i've missed you, and i like running.

hey y'all - i'm sorry it's been so long since we've spoken, and i've missed you dearly. i really am going to try to be better. i'm sure some of you know of the huge changes that happened in my life over the last year, but in case you're not one of those, here's a quick recap.

in late spring of last year, i found out i had been accepted into the master's program at the university of florida to study spanish linguistics - i shook, i cried, i called my mother. a couple months later, i began my pilgrimage back to the place of my birth, the great southeastern united states. as scary as it was to leave my beloved Texas, every mile east we drove, the louder my heart sang. to be completely honest, though, the heart-singing was kind of short-lived. i don't doubt that lots of you have heard the saying about the sunshine state, "the farther north you go, the farther south you get." for the most part, i would say that that statement is accurate. however, much like austin is the (let's face it, weird) bastion of liberal-dom in the middle of Texas, gainesville does not fit with that north-south stereotype of the remainder of the state. (rest assured, all we have to do is drive 20 minutes in any direction to get to a place that feels - and sounds - a lot more like home.) suffice it to say that the adjustment to gainesville was a little rough to begin with. i still haven't totally hit my stride, but i'm getting there. and in case any of you are wondering what i'll do after i'm finished (ha!) with school, the answer is still that i have no idea. i'll let you know as soon as i figure it out.

some of you may also know that i like to run, and that in the grand scheme of my life, this is a rather recent development. to put it simply, i run because it feels good. okay. that's probably not entirely true. i run because it makes me feel good when i'm done. often times in the middle of a run i want to lay down on the road/sidewalk/grass/beach (oh yeah - did i mention all the beaches in florida??) and die. i haven't done that yet, though, and i've always been pleased that i didn't when i finally finish my run. i'm definitely not fast (i'm fairly certain that my best mile pace has been about 10:30, and i only ever got one that fast), and i don't run that far - my longest distance was about 6 miles, and that was mostly by accident. (i'm sure my mother would be happy to tell you that story, as she called me mid-run and had to talk to me the rest of the way home.)

since i've been in florida, i've run in five races (see bibs in photo below), and i have two more coming up next month - in fact, my longest race was last weekend - five long, hot miles on the beach. races that support military causes are near and dear to my heart. my sweet brother has been in the Air Force for a whole bunch of years (14, if i'm not mistaken), and i'm sure i speak for my whole family when i say we feel so fortunate that we've not had to be beneficiaries of the various organizations that are out there to help veterans who find themselves in a bad situation as a result of the sacrifices they made for our country, but we're certainly glad that those organizations exist.

the ROTC at the university of florida put on their second (third?) annual race earlier this year benefitting fisher house which, to put it as simply as i can, is like the ronald mcdonald house, but for veterans (and their families). a more detailed, eloquent explanation can be found at www.fisherhouse.org. not too long after that, i went to tampa and ran in the GI jog at macdill AFB (where said brother used to work), which helped to send wounded warriors and gold star families to the Army ball. the first race i ever ran was the 9/11 heroes run at ellington field in houston - it was super cool getting to run on the tarmac right by all the planes. cooler still is that i get to run that race again in jacksonville next month. it's put on by the travis manion foundation, whose mission is "to assist our nation's veterans and the families of fallen heroes."

also next month, and actually a couple days before the race i just mentioned, on september 6, i'll be participating in the wounded warrior project 8k, also in jacksonville. as the name gives away, this race supports the wounded warrior project. this organization does so much for the guys and girls who come home not in the same shape they went "over there" in, be their injuries physical or something that's a little harder to see. their mission is, simply and beautifully, "to honor and empower Wounded Warriors." i'm honored to be able to support this cause.

and now that you've all read through my whole infomercial, this is, in fact, the time where i ask you for things. the wounded warrior project 8k requires its participants to raise $99, every single penny of which goes directly to the WWP (this is separate from my race entrance fee). i won't make a list of a few small things you could give up to donate to this cause, because i know you, sweet reader, are smart enough to do that quick budget math in your own head without my doing it for you. i also know that many, if not all of you, already have myriad causes that you support. i would just ask that if you can spare a few dollars, you send them this way. i'll definitely appreciate it, and so will all the wounded warriors and their families who benefit from your donation. if you're strapped for cash (believe me, i understand - TAs don't live the lavish lifestyle my thriftiness may lead you to believe we do!), i would ask that you share either this post or just the link with your friends. my personal fundraising page can be found here.

thank you in advance for all your support, be it financial, emotional, or moral. and as always, thank y'all for reading my rambling.

i'm gonna go check the black beans i've got going on the stove. (learning to make them from dried beans, not that happy goya can that dances around at the astros games! i'll let y'all know how they turn out - before the end of the weekend, i promise!)

♡whit