Auditions Rocked & Weather Ruined Plans

Wowzers.

The word to describe my weekend. Both amazing and incredulous. Not in the good way, sadly. Despite what the weather aka the CRAZY AF winds blew into town, I was able to enjoy my trip home. Oh and I rocked the auditions which was such an amazing feeling.

Trip details:

+ Drove up to DC from Knoxville with two of my besties who also auditioned. It was a nice and easy trip, with lots of laughs and texts along the way. Everything was hunky dory until route 66.

+ Daddy called me and relayed the news the CRAZY AF winds had downed a power line on our street, so not only were we out of power, there was no way to get up the street to the house because the lines were down. Have I mentioned we live on a culdesac?

+ The girls and I were able to get a hotel on points close to the city which was awesome. I felt so bad for Daddy, but he pulled together a generator and was completely fine, so he said.

+ Saturday we were up early for auditions. All three of us are early birds and arrived an hour early to get the lay of the land. BODYPUMP was the first audition and there were eight of us audition. The president of LMUS was there so we all had a starstruck moment when he let us know about the day. #allthehearteyes

+ BODYPUMP auditions went really well and I was super proud of what I did. Everyone was told to have more space between their coaching. I was told even though I was petite I looked strong and have a commanding voice!!! Talk about a major pump up, so thrilled. My friends did really well, too.

+ While my friends auditioned for BODYSTEP I was in the cycle room auditioning for SPRINT. I did really well with this audition, talked a bit too much but I was nervous, however I really felt I did the best I could techniquewise which is huge. The feedback was incredible, again and I was thrilled with everything I learned.

+ Once we were done with auditions we chilled out for a bit, then went and ATE ALL THE THINGS. Chicken and waffles was my choice of deliciousness and it was divine. The girls headed west to drive home on Sunday and I headed down to see Daddy.

+ Power was still off but we chilled out until leaving to go to dinner with Babyspice. We hit up our usual watering hole and it was deliciously fun to be together. Thankfully when we got home the power was on, even though no Internet, so we watched movies until bedtime.

+ Sunday I met up with two darling friends and enjoyed catching up on life. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful people to work their plans around me. Then it was family dinner, more movies and then bed. I woke up early for the drive home on Monday and it was a quick, but long, eight hours home.

+ This weekend was SUCH a meaningful one. I learned so much about the company, so much about myself and so much about how well I'm actually doing. I'm not saying it to be conceited, but to make it THIS FAR IS SUPER HUGE. I don't find out results until mid April, but I'm thankful I don't have to worry about my part. What is decided is out of my hands and I showed them my best. THat's all i can ask for right?

Weekly Wins

Bestest look on the bestest day by the bestest daddy

+++ So this post was prepped before I took my test. And received my score...saying I didn't pass. I was pretty devastated last night, it hurt my ego a lot. This was almost a no post because I was so upset. But, I cried it out to family, got support from Le Husband and ate a compliant Whole30 smoothie before bed and feel a bit better today. It sucks, bad, but nothing can be done now, I can only move forward and do my best to pass next time. Thanks for the sweet vibes, yesterday!+++

+ Studying and test is OVER, thank the gummy bears above! I'm just so so so so so glad it is over. I procrastinated way too much and could have used another week, but hey, I understood a lot more the last two days of cramming than expected, which made the fail even more tough.

+ I survived teaching my first double since surgery. It was BODYCOMBAT followed by BODYPUMP and minus the lunge and shoulder tracks it wasn't as tough as I thought coming back. Super glad COMBAT was first though, that format is tough to fake.

+ Le Husband was home all week and it was so nice falling asleep next to him.

+ Father's Day cards went in the mail early and will arrive on time!

+ Successful searched for and found a legit acupuncturist. #thankyouinternetandfriends

+ Blogging mojo seems to have made another appearance here and I finally have some inspiration.

+ Flights for a wedding up in Michigan are finally booked.

+ Another week on Whole30 round 4* is complete.

+ My Tuesday night BODYPUMP class was freaking amazing. Not only did the members work hard and respond well to the release, I also taught one of my best classes in a long time.

+ I'm getting my new Tennessee license today. #sadtoseevago

+ MY CAR IS PAID OFF AS OF WEDNESDAY! YES! YAY! WOOP! MINE!

