New Adventurer

[TheIntersect]

Hi everybody!
I am just joining up here, and working through the first week's challenges. I am not on FB, so I'm hoping I can dive into the community here!
I'm in my mid 20's, and looking to get stronger to extend my adventuring years longer =) My full big-why is below. 

Glad to join you all!

 

About 9 months ago, I began calorie counting and lost 35 lbs. I look a lot better, and my clothes fit well. Everyone comments on how good I look - my parents, my mother-in-law, colleagues. But the accomplishment is just that I was able to eat less. I’m not proud to tell them that I look lighter because I stopped eating so much pasta. I want my story to be “I look great and feel great because I am strong”.

 

 

I want to be able to go on adventures without thinking twice about whether I can physically (and mentally!) do it. I fell in love with my husband because of his adventurous spirit. He was always trying something new, up for any challenge. One of the reasons I married him was because I wanted to have that kind of life - to create that kind of family for our future children. At first, I could keep up with everything. I was a college athlete, and in good enough shape. But I’m getting weaker - and I’m too young for that! We’re about to hit 5 years, and I’ve loved all of the new things we’ve done -- backpacking, longboarding, biking through Italy. I want to be able to keep adventuring.

 

I need to have something in my life that is mine to control. I have a full time job, and am doing graduate school in the evenings. My vacation time belongs to my parents and my in-laws. I am feeling like a ping-pong ball, bouncing around and not getting to take a rest with things that truly are important to me. I am tired, stressed, and my body hurts nearly all the time. I need to take some time for myself, to build my mental and physical strength. “You can’t pour into others if your own cup is empty.”