España Bound

Soon i'll be travelling around SPAIN with my backpack & friends. I cannot wait! Mi Viaje:: My Trip
December 26th: Leave for Madrid from USA!
Decemeber 28th-January 1st: SEVILLA! My old home..=) I can't wait to sit under the Giralda, drink Sangria, walk across the most amazing bridge, hang out in barrio de Santa Cruz.. & to bring in the New Year in the most beautiful city in the world.
January 1st-5th: Granada, Spain. I'll get to experience one of the 7 wonders of the world.. AGAIN! =)
January 6th-8th: Barcelona!
January 8th-13th: PARIS!!!!! We just added that to the itinerary. Yay! I have some friends there that I met last time so I can't wait to see them again. :) :)
January 13th-17th: MADRID. El capital de España!
January 18th- Home. USA.
I hope that everyone has a WONDERFUL Christmas and i'm sure i'll have lots of pictures and amazing stories when I return.

Sueño vs Realidad

Mi Sueño Interminable
My Endless Dream

It's easy to drift off to sleep
When i'm dreaming of a far away place.
Experiencing my own fantasy world
And escaping all of life's disgrace.

But lately I lay awake, thinking only of you
Which causes a sleepless dreamless night.
I'm amazed by my new found happiness
And how instantly together we felt so right.

So now you've made me start to question
Which is actually real.
Can this perfection and connection exist?
Or is what i'm living simply surreal?

Cuase i've found more happiness with you
Than in my "dreams" which are idealistic.
Is my reality actually a dream?
Can what i'm feeling be realistic?

This uncertainty can't be left to chance
It's a risk I just can't take.
I couldn't stand to be without you
So i'll fight to stay awake.

I'll hold your hand for hours
And fight the sting in my eyes.
I'll share with you my deepest thoughts
And remain sleepless through sunrise.

Cause when you've found something so special
Moments without it make your heart ache.
So each and every night, I'll fight to stay awake.
For you, i'll stay awake.

The first poem i've written in a long time.
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drive my soul.

"You make the darkness disappear, I feel FOUND when you stand near. I know where I am when you are here..my way becomes so clear."

Right now -- I feel like I am on the exact path intended for me, for the time being. So many blessings in my life have happened lately that makes me say this with confidence, I am truly feeling happiness. no doubt about it. =) =)

My life in a nutshell the past month: -I branded my body =) & I love.love.love it! - Thanksgiving break was very relaxing and much needed. - I've been feeling really good on my runs lately. - I had a dream in Spanish last night! - I find myself smiling at awkward times (i.e. During my history lecture on WWII, my HPR lecture on violence.. bahaahaa.) My mind wanders and I just can't help but BE HAPPY. - Finals are next week unfortunately. -Soon I will be wandering the streets of MADRID. SEVILLA. GRANADA. VALENCIA. Y BARCELONA. Que suerte! My life is content. Finally. I'm one hundred percent content on being exactly where I am. Which is weird for me, I've lived my past 3 years running around trying to find something, I didn't even know what I wanted but I knew I would find it eventually. Now, i've found it. Pure, True, GREAT HAPPINESS.
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FAITH

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
4. Often Faith Christianity The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
5. The body of dogma of a religion.
6. A set of principles or beliefs.

I've gone through ups & downs, i've had plenty of "lapses" in judgment, but ultimately after I look closely within myself I always figure it out. I have faith that I know right from wrong, will make the right decision, & that everything will be just fine. I have faith that God has a bright future for me. When your down and feel like everything has fallen apart in your life and putting it back together feels impossible: just have a little faith.

Questions & Answers

"If you're not getting answers, ask better questions.."
I know there's an answer. I can't stop my brain from thinking about absolutely everything. Kind of a weird/emo analogy but I feel like life is a big Q&A and up until this point i've just been asking questions, now i'm getting my straight up answers. You can search and search for an answer that you want to hear or, in the words of cartel, you can start asking better questions. Maybe the aspect in your life that you are always questioning is something that just doesn't have an answer. Your answer is actually an entirely different question. Think about it. :)

"You wont find out until someone stands out, there you'll get some answers"

something I can't get my head around.

