Peace out 2018...Hello 2019

Every year I always like to wrap everything up with some kind of end-of-year post. Even though I didn't write a ton this year, I still like some closure on everything that went down. Some years I write about the highlights (and low lights) and sometimes it's just a summary of what went down.

Last year it was all about how 2017 didn't end up being "My Year" liked I had hoped it would be as my first full year as a Chicagoan. So that was a huge bummer. Well, spoiler alert: 2018 wasn't my year either. However, it wasn't too bad of a year at all. I am well aware that with the many ups, there are always downs. No one constantly just wins, and believe me, I don't expect to. However, I just want to feel like I came out ahead at the end of the year. Last year I definitely didn't, but this year, I do believe I came a little closer. Below I have rounded up the positives and negatives of this year in the more glaring portions of my life.

Big Admission...

I feel like every new post I write lately is the first one in a while, so why would this one be any different? I haven't written in almost two months just because there isn't a ton to report on the comings and goings of my life. And even though my last post was about running, this one will be about it as well, and my next one will most likely be about it too. Sorry not sorry. Running is something that I love to do, is finally back in my life, and it just makes me happy, so I'm going to continue write about it.

Adios Summer and Hello Fall

Oh hey. It's been a while since I've written. I'm not exactly sure why, but the creative juices haven't really been flowing this whole year. However, although writer's block may be the case, I just can't let a month go by without a little catch up with you guys (or for me to have to look back upon. Same same.)

So even though the last week was 90 degrees or more, it's officially fall here in the Chi. Sure the leaves are starting to change, but up until today, the temperatures had not. Heck, I went to the beach and swam in the lake the last four out of five days. To be able to just head down to the beach on the weekend or after work (more on that in a few) is something that makes me so happy. Sometimes a leap in the lake is exactly what my body and soul needs. It's soothing and refreshing to me and just automatically puts me in a better mood. But, the weather tide has finally seemed to turn and now reality that summer is officially over has begun to set in. I love fall and hoody season and although it's going to get cooler, that certainly won't stop me from heading down to the water at least once a day. So as the seasons change, some other things have as well. So instead of just being so vague, let me just get to it and fill you in.

Not 13, but almost 1

This morning, I got a reminder message on my phone: Today would have been my New York anniversary.  On this day thirteen years ago, I moved to NYC and started a new life there. Seems like just yesterday I made that move that forever changed my life. I was actually supposed to be there today running the Brooklyn Half Marathon (and getting my revenge for last year's race), but instead my hamstring and knee still aren't healed so I never booked the flight. Turns out though, I probably wouldn't have been able to race anyway because of my Shingles. I tried putting on a sports bra last night (in hopes of trying to workout this morning in some capacity) and nope, it hurt way too much on my rash. Plus, I still don't have much energy and don't know if 13.1 would have been possible to run today. 

Rapid Fire Q's

Oh hey, its me! I talk about myself often on this blog and its usually more so about what's happening in my life and how I'm feeling about it. But today is a little different because I am going to talk about me just for the sake of it. The other day I was listening to a podcast (Ali on the Run) and the host (Ali) ended it by asking her guests some rapid fire questions. She asks each guest the same list of questions each week (at least the two weeks I've listened to so far). As I was listening I couldn't help but wonder how I'd answer some of these questions. A lot of them were running related since it's a running podcast, but most were just some personal fun questions. I decided, hey, I want to answer these fun questions too. And since I have my own blog, I have the perfect arena to do so. A few years ago, I did something kind of (but not really) similar when I did my own version of US Weekly's "25 Things You Don't Know About Me." I didn't want any overlap anything here with that list, but instead I decided to ask myself some other (what I deem) fun questions to answer (most of which were from that podcast) and for you to get to know me a little better. Some of you that know me super well know the answer to most of these, but if not, you may learn something! Heck, we may have more in common than you thought. Or, you may think, whoa, how are we even friends? Regardless, take a read a learn a little something about little ole me...

Common Sense or Nah?

February tends to be the month of love because of Valentine’s Day. Duh. There's lots of hearts, and pink, and affection. This February, like those in the last couple year’s past, I don’t have a Valentine, but I didn't let that get me down. I have recently decided to put myself out there a little more and get back into the online dating scene after taking a hiatus from it for a couple of months due to lots of frustration and demoralization. Comes with the territory I guess. But that certainly doesn't mean I have to accept it and think that's the norm. I have to dust myself off and get back out there. I mean I barely go out, and I don’t have a steady job so it’s hard to meet people IRL so this is kind of my only (albeit awful) option. Online dating is pretty much one of the only ways I can meet some single males. So yeah, Tinder and Bumble somehow had to make their way back onto my phone and back into my life. Sigh.

