'Twas the Season

The holidays are over, finished, kaput, but I'm not all that happy that it's done and over with. Sure the holidays can be a little hectic with prepping meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas, buying gifts for love ones, decorating the house, baking traditional treats, and still going to see lights somewhere like the National Zoo, but there are things that I quite enjoy about the Holidays. I enjoy spending time with my family, looking at my decorated Christmas tree, watching loved ones' faces as they open presents, watching White Christmas, A Christmas Story, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. 

Looking back, 2014 was a very interesting year with its ups-and-downs, new discoveries, and excitement.

In January, I started the Whole30 diet because I was tired of looking at myself and hating what I saw. I felt listless. I needed a way out of my current regime.  I found a book called It Starts with Food and the things they said started to click with me in a very deep level. It all corresponded to the training I've had in biochemistry at NSU. I decided to jump headfirst into an elimination diet. You can check out my experiences throughout the blog.

That month, I also found that I could no longer support myself financially with my two student loans and other bills. I had to go looking for a new job which I interviewed for in late January. I got the job, so I had to move from my hometown to the DC area to start anew. Thankfully, my boyfriend, C, of several years was already living up here and he opened his house to me, allowing me to make it my own. 

In February, I moved to the DC area in time for C's birthday. The move was a grueling task, especially after I had to watch my Maw-maw wave solemnly out her front window as I drove away, my tears streaming down my face, and C grasping my hands tightly to remind me that he was there. I didn't have as much stuff as I had originally thought, but there were a few heavy pieces that almost broke C's foot. My parents helped move me in, their support and love, along with C's, helped boost my spirits more than the excitement of a new adventure ever could. I kept telling myself that I was Frodo, I was an adventurer, but really, I just wanted to hide in a corner and pretend this wasn't happening.

On C's birthday, I baked him chocolate chip cookies. I threw my entire being into trying to be the perfect live-in girlfriend. I cooked dinner every night, ultimately losing my new-found love of the kitchen. I followed him around like a lost puppy those first few months and cried on his shoulder as home-sickness entered into my soul. In hindsight, I was probably the most annoying girlfriend instead of the best. I know that he was grateful when I finally started evening shifts.

March was nothing really to write home about. I was still having huge bouts of homesickness and I still strove to be the best-girlfriend-in-the-world, but I had become depressed. I moved in slow-motion, my brain filled with the muddy waters of insolence. I had no drive. I feared that C would kick me to the curb now that he had to see me every day.

April would bring a turn-around from this stupid behavior. Spring was in the air and my knitting friends back home were going to a fiber festival to sell their wares of hand-dyed yarns and fibers. I wanted to help them so I decided to drive home. That weekend was also the peak of the Cherry Blossoms at the tidal basin so C and I met there. I was waiting for him and started to get a little nervous, freaking out because of the number of people I didn't know. Finally, I started to have a panic attack, fighting with C when he was trying to find me. I know that I shouldn't have, but it just happened that way. I dropped him off at home and drove on to my hometown, thinking that being back with family will cure my ails.

 

The fiber festival was kind of a bust, but it was great to be with my friends again. I got a cheap lambs fleece to spin as well which excited me at the time. I also realized that I was able to spindle spin and walk around at the same time so I reveled at being a center of attention for a while. Later that night, I found myself in the most intense pain I have ever felt. I laid awake, curled in a fetal position, hoping that it'll go away with a few aspirin. I paced the floors until I woke up Maw-maw's dogs. Finally, I woke her up and called my mom who took me to the ED and found I had kidney stones. I spent the next week in various amounts of pain with C worrying over me. I lacked appetite and I was constantly taking a pill for opening up my urethra or pain or antibiotics. Finally, I had the stone surgically removed. 

As painful as they were, this was where my attitude seemed to shift. It wasn't miraculous and overnight, but a gradual shift into the positive. My outlook started to get better. My relationship with C was starting to get stronger again. I started to not need him around every day to just feel happy for a moment. I took a break off from cooking a few times and just enjoyed eating food. My love for the kitchen is still slowly coming back, but I'm still grateful for that wake-up call. 

