Well, two days left in sweet little Arlington. I don't know what it is, but I guess I'm just not one of those people who gets sick of this place. I am growing slightly perturbed with my family and am eager to escape that realm, but when I'm running the airport loop, through the crisp Washington air, looking over my shoulder to see the Cascade Mountains in the distance, I can't help but admit that I am going to miss this place. It's where my heart lies. But then I also remember that I'm on my way back to where the rest of my heart resides, in Granada. It's going to be so refreshing walking down Recogidas, hearing the buzz of Spanish around me. ....Spanish....that language I once spoke...this will be another interesting challenge, diving back into it.
I'm not ready to go back in the sense that I have not packed, and I have a huge to do list for the next 60 hours or so before departure. But I have seen everyone I need to see, done everything I need to do, my break has been complete. Reading the blogs of Nikki (who's down in Haiti working to clean things up after the earthquake) & Emily (who's just embarked on her Semester at Sea), I am eager to get out into the world again, anxious to travel! I am realizing that from this point onward, I'm not going to be in one place for very long. There are so many places I want to go, things to see, and challenges to be met ahead of me, that as much as I love Arlington, Washington, it will always be my home base, but may never be where I permanently reside.
As far as my Phase 2 of South Beach, it's going alright. I would say I'm "roughly" following the rules. Which means I've been cheating, which isn't really ok. But at the same time I'm managing what I'm doing, and I'm working out hard! I am so glad that I've started being active again, and I need to keep that up for the next 4 months overseas. The next week and a half in Switzerland is a bit agonizing as I won't really have control over what I eat, as is the upcoming trip to Rome Feb. 11 or so. Pizza & Pasta here I come? We'll see. Basically I just can't let myself go backwards. If I stay the same, fine, Hawaii Bod 2010 will resume itself in May. But there will be no backwards. I have worked too hard for that!
I probably won't write again until I am in Switzerland. I am totally excited for my time there, but not too excited about the travel aspect of getting there. I feel like I just hopped off a 10 hour flight at Sea-Tac and now I'm getting right back on! But hey, you gotta sacrifice for the fun I suppose. Well, hopefully I can pack wisely and get everything I need to do done! Peace out, America, see you May 25th!
Love, MacKenzie
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
no recuerdo como hablar espanol...
Well, Happy New Year everybody? At the moment I'm sitting in the Birnam Wood Apartment of my dear friends Heidi & Kelli, and as Kelli snores and Heidi and I make random comments about whatever we're looking at online, it is hitting me that I will soon be flying over the big blue again, back to Europa. Dang, time truly flies.
My break has been...entirely satisfactory. Now I know this blog is predominantly full of my adventures in Spain, but I suppose I'll break it down for you a bit, because hey, immersion into my former culture is important to document. Let's just say I haven't had too difficult of a time. Christmas was amazing this year, maybe because it beat last year's break by far, maybe because I hadn't seen my family in months, but whatever the reason, it was memorable and flawless. I raked in the dough from my fam, which will be helpful upon my upcoming transition back to the Euro. yay...not! =)
I recently spent about $150 (yikes those things are expensive, but I just can't hold back when I get to Michael's!) on scrapbooking materials and have been spending my days busily cutting, stickering, and creating away, which makes me miss my loves from Granada and passes the time quickly. It's going to be very strange returning "home" without them, I am not sure how it's going to turn out exactly.
Another major update in mi vida is that I am currently doing the South Beach Diet. Crazy, I know. But guess what, it works! Let me just give you some background so you understand my motivations. Two weeks ago my good friend Tyler Varnell and I were all set to go up snowboarding at Mt. Baker. The night before, I slip my snowpants on...brand new North Face ones bought only last year...and they won't come even close to closing. That's right, traumatic. Now, I had already faced the horror of the scale and realized that my body had uhh...developed...15 brand new pounds since departing in August, but this was the final straw. After a bit of a fit, a day of active snowboarding (wearing my DAD'S ski bibs, real cute), and some coaching from my stepmom Lena, I began Wednesday, Jan. 6 on Phase 1 of South Beach, armed with an awesome cookbook and more willpower than I thought I could ever have. And now, a mere 12 days later, I have lost 10 pounds, and counting! It will be interesting maintaining this completely healthy lifestyle in Spain, but I am going to try my best and hopefully I can work out some sort of situation that will prevent me from engorging once again.
Second piece of my weight loss plan/activities to keep me from being bored during my 6 week Christmas break is that my Dad and I have been working out fairly religiously together. He's on leave from the Navy so he hasn't been going to work, and we've run/walked the Airport Loop (6 miles) by my house many mornings, and we recently started going to the gym at the Base in Everett together. It's really good bonding time, and I've been getting in way better shape.
