Enrolling in Driver's Ed

Well, will you look at that! It turns out I had one last story to tell for 2014. You see, last week, I was fortunate enough to get lots of outdoor walking worked into my day because of Christmas vacation. Walking outside does something to my brain, it wanders ­– in a good way – and that’s usually when I start planning my next post. So, here we are.

As I was enjoying the sunshine, I started thinking about all the posts that I've already written and what driving analogies I may have missed. Then it dawned on me, with the new year starting and the images of gyms, news articles and opinion pieces, Facebook memes and pretty much any ad on TV or radio that inundates our subconscious with ideas that everyone’s New Year’s Resolution is (or should be) weight-loss, I decided that I would dive right into that saturated field and offer my own opinions on the subject. Please note that everything I state here is strictly my opinion and I have received no compensation for what I’m about to say!

For those who have decided that 2015 is going to be “The Year” of successful weight loss, I would offer this suggestion: treat it like Driver’s Ed. Before you went out to get your Driver’s License, you had to become familiar with the car and the rules of the road. For many of us, learning on our own or with the help of a parent was not enough, so we enrolled in Driver’s Ed and used the support of the teacher and other classmates to help us learn and eventually pass the test.

Starting this journey shouldn't be any different. There are some people who are successful at losing weight without any outside assistance, they are rare, but I don’t doubt they exist. I am not one of them. I need the support and the tools of my Weight Watchers group to continue my success. Now, I've changed a lot of habits over the years, so I’m not as dependent as I was in the beginning, but the right group or program will allow you to spread your wings. To be successful, you must be allowed to share, vent, support others, be supported, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes and never stop growing. Programs (like Weight Watchers or Shibboleth) and retreats (such as Green Mountain at Fox Run) that focus on education and support seem to be the most successful platforms. But ultimately, the program that is successful for you is the one in which you want to follow.

When you learn the proper driving techniques from qualified instructors, your driving record is usually better than someone who is just winging it. That’s not to say that you won’t ever get a ticket or be in an accident, but at least you have been given the tools to learn how to recognize the signs of dangerous road conditions. These groups operate in much the same manner. Just by attending the meetings doesn't guarantee that you will lose weight, you must take on the responsibility to use what you learn and not expect it to come without hard work.  I realize that sounds a bit preachy, and I typically try to keep everything here light-hearted, but I can’t stress enough that it is ultimately up to you to be successful in your journey. You can have the support of the entire planet, but you must be the one who puts the key in the ignition and starts the car. Knowing that you have the support of a driving instructor along for the ride should make things easier in the beginning, but the instructor is only there to impart her knowledge, you must be willing to absorb it and put it into action so that you take control of your own vehicle. After a while, you may find that you've mastered some of the techniques so well that you are willing to put yourself in the instructor’s seat for those newbies that are about to hit the road with their New Year’s Resolutions!

I hope that 2015 finds you happy and healthy and I encourage you all to enjoy your own Road Trip! You are worth the journey!

Navigating the Holidays

I’m sorry that I've been slacking, things are just crazy busy for me! Trust me, it’s not that I’m not interested in keeping my eyes on the road, I just haven’t had time to really focus on what matters, and that’s a most unfortunate thing. But now, with Thanksgiving behind us, Hanukkah starting last week, Christmas this week, culminating with the binge drinking and binge eating event otherwise known as New Year’s Eve, I just figured it was time to examine where I am on the map. After all, isn't the end of the year the best time for reflection? Looking at where you've been this past year in order to plan where you are going for next year.

I had to ask myself a few questions: 

Where have I been? Well, in 2014, I logged about 1846 miles worth of walking this year (with yet another week to go, I should end somewhere close to 1900 miles), hit my goal weight, had my story featured on CNN.com, appeared on the TV show “The Doctors” and was interviewed for Fitwoman.com, so all in all, 2014 was a great year. 

