Almost on the Run!

This Just In:
I'm officially going to Europe. I finally got my plane tickets yesterday so it's one more step closer. I'm really excited now and just spoke with my sister (who is in Scotland at present), and if nothing else I'm excited to see her and travel around with her.

In Other News:
I bought new Running Shoes today. For the first time in my life I walked out of a shoe store feeling hopeful, allow me to explain. My knee has been bothering me a bit (ok a lot) ever since I planted my final tree last summer. I decided to take a break from running (which truthfully means, it hurt too much to run, I didn't want to take this "break") in order to rest it. Then things seemed to be better in the fall, so I started running again. I walked to school almost everyday all semester, which was a 25 minute walk, with a couple solid hills (thanks to my room-mate and very generous friends this seldom including walking in the rain and never at night). All this to say I thought my knee was better. Until I pushed too hard one day while working out (dumb, dumb, dumb. Heed my advice and listen to what your pain is telling you!).
Anyways, so I'm back on a break from my love of running (what a tumultuous relationship). After months of being annoyed, and getting sick of icing on a daily basis, and having people tell me to get it checked out, I finally swallowed my pride and went to the doctor. Stupid idea. After having been told I was just frustrated because it was altering my lifestyle, I walked out of the doctor's office clearly remembering why I had put off going for so long. Strangely enough it hasn't really bothered me since. Or maybe it's just that my pride had been hurt enough to distract my attention away from my knee? Regardless, I decided that, I will run again soon.
This brings me to today, when my mom and I went shoe shopping. Let me tell you it was revolutionary. I went to a great store called The Running Room, where they specialize in running gear, and have salespeople who are not only incredibly polite, but also unbelievably knowledgeable. Just by watching me walk in bare feet they could tell what kind of shoes would best suit me. I learned more there about how to take care of my knee than the doctor even tried to offer me. About an hour later (I assure you it was a very thorough process) I invested (and I assure you it was an investment) in a brand new pair of shinny white, silver, and baby blue Asics.
And so I consider myself on the road to recovery, and before I know it I'll be running again. (OK just a note to anyone who is currently nursing a real knee injury, I do not mean any of this lightly and you have my sympathy I realize it can get far worse than what I’ve experienced, no harm intended by the nonsense written above).

And In Closing:
I was hoping that my not-so-busy lifestyle this winter would be conducive to creativity. However, I find myself in a state of artistic paralysis. I have a couple untouched blank canvases in my room, and a brand new set of 72 PrismaColor Professional pencil crayons (read: cause for an artist to start drooling) of which I’ve sharpened and used about 8. Ah, I’m being lazy and not harnessing my abilities. On that note, maybe I’ll get myself in gear right now. I have an idea, I’ll grab some cards from Pictionary Jr, and draw whatever is on them… good idea.

And on that note, I’m out.