Here's to a great 2007

I started this post about two weeks ago, I'm finally finishing it...

Re-Gifting: I can honestly say I have never done it. Not yet at least, though I’m not saying I never
will. I was told recently about a hilarious re-gifting story. Someone I know received a gift that
was a bit outdated. It wasn’t awful, but they laughed thinking it was definitely a re-gift. The best
part came at the bottom of the giftbag. It was a note that was written to the original owner of
the giftbag. It went something like this:

Thanks for all of you guidance throughout what proved to be a rough year. I hope that you have
joy and peace in the upcoming 2007.

This was hysterical! Not only was it potentially a re-gift, but it had been since Christmas of 2006!
5 years! My thoughts are it was perhaps a leftover gift bag, though I have never kept a bag for
five years without using it. Anyways, this got me thinking about where I was during Christmas
2006, and where I am now.

Here’s a short list of what has happened in my life:

• Attended the Memorial Day NASCAR race in Charlotte where I met with my future boss for a pre-interview interview

• Completed my final semester of college and graduated from UGA with a Marketing degree

• Moved to Charlotte and began working in Event and Retail marketing, with Wrangler as my #1 client

• Met Dale Jr., multiple times. This was my dream come true at that point in my life

• Met four wonderful people from England who I gladly entertained for 7 days, taking them to everything NASCAR you could ever imagine. (Unfortunately this was before the Hall of Fame was built)

• Had my first visit to Lake Norman with the wonderful group of new friends I instantly made when I moved here

• Encouraged by a co-worker to attend my first yoga class. Hot Vinyasa at Yoga One here in Charlotte. I fell in love.

• Financially supported myself for the first time ever, well almost

• Cheered on my Georgia Bulldawgs during a phenomenal season with Stafford as quarterback. Auburn blackout and Florida field stomp were by far the best games I’ve ever seen in person.

(And that’s all just 2007)

• Traveled to Daytona, Florida for 10 days. Besides meeting Dale Jr., this was really my dream come true. It was actually what I wanted as my graduation present from Georgia. I’m still amazed at how fast it happened. The company I worked for managed a race experience like no other. We attended every single race at the track that week, spent time on pit road and in the garage, had a brunch the morning of the 500 that was in attendance by several popular drivers, and watched the races from a suite at the Start/Finish line. Oh, and I got to do this again in 2009.

• Cut 13 inches off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love 

• Went to the Masters in Augusta.

• Ran my first half marathon, Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta. Finished in about 2 hours and 15 minutes

Not quite as exciting as 2007, but 2009 brought a lot

• Again attended the Daytona 500 

• Laid-off from my marketing job. Though it was a great first job, an incredible learning experience, and just what I wanted, getting out of this job was one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I wouldn't be where I was today if it didn't happen.

• Soon after I took a trip to New York City. Thus began my love affair with NYC.

• Ran my first Rock n Roll half marathon in Nashville. Improved my time by about a minute. It was unseasonably warm.

• Thoroughly enjoyed my summer without a real job. Returned to lifeguarding after a 6 year hiatus. 

• Applied and was accepted to UNC Charlotte for the Masters of Art in Teaching degree. Finally pursuing what I always really wanted to do.

• Began part-time graduate program and got my first taste of teaching as a teacher assistant to 2nd and 4th grade classrooms.

• Ran my third half marathon. Thanksgiving Day half was becoming as annual for the family as the Peachtree Road Race

Twenty-Ten

• Kept up the running and completed my fourth half marathon in Phoenix with my high school friends. Fantastic trip overall marked by another PR. 2:03:13. Improved my time by 12 minutes in 14 months.

• Addicted to half marathons- completed my fifth in Atlanta with a near PR. I was very pleased with this as Atlanta much hillier than the deserts of Arizona.

• Decided to start P90X with my roommate. This led to me dislocating my shoulder. Long story. Most excruciating pain ever. 

• Lost another job in result of school-system issues. 

• Took my second math class at UNCC and was encouraged by my professor to try and teach math in middle school.

• Continued my career of lifeguarding. It was at the pool I received a phone call and offer to teach 6th grade math.

• First year of teaching. Worse group of kids ever. I'm starting to think this is expected for the first year. I was told if I could deal with them, I could deal with anyone. And yes, now I love when they visit my classroom.

• Decided to run a full marathon. I was very discouraged when Atlanta's Thanksgiving Day decided this would also be the year they would drop the full. So I decided to do the Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte. Then my IT-band flared up, and my doctor told me, "Some people aren't made to run marathon." Uh oh, now he really had be fired up and determined.

• I ran my 6th half marathon in Atlanta, injured. A lot of walking, but I was still very happy to be doing it.

• Ran my 7th half a month later in Charlotte. That was originally when I was supposed to be running a full marathon. This hurt too. So much for resting the injury...

Two Thousand and Eleven

•  Beginning of the year was met with my brother's 30th birthday, first of my best friend's bachelorette party, and my Marathon.

• Running a marathon. I don't really have the words to describe it. Breath-taking obviously. It was the most accomplished I have ever felt in my life. I was blessed to have my entire family and many friends cheering for me. My brother and his now fiance road there bikes nearly the whole way offering constant encouragement. My time wasn't what I had wished, but finishing was my main goal. I was on a runner's high for weeks.

• Traveled to Big Sur, California with my family for the Big Sur Marathon Relay. Highway 1 had collapsed just North of Big Sur, so the route was changed to an out and back. Each of us ran a 4-7 mile leg along the cliffs and blue water of the Pacific. This was the most gorgeous run I think I will ever do. I hope to one day return and run the marathon.

• Finally finished my first year of teaching. It was challenging and draining in every way possible, but exactly what I wanted. I knew I was in the right place. I was excited to begin year two. Thankfully I am blessed with an incredibly sweet group of students and the same wonderful and supportive coworkers.

• Completed my 8th half marathon in Atlanta with a PR! 2 hours and 15 seconds. Now if I can just get under two hours!

• Began my part time job at lululemon athletica. This has been more of a treat than I ever thought it would be. I have met some incredible people who share my love of fitness and an overall healthy lifestyle. 

• Attended my first ever NFL football game. Philadelphia Eagles vs. NY Jets. I have become a huge Jets fan. It was different from the college scene. A very fun, and cold, experience. More to come on this...

2012. Well it certainly has not been a year of running. I know it's only the 6th, but I still can't make myself run. I've gone to yoga every day of the year though!

Looking back on all of this now I realize how incredibly blessed I have been. It's been an unbelievable five years. I'm even more excited about what the future holds.