Back in a While

I'm headed out today for my long-awaited six-week trip to Spain. The first week the Chief Engineer will sightsee in Madrid, then he'll return home and I'll begin classes at a University for the next five weeks. It's truly a dream come true and I can't wait to get to practice my Spanish. Thank you to all of those who have posted comments of support during the last few weeks. They were wonderfully inspiring and I'm in a much better place now thanks to all of you, your thoughts and your prayers. See you all when I return!

Some things are worth the money

In my last post I debated whether it was financially worth it to take a $300-$400 vacation to run a race. The trip had been planned for months, before the specter of debt began to loom. Interestingly enough I got offered $180 worth of contract work the week before we were scheduled to go. $180 was exactly the cost of the hotel. So we decided to cash in some old frequent rider train miles and travel for free, pack as many meals as possible, vote for low-cost restaurants when we couldn't, skip the souvenirs, and JUST GO HAVE FUN. 

Ultimately it was absolutely the right choice. First off, my mental health benefitted enormously from the trip. I rarely get time to see or talk to my aunt and uncle. They are the sanest people in the family and always help me put things in perspective. I finished the race in 1:02:32, which was two minutes faster than the first time I ran the race (when I was 15 pounds lighter than I am now). Slower than last year, but only by two minutes. Take that, ED. 

Runners got a free pass to the nearby Busch Gardens Amusement park,
so Aunt C. and Uncle F.  convinced me to go. 

I'm terrified of log flumes, roller coasters, and amusement park rides in general. Aunt C. gave me a lot of encouragement and really helped me with my anxiety. I actually had fun and am *gasp* willing to do some of those roller coasters again in the future. 

We did enjoy a few meals out. One of my favorite places in Williamsburg has oreo milkshakes. I adore them and sometimes even start dreaming about them before we take the trip. I actually allowed myself to drink the whole thing which was a serious victory over ED. I drank a milkshake and the world didn't end. No guilt here. 

Almost done! So yummy.

I came back home much more relaxed than I'd left it. I ran a race, had fun, and gave ED a couple smackdowns. It was a very, very, very good weekend.  All of this was worth it. I don't think it hurt us financially very much. I think I can catch up elsewhere. Our first loan isn't even due until October. There's time. I'm back on track with my eating now. Thank you all so very much for your support.