May was the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. My friend, B, came up and we went together. This was our first times going and we were surprisingly disappointed. We had become fiber snobs and only went for the spinning stuff. We didn't need to spend copious amounts of cash for home-spun treasures when we can do it ourselves. I even tried to find a spinning wheel, but backed out of it at the last minute. It was a handmade wheel whose parts would be hard to replace and as unique as it was, I wanted something to last me throughout my lifetime, something that I could repair easily. We left MS&W disappointed, but we had a wonderful time together. 

May was also when I started to get the hiking/walking bug. Previously, C and I would walk around our neighborhood, but it wasn't enough. I joined a group on Meet-up to go to Great Falls National Park and asked C to come with me. He did. The group leader sucked. He wanted to meet up at the busiest time for the park and showed up late. We sat around for over an hour waiting for him and the rest of his group. A few of us eventually broke off and went our own way. This was my first excursion with hiking around the DC area and my first hike in over 10 years. I was pumped that we did 5 miles in 2 hours with a little bit of rock hopping and getting lost thrown in. I was out-of-shape, but I was happy. 

Also in May: Cornhole tournament in the Congressional Cemetary

June and July were a sort of blur. I moved to evening shift at the hospital, but I had to work every Saturday graveyard shift. It was torture. C and I didn't see much of each other and when we did, I wasn't in the mood to bother doing anything fun. My birthday was rather amazing though. We went to Harper's Ferry where we did a 2 hour zip-line experience, combating our fears of falling and heights. We, then, ventured into the old town that was preserved and tried to hike up to Loundon Heights. We were ill-prepared so we never made it up, but we had a great adventure. This only cemented my love of hiking. 

Ah! The pool, how I miss you!

August was just hot. Hot and miserable. C and I would continue to put in a few miles every weekend, walking the Mt. Vernon and Four Mile Run trails. We spent a good chunk of our time floating around the pool and getting reacquainted with each other. I had moved off the dreadful shift and was finally working a better shift. 

September started with a nice cabin trip to Victoria, VA with my parents. My Mom and Dad brought their pitbulls and we sat around the porch, talked, got into some trouble, drank home-made apple pie moonshine, and played Apples-to-Apples. We also found the The Falls which were more like a dried up cascade where C and I climbed over giant rock formations and moved further downstream. A blast was had by all. 

I also went on another hike with a different Meet-up group and did my first 9+ miler. Unfortunately, I didn't have quite as much fun as I probably could have due to the militaristic hike leader, but I am still proud of myself for completing it. I'm working on my endurance so that I'll be able to hike with her again and show her that I'm not your typical "fat" girl like she automatically assumed. Her challenge has led me to find more and more beautiful places in the Old Dominion. 

October was more of a blur than I thought. My parents, C, and I went to the Renaissance Faire the weekend before my Dad's birthday. I dressed up in my bodice and chemise, but the weather was cool and wet so I spent most of my time huddled under my wool cloak. We watched Cu Dubh, a viking/celtic band and Mom and I took a picture with one of the members. We prowled around the "alleys", ate crab-stuffed pretzels, and just had a great time being in each other's company.

Mom and Dad went hiking with us! 

The next weekend I had off in October, C and I went to a Halloween party/beer share with his beer head group. He dressed as a doctor in a pair of my unisex green scrubs and a lab coat while I dressed up as a really crappy French courtesan/geisha. I probably offended several people there, but I really had a great time. Also, that Sunday, we went to Shenandoah National Park and did one of our first rock scrambles and strenuous hikes where I tried to hurt myself crossing the cascades. We treated ourselves to a milkshake and sloppy, greasy burgers afterwards in Front Royal, VA at a place called Spelunkers. It was surprisingly good for a "fast food" joint. 

November started the madness of the holidays. My work wouldn't allow us to take many days off during the holidays and I had only asked for some days around Christmas so that I could enjoy being with my family a little more. C and I started our Christmas shopping and spent more time enjoying each other's company. On Thanksgiving day, C and I drove down to my hometown and had dinner with my parents, sister, her boyfriend, and his family. We had delicious food (I made dirt pudding) and played Apples-to-Apples and joked around most of the time. We drove back up the next day so that I could work that evening. 