The premise is that we all want to love and be loved but it usually does not last forever. However it does not diminish those beautiful moments we spend together as they are ours forever.

forever. The one thing that we can keep forever is our memories, good or bad. In reality, "passions" fade. We find new interests, change our personalities, simply "grow up".. I'm not talking specifically about relationships but rather something that i've noticed about myself lately.
I've kept journals since 8th grade..i've carefully documented all my bizarre emotions i've felt over the years. As I read back I keep asking myself "What happened to ME?? I used to feel emotions so strongly, I would pour my thoughts out onto paper until the wee hours of the morning, cry for hours and as I read my old entries I can't believe how passionate I was. I felt everything so strongly. Now, I barely cry, I look at life more as a routine, and I feel like my "passionate" side is gone. I feel dull. I know that it's part of growing up, but just because this is what's "supposed" to happen doesn't mean it has to. I want to feel things like I used to. I want music to make my heart ache, beautiful sights to take my breath away, movies to make me cry, running to make me feel ecstatic & unstoppable ... all these wonderful emotions. I want to feel them to their full extent. As I read things I wrote years ago, I can't believe that someone so young could be so wise. It was simply because I didn't know better. HA! I thought I could do anything, be anyone, and just lived one day at a time. I think we can all learn a lesson from our younger selves. We need to slow down..think about the stuff that makes us happy, dream and believe they can come true, and be who we truly are. I've realized that it's all about accepting ourselves and our life, once who do that.. Happiness will follow.

Here's a little retro-blog post. I wrote this a couple years ago in my personal journal:
Tomorrow i'm one year older, nothing to get excited about but this past year i've changed so much. I can honestly say that i've found myself and I am happy with who I am. I am not the smartest..nor the dumbest, skinniest or fattest, I may not be able to name the government branches but I can babble on for hours in Spanish. I'm starting to finally accept who I am and that is the best birthday present I could ask for. I love my life and I feel like i'm on the right path with everything. Not just career wise but my attitude as well. I'm working on moving upwards and I know I have the strength to do it. Determination is all it takes and I have a lot of it. :) :)

Basically, this is the reason for my "emo" blog posts. I'm trying to express all these feelings instead of keeping them inside. Besides, "blogging" or "journaling" has never been about writing about daily activities.. it's about my emotions. This sudden change in attitude could be due to the fact i've changed my room around so my desk is facing the window (lots of inspiration, seriously), maybe because of my obsession with Angels & Airwaves's lyrics, or because running is becoming easy and uplifting again, ooorrr because i'm starting to feel something I havn't felt in A LONG TIME. :)! I'll leave everyone to wonder.

"And I don’t know and I cant guess if it’s gonna be OK but now, my last wish is that you do this with me"

Life's waiting to begin

Emotions are in full swing.. I'm just going to open my heart and let the words flow through the keyboard. *Deep breath* Here it goes:

We're all on this adventure..the big adventure of life. We get off track, get lost..but ultimately we control it. We control who we let into our lives, who we pick as our role models, what decisions we make, we control our actions and we decide which paths to take on our adventure. My adventure thus far in my life has mostly been watching the others around me. I watched as my family fell apart, I saw my Mom be strong and brave, my sister get married and start a career, my brother recently screw up his life (hope he doesn't read this BAAHH..), my mom and my dad find love again, and all the while I've observed and now I feel like it's my turn..my life's waiting to begin. I want to do it right, no wrong turns or slip ups. I need to live my life, pursue my passions, follow my dreams, find love, be successful and I intent on doing all these things. But how can I be so sure that it will be that easy? I could get through school and realize it's going to be a big struggle to pay all my bills or end up giving my heart away and getting it crushed. Are these common disappointments "set backs" or are they part of the adventure that takes you further on a path of improvement? It's easy to have a terrible thing happen in your life and feel just completely broken but we need to brush it off, no matter how hard it is and move on. Believe in ourselves and have faith that this bad will bring better. I feel like all the bad in my life so far has shaped me into what I am today. My parents divorce was my first "set back", of course I was young, but I remember it all. It's funny because I couldn't tell you any other significant events during that time..I just remember feeling confused. I was too young to know what was going on, but I knew it was bad. As I grew into an emotional teenager, I became bitter. I would write in journals for hours because I had too many emotions to handle, I cried the tears I should have been crying years earlier, and I didn't understand why. How could all this bad be better for me?? Instead of crying, hiding my feelings about the situation or writing endless journal entries, I should have been dealing and accepting my new life. I feel this experience, although I was young, formed me into who I am today. I realize the importance of not settling for anything but the best but yet be ready for a let down. No matter how perfect things may seem, it's never set in stone.
My heart has just felt heavy these past couple of days. It almost feels anxious in a way. I'm growing up extremely fast and the responsibilities are piling on. That's beside the point, I just want to say: We can change our lives, the blessings are waiting..sometimes we just have to be strong enough to act upon it. :) :) :) My adventure is getting more and more interesting with every passing day and I believe i'm on the right path and you can be too.


"I'm the first to know, my dearest friends, even if your hope has burned with time. Anything that's dead shall be regrown and your vicious pain, your warning sign
You will be fine."

-Alyssa

11.12.08

I'm ALIVE

I know I have been MIA for awhile, i'll try to get better with the updating! I'm beginning to feel a lot better lately, the only thing mono is effecting is my running. I've been only doing about 3 miles a day but it's tough for me. First off, I get dizzy and extremely sleepy tired. Second, it's really difficult for me to face the fact that 3 miles is going to be difficult for me for awhile since i'm used to running 5-10 miles a day. Regardless, i'm starting week 1 of my marathon training. Amy and I found a training guide online so we're going to follow it. It starts pretty easy so i'm assuming I can handle it. I'm sure i'll be struggling through the next couple weeks but i'll get back to my old self eventually.

I register for my next semester classes next week and it's not looking good. The classes that I need to get into are already filling. If I can't get into my classes i'm pretty much screwed. So, next week i'm sure i'll be stressed to the max trying to put together my schedule (even more than I already am). I hate school, part of me can't wait until it's all over but i'm not sure i'm ready for all the responsibilities yet.

Speaking of school I've got an project I really need to be working on right now. Kind of interesting so I really don't mind it, it's all about Spanish art which I love. I swear though my life is in constant motion it seems like. I did get some time to relax this weekend though, that was much needed. (Thanks Mom!) This is a boring update, but I live a boring life. I'll try to make my life more eventful. :) Here's some pictures from Halloween.
My best friends and I were cavewomen.

I should really be a hair stylist. HA!

My roommate Whitney's Boyfriend, His twin, Whit and I.

That's all I got for today. Enjoy the rainy weather...boo

10.23.08

You know you have Mono when..

• ..coffee does absolutely nothing to help you stay awake, there is no burst of energy after drinking one whole pot, & basically the only thing you get out of it is a tummy ache.

• ..your schedule is suddenly open. One less class to worry about plus no running equals about 4 extra hours each day.

• ..you begin to dread naps. Not just because you are sick of them but because every time you wake up it feels like someone has dragged you across the state behind a semi truck.

^My current Mononucleosis drama in a nut shell. I'm awake, showered, went to my first & only class of the day, and now i'm just going to enjoy the remainder of the day by doing homework. It's smooth sailing the rest of the week but next week I have 3 exams and one of them is extremely important. Good news though, Last week around this time I felt like death, i'd say on a scale of 1-10 I was probably a 3. A week, hours of sleep later, many pills, and inactivity has increases this number to about a 7. Woohoo! Thank you Predisone! Since the Mono problem is almost better, I now just have to focus on my aching back. It's not getting better at all, last night I laid in bed almost in tears because it hurt so unbelievably bad & my leg still "tingles" all the time. I'm going to try going to my old chiropractor in Spooner this weekend, maybe he can let me know what's up..otherwise i'm thinking I need to go to an Orthopedic Doctor because this is just not healing on it's own. So, What have I learned from all of this? I need job with great medical benefits because inevitably there will always be something wrong with me.

