What A Year

Last year at this time I had recently quit a job that had been making me miserable more often than it made me happy.  I quit via an email sent from my phone in the middle of the day and never looked back.  I felt immediately better. I had no job lined up and was finishing my last two classes of grad school but I somehow felt totally calm about the situation.

I took last summer as an opportunity to figure out if teaching was really it for me.  I have worked in only high stress teaching environments: a high school for at-risk youth, a school for cognitively delayed children with emotional disturbances, and an urban charter school who was not making it's state mandated goals.  I applied to teaching jobs for high schools but more selectively than in the past.  I even applied at a non-profit as an event planner.  I looked into editing and writing jobs.  I scoured job search sites for anything that remotely interested me and came up largely short.

As I completed my MA in English I came back to the idea I'd had when I first started it; I could teach at the college level.  I started applying.  Mostly to proprietary schools but to others as well.  Finally, I got a call, and by the end of the interview I was being handed the books for the courses and sample syllabi.  I taught four courses last fall and while I still was teaching a stressful population I loved it.  I met awesome people and I really bonded with several students.  Unfortunately they had to tell me they couldn't offer me four courses again.  I felt a little panicked.  Someone was looking out for me though and the school I really wanted to teach at offered me three classes at a significantly higher pay rate.  And that is where I remain.  I have reclaimed the joy that teaching is to me.  I love it.

Sure, I still have moments of stress but everyone does at their job.  Largely though I feel reinvigorated.  I am trying to learn as much as I can about teaching at this new level.  A part of me still really really wants to teach high school in my old school district.  But now, I know that even if I never get to I can still be very very happy.  I am finally on a path that I feel incredibly confident about and that excites me.

I have so much other stuff on my plate right now as I enter this next phase of my life, my thirties, and I can't wait to share it with the people that matter to me.

Good Bye 2013 Hello 2014

2014, as everyone is well aware, will see me turn 30.  If I didn't fully accept that I was an adult before, I really have to now.  It seems crazy to me because college and high school feel like they were yesterday.  I had a great time in those parts of my life.  But now, I have to say, I think I'm hitting my stride.  I learned a lot about myself in 2013 and I plan on carrying those lessons into the new year and, of course, I plan on learning even more.

I learned:

I have to let go more.  It's a work in progress, but I'm happier when I do.

I have to make sure I am happy with myself or everything else suffers.

I need to maintain my confidence in my abilities.  Constructive criticism is good, and I should heed it.  But I also have to trust to know when the criticism is unwarranted and therefore I shouldn't let it bring me down.

I really am self-sufficient.  I can and will accept help, but if it's not there I can survive without it.

I am loved and supported.  So many people this year showed me this in so many ways.  Many of them probably don't even know it.

I really really do still want to be in education.  I started the year doubting my career choice somewhat frequently, but now I know, more than ever, that this is the field for me.

I am more intelligent than I give myself credit for.  I've always surrounded myself with crazy intelligent people- intentionally and unintentionally.  Sometimes I think this has made me feel less than.  However, I've discovered I have a voice, and I have things to say, and I am well versed in many topics.  I am not average or dumb.  (But no, I still can't do calculus or stats.)

I have good instincts. I need to trust and follow them.


I am a work in progress, we all are.  I'm feeling awesome about my life right now though, and I can't wait to keep living it and growing in it.

Happy 2014 ya'll.  Let's make it a good one!

Feeling Motivated

I am feeling motivated, in case my title didn't clue you in.  I thought I'd update again on my 30 before 30 because I'm making progress!

1.  Buy a home.
2.  Go Dancing
3.  RUN a 5k in under 30 minutes- train for a half marathon
4.  Dye my hair
5.  Host a dinner party
6.  Go 30 days in a row without fast food
7.  Save enough money to cover my bills for the summer Over 25% there!
8.  Crochet an adult size blanket.
9.  Make $500 on Teacher's Pay Teachers Just hit the $200 mark!
10.  Make my book review blog active again
11.  Read 3 non-fiction books (any suggestions?)
12.  Take a picture a day I wish I were doing better, but I have taken a lot of photos.
13.  Be published or at least submit my essay for publication
14.  De-Clutter my life Bedroom done!
15. Visit MOCA
16.  Find Love I'm in a relationship with a great guy!
17.  Spend quality one on one time with as many friends as possible
18.  Go see The Cleveland Orchestra
19.  Take or at least book an out of state trip (other than my already planned trip to CALI this summer)
20.  Join two professional organizations
21. Fly a Kite (Thanks KD for the suggestion!)
22.  Purchase REAL art
23.  Complete 30 Random Acts of Kindness
24.  Buy a VW Beetle
25.  Complete a 1,000 piece puzzle Bought a puzzle!
26.  Eat at a fancy restaurant
27.  Write thank you notes to people who have made a difference in my life
28.  Drink 2 bottles of water a day for 30 days
29.  Take a class- either art or dancing
30.  Go to Amish Country

