Never underestimate the power of a good run...

I came at today with a plan.

Step one: Sleep in as late as possible. I still haven't gotten many full nights of sleep since I have been in Spain. I either go to bed way to late (3amish) or wake up way to early (4:30am). But last night I went to bed at 2am and woke up at 8am. This is still not my ideal 8 hours of sleep, but it was enough for today.

Step two: Do not get online first thing in the morning. I had to tell myself this one last night. I have been in the habit of logging on as soon as I wake up. Mostly, I want to see who in Seattle is still awake and wanting to talk. But this mentality has led to me waking up at 5am and being unable to get back to sleep. So this morning I told myself I would NOT be getting online right off the bat.

Step three: Read the Bible. I have fallen out of the habit of reading every day. I think getting online first thing in the morning certainly plays a big role in this. So this morning I read first thing. Moses died and I finally finished Deuteronomy. It felt good to read again.

Step four: Get moving. Rather then sit online and waste the morning away, today I did it a little different. I got online checked a few things here and there. Then I got moving. I took a shower and got ready for the day. I grazed back to the computer from time to time, but I was getting my day going while I did it.

Step five: Eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast has been a strange meal for me while I've been here in Spain. I generally always eat it alone and they don't have any cereal (except for chocolate covered rice crispies). So I have been combining a standard American (or at least Hannah) breakfast of eggs and toast with a standard Spanish breakfast of pastery and fruit. It turns out to be quite a lot of food. Or at least more then I need. Today, I did half American, half Spanish and I felt pretty good about it.

Step six: Run an errand. I need to find a reason to leave the house every day. I don't want to spend a ton of money while I'm here, but that shouldn't stop me from going anywhere. Today, I went to a neighboring town to see about a spanish class. It turns out the next one doesn't start until June. Erg. So then I went home. But at least I got out and about for a few hours.

Step seven: Get physical. I finally went on the "run" I've been talking to myself about for months. And it felt great! I say "run" because what I do isn't generally called running, it's more like a slow jog. Today, with My Chemical Romance as a soundtrack, I "ran" one song and walked one song for about 30 minutes. It felt sooo good! My body ached a bit but my lungs felt fine and I got to see some great countryside. I'm going to make sure that I do something physical every day. Even if it's just walking to town (Step six and Step seven. Two birds, one stone.)

Step eight: Eat a small lunch. I know that Spain is all about the big lunches, but this family is also about big dinners. Big late dinners. So I have decided I need to watch how much I eat and lunch to compensate for the big dinner that will come later. I love Spanish food. I think we have only had one think that I didn't like and I can't even remember what it was.

Step nine: Finish strong. My day is winding down now. I have four hours of tutoring (one hour with each child in the family) starting at 4p, then dinner usually at 8:30p or 9p, and then I retire to my room to talk with my friends online at 10p. Keeping my chin up and staying busy will be the key to my success while I'm here in Spain and through out life in general, I think. This weekend was a serious low for me, but I've bounced back and am feeling good.