Where am I going? No one knows what the future holds, but I do know that I will be focusing more on my passion in 2015. This weight loss journey has not only inspired the birth of this blog, but it has also given me the spark I need to put myself out there as a writer. I expect that spark to grow into a much larger, brighter flame this upcoming year. I will most definitely be making time to nurture that spark in 2015! 

How do I keep moving forward? It’s not easy to stay on track, especially this time of year, but there are little reminders—road signs, if you will— that I come across on my journey. It’s those little signs that help me stay focused. For instance, at my meeting this past Saturday, one of my awesome meeting friends gave me a custom Christmas card telling me how I inspire her to continue on. It was the best feeling, knowing that what I've done, and continue doing, helps others. When I started back in 2011, my goal wasn't to inspire others, I was lucky if I could inspire myself, but as I have attested many times right here on this blog, I get my inspiration from those who surround me. That is how I keep moving forward! 

How do I navigate these holidays? I can’t believe it, but the Holiday season will be over before long and knowing that I have the tools and trusting in the awareness to keep my eyes on the road ahead is what helps me stay the course. One thing Margie the Magnificent is fond of saying is “they are called ‘HoliDAYS’, not ‘HoliMONTHS’!” Meaning, we are allowed to celebrate the day, but don’t let it continue on for the entire month of Octovember (also known as October, November and December)! We've all worked too long and too hard for a derailment this close to the end of the year.

I've found that self-reflection and self-awareness always seem to be my two best road trip buddies. Usually, I typically lose focus when I ignore who I am and what I’m doing. Self-doubt and self-recrimination are the worst possible traveling companions for any journey. The best thing I've ever done was leave those two along the side of the road somewhere, and never look back. Besides, I just didn't have enough room in the car to keep carrying them along. 

How will you answer the questions? Will you be able to find your spark in the new year? That is my Christmas wish for you...live your passion and may you never have a wasted day. 

I most likely will not be posting again until next year, so to all of you out there, have a very Merry Christmas and a brilliant and blessed New Year! 

Safe travels into 2015! Cheers!

You Don’t Have to Remain in the Fast Lane

So, way back when, as one of my earliest blog posts, I discussed how speeding isn't necessary. I remember that I wrote that, but so much has happened in the nearly 2 years since that post, that I had to go back and re-read it to ensure that I didn't repeat myself. While revisiting that stop along the Road Trip, it occurred to me that I really should go back and revisit my entire journey. Especially right now, with the holidays looming and end-of-year reminiscing, it just made sense that now is the time to look back. As the old saying goes, “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

I started this blog as a means of chronicling my struggles and successes, my trials and triumphs as I embarked on the (seemingly) overwhelming task of losing half my body weight. Now that I've achieved that goal, I continue to find little things along the way that inspire something down deep inside that I feel I should share. One such tidbit came from an unexpected source. As some of you know, my story was featured on CNN, and since then, I have been blessed with many opportunities, including being interviewed by FitWoman.com and even appearing on a segment of “The Doctors.” As it turns out, the unexpected source of inspiration came when someone from CNN reached out and asked if I would be interested in doing a follow up “Where Are They Now?” type story for January. It would coincide with people making New Year’s Resolutions. I sent back a quick response indicating that I would love to be a part of the New Year’s Resolution story and jotted down a quick piece of advice that I would offer someone making such a resolution: It’s not a resolution for a New Year, it’s a resolution for a New You. As soon as those words were staring back at me, I knew I had to translate that idea into a stop along my Road Trip.

 As you are driving along the interstate, it is tempting to want to hang out in the far left lane– the fast lane, as it were– in order to get where you’re going as fast as you can. It seems like a logical thought, but you can go too fast. When I talk about a New You Resolution, what I really mean is that thinking about the diet as a temporary activity will more than likely end in disappointment. For someone to get the desired results, it takes more than a casual “it’s a new year, I should lose some weight” passing thought. It takes a core desire to change what you've done your entire life and try something new. After all, if you want to be something you've never been, you have to do something you've never done. Overhauling your mind and body is not something to speed through. It took me 2 ½ years to hit goal and I learned a lot about myself during that time. If I had stayed in the left lane, pedal to the metal, there is no doubt I would have lost the weight faster, but I also may have gotten distracted and lost focus of the final goal. I’m not saying I wouldn't have been successful, but slowing down and appreciating the changes that I made helped me change old habits and create new ones. No one is timing you on your progress, so there is no need to rush through it. People often want instant gratification, but proper and healthy weight loss is not something that can be, nor should be, done overnight. It’s a long slow journey, but it is worth every mile!

