On their recent trip back to Ariane’s home in France, they picked up this little guy. This kitten is the cutest thing ever. Look at that face — and that orange fur! Unfortunately for him, he’s the same color and pattern as their hardwood floor, so he’s going to have to learn quickly how to stay out from underfoot. The allergy attack was so worth being able to hold this sweet creature!

There’s this one:

He lost his first tooth this summer! And now… He started kindergarten! My baby!!

And this one:

She turned 4!! My baby!!

And then there’s this one too:

He turned 2!! My youngest is no longer a baby!! He’s still my baby!

This summer has been filled to the gills. We went on a multi-state drive to visit family and spent days upon days in the water.

We pranced around Lake Michigan

We climbed on a giant elephant somewhere in Wisconsin

Even hubbyman got a picture on the elephant, but I thought you’d appreciate this one more.

Downside of the summer: Biggest ran a ridiculously high fever most of our vacation and his only request was naps. (Boo!) When we got home we realized he had an abscessed tooth! (double boo!)

Biggest E was the photographer. We had our first kiss on a swingset like this. I like it.

For her birthday, hubbyman built her a doll house, and her papa built her the furniture to go inside!

Navy Pier, the anchor. Watching all the Sailors almost made me miss military days. Almost. Maybe just the uniform.

And I’ve gotten to be a part of lots of births -2 a month!- since April… including this sweet little man’s! (Who also happens to be my nephew! Check out his shirt- he’s wild about Auntie! And it’s true! The feelings may be are mutual.)

So you see, dear, sweet blog, I  have been a busy mama. I have been a moving mama. I have been a travelling mama. I have been a tired mama. I have been the best mama I know how to be. And I think that if you asked my children what they liked best about me not spending hours on the computer, on a daily basis, they would have said that we played. Do you know that I also gave up cleaning? Ok, ok, so that’s not entirely true. But I stopped making them spend all day in the house, just so I could keep up with the laundry and dusting. We spent the majority of our days outside, in the dirt, at the beach, at the playground… playing. And I only stayed up really late cleaning…a couple of times, and I’ve been ok with it!  My kids seem happier, and I feel happier. And I’d say it’s a win in all departments.

Plus, now that I feel…organized, in our lives together (and you know how much I love organization). I feel that I can come back to you. I look forward to sharing stories with you. I look forward to sharing life with you. Know that you have been missed.

I had a really fantastic weekend in Berlin for the annual WEBMU conference! The Whiny Expat Bloggers Meet-Up takes place in a different city every year and is for English-speaking bloggers who live in Germany to get to know other expats. This year, it was held in the capital city and there were about 15 or so bloggers altogether who participated. This year the group was mostly comprised of Americans, with a few others from Australia, Canada and Ireland, and of course some German partners/spouses.

I was new to the group and had only heard of it thanks to Heidelbergerin and No Apathy Allowed and decided to come along. Even though I hadn’t read many other people’s blogs from the group, I figured I would meet them and catch up on the blog reading later!

And you know what? I am SO glad I went! We had a fun itinerary of eating at restaurants, neighborhood tours of Prenzlauerberg and Friedrichshain and various other activities. The organizers of the group, Snooker in Berlin and No Apathy Allowed, did a really great job planning and making it special for everyone. We even got these “swag bags” with the WEBMU2012 logo on it, filled with various coupons, magazines and goodies!

The best part was meeting everyone. These people are friendly, fun and have an awesome sense of humor. It just felt so comfortable being there with everyone, as if we had known each other for a long time. We had a great weekend, and there really is something so encouraging about meeting other people like me (English speakers, expats) who have had similar experiences (cultural differences of living in Germany, etc.). I’m glad to have met everyone and I look forward to keeping in touch with them on their blogs. And on Twitter, because everyone was a member and I felt like I was missing out…so I signed up. It didn’t take long, but I’m hooked! (I’m @thestaebler, in case you want to find me there!)

WEBMU started on Thursday evening, and I couldn’t attend the first few events because of work and because of my appointment at the American Embassy on Friday morning. I needed to get my passport renewed as the first step in changing my name.

As for the passport, I had been very nervous before-hand about my new name and what would become of it. I knew this going in, because T. also has three different versions of his name floating around out there. Stäbler is the official German name. If you don’t have the capability of doing umlauts, then the ¨ represents an “e”, which would make the name Staebler.

