Where Have We Been?
Crikey! It feels like a lifetime ago that we posted our last blog. And apologies if you’re the type of person that enjoys the written medium. We have a new plan to make this a part of the weekly This Messy Happy experience! But more of that later.
So what have we been up to and why? Well in all honesty the blogs had to take a back seat as we experimented with vlogging and YouTube and telling our story and journey in other ways. But now I feel like we have a handle on the vlogs and how to make them work I really want to start factoring the blogs back in for those who enjoyed them. And it’s quite therapeutic as well.
Some weeks I plan to write conversation starter pieces and some weeks updates on how the week or few weeks have gone in pursuit of our 40 challenges. I want to challenge myself to think differently about things and maybe provoke a little thinking for the rest of you along the way. Not that you don’t think…. you get what I mean!
So since the last blog back in August life has been so full on. The road trip was incredible and we learnt and saw so much. Lots of fun was had making the vlogs along the way and Mary and I created memories we can share for a life time in California and Hawaii.
When we got back to the UK it was pretty much back in to term time. Which is full on to say the least. You need to have absolutely full energy reserves at the start of term to survive because by that last week it’s all biscuits and coffee in the staff room just to stay alive.
But we got through it and actually achieved some cool stuff along the way. Mary booked herself on to 2 10km races and has been training hard throughout September and October. Until earlier this year she’d never run further than 5km and she’s now up to 15km and running 4 times a week. She’s feeling really great and honestly, the world is her lobster right now! But the main thing is she’s enjoying it.
I’ve signed up for those 10km races as well as a trail marathon, an ultra marathon and the London Marathon. Just need to book the Ironman and I’m set for the season… gulp….
We’re reading as many books as we can but honestly it’s so hard in the evening. Does anyone else find that? I struggle to get past a few pages when I hit the sack. So I’ve moved to audio books. I listen on my long runs and now my commute (as I’d listen to the radio anyway) and now I’m flying through the book challenge. 3 in 3 weeks. I’ve read ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek, ‘Crushing It’ by Gary Vaynerchuk and ‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell. All thoroughly recommended.
I’m writing this as we head to Florida on holiday to spend time with 2 of our besties, Ash and Josie and to meet Winnie’s new bestie, from the other side of the world, Rocco the dog. Ash and I have known each other since we were babies (although Mary always laughs at that saying. I contest you can say you’ve known them since a baby!!) Anyway, it’s been a blinking long time. Poor Ash. And Josie is Ash’s lovely wife and I’m happy to say one of our closest friends too. We can’t wait.
While there we plan to train (we’re doing a 10km race while here), complete some more challenges, read, relax, think about next steps and generally have fun together. It was here, this time last year, that we came up with the concept of This Messy Happy. We didn’t properly launch it until January but I’m excited to see what the thinking time will bring this year in terms of our evolution.
We’ve engaged with so many awesome people via so many different mediums and just want to keep building this awesome community I have so many ideas so watch this space. And, as always, if you have any suggestions about how this can be better please let us know. We want to evolve and grow.
So here’s to the return of the blog. My plan is to write as many blog posts as I can during the holidays and feed them out during term time. That way I can survive!! Hopefully also a little shorter in future. Hopefully still pushing conversation. Hopefully helping someone out there.
So now I can confidently say ‘Until next week!’