Wordless Wednesday

Let's Run About It // 2024 Goals

Well, the first month of 2024 has had me sitting on the sidelines for a good chunk of it. As I've mentioned before, we dealt with a lot of illness and injury. So, it was not the running start I had been hoping for, and I spent a lot of days feeling pretty jealous of everyone else getting to wake up at 5 am to go run. Weird, right? I know. Things have gotten better now, but having that much time off set me back in a lot of areas. This means I'll need to kick it up a notch this next month to catch up. 

So, with that, let’s jump right into the goals I have for 2024! We did our New Year's Resolution Run back on December 30, and I had still been a little hesitant about what I wanted for my goals. I kept going back and forth on mileage. I chatted with other friends, and everyone seemed to be trying for the comma (1,000+ miles). And since I have declared that this year will be a year of “no races” - I wasn’t sure if I needed to set a second goal like I did the year before. However, after finishing 7 miles that morning, our “club president” asked, “Great job getting to Roswell! What are your goals for 2024?” I blurted out my scary goal, “801 miles for the year.” Then as she was writing that number on the back of my shirt, she asked, “Last year you had two goals are you doing that again?” And I’m going to blame this next part on that runner’s high or the smell of coffee - maybe both, but I nodded my head and then replied with, “Yes, I’m going to do 4 Half marathon distances this year.”

Since that day, after the runner’s high wore off, I’m not entirely sure if these goals are reachable for me. However, I am going to give it what I can! That said, as I mentioned in a previous post, this year I plan on not getting too caught up on the end result. If I accomplish them, great! If I don’t, that’s fine too! My priority is doing what’s best for me. Not comparing myself, or overworking my body to keep up. At the end of 2023 I started to have hip pain after all of my longer runs so I’m sure that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. And I don’t want to push myself so far in trying to reach these goals that I end up hurt. But the challenge is there. I’ve put those goals out to the universe, and run club. They’re written on the back of my shirt, and I have something to aim for this year.

Now, as I mentioned above, this is the year of “no races” for me. That doesn’t include Cowtown - which I had already committed to signing up for as part of a team. There is also a free 5k that happens in November. But that’s about all I plan to sign up and/or pay for this year. There are a lot of factors that went into this decision, but the main one is that it’s an expensive hobby. This past year there were several months that I was spending between $50-$100 on races. This might not seem like a lot, but it adds up. Some club members were out there doing destination runs or signing up for 3+ a month! And well, I just don’t have that kind of money. Then, as I mentioned in my New Year’s post, I want to focus on being rooted, slowing down, and living simply. With that comes the desire to spend less. I still plan to volunteer when our run club has a booth set up though! I love getting to cheer other runners on, and it’s a way for me to still contribute to our running community.

This year, I just want to get back to running for myself. Running for fun. I’d like to work a bit on my speed, and running longer distances without intervals. This year I was able to run an entire 10k without walking, and I’d like to see if I can do that again or maybe go a longer distance. While races can be so fun, I want to take a break and focus on getting what I need from running this year. And that’s honestly to just keep it simple.

A New Language // Mandarin Update

Learning a new language is hard. Learning a new language that uses tones and characters is WAY harder. Last year, I decided that I wanted to learn how to speak Mandarin. I started watching Chinese dramas, and after some digging found that a lot of the translations are not exactly correct. So, I made up my mind that I would give it a go. While I knew it would be difficult, and challenging, it’s still a lot harder than what I originally expected.

Once I made up my mind that I wanted to try learning Mandarin I started to read a bit more about the people and culture. And while I’m not educated enough on either to speak on them, I did find several things to be fascinating. Their family units, customs, and traditions. And not just those of the Chinese people, but several other Asian countries as well. When my mom asked me why I picked Mandarin, I told her it started over some silly dramas, but I’ve learned it’s the second most spoken language. It’s also a very popular language within the business world. Did you know that there are “slightly more than 1.1 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers” worldwide as of 2023? So, my interest in Mandarin has increased substantially.