However, because most people don’t know about how the umlaut works, they would just leave it off as Stabler. The difference between Staebler and Stabler is that they are totally different pronunciations (and therefore also very different names!) and at least with Staebler, it sounds exactly like Stäbler. But because the marriage license contains the umlauted version, I wasn’t sure what the Americans would do with that. I feared they would just leave off the Ä and write A instead. It’s obviously not the end of the world, but I would much prefer having the same name as my husband. (Um, isn’t that the point of changing my name anyway???) (As for his passport, there’s an Ä, and on the universal magnetic strip at the bottom it’s listed as AE.)

So I asked the guy at the embassy about this and said, “You probably get this all the time, but I’m not sure what to do with the umlaut in my new last name. I filled out the application with AE. Will they take it like that?” And he said that yes, that “should be fine” and that “that would be the normal way to do it”. He agreed with me that it would make my life in Germany a lot easier. So I have admittedly gotten my hopes up for everything to work out with AE. But I won’t be 100% sure until in about 4-6 weeks, when I’ve got it in my own two hands.

Fingers still crossed!

Now everybody has gone and it’s just us two again. And I’m exhausted, yet content. I’m just blown away by the kindness everyone showed in helping out with making the wedding festivities go smoothly. It’s bittersweet, though, as goodbyes usually are. I’m definitely missing having my family and friends just a short walk away. Especially my sweet little red-headed niece, Abigail, who turned 10 months old yesterday (on her mother’s birthday…happy birthday, Jaimie!)

I’m also incredibly happy to be a newlywed…and I still get a twinge of excitement when I see that ring on Tobi’s finger. (See it in the picture below?) Yesterday, I saw a sign in a shop that said, “I want to marry a cowboy!” and I smiled to myself that this phrase, “I want to marry…” is now part of my past, since I’ve already married the man of my dreams! It’s an exciting new phase of life and I am looking forward to enjoying it with my new husband.

Tobias & Abby at the Baltic Sea

He’s back to work this weekend, and I go back to work tomorrow. So I’m just trying to get the house back in order so things feel more normal again. Though we still have a big pile of unopened wedding presents in the corner, which I am excited about opening over the next week. Tobias had the fantastic idea of spreading out opening the presents, instead of opening them all in one fell swoop. I wasn’t sure about the idea at first, but he’s totally right. This way, it’s not just one other wedding task to check off the list, but rather to enjoy it, to take more time reading the cards and appreciating the thoughtful presents people have given.

I have about a bazillion pictures to share and stories to tell from these past few weeks. And now that the wedding is over and it doesn’t need to be a surprise anymore, I am excited to share more about all the lovely details! So you can expect the rest of this month to be filled with a lot of wedding updates. So if that’s not your thing…see you in September!

Now everybody has gone and it’s just us two again. And I’m exhausted, yet content. I’m just blown away by the kindness everyone showed in helping out with making the wedding festivities go smoothly. It’s bittersweet, though, as goodbyes usually are. I’m definitely missing having my family and friends just a short walk away. Especially my sweet little red-headed niece, Abigail, who turned 10 months old yesterday (on her mother’s birthday…happy birthday, Jaimie!)

I’m also incredibly happy to be a newlywed…and I still get a twinge of excitement when I see that ring on Tobi’s finger. (See it in the picture below?) Yesterday, I saw a sign in a shop that said, “I want to marry a cowboy!” and I smiled to myself that this phrase, “I want to marry…” is now part of my past, since I’ve already married the man of my dreams! It’s an exciting new phase of life and I am looking forward to enjoying it with my new husband.

Tobias & Abby at the Baltic Sea

He’s back to work this weekend, and I go back to work tomorrow. So I’m just trying to get the house back in order so things feel more normal again. Though we still have a big pile of unopened wedding presents in the corner, which I am excited about opening over the next week. Tobias had the fantastic idea of spreading out opening the presents, instead of opening them all in one fell swoop. I wasn’t sure about the idea at first, but he’s totally right. This way, it’s not just one other wedding task to check off the list, but rather to enjoy it, to take more time reading the cards and appreciating the thoughtful presents people have given.

I have about a bazillion pictures to share and stories to tell from these past few weeks. And now that the wedding is over and it doesn’t need to be a surprise anymore, I am excited to share more about all the lovely details! So you can expect the rest of this month to be filled with a lot of wedding updates. So if that’s not your thing…see you in September!