I am so ready to move on so many of the things on this list.  I am feeling like my life is very much on the track I want it to be on!  I am thinking as I head into 2014 that it might be my best year yet!

5 months!

The clock just keeps ticking doesn't it?

Well I'm almost done with my 30 days without fast food.  I will say twice I got a quick sandwich due to 13 hr workdays and poor planning on my part, so I'm taking 2 days onto the end... that puts my end date at December 10th.  However, it's been easier than I thought so I'm going to still work at making fast food a truly last resort, and I will work on actually eating healthier food at home.

I've worked out once.  I know, not too great for training for a 5k, but I've got 5 months and I will get there.

I'm working on getting my finances together so I can get pre-approved for a mortgage and then I can really look into buying a home.

The 30 days of drinking 2 bottles of water has proven very very difficult.  So I'm going to start again.  I'm thinking tomorrow might be good for that.

My sales on TPT have been slower this month, but there's a huge sale tomorrow and Tuesday that I'm hoping will give me my biggest month yet!

With the amount of subbing I'm doing I've been able to put a couple hundred bucks every two weeks towards my summer savings so here's hoping I'll reach that savings goal ASAP!  I just need to get more days in and the districts that pay me just over $10 an hour.

Thanksgiving was great this year and I have so much in my life to be thankful for.

Hope the start to the holiday season is going as wonderfully for you as it is for me!


Here are some of my pic a day pics:

Nov 1: My boy Titus.

Nov 2:  I was clearly a sexy King Pig for Halloween.


Nov 3:  Driving home from Columbus- Instagram automatically flipped it so I left it.


Nov 16: (I have more pictures, just not posting all of them here.)  My first date surprise.  He got more dates :)



Nov 25: Months without working out.... I was not happy.

Happy Hour Happenings: Pier W

Last night two of my girls and I decided to do happy hour at Pier W.  I have gone several times in the past but for some reason have never written about it.  I LOVE this happy hour.

Drink Deals:

First of all, the drink deals are pretty on point.  Pier W is a very nice restaurant and therefore has very nice wines and spirits.  The vast majority of the wines are $5.75 for a sizable pour.  They also have a great martini list that goes for the same.  There are also deals on other drinks.  I always get the Lemon Drop Martini or a glass of Pinot Grigio.  Last night we all got lemon drops!

Food Deals:

Almost their entire bar menu is half off.  We shared their AMAZING bacon mussels, calamari, and sliders.  They have some of the best sliders I have ever had!  They have a great sauce on them and the buns are toasted perfectly.  They also let you order them cooked to order.  I've also had in the past their beef short rib perogies (love), and their tempura shrimp.  All good.

Atmosphere:

The bar is modern and classy.  A lot of the seating can be communal depending on the size of your group.  I like how it's cozy and intimate.  There are great views of the lake and the city from the main restaurant as well.  I feel very mature and professional going there.  It's a nice change of pace without breaking the bank from some of the more casual bars I go to.

By getting their food deals I always end up eating a meals worth of food.  My friend and I had two martinis a piece and split the three dishes and spent just shy of $30 each including tip.  Not bad for a gourmet restaurant that I normally can't afford.  If you like seafood and you want a nice meal, this is definitely a great choice for a smaller budget!

Enjoy!

Progress on My 30 Before 30

I'm doing pretty well on the picture a day goal.  And, I haven't had fast food since Thursday, November 7th so I'm on a roll with that.  I should have probably started the working out and drinking water goals at the same time, but they will be forthcoming.

I need to buy a puzzle to complete, and clear an area to work on it.

I'm really glad that I've decided to do this!  I think it will be good for me!

Thanks for the support!

