#28: Go skydiving.

It's official. On Saturday September 5th, I am going skydiving. Not just any old skydiving trip though. I am going skydiving with my 72 year old Morality teacher.

That's right. My 72 year old Morality teacher.

He is my hero. In high school, he taught me extremely valuable lessons regarding Social Justice & Morality. He truly cared about my well being, and even had a "talk" with another teacher due to the way she was treating me (and I just found out about that today!). He's always there to listen if I need to talk, and he takes an interest in EVERYONE'S lives -- really, everyone... he made friends with the most random people on the Guatemala trip. I wish I was as genuinely interested in every person's life as he is. He climbed the biggest temples & pyramids in Tikal... and did EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. He's the most humble man I've met, and the most gentle. And now he is jumping out of a plane with myself & 3 girls I played soccer with. I couldn't be more excited about it.

I'm a bit nervous but mostly just ecstatic. I can't believe I'm actually going to jump out of a plane. I've wanted to do it all summer but didn't think I actually would. I'm missing a Michigan game for it and I could care less.

Pray for us!!

In other news, I packed for school today. Filled up a UHaul, my car, my dad's truck, AND I have to come get more on Wednesday. (In all fairness, my dad's truck bed and backseat were MOSTLY filled with my brother's stuff). We'll see how move-in goes!!!

James 1:27

Waking up is my least favorite part of the day, I've decided. I'd rather jump to the part of the day where my face is washed, and my clothes are on. I've quit doing makeup every day - that's made morning a bit easier, and I usually don't do much with my hair, so that helps too. But getting out of my warm bed to splash cold water on my face is just not a happy thing.

Turns out, however, that every single day, it is worth doing. =)

Yesterday, I went to Mass and spent a lot of it thinking about my future. What does God want me to do? Am I supposed to get married and raise a family? Or am I supposed to do something else? Go figure, as I'm wondering about this, the lector says "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." That is ironic, because my "something else" option involves moving to Guatemala and opening an orphanage. (There, when people can't afford their babies, they throw them in dumpsters. I found that out and just felt like I HAD to help them).

So, I'm going to find a spiritual director. Because the idea that I may never wear a white dress in front of a church with a smiling guy in a tux is just a bit too much to bear.

In other news, training for the triathlon is going well. I've learned that no matter how much I do it, I will always hate running, but will always love the feeling I get afterwards (endorphins, perhaps?).

Today, however, is dedicated to moving. I haven't started packing yet... should probably get to doing that as the Uhaul arrives this evening.

All in a night's work

Well, it is 10 am and I'm just now getting to bed. Ah the joys of the midnight shift. Problem is, I drank a cup of "coffee" (since I hate coffee, I put in 10 packets of sugar and a bunch of milk) before I got off work at 7:30 and it worked a bit TOO well. I was awake for the hour drive home (which was the point of the coffee) but have learned that coffee makes me REALLY awake. So I decided to go to Mass. Of course, the one church that has an 8:30am Saturday mass is the one church that I couldn't find (even with 20 minutes of driving around). So I decided to just go home. Out of boredom I took a new route... and this new route took me by St. Charles -- the one church in Monroe that has perpetual adoration. So I decided to stop by the chapel and say a rosary. I've gotta say - I'm probably going to spend a LOT more time in that chapel.

Anyway, I'm home now and I have to leave in 6 hours for my next job (babysitting a teeny one). I was hoping to get some training in today but unfortunately it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Unless Harper is up for a stroller ride this evening! Perhaps that'll work out... if the rain holds for me!

p.s. If you have the time, could you pray for a few people? Grandpa Fred, Mr. Chalfa, Amy, and a young patient of mine whose heart gave out when she gave birth to her daughter 2 months ago (and there's nothing they can do to save her) could all benefit greatly from your prayers, as could their families and friends. =)

#29: Complete a Triathlon

This week I began training for #29 on My List: Complete a Triathlon. You should know that I know absolutely nothing about triathlons. I had the idea that they involve biking, running, and swimming but not much else. A few days ago, I didn't even know that there were different lengths of triathlons - nor which order the events were in. However, my life took a 180 this Summer. The boyfriend & I finally broke up... something that should have happened months ago... I rededicated my life to God, reorganized my values, and started living for God for the first time in years and years. I have NEVER been happier than I have been in the past 2 months. =) And now that I've made-over my religious life, family life, and social life, I am making over the fitness area of life by working toward #29: Complete a Triathlon.

