Personal Challenge: Part I

Let me take you back a few months. It was September, and I was feeling... antsy. There are more adjectives that I could use, but somehow antsy seems to sum it up. I was 9 months into being a mom; 9 months into caring for this new little person; 9 months into the significant challenge of balancing Amelia's needs with my own. And I was feeling, well, nostalgic for my old self, or rather the romanticized version of my old self. She who travels to exotic places, breezes by the local book store to catch a reading after yoga, and, imagine, even styles her hair.

Rather than lament my sorrows, I decided instead to create a rather fun challenge for myself. To mix it up, to step out of my current comfort zone, to allow myself to indulge in these experiences I was missing. And, ultimately, to see where that takes me.

My timeframe was 4 months; Until the end of 2008. I do love a good challenge.

In no particular order, here is the beginning of how I fared (keeping myself accountable):

1. Climb a mountain/hill. On Thanksgiving morning, my sister, sister-in-law and I set out to hike to the top of Skinner Mountain in Western Mass. We were all tempted to skip out and eat mushroom and goat cheese strudel instead, but we persisted. And we bonded.

2. Run a race. In the nick of time, my (other) sister and I ran in the "jingle bell run" this past Sunday morning. Decked out in green and red with an elf hat, and she with a christmas tree atop her head, we joined thousands of other spirited runners for a low-key, relaxed, festive run. We are signing up for next year, too!

3. Row the Charles. Boy, I thought I missed the window on this one. I had arranged with my neighbor, an avid rower, to take Joe and I out on a Sat. morning in September (as a surprise for Joe). Alas, we woke up to a downpour of rain. Instead, I enticed my sister's girlfriend, Tracy, to join me on a very cold October morning. We rented a canoe, squeezed into a full-body wet suit, and sat peacefully in the middle of the river, watching a goose be evicted from his clan (or so it seemed). We made up an entertaining story to explain the poor goose's fate, and talked about life and love.

4. Coctails at a swanky NYC restaurant. In October, I left my dear Amelia and Joe, and took the train to visit a friend who lives in Manhattan. We ate out at a modern, eclectic restaurant and talked about college and life now over a bottle of wine.

5. Visit 3 museums. Check. Harriet Beecher Stowe (where I received a personal tour from Joe's aunt, Dawn), Anne Frank House, Dutch Resistance Museum, Van Gogh Museum & Rijksmuseum. My favorite? The Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. Seriously cool.

6. Travel to Germany. I went to Amsterdam instead. We intended to do both, but I decided 5 days away from Amelia was my limit. It was both wonderful and heart-wrenching, at times. And we're planning a trip to Norway (Joe's business again) in May... with Amelia.

7. Bake an apple pie. Check.

8. Custom jean fitting in Philly. I happily received a jean fitting here in Boston as a Christmas gift. It is planned for February and this feels like quite a treat!

9. Do something to support my presidential candidate. The way that I chose to do this was to be more expressive about my opinions and beliefs; To personally campaign without being attached to changing anyone else's vote. Stretching lessons. Amelia did hold an "Obama for My Mama" sign on election day, too.

10. Make something unexpected for someone special. I had fun with this one; My favorite gift, though, was a book that I made for Joe's 99 year old Papa. As I type, he may very well be writing his responses to my many questions about his life and himself. He called me to tell me that I ought to be an investigator or teacher, since I ask so many questions. How about a coach?

11. 20 hours of hot yoga. YES! I am reinvested in my yoga practice, and it feels soooo good!

More to come later. For now, though, I will sum up by sharing that I likely would not have done any of these things, had I not committed to them on here. The physical adventures were the most fulfilling to me. More adventure! More adventure! The jean fitting and swanky restaurant? Perhaps that seems self-indulgent or materialistic. These challenge my "but I can't afford it..." and "I don't get to..."; I do have choice. If a new pair of jeans that fit my *new* (post-birth) body like a hug will make me feel delicious, then, by golly, a new pair of jeans it is!