Treats

So, pretty much, vacationing = eating whatever you want, right? No? Oh, well for us it did! Hannah, Will (LOL) and I laughed and played, yes, but we also ate. Often and well. It was glorious.

I work at a rec centre. Translation: one of the healthiest work environments ever. The gym is open from 5am-12am, and it is one of the nicest gyms in the world. I am surrounded by fit people, and those who are not fit are aspiring to be. It is all quite motivational and inspiring, not to mention the fact that I have virtually no excuses not to work out and be my best. The truth is, I love my runs, and I love sweating, and I love feeling good about myself. Especially in the past 8 months as I have been learning to balance good physical health with good mental health. Part of working out means, for me, not eating a lot of junk food, but I swear, sometimes the 13 year old in me calls out begging for swedish fish, chocolate bars, pop, and chips. I don't often indulge, but this time, I did...

And basically that is how it was. Did we have self control...mmm, kind of. But there was a lot of Starbucks-ing and getting ice cream in Disneyland and there was an easter egg hunt. I think the weakness came during main meals. Of course, when you are staying in a hotel for 6 days you are bound to eat out. A lot. We frequented the Hard Rock in Hollywood as if we were locals, Denny’s knew us by name, and McCafe saw us bright and early more than once. It was so nice not to do dishes and to be served and sit down after long days of walking and exploring (please don’t feel sorry for us, though!). I have never been one to order drinks other than water and the occasional diet pepsi, but this time I did. I had lots and lots of pink drinks. And I don’t regret it at all.

It was 6 days of living. LIVING. Enjoying every second, every bite, every sip, and every giggle. It isn’t realistic to enjoy as many treats as we did in 6 days on a daily basis, but for the time being we sure enjoyed it.

And you know what, my friends? Never, not even once, did I consider throwing up. What a sweet relief that was.

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a book called Eat, Pray, Love. It is a diary/documentation/memoir of her year traveling in Italy, India, and Indonesia. In Italy, she recovers from a broken heart, learns to speak Italian, and she learns how to eat. I think she even gained 30 pounds. But she didn’t care, because she was nourishing herself. And I don’t mean drowning her sorrows in junk food; I mean nourishing her soul beginning with her body. I have no intensions of gaining 30 pounds, but I do intend to learn from Liz. I feel like the next step in my healing journey is learning to eat. Maybe I am already on my way.

I love to eat. You probably do, too. It is just human of us. Eating ice cream at Disneyland is the best. I hope you do it one day soon.

Enjoy the weekend, friends. : )

~C~