35 at 35

January 2017 is almost coming to a close and I have not posted yet this month. Things haven't been too exciting lately (same shit, different day) so there hasn't been much to write about. Additionally, unlike the last five years, I didn't write a post on my birthday this year. Those of you that know me, know that I do not like celebrating my birthday. I don't like the attention on me that I am indeed getting older. And turning 35 and still being single was not something that I felt needed to be celebrated. At all.

2016: A Year in Review

December is halfway done which means that 2016 is coming to a close very shortly. This year, like any other, saw a lot of ups and down for me. It also had a lot of change for me. But it was definitely necessary change for me. I started the year as a New York Resident and am ending it an Illinois one. I started it as a teacher and coach and am ending it as a Lululemon educator and substitute teacher. I started it quite unhappy and discouraged and am ending it renewed and hopeful. Sure, some things remain the same for me (body issues and loneliness to name a few), but this year I really tried to look at the positives a lot more because I was sick of the same negatives continually bringing me down.

This Jewish Girl LOVES Christmas Time

Its December!! It's the last month of 2016 and one of the most cheerful and festive months of the year. I am usually only home in Chicago the last week of Chicago for winter break and only get downtown once or twice in that time, but now that I live here, I get to experience the holidays in the city all winter long. Some of the holiday stuff went up mid-November and now that Thanksgiving is over, most of it is up which makes me so excited. For a Jewish girl, there are few things in life that make me more excited than gaudy, bright, sparkly Christmas decorations. I make zero apologies for it. The brighter and tackier, the better. It makes me soooooo happy!!!

How Social Media Affects My Running Game

Like most people my age, I am constantly on my phone. I am either checking emails, texting (or even calling) friends, peeping Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc... There are few times when I am actually "unplugged" and "off the grid" and running is one of those times.  Although my phone is almost always with me in case I get lost, have an emergency, or need to snap a great picture (duh), it is always kept put away in a pocket and kept on silent. However, often times on a run, I will catch some beautiful scenery and have to snap a picture. I love getting a beautiful sunrises or sunset, a general landscape of wherever I running through, street art that I stumble upon (or even seek out), and post-race or post-run accomplishment pictures. Some people may find it annoying that I post running pictures all the time, and frankly I don't care, because taking these picture pre-run, during the run, or post-run helps keep me accountable. And let's not forget, they're fun and pretty to look at as well. There has been a lot of debate lately if smartphones have ruined racing or running as a sport and I'd have to say I do not think they have one bit. Smartphones can do a lot for a runner like track distance, pace, and calories. They hold your most amazing playlist or podcast or e-book that keeps you going at it. And they can connect you to like-minded people via social media; that's the part I want to focus on today.

I don't get it.

As the weather gets warmer, many New Yorkers that have been hiding out all winter (ummm, ME), decide it's finally time to get a little social. As things begin wind down at work and my schedule is a little more open, I have become a little more flexible with my time and go out a little bit more and even date a little. Gasp. Yes, DATE. That four letter word that makes even the most happy-go-lucky women feel jaded and stupid. Or is that just me? It can't be just me. When my friends and I and share our dating stories, we all seem to have such similar frustrating ones. And because we don't understand them, we can't offer each other advice or anything. We can just sit there cursing the dudes and laughing over the ridiculousness of it all, because if we can't laugh at it, we'd probably be crying. (Wait, we do that too.)

Shuffle: The Awesomeness of Randomness

**This is a little revamp of a post I wrote about three years ago. It has been edited, added to, and reposted for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

Fall marathon training is about to begin for myself and many of friends this week and in the upcoming weeks we will be running many miles. Some of us have running groups or running buddies that join us on these runs and some of us run solo. Personally, every single run from the 3-milers to the 20-milers are me, myself, and I. Well, okay, I do have one companion that joins me along the way; one that I never run without: my trusty iPod. I need music during my runs. It's a must for me. I don't like to hear the sound of my feet hitting the pavement or my occasional wheezing. Sometimes, I even need a break from the thoughts going through my own head. The music on my iPod takes me away from all that. I clip that bad boy to my bra, pop my headphones in, and I am out the door, ready to rumble.

Hooray for Global Running Day

Today is Global Running, the day formerly known as National Running Day. This is a real holiday for all of us runners. Unfortunately, because of my damn hamstring injury (that was only exacerbated by me stupidly trying to run the Brooklyn Half marathon a couple weeks ago), I can't celebrate this holiday by actually going for a run and it's absolutely destroying me (okay, that was super dramatic, but you get it; I'm pretty miserable not being able to run). I was barely able to run before that race and now that my hamstring was made worse (my PT said it was probably a tiny tear or really bad strain), I really can't run at all. In fact, up until about three days ago, it was still painful to even walk. But even though I've been in pain, I've still been dying to get out for a run. The second it started to feel like it had healed a bit (thanks to ultrasound therapy and electric stimulation therapy), I was so ready to go out and give it a test run, so to speak, but controlled myself because I don't want to cause another setback. I have been going for some walks in lieu of running, but they are certainly nothing like the real deal. Ugh, I miss running!

Working on Badassery...

