17. Finish college -in progress

I have spent the last few days waiting for something more official, but although key pieces are still falling into place, the reality is that my first college class is Wednesday night.  Well, my first college class was in 2001 at Bryn Mawr, but this will be my first class at Albright as a part of the graduating class of December 2014. I'm nervous, excited, a tad overwhelmed, unprepared, and overall speechless. I'd like to share more, like how my amazing boyfriend is taking on a whole lot in order for me to do this, or how suddenly this all came to be, but right now I just want to share my news and hope you all can celebrate with me!

11. Thirty Day Shred - Done

Or should I say...million day shred?

For anyone unfamiliar with this catchy challenge, the 30 day shred is a Jillian Michaels DVD that is allllll over the internet. Google it and you can get lost for hours looking at all the amazing results people have obtained from this simple 20 minute workout. I personally have attempted to finish this challenge for YEARS. I believe it is fair to say that I have done level one fifty times. I have made it to level two several times, but then I allowed life to get in the way, or I felt that I wasn't following it exactly right, or I just plain gave up. This time was different, quite simply because I finished.

How do I feel? Honestly, by now I never want to see this DVD again. Not because it is hard for me (by now it is quite easy done), but because little irritations have irked me the whole way through. But I'm not writing this post to say, dear God, Jillian, why did you pick the MOST ANNOYING MUSIC EVER, but rather to say what completing this challenge means to me.

I should have finished this challenge a long time ago. I started with great intentions, even given that it was during the holidays. I allowed myself to take days off as needed, because my challenge was to do 10 days of each level, not necessarily 30 straight days. But once I reached level three (for the first time ever), it became this big deal. Here I was, ready to conquer this challenge after years of owning the DVD...and my life was just the same. I am definitely stronger. I am definitely smaller. But I didn't become super woman over night. I don't have a six pack...four pack...not even a two pack. I don't feel compelled to do a second round. Frankly, I'm tempted to trash the DVD just because I can!  And in feeling that way, it makes me feel that I did something wrong. That if I did a better job of busting through these pushups, I would have fallen in love...with Jillian, and even with myself.

I also felt that I allowed myself to hang on to being nearly finished because it gave me a great excuse as to why I wasn't moving on. I can't update my blog because I'm nearly finished. No worries if my German is slipping through the cracks...I'm nearly finished shredding!  I have honestly been ONE day away from finishing for weeks!

I'm not taking on these challenges to be almost better, nearly finished, or just about changed. So take that, Jillian...I'm done, and I'm moving on!