Frustrated with a Traffic Jam

OK, so you know when you’re cruising along, hitting traffic lights with ease, there are minimal cars on the road and your road trip seems to be going along swimmingly. And then, all of the sudden, a traffic jam of biblical proportions halts you in your tracks. Yeah, that happens, trust me.

As much as I’d like to believe it, this journey can’t all be about sunshine and rainbows. At some point, the storm clouds are going to roll in and there is going to be a serious traffic delay that causes me to rethink whether or not I should stay the course. Now, depending on when this stall takes place will dictate how much of an introspective conversation I will need to have. If the delay is merely miles outside of my destination, I think it’s a no-brainer that a few extra minutes sitting in traffic is no big deal. However, if there is a major road closure right as I’m starting out? Well, then it’s time for me to seriously analyze what I want to accomplish.

Throughout this journey, I really don’t know if I have made it clear that this task is not easy. That was the impetus behind this blog. Knowing it’s not easy, knowing that it takes a little something extra to achieve was why I wanted to write everything down and put my story out there. There were plenty of times I wanted to quit and maybe plenty of times that I almost did, but I realized that the quitting behavior is what I’d always done. And isn't the clinical definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result? If you want something you've never had, you must choose to do something you've never done. To me, that is the polar opposite of insanity.

Deciding to quit is nothing new for people. Deciding to succeed, there’s where we tread into unexplored territory. So, when you come up on your traffic jam, decide if you will take the same, tired way back home or venture on the road less travelled. The fork in the road is before you, and it is up to you to decide which way is going to take you to your ultimate destination.

Beware of Reckless Drivers

OK, so I know that I have talked about “Road Rage” in the past, but that was mainly about anonymous hating focused on people whom I have never met simply trying to live their lives. I want to address the reckless drivers out there who pose a specific threat to my personal journey. There is no doubt that the internet offers a certain level of anonymity that has been the downfall of basic human kindness. I guess it’s the internet. I’d prefer not to think that the bully mentality that is so prevalent today is not because Homo sapiens suck, in general, as a species.

Anyway, as I was saying, I’ve dragged my soap box out previously to discuss how people can bash random people for being “chunky” or “fat” or any other derogatory term that indicates someone doesn’t meet the impossible standards that Hollywood— in it’s infinite wisdom— has set for how women should look. What I never expected to be discussing was how I have suddenly been subjected to some of this anonymous, random internet trolling (I believe a radio show known as The Kane Show refers to it as the 1% Effect: no matter how positive a story, there’s 1% of the population that will still find something negative to say.)

 When the story of my journey was published on CNN’s website and then, subsequently, around the world, I never dreamed that I would be reading negative comments about me. What I’ve come to realize through this entire ordeal is that I am a much stronger person than I could have imagined. Reading what these reckless drivers are saying actually amuses me and spurs me on to continue to succeed. People who say I will gain all my weight back in a year because diets don’t work or those who think it’s so easy to lose 150+ pounds and they don’t understand why it took me 2 1/2 years. Really? While I would really like to address each and every naysayer, I realized...who cares what they think? They are just sitting at their keyboards, hating their own lives hoping to lash out at any success that they see in hopes of derailing, or emotionally stunting, the ones who have had the success. Well, guess what? It’s not gonna work! Much like keeping a weary eye on the driver who is weaving in and out of traffic, with little regard to his own safety or that of the other drivers on the road around him, I will have to learn to be vigilant, keep my eyes wide open and stay alert and shake it off. I never, in a million years, thought I would understand where Taylor Swift was coming from!

