Countdown to Kilimanjaro


I am sorta chubby.  We all know that.  In fact, if I were real honest, there was a point in my life where I was just flat out fat.  This is not being too hard on myself; this is being capable of owning myself.  The truth is I am probably always going to have big thighs and a big butt.  Why?  Well, because I love pizza and beer…together and separately, but mostly together.  This is something I have come to terms with.  However, I also know that I can be healthy in that.  I may never have tiny, skinny legs like most girls, but I can be strong and physically capable.  Which leads me to the point of this blog:  I am going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in the year 2016.

Yes, you heard me right.  I am going to climb the highest mountain in Africa.

A little background on me:  My entire life I have wanted to see the world.  However, the one place I have always dreamed of going is Africa.   This desire began upon watching (one of my all time favorite movies) out of Africa.  For future reference, my movie character crush is Denys Finch Hatton (based off of the real man, but played by Robert Redford…swoon).  In that movie there are lovely landscapes of Africa, and for some reason my heart caught the fire.  Then there is the quote by Denys, “I don’t want to find out someday that I am at the end of someone else’s life.”  Ohhhhh Denys…I understand why the Bareness loved you.   Anyways, I digress.  I am so excited to say that I am finally going to get my dream; my job is based upon research in Africa.  


I have come a long way in my weight loss journey.  After awhile I have really started to look at it as a strength journey instead.  Probably one of the biggest things I have learned is that you have to really begin to look at weight loss as a lifestyle change.  Which I know isn’t a new idea.  However, I think sometimes it is easy to forget.  A large part of making physical fitness and healthy eating a part of your life is realizing that there are times where your routine will disappear.  During those times it is important to keep a good mindset and give yourself some slack; while also attempting to control the damage as best you can.  In the last 12 weeks I have completely fallen off my routine.  Between graduating, moving, starting a new job, and experiencing some intense emotions it has been chaos, and I have lost a lot of ground.


I find that a great way to jump-start yourself to get back on track is to set a goal.  So, in September of 2016 I will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Although this climb is not difficult from a technical standpoint, this climb will require me to be in strong physical shape.  I will be sharing in my journey with all of you here on my blog, with my final post reviewing the climb itself.  Please tune in if you’re interested!  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pack Toilet Paper

Image
"It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough - to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go." Anthony Bourdain When you travel like I do, you often find yourself in situations where you don’t have much to entertain yourself. I always remember that I should download more movies onto my laptop once I am in a situation with very little to do and no internet connection. This has lead to me watching the same 5-6 movies over and over again. These movies include, but are not limited to: Wild, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and Moana. I guess my taste in movies leans towards movies with a malcontent female chara
Keep digging »

#31 All men should carry handkerchiefs.

Image
This blog is best if read while listening to Figure Me out by The Summer Set. As most of you know, I recently turned 30!   I had a tough time with this.   Yep, for some reason turning 30 didn’t feel all that great to me.   Now, I know all of the things people say about turning 30, and I also realize that—for the most part—they are correct.   Yet, I still am not 100% loving it. That being said, there is something about celebrating 30 years of a life.   I have experienced a lot of things, I have learned a lot, and there has been a whole lot of joy.   However, a lot of things have changed as well.   So, what follows are my thoughts on being 30, being single, owning my first home, and life in general. 1)     Washing my hair and putting on make-up has become a real struggle.   Honestly, I am just as over it as other women my age, but attempting to figure out how much I should be still trying brings a new level of struggle to it…and it is so real. 2)     My back hurts, l
Keep digging »

Life is not a snapshot

Image
  Life.   It isn’t always easy.   Recently my life has been turned upside down.   I moved from a city to a small town.   I hung up my lab coat and left the lab; the place where I found solace and identity.   I left behind a church family who truly understands my heart and knows me for who I am.   To top it off, in Lubbock I was surrounded by a group of friends who were all walking in a similar season as myself.   In Manhattan I feel very alone.   Without fully realizing it, my heart has been taking a serious beating by life lately, and honestly…I was letting it. I very recently got dumped.   Now, I’m not talking kind of dumped, I’m talking dumped…HARD.   I will take credit for not taking more intentional steps to protect my own heart, BUT, there is just something about being almost thirty and being dumped.   It leaves you feeling a little bit awkward, and a lot a bit rejected.   I chose to put it behind me as soon as possible and focus on the tasks ahead of me.   I boarded a pl
Keep digging »