+ The heart attack I had over registration of my car, not having a title and expired registration proved to unnecessary as all will be well once the title is in my hands. #phew

Beyond happy the weekend is here and looking forward to chilling out at the pool or doing nothing because this week was rough. Four classes down and two to go tomorrow, I got this! Hope you have a fabulous weekend. Happy Father's day to the special men in your life and if you've lost a father special hugs and sparkles sent your way, because I can only imagine how hard this holiday can be for you. < 3

linking up with these ladies: amanda andrea april and katie

Right Now {How Is It Almost April?}

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Un-freaking-beliavable right? I'm in awe April is RIGHT around the corner and super excited spring to O F F I C I A L L Y has arrived. Can I get a warm weather AMEN? A M E N!

As I write this I realize it has almost been 365 days since Le Husband and I left our jobs and moved. A week from today we bought our storage unit and started packing up our stuff. Our way too much stuff. Our life all of a sudden fit in a storage unit and my parent's house. BUT, that is post for a different day.

Right now. . . I'm looking at the calendar and realizing I have less than TWO WEEKS at my gym job. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS of being an operations manager and less than two weeks of living a hellacious six months. I always try to keep the job of the blog, so I won't SAY much else here [you've read enough], but if you want to really know about my life hit me up in the comments.

Right now. . . We are in the middle of looking for my replacement and I have high goals for some of the candidates. Some good internal candidates who will make the transition much easier, which is a very good thing. I think I've made some good changes and there is a good operational flow to the group.

Right now. . . Word has gotten out that I am leaving and I have sooooo many people asking why and saying they will miss me. Super awesome for the ego, but super tough when I don't want to truly say why I'm leaving. Yes, money is the BIG reason, I'm leaving for a better paying job. However, that is not all. I am also leaving for a better state of mind and more peace in my life, yet I don't feel comfortable sharing that with people. Partially I see it as a failure. Partially I see it as being ungrateful. And partially it's not of their damn business. Eeeep, well that sounds harsh for those who will miss me.

Right now. . . Hearing people will miss me means a lot. Because I've only been here six months. Because I've been a basket case most of those months. Because I've so often felt like I was failing everyone. Because that means I did what I was here to do and that my changes worked. Because knowing you've touched someone's life after so short a time means so much to a people pleaser.

Right now. . . Le Husband and I are knee deep in housing renovations, but we are also slowly getting back to our together life. Meaning, our traveling life and our eating life and our working out life. It's been such a struggle without a routine and with my job being so demanding outside of working hours. We could NEVER truly find time to get away, without me being worried about something at the gym. Now, we can plan. Now we can say YES to weddings and family trips and just taking a weekend away visiting friends. I cannot wait for the freedom.

Right now. . . I'm trying SO HARD not to buy all the cute clothes. My wardrobe has only consisted of black pants, black polo and tennis shoes. Great for the budget but no fun at all to wear. I've actually ruined two pairs of black pants which really pisses me off. Now, I just want to spend the money on cute trends. Now I want to go crazy at the outlets. Now I want to go crazy online shopping. I won't go crazy, but I plan to buy two new fun pieces...any thoughts?

Right now. . . I am swimming in Les Mills new release choreography. First Launch in Tennessee I had one release, BODYPUMP. Second, I had three, BODYPUMP, BODYATTACK, & Barre. This time I have four, BODYPUMP, BODYATTACK, BODYCOMBAT and Barre. Which means lots and lots of new choreography to learn in just a few weeks. I have a better handle on it all this round than last time and have already made some great progress.

Right now. . . I am slated to start teaching FOUR classes a week, WOOHOO! So excited to teach at multiple gyms and have some extra cash flow coming in, even with a raise. I really am excited for the growth I'm going to experience teaching so many classes.

What's going on in your life right now?

While I Have an Extra Few Minutes

Let's post, shall we? Remember when I said I thought I had a new schedule down? Yeah, me too. To be honest, I did, but then LAUNCH WEEK happened and my life was COMPLETELY consumed with fitness, teaching, new classes, new choreography and anxiously awaiting my certification.