1. Getting laid off at the beginning of the summer is the best time to get laid off. I have never been this tanned.
2. Being unemployed becomes less fun when you realize that almost everyone else works during the day.
3. Happy hour on a patio is a good thing … Even Martha Stewart would agree – especially if there is good food involved.
4. When your part time serving job becomes your only source of income, you work extra hard for good tips … My ‘bubbly’ personality comes across as sarcastic. But I make it work.
5. 50 Shades of Grey is a horribly written book and I’m not sure what the hype is about … Maybe I haven’t learned anything about this yet.

Lessons one only learns in Las Vegas:

1. It never rains in the desert, but it rained three days while I was there
2. An understanding of the game of Craps … I think.
3. Never ask an American to hold you up for a keg stand if they have never heard of a keg stand. He will drop you.
4. Hotel security guards can appear out of nowhere and it is really scary.
5. Dance-walking is the best way to walk, I highly recommend it whenever there is music playing.
6. Dancing in a club like you own the dance floor gets you invited to the VIP section faster than trying to be sexy when you dance. Dancing like you don’t care = confidence.
7. It’s true what they say – Pole dancing really is a workout. I am totally ready to rock Amateur Night at the Manor.
8. You drink for free when you gamble … or if you stand around a Craps table, those that are gambling will order you a drink.
9. Club promoters really really want to fill the club with attractive females … If you stand in line for a club and then walk away from the line, you can get into the club for free and cut the line.

Hope you all have a good start to your week. I’m pretty much psyched because I just have a 3-day week and get to see my family on Thursday!

P.S. Also, a shout-out to Malorie, my dear friend from high school whose birthday it is today! Happy 26th birthday, Mal!

Hope you all have a good start to your week. I’m pretty much psyched because I just have a 3-day week and get to see my family on Thursday!

P.S. Also, a shout-out to Malorie, my dear friend from high school whose birthday it is today! Happy 26th birthday, Mal!

Home stretch…two weeks left!! And out of my last five days of work before the wedding, I have now finished two. [Starting to get excited, yo!]

Now it’s the weekend, I’ve got a haircut appointment today (trimming off those split ends that haven’t been cut since last summer! and getting my bangs professionally reshaped), shopping with friends, finishing up wedding DIY, practicing our first dance choreography…the list goes on and on.

I am so very excited!

And I’m extra excited this morning because on the way home from work on my bike, I decided to ride on the other side of the street for once to switch it up a little. My spontaneity was rewarded, as I saw a box that said “Zu verschenken” (basically: FREE STUFF!) and it had 6 succulent plants in it! I screeched to a halt and pulled over and stuck as many of them in my bag as I could (4 of them fit!). There were a few bowls and mugs, too, but they weren’t awesome so I left them there for the next person.

Tobias isn’t as much of a fan of these plants as I am, but he told me he likes that I like these plants so much, and so it’s okay for him to have them around.

So…I’m one happy camper!

Happy Friday to you all!

Home stretch…two weeks left!! And out of my last five days of work before the wedding, I have now finished two. [Starting to get excited, yo!]

Now it’s the weekend, I’ve got a haircut appointment today (trimming off those split ends that haven’t been cut since last summer! and getting my bangs professionally reshaped), shopping with friends, finishing up wedding DIY, practicing our first dance choreography…the list goes on and on.

I am so very excited!

And I’m extra excited this morning because on the way home from work on my bike, I decided to ride on the other side of the street for once to switch it up a little. My spontaneity was rewarded, as I saw a box that said “Zu verschenken” (basically: FREE STUFF!) and it had 6 succulent plants in it! I screeched to a halt and pulled over and stuck as many of them in my bag as I could (4 of them fit!). There were a few bowls and mugs, too, but they weren’t awesome so I left them there for the next person.

Tobias isn’t as much of a fan of these plants as I am, but he told me he likes that I like these plants so much, and so it’s okay for him to have them around.

So…I’m one happy camper!

Happy Friday to you all!

It took a while to set it up, but we got it together and paddled it out into the lake. The freedom!

Tobias did most of the paddling, since the boat only came with one paddle. And unlike a normal canoe, the inflatable one floats mostly on the surface of the water, making it a lot easier to tip over. We didn’t fall in the lake, but we had to be careful not to shift around too much because we didn’t want to get too wet.

We went out on a Saturday evening after a long day of scouring the flea markets for candlesticks for our wedding décor, and it was just a lovely, peaceful experience to be out there on the lake. And we had views of the city we’ve never had before!

It took a while to set it up, but we got it together and paddled it out into the lake. The freedom!

