Dear March,
Hello.... I have a quick question for you before we jump into this letter.... What was that?! This month, was full of ups and downs and days where I thought to myself, What in the world is going on!? BUT through all that, I am here on March 31st, saying I made it through. I might have cried, I might have fought and I might have struggled but I made it and boy I am sure glad I did make it.
On to the overview of my March:
- Watched a lot of movies- both old and new
- Climbed a lot of walls
- Sweet surprises
- A favorite flamingo got to go on an adventure
- A wide variety of emotions were felt this month
- Eleanor turned 4!
- Adventures
- Daily coffees? (who am I?)
This was a full FULL month. Looking back through my planner (which is also acts like my journal), I didn't realize how much I truly experienced this month. There were big moments, small moments, moments I would like to forget, moments I was really proud of myself and moments that were just everyday run of the mill moments but all these moments made for a pretty good month overall.
One of my favorite memories from this month was Penelope's Alaskan Adventure. Kyle went on a business trip to Alaska and I gave him (baby) Penelope. I honestly thought he would leave her home but he brought her along and then provided me photos of her in Alaska (and Seattle!) making new friends! That brought so much joy to me and I could tell he totally understood my goofy side! Check out Penelope at the airport wondering why she can't just fly herself to Alaska. (BTW, she loved the flights and she always got extra attention from all the crew!)
In case you are wondering, Penelope is currently living in Kyle's work bag to be ready at a moments notice to go on the next adventure. Don't worry, she has plenty of snacks, water and her flamingo passport.
Another great moment this moment this month was getting to spend more time outside. We had some more unseasonably warm days and I took full advantage. 6 walks on my lunch and then one golden hour bike ride around my neighborhood made my heart feel so full! I am so so excited to get outside even more in April.
On the flip side of all the good moments, I felt a lot of BIG emotions this month. When something was off, I didn't brush it off, I tried to feel whatever it was fully and that resulted in some pretty big emotions. I sometimes had a hard time controlling them and it got messy. There were a few days were my anxiety got the best of me and I felt as if the walls were closing in on me. Even though, I have the tools to work through this anxiety (thanks therapy), I completely forget it when I am in the moment.
I think what was really interesting was how deeply I connected with the new Pixar movie, Turning Red. There were so many moments watching it, where I said to myself, OH MY GOSH! I know exactly how you feel Mei! Her quirkiness and her absolute self love was so refreshing and perfect. I wasn't expecting to get so attached to this movie especially since I really haven't loved a lot of Pixar movies in the last few years. Turning Red made me realize that I cannot let things get so bottled up and then POOF! next minute, I am a giant panda bear and super embarrassed. I need to let those emotions out and speak up or in the wise words of Taylor Swift... Speak now.
Eleanor turned 4 this month and hit 40,000 miles. WAHOO! She is in her last year of being a toddler. I cannot believe I've had Eleanor for 4 years! We have been on so many adventures. I am so glad she has stuck around this long.
A huge highlight of my month was all the climbing I did! Below are my climbing stats for the month and overall I am pretty happy with the progress I made. I always leave the gym with messy hair, covered in chalk and smiling (and sometimes frustrated). One exciting point, since I have been going to Gravity Vault so often, it made sense to buy a year membership. I am happy to say, I got my money's worth for March using it 4 times. (I bought the membership towards the end of the month)
I climbed 9 times at 2 climbing gyms.
I averaged 14 routes per session at the Gravity Vault in Brick
I averaged 7 routes per session at the Gravity Vault in Middletown.
Gravity Vault Brick
I completed 18 different bouldering routes (VB- V1)
I completed 0 different top rope routes
Most Rewarding: V1 Grey- this was my project. I had been struggling on this one since JANUARY! I spent the whole month working on it in parts and it felt so good when I was able to complete it fully.
Most Challenging: V1 Purple(s)- these were two new routes that I tried and they were challenging. Both had holds that weren't the big smooth holds I was used to; these holds were super textured and crimpy. I have avoided crimps (very tiny holding space, usually only the first or second knuckle can hold it) since the beginning and well, I guess I have to now face them. It will be a humbling challenge.
Favorite Route: V1 Grey just because it was my project and I was so proud of it.
Gravity Vault Middletown
I completed 16 different bouldering routes (V0- V2)
I completed 0 different top rope routes
Most Rewarding: V0 Blue- it was on an overhang and the last foothold always was slippery. I found strength holding on and being able to complete the route.
Most Challenging: V0 Pink- I couldn't get my head wrapped around how to reach around the volume which was to the left of the volume and move my body that way. I got it once but I fought the entire way. This is my current project in Middletown.
Favorite Route: V1 Red- This went across and then up; I worked hard on my footwork and trusting my hands to hold me while I reached.
Favorite Moment at both gyms: feeling more confident to try different routes and being calmer if I get stuck towards the top. Also I made friends!
Whew! Its nice to go back and see the progress you make!
My gym stats for the month are:
I went to the gym 2 times.
I completed 13 exercises per session.
I did 26 different exercises
These two times I went to the gym, I did all my favorite exercises. I love seeing the progress with the gym and seeing how much strength I have gained.
My mini goal for next month is to get to the gym more and continue to see my progress with my strength.
License Plate Game
This is a silly but joyful update. I saw 9 new license plates this month. I couldn't believe my luck.
My trip to Ikea on the turnpike really helped me this month. I have only 13 more to go!
Wonder what I should do after I find them all....
What a wonderfully crazy month I had.
I am looking forward to:
-More consistently warmer days to spend outside
-focusing more on my passion projects and diving deeper into what makes me, me.
[[your presence matters here and everywhere]]
PS! As I was drinking into work on Monday (April 4), I totally realized I forgot to talk about one thing that made me smile and totally surprised me and that I totally mentioned in my month overview.
I started drinking coffee. I know this isn't ground breaking news and 90% of the population drink it but I was in the 10% of the population that didn't drink it. (I always thought I was naturally perky enough) but a few weeks ago, when I was at Starbucks getting my Medicine Ball, I had this urge to get a small Americano. I walked out of there ($8 later) with two white coffee cups in my hands. I drank both once I got to work and I was in love again. I drank Amerciano's years ago and then randomly stopped (probably because the price). I started getting them regularly after this. I wasn't upset about the price because I had a gift card. I started thinking that Americano's have to be easy to make- its just 1 part espresso and 2 parts water.
I went on a search in Stop and Shop for Espresso. I had no idea what espresso looked like other to find it in the coffee isle. After a few minutes, I found it. The tiniest little jar of coffee on the shelf, all by it self. I was so excited! I got even more excited that one little jar cost me just about the same as one small cup at Starbucks. I figured this would be well worth the money. I will report back in Dear April to let you know how it sizes up to Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts Americano's.