When I say there was NO TIME to post or blog, there really was NO TIME. I barely slept, barely ate and jumped full force into my six launches in three days. WOOF! Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it, [well almost EVERY], but I'm no longer a spring chicken and pulling two a days started to max me out. All of the launches went really well and the energy in PUMP was fabulous. Already looking forward to the next quarter's launches, SOOOO.MUCH.FITNESS.FUN!

The last class I taught was my FIRST BODYATTCK class since filming and I was a bit nervous since I hadn't received my certification from LES MILLS. Oh AND this was a substitute class for a different program leaving me concerned about people walking out when they realize the switch for launch week. THANKFULLY no one left and AWESOMELY everyone LOVED the class and many told me they would give it a try another day. Can I get a HOORAY!? Oh yeah, I was also interviewed by a local radio station for Gold's Gym. We talked about my fitness journey, why I became an instructor and what I hope people can find in fitness. The DJ told me I was very well spoken and that he loved taking my class, double hooray.

Want a triple hooray?!?! GUESS WHO RECEIVED FULL BODYATTACK CERTIFICATION ON FRIDAY!?!?! THIS PINK GIRL RIGHT HERE!!!! I have been sweating bullets since submitting my video and Friday was the due date for my results and I was convinced I would have to retape since the assessor was waiting to the last day. I physically jumped up and down when I finally saw the email and was blown away by the assessors comments and critiques. Now it's time to start subbing and then hopefully get my own class, woop woop! Holla at a double certified instructor!

Oh, look at that. An email from my regional manager with a class change for tomorrow. Well, guess I better go learn some more BARRE. No rest for the working fitness girl ;)! Hope y'all have a wonderful day and HOPEFULLY I'll be back with a lil more of a catch up tomorrow.

C U R R E N T L Y

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going: a bit craycray with the job search. Resume writing is so tedious and I'm realizing how specialized my previous field was compared to the rest of the corporate world. Oh and let's not even get into the salary talk, ugh. I fired out a bunch of new resumes and I'm hoping a few of them stick this time since I've made some actual PEOPLE connections. October was always my freakout 'i don't have a real job month', but I'm trying to stay positive.

toasting: a new day every morning. Not with a real drink, but virtually saying cheers to a new day. After losing my grandmother last month I've strived to really take stock in each new day, no matter the circumstances or feelings.  Life is so, so, so precious and one day we won't have ANY more days, bad or good so I'm choosing to embrace each and every day. Cheers to TODAY!

anticipating: moving into our own place. YES, new place. Le Husband and I went apartment/house looking last weekend and we think we've found our new home for the next year. Originally we had planned to buy, but right now with the job search going so slow we're taking the smart route and just renting.  I'm REALLY excited about our options though and hope to share the BIG news soon.

loving: the fact most of my family will be in Tennessee this weekend. Can't wait to squish and hug them.

overthinking: teaching barre for the first time on Thursday morning. Y'all there are only four people in the class but I am SOO STRESSED about teaching to them for the first time. I've only been certified for two weeks and feel an enormous responsibility to do my best for the Barre Above and Gold's Gym logo.

posting: very randomly, but trying to get back on schedule.  I miss blogland!

reading: lots of books to keep my brain zen before bed. Hoping to get my reviews up next week, but right now I'm trying to finish "All the Light We Cannot See". 

practicing: all the BODYPUMP. All the BODYATTACK. All the BARRE. All day, errreday!

wearing: workout clothes and summer clothes. Not only is it too warm for fall clothes, I gots NONE down here. I'm hoping to get up to VA soon so I can find all my boots and sweaters. Thankful I don't need them all now, I'M LOVING the warm weather. 

wish listing: Too many things to count. A JOB would be number one, though.

What's currently going on with y'all?

linkinguphere

AIMing HIGHER and a BLATE

Hi, friends! Wait, a post on a day other than Friday, get outta here with my bad self right?!? I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of blog things and SLOWLY trying to make my way over to other blogs. Can't make promises, just know I'm trying, kay?

Anyway, THIS WEEKEND WAS INCREDIBLE. Seriously, so so so amazing in so so so many ways. While I'm looking for a big girl job, I'm using this down time to up my certifications and this month that included attending an Advanced Instructor Module [AIM1] for Les Mills BODYPUMP. When I looked and saw it was in Memphis I realized I could attend and MEET ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOGGERS at the same time. WINNING times two right?!?!