Who knows if there will be more spotlights shining on me in the future. If there are, then that means more detractors. As long as I learn my lesson now, I should be able to navigate the crazy drivers that are sure to be on the road ahead and make sure that I stay clear of any collisions that they may cause.

Maintaining Control of Your Vehicle

Over the years, one thing I've learned about driving is that you have to maintain control of your vehicle. Whether it’s staying (relatively) within the speed limit, not texting and driving or keeping it on the road and between the lines, it makes for a much safer journey when you have everything under control. And just as I had to learn my road lessons through repetition and experience, I am learning that maintaining control of my physical vehicle is going to take patience and time.

It would be wonderful if I could just get up every day and not have to think about what I’m doing to maintain my healthy lifestyle, but that’s not the case. I certainly don’t want anyone reading this to think that any part of this experience has been easy. Getting started was tough, losing the weight was difficult and maintaining has certainly given me moments where I felt I could lose control. But, I've also learned that I am the one who has to remain in the driver’s seat, as being a passenger, by it’s very definition, means I would be surrendering the control.

The biggest lesson in this experience is that life will present us with challenges at every opportunity and we have to face them, like staring down a fire-breathing dragon. Sometimes we have to run and hide from the dragon and sometimes we win the battle, but it’s important to come back ready to fight after those times where we don’t win.  As long as you are the one in control of getting back in the fight, you will always come out on top.

People often ask me how I deal with the “food-pushers” or the “saboteurs”. This is how I do it...knowing that I have to be the one who maintains control of my vehicle. If I were to allow others to take over, I would be at their mercy and there is no telling where I’d end up. Remember, this is your journey. Why would you allow someone else to be in control of it?

An Open Road

So many things have happened over the last week, that there are no words!

Since the CNN Article was published, my life has been a near constant blur. But, I wouldn't change it for the world! I started my journey to be healthy and this blog to give me an outlet to talk about the pit stops as well as the green lights along the way. The interest that everyone is taking in my story is incredible, overwhelming and encouraging. I was even given the opportunity to talk with Fitwoman.com about my life changing experience (you can find a link to the interview HERE).

The road is wide open for me and I am trying to soak it all in. I also want to thank everyone who has been reading the blog all along and welcome those of you who may have just found it. I am excited to continue my Road Trip and can't wait to see where the journey takes me!

Making Sure to Refuel Along the Way

First, I know, I know...it’s been a while. Maybe I've been "Broken Down on the Side of the Road" or took too much time "Hanging at a Rest Stop". Either way, I know I have neglected the Road Trip and, for that, I apologize. I've realized that I really have to consider an oil change or tire rotation, something that’s maintenance, but will keep my car safely on the road. So, what have I been doing lately? Well, believe it or not, while I may not have been putting it in words, I've been living the road trip and working on maintenance. And I was reminded of that fact just this weekend, when I was asked to speak at two different Weight Watchers meetings. It was a little nerve-wracking. After all, I do have speech anxiety, but I’m working on that!

Anyway, as I was saying, not only did I have the privilege of speaking to my friends at my normal WW group, but I was also asked to make a guest appearance at another meeting. The nerve-wracking part isn't thinking about what I’m going to say, that just kinda comes naturally. It’s when I stop and think about the hope and dreams that people place in me, real or imagined, that makes me nervous. But when I sit and think about it, I realize that I’m just human and I’m just me and that’s what draws people to me when I do these things. They see in me someone who has succeeded in a long and difficult journey. They see hope and they see that there are people who can make this program work. It’s not just about some celebrity on a TV commercial, I’m a real person standing in front of them. And it’s overwhelming. What people don’t understand is that when I speak to them, whether one on one or as a group, it’s like pulling up to a gas station. I get more fuel to continue my journey. So, while I am grateful if people are inspired by me, I am even more grateful and motivated by the fact that they continue to inspire me.

