On my journey to lose weight, become healthy and fit, I set a few goals. One related to a particular dress size achievement with the reward set to finally taking a vacation in the middle of the winter - to somewhere sunny, warm and carefree. So, hurray! It's now happening and in less that six weeks, my daughter and I will be aboard the Celebrity Summit - cruising to lovely island destinations, jumping off pirate ships, frolicking with dolphins.
From my heaviest point 6 years ago, I have lost about 140 lbs. Yikes. It is even scary to write that, and even scarier to think I gained a good lot (but not all!) of this back over the intervening years, until the day just over a year ago when I smacked myself (facepalm) and said: what the hell are you doing? you worked so frigging hard to lose that weight!!! I also read a great book by Geneen Roth (Women, Food and God) and had my Oprah aha moments about why I ate and why I didn't value myself enough to honour my health and commit to being the best, doing the best for ME. So... yadda yadda yadda 12 months and countless turns on the elliptical and here we are: looking good, feeling good and heading to the sunshine!
I am bring my daughter on this trip for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that cruising alone seems rather pathetic. She (Kate has a Blog) has never been on a cruise or a fun in the sun vacation. There are things that each of us are looking forward to in our different ways. Personally, I am going to enjoy dressing up for dinner - something that doesn't happen at home - and escaping Canadian winter even if only for a week. I am also very excited about swimming with dolphins. (Cross THAT off the bucket list!).
I am however obsessing about minor details which is a bit odd, since I have traveled back and forth across this country and the U.S., been to Europe (lived there as a child), been to the Caribbean and Mexico several times, lived in Brazil, etc. etc. Travel and me... not a new thing. But it has been a very long time since I actually had a VACATION. How many fancy outfits, sandals, purses, shorts, t-shirts... do I need Dukoral, Twinrix? How seasick will I be? Is the all-inclusive drink plan worth it? What time do we board? Where will we eat lunch on the first day? Oh my God. I'm seriously acting like a first timer. Get a GRIP!!
I will do my best to chill out a little. I am also committing myself to a few tangible and intangible things:
1. I will endeavour to ignore how my "bat wings" look in the sleeveless dress, and just assume that I look marvelous
2. I will not obsess over the calorie count of every morsel that tempts me.
3. I will use the stairs on the ship not the elevator unless my feet are so blistered from walking walking walking.
4. I will actually use the onboard gym
5. I will try a new alcoholic concoction every day (time to experiment!)
6. I will take time to relax, smell the coffee (latte?), and breathe in the salt air.
7. I will take pictures and not cringe when someone takes one of me.
8. I will be social, meet people, and participate in things even if they sound silly.
I want to live a full, rich life. It means I need to get out of the way of my own self sometimes and RELAX. Let's see if I can actually do all this.
No comments:
Post a Comment