My girl JESSI [ I can say my girl cause I KNOW HER IN REAL LIFE] lives in Memphis and was the sweetest friend ever when I asked if I could stay with her to attend this training. Yeah, we hadn't 'met' before, but we've known each other for awhile and I was uber excited to have her show me around Memphis [which I've never seen].

I took Friday off of work and DROVE across the state. Lil Miss Pinky had NO idea how far away it really was until this drive. Yeah, not close, but easily doable for the weekend. I arrived not long after Jessi got home from work and we CAUGHT UP with each other then enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal for dinner. Oh yeah, we also enjoyed a few glasses of sangria, too. It was such a blast and we chatted as if we'd known each other for years, while we learned more about each other at the same time. Sadly I had to cut the party a bit short because I had a very early call time for my training.

After barely sleeping due to nerves, I was up bright and early and on my way to the gym. There was almost a heart attack moment when I couldn't find the entrance but thankfully I used my critical thinking skills and found the gym. I walked in full of nerves and worries and SO SCARED of falling flat on my face in front of this AMAZING trainer and my peers.

Y'ALL!!!!! IT WAS THE BEST TIME EVER AND THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. I honestly can't even begin to explain how crucial this was to my LES MILLS journey. I walked in a scared lil baby instructor and left a badass veteran of the program. We were taken through an intense technique class and everyone had a bunch of little tweaks for each move and we all had MANY 'AHA' moments as well. Presenting still brought the nerves however the knowledge shared throughout the class lent to a pretty amazing presentation number two and I feel SO REINVIGORATED with my coaching. Definitely found my LOVEMARK! Our instructor was the most fabulous trainer and she really helped me find my BODYPUMP self. I learned it was OKAY to be more PINKY while teaching, as long as I still stayed in the essence. Seriously I could go on and on, so I'll just stop and share these to fabulous pictures.

FIERCE!

EXCITED!

Once the training was over I hightailed it back to Jessi's and after a quick change we headed out to downtown Memphis for some FUN. Sushi was our choice for dinner and the place was super cute and delicious. I LOVED my Saki-tini.

Next we moved on to walking Beale Street, which was such a fun experience for this Memphis newbie. The vibe is like New Orleans with the streets closed but the MUSIC coming from all the bars was sooooo bluesy and happening. We wandered up and down the strip then settled on a dive bar in the middle. To say we stood out is an understatement but the music was too good to pass up. SO much talent for real.

After we finished our drinks we walked further down to main street to find another place to chill. Jessi took me to this awesomely themed speakeasy. I tried my first Kentucky Mule [delicious] and we were again treated to some fabulous Memphis tunes. The decision to shut it down after this bar was total mutual and we headed home to get a lil bit of sleep.

Sunday morning was a nice easy wake up with yummy coffee and a scramble a la Jessi. Too soon it was time for me to pack up and leave since I driving to Memphis has me crossing a dateline. Though the weekend together was short, we made the most of it and I'm SO HAPPY we were able to hang out. There's already a Nashville trip in the works and HOPEFULLY I'll get her further east for some hiking. THANK YOU JESSI FOR BEING YOU, which is just the awesomest!!!

Hope y'all have a great week. I teach another BODYPUMP class today and then will hopefully be taping my BODYATTACK certification video on Thursday. Cross your fingers for me!!!!

Just Another Friday Update

Hello and thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you for all of your comments, thoughts, texts, prayers, love, calls and sentiments. The first few days of September cast a very dark shadow on the entire month and for lack of better term I feel like I've started to find my land legs after eons of being under water. As much as I've wanted to write here it just didn't feel right. It felt fake and so I chose to leave it alone and try and get my head right. Getting my head above water is a personal thing and these days it's something small that brings me back under unexpectedly.

Death does that to me and from past instances I know it will be quite some time before I'm... normal. Right now I am okay and learning to live with grief while also balancing so many ups and downs with a self imposed move. I'm grateful for the opportunities which have presented themselves and am continue to work towards the end goal, even if it takes longer than I expected.

BUT, this post is NOT a post about whining, I promise. Not in anyway a woe is me letter. There has been a lot of good things in my life during September and I've been busier than a tornado in a trailer park [name that movie].

