Here's to one year leaving and another coming
2011 has been the most interesting year of my life ever, to say the least. I've lived, laughed, loved and all of the opposite. I have met some of the most amazing people, formed some amazing friendships and made some serious changes in my life.
The year started off rocky for me.I finished up my time at De Anza, left my first ever job at the bookstore, as well as quit the coffee house (which was a living hell to work in after management changed) and lost a very, very dear friend.But then I had a job interview at a hotel and was given the job, which I was due to start mid April giving me time to go on a little vacation.
After nearly 5 years of friendship and more, Michael and I decided to try and make a go of it. To say the least, it didn't end well... For that mini vacation, I drove by myself to Idaho to spend two weeks ago, and things were rocky from day one. Several months later, I've finally figured out he and I wouldn't have worked out in the end anyway, but at the time, after 5 years, it was the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life.
But as they say, when God closes a door, somewhere a window opens. After the break-up, I lost 10 pounds. Granted, it wasn't done healthily, but it was done and it made me re-evaluate a lot of things in my life. From April until mid August, all I had going on in my life was my new job, which I was greatly enjoying. So I decided to make some changes.
I took that 10 pound weight loss and thought about what I wanted to do with my life, career wise, health wise, even my love life. From that 10 pounds I got a gym membership and started going every other day, running, weight lifting, stretching. During Lent, I had given up all chocolate drinks, even though I am not Catholic, which was a start. From there, with hitting the gym, I gave up other things, like candies, cookies, chips, fast food, soda. Not that I ever really indulged very often in those kinds of foods, but it was a change, every little bit helps. I also started changing my portions, trying to eat smaller meals, more often, more fruit, veggies, chicken, dairy, etc.
My spring and summer months were nothing but the new job and the gym. Between April and June, I went from 218 to 195, which was huge for me. With that, I began to re-evaluate other things. By mid May I began to wonder why I had never followed my families footsteps into the Corps. I love the Corps. I support the Corps in every way I possible can. Hell, I've dreamt of marrying a Marine for as long as I can recall. One day I will make it to the Marine Corps birthday ball on the arm of one of our nations finest (yes, physically and mentally ;) ) men. But besides that, I began to wonder why I didn't go into the Corps. For the longest time it was me making excuses, I'm too out of shape, I don't want to do it just for my family, I didn't think I'd make it, or that I had the mental power to do it. But then, I lost 15 pounds in a month, and then I lost more weight, and even more. So I started researching. And then I talked to a recruiter, and then all of a sudden I had a meeting with an OSO... well, technically the OSO's NCO in office.
So then my summer became dedicated to my new job, my health, my body, my mind, and possibly my future. I went to PT twice with the Marines at Moffett, and it's tough, definitely for sure. But it gave me an idea of where I need to be.
On top of work and working out, I became friends with someone at work who introduced me to some of his friends, and then we all became friends. Almost every weekend we did something, at someones house, or out to dinner, we even hit a club which was so much more amazing than the only other time I'd been to a club. I started picking up Spanish from them, and then started teaching myself as much as I could in my spare time.
Then, university started and life got hectic and I stopped having time for things like studying Spanish or working out. I stopped going to the gym, didn't run, barely exercised, but I made it a point to take the stairs everywhere, park on the top floor of the farthest garage from my classes, eat as healthy as possible as someone always on the go.
My first semester at university wasn't hard, perse, just a lot of work. I ended up with an A, an A-, a B+ and a B-. Not bad, but not great. I did well on my writing, got all my homework done on time, did almost all of my reading assignments, attended almost every class. Not bad. On top of that, I worked full time, 40-48 hours a week depending on the week, and still found time to go out at least once a week nearly every week to be with friends.
I've also met some more people within the past few weeks that I greatly enjoy spending time with. I even like one of them, and actually told him. Not that it will go anywhere, they're being shipped out this week then off to Afghanistan in a few months.
It's not that I have told him I like him, nor is it how much weight I've lost that makes me pleased with this year. It is having done things I never even dreamed I would do, having lost so much weight, made so much improvement in my fitness. I cannot run a full mile still without having to slow down, but I can run for longer and farther without huffing and puffing. It's the fact that I TOLD a guy I liked him and didn't bury my head in the sands when he didn't respond the way I'd hoped, I can still even talk to him, for the most part, without being weirdly nervous. I've gained so much this year. Friends, memories, a better image of myself, I feel beautiful for the first time in my life, I feel like I can talk to people easier, that maybe one day, there might be hope for me and Mr Right, whoever he may be.
So it's been one hell of a year. It's only gotten better, even with a few sad spikes here and there, and I am honestly happy with how it worked out. I hope this next year will be just as good.
I get to start the year off at a healthier weight than I was a year ago, 172. I have been accepted to a program this summer in Paris for a month, which will take off a semester and a half of French, which could also possibly take off time from graduation. Then I get to bounce around Europe for two weeks with my best friend after that.
I had a meeting with my OSO a few weeks back and now have a game plan for the Corps. I have to finish school, and have been moved from the PLC program to the OCC program, which means I will do OCS after I graduate, if I pass medical of course.
My job now is to lose the last few pounds, do medical, take my ASVAB to possibly get a better score than I did on my ACT and SAT, which aren't bad. But they are not on par with the top women candidates for OCS, so I have to study hard, work hard, and play hard.
The only thing on my mind now is reconciling the wanting to be a mom and wife, and the wanting to be in the Corps. So for now, I'll continue working out, losing weight, feeling better about myself, studying hard and living life as full as I can while I can.
Happy New Year everyone.