Well, Hello Again

Sometimes, you just have to take a break from it all.  Unplug.  Recharge.  Feel the grass between your toes before you can jump right back into the crazy.

Apparently that's what I've been doing lately.  But I think I'm getting back into the groove again.  I have a new roommate (hey, Lauren!), a handsome man by my side and a dog who loves to give kisses.  I am setting goals for myself and trying to stay away from the T.V. as much as possible (The Bachelorette aside, of course).  Here's the plan:

• Read during dinner instead of watching mindless crap.
• Jump on Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish at least 30 minutes every day.
• Exercise at least five days a week (did I mention that my sister and I are registered for the Tinker Bell Half Marathon in January?!).  Back in the saddle again.
• Write more, whether that's here on the blog, in my journal (encouraged by this couple) or for other outlets.
• Get back into Twitter.  It was inevitable ... no one can quit Twitter.
• Listen more.
• Be understanding and positive.

The summer is going brilliantly and hopefully making these things happen will add even more awesomeness to my life!  Have you guys ever taken a break to wind down and recharge?

Thoughts of Today

1. Between this blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, my journal has been sadly neglected lately.  I haven't written much of anything in it beyond my Christmas shopping list.  Although I like having a hard-copy documentation of my life, I am oddly ok with it being empty as of late.  It means that my life is good and busy and I'm not afraid to tell the world what is going on.  One of my earlier relationships ate up a lot of my journal space because I wasn't necessarily sure of where things were going (and didn't want to share my hesitations).  But this new, fantastic, heart-filling relationship has got me shouting lovelys from the rooftop (and this blog).

2. I've failed two three days in a row in getting up early to go run.  Two Three days!  I did a long 10-mile run on Saturday that was really, really satisfying.  Each mile after the first one were under 8 min. (and hovered right around 7:30), so I was really happy with that.  But since then, when that alarm goes off at 5 am, I have ignored it.  Why?  Shouldn't the fear of the looming half-marathon be enough to jolt me out of my sweet, warm hibernation?  Apparently not.

3. My mom sent me this photo earlier in the day.  Oh, how homesick it made me.  I want to feel the snow crunch gently under my boots and see the pawprints of little animals in the snow around the ditches.  I want my nose to turn red when I go outside because it is nippy.  I want to wear a jacket, scarf and hat because I have to, not because it is fashionable.

4. I didn't put up a Christmas tree this year for a few reasons.  First, Austin.  Enough said.  Secondly, it seemed kind of like a big hassle for only a few weeks.  But because of this, please see No. 3...that is how I feel when I get back to the apartment and there aren't any twinkling lights to greet me.

5. One day, I'll slowly dance around my dimly-lit living room with my sweethear to Nat King Cole's version of "The Christmas Song."  The tree will be twinkling, casting soft shadows on the walls.  And it will be perfect.

6. I can't believe that the half marathon is in one month + one day.  I am neither excited nor scared.  At this point, I am just focused on getting in a few more long runs between now and then.  Scheduling them in-between parties, heels, brunches, packing, wrapping, Christmas and New Years is a job unto itself. 

7. Our company is moving to Hermosa Beach two days after the half marathon.  I am so excited for this move because the new building is about 1.5 miles from my house.  I can ride my bike to work everyday!  You know how much money I am going to save on gas?!  Oh, yeah, and I guess save the environment, too.

Check It Out!

There are days when I get bit by the creative bug, so I decided to change some things on my blog. 

I really wanted a super clean layout, so I scrapped the backgrounds.  Although they were fun to change, like a scarf that you layer on with your outfit, it wasn't giving off the correct vibe that I was looking for.  Hence...white...a totally under-appreciated color.

And then of course, I needed a new header.  While Austin was great as a placeholder for a while, I wanted to create something that captured me, what the blog was about and the fun that I hope we're all having here.  It needed to be punchy, but not KO-style.  Going with the theme of clean and sleek, I decided to use black and white pictures with pops of color - those are always fun.  And of course, the title had to be in typewriter set.

It's amazing how a few tweaks and changes can make the blog feel different and brand new.  I hope you all like it.  If you have suggestions for other additions, I'd love to hear them!

Get It On!

It never failed.  On a daily basis, Abby Farson Pratt's face showed up on my newsfeed.  Every day, like clockwork, she posted a link to a new blog post on her blog, Little Stories.

I thank Abby for those daily posts.  Not because I read every single one (or even one every week).  But more so because I saw someone who was blogging regularly and realized that I could probably do the same.

You see, I want to be like Abby.  I want to have a consistently-updated blog that people find intriguing and want to read.  This blog started out strong but as of late, has been sorely neglected.  I fell into the trap of thinking that each post needed to be about running (because it started as a running blog, of course). But writing only about running pigeonholes me.  And no one likes to be put into a corner.
Small aside: why would your nickname ever be Baby? As a term of endearment, sure. But other than that...

Getting back on track here...the name of the blog is A Barefoot Journey.  Sure, I'll write about running when I get the urge.  That is, after all, a huge passion of mine.  But I'm also going to be writing about my journey through life (cliche, I know).  But there is so much out there to be explored and questioned and written about; how could I ever leave it by the wayside?

So, armed with a trusted buddy and some jump-starting inspiration, I'm ready to begin. Let's get it on!