When I last wrote to you all, I had presented my summer “to-do” list. This being only the second time in my teaching career where I have a full summer break, I was purposeful at the beginning to make sure I would be using this time wisely. Fast forward three weeks, and the status update is as follows:
- Half-marathon training: I have been running more consistently than I have in probably a year. In addition to my running, I have been going to yoga and other workouts designed to help me build my strength and speed as a runner. My pace is still slower than I would like it to be, but as I focus on more speed workouts in the upcoming months, I am hoping that will improve.
- Organizing/Cleaning my apartment: I am happy to report that I have made quite a bit of progress in this area! When I look around my apartment, I can see the areas where there has been improvement. Alas, I can also see the many areas where I need to get it in gear, especially since I essentially only have two weeks to finish up these projects before I return to work.
- Focusing on writing: At the beginning of this summer, I set an ambitious goal to write a new post for both of my blogs at least once weekly. Well, that hasn’t quite happened, although in addition to writing for my other blog, I did also get quite a bit of journaling done. Next week I will be leaving for my vacation. I am bringing my laptop and plan on blogging about all my adventures, as this will be a first-time experience for me and many of my friends have asked for me to share my stories.
- Getting ready for my trip: I feel that this is where I have made the most progress. I did not realize how time-consuming planning a solo two-week European vacation would be. Not only did I book all my Air BnBs, but I have also researched and booked all of my tours, excursions, experiences, etc. While this has taken quite a bit of my time since I last wrote you, it has been very fulfilling. I am so excited for my trip and can’t believe that I will be heading out in only eight days!
- Preparing for my new website launch: This is probably the area where I have made the least progress, which is ironic because it is definitely the one I thought I would most focus on when this summer began. However, I still have some time to be more productive in this area and have made sure to include it in my schedule to ensure that I do just that.
I feel that going through this list, the wins/losses columns are pretty even at this point. Because of some work commitments that I have going on next week, I will only have two or three days before my trip to devote to anything. Upon return from my trip, I will have one week of vacation left before returning to work. I understand that it’s crunch time, which is why I am sitting in a coffee shop on a beautiful summer day writing to all of you and creating new content for my website. Thank you for supporting me as I focus on achieving my goals. Feel free to comment/share what you are currently focusing on so I can return the favor!
Words from the Long Run 