6 Months 30 Things to get me to 30

Two days ago marked the six month mark till my GASP! 30th birthday.  Never mind the fact that even when wearing a suit while teaching at the local high school the security guards ask me if I'm a student- it's true, I'm getting older.  I probably should have thought of this idea six months ago on my golden birthday, but alas, I didn't.  So I'm doing it now.  I'm giving myself a list of 30 goals to accomplish before hitting this next milestone in my life.  Some of them are BIG some of them are small, some of them are just for fun and some are more serious, but all of them are important to me.

Before I get to my list let's look at some of the things I've already accomplished, tried, or experienced in this last year of my 20s.

1.  I quit a job that was making me unhappy.
2.  I got my Master's Degree!
3.  I started a new job doing something I've never done before!
4.  I dated multiple people.
5.  I took a spontaneous road-trip with my best friend.
6.  I took a not so spontaneous road-trip with a good friend.
7.  I volunteered at a charity event.
8.  I split a block of granite in half with some awesome people.
9.  I went to a geology lecture.
10.  I tried moonshine!

I'm sure there are things I'm missing but these were the things that stood out to me.  This is definitely going to be one of my best years yet!

So, in no particular order, here is MY LIST!

1.  Buy a home.
2.  Go Dancing
3.  RUN a 5k in under 30 minutes- train for a half marathon
4.  Dye my hair
5.  Host a dinner party
6.  Go 30 days in a row without fast food
7.  Save enough money to cover my bills for the summer
8.  Crochet an adult size blanket.
9.  Make $500 on Teacher's Pay Teachers
10.  Make my book review blog active again
11.  Read 3 non-fiction books (any suggestions?)
12.  Take a picture a day
13.  Be published or at least submit my essay for publication
14.  De-Clutter my life
15. Visit MOCA
16.  Find Love
17.  Spend quality one on one time with as many friends as possible
18.  Go see The Cleveland Orchestra
19.  Take or at least book an out of state trip (other than my already planned trip to CALI this summer)
20.  Join two professional organizations
21. Fly a Kite (Thanks KD for the suggestion!)
22.  Purchase REAL art
23.  Complete 30 Random Acts of Kindness
24.  Buy a VW Beetle
25.  Complete a 1,000 piece puzzle
26.  Eat at a fancy restaurant
27.  Write thank you notes to people who have made a difference in my life
28.  Drink 2 bottles of water a day for 30 days
29.  Take a class- either art or dancing
30.  Go to Amish Country

I will officially start TOMORROW!  So excited to see what the next six months bring.

Reflecting

The other day a few people on my FB newsfeed posted this link to an article on The Huffington Post's website entitled How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy Steps (Kudos on the title btw, definitely encouraged people to read!).  Anyways, I went and read the article and a couple of things really resonated with me: 1. Stop believing your bullshit and 2. Be happy now.

The author's point with number 1 was that we all make excuses for ourselves.  We give ourselves reasons to not break out of comfort zone, to be satisfied with the status quo and not challenge it.  We believe we are capable of less than we are.  

If I'm being really honest with myself this can be a major issue for me.  "I have asthma I can't run a 10k." "I'm not smart enough for THAT career" and so on... The fact of the matter is I don't really know whether I can do these things or not because I have never ever tried.  I need to start trusting in myself that I have greater potential and reach out for more.  

The second step mentioned is "Be Happy Now."  I've written about this idea before... As people we often are waiting for our next step to happen before we allow ourselves to fully enjoy where we are.  

I think I'm getting a little better about this.  Dating casually this summer was part of that for me.  I decided to be happy with where I was right then and not worry about the future too much.  I think the bigger issue for me comes in my professional life.  I mean, I'm not going to lie, I'm not working my dream job right now.  BUT, I've actually been so much happier the past three weeks than I remember being in the past at my other jobs.  I've definitely been more consistently happy.  I need to let go, just a little bit, of the idea that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, because maybe I am.

This school year I am teaching four college research and writing classes at a career college in the late afternoons and evenings and substitute teaching for a local school district during the day.  I have never taught adults before.  I had never even taught college.  So far it's been pretty good!  My classes are small, the maturity is higher (for the most part) and I feel like the students are really responding to me.  When I see students in the hallway outside of class they greet me, they ask how my day or weekend was, and they actually seem genuinely interested.  My students have commented to me that I am "fun," that they can tell I "love" teaching.  They have even, wait for it, THANKED me for helping them.  I feel appreciated and respected (despite being young enough to be their child in some cases). 

