Hello, Brick Wall, Nice to See You Again

I am two weeks away from my much-needed vacation. When I flew to the U.S. in May I went straight to the beach with my family. That was my last vacation. Since then I have driven across the United States, worked my hind end off at the farmer's markets in Seattle, then drove from Washington to Alaska. Upon my arrival in Alaska I immediately started working 9-5, Monday through Friday with my only breaks being bank holidays. I haven't left Anchorage since I arrived, aside from driving to Willow for the day to see the start of the Iditarod Dogsled Race. So it's been almost a YEAR since I really took time to decompress by going "on holiday."

So I guess you could say I need a break. In fact, I need a break so badly that I'm starting to get into a real funk in every aspect of my life. I'm unmotivated and uninterested in my work, the days all run together and I just don't care anymore. My attempts at diet and exercise have gone completely out the window the past few weeks. Initially I skied 3 to 4 times per week and ate "clean" about 80-90% of the time. I felt great, had tons of energy and was seeing results. Since about 3 weeks ago my skiing has dwindled to almost nothing and my eating habits have only been "clean" about 50% of the time. I'm really starting to notice a difference in my overall healthy feeling, how my clothes fit, everything! Plus my skin is pasty and unhealthy looking from being deprived of sunlight since October. It has been lovely and sunny most of the past few weeks, but it's going to take some serious Vitamin D to get back on track.

So yeah, I've hit a brick wall. My week off from work can't come soon enough. My week away from Anchorage will be not only welcome, but needed. A girl needs a change of scenery on a fairly regular basis. Unfortunately I've deprived myself of this far too long for any person to stand, particularly me, being a restless and easily bored person. Oh well, lesson learned: plan a trip at least every 4-6 months with weekend getaways in between to break up the monotony. Next year I will be more mindful of my emotional travel needs: weekend trips, a long Christmas break, then a 7 month deprivation followed by 3 weeks in Southeast Asia... that's more like it!