When Pigs Fly...

This week I am visiting my family in Iowa. My parents, brother, and one set of grandparents all live in the same city and my aunt flew in for the weekend. It was nice to see them all and visit with them, although it does come with some challenges.

I became a vegetarian 4 years ago. My sister (who is about as different as different can get from me) is a pescatarian (she only eats fish). My dad, who likes to try anything in moderation, has been telling me I should try fish for many years. I hated fish (and many other foods) when I was younger, and could never get up enough guts to try it. On Sunday we went out for brunch at the country club my parents belong to. One things being offered was some type of fish, which my mom got. As I ate my plate of fruit, I kept looking at her fish. It was covered in something and I inquired about it. To get to the point, I tried a centimeter of fish, which thrilled my dad. My verdict: it was okay. Will I eat it on my own? no, at least not right now. I prefer my plate of veggies and fruit any day to meat and bread.

One of the benefits of visiting my parents is that they live in an extremely, extremely safe city. I have been able to run outside the past couple of days, and it has felt wonderful. There is a street that I like to do a 5-mile loop on. It has a lot of old houses and is flat. It has reminded me that running outside, in a way, frees me. I do not have to count the number of laps I am running and do not have to be on the treadmill. I am able to go at the pace I want to go at, all the time. It has been a nice change, and the weather has been perfect - shorts and a jacket is my favorite thing to run in, which is what I have worn.

Other news that I am excited about:

1. I will be graduating with my master's in less than 3 weeks.
2. I signed up for the Cincy Flying Pig 1/2 marathon. It is the day after my graduation. I am looking forward to it. I love the name of this race!
3. I am doing a 4-mile race in June here in Iowa. I did it a few years ago. The race course is part of my 5-mile loop, which I love.
4. My grad paper is almost done! I need to re-read it through and make some more corrections, but it should be good. It has to be submitted online one week from today.