By the same token I am having a great time substitute teaching.  I've done one day at an elementary school and the rest have been at the high school which is ideal.  I'm getting to use my brain whether it's for English or re-learning Algebra, or trying to recall Spanish vocabulary words from well over a decade ago.  There is almost no stress.  I grade papers from my night classes during my off periods and go home without extra work at the end of the day.  Even these students are starting to recognize me and say "hello" in the halls.  Today I saw a former student that frankly, often butted heads with me.  He was working at the school and we had a really nice, mature, conversation.  He showed an interest in what I'd been doing for the past several years and updated me quickly on his life.  It felt good.

I guess my point is this... I'm in a good place.  I may not technically have a full time job (sure wish I had benefits!) but I do have two jobs that are, most weeks, giving me a 40 hr load and, more importantly, are FULFILLING me.  So I choose to be happy with where I am and to stay happy.  It's time I refocused again and paid attention to all the good in my life because it so outweighs the bad.

Summer Wrap Up

At the beginning of the summer I posted my bucket list for the months of June, July, and August.  Now that we're at Labor Day it's time to evaluate my summer...

As a reminder, here is my bucket list...

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Bar Harbor, ME!!

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! I'm having a lot of fun dating and figuring out who really is a solid match for me!

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters! - So far I've seen Fast and the Furious 6, Superman, Heat, 

15. Day drink!

16. Finish my MA Essay

17. Go to Cedar Point
18. Find a job!


I definitely didn't complete everything on this list, but I have to say I'm really happy with how this summer went for me.  My trip to Bar Harbor was amazing.  I saw whales, caught up with friends, went nature creeping, and ate lots of lobster.

Lobstah!

I had several awesome girls nights with margaritas, tacos, and gossiping that made me continue to appreciate the friendships I've been cultivating for years.  My ladies are truly awesome.

This was the first summer that I really made a point of putting myself out there and dating.  I kept things casual and it's been great.  Everyone I met or gave a chance too has been awesome.  Some have stuck around, some I've let fall away, but all have been good experiences.  There have been movies, hikes, dinners, parties, cook outs, and one lucky guy even got a home cooked meal.  Now that summer is over and my schedule is going to get crazy we'll have to see how everything works out.  But I certainly have no regrets.

Homecooked!

I got to hang out with several of my co-workers this summer which was super fun.  While my job wasn't the right fit for me last year, my co-workers were stellar and I'm glad to be continuing friendships with them.  Corn-hole, day drinking, night drinking, a play, and lots of stupid snap chats made it a fun time.

My spur of the moment road trip with my bff to Gatlinburg was a perfect little get away.  We saw the most hilarious things, got caught in tourist traps, and sampled lots of types of alcohol.

Moonshine!

Perhaps most importantly I finished my MA Essay and, as of yesterday, GRADUATED graduate school!  I'm so glad to be done.  And, because I now have an MA in English, I was able to complete #18 and procure a job!  This year I'm going to be teaching college composition classes at a career college downtown.  I'm excited for the challenge but nervous too.

Other random summer highlights:

Pole dancing class!
Oktoberfest!
Taste of Tremont!
The Lion King!

Sexy, I know.

Rock Star Accordion!

Goodbye Summer... Hello Fall!

Another Summer Bucket List- Version 2.0

Reviewing the past year of blog posts (there weren't many, oops) I saw my Summer Bucket List for 2012... and realized not only did I not accomplish everything on it but most of it still stands so I'm reproducing it here with some minor tweaks...

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Bar Harbor, ME!!

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! I'm having a lot of fun dating and figuring out who really is a solid match for me!

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters! - So far I've seen Fast and the Furious 6, Superman, Heat, 

15. Day drink!

16. Finish my MA Essay

17. Go to Cedar Point

18. Find a job!

As I complete these I'll bold them to track my progress.  Some are continuous but I'll still bold them if I've technically have done enough to consider them DONE!  

Sara in Colorado: Day 6

I've been home for almost a week, but there are still a few awesome things from Colorado I want to share with you...

