I suppose there are lots of 'funny' and random little things about knowing two languages and living in different countries and moving alot. But here's my story of the day (disclaimer, it's a real 'Christine' story):
I was sitting outside in the sunshine, just enjoying the sun and the heat and the fact that it nearly hit 20c today. Too cold for a bathing suit but perfect for shorts and a t-shirt and a blanket on the ground (I would have been too shy and self-conscious to wear a bathing suit anyway). There are lots of other 'kids' around me. Some playing volleyball, viking/king game, petanque, etc, some drinking beer, and some, like me, just sitting or laying out on blankets and sucking it all in.
Suddenly, I saw Wes! Yea, Wes Blue Moose (comment if you read this, I don't think you do though)!! Casually, I thought to myself 'oh, there's Wes, that's nice, he probably wants to enjoy the nice weather too."
Then, I thought. "Wait a minute. Wes is in Florida. I'm in Denmark. That can't be right."
Obviously, it wasn't actually Wes, it was just a look-alike. Man, was I dissapointed. I could use some more Wes (and other brothelites) in my life. The funny thing is, though, that this is something that happens and has happened, alot. I am always seeing people I 'know' and then realizing that they are on a different continent than me. I guess it is just confusing for my poor brain to keep people separated like that. Maybe sometimes it is just wishful thinking that I could collect the people I love and want to hang out with in one place.
Yes, this is a special kind of crazy.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
on Running?
For as long as I can remember, I have always been an athlete. I was even a pretty good athlete. I never got into team sports, but I was a decent swimmer and runner. Even though the past few years have been somewhat of a slump in training, I still always thought of myself as an athlete. Except I wasn’t.
So I started running and exercising regularly again. I used to be a runner; I figure I can become one again. As mentioned in a previous post, I am signed up for a 5k race in May (the 13th). I am currently searching for a few more races to do over the summer and possibly even a longer race (10k) in the fall. Goals and races are good ways to stay motivated, especially for me. Also, I have a half- or a full marathon on my bucket list (body and knees depending), so if that is ever going to become reality, now is the time to start.
I realize that since this all only started 2 months ago, there is still time to relapse and fall back into a sedentary lifestyle. Still, I am trying to make this a routine that will stick. A change in lifestyle, if you will. Oddly enough, the most important part of this includes taking it easy, not overdoing it. I have had to learn that I am not as strong as I used to be, that I can’t handle the mileage I used to be able do, and that pushing myself too hard will only lead to injuries. Really, I’ve learned that even though I have some good experience from Cross Country and Track in High School, I am really a beginner runner in terms of my physical shape, my knowledge about training and training plans, proper form, nutrition, etc. etc.
So it is a learning process. By putting this on my blog, I now have one more way of staying accountable to my goals. You heard it here first. I am now a runner (again). Please help me stick with it. Come run with me (ok, I’m kind of far away, but when I am home for the summer, go running with me). If you’re a runner, give me tips and encouragement and answer my questions along the way. If you’re anyone else, give me encouragement, ask me about my running, tell me to go get my butt in gear and go for a run.
So I started running and exercising regularly again. I used to be a runner; I figure I can become one again. As mentioned in a previous post, I am signed up for a 5k race in May (the 13th). I am currently searching for a few more races to do over the summer and possibly even a longer race (10k) in the fall. Goals and races are good ways to stay motivated, especially for me. Also, I have a half- or a full marathon on my bucket list (body and knees depending), so if that is ever going to become reality, now is the time to start.
I realize that since this all only started 2 months ago, there is still time to relapse and fall back into a sedentary lifestyle. Still, I am trying to make this a routine that will stick. A change in lifestyle, if you will. Oddly enough, the most important part of this includes taking it easy, not overdoing it. I have had to learn that I am not as strong as I used to be, that I can’t handle the mileage I used to be able do, and that pushing myself too hard will only lead to injuries. Really, I’ve learned that even though I have some good experience from Cross Country and Track in High School, I am really a beginner runner in terms of my physical shape, my knowledge about training and training plans, proper form, nutrition, etc. etc.
So it is a learning process. By putting this on my blog, I now have one more way of staying accountable to my goals. You heard it here first. I am now a runner (again). Please help me stick with it. Come run with me (ok, I’m kind of far away, but when I am home for the summer, go running with me). If you’re a runner, give me tips and encouragement and answer my questions along the way. If you’re anyone else, give me encouragement, ask me about my running, tell me to go get my butt in gear and go for a run.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
life lately
Once again I have neglected my blog. As always, I could come up with a bunch of excuses, but none of them are really valid. It’s not like I don’t have the time to write, and I often think of things to write about, I just never get around to actually sitting down and doing it.