Tobias did most of the paddling, since the boat only came with one paddle. And unlike a normal canoe, the inflatable one floats mostly on the surface of the water, making it a lot easier to tip over. We didn’t fall in the lake, but we had to be careful not to shift around too much because we didn’t want to get too wet.

We went out on a Saturday evening after a long day of scouring the flea markets for candlesticks for our wedding décor, and it was just a lovely, peaceful experience to be out there on the lake. And we had views of the city we’ve never had before!

When I was pregnant with Littlest E, she was pregnant with her sweet Aidan. Aidan was born at 28 weeks and 4 days. This sweet, beautiful boy lived for 8 short days on this earth, but has spent the last 2 years being the driving force for his family and many others. Every time I think of my own littlest, I think of Aidan. They would’ve been friends. And when we were scared out of our minds about E’s survival, Maggie would encourage me with the words, I’m sending Aidan to watch over him. You see, Aidan and Littlest both had placenta/cord issues where they just weren’t getting the nutrients they needed. It’s so heartbreaking to not have Aidan here, but I will be forever grateful that he watched over my little man. When I think of our family’s miracle, I think of Aidan.

Aidan is now a big brother to the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen (outside of my own) and I have no doubt he watches over his brother much like he did Littlest. Aidan is a driving force for his mama, sending her on countless new missions in her life. And you can read more of her story (and his) on her blog: Life After Aidan Christopher. She is a light in the darkness for other families who have gone through similar events. Her latest venture is probably the closest to her heart. It’s called Aidan’s Book Corner (and you should just go ahead and go “like” it on facebook to give support at the very least!). When Maggie was in the hospital with her hubby and baby, she found herself having to go home and bring in books to read to her NICU baby. For a parent having to go back and forth (or even one staying and just having to run home for odds and ends) having one more thing to think about or remember is a big deal. So she’s started ABC, where folks have donated books and NICU families have the bookshelf rolled in (on a rolling bookshelf so that they don’t have to leave their babies). Not only is this great for families and bonding purposes, but it is a great reminder for families of their journey- that they’ll get to keep with them, for the rest of their journey. If they get to take their baby home, they will always have a reminder of their journey. And if baby doesn’t get to come home, they have a tangible item to hold onto- which is really huge.

Help me honor Aidan’s memory, and the loving work  his family is doing to help other families, by sending books. It’s starting in one local hospital, but I know Maggie, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find this program across the country in a very short amount of time! Right now they are asking for new books (as they will be used in the NICU- neonatal intensive care unit), such as board books or some of the Little Golden Books. I plan to take my children on an outing this weekend and have them each pick out a book to send.

Books can be sent to:

Community Hospital North
Maternity Services
Open Arms
7150 Clearvista Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46256

Please help me in supporting this wonderful program. Send a book (or 3, or more!), “like” them on facebook, and share! Share it on your facebook wall, share it on your blog, call your bff and tell her all about it… just share. It’s a small token to give, for a family in the NICU, but what a memorable one.

…although there are a few bigger things that are still not figured out…like who will be doing my hair/makeup for the big day. Oy.

So you can understand why things have been slow over here on the blog! But I’d like to say a big thank you to my Friday class for canceling, because that means I could sleep in and now have some time to write some posts! And having a long weekend is really great, since there is so much stuff to do.

First up on catching up: I bought some mini beach shovels and a bucket for my niece Abby for their visit here, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how very European the cartoon on the tag was.

See it? You would NOT see that kind of bathing suit in the US! Hah!

…although there are a few bigger things that are still not figured out…like who will be doing my hair/makeup for the big day. Oy.

So you can understand why things have been slow over here on the blog! But I’d like to say a big thank you to my Friday class for canceling, because that means I could sleep in and now have some time to write some posts! And having a long weekend is really great, since there is so much stuff to do.

First up on catching up: I bought some mini beach shovels and a bucket for my niece Abby for their visit here, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how very European the cartoon on the tag was.

See it? You would NOT see that kind of bathing suit in the US! Hah!

Last weekend I celebrated my dear friends’ wedding at their reception. Having been part of the wedding that took place in Las Vegas I happened to know that the bride did not toss her bouquet and there was no garter to be seen (or tossed). About a month ago I was inspired to provide both of these items as a surprise at the reception to keep tradition alive. Since I am on a budget I decided to make the bouquet myself – it couldn’t be that hard right? and to modify a garter to fit the colour theme of the wedding. So off I went to Michael’s in search of a garter and ribbon. This was the easy part. The bouquet part I was a little more concerned about, but I refused to give up. So off I went to purchase a dozen roses and some florist’s tape. After a brief overly-enthusiastic lesson and demonstration from the florist I felt confident in my ability (well, somewhat confident). Once I got to it, channelling Martha Stewart and repeating what the florist had told me, it was pretty simple. Turns out I had a hidden talent for floral design and possible future as a florist. It even survived the toss! Martha would have been proud. Well, some of the blooms broke off but that is a defect of the flower/stem engineering and has nothing to do with my bouquet-tying abilities.