Day 6: The Big Hike


My mom and I both signed up for an 11 mile all day hike to Black Lake.  It was a gorgeous morning and we left promptly at 8am to head into the Rocky Mountain National Park to find our trailhead with the rest of our group and our fearless leader, Amy.

The neat thing about this hike was that as you hiked you came across several natural wonders.  First up was Alberta Falls.

 What a cute mother daughter duo!

Once we were past the falls the real hike began.  And after a couple of miles we came to Mills Lake, which was gorgeous as you can see.

One of the more interesting things about this hike is that in November of 2011 a wind burst had come into the valley and at estimated 80mph winds tore up the landscape.  In the next few pictures you can see how wood split, trees were uprooted, and how many trees had to be cut to clear the trail for hikers.

I forgot to take a picture but a mile or so past Mills Lake we came upon Jewel Lake that really was a jewel tone green and very serene. It was after Jewel Lake that the rain started, and at one point hail.  Well, our hike leader called it something else, but it was icy and it stung the tops of my legs as I hiked.  We were told if there was lightening we would have to turn around due to the risk.  About a mile and a half from our destination a huge crack of lightening lit up the sky followed immediately by a boom of thunder.  We were given the signal and turned around in our tracks and back tracked about half a mile.  We sought cover under some trees once we were lower down and ate our lunches in the rain.  This was my least favorite part of the hike.  Finally the rain let up and some sun peeked through so we continued towards Black Lake.  There, just before reaching the lake we came upon....

ELK!  There were two females and two babies, who are harder to see in these pictures.  They were just calmly eating.  As you can see the one is tagged.  There is an overpopulation of Elk in the park and they follow some to check birth rates and other information.  

The closer we got to Black Lake the more beautiful the scenery became.  We were in between many mountains and could see water flowing down and patches of snow.  Simply gorgeous.

Finally we had made it to the lake but we didn't stay long.  Because when we turned around we saw more ominous looking clouds and didn't want to risk a storm.

Dark skies in one direction....

perfect weather in the other...

I was very happy to make it to the top! 

As we hiked back down I stopped to take some pictures of the splintered wood.  I loved the color and the textures it created.

At times on the hike we had to walk on beams of wood to avoid messing up the land.  Here I am with some of our group!

Finally back at Mills lake, our hike leader Amy had us all take our shoes and socks off and soothe our feet in the ice cold water.  Very refreshing.  But it started to rain again so we had to go finish the last few miles.

This is where I got cocky.  I felt the "old folk" were moving too slow so I took off, walking fast, and running down the rest of the trail.  Of course I inadvertently took the wrong trail to the parking lot and ended up adding an extra .6 miles to my journey.  Whoops!  My knees and ankles were NOT happy campers the next day.

That night was the first Family Summit Talent Show and it was AMAZING.  We're truly a multi-talented group.

Sara in Colorado: Day 5

July 10th, was the fifth day of my trip and my first difficult hike.  The West Creek Falls hike, while only 4 miles round trip, had an elevation gain of a full 1,300 feet!  I embarked with a group of about 15 a little after 8am and took a van to the trail head.  I travelled with two spanish speaking ladies, and two interpreters Fernando and Tracy.

Immediately upon starting the hike it was clear there were two groups of hikers.  Those of us who were under 50 and those who were over.  Not to be ageist but, I think the steep incline proved to be more difficult than our older crowd had suspected.  I was with the "fast" group, but was decidedly the slowest of them in the uphill portions.  It was a beautifully sunny day and it felt nice to have the warmth of the sun on our backs as we hiked.  I spent a lot of time speaking with Fernando and his wife Tracy.  They were a very interesting and fun couple.

Eventually we came to a stream.  After crossing the stream we noticed there was a partial elk skeleton in a pile on the bank.  It was missing the lower jaw and ribs from what we could tell, and had definitely been there fore awhile.

Finally we reached our destination, the falls.  The view wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped, but it was a peaceful spot where I sat and talked with the "fast" group a bit.  I also shared my elk salami I had purchased the night before!  Tasty! We then headed back down, and our group headed back to have lunch.  Overall a good hike, but more adrenaline than scenic.

Again this hike wiped me out and I spent the rest of the day relaxing back at the YMCA of the Rockies.  

