And so it ends...

Well the Lenten season is officially complete. I must say that Lent for me was very challenging this year but I am amazed at how much I've grown because of it. I faced a number of difficult situations that I could not rely on alcohol to make easier. Bad days at work, relationship hurdles, PMS, all of it I had to deal with on my own. I had to face the hard truths about many things and while it often felt like way more than I could handle, I did it. I grabbed the beast by the horns and took that son of a bitch out. Now that I've been through this, I honestly feel like there isn't anything I can't do.

I'm also very proud of what I accomplished in this time. I made a list of eight things I wanted to do/improve in this time and I think I did a very good job with it.

1. Exercise
I began running again and just this past week I got back up to 16 minutes. My last run was amazing and I remembered once again why I love it so much. My goal is to run a 5K at the end of June and maybe even the Storm the Bastille 5K in July.

2. Do something useful after work every day
This time has been amazingly precious to me. I've gotten to run errands, do stuff around the apartment, hang out with Natertots more, and cook some great meals for us. Speaking of which...

3. Cook more
I'm really proud of this one. I've gotten back into cooking because of my earlier work schedule and it's awesome. I've made coconut lime tilapia with mango quinoa, Italian vegetable soup, buffalo chicken pizza, spinach-artichoke pizza, Mexican casserole, pecan crusted tilapia with cheddar jalapeno sweet potatoes, and lots and lots of dips ;) I'm REALLY looking forward to all the yummy seasonal dishes I'm going to make in the summer.

4. Eliminate unnecessary stress
I think I can always improve on this one but I've gotten so much better. My PMS week in March was amazing because I made the decision at the start of it to relax and not let anything too small get to me. It did wonders. I think it's remarkable the kind of attitude change that can take place if you just put your mind to it.

5. Watch more movies
Ahhh nice, quiet Friday nights with Nate watching movies. This was wonderful. And while I really missed hitting the town and having a few martinis at Blu on a Friday night, this was such a lovely alternative. Brewing a pot of coffee, eating ice cream, getting into our pajamas and curling up on the couch...those are some memories I will hold dear for a long time.

6. Spend less money
I definitely spent way less money in the last six weeks. I was able to pay off huge chunks of my credit card and even with some of the financial setbacks I had at the beginning of the year, I'm confident I will have my step-dad and mom paid back a year from now. And that'll be huge.

7. Work harder at my job
I've definitely been putting more of myself into my job this year. I think I'm starting to really find my place there and working hard gives me a lot of satisfaction at the end of the day. Since my performance review is now complete and I've received lots of great feedback from my managers, I feel like I'll be even more inspired to not only do my current job well but take on new, more challenging tasks.

8. Be a better girlfriend
During the last six weeks, my relationship has evolved in ways I can't even describe. If I think about the person I was one year ago, I cannot imagine her getting through the stuff that I've gotten through. I've really tackled some personal demons and I now feel stronger than I ever have before. It wasn't all me though. Without Nate, none of it would have been possible. He's helped me come out of my shell and he's inspired me to be the kind of person I've always wanted to be. With him by my side, there isn't any challenge I can't overcome, problem I can't solve, and goal I can't achieve.


Well there you have it peeps! Quite a little journey I took from the end of February until now. I am now looking toward the future, excited to take what I've learned and expand upon it. Thank you to everyone who helped me get through Lent even when I was a psycho bi-atch. So what are we waiting for? Let's have a drink!