10.21.08

No Pierdas la Fe

Good Morning!, after my hectic day yesterday I came home and crashed. I slept a great ten hours last night so i'm feeling very refreshed this morning. Which is very much needed because like usual I have lots to accomplish. I have class, homework, chiropractor appointment, take home exam, and I really want to go for a nice long walk. This no exercise kick is making me go crazy.
Yesterday I did get some good news at the doctor. She said that I can start running as early as next week! :) Although I may feel extremely tired at first, i'll eventually get better. I won't be making myself any worse by running as long as I keep it easy & slow. I do have to avoid contact sports for another three weeks (because of my spleen) which doesn't really matter to me since I don't participate in any. So, I just have to take it easy for the remainder of the week and then next week I can RUN. Hopefully I won't have any problems with my leg. It seems like it's just never-ending with me. UUGGHH. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude BUT i'm sick of drinking juice, the utter word of soup makes me want to vomit, my legs are getting restless, coffee doesn't work, & sleeping is getting boring. I HATE MONONUCLEOSIS.
Good News: I got a 100 % on my concert report, my Spanish test was fairly easy, I'm going to starbucks today, and I only have one class today which means lots of time for NAPPING in between all the other bazillion things I need to do. Yahhoo..

PICTURE TIME!

More pictures from this weekend. It was extremely foggy Saturday morning for the cross country meet. Sucked for the runners but it looked pretty cool.

Amy & I spectating, jealous that we weren't running with everyone. :(

Birthday Girl & I.

Out to dinner at Tequilas for Sara's Birthday.

Well, that's all for now. It's time to get my butt in motion. I'm procrastinating starting my day, not exactly the best way to get started. Ha! By the way, WHERE IS THE TIME GOING?! It's October 21st already, pretty soon there will be SNOW on the ground. Is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?! haha, I may just have to bust some out today. I'm feeling festive, which reminds me I need to crave a pumpkin ASAP. SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME, TOO MANY NAPS. BYEEE!

10.18.08

Event Staff at cross country meet this morning. The inside joke here is to cover my mouth to avoid spreading Mono :(

Adventures with Mononucleosis

Sleep.Take pills.Drink juice.Feel nauseated.Drink juice.Sleep.Try to eat.Sleep.REPEAT. <<- My current life in a nutshell. However, I am keeping a positive attitude about this entire situation & why should I not be keeping positive? I'm still extremely lucky besides this whole setback. It could be worse
What I am looking forward to:
-Doctors appointment Monday for a check up and change my meds. (I've been getting extremely nauseous and feel just nasty taking the ones I'm on). The joys of being allergic to penicillin.
-I'm looking forward to ROCKING my Spanish Exam on Monday. Whole extra weekend to study, HECK YES! (The test was actually on Friday but because of my good friend Mono, I got it postponed until Monday) Speaking of Monday, I dont know how my exhausted body is going to handle Monday. Here is my schedule: Class: 7:25-10:50, Spanish test:11:00-11:55,Doctors appointment:12:00-12:50, Spanish class:1:10-2:05, Tutoring:2:15-7:00 & from then on i'll probably pass.out.cold.
-I'm looking forward to running again and actually being healthy this time around. This time off (i'm hoping it's only two weeks) will not only heal my Mono but maybe it will give my leg time to fully recover. I'll be a running machine when I get over this. Heck yes!!! After I recover from this it's vitamins daily, health food EVERYDAY, plenty of sleep and smart training. I REFUSE to get injured or sick again!
-Even though I'm sick i