Summer Plans

One of the perks of working in the education world (okay, the biggest perk) is having 8 weeks off from work during the best season of the year. School let out on Friday, but truth be told my brain had turned to mush long before that. Summer was way overdue.

I spent the weekend partying with a lot of teachers (coach/teacher party on Friday evening, bachelorette party with college ladies on Saturday) and regretted every glass of wine during my early morning run on Sunday. I woke at 6am to get a run in before my beau's 5k. Wouldn't you know I was the one who bonked after his race? I told him I felt like snot, and am still sticking to that complaint. It was pretty awful. It's true what they say - after you leave college you can no longer hang.

Field Hockey teammates

Father's Day 5k..feeling like crap..in LOVE with the summer mohawk

The most common question you'll hear after Memorial Day weekend in the teacher's work area is "So, what are your summer plans?!". Though hearing that question many times over got a little annoying after a while, I still couldn't help but gush over my plans for the summer, and now I'm [finally] going to let them loose. I should have spilled the beans a while ago as I've had these in the works for months and had my plane ticket for weeks, but in true 'Yasi Blogger Fashion' and letting this pathetic little site go to crap, I let my plans be pushed aside for other weekly updates.

Anyway, back to me. I've talked a little about it before, and won't go into much depth again, but ever since 2006 I've longed for California and always imagined CA as being my 'end game'. Teaching this first year has given me a little perspective on my life and maybe a little bit about what I want out of it, but I still need to scratch that itch and go to California to see if it's what I want/need. I talked to my hometown pals out in San Diego and they offered couches, air mattresses, beds, floors (I'll take anything!) for an extended stay for me to live and train on the West Coast. I can't even put into words how excited/nervous/anxious/scared/D.all of the above I am about this trip. It's going to be a growing experience and hopefully will help me answer some questions.

I'll be training with Breakaway Training while I'm there, and have even signed up for a short sprint triathlon, which I am super stoked about. It'll be nice to train with triathletes and like-minded people since I mostly train with me, myself, and I (though my bf does join in on bunches of runs and rides) and it can get a little lonely sometimes. I feel like I'll learn A LOT being out there with everyone and grow immensely as an athlete.

My coach Chris lives out there, and I'm close with his little sister Sydney (whom I'm so excited to hang with), as does Adam and Whitney (also SUPER psyched to hang/live with). I also can't wait to meet Beth and pick her brain on everything I can think of. I hope to check out UCSD and look at their MA nutrition program and hopefully will be able to meet/connect with a few people in the field to get an idea if maybe nutrition is something I want to get into in the future.

This plan is not permanent and I have definitely signed my contract to teach next year (and coach!) so I will be back. I only haven't bought my return flight yet because I'm flying back with my boy (I think he secretly thinks I won't come back, so he has to come get me), but I will be flying out on Wednesday June 29th and probably staying just until the end of July, around the 29th. YES! That's NEXT Wednesday! It seemed like so far away, but AS SOON AS school ended I was all "HOLY CRAP I'M LEAVING SO SOON I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO!". Oops.

Now I'm going to turn into super Type A and make lists over and over again of what to pack, what I need to do (buy a ticket home?!), and where I want to go before I leave (BEACH! TWIST! MARHABA! SPRIG & VINE!). I have many plans to hit up my local favorites here before I leave, though, I know I'll still have a month to indulge when I get back.

I feel incredibly fortunate that I have the ability and opportunity to do this and 'wet my toes' before I dive into anything. I wouldn't be able to do this if I wasn't teaching, living at home, or if I didn't have such great friends out in SD who are willing to take me in. I realize this and I am going to soak it all in while I'm out there and have as much fun as I can and just L-I-V-E. I'll still be blogging, and hopefully I'll get on a more 3x/week regular schedule like I was pre-real life.

More to come before I go..until then, Happy Summer!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined. - Henry David Thoreau