This same day I discovered a second hidden talent (a third if you count forcing twenty-somethings to ballroom dance with me at the reception). It all started with a martini (as many good things do) garnished with a cherry. The inevitable Can you tie the stem with your tongue? question was posed. I immediately said No but was quickly told that I probably could. So of course I tried – and low and behold I can. Another hidden talent! Not quite as useful as the first hidden talent (publicly or for-profit anyway), but still something to be recognized.

I should get my Boy Scout’s Badge for knots as both newly discovered, previously hidden talents involve tying. Using tying and knots as a segueway – I’ve started 50 Shades of Grey, but more on that when I’ve finished it.

But the thing that drew me back here… well, really I’ve been thinking about doing a post for over a week now. Sharing various stories and laughs and pictures, but the thing that made it necessary to do today… is simple. Littlest is 2. I know, I know…it does seem like just yesterday I was recounting his birth (horrors and wonders alike)! And then I was dealing with the aftermath of his birth around his first birthday.

And now here we are, his second birthday. My baby is two years old.  My baby is no longer actually a baby. My house will no longer contain any babies. My house will never again be home to a baby. A baby will never again belong to me. Do you see the digression? Do you feel it? I feel it. I’m pretty sure I’ve been feeling it for about a month. I’ve become incredibly emotional and perhaps even a little irrational. You see, I would’ve been the little old woman who lived in a shoe, who had so many children she didn’t know what to do… and I would’ve liked it that way. Lots of people look forward to the end of babyhood and enjoy toddlerville and the elementary years; I am not them. Ok, that’s not entirely true- I do enjoy toddlerville and I am enjoying the beginning of our elementary years. But I am not a mama who looks forward to babies no longer being babies.

Obviously (as I’ve said before, I know), I would never trade Littlest’s sweet self for the option to have more children. But it is still bittersweet to watch him grown and to know that this is the end of babyhood. And childbearing. I’m even sad that I’ll never labor and birth another baby. That’s right, I’m in that deep.

But in the midst of the sadness, there is this deep thankfulness and joy. I have my boy and I get to witness his growth! My itty-bitty boy who never should have survived the pregnancy and his mama who almost bled out without anyone noticing. I have him. I cuddle him. I teach him. I try to ignore him listen to him. I love him. And looking at him today, I still see the miracle he was the day he was born, and the miracle he’s been every day in between.

The day we brought him home

Littlest E, you will always be the baby (as all of my children will always be my babies) and a constant reminder that miracles happen every day and to every day people. I am so, so blessed and thankful to be your mama. Happy birthday, my boy.

Germany has changed me in many ways, of course. I think I certainly would have been a bit different had I stayed in the States. Not bad, but…different. But I will always cherish my American upbringing. That feeling of independence that we so celebrate today, that pride for our country and for our nation and the values it stands for. A lot of people ask me if I’ll get “my German citizenship” when I get married, which is not really such an obvious assumption. As far as I know, the only way for me to get a German passport is to give up my American nationality, and there is no way in hell I would do such a thing. (Sorry, Germany. It’s not you, it’s me.)

Of course America is not perfect, and neither is Germany. There are good things and bad things about both countries, and I would be happy living in either one! But luckily Germany feels enough like home to me that I feel well here.

I think most of the reason I feel so at home here because I’ve got a man who loves and appreciates me for who I am, who takes cultural differences in stride and has never once made me feel bad for being an American. (Although he does joke lightheartedly about the fact that I like to eat cereal as a meal…)

And my guy really made today special. I came in to get dressed after my shower this morning and Tobias, still in bed, immediately started whistling the Star-Spangled Banner. Made me laugh. And then he wished me a happy Fourth as I was leaving for work. For lunch, he crafted this beautiful yogurt and fruit snack, but not before putting on a YouTube recording of the US national anthem to accompany as background music. (The anthem generally puts tears to my eyes, but today even more because of Tobias’s sweet soul!) And then he pulled out the yogurt and presented me with this very patriotic dessert.

So thank you, my love, for making me feel special today and for bringing a little bit of America to my Fourth of July here in Germany.