This month I've...

Flown to New Orleans to meet Le Husband for an impromptu kickball get away. The trip was born, talked about and booked in the span of 48 hours and even though it was a whirlwind it was a fantastic time. We ate all the things, played some kickball [I did AWESOME] and hung out with people I hadn't seen in over a year. NOLA is one of my favorite cities and even though our time town was incredibly short, it was well worth the effort and price tag.

Certified in another fitness class. You are reading the blog of a certified Barre Above instructor. While I've only taken a few Barre Above/Barre None classes I'm a HUGE fan of their philosophy and their inclusion mission statement. Certification class was fantastic and I'm excited [and nervous] to take on something totally outside my wheelhouse. Guess who has her own class starting in two weeks? Yeah, homegirl needs to get ON IT.

Taught more two a days than I ever expected. Not only did I get certified in Barre, I'm also shadowing/practicing for my BODYATTACK video certification. Y'all, ATTACK is NO JOKE, seriously, one of the hardest classes [besides GRIT] Les Mills offers. I've learned so much since initial training, but still need to work on my fitness. I'm HOPING to tape my first video next week so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Attended my first VOL NAVY football tailgate/game. My grandfather has a houseboat which he parks right by the stadium and this was my FIRST time making it to a home game. Y'all, it is such a fun experience, I had such a blast. Follow me on Instagram to see the next party, I posted WAY too many videos last weekend.

Missed my family like crazy. Monday was BabySpice's birthday and it was tough being so far away while the rest of my family celebrated. We managed a FaceTime call [after my class, ahem] and it made me so grateful for technology. Phone calls and letters are great but seeing faces makes life so much better, right?

Lost four pounds. Part of me is happy but the other part of me knows stress and grief have been big players in my body. I do credit my two a day teachings and workouts for part of the effects, though. I'm definitely look the part of a trainer which is pretty awesome. Hopefully I'll stay close to my goal weight once I've found my equilibrium again.

Phew, that's a lot going on huh? Somedays I let myself get down in the dumps but most of the time I see this period of life as transitional and I allow the beauty to shine through the grey. Things will come together soon, of that I am sure. It would just be nice if it were sooner rather than later, haha.

I'm super stoked about this weekend because it's another busy one out of town. I'm headed further west in Tennessee for a BODYPUMP AIM and am THRILLED to be meeting up with one of my favorite bloggies. I can't wait to fill y'all in next week. I hope you have a smashing wonderful weekend.

Here's a FOR REAL UPDATE {FINALLY}

Y'all, I did it. I got a post up like promised...a day late. But hey, it's what I got for you, haha.

Jobs: OH EM GEE, the bane of my existence. Seriously, searching for a job is the worst. I am BEYOND thankful to report Le Husband has had a job offer since mid August and so far things are going well, while slow. He will be working in is realm and I'm so happy to see him fulfilled and back to his old self. There will be quite a bit of travel with this job, but I'm okay with it since he's so happy. How about me you ask? UGH! I've had very little luck, I'm sad to say. I don't know what it is, but I think I'm missing that ONE lil thing with each position I apply for, however, I'm still trucking. Interesting enough, my gym is aggressively pursing me as a personal trainer which is flattering and scary at the same time. I'll be sure to keep you all posted, thanks for the continued well wishes and prayers.

FITNESS LIFE: Things in the BODYPUMP world ramped up quickly and I'm continuing to sub as many classes as possible. BIG news, I now have MY OWN class and possibly will have another one as well, how cool right? I've also signed up for an Advanced Module training later this month [which I am FREAKING OUT ABOUT ], in hopes of becoming an even better instructor. Oh and yeah, did I mention I passed 3/3 in my BODYATTACK Initial Training? Oh heck yes I did. Now I need to practice, practice, practice, film a video and hopefully become certified. ATTACK was much tougher for me than PUMP so I know this cert might take me a bit longer.

Tennessee Living: I LOVE TENNESSEE. Are we where we expected when we planned this adventure, HELLLZ NO! Things have taken way longer than expected but we're still choosing to believe in this choice and are starting make this area our new home. We've joined a kickball team and I met quite a few friends during ATTACK training, so we are slowly planting some roots. A church home is still to be found but I know the right one is out there. Oh yeah, the lake is still amazing.