So far, I’ve just been using Duolingo. Most days I do about 3 minutes, and some days I’ll do 3 to 4 lessons. Yes, I’m aware I should practice more. However, I keep repeating a lot of the lessons. Repetition is key for me or I won’t retain anything. This is why I’m still in Section 1, though I have moved on to Unit 3, Lesson 5. Still, I keep going back and reviewing previous units. I plan to start treating these lessons like I did my college courses by dedicating about 30 - 45 minutes twice a week. My goal is to be done with Section 1 by the end of February. This means I need to start knocking some of these out in the next few weeks. Eeks!

Now, Duolingo is a decent app. When I watch these Chinese dramas I can recognize some of the words I've learned. I’m pretty proud of that! But in my opinion, Duolingo shouldn’t be your only source of learning. I feel it’s more of a helpful tool that you can pair with other sources like an actual class or tutor. In my situation, I feel like I need to practice having conversations and getting feedback or help with pronunciation. I want to feel confident when speaking, and right now, Duolingo can’t provide that. This is why I’m looking into taking a class or paying for an online tutor this summer. Finances allowing. I do have a friend who speaks Mandarin who has offered to help me but she’s a professor and has a lot on her plate during the semesters. And since I’m a big fan of work/life balance, I don’t want to bother her with more work.

 

For now, I plan to keep chipping away at the app. It’s not super difficult to make the time for it, and I get reminders every day. Thankful for those “streak freezes” that allow me to skip from time to time. Now, even though this has been difficult, it’s also been pretty fun. It’s such an interesting feeling to be watching a show or video clip, and hearing, “shénme” (什么) or “nǐ jiào shénme míngzì” (你叫什么名字) or “shuǐ” (水) and being able to understand what is being said or at least recognize words from the lessons. That said, my next goal is to start piecing sentences together on my own by the beginning of summer. Wish me luck! Until the next post, zàijiàn. ✌

Wordless Wednesday

Okay, January, That’s Enough

This month has been filled with inconveniences. Our entire household got sick, and collectively, it lasted almost three weeks. If it wasn’t one person, it was another. Fevers, congestion, stomach issues, and coughing. Then, I hurt my back last week while moving laundry from the washer to the dryer. Can you believe it? I was finally able to walk around after one chiropractor appointment, three days of drinking nothing but water, and an ample amount of Biofreeze every night. And just as we were all getting back to normal, our water stopped working. At first, we thought our pipes froze. However, we then considered the possibility of the well going dry (it’s been a thing in our community due to a sand pit). This morning, a service company came out and let us know that the well pump was broken. The fun part? It could be that it broke because of wear and tear OR because the well is dry. We won’t know until they can come replace the pump which could take about a week.

Of course, as we were on day four with no water, I found myself irritated, annoyed, and complaining. As I sat grumbling, I had a memory pop up from a summer in Mexico when I was a teenager. We met an elderly woman who was living in a makeshift hut made out of cardboard boxes by the river. She walked with a cane, her shoes were falling apart, her dress was so thin, and she looked so fragile. She had no electricity and no running water. She relied on the kindness of the community to allow her to shower, use the bathroom, and get meals. Her adult children had all left for the United States and never looked back. She was left on her own. I sat on the bed, folding laundry, and cried. Here I was, complaining about not having water, and yet I still had so much to be thankful for. I had a home, a bed, food, and electricity. I had my family. We had access to water from a nearby relative who let us fill up bucks for the restroom. It was at that moment that I realized God was humbling me. And while I still let out an annoyed sigh when I try to turn the faucet on, out of habit, I remind myself that this is temporary. And everything will be okay. 