Now I’ll just have to go watch some fireworks (online!) to finish off a perfect Independence Day…not quite like the real thing, but Fourth of July without fireworks is a bit like Christmas without a Christmas tree. Happy Fourth!

]]> http://sarahstaebler.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/the-supremes/ Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:21:01 +0000 sarahstaebler http://sarahstaebler.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/the-supremes/ With the recent Supreme Court decision about the new healthcare system, it’s obviously been in the news a lot since last week’s decision.

I’m sure I’m not the only one…but every time I read “the Supremes”, instead of thinking of the United States Supreme Court Justices in solemn, black robes, I think of three fabulously gorgeous and talented Motown singers.

(picture source)

Anyone else had the same idea?

I’m sure I’m not the only one…but every time I read “the Supremes”, instead of thinking of the United States Supreme Court Justices in solemn, black robes, I think of three fabulously gorgeous and talented Motown singers.

(picture source)

Anyone else had the same idea?

Exactly one month from today, Tobias and I will be legally married. Our courthouse ceremony is at 11:20 a.m. at the Altona Rathaus. (It’s our local courthouse -isn’t it just gorgeous? We’re lucky to have such a photogenic building!)

If the weather’s nice, we’ll have a casual lunch party afterward in the backyard of our apartment building. If not, we’ll just move everyone inside!

I’m very much looking forward to it all. But man oh man, there is still so much to do! Tobi’s aunt has volunteered to make a bonafide Schwäbische Maultaschensuppe and some pies. And some friends of ours may bring a few things to contribute too. I’ve been browsing Pinterest for recipes and have had quite a lot of luck – there are a lot of summery recipes (this, for example!) out there that look perfect for a party! Our mint crop on our balcony is growing quite nicely, so I may also have to incorporate that into the menu somewhere.

Three more weeks (and 17 work days) until my family comes…33 days until the church wedding…4 weekends to get everything done! These numbers just keep getting smaller and smaller!

Exactly one month from today, Tobias and I will be legally married. Our courthouse ceremony is at 11:20 a.m. at the Altona Rathaus. (It’s our local courthouse -isn’t it just gorgeous? We’re lucky to have such a photogenic building!)

If the weather’s nice, we’ll have a casual lunch party afterward in the backyard of our apartment building. If not, we’ll just move everyone inside!

I’m very much looking forward to it all. But man oh man, there is still so much to do! Tobi’s aunt has volunteered to make a bonafide Schwäbische Maultaschensuppe and some pies. And some friends of ours may bring a few things to contribute too. I’ve been browsing Pinterest for recipes and have had quite a lot of luck – there are a lot of summery recipes (this, for example!) out there that look perfect for a party! Our mint crop on our balcony is growing quite nicely, so I may also have to incorporate that into the menu somewhere.

Three more weeks (and 17 work days) until my family comes…33 days until the church wedding…4 weekends to get everything done! These numbers just keep getting smaller and smaller!

Motivation struck me the other day and out I went. Fortunately for me there is a park/forest near my house so this is where I went. I had a plan of where I wanted to end up and a rough idea of how to get there (I swear I have a good sense of direction).

My initial attempt to run was thwarted by the overgrown trail and my frequent need to duck and dodge tree branches but eventually I found my groove. BUT then I came to a fork in the path (there were actually three path choices). Suddenly I felt like Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth and I was just waiting for David Bowie to show up. I chose one and carried on … and on … and on. I started to doubt my choice and considered turning back. Nothing here looked familiar. I wasn’t sure I was going to find what I was looking for.

I continued running (still going strong) and came around a bend just as the song on my 2006 iPod finished. Just as Savage Garden started I found the boardwalk I was looking for that meant I was going the right way; it was sweet like a chica cherry cola.

It was like my iPod knew I was in the zone; right after Savage Garden more upbeat (read: motivating) songs came on. And then my leg failed me: all I wanted to do was keep running (jogging) but my leg just wasn’t having it so alas I was resigned to walking.

Now you would think that since I successfully found my way into the forest I could find my way out. This was not the case, partially because I was distracted by my iPod and was singing along. I kept walking and came out of the trails back into civilization not at all where I intended to. By this time I had been gone for an hour, I was tired, I got a bug in my eye and my allergies were making themselves known. So by this time I just wanted to be home but I knew I was still three kilometers from home so I had no choice but to continue.

I didn’t run as much as I wanted to but I made it out there when I could have sat on the couch so I am going to chalk it up as a win!