Family: Blessed doesn't even seem to cover how I feel about my immediate or extended family. As mentioned before, we are way behind on our road map so yes, we are still living with my aunt, uncle and cousin. They have been BEYOND incredible and patient and have NEVER ONCE made us feel unwelcome or in their way. I know we are so lucky and I know many people do not have the same luck with family and I am so grateful. So grateful. I miss my family like crazy, though, which will never change. Babyspice just returned from a trip to Greece and I'm so sad I'm not there to welcome her home or do dinner to catch up on her adventures. Thank goodness for FaceTime.

Health: For the most part, things health wise have been right on the money. Until Tuesday. Then I randomly came down with a nasty virus, which I'm still dealing with today. Thank you all for your well wishes and suggestions [kathy, the tea was on POINT], I'm hoping to turn the corner quickly. Late Wednesday I was lamenting my health to myself [lame I know], but then I realized this was the FIRST bought of any kind of sickness we've had since we decided our new way of life. My biggest fear was getting sick in Europe and thankfully we came back to the US safe and healthy. Once we have insurance all squared away I won't be as worried about lil colds as I am now.

So there you have it, my life in lil blog post. Hope you enjoy a fabulous long weekend!

When I'm All Alone

I'm not the happiest camper. I don't mind evenings without Le Husband every now and then. Whenever he traveled each month I used the time to get extra catch up time with my girls and my trashy shows, haha. While I enjoy a bit of ME time here and there, I'm an extrovert by nature so being around people is my happy place. 

As you can imagine a weekend when I'm all alone is not my favorite.  Le Husband spent the weekend with friends in Denver and my extended family headed to North Carolina for a wedding and beach trip early Saturday morning. So this weekend it was just me myself and I. In Tennessee.  With none of my gaggle of friends or family. I know there are many women [especially mamas] out there who would relish a weekend alone, however without my normal home base I felt a lil bit lonely. Clearly with everything going on in the world being lonely is peanuts, but this blog is my reality. 

This weekend alone I...

... spent evenings sitting on the deck watching the sun set.

... spent Saturday morning subbing a BODYPUMP class at a new gym.

... did another thirty minutes swimming and stretching. Time in the gym was time away from an empty house. 

... listened to multiple podcasts of MY FAVORITE MURDER which is my NEW FAVORITE podcast.

... caught up on my silly reality television shows while vegging on the couch when it rained. 

... scheduled a massage for Monday because my five BODYPUMP classes last week were killer.

... cleaned up our room and reorganized things. 

... watch a live kickball stream on the porch. #checkoutthesunset

... slept way better than expected in an empty home that isn't mine. 

... woke up bright and early to try out two new churches in the area. 

... came home changed into my bathing suit and headed down to the lake. 

... went on a ninety minute SUP excursion and dodge many a boat on the water. #everyonewasouttoplay

... attempted, rocked and DOCUMENTED the headstand on a SUP. #yesifellonce

... listened to more podcasts while doing chores around the house. 

... ate sushi and binged on Disney movies for dinner. OH EM GEE Home Alone 2 came on afterwards and I was soooooo stinking excited. It's almost CHRISTMAS IN JULY, friends!

... ate my token ice cream and snapped the token picture for National Ice Cream day. #sogood!

... prepped this post [GO ME], did some reading then headed to bed. 

I think for my first weekend all alone in a new city I did pretty well. I hope next time to have a group of friends to call or a some girl dinner dates scheduled. Looking forward to finding my squad down here for sure. I'm picking Le Husband today after my massage and before my last minute BODYPUMP sub request. I hope everyone has a great start to the week!

C U R R E N T L Y

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Currently I'm…

going: on a road trip back to good ol Virgina for a nice long weekend. I'm probably on the road as you read this.

toasting: Sportyspice!!! Saturday is her bridal shower and I'm super excited to toast and celebrate her!

reading: blogs, BODYPUMP chorey and "Brave Men, Gentle heroes".

anticipating: the next few months. Hoping some interviews come to fruition and a jobs fall into place!

loving: my family and friends. Seriously, I have some of the best. 

smelling: grass, lake water, rain, plants and SUMMER!

wearing: bathing suits and workout clothes.

whishlisting: Les Mills certifications and girl trips!

linking up here, here and here. 

