a few weeks ago, three of us thought it would be a wonderful idea to register for the aukeman sprint triathlon as a relay team. a few weeks ago, this was a genius idea. a few weeks ago, the weather was consistently gorgeous which made staying in shape much easier.
a few weeks later, we had regret. what were we getting ourselves into? margo had to swim in the freezing waters of auke lake, i to bike out to the glacier and back on a couple gnarly hills, and denise to run through a hilly forest. i had not biked more than five miles in probably three weeks. prior to that, i was averaging about 12 miles a day. so...i'm a little tender right now. i blame my lack of physical activity on the constant drizzle state juneau seems to have gotten back into.
with all of that said, the race actually ended up being really fun. it came time to unclip from my pedals so i could hand off our mini bracelet baton to denise. i unclipped from my right foot, but could not get my left foot out. i tried for thirty seconds before it finally came undone. meanwhile, volunteers, cheerleaders, and officials are laughing at me. what a life i live.
a triathlon sprint is something i would do individually in the future. i could easily do the swim and the bike. the running on the other hand... eh... i would rather eat a cat litter sandwich. we'll see where this next year takes me. ultimately, i would love to do a full triathlon, but again--the running poses a problem.
to help with my recovery, i chose to go the tea house. it's one of those places that no matter my current mood, my spirits are lifted. and let me tell you, i needed that. i have been in such a funky funk the past couple of weeks. i have felt like a piece of bread getting soggy in the rain. feeling like i could always be doing something more. like... i haven't been doing enough for myself or for other people. truthfully, i don't even know what that means or what that would look like if i were to do more. maybe for myself, it would look like being more intentional about reading my Bible or developing a healthy sleeping pattern. for others, maybe it would require me to pour into them more than i have, be more genuine, and be more bold? so anyways, having had reflection time at the tea house, has been absolutely wonderful. a few tears from negative changes and happy vibes from positive changes.
i know that change will continue over the next year as people leave and come into my life. that is terrifying. social anxiety will inevitably kick in. but at the same time, it truly is a lovely thought because it is all in God's timing. it can be sad as people leave your life, but it is oh so joyful to be able to reflect on how much they have impacted you. it's even more joyful to know that He has something enormous planned for them; whether it is temporary or permanent, them leaving your life is purposeful. when someone new breaks through your barriers and into your heart, it rains ice-cream sprinkles. you learn and grow from one another. your heart will hold their handprints.
speaking of happy things, i just finished a book called Jesus Feminist. i'm not really sure if i enjoyed the entirety of it or just a part. i mean, it did take me like...five months to read. however, at one part, the author talked about how the things that makes us happy, the nuggets in life that we count as blessings, are sneak peaks of what his kingdom holds for us.
i smile at the thought of birkenstocks and wool socks, popcorn, donuts, rollerblades, happy hearts, llamas, and chunky sweaters. i leap for joy when i see friends and family i haven't seen in months. on cold days, my soul warms with a cup of coffee and a heart-to-heart conversation. those are my nuggets and blessings.
i kind of want to explode confetti just thinking about living in his kingdom for eternity once i leave this place called Earth.
for now, though, i'm going to enjoy it and continue to count my blessings. i'm going to revel in the fact that my photos from Nicaragua will be hanging up in Gonzos, that two people whom I love dearly will come visit me over the next three weeks, that my beautiful friend is getting married, and so much more! LIFE IS GOOD PEOPLE.
xoxo
-A
