It's been a great and productive start to the New Year, and I just got back from a work trip to Florida. It sounds pretty luxurious, but trust me, I spent the majority of it in my classy rental Kia Rio driving down the west coast and back up the east coast. Florida is deceptively big. But I did come back with two positive impressions from my trip. First of all, I'm pretty convinced that if I'm lucky enough to grow old, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I can move to one of those amazing retirement communities they have down there. It's like college all over again: You arrive to a totally self-contained campus that's loaded with tons to do, plenty to eat, and everyone living in your building is your age! And they DO have classes, but just like in real college... going is optional! Everyone I met on this trip was having the time of their lives at these places and really living life to the fullest. I was really inspired by the joy with which they embraced every day.
Secondly, I loved seeing some of Florida's nature up close. Florida had beautiful flowers and tropical trees, but the animals were by far my favorite. There were lizards everywhere! And awesome seabirds and pelicans. And, best of all, I saw this guy! A local told me he is a "gopher tortoise" and that they dig holes and burrow, hence the name. He looked just like a cartoon, and I almost died when he hid in his shell. If I ever go back for vacation, and have some spare time, I plan on doing a tour of the everglades. I read up on them when I was down there, and they really do seem like the most fascinating place. Plus, what's a trip to Florida without seeing a gator or two? No such luck this time!
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Back in DC, I've taken on a new challenge. Before Christmas, I applied to be on the board of a national organization called Young Education Professionals. It's a totally volunteer-run non-profit that serves the pretty unique role of uniting everyone in the education area-- teachers, policy makers, non-profit workers, and more-- under one umbrella where they can network, train, share ideas, and more without the traditional "ed reformer vs. traditionalist" battles getting so much in the way. It's primarily targeted at people in their 20's and 30's, and I've enjoyed their events and programming for some time now, so it's great to be in a position to give back. My job, as the Vice President of Development and Partnerships, will be to help raise support for the organization with local individuals, businesses, and foundations. I'm really excited for the role and the chance to rock out E-board meetings again (APO shout out!) Check out the organization here: http://www.youngedprofessionals.org/yep-dc.html
Finally, I'm progressing slowly but surely on my goals for the New Year. I am registered for a piano class (yay!) and got some info about retirement plans from HR. I still haven't called any doctor's offices yet, but I haven't forgotten. I checked off all of my "mini resolutions" last weekend, which was great, and now I'm trucking forward with my other big goals I carried over from last year, including my goal to run a half-marathon in March. I'm reaching that point in my training where I can't chicken out anymore and things are starting to hurt. My "easy" runs are now 4 miles, which means I can't do them so easily on a lunch break if I actually intend to shower, and my hard runs have reached 7 miles, which, well, just stops being fun around mile 5. You real marathoners out there are laughing at me, I know, but sometimes I need to get myself little treats to keep myself going. A new little treat arrived for me in the mail this week: New running shoes! They are Mizunos, my favorites, and I swear-- just like when you wear a new shirt or something for the first time and it feels so glamorous, that's how putting on new running shoes feels. It makes your run so much easier! Just look at my purple shiny feet go!
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Anyhow-- that's all for now. My birthday is coming up, and my sister Kat is on her way to visit next weekend. Updates on those adventures next time!
Peace and Love.
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