Did I Really Just Say That?

My I just taught four classes in three days face! #rockedit

I confess...

|| I'm a bit happy I haven't found a 9 - 5 yet. Don't get me wrong, I'm sending out resumes, reaching out to contacts and doing all the things, but right now I'm not stressing to badly. Subbing BODYPUMP has been amazing so far and I REALLY feel like doing something in fitness is my new calling. Right now I'm soaking up all the teaching I can find and really trying to hone my cueing. And yeah, having a loosey goosey schedule is pretty fantastical.

|| There is a possible job opportunity on the horizon which might be the best of both worlds and I'm nervous now that I want it I won't be able to make it work. All good vibes and prayers would be appreciated.

|| Having two participants in my evening class yesterday guess my age gave me a huge ego boost. They BOTH thought I was 24, can you believe it? Their faces were priceless when I told them I was actually 33. #thanksforthegenesmomanddad

|| I watch waaaaaay too many detective and crime shows. Yesterday I was the only one at the house and a technician came out to do some work. When he arrived the fact that I was home alone started an alarm in my brain and I made up these lies about Le Husband and other people coming to the house. #toomuchtvoops

|| Earlier this week I bought two random things from Kroger: vegan shampoo/conditioner and workout clothes. #whoamI #wheredidmydclifego #workoutclothesforcheap

|| Tennessee does NOT sell wine in grocery stores and it's been driving me nuts. Thankfully July 1st marks the beginning of true civilization because THAT'S the day wine makes an appearance, woohoo!

|| I hope Stephanie doesn't hate this post too much [insert monkey covering the face emoji].

Today We're Getting Real Honest about Fitness & Weight {Real Talk}

How many times have y'all seen a headline like the one above? How many times have you written one yourself? I took a cursory look through my blog [using the Weight tagline] and I personally have around 20 or so posts dealing with my body image and fitness level. Some are recounting HIGHS [Whole30, the Spartan and BODYPUMP] while other posts detail how unhappy I feel in my skin and how much I wish I could change my body.

Honest truth and reason for this post… I'm the heaviest I've EVER been in my life and right now I am trying to figure out how to shed the extra 9 pounds I picked up while gallivanting through Europe and moving to a new state. My discipline was nothing while in Europe [more on that later] and I also struggled with eating healthy while at my parent's home and even here in Tennessee. I'm not happy for multiple reasons; my clothes don't' fit right, I'm out of shape, it's bathing suit season at the lake and I just feel blah.

I know what I need to do to get back to where I was before I left. I, like many people, just wish it was a bit easier. Le Husband and I ate our way through Europe and I can honestly say I only regret four meals/snacks over the entire trip. I drank two Cokes I really didn't need [nor did I enjoy], the pomme frites in Paris/Versailles were a lil over the top and a nutella breakfast muffin was a complete disappointment while in the Milan trains station. Other than those few blahs, everything else we ate was delicious and PART of our journey. We ate and drank what we wanted because we knew food was such an important part of the cultural experience. A bazillion delicious croissants while in France, lots of pasta and pizza in Italy and of course, all the gelato EVERYWHERE. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset about the delicious food I indulged in, I wouldn't change anything about our trip. We worked out when we could [thank you TRX and cruise gym] and we walked close to 200 miles seeing all the sights. It is what is and I'm okay with they why, just not the what.

Originally I anticipating a quick jump back into healthy eating when we finally made it home. However, our first two nights home were spent eating out with dear friends and the food at each place was amazingly delicious, just not healthy in the least. Le Husband left to visit his family a few days after we arrived home so I figured 'hey, I can just do meals for one, no big deal'.  But then all the texts and calls came pouring in and suddenly I was eating out four days a week for dinner, plus buying meals for lunch because I hadn't been to the store to buy my normal healthy meals. And then of COURSE there was all the celebratory cake and drinks at work.

