and then Andy will meet me and we'll stay with Craig & Debbie for a few days. We're going to the Irvine show and will get to see Maureen and a few other Cali friends. In November we're re-doing our honeymoon; 9 days in Aruba!! I hate to wish the summer away but this fall is going to be awesome!

I'm sure there's a whole lot more I could write about but it's time to get working on the Gratitude blog. Hopefully this is the last time I have to play catch up like this!