A brief update with bonus workout footage!

Spring has FINALLY sprung around here...though it feels more like summer than spring! 

As the days pass by, summer is truly getting closer and closer. 

School is getting quite busy- my grade 13s had their last classes this past Tuesday and start their Maturita/ IB exams next week. Also, next week Wednesday is the first of two national holidays (two Wednesdays in a row) that mark the beginning of the end of the school year!

Grad school is chugging along as well. Only 5 more weeks!! I've been able to proof my name in the official program and everything already. It seems crazy to me that I'm almost done. But I will be glad for it to be over. A few weeks ago, I realized that essentially I've been working two full-time jobs for the past two years!! Teaching, and all that entails, and then graduate school, and all that entails. I'm looking forward to next year when I can be just a teacher again. However, that being said, I've learned so much and my teaching will improve so much because of the work I've done for my Masters. I'm quite proud of myself :)  

**of course, it's not over yet, I've still got major projects to complete**

Cranberry/ Chocolate/ Walnut Scones

Over the last few months, I haven't really been doing much, but I HAVE done some baking!! Check it out:

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns (pre-Nutella crosses)

Yellow cupcakes w/ Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

So, with all that baking and all the cold days/nights spent snuggled on the couch with snacks....well, I think it's safe to say that I was like a bear before hibernation: I packed on the pounds!!

SO....after paying for the gym for about 6 months and NEVER actually going to the gym.......

hell must have frozen over because I've been not ONCE, but TWICE so far this week!!!!!! 

What changed? I'm not really sure. Part of it could be that I have been feeling pretty down and not happy with how I look...part of it is that people keep laughing about me paying for the gym and not going, I've taken it as a personal challenge to shut them up....and, lastly, part of it is that I want to hit 41 looking and feeling great!

What has helped greatly is that my colleague/friend, Deb, who lives in the same building as me, joined the same gym. She is a young, spritely 24 and so she drags me to the gym and together we have a great time. Basically, I've laughed my way through the first two days!! If I'm not having fun, I'm not going to bother to go because, frankly, who has time to waste on things that aren't fun??!!

The first day I was on the treadmill for an hour, did Zumba for an hour (hahahaha.....the Czech women took it SOOO seriously, it was like they were going to be in the World Dance Championships the next day!!!), and then I rested/stretched for an hour, while Deb took another class that I was not ready for. Then the second day, we took a ballet stretch class. It was quite fun and a really good stretch/workout, but I have to say I felt like this:

My thing with gyms is that I go to try to get in shape and look better, but then I feel like a beached whale around all the people that go there all the time and look great. So...then I stop going because who wants to feel bad about themselves?!  My solution would be that there should be "fat" gyms and "maintaining" gyms. You go to the first one until you which a certain weight and then you can graduate to the second one!!! Problem solved, right??!!  Ha!

Ok, ok. I know that that isn't how it really works, and I'm proud that I've started to go. And I'm trying to eat healthier as well. But with all the fresh fruit and produce that hasn't been touched by pesticides here......I buy stuff and then it goes off in a few days! Ugh...such problems, I know.

Anyway...in case you don't believe me....proof:

On the treadmill....I didn't even stop walking to take the pic!

Our beautiful ballet moves!

Now that it IS getting nicer out and the end of the year is in sight (7 more weeks), my thoughts have turned to the summer holiday. I know that I'm staying in Europe this summer, but that is all I know. I bought tickets to the Colours of Ostrava Festival this year, and Lyn is going to come out for the 4 days in mid-July. Should be a lot of fun...it's held in the old factory area and is a huge music festival. I'm looking forward to it and experiencing some new music. And I'm sure in mid-August I'll go to the summer camp for school. And I'm sure I'll get to Prague once or twice to hang out with Lyn, but other than that? I've got nothing. I don't really like to travel by myself, but it seems that everyone has plans to go home. 

But for sure I'm going somewhere that first week that school is out- maybe to London and then Ireland. I'll need a break and some relaxation AND celebration time!!  Also, I've been looking into Macedonia and I've found some interesting tours. OR perhaps Italy.......ahh...I don't know. But there is a joy in that.  Being able to not really plan until the last minute. 

I guess that gets us all caught up...I've got some reading to do and papers to write. In the coming weeks, I'll be busy with IB/Maturita exams, writing three final papers, presenting my final capstone project to my colleagues and then to my professor, trying to complete all my plans for the school year (we've got a bunch of fun stuff coming up), and, basically, just trying to make it to the end!!! 

OH!!! AND Mom and Dad will be in Europe soon!!! So, visiting with them as well. 

I'll try to post again soon....if something happens- otherwise assume my nose is in a book and my hands are marking papers!!!

Two final pics....we are reading The Hunger Games in my grade 11B Lit class and so we are going to have our own Games. A few weeks ago we held the Reaping to pick our two Tributes and none other than Effie Trinket herself showed up!!! ps. if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's all in the book!

Effie Trinket

Effie and some grade 11 students!

CAU FOR NOW!!