Anyway, I suppose it is time for an update on my life, since my last post was over a month ago, and my last many posts haven’t really been about me as much as they have been about news and goings-on around the world. So, in no particular order, I present the stuff that has been on my mind, the things that I have been doing and what is coming up for me in the near future:
• School and Projects: The biggest thing on my mind, school-wise, has been getting started on a large project on employee communication at IKEA Odense. It took us a while to get everything set up and ready, but we have finally completed interviews with several IKEA employees and now we are heading into the fun stuff: transcribing interviews, analyzing our data, reviewing (more) literature, and finally writing our 60-75 page report (we’re a three person group). Not that anyone from IKEA will read this, but the people we spoke with and who helped us out were all super, super friendly and helpful. We are so thankful and grateful for the effort they put into helping us out.
• I never thought I would say this, but I actually joined a gym. A big old, evil, corporate gym. As an old swimmer and runner, I never thought I would be a gym person. I was the type of person who said “I’d rather just go run outside.” The problem was, I didn’t actually do that, and so I let myself get into absolutely horrible shape. Christine from 5 years ago would have been very ashamed of Christine from 2 months ago. I also have regular gym buddy, which makes it a lot more fun. Even though she is a faster runner than me (for now…) it is nice to go there together and run on treadmills next to each other, and feel like we went running together. Outside, she would have been a mile ahead of me, but inside, we can keep each other going. The gym also offers a variety of “free” (included in the price of membership) classes, such as yoga, Pilates, spinning, boxing, thai-boe, etc. that I have been trying out for variety.
• First race in 5 + years: I’m a goal-oriented person, so I’ve signed up for my first 5k race since October 2004 and my first race of any kind since Track and Field in (May?) 2005. My goal is pretty modest: I’d like to run it in 30 minutes or less. Hopefully, I’ll stay motivated, keep running, be able to do more races through the summer and fall, and hopefully my times will get faster with time. The race will take place May 13th. I hope I’ll be ready by then!
• Volleyball tournament: I’m pretty sure I haven’t played any real volleyball since 9th grade, but I signed up for my kitchen’s team for the volleyball tournament that happens every April/May. Our first game is Thursday!
• Finals: Projects are due at the end of May and then I have three finals between June 14th and June 25th.
• Internship: I’m searching and applying for internships for the fall. It’s an exciting and tedious process. I’ll update more once I have something set up =)
• Summer: I’m hoping to make it home for a few weeks in July. A lot depends on where I will be interning and when I will be starting (see above). Most likely, the internship will start around August 1st, so that kind of limits the amount of time I have for travelling.
Anyway, I suppose it is time for an update on my life, since my last post was over a month ago, and my last many posts haven’t really been about me as much as they have been about news and goings-on around the world. So, in no particular order, I present the stuff that has been on my mind, the things that I have been doing and what is coming up for me in the near future:
• School and Projects: The biggest thing on my mind, school-wise, has been getting started on a large project on employee communication at IKEA Odense. It took us a while to get everything set up and ready, but we have finally completed interviews with several IKEA employees and now we are heading into the fun stuff: transcribing interviews, analyzing our data, reviewing (more) literature, and finally writing our 60-75 page report (we’re a three person group). Not that anyone from IKEA will read this, but the people we spoke with and who helped us out were all super, super friendly and helpful. We are so thankful and grateful for the effort they put into helping us out.
• I never thought I would say this, but I actually joined a gym. A big old, evil, corporate gym. As an old swimmer and runner, I never thought I would be a gym person. I was the type of person who said “I’d rather just go run outside.” The problem was, I didn’t actually do that, and so I let myself get into absolutely horrible shape. Christine from 5 years ago would have been very ashamed of Christine from 2 months ago. I also have regular gym buddy, which makes it a lot more fun. Even though she is a faster runner than me (for now…) it is nice to go there together and run on treadmills next to each other, and feel like we went running together. Outside, she would have been a mile ahead of me, but inside, we can keep each other going. The gym also offers a variety of “free” (included in the price of membership) classes, such as yoga, Pilates, spinning, boxing, thai-boe, etc. that I have been trying out for variety.
• First race in 5 + years: I’m a goal-oriented person, so I’ve signed up for my first 5k race since October 2004 and my first race of any kind since Track and Field in (May?) 2005. My goal is pretty modest: I’d like to run it in 30 minutes or less. Hopefully, I’ll stay motivated, keep running, be able to do more races through the summer and fall, and hopefully my times will get faster with time. The race will take place May 13th. I hope I’ll be ready by then!
• Volleyball tournament: I’m pretty sure I haven’t played any real volleyball since 9th grade, but I signed up for my kitchen’s team for the volleyball tournament that happens every April/May. Our first game is Thursday!
• Finals: Projects are due at the end of May and then I have three finals between June 14th and June 25th.
• Internship: I’m searching and applying for internships for the fall. It’s an exciting and tedious process. I’ll update more once I have something set up =)
• Summer: I’m hoping to make it home for a few weeks in July. A lot depends on where I will be interning and when I will be starting (see above). Most likely, the internship will start around August 1st, so that kind of limits the amount of time I have for travelling.
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