As I've always maintained, this journey was never about being skinny or pretty or hot, it's always been about being healthy, Knowing that society still puts too much emphasis on being young, thin and emaciated, just proves that I must remember that society and real life are two very different worlds. What is truly important is blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, reduction of expensive medications and the ability to walk to your mail box with out being out of breath. Who cares what size clothes you wear and who says that thin is in? Make your own road and take as long as you need to get there with as many stops as you desire. Gas, food, stretching or even sleeping. It’s your journey...don’t let anyone be a back seat driver, but make sure you keep plenty of supporting passengers along for the ride.

Starting Again is Not the Same Starting Over

Have you ever driven somewhere so many times that you could do it with your eyes closed? Well, maybe not closed, but you know what I mean. Have you ever found yourself at a destination with no real memory of actually making the drive? Not because your memory was impaired, but because the route was so intimately familiar that you didn't have to think about it, you just went through the motions, and – voilà – destination reached!

Believe it or not, I just had that experience on an eight-hour ride! You wouldn't think that a trip that long could go by in a blur, but it did. Not that I wasn't paying attention, I was, but the time just seemed to fly by (of course, time is doing that a lot lately). Anyway, what I realized as I was making my trek northward, is that sometimes you have to go back to the beginning of your road trip to find the raison d'être- rediscover that spark, if you will- to discover why you are even on the journey at all.

You see, ever since I hit my goal, I've been struggling with the mental transition from losing to staying. After two and a half years of losing weight, I still feel bad if I maintain. But that’s the point of hitting “goal”…maintaining. So, as I started out of my driveway, it dawned on me that this is my first road trip since hitting the magic number. And even though the literal drive would be the same, I had the opportunity to view the figurative one through different eyes.

So, I've always said that my “road trip” would never end, I would just keep changing destinations, but I think now I've realized that the destination will always be the same, but the course I choose to get there will actually be different. While losing weight, I needed to focus on reaching the small milestones along the way (and Weight Watchers is fabulous at helping people celebrate those small, but significant, achievements). Upon hitting my goal, I needed to take a few steps back, look at how far I've come and then get back in the car and do it all again. And as with all road trips, just when you think you can’t take it anymore, can’t be in the car for one more second, you realize you are right where you are supposed to be at that moment in time. For some reason, that realization allows you to keep focus on the task at hand and helps with the overwhelming sensation that the road is too long, the journey too difficult. Once you realize how much you have given of yourself to be at that point, it should put everything in perspective ­– nothing is as long and difficult as what is already behind you.

So, what I discovered on my literal road trip, is that I shouldn't dread what’s ahead of me, it will be over before I know it and I should just enjoy the drive, scenery, music and everything that comes with the ride along the way. No fretting, I've done it before, and I know I will do it again, I just have to keep learning something new with every trip so that I don’t get bored. Staying the course is not an option, only changing it along the way will keep me challenged.

Dangerous Curves Shouldn't Only Apply To Roads

OK, I get it, it’s been a minute since I have posted anything. Many of you may have thought I’d abandoned this road trip since I hit my goal. Well, rest assured, I haven’t. Getting to my goal was only the first part of my journey. I will be on this excursion for the rest of my life, and I look forward to the adventure that awaits me.

So, now that I have the reassurances out of the way that I am still alive and well, I wanted to get on with the bur under my saddle– the nail in my tire, so to speak– that inspired a soap-box moment on Facebook last night: the media still doesn't understand women and the struggle we all go through in order to feel accepted by our peers and by society. And really, now that we are generations removed from the Marilyn Monroe/Jean Harlow glory days where real women had curves and looked like women instead of 13 year old boys, why should I expect that the media would be accepting of a woman who breaks the mold. You know, the mold of someone who only drinks water (but not too much, for fear of retaining it), might eat a celery stick and smokes plenty of cigarettes to keep her mind off of starving herself. The kind of girl who presents a completely unnatural, impossible ideal of what is expected of women. While I don’t have any real statistics, I could guess that only about 3% of American women fit the media’s perception of what the perfect woman is: 0% body fat, 5’10” (or taller), around 100 lbs. Who knows, maybe that percentage is a little high, maybe it’s way off, but what I can tell you is that probably 95% of that 3% live in Hollywood, the other 5% are probably in an eating-disorder clinic.