Let's see what else. Well, I've spent the past two weekends visiting my good friends up in Bellingham. Last weekend we saw Avatar (amazing, awesome, stupendous) and I am fairly certain aka positive I hit a raccoon on the way back. I visited the kids I have babysat for the past two years and took them to the park, I can't believe how big Blake and Barrett have gotten just in the past 6 months. I try to go to Quinn's home games at the high school, I cannot believe she's a senior, especially since we played together when I was a senior and she was a freshman! And mainly I have been loving being home with my family. I try and cook my new healthy dinners for Mom & Jordan and they seem to be appreciating it! :) Overall I'm absolutely loving my time home.
But...that most certainly doesn't mean I'm not excited to go back. I'm not scared this time, or nervous really. I'm looking forward to Switzerland for 9 days! It's going to be a blast to see Heinx, Brigitte, Gian Martin & Aita again, it's been 2 years. And then back to Granada. Home! My new apartment with new roommates Ana y Jessica!! Can't wait to see them. And of course can't wait to see Allison and the other returnees. But I'll be there soon enough. As for now, it's time to hit the hay!! Hasta luego...
MacKenzie
My break has been...entirely satisfactory. Now I know this blog is predominantly full of my adventures in Spain, but I suppose I'll break it down for you a bit, because hey, immersion into my former culture is important to document. Let's just say I haven't had too difficult of a time. Christmas was amazing this year, maybe because it beat last year's break by far, maybe because I hadn't seen my family in months, but whatever the reason, it was memorable and flawless. I raked in the dough from my fam, which will be helpful upon my upcoming transition back to the Euro. yay...not! =)
I recently spent about $150 (yikes those things are expensive, but I just can't hold back when I get to Michael's!) on scrapbooking materials and have been spending my days busily cutting, stickering, and creating away, which makes me miss my loves from Granada and passes the time quickly. It's going to be very strange returning "home" without them, I am not sure how it's going to turn out exactly.
Another major update in mi vida is that I am currently doing the South Beach Diet. Crazy, I know. But guess what, it works! Let me just give you some background so you understand my motivations. Two weeks ago my good friend Tyler Varnell and I were all set to go up snowboarding at Mt. Baker. The night before, I slip my snowpants on...brand new North Face ones bought only last year...and they won't come even close to closing. That's right, traumatic. Now, I had already faced the horror of the scale and realized that my body had uhh...developed...15 brand new pounds since departing in August, but this was the final straw. After a bit of a fit, a day of active snowboarding (wearing my DAD'S ski bibs, real cute), and some coaching from my stepmom Lena, I began Wednesday, Jan. 6 on Phase 1 of South Beach, armed with an awesome cookbook and more willpower than I thought I could ever have. And now, a mere 12 days later, I have lost 10 pounds, and counting! It will be interesting maintaining this completely healthy lifestyle in Spain, but I am going to try my best and hopefully I can work out some sort of situation that will prevent me from engorging once again.
Second piece of my weight loss plan/activities to keep me from being bored during my 6 week Christmas break is that my Dad and I have been working out fairly religiously together. He's on leave from the Navy so he hasn't been going to work, and we've run/walked the Airport Loop (6 miles) by my house many mornings, and we recently started going to the gym at the Base in Everett together. It's really good bonding time, and I've been getting in way better shape.
Let's see what else. Well, I've spent the past two weekends visiting my good friends up in Bellingham. Last weekend we saw Avatar (amazing, awesome, stupendous) and I am fairly certain aka positive I hit a raccoon on the way back. I visited the kids I have babysat for the past two years and took them to the park, I can't believe how big Blake and Barrett have gotten just in the past 6 months. I try to go to Quinn's home games at the high school, I cannot believe she's a senior, especially since we played together when I was a senior and she was a freshman! And mainly I have been loving being home with my family. I try and cook my new healthy dinners for Mom & Jordan and they seem to be appreciating it! :) Overall I'm absolutely loving my time home.
But...that most certainly doesn't mean I'm not excited to go back. I'm not scared this time, or nervous really. I'm looking forward to Switzerland for 9 days! It's going to be a blast to see Heinx, Brigitte, Gian Martin & Aita again, it's been 2 years. And then back to Granada. Home! My new apartment with new roommates Ana y Jessica!! Can't wait to see them. And of course can't wait to see Allison and the other returnees. But I'll be there soon enough. As for now, it's time to hit the hay!! Hasta luego...
MacKenzie
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