I'm Baaaaaaack!

Dearest readers,

Apologies for my extended absence over the past...FIVE months?! There have been a lot of changes in my little food-loving life, most of which will earn their own posts, but to get you all caught up...

In May, I left my job and so many wonderful friends in Charlotte to return home to California. I'm starting a graduate program in Public Health at Berkeley in just under two weeks from today, and have spent the summer relaxing and unwinding in preparation for this new chapter. Rob and I drove from Charlotte to Santa Barbara in less than 4 days with Tucker in tow. That adventure kicked off a summer of change that I can't believe is coming to an end. Rob transferred to his company's office in SF which made both of our lives a little easier. We have settled into a little home in Oakland (more on that in a future post). My family took an amazing vacation to Turkey, which of course will get its own post.

For now, a couple of thoughts:

Change is hard, but I've found that it's most important to trust yourself when making big decisions that will shake up your world.

I was deciding between graduate programs in all different parts of the country, including one in the city where my best friends live; one just two hours from the life I had built in Charlotte and from where I thought Rob would be living; and one, Berkeley, that promised frequent visits to and from family in California. Over the past five months, I've made a lot of decisions with a lot of help from others, but ultimately, I had to learn to listen to myself and trust that things will work out. The best advice I've received all year is don't look back and regret your choices; instead, move forward knowing you made the best decision you could have at that time.

The last few months have left me feeling like a very lucky girl.

Thoughts for a New Year

I don't want to write a "New Year's Resolution" post, but I've spent the last week and a half trying to reset my bearings and start this year off on the right foot. Four things I want to focus on this year:

1) Be a better pup-mom: I am so lucky to have the best dog in the whole world (unbiased opinion), but I know I can do better. I want to spend more time with Tucker this year on walks, at the park, and with training. This means being stricter in some arenas (no, Tucker, you can't roam freely on all the furniture and sleep under the covers every night) but I think it will ultimately make him a happier pup.

Less "Sad Tuck"

More "Happy Tuck"

2) Part of making Tuck happier is spending more time with him at night, which means I've been getting up between 5:15 and 5:30 to get my workouts in before the sun comes up. This way, I have pretty much all night to hang with the pup. Speaking of workouts, I've started going to Hilliard Studio Method - a Pure Barre / Bar Method type workout, but a lotttt harder. Basically, there's no downtime for stretching or resting. At HSM, a standard plank or normal push-ups are considered recovery. Needless to say, I definitely take my fair share of unprescribed breaks, but I really like the women who own the studio and look forward to the workouts.

I also re-joined the YMCA and have been going there a few times a week for classes or just to run. The Cherry Blossom 10-miler is the first weekend of April (whoooo hooo can't wait!) and Emily and I are trying to find a good half to do this spring.

3) Make good food choices: I know that eating well makes me feel good and tons of gluten, grease, and refined sugar makes me feel bad. Nevertheless, I also know that totally eliminating food groups doesn't work for me. Paleo? Tried that, but I love pizza too much (and so does Rob). I just need to get back to eating good, whole foods in normal portions. More of this and less pizza:

Oatmeal with bananas, blueberries, and a little peanut butter

Salad at work with chicken, avocado, and sweet potatoes & organic balsamic

Spinach, sweet potato fries, and homemade buffalo chicken bites 

4) Make time for the things that matter: I want to make sure I'm calling the people I love but don't see enough to catch up on everything. I want to make sure and see Hilary at least twice a month -- we probably won't be living 30 minutes from each other next year and she's my favorite little sis. 

I also want to focus on being present and not stressing out as much about things I have no control over. Rob will be working some crazy hours for the next three months, and then two months later, I'll probably be moving somewhere pretty far away, sending us back into a long-distance relationship. Instead of stressing about what's to come, I want to spend the next 5-6 months enjoying the time we actually get to spend together. I'm pretty sure he's a keeper, so even if we only get ten minutes together in the morning before work, I want to make them count.

And for those times when he's not around, I'll just throw on my favorite pair of his sweats and pretend like he is.

New Year

Well, it's been nearly a month since my last post. The holidays have come and gone and all of a sudden, it's 2013. I spent a week in New Jersey with Rob and his family for Christmas and the time went by too quickly.  We visited Gillian one afternoon in Bethlehem and it was so nice to drive through a town that I spent so much time in as a young girl. Being there made me miss my grandmother more than usual, but the timing was right - Christmas was a holiday we spent with her, and it felt good to be in a place full of memories of such a wonderful woman.

Christmas in Bethlehem

Good old days with Grandmommy

Christmas Eve

Rob and I came back to Charlotte on December 30. He's all moved into our apartment now, which is exciting and somewhat scary - when did we become adults? We spent NYE at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille with a bunch of our friends. It was very crowded and the night is somewhat of a blur (oops) but we all had fun. 

Yesterday, we saw This is 40, were involved in a hit and run (everyone is fine and so is Rob's new car, miraculously!), and had a yummy chili dinner with Brett and Joe. In 2013, I want to focus on just being healthy and happy. 2012 was such a great year and I have high hopes for the next twelve months - hopefully I will spend more time with my family (and less money on clothes). I'm a lucky girl with some amazing friends, an adorable pup, and a guy who supports me no matter what. Here's to 2013!