What, you may be asking yourself, brought on this rant? Well, I’ll tell you…it was an interview I saw with Miss Indiana. She made quite the splash at the recent Miss USA pageant because, according to media outlets, she has a “normal” body type. Normal…let that sink in for a minute. So, does that mean there is, on some level, an understanding that the other girls in the competition aren't normal? Let’s consider a few things here:

• She may be normal and a hit on social media, but her Bikini Scores weren't high enough to allow her to move into the Top 10 finalists (judges message: she’s too fat)
• She’s 5’8”, weighs 137 lbs. and is a size 4 (really, that’s normal?)
• She is, on average, 25 pounds heavier than the other girls in the competition

What is the message we are sending the young girls sitting in front of the TV watching this spectacle? Well, it seems to be “if you are a size 4, you are too fat to win a beauty pageant.” I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that a size 4 is “normal”.

I mentioned Marilyn and Jean earlier, and I must go back and elaborate on them for a minute. Back in the day, they were considered “Blonde Bombshells” with curves that went on for days! When you looked at them, you couldn't count their ribs or you didn't fear that they might fall over from exhaustion, dehydration or starvation with their next step. No, they were real women and they looked like women. And what’s really amazing is, even today, if you have a picture of a Victoria’s Secret Angel next to the iconic picture of Marilyn in the white dress over the street vent and you show them to a random selection of men, guess which one they will choose? But put the same two pictures in front of women and ask them which one they would prefer to emulate, and I bet the results would be disappointing, yet not shocking.

But, my final realization in all of this is that it doesn't matter what you weigh, what size you are as long as you are healthy. Happy is a side-effect of healthy and if you can be healthy at 5’8” and 137 lbs., go for it. If you can be healthy and happy at 5’6” and 160, go for it. But don’t let society dictate what is “normal” because then the world would be a very boring place. So be abnormal and live your own life, that’ll teach’em!

Getting There

Do you know that feeling, after a long road trip, of being so close to the end of your journey that your brain goes into auto-pilot? Where you know every little nuance of the road your travelling, every pot hole, every stop sign, every car parked in the street. And then, just when you thought you were going to be able to sail through to the end, one of those pot holes has turned into a sink hole and there is a big detour sign sending you out of the way. So now, you've been on this road trip and you can see your destination, but you have to take one last detour to get around one last obstruction.

Well, that’s what happened to me trying to hit my WW goal. I was so close to reaching my target number last week, but it just wasn't in the cards. I was .4 pounds (that’s 4/10 of one pound, less than half a pound) away from it last week. But it might as well have been a sink hole in the middle of my road. However, since I've learned a thing or two on this ride, I kept my head held high, continued doing what’s gotten me this far and took that extra little time— that little detour— and I made it to my destination this week! I've lost 150 pounds in almost 2 1/2 years and it has been the most incredible journey of my life.

I really thought I wouldn't be overcome with emotion when I hit that goal. I figured since I've been pretty honest and open about my “road trip”, that it wouldn't require much self-reflection. Boy, was I wrong! I was emotional, everyone in the group was super excited for me and my Dad made a special guest appearance at the meeting yesterday, all which added up to a pretty emotional moment!! That group, led by Margie, has played (and will continue to play) a huge role in my success. I couldn't have done it without them. My friends and family were also instrumental in keeping me on the path. They were the best Road Trip Buddies anyone could ask for! A huge “Thank You” to everyone who has been riding in the car with me all along and helping me stay focused on the road.

If you think this is the end of my blog and my stories, you are wrong. This is only the beginning! With every road trip, there’s always the return home! I think that journey will be just as inspiring as the one that brought me here. So, I hope that anyone who has tuned in over the last year or so, will continue to do so. I know that I have inspired others, and to those of you, I say “thank you”! My one best piece of advice is to believe in yourself. No matter what you are looking to accomplish, start with the belief that you will succeed. As I've said on here before, if it’s easy, it’s not worth doing; if it’s worth doing, it’s not easy.

