A weekend in Charlotte

It's a chilly, rainy Monday and I'm sitting here in a bakery in downtown Charlotte escaping the cold! My weekend in Charlotte has come to an end and I am awaiting my bus to my next destination, Augusta! Charlotte has been fun. I was reunited with my good friend Kat, got to meet her boyfriend and family, ran a 4 mile race, attended my first American Hash run, explored Discovery Place, and completed Crossfit Open WOD 14.3 at Crossfit Eternal. It was a busy, fun filled weekend! Seeing old friends really makes the transition from Korean life to North American life a little easier. I still find myself comparing everything to Korea, beginning sentences with "in Korea", and experiencing reverse culture shock of how things are here in the West.

The more I travel and hang out with people who know me well, the more I am beginning to know myself. I have always felt pressure by others to be someone I am not, whether it was to drink more, stay out later, go with the flow, or dress a certain way. I always felt the need to conform to others ideas of who I should be. As I grow up I've begun to realize my life is so much better when I stand my ground and do things the way I want. I know I am not a huge partier anymore, I'd rather have an action packed day full of adventures than sleep in and have a long night of drinking and partying. I know I am a loner, I crave personal space and am comfortable going at things alone. This weekend has only helped me be more confident in my choices. I attended the hash with Kat and not knowing anyone it was a bit difficult to tell them(the members of a drinking club with a running problem) that I am sober and no longer drink. People are quick to judge, but for the most part everyone was cool with my choice and didn't really give me a hard time.

I'm trying to remind myself that I am allowed to screw up, I am allowed to gain weight and not always be perfect. It's hard to eat healthy and on a Paleo diet while travelling. I know I am gaining weight by not eating my normal foods and by not following my normal eating plan. I gain weight easily and quickly, so even though my initial reaction when looking in the mirror is disgust and hatred, I am trying to actively say it's okay, it's okay to gain 5, or even 10 lbs while on vacation. It doesn't change who I am. Other people don't stop loving me just because my stomach is flabby, so I shouldn't stop loving myself either. It's easier said than done.

Going to Crossfit this morning was awesome, I got to complete this week's open WOD and did an additional little WOD as well. It made me feel good to push hard, especially because of all the junk food I've been eating so far.

Next stop on my adventure is Augusta to visit the one and only Little Bunny Foo Foo! I am very excited to spend some time with him and just relax! I am possibly going to take a day trip to Savannah to hit the beach! Who knows, no plans yet!