Sara in Colorado: Day 4

Day 4 (July 9th) was rock climbing day.  For those of you who know me you know I have a relatively intense fear of heights yet every year I challenge myself to confront this fear head on and attempt either rock climbing or a high ropes course or both.  This year my good friend Matt who I've known since approximately 1999 was the rock climbing instructor along with his climbing buddy Nick and was assisted by another long time friend, James.

We were climbing on these beautiful red and orange toned rocks.  The boys had set up our ropes on two opposing walls and it was simply put, gorgeous.  Matt and Nick were great at explaining how to tie our own ropes to our harnesses and teaching us how to belay- that is, how to be the person making sure the climber doesn't fall if they slip while on the rock.

Before I knew it it was my turn.  I had my climbing shoes on, my harness, and my helmet; I was ready to go.  I looked at James, who was belaying me and stated, "on belay?"  He calmly replied, "belay on."  I continued our climbing communication, "climbing?" "Climb on" came the response and I was officially on the rock wall.  The thing about rock climbing is, as a spectator, you see all these cracks and ridges and holds for a climber's hands and feet but when you are right there, face to face with the wall it feels impossible.  But it's not.

I slowly began carefully placing my hands and feet on the wall while continually asking James to keep tension on my rope.  I was soon up a few feet and to my surprise felt extremely comfortable on the wall.  My muscles weren't tight, my hands weren't cramping, and my legs weren't shaking.  I hadn't started freaking out.  I was suddenly hit with this feeling that I really could make it!  I continued up until I hit an area of difficulty.

As I paused to assess my options I heard my friends yelling their encouragement and offering their suggestions.  I hoisted my leg up- using my long legs to their full advantage and surpassed the smooth section of rock before me.  I was within two feet or so of the top of the rope but I had moved several feet off to the side from it.  Not about to stop so close to my goal I edged my way, hugging the rock, to the area directly under the carabiners that were holding my ropes.  Another step or two up and BAM my hand reached up and slapped the carabiners!  I had made it.  Insisting upon proof, I had my friends snap a few pictures of me!  It was amazing, I was so comfortable on the rock that I was able to chill at the top enjoying the view and posing.

I'm sure you've all heard the saying... "What goes up, must come down."  After I reached the top, posed for my pictures, and enjoyed the view it was time to get back down!  I told James, my belayer, that I was ready and he reminded me to place my feet flat on the rock wall and to sit back.  This was probably the most nerve-wracking, but it was fun too and I was able to back myself all the way down to firm ground.

Phew, I was finally done.  Or so I thought.  The boys had other ideas for me... scary ideas... like walking backwards off of the side of a cliff.  (That is, repelling.)  I tried to avoid it, but feeling a bit enthusiastic after the best climb of my life I agreed to it.  

First, I had to scramble over a bunch of rocks to get to the top.  Then I hooked into a horizontal line as I edged along the cliff to the repelling station.  Lastly, I received my instructions on how to lower myself slowly to the ground.  After getting strapped in Nick told me I could start.  It was such a weird feeling to me to walk backwards towards the edge of this rock wall and start going backwards.  Once I was on the wall it wasn't nearly as scary since it was a lot like coming back down after climbing.  

And with that, my rock climbing experience for this summit was over.  I was so proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and really not freaking out!  There is a first for everything.

But what do you follow rock climbing with?  Other than a quick rest in my hotel room I followed it with.... A SQUARE DANCE!   Every summer we square dance at the Family Nature Summit and it is a great time!  I threw on my "country" outfit and headed out on the dance floor with my friends!

We partnered up and do-si-do'ed, promenaded, and generally had a great time.  It was actually a pretty decent workout as well.  If you ever get the chance, definitely go to a square dance.

As you can see Day 4 of my Colorado adventure was chock full of excitement... but there's so much more to come.  

Sara in Colorado: Day 1

I'm on vacation in Colorado.  Sara in Cleveland has become Sara in Colorado for the next 10 days.  My adventure began yesterday morning...

Traveling with my parents can be a true trial of patience, more specifically traveling with my father.  Our family travels, quite a bit.  I travel more than the rest but my parents have certainly flown in recent years.  However to the casual observer no one would have guessed that about my dad.