Here's what I've learned so far:

1. There are lots of different lengths of triathlons. Common ones are the Sprint triathlon (swim ~half a mile, bike 20km or 12.4 miles-, run 5km or 3.1 miles), the Olympic length triathlon (swim 1.5km or .93 miles, bike 40km or 24.8 miles, run 10k or 6.2 miles), a half Ironman (swim 1.9km or 1.2 miles, bike 90km or 56 miles, run 21.09 km or 13.1 miles), and the Ironman (swim 3.8 km or 2.4 miles, bike 180 km or 112 miles, and run 42.2 km or 26.2 miles -aka a marathon).
2. First you swim, then you bike, and you end with the run.
3. You don't wear the same thing the whole time.
4. Transitioning from one event to the next isn't easy.
5. Triathlons are expensive

I have a lot to learn!

I did choose my Triathlon though! It is on June 19, 2010 at Sandy Pines Resort in Hopkins, Michigan. It's Olympic length. I decided on this one for a few reasons. First, I'm probably only going to do this once, and it has to be worthy of crossing off the list. All of the trainers and websites told me NOT to start with a half-Ironman. They all suggested a Sprint triathlon (or a Super Sprint, which is even shorter) but a sprint triathlon just didn't seem long enough to qualify as REALLY doing a triathlon. Then someone I work for suggested I try an Olympic length Triathlon, and thus, I found Johan's Trifest on June 19th.

I started training this week. I realized I left my only pair of tennis shoes (left over from my one year of high school cross country) in Guatemala. Thus, I began running in some random pink shoes that are definitely not meant for working out. And then I started getting shin splints. (My shins and I hate running). So I went to Dick's yesterday and bought myself a good pair of running shoes. And fell in love.

These are the coolest shoes I've ever seen. First of all, they have my favorite color of blue. But better than that is the chip I bought to put in them. It's this little piece of plastic that fits into the sole of my left shoe. I plug a corresponding chip into my iPod and my shoes tell my iPod how fast I'm running, how far, and all sorts of things. A guy's voice comes on my headphones telling me how many calories I'm burning, how fast I'm going, and whatever else I want to know. Not only that but it plays my Workout Playlist and when I need a boost, it plays the song I chose as my "PowerSong." When I'm done, I can plug my iPod into my computer and it downloads all of my workout information into a program that tracks my progress. Needless to say, it's the coolest thing ever.

Not only that, but that guy's voice makes me want to run a thousand times faster. Yesterday was only my second time running in over a year and his voice got me to run 7 minute miles (faster than I ran in cross country!). Today, despite my screaming muscles and the fact that today was supposed to be rest day (where I ride my bike instead of running), I opted for a 2 mile run and went at a 6:45 pace. Course, I didn't pay attention to how fast I was going while I was running... otherwise I would've slowed down a bit. But, alas, I went too fast and now I can barely walk.

Ah well, it'll pay off in 295 days! (I hope!)

The List (that started it all)

Written on a piece of paper that is falling apart at the folds is My List. I began it sometime around 5th grade (and was very upset when Mandy Moore took my idea in A Walk to Remember) and rediscovered it in high school. I've been adding to it ever since. =) I have quite aways to go, but as we all know, "Happiness is a journey - not a destination." Besides, if I finish everything on my list of what I want to do before I die, what do I have left to live for!?

My List

1. Slow dance in the rain.
Completed March 9, 2007

2. Identify a constellation besides the Big Dipper.
Completed December 28, 2006

3. Write a song.


4. Witness a miracle.


5. Fall in love.
Completed December 2006

6. Go bungee jumping.


7. Fly a kite at night.
Completed August 18, 2007

8. Witness an eclipse.
Completed February 20, 2008

9. Fly in an open topped airplane.


10. Make a wish on a shooting star at midnight.


11. Ride in a hot air balloon.


12. Receive a message in a bottle.


13. See a tornado in person.


14. Catch a fish on a homemade fishing pole.


15. Watch Titanic.
Completed September 22, 2008

16. Go to Canada.


17. Say "I love you" and mean it.
Completed November 8, 2006

18. Do some graffiti and leave it there.


19. Build a campfire without cut firewood.


20. Let 99 red balloons go outside and watch them float away.


21. Do a Chinese fire drill on I-75.


22. Save a life.


23. Grow close enough to God to hear Him speak to me.
Completed July 4, 2009

24. Drive from the East coast to the West coast.


25. Go to Venice, Italy.
Completed February 23, 2008

26. Run a stop sign.
Completed August 17, 2007

27. Trust a boy completely.
Completed October 19, 2008

28. Go skydiving.


29. Complete a triathlon.