With just a little over a week left in January, I’ve kind of been on edge. It feels like it has been one thing after another. And these things are not small/cheap. I’ve been praying that everything will start calming down a bit. Financially, we need the break. With the weather being cold and rainy, Corey can only work so much. We’ve been able to pay down some debt, which has been great, but we are tapped out of our savings. So, we could use a month of no emergency spending and decent weather. So, if January could ease up for this last little bit, that would be great. 

All About the Drama // Wonderland of Love

If you haven’t heard, I’m seriously into Asian dramas right now. When I have control of the remote, and even when I watch on my phone, it is very rarely in English these days. This really isn’t surprising, as I’ve always enjoyed watching shows/films in other languages. I love the different stories, and seeing what viewers in other countries find interesting. I’ve spent a few months watching French, Turkish, and Spanish language shows/films before. But we’re going on six months of me watching Asian dramas - exclusively. So, this may not be “just a phase”. I decided to start a little series on my blog dedicated to some of my favorite dramas! First up, is Wonderland of Love.

Name: Wonderland of Love

Length: 40 Episodes

Region: Mainland China

My Rating: 5/5 

Synopsis: "Li Ni (Xu Kai) is the Emperor's grandson and a keen warrior. Despite his illustrious family background, he does not seek power – although his jealous father holds him in contempt. He wants to spend his life in the army, so must hide his true identity from his fellow soldiers as he rises to the rank of general. He is assigned to patrol a dangerous border territory where violence erupts on a regular basis. He is happy in his role as a frontier fighter and has no intention of trying to take the throne. 

While on the border, he meets Cui Lin (Jing Tian), the only daughter of a well-known military leader. Like Li Ni, however, she is also a fighter with a secret identity – dressing up as a military officer so she can fight on the front lines. As they meet on the battlefield again and again, they begin to form a rivalry. But could this competitive spirit one day give way to love?”

I’ll start by saying that Xu Kai (male lead - ML) and Jing Tian (female lead - FL) had great chemistry. When the chemistry is not there it’s usually a deal breaker for me when watching these shows. So, this was already off to a great start.

The storyline moved along pretty smoothly, there were a few episodes that lagged, but overall it was good. I went through ALL of the emotions with this one too. I laughed, felt happy, got angry, and even cried. Watch out for episodes 30, 31, 37, & 38. They were emotional and intense and had me in tears. Xu Kai nailed his performance in these.

The show is filled with a lot of action, some funny banter, and just enough flirting to keep me interested the entire time. And they shifted fairly quickly without making me wonder what was going on. As soon as I felt like there was a lot of intensity, the next episode would bring some comedic relief. And while a lot of FLs in these dramas can be whiny or childish, the FL in this one was surprisingly a strong character. She did have her moments though. Anyway, I liked that these characters were so compatible in all aspects. From their fighting style, and interests, to viewpoints on their world.

Now, one thing you should know about these dramas is that most of them are only one season long and range anywhere between 8-40 episodes. It varies by style, country, and sometimes platform. Wonderland of Love came in at 40 episodes. It took me a little over two weeks to finish it. Now, as for the accuracy of that specific period (costumes, language, deities, traditions, etc.) I can’t speak to them. So, that’s something you’d have to check for yourself.

Overall, the show was wonderful! This was my second show to see Xu Kai as a ML and I am now a huge fan of his. While the female lead character was a bit frustrating at times towards the end, Jing Tian was great! I believe they both did their characters and this drama justice. I hope we get to see them together in a different drama in the future. It’d be cool to see them in a modern, or present-day one. 

And that wraps up my first review. The next one probably won’t be as long, and I’ll tweak some things here and there. Maybe touch on the storylines a bit more or the actors. But you get this gist. You can find this drama over on Viki - the link is in the name below the picture up top. Until the next one, 🤞. 

