9/13 Arghhhh.....

Mixed results in Fort Dodge.  Lovely dinner prepared by Donna and Andrea awaited my arrival followed by talking and, of course, Scrabble.  We did not go to bed until 2:00!  Sunday morning featured a visit by Aaron.  It was good to see him.  We had lunch at Sports Page followed by some serious shoe shopping.  No swimming.  No walking.  Sports Page could have been worse plus I did hit the Story City McDonalds both coming and going.  I drove back to Pella in hellacious rain and spent all day in meetings.  I am just now getting caught up with emails, etc. at 9:00.  Tomorrow is another full day.  I am ready to leave Pella.  My general condition:  Fair.

7/13 At the half way point

Hmmmm.....not sure how I am feeling except tired.  We have been kept running from meeting to meeting since arrival.  Everything from photo shoots to sessions about social media, student learning outcomes, yet more reorganization, finances, recruiting and budgeting.  I have been able to gather energy from former students who want to live their glory days in Merida which has been fun.  There is food everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere.  On the continuum that ranges from bingeing to eating clean, yesterday fell more towards the binge end while the day before was definitely on the eating clean end.  Meditation is great.  Walking is great.  I am hoping to get in the pool at the Y in Fort Dodge this weekend and to get in some walks. 

5/13 Catching up

Unfortunately, the tulips are blooming in Pella yet.  Well, this is probably better for Tulip Time but sad for me.  Yes, it is all about me, me, me.  Let's see....I arrived in Iowa on Tuesday with no delays just ahead of the storms.  I was able to spend a delightful afternoon with my best girl, Barb, followed by a delicious dinner with Barb, Kent and Katelyn.  Yes, the Buckton Trifecta. 

I arrived in Pella at 7:30 on Wednesday morning and have not stopped yet.  Wednesday finally ended at about 10:30 PM.  Today started at 8:00.  I have about 15 free minutes before we are expected at the president's home for dinner.  If all goes well, we will be out by 7:30.  One can hope.

Having thought through a plan is making all the difference.  I am tired because of the long hours and the need to be "on" for hours without end and the lack of exercise but not because I am binging.

My gluten-free request saved me from a pasta dish at lunch yesterday.  Dinner was tilapia.  Not one pastry has passed these lips.  The president is gluten free so I am expecting a decent meal.  Exercise has not been fabulous....to and from campus, some on-campus walking but not much.  Meditation is on track, too.

All for now.

2/13 On the Erie Canal

Today was a great day.  I started early with a 45-minute work out in the hotel pool followed by a breakfast of eggs and toast.  Finding St. John Fisher College was easy...a nice drive through a residential area that included cross the Erie Canal.  Although the trees are still bare, all of the signs say that spring is ready to burst forth.  The SJF campus is gorgeous...well-thought out with a master plan for open spaces, the same brick work throughout and friendly people.  My visits with faculty and staff were productive.  I am hoping to see a student or two next year.  I ate a delicious lunch in the cafeteria with the several Spanish professors.  Food and conversations were excellent and uplifting.  This was probably the best cafeteria I have experienced. 

I had stashed my walking clothes so I then changed into them and took a 3-mile canal walk.  For some reason, I find the Erie Canal fascinating.  Part of the fascination is definitely experiencing something historical come to life as well as being a tourist in my own country.  There were numerous historical markers along with great explanations of how the locks work/worked. 

I was then able to knock off my Target list as well as a stop at the MAC counter in Macys to buy new lip shades and eye pencils.  I would like to boast that I stuck to my list, but the reality is that I didn't see any clothes that I had to have.  Maybe in Des Moines...

1/13 Travel Day

I am writing this from Rochester.  Flights and connections went perfectly.  I meditated on the Houston-Merida leg.  Walked for an hour in Newark(!) while waiting for my connection to Rochester.  I walked for another hour upon arrival in Rochester because it was still light out...cool but a wonderful change for me.