Home life was not any easier, mostly because I let myself get lazy and just ate what my parent's ate. Not that they eat poorly or unhealthy, they just eat differently than I do now and I know what works for my body and I failed to prep or plan. The same situation has happened down here in Tennessee. Le Husband and I are trying to mold into my aunt and uncle's routine but it's not quite ours so things food wise are still off. We've had delicious cookout meals, fish tacos, and fajitas but all of the meals have been accompanied by a glass of wine, margaritas or extra food stuff we normally never have in the house. I mean how do you say no to homemade peach cobbler after you helped slice the peaches?

But today marks the spark of change. Today I'm documenting my next fitness journey. I've taken measurements, stood on the scale [barf] and began planning my attack. It is not going to be easy, it is not going to be fun and it is not something I'm honestly looking forward to doing. I will start saying no to things I know won't help me reach my goal and start revamping my workout routine. Now that I'm teaching BODYPUMP twice a week [give or take] I need to invest in my strength training so I can lead by example. My first class back from the trip was a huge wake up call and now that I have the tools at my disposal it's time to start taking action.

My new routine will consist of running, strength training, swimming [in a pool or the lake] and of course a lil bit of water skiing, too. If I get my act together I'll document my work outs to share [if that's of any interest to anyone] or just to have for myself. I'm also currently studying for my AFAA license so I think tracking food and workouts will be helpful if I ever want to take the next step in training.

Props to you if you've made it through the whole post, I know it was quite wordy and honestly it a was mostly for me to put out in this public forum for accountability. Hopefully by the fourth of July I'll have some results to share and I'll be feeling better about myself.

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Smile, it's almost Friday. Have a wonderful day, friends! < 3

My First Weekend Back in the USA

You would think the first weekend back would be a breeze and mega chilltastic right? Makes sense to use Saturday and Sunday as two days of rest and reorganization before the next work week? OH if only. I don't know how it's possible but I think I'm just as tired from my trip as I was on Wednesday.

My weekend highlights consisted of…

… Le Husband leaving to visit his family before heading back down to Tennessee. Our first days apart after being together for 42. #isitweirdimissedhimmorethanbefore

… team teaching a BODYPUMP lunch class on Friday. Thankfully I remembered all the choreography [even the new stuff learned on the cruise] and was able to complete the whole class without passing out ;)! #usedlightweightsthough

… this delicious find at WholeFoods. #spawaterforthewin

… dinner al fresco with Sportyspice because Friday was quite gorgeous.

… going out with the sissys for one last hoorah. Normally I would have passed because I was almost crying tired, but this was needed since I've been gone for so long and I enjoyed dancing in the corner while they rocked it on the floor. #needtolearnmorelinedances #yesimrockingglasses #theyhidemytiredeyes

… waking up earlier than I wanted [grrrr] so I caught up on Nashville and other shows.

… driving to visit my bestest friend and her sweet family of SIX now. She gave birth to her fourth child while I was away so she was a priority on the must see now list.

… snuggling and cuddling the three week old lil guy. He slept on me for two hours and it was the sweetest feeling in the whole wide world. #isthatwhatthebabyitchisallabout

… came home, stuffed some wedding envelopes for Sportyspice [!] then promptly bought Five Guys for a sissy dinner. The bar the night before was fun, but the music was so loud we couldn't really chat so we decided an evening in was needed. It was a blast of reminiscing, Lord of the Ring talking [schmeagle], plotting, laughing, dancing and just wonderful sissy time.

… my last church service at home. Gonna miss this beautiful place. I've taken eight mission trips, served on the Communion committee, in the children's ministry and sang in the choir in the last 12 years. It will be hard to find a place to replace this one. 

… a 'BUT I'M LEAVING' brunch with the famjam [minus Le Husband]. We have  restaurant we always frequent for special occasions after church and it was the perfect easy to commemorate the morning. OH and it was helladelicious!

… famjam work on invitations. Guess who drew the short straw licking the envelopes?!?! But, they are DONE!

… a jam session with BabySpice, a recorder and her guitar. #someonehasafunnyinstagramvideo

… the return of DaddyATM! #livingathomehassomeperks #yesimpayinghimback #nodollasonlyeuros

… a fantastic catch up dim sum dinner with a good friend. #gotmyasainfoodfix

… bed around 945pm because I was zonked.

Overall it was a wonderful weekend, just not quite the downtime I expected. Now it's time to lock into training mode and try to find some workout time this week, too. Hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!

Linking up with these ladies