Same old brand new me.
It's been two years since my last post! I have changed so much in the past few years that I really should start a whole new blog, but I figured I'd go with the lazy option and just change the look of my LJ :) Besides, I like this username. It doesn't matter if no one's going to read this - I'm just updating for my own benefit, because it feels good to just write some words about my life and thoughts every now and then.
My life has become a lot about exercise. I joined the gym chain SATS (a Swedish chain also present in Norway and Finland), and I absolutely love it. I have discovered that I am able to do things I had never dreamed of, and this past year has been full of self-discovery. I've basically gotten to know myself much, much better and really feel that I have grown up and embraced who I am as a person. I guess you could say I didn't like myself before. It took me a really long time to grow up. I am finally excited about who I am. I have stopped worrying and feeling anxious about everything - that's a great thing. I have more confidence, and feel more relaxed about life in general.
I actually just returned from Singapore yesterday. Morten is spending the next five months there as part of his second Master's degree, and I traveled down with him. We also celebrated New Year's in Singapore with his room-mate and the room-mate's girlfriend and took a mini road trip with them on the west coast of Malaysia. That was pretty great. Nothing was really planned, and we had a lot of wonderful experiences with local people, food and culture. Melaka was wonderful. We were even spontaneously invited to a Malay wedding, which was incredible. Those people were so hospitable and nice. If we are Facebook friends, you have probably seen the picture Marta posted from the wedding.
Saying goodbye to Morten was way harder than I had anticipated - I had kept thinking "it's just five months", but saying goodbye to the person you love and have spent the last twelve years with, is by no means easy. We both cried, and it just felt wrong. I felt like throwing up. The trip itself went OK - it was actually my first time flying alone! The 8-hour stopover in Doha was a pain - I tried to get some rest in the Quiet Zone, but those reclining chairs really aren't very comfortable. I spent 3 hours tangled in my earplugs cable and two ill-fitting blankets while listening to MIndy Kaling's "Is everyone hanging out without me?", which is very enjoyable, but the rest of the experience really was not. I think I slept for about an hour. Anyway, it wasn't tough or emotional until I got on the last plane, from Doha to Oslo. Then the waterworks came on. Landing in Oslo alone was so strange - we have landed there so many times after our numerous adventures together, all over the world. I really wanted to just take a cab home, but decided to be economical and take the bus. I was home around 5 pm - managed to stay up until about 9, then I just had to surrender to sleep. Up again around 6 am. Managed to do some laundry and start unpacking. Later today I am hitting the gym again, for the first time since Dec 27. I am dreading the effect these exercise-free days will have had on my body - in my experience it doesn't take long for the fitness level to drop. I am taking one of the tougher classes with a very demanding instructor - usually I love it, but now I think it might be dreadful! I want to get going again now, so I'm just going to throw myself into it and hopefully get back into my groove within a few days.
Oops, my laptop ran out of battery, fortunately I didn't lose my entry. I desperately want to nap, but think I should stay up to try to fix my jetlag as much as possible. Back to work tomorrow - feels impossible, but it's usually easier than I think it's going to be once I get started.
I'm not sure how often I'll be posting - right now I feel like I want to post every day, but we'll see. I think it would be cool to blog more about working out and comment on the different classes I go to. We'll see if I manage to follow through on that. But the most important thing is that I actually go, and that should be no problem considering how much I enjoy it. Since June 2011 I have lost 13 kilos, which I am very happy with. I am also much fitter than I used to be, and can actually feel my triceps. Two years ago I didn't even know what triceps were. My endurance level is also way improved. I am proud of the things I have accomplished and hope to continue upwards. I need to pull myself together food-wise though - in 2013 I have been very good at monitoring my calorie intake with the ShapeUp app (now called Lifesum), however today I have wolfed down both chocolate and chocolate cake before it was even noon. Oops. Better habits start tomorrow, I promise. Marta had some good tips regarding which foods to eat at what time of day, and I really want to try them. Mental note to add cottage cheese and eggs to shopping list.
Missing Morten and wondering how I'll cope. But I figure I just have to get into my daily routine. Go go go.