Food today:  Toast with cottage cheese when I got up at 3:30, cheese, crackers and an apple around 7:30, tomato juice on two flights, a cold pesto pasta salad with grapes tomatoes in Newark, and now I am having a green salad, a small flank steak and a baked sweet potato. 

My first meeting is at 10:00 at St. John Fisher College...only about 20 minutes from my hotel.  I will be finished by about 2:30 at the latest.  I am in Rochester another night before leaving for Des Moines via Chicago on Tuesday morning at 8:00.  Shopping, anyone?

35/36 Review

Much like this arch, my living clean experience has been somewhat precarious. 

I was most consistent with meditation and least consistent with yoga.  I was better with exercise than with food. 

I was consistent with another goal I had set for myself....the use of the Olay "Cheap Clarisonic Clone" facial brush.  I have used it consistently once a day for the past 35 days.  Do I see a change?  Yes.  I think my lips and the space between my top lip and nose look fuller, less wrinkled.  I tended to use it in the morning, but there were times I used it only at night, and there were a few days I used it twice a day when my face felt extra sweaty and dirty.  At times I used only water and other times I used my Clinique cleanser.  A small tube of an Olay cleansing product came with the brush, but I found it to be too perfumed for my use. 

I feel confident that daily meditation is now a normal part of my routine as is the facial cleansing routine.  My goals going forward are to be more proactive with exercise and food by making exercise a daily priority no matter what.  I will put a daily session right in my planner just as I do all of my other appointments.  I will plan meals, shop accordingly and prepare ahead.  I am going to look for a twice weekly yoga class and do stretches at home or in the office when I feel the need. 

I am looking forward to my time in the US and am pleased with the steps I have taken to make wellness my priority. 

33/36 Three more days

Reporting got away from me since my last check in from Chiapas.  Clean eating upon reaching Merida also got away from me which was disheartening because I did so well while traveling.  I ate only what I planned to eat.  For the most part, I packed food and ate only when we had group meals included as a part of the trip. 

What did not get away was meditation and exercise.  I walked every day and did yoga stretches as well.  I have been to the pool since I returned.

I leave for the US on Sunday and am admittedly nervous as I had hoped to feel cleaner and stronger.  The schedule set forth by Central seems a little top-heavy with receptions, organized lunches and dinners.  Days begin at 8:00 and often run to 9:00 at night because of the aforementioned receptions. 

I have made some advance arrangements to take care of myself while traveling including a refrigerator in my hotel room in Pella and a swimming pool in the hotel in Rochester, NY.  Andrea has suggested swimming at the Y in Fort Dodge the weekend I am there.  Apparently the Y has open swim on Saturday and Sunday.  Big thumbs up for the FD Y!  I have asked Andrea to keep food things simple in FD...no turnovers, no candy, no cinnamon rolls, no eating out. 

I will have walking clothes and shoes when I can walk specifically for exercise and will also walk as much as I can while in Pella...to and from the hotel, criss-crossing campus.  We have asked for healthy snacks during our meetings, and I will make a grocery run prior to arriving in Pella.  Top of my list is Fage yogurt!  I may ask for a vegetarian option which usually means loaded with cheese in Pella.  Hmmmm....maybe gluten free would be the better option.  Flour is not my friend.  When there is time to slip away, I will slip away. 

Checking in will definitely help.  Just writing this and seeing what I have already put into place has also helped me to feel more confident going forward.  Plus I have Friday and Saturday to get in a few more days of clean living. 

Spring weather will also help.  It was already 80 degrees here at 6:00 this morning.

Any other suggestions? 

PS:  After posting this, I set up 13 posts to help track my progress while away, and I also contacted the catering office on campus to request gluten-free meals for those meals that will be under the catering office's control...an estimated 5!  I also confirmed the fresh fruit coffee break option.  Some meals will be eaten in the cafeteria which should actually be the least of my problems given the wide range of choices.  It is those already plated meals that are difficult.  Feeling stronger already.