In all the time that I have had this blog, there hasn't been a single month where I didn't post and I am not letting February of 2016 be that month. It has been almost an entire month since I last posted and it's not that there hasn't been valuable stuff to write about, but its just kind of the same things in my life that I keep talking about and wasn't sure that I wanted to write about them yet again. They are the ones that take up the most space in my head, good or bad.

In the first two months of 2016, I have been focusing on things that I want and know will bring me happiness (my major goal of this year) and am trying to go after these things. For some, there have been improvements and that has made me happy, and dare I say, even proud of myself; but for others, there just seems to be a constant process of one step forward and two steps back. But such is life, right? I can only keep looking ahead and doing what's in my control.

Go(al)ing at it a little differently in 2016

For the last two years I have written a New Year's post about my goals for the upcoming year. I was always super excited to write that post and thrilled at the possibilities ahead of me for the year to come. However, this year is a little different because of where my head is at. I am demoralized. I am jaded. And I am just not that thrilled with where my life is at right now. Of all the goals that I wrote down last year, I really do not think I achieved any of them. And that sucks. To sit back and look at 2015 and not really be happy with much of it really sucks. I would have to say the highlight of the year was this summer when I was off from work and just traveling and enjoying myself with few cares. It was awesome. Why can't life be one giant long summer vacation? Oh yeah, because that's not real life. So with my actual real life, instead of making a bunch of goals this year that are mildly specific and ones that I may not reach, I have one goal for 2016, and that goal is to BE HAPPY.

Summer is Dunzo

Well, September has come and its almost gone and I didn't write one post this month. What the heck?!?! This is hasn't happened once since starting this blog and I'm not about to have it happen now. So, as I sit in the hospital during my Remicade treatment, why not write a post of what's been going on lately? Right?!?!?

I feel like a lot has been going on, but at the same time, very little has also been going on. Summer is officially over and that's fucking depressing. I really had such an incredible summer that, like every other teacher out there, I didn't want it to end. (I also am in severe denial that my tan is fading. Sigh.) So now that summer is dunzo, the school year is in full swing, and fall has begun, here's what's been going on with me...

You know I'm a runner because...

Today is National Running Day! Yes, this is a real holiday for us runners so Happy National Running Day to you and yours. Last year on this day I wrote about all the reasons that I run and what running gives to me but this year I am going to write about all the characteristics that I possess that gives me a away as a runner.

Sometimes I feel weird calling myself a "runner" because I am not very fast or built like a runner at all; however, I get out there and run 5 days a week and compete in races so yes, I am a runner. And believe me, if you saw my closets and drawers (and shoe collection) you would know this all to be true. So how does one know I am a runner? They know I'm a runner because...

3 Cheers for 11 years!

Today marks my 11th Anniversary of me living in New York City. Wooooooot. Seriously, eleven years here. It's amazing to me that I have lived here this long and NYC is the place I now call my home. This is especially crazy when I still get moments, quite often actually, where I have to pinch myself because I feel so lucky and grateful to live here.

I officially became a New Yorker last year when I hit the ten year mark. Even though I caught on pretty quickly on how to survive and succeed here, myself of any of my family members expected me to still be out here after all this time. But, I love this city. The architecture. The food. The opportunities. The pace. The energy. There is just something special about New York. Some people can't handle it, but I think I thrive on it and feed off it. It just suits me. As much as I love Chicago and my family there, New York has a hold on me and a very special place in my heart.

An Active Spring Break

I am currently on Spring Break and this break was beyond overdo. Although I am nowhere warm and tropical, a week off work is just what I needed. Work has been hellish and I want to cry everyday I go in there and it sucks feeling that way. I feel overworked and under appreciated and I just don't want to be there anymore. This year has been incredibly overwhelming and stressful with all my roles and responsibilities and I these days off are just what the doctor ordered. I went home to Chicago for this break to just hang out and see my family and relax.

More and more it seems that the more time I get off from work, even on the weekends, the more and more I realize what it is I love doing: and that is working out. I know it sounds super lame, but I seriously have such great days when they consist of a great run or group fitness class, whether its SoulCycle or something else. Challenging myself in these classes and getting out and being active makes me ridiculously happy.  It gives me not only a sense of accomplishment but its fun for me.

Times Have Certainly Changed..

I have been teaching now for ten years. Many of my freshman students this year were born in 1999 or 2000. I was a senior in high school myself when they were born. (If I had made some unwise decisions that year, these could literally be my children.) They are so young. Or wait, perhaps I am so old. Ugh. But regardless, I forget how much times have changed since I was in high school. My students are definitely living in a very different high school world than I lived in.

The other day in class I mentioned dial-up internet to them and no one had a clue exactly what that even meant. I had to go on to explain to them what it was and how it worked. They looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language and couldn't even imagine what I was talking about. They don't realize how good they have it now with wi-fi and smartphones and iPods and everything else that goes along with it.