Cheers and here’s to the start of another long, successful journey!

Driving a Convertible

So, now that I am less than a mile from my destination, it's just dawned on me that I am driving a convertible now. While I may have started in an armored tank with no windows, I am now in a top-down, wind-in-my-hair convertible. So, in the beginning, I was closed up to the world and not willing to talk about me or my situation. Now, however, people approach me all the time and ask questions and want to talk to me about the success I have had over the last 2+ years. What is even more surprising is my willingness to answer the questions and the excitement that I feel when I discuss my journey. Just yesterday, I was interviewed by a local news station so that I could tell my story and help encourage others to start their own journey. It is amazing to think that I have not only physically transformed, but have emotionally transformed as well.

The thing about changing from a tank to convertible during the road trip is significant because proves just how far I have come in this trek. It's not about a flashing neon sign that says "look at me, look at how wonderful I am", but rather "look at what I have accomplished. If I can do it, so can you." If sharing my story entertains, encourages or otherwise enlightens someone, than I will consider my mission a success. I started losing weight to be healthy and now I do what I do because it's fun (yes, Bonnie and April, aliens have indeed snatched me from above). I started this blog because I needed an outlet for the emotions I was feeling, now I do it because it's fun.

Being in self-preservation mode—riding around in a tank—did keep people from peering in at me, but it also prevented me from looking out at the world. Now that I've got the top down and cruise control set to my destination, I am able to see the beauty that is out in the world. It's really a shame that I didn't allow myself the opportunity to take-in my surroundings, but it's never too late to start enjoying life. What good is it to be young if you aren't experiencing anything life truly has to offer? On the flip side, who cares how long you've been on this planet as long as you are enjoying every second you are alive?

As I mentioned, I am nearly at the end of this odyssey. Of course, with any long road trip, you eventually have to get off the expressway and on to the side roads. That not only signifies that you have to slow down, but it also means that you've almost made it. Me, I know that I've almost made it and I can't wait to get out and stretch my legs a bit. I also can't wait to see where my next adventure is going to take me.

Nothing Can Stop Me Now

You know when you get so close to your destination, that nothing will stand in your way? You need gas, but you have enough to get you there; you need to pee, but you can hold it; you need to rest, but you’re wide awake? Well, that’s where I am right now. I am so close to my goal, I can feel it. The end is in site. I have been talking about the end of this road trip since the beginning. I knew the day would come, but I find it hard to believe that day is in site. As much as I would like to speed ahead and get there faster, I know that I still have to maintain the speed limit. Nothing would suck more than to get pulled over  and delayed at this point in the journey. No, I have to keep doing what’s gotten me to this point— stay the course.

I have been on the road for so long that it just has become second nature. And really, when I think about it, I feel that’s why I've been successful. I didn't do anything crazy, I just lived. And for all of the living that I have done over the last 2+ years, there is no reason to change anything now. If I show up to the dance with the Prom King, why would I change partners at the last minute? I wouldn't, I would (and should) stay with the one who brought me to the Ball. This is the life I am living now. My old life is the past, and chances are good that I didn't have much of a future had I stayed on that path. Things are different now. I am different now. I just need to keep moving forward. I realize that theme has surfaced many times here, but it’s true. Why would I want to stay in one place, when the world around me continues to move? 

Sometimes, as I think about this journey, I’m reminded of going to my Grandparents’ house on Lake Lanier. GA 400 used to end at their exit (or was it that their exit was at the end of 400?) Whatever the case, I knew we were getting close to the exit because I saw the flashing caution signs. I knew that the road would be ending soon. But you know what? We got off 400 and went on another road. That’s what this road trip is about and what the future holds. The orange flashing lights are in site, but once I get there, I need to exit and get on another road. Who knows where that road will lead, but who cares? The future is a blank page, an unwritten book. It’s about damn time I sat down and put some words on that page!