As we are standing in the slow moving security line my dad starts asking me... Do I have to take my belt off? (yes)  Do I have to empty everything from my pockets? (yes)  What about my phone, my watch, etc etc.  Then several more minutes pass and he suddenly goes, "Do you have to take your liquids out?"  I was so very frustrated explaining that yes you have to take your liquids out, they're supposed to be in one ziplock baggie, and yes eye drops, bug spray, and lotions all count as liquids.  Miraculously we made it through, I didn't have an anxiety attack, and my parents weren't held for questioning.

Originally all assigned seats in different areas of the plane the lady at the desk was able to put my mom and dad together in a row two ahead of me.  Then once on the plane they needed to shuffle people and lucky me- I ended up sitting with my parents.  We all were in the emergency exit row which usually costs extra because there was so much leg room.  (To all my tall friends- it might be worth the extra $20 or however much.)  It was now that Dad struck again.  When the steward came by to ask if in case of emergency we were able to help our fellow passengers Dad responds with "I hope so, guess we'll see" instead of a "yes."  The steward was not amused and told my father he had to read the pamphlet and decide if he actually could or not.

The flight went smooth and our baggage was ready and waiting for us at baggage claim.  At the Denver airport I was really impressed by the friendly senior citizens in western garb who were there to provide information and directions.  One nice woman directed us towards the right carousel at baggage claim and another man told us about the rental car company and toll roads and gave us directions.  It was just one of those extra perks that made traveling that much more enjoyable.

We rented our car from Enterprise and I don't have much to say about it other than I felt the girl taking care of us, Sara(h), was very efficient and knowledgeable.  She gave advice about which car to take and had us on the road in no time.  We were off to Northern Colorado to see my dad's sister and family in Fort Collins.

It's been years since I've seen my cousin and her husband and children.  We had a lot of fun catching up for a short bit and playing with the dog.  Her daughters have gotten so big and were so social I was impressed.  I'd never met her 2 year old son and he was absolutely a ball of adorable energy that was hilarious to watch.

So adorable, and grown up!

To end our night we headed out to the Charco Broiler which is apparently a well respected restaurant for steak.  We met up with my friend Thomas who I met 9 years ago in Maine and have stayed in contact with over the years.  Dinner was good, my steak was the most oddly shaped piece of meat- picture a 3inx3in cube.  It was tasty and the fries were really good.  I think my dad might have had a bit of altitude sickness though.

After dinner Thomas came back to my aunt's house to see the view and to catch up some more.  I wasn't sure what it'd be like seeing someone in person again after all that time, but it was really fun.  I always enjoy talking as I'm sure most of you know and it seemed he was willing to listen.

My Canoe Guide: Thomas

So far this trip has been great.  I haven't had any altitude sickness yet so I'm trying to remember to hydrate and to get rest.  (The fact that I started writing this at around 7am local time may indicate otherwise.)  

Later today we check into the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park and the 2012 Family Nature Summit will commence.  I'm so excited to see my old friends, make some new ones, and get some fresh mountain air.  I hope to be blogging regularly throughout the week so check back!

Life Changes

I wrote this post several weeks ago but apparently forgot to post it... so here it is now.

I made a big decision official on Wednesday.  I informed my workplace that the next 17 days are my last, and I will not be returning next school year.  I believe whole heartedly that this is the right decision for me.  However, it was a far from easy decision to make.

I LOVE my coworkers.  I really do.  They are dedicated and intelligent and so good at what they do.  Not just the ones in my classroom, but throughout our entire building.  I have made many friends and have people every day checking in on me to see how I'm doing and asking to help.  I enjoy many many aspects of the job I have, but unfortunately for me, there is no real room for growth for me unless I get a counseling or special education license, and neither makes sense for me currently.

6 weeks from now I will be 50% done with my Masters degree coursework.  By attending John Carroll full time next year I can finish by May.  My schedule will be such that I can substitute teach several days a week and get my face into districts I really want to work in.  Upon graduation I can apply to adjunct at local community colleges as well as continuing to apply for full time High School English jobs.  This is the path I have to take.

The sense of relief I have from making my intentions known is great.  My leaving may open up opportunities for others in my school.  But I am still sad.  And, I can admit, scared.  What if this doesn't work out the way I want.  What if I don't get enough sub jobs and can't find a decent part time job that works with my schedule?  I have to trust my gut and stick with the choice I've made.

To any Phoenix people reading this- I appreciate each and every one of you and will miss you greatly.  Don't be surprised if I come and visit.