December was another whirlwind sort of month, but it was by-far the best month! Early December was mild, so C and I were able to do a hike here and there. We ended up going to Ravens Rock in Bluemont, VA and enjoyed a wonderful picnic after a tough hike on a beautiful rock formation that overlooked a valley in West Virginia. I truly feel that we bond more on the trail than just sitting in the house. 

On the Monday before Christmas, I pulled a double shift, working from 3pm to 6am. I had problems with my gums being swollen due to an infected and shattered wisdom tooth all that night. When I woke up the following afternoon, I went to the dentist, hoping that maybe they will give me some antibiotics that I could start after my dinner date with C, but instead, they decided that the tooth had to go. I still met C after the extraction to have dinner, but I could only have soup and I needed to get my prescriptions. We dropped my scripts at the CVS on King St and decided to go for a walk while waiting. He led me to the harbor where we had our first date four and a half years ago and decided to check out the gazebo. The gazebo has a lot of memories for the two of us. It's where on our first date, after almost twelve hours of talking and walking, we stopped for the last hour in each others arms. It's where we first kissed that night and where we figured out that we really wanted to keep this going. Once at the gazebo, C told me that he had a gift. I figured that it was just a gift he was too excited to wait for and it wasn't wrapped so I closed my eyes at his request. I stood there, in the middle of the gazebo and my eyes closed, clueless as to what was going to happen next. He said, "I have a question" so I opened my eyes and saw him kneeling down on the chilly concrete of the gazebo, bringing a box out of his jacket. He slowly opened the box and asked, "Will you marry me?". 

I know that I probably looked shocked, my complexion was probably paler than normal as I stared for a moment at the shining circle inside the box. Once my brain registered what was going on, I leaped into his arms, crying softly into his shoulders while he awkwardly tried to keep his balance in his knelt position. "Is that a 'Yes'?" he asked and I nodded vigorously. Eventually, I managed to say yes, repeating it until the word became loud and sure. I spent the rest of our walk back to CVS intermittently crying tears of joy. 

We decided to keep the news a secret to share with my family when we returned for Christmas. His parents, brother, and future sister-in-law already knew and his mom really wanted to shout it on Facebook. The next day, Christmas Eve, we drove down the Norfolk where my parents had their church service. I had my ring on, but didn't bring too much attention to it, hoping that someone would notice. Throughout the night, I would say random things that would have made people notice, but still nothing. On Christmas day, after all the presents were open and my mom wondering why I had so little from C, I told them that I had another present for them. My parents and sister stared at me, questioning my sanity perhaps, until I stood up, showed them my hand and said "C asked me to marry him!". My mom jumped out of her chair so quickly that both pitbulls and the cat scattered, sliding on the floor strewn with wrapping paper and boxes. She and my sister bombarded me, crying with tears of joy as my Dad shuffled into the kitchen for a few minutes before coming out and hugging the two of us. Afterwards, my mom ran to her bedroom, grabbed her phone, coerced us into posing and practically shouted it out on Facebook that we were engaged. The rest of my family was surprised and joyful as well when we met up for Christmas dinner, especially my Uncle Joe. 

Love my baby sister! 

The next day, we went to my best-friend's house to hang out with my childhood best friends whom I consider my sisters. It's become a tradition that we get together around the holidays to spend time with each other since we rarely see each other any other time. There was a nice spread of food and plenty to drink and we played a game called "Pimps and Hos" which was sort of like a screwed-up Monopoly game. C won probably due to his quiet attitude and secretively conniving ways (just kidding, but it was fun!). We left there late at night to head back to my Maw-maw's house. We had to wake up early to come back home so I could work that weekend.

It's always hard to leave Maw-maw, especially since I have moved out. I fear for her safety sometimes, afraid that she won't answer the phone because she's fallen and no one knows. I know that these thoughts sometimes add to my anxiety these past few months and I know that she can take care of herself. I just worry, but she's stubborn so she'll be fine. I'll just keep calling her weekly. 

Well, that's all for now. Look out for the first hike of the year (Potomac Heritage Trail) and our triumphant return to Harper's Ferry and the Loudon Heights Trail. Until then, have a beautiful new year!