Wordless Wednesday

Currently // January 2024

I've decided to dust this series off and give it life again. It won't be monthly, but I think it will be fun to see how my interests change throughout the year. Lately, I have been watching a lot of television. Being sick and then staying at home a lot kind of does that to you. Next month will probably look different. Emery’s extracurriculars pick back up and we’re looking into tumbling lessons. So, for now, I’ve just been enjoying getting to lounge on my couch and PJs for a few weeks. Slow days and all. Anyway, without further ado, here is the “Currently” post for the month.

Listening: I haven’t been listening to one specific artist. I’m mainly living off of the curated Spotify playlists. However, the past few weeks have mainly been a lot of ONE OK ROCK. They’re a Japanese alternative/rock band - however, a lot of their songs are in English (or the majority in English). One of my favorite songs is Renegades. Check them out if you get a chance, they’re pretty great!

Reading: Nothing. You know, I used to really love reading. It was like my escape from reality and a way to “visit” other countries/worlds. Interweave a good romance and I was sucked in. But somewhere between casual reading and forced textbook reading - my taste has changed. I’ve attempted four New Adult books by authors that I loved and not a single one has made me want to devour the pages like before. I feel like I need to find a different genre or maybe I’m just a “moody reader” and I’m not feeling it in this particular phase of my life. Let me know if you have any suggestions for getting me out of this slump.

Watching: A lot of Asian Dramas! This month I started “Till the End of the Moon”, but had to take a brief break at episode 30 because it was just so dang sad, and intense. The director overdid it a bit with the blood spitting -IYKYK - but otherwise, it was a pretty great story. I usually watch a few different dramas at a time. Since they're pretty lengthy - it's nice to have a few different stories going on. 

‘Casting: Blessed is She Daily Devotionals. I’ve been slacking on church attendance, and my prayer life has suffered. I still haven’t completed the paperwork for my annulment either. With so much going on I’ve been struggling with making all of this a priority. However, the one thing I’m doing my best to stick with is listening to the 3-minute daily devotional that Blessed is She puts out. It’s short and to the point, and I normally listen as I’m getting prepped for the workday.

And that concludes the “Currently” post for this month. If you have any suggestions, be sure to drop me a line either here or on any of my other social media pages. Links are all at the top. I'm always looking for new artists, films, podcasts, or books too. So, I'm open to recommendations if you have them. Until the next post, Happy Monday, folks! ❤

Wordless Wednesday

2024 // Let it Be

Well, our January kicked off with a cold that hit everyone in our household. It consisted of several days of cold medicine, nasal sprays, steaming showers, kleenex, Vicks, and a lot of sleep. Surprisingly, I got some rest during this time. As we get into the second week, I’m hopefully at the tail end of it and ready to start prepping for this year. My intention isn’t to have a whole bunch of resolutions, but rather a few running goals, and then to take the year as it comes. No huge plans. No huge commitments. Just, let it be.

The Christmas tree has officially come down, and my living room has been rearranged. I’m hoping to declutter (again) in a few weeks, and also get rid of clothing I no longer wear/need. Throughout this week, I plan on doing a social media cleanout as well - because it has a bigger impact than you think. I've also had this nagging feeling that 2024 is going to be a tough year for us in certain areas. A year of big news, adjustments, and changes. And the past few months I've had two words on my mind a lot: rooted & slow. After thinking it over, I've come to the conclusion that this year I’d like to be rooted and slow down. I want to be intentional about simplicity as well. Which is something I’ve struggled with for a while now. So, I want to really dive into living simply, but also being content with what I have. I’m unsure of what that will look like for us, but I’m eager to find out.

I have a few running goals in place, but I won’t be disappointed if I don’t reach them all. I have a few work goals, but I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself about them. If I have the time, I will work towards them, but “climbing” up the ladder is not something I’m interested in. This year, I plan to be present at the majority of Emery’s school activities. I plan to take advantage of the time off I’ve accrued too. When my boss says I can work a day remotely, I will take him up on that offer rather than coming into the office. And finally, I’m hoping this is the year that we can pay down a good amount of our debt. That will require us to penny-pinch, but I’d like to have minimal payments being made - especially since I start my student loan repayment in March.