My Summer of Fun 2012

Before I start back up with substitute teaching and going to grad school full time I want to have a SUMMER OF FUN!! The question is, what does it take to achieve this feat? A summer bucket list perhaps?

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Colorado! Planned for early July

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! (make me an offer!)

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters!

15. Day drink!

What else should I do?  Want to do an activity with me- Let me know!

Just a Pic

This week I sucked at going to the gym so I left happy hour early (GASP!) to hit up Zumba tonight.  I felt great afterwards and decided I should be documenting my progress with my body so here's a picture of my right bicep... try to see the little roundness to it... that wasn't there before.  Impressed?

Oh yeah, I'm getting there.

Double plus for me, I didn't buy the hot dog they were selling at work and instead had a big mixed green salad with grilled chicken and lite balsamic vinaigrette dressing!  I give myself a gold star for effort today!

Lazy Girl: In The Gym

So this lazy girl has been stepping up her game.  On Friday, since I had to be out of my apartment while it was shown by a realtor, I went to the gym for a run on the treadmill and a Zumba class.  I've been building my confidence on the treadmill experimenting with sprints and such for the past two weeks.  I've also been looking at lots of different training plans to increase speed and endurance.  Keeping both of those things in mind I decided to try to run for as long as possible at 6.5 which is a 9:14 pace.  Then after a few minutes at that I kicked it up to around 8.0 which is a 7:30 pace for a full minute and gradually took it back down every 5-10 seconds till I got back to 6.5.  I kept my eye on the clock and I hit the one mile mark after 8 minutes and 54 seconds!  This was by far my personal best.  I haven't been even under 10 minutes ever- at least to my knowledge.  This has given me another boost of confidence and I plan on working on running 2 miles in under 20 minutes as my next goal because I do know I'm a better sprinter than distance runner and I'd like to be decent at both.  I need more goals.  But for now I'm tracking myself on Nike+ and am "running" through New York City.

How do you stay motivated?

Pinterest Crafts! Circle Painting #1

I saw a pin from Two Girls Being Crafty where they made a piece of art very simply and I thought, "I can do that too!" So I did.

The first step in their post has you spray paint the canvas but I skipped that step, I didn't mind a pure white background.  They used a brown paint pen for the stems but I cheaped out and mixed my own brown paint and used a thin brush to paint the lines.  they aren't as perfect and some are thicker than I'd like but it was overall pretty simple to do.  Here is a picture of that step:

Then I started making the circles.  I used red, orange, blue, teal, and a little black.  I mixed colors together to make additional shades.  It was pretty time consuming because I had to clean the sponges in between colors to vary sizes and colors at the same time.  But it was easy.  Here are some pictures of the final product:

What do you think Oh and this all cost me less than $10 and I still have paint left over and the brushes/sponges are reusable!

Love Hate Relationship: The Gym Edition

I am developing a Love/Hate relationship with the gym.  I have been really good about getting myself there at least 3 times a week- typically Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.  I feel really good about the fact that I'm going.  BUT, I'm frustrated that I don't really have a focus.  I need some sort of measurable goal since I'm not trying to lose weight.  Maybe I should take measurements, or do some sort of preliminary fitness test or take "before" pictures.  I'm not sure.  Any suggestions?

In other gym news, yesterday, after doing a 50 minute Zumba class my gym buddy Katie and I did a bunch of dumb bell exercises to work out our biceps, triceps, and shoulders.  Then we did some ab work as well.  I AM SORE.  I hope the meds I took will kick in cause it hurts to move.  Ideally I'll have a rock hard beach bod by this summer- even though I'll be vacationing in the mountains. What are your favorite exercises?

Now I just need to get my eating in check.  I struggle to hit my appropriate calorie intake so I end up justifying eating fast food.  NOT GOOD.  I have high cholesterol so I suppose I need to stop ignoring that fact.  I'm looking for some good healthy food that isn't too "diety" since I'm not on a diet and definitely need to hit my calories on days I exercise.  I can't afford to buy new pants if I drop any weight!  I know, I know, #skinnygirlproblems.

Also, I'm on Fitocracy and Sparkpeople--- can't decide what I like better.  Hit me up if you want to follow.  Oh, and I realized I owe a ton on my taxes, so help a girl out and check out one of the ads on my site!