Whew! What a week. It flew right by with absolutely no time for blogging or anything else for that matter... here's what I've been up to:
Reading... Right now I'm switching between The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and 10% Happier by Dan Harris. The Harris book I'm reading for work, and I was honestly really hesitant to pick up another book focused on meditation and 'living your best life'... but it's proving to be a surprise. I tend to be a skeptic, especially when it comes to self-help books. In my mind, it's very, very easy to give advice on how one should live their life, but far more difficult to heed it, even when it's your own. I figure, I know what's best for me, and don't need a 'guru' to tell me otherwise. BUT... I like this one, maybe because it's written by a fellow skeptic, Harris is honest and questioning, while maintaining a mostly open mind and searching for his own answers.
Celebrating... The sudden onset of shockingly incredible weather. Spring crashed down on us on Tuesday and temps rose to 80 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday this week, just in time to celebrate Chris's birthday. We went out to New Hope for the day on Wednesday and had lunch and walked around a bit before taking a drive through unexplored territory (i.e. New Jersey). The weather is a bit back to normal today, which I have to say, I'm thankful for. As much as 80 degrees feels great, it was a little sudden, you know? But the flowers are blooming and Philly is starting to look a little prettier, and most importantly my windows are open (which means Zephyr is celebrating, too).
Working on... My fitness? Ha. Er... sorry. All this nice weather has been great motivation for taking my workouts back outside. I've started running again after spending the winter focused mostly on HIIT, and while my knees are groaning, it feels so good to get outdoors. I'm in desperate need of new running shoes though, but have been dragging on actually going to get fitted for them. Practical purchases just aren't as fun as the impractical ones...
Excited for... Sunday! Apart from this past Wednesday, Chris and I haven't had a day off together since my birthday back in January. We're hoping to escape the city for the day and maybe take a hike or at least see something new. I think we're both suffering from a bout of cabin fever/spring fever and it's time to get outside city limits and outside our regular routine of work, gym, home, eat, sleep. Our friends are also coming to visit next weekend, and I can't wait to see some familiar faces. I'm not totally sure what our plans are going to be, but it's always nice showing people around the city, and a good chance to see where we live with fresh eyes.
Craving... Some spring cleaning. Our house is... extremely messy. We've both been working a ton lately but with warm weather pretty much here, it's time to clear out. We're planning to spend Saturday morning overhauling our place and I'm weirdly excited? I've felt so claustrophobic lately, I can't wait to let some air in and start fresh. I've also been thinking a lot about planning a trip home soon, but I'll be honest, this time of year it's difficult to imagine trading in Philadelphia's spring weather for Maine's late winter. iI't s warm here, it's not as warm there, but I miss my family and would like to see some friends, too.
Shopping for... Dresses. All I want are dresses. After not spending for most of January and February, I'm finding the incredible dress offerings from Free People to be... difficult to resist. I mean, I spend at least 50-60 hours a week surrounded by beautiful things and sometimes resistance is futile, guys. My virtual shopping cart is overflowing... but again... I should probably get some running shoes...
Thinking about... Summer, and how, now matter where I live, it seems to take me two full years to get comfortable. Which isn't a convenient timetable. Two years is a long time to spend getting acquainted and comfortable and open to putting myself out there. So clearly, I have work to do. BUT, I am so excited for this summer and I'm determined to take better advantage of where we're living. I'm looking forward to more day trips to NYC and DC, lots of beach time in NJ, and hopefully getting out and going hiking more.
Listening to... Right now, this very minute: 'Zombie' by The Cranberries