Current weight: 59.2 kg (up a bit since before the trip, but that was totally expected)
Next workout: SatsEnergy today at 5pm
Watching: Hell's Kitchen season 7 on Netflix
Last iTunes purchase: Fatboy Slim - Everybody Needs a 303
My life has become a lot about exercise. I joined the gym chain SATS (a Swedish chain also present in Norway and Finland), and I absolutely love it. I have discovered that I am able to do things I had never dreamed of, and this past year has been full of self-discovery. I've basically gotten to know myself much, much better and really feel that I have grown up and embraced who I am as a person. I guess you could say I didn't like myself before. It took me a really long time to grow up. I am finally excited about who I am. I have stopped worrying and feeling anxious about everything - that's a great thing. I have more confidence, and feel more relaxed about life in general.
I actually just returned from Singapore yesterday. Morten is spending the next five months there as part of his second Master's degree, and I traveled down with him. We also celebrated New Year's in Singapore with his room-mate and the room-mate's girlfriend and took a mini road trip with them on the west coast of Malaysia. That was pretty great. Nothing was really planned, and we had a lot of wonderful experiences with local people, food and culture. Melaka was wonderful. We were even spontaneously invited to a Malay wedding, which was incredible. Those people were so hospitable and nice. If we are Facebook friends, you have probably seen the picture Marta posted from the wedding.
Saying goodbye to Morten was way harder than I had anticipated - I had kept thinking "it's just five months", but saying goodbye to the person you love and have spent the last twelve years with, is by no means easy. We both cried, and it just felt wrong. I felt like throwing up. The trip itself went OK - it was actually my first time flying alone! The 8-hour stopover in Doha was a pain - I tried to get some rest in the Quiet Zone, but those reclining chairs really aren't very comfortable. I spent 3 hours tangled in my earplugs cable and two ill-fitting blankets while listening to MIndy Kaling's "Is everyone hanging out without me?", which is very enjoyable, but the rest of the experience really was not. I think I slept for about an hour. Anyway, it wasn't tough or emotional until I got on the last plane, from Doha to Oslo. Then the waterworks came on. Landing in Oslo alone was so strange - we have landed there so many times after our numerous adventures together, all over the world. I really wanted to just take a cab home, but decided to be economical and take the bus. I was home around 5 pm - managed to stay up until about 9, then I just had to surrender to sleep. Up again around 6 am. Managed to do some laundry and start unpacking. Later today I am hitting the gym again, for the first time since Dec 27. I am dreading the effect these exercise-free days will have had on my body - in my experience it doesn't take long for the fitness level to drop. I am taking one of the tougher classes with a very demanding instructor - usually I love it, but now I think it might be dreadful! I want to get going again now, so I'm just going to throw myself into it and hopefully get back into my groove within a few days.
Oops, my laptop ran out of battery, fortunately I didn't lose my entry. I desperately want to nap, but think I should stay up to try to fix my jetlag as much as possible. Back to work tomorrow - feels impossible, but it's usually easier than I think it's going to be once I get started.
I'm not sure how often I'll be posting - right now I feel like I want to post every day, but we'll see. I think it would be cool to blog more about working out and comment on the different classes I go to. We'll see if I manage to follow through on that. But the most important thing is that I actually go, and that should be no problem considering how much I enjoy it. Since June 2011 I have lost 13 kilos, which I am very happy with. I am also much fitter than I used to be, and can actually feel my triceps. Two years ago I didn't even know what triceps were. My endurance level is also way improved. I am proud of the things I have accomplished and hope to continue upwards. I need to pull myself together food-wise though - in 2013 I have been very good at monitoring my calorie intake with the ShapeUp app (now called Lifesum), however today I have wolfed down both chocolate and chocolate cake before it was even noon. Oops. Better habits start tomorrow, I promise. Marta had some good tips regarding which foods to eat at what time of day, and I really want to try them. Mental note to add cottage cheese and eggs to shopping list.
Missing Morten and wondering how I'll cope. But I figure I just have to get into my daily routine. Go go go.
Current weight: 59.2 kg (up a bit since before the trip, but that was totally expected)
Next workout: SatsEnergy today at 5pm
Watching: Hell's Kitchen season 7 on Netflix
Last iTunes purchase: Fatboy Slim - Everybody Needs a 303