Wow… I’m sorry that I’m failing at blogging. I keep telling myself to do better… but that positive self-talk seldom results in any kind of action. Oops.
Well, good news since the “hungry” blog – I have lost almost 4 pounds (so far – I weigh myself again tomorrow!), which means that I am halfway to my weight loss goal. I’m adjusting to my new level of calorie consumption, so although I definitely GET hungry, I am not CONSTANTLY hungry any more. And THAT, my friends, is a vast improvement! I also went and bought some good running shoes on Saturday, which was an interesting experience. I went to FW Running Co., and they had me run on a treadmill like 8 different times to try different kinds of shoes. It turns out that I pronate really badly when I run, so they found me some shoes that correct that. They were a bit expensive (which is why I have talked about but put off buying them for like a year now…), but they definitely help my ankles and knees a lot. They are substantially heavier than my old shoes (largely because my old shoes had no support in them whatsoever), so it is kind of an adjustment. (And just to be clear – they’re still normal shoes. They’re Saucony running shoes, not like Dr. Scholl’s orthopedic ankle support shoes or anything. I just wanted to clarify in case someone got a really skewed mental picture based on my description.) I got up and ran Monday and Wednesday, but I needed Tuesday and today to recover from actually exercising. I am excited because it’s starting to feel good to eat better and exercise. My pants already fit differently in the waist, which is fabulous. (I mean, granted, they just fit like they’re supposed to instead of being really tight and uncomfortable… but still!)
We’ve also done really well about eating at home instead of going out to eat all the time so far this year. I’ve been trying new recipes a lot, and Lance has even been eating leftovers! (Hallelujah!) I know it’s definitely easier for us to eat healthily at home, plus it saves a LOT of money, so I am pretty excited about it all the way around. I shared my enthusiasm with Lance over how much better we’re doing, and he responded, “Well, but it’s only January. It’s probably going to go downhill from here.” That little boogerface. I really want to do better all year – not just January. Anyway, we have a budget that we try really hard to stick to, but last year, we went over our out-to-eat budget by at least a little bit pretty much every month. I really want us to do better about that, so I’m excited to see some improvement in that area as well.
We’re also making progress on our trip (HOORAY!). Our plane tickets are “on hold” from the American site right now, and we are planning to book them tonight. We’re staying with our friend’s parents in Paris, so that’s taken care of, and we have already booked our hotel in Rome. It’s exciting to have the really BIG things taken care of. If you know me and my OCD tendencies, you won’t be surprised to know that I already have a journal wherein I’ve been taking notes for almost a month. I have a list of tours I want to take, monuments/museums I want to visit, restaurants I want to eat at, flights that might work for us, things to do before we leave for the trip, etc. I’ve also learned to say, “Do you speak English? Sorry, I don’t speak French.”, “Where are the toilets?”, “Will you take our picture?”, and “Check, please!” I learned some other REALLY basic phrases too, but I think those are the ones I’m most proud of.
For those of you who have been to Paris and/or Rome, what was your favorite/least favorite thing that you saw/did/visited/ate/took a picture of/thought about later/would do again/would never do again/etc.? Also, what did/would you wear/not wear again, and how much do you recommend packing? (Those are some of the most open-ended questions ever asked, but I would love to get some more direction! Then I can write it down in my journal!!)
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“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:14
Baptism Sunday at GCR
3 days ago
I would nix the fanny pack. Not my best fashion piece. But it was the 90s. Give me a break.
ReplyDeleteThe mall in Paris - don't bother. I can't believe we did.
Light windbreaker was a good decision on our part b/c it did lightly rain a bit and the windbreaker kept us dry but not hot.
I recommend a backpack of some sort. NO purses. You'll regret it.
The Arche de Triomphe (sp?) was fantastic, as was the glass pyramid thing, and the (OF COURSE) Eiffel tower. We were only there for a few hours but I wish we had made time for the Louvre. I'm still a bit ill that I didn't see Mona face-to-face.
For those of you who have been to Paris and/or Rome, what was your favorite/least favorite thing that you saw/did/visited/ate/took a picture of/thought about later/would do again/would never do again/etc.? Also, what did/would you wear/not wear again, and how much do you recommend packing?
ReplyDeleteHey! We ALWAYS went over on our "out to eat" budget part too, stink on it! That's awesome ya'll are getting better at it, we were consistently awful. I have never been to Italy so I can't speak for it- but as for Paris, be SURE to bring something for rain (windbreaker or umbrella) and warm clothes (we were there in the summer and wearing long sleeves and jeans). When I visited with my friend Lauren we stayed with some guys from A&M who were there interning for the summer at a Bike Tours place right by the Eiffel Tower. It was the COOLEST experience and I never would have done it if we weren't friends with them. We got to see SO many more things than if we were just walking on foot, but yet being on a bicycle gave us the "pedestrian" point of view while touring which I really love. At the end we took a River cruise around Paris and they had a bottle of wine and we watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle and all that fun stuff. It was AWESOME! Definitely visit the Rose Garden where "The Thinker" statue is at, that was a beautiful place. The Louvre is worth every penny to visit (that's the "glass pyramid" the girl above is talking about, and then the museum is inside- you can see the Mona Lisa, Venus statue, etc. here). Don't forget to have a day or two or some time to just explore the streets and the quirky bakeries and things. Those are some of my best memories. Be SURE to get a crepe (or three) while you are there! OH- and definitely take the train out to the country to see Versailles- the palace and courtyards are beautiful. And of course go to the top of the Eiffel Tower- there are two ways to go up- alll the way up or just halfway. Halfway was fine for us and just cheaper. PS Paris is seriously everything you could ever want it to be, and so so romantic. Plan for that! :) haha! Have so much fun!!! -Brittany
Emailing you my comment because I think it was too long to post. Stupid blogger!
ReplyDeleteI'm a random reader but I go to Harding University and I spent a semester abroad. The most important thing I would tell you, if you are interested in saving money, is to go on a FREE city tour. They actually have 2 different ones for Paris. They are conducted by people in their mid 20s to 30s who work only off of tips (so they are really good and also funny!)You get to see SO much and learn way more than you would on your own in 3 hours.
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