So, that’s the general hope for this year. I want to have a few goals but I won’t make them so important that I start to think negatively about myself for not reaching them. I also want to prioritize my family and simple living. Slow down. We get one life, and I’m tired of always feeling rushed, stressed, or like I need to “keep up” with everyone else. However, this could all change. Some things may not pan out. And that’s OKAY. This year, I’m going to let it be.

Gratitude Journal // One - Five - Twenty Four

Gratitude Series: Sometimes, the bad days get the better of me. Other times, I get so caught up in my little world that I forget to give thanks for all of the blessings in my life. And sometimes you just need to write down the things you're grateful for to see all of your blessings. Though I admit that sometimes I find myself taking things for granted, I'm doing my best to be thankful for all of the good in my life. So, today, I’m choosing to give thanks for all of the things.

Boba Tea: A friend of mine made some homemade Boba tea, and it was delicious! I’ve always liked Boba, but don’t get to have it very often. And even less now with my dietary restrictions. However, now and then I get to have a treat. And Boba tea or coffee is at the top of my list.

Time off: During winter break, I had 10 days off from work (including weekends) and it was marvelous! My house was clean, laundry was done, I was able to fit in some naps, and we had several sleepovers. My heart was happy and full. My home felt cozy and clean, and I enjoyed it being tidy. I felt like I had TIME. Time to enjoy my home, time to get everything done, and time to rest. Truly, I feel blessed.

Waffles: During our Christmas break we were a bit lax with my dietary restrictions. I didn’t overdo it, because my body would definitely let me know that what I was consuming was probably not the best, but one of the things I enjoyed on Christmas day was WAFFLES. My husband made a full breakfast buffet, and it was all so delicious, but the waffles were just magical.

Medicine: Our entire household came down with a pretty bad cold & congestion starting on Tuesday. It has been rough, and I’m still not fully recovered yet. But I’m grateful for medicine and nasal sprays (that work for more than an hour) because they have gotten me through the days/nights. While it’s never fun being sick, I’ve been able to manage this go around. This means I’ve been able to stay on top of everything that needs to be done, care for my family, and continue to work.

Sleep: Thanks to the break, and oddly - being sick, I’ve been getting PLENTY of sleep. Whether it’s due to melatonin or my body just feeling tired, my bedtimes have been pretty early. I’ve also taken a little break from running due to all of the congestion so my afternoons have left me with a lot of downtime. The plan is to take it easy over the weekend, rest up, and then start everything fresh next week - hopefully feeling better.

And that wraps up my gratitude post for this month. What are you grateful for today? This week? This month? What do you do to help bring some positivity back into your day if it's been a bad one? How do you make sure to stay grounded? Do you have any fun things planned for January? Any goals or plans for the new year? Let me know below. Until the next post, I hope everyone has a charming weekend! Adios!

“My soul rests in God alone, from whom comes my salvation. God alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall never fall.” // Psalm 62:2-3 

❤

Wordless Wednesday

Monday Motivation // New Year

Happy New Year everyone! For those who had a long break, I hope it was exactly what you needed! For those who had a few days off, I hope they were relaxing and allowed you to recharge. For those who had to work, I hope it wasn’t too miserable and you were still able to find time for yourself. As we step into 2024, I am feeling very blessed.

Our holiday break was a bit chaotic at first, but the last few days were calm and slow. It was exactly what I needed. I spent the last two days cleaning, doing laundry, and making sure my home was in order. This may not seem like an ideal way to spend my vacation, but it brought me so much peace to wake up to a clean house. To have time to do laundry AND put it up. Our errands were done, and I still had time to fit in a few runs. There was no stress, and I was able to sleep if I was tired. Truly, it was wonderful! So simple. And I am so grateful for it.

Now as we head into a new year, new month, and start a new week I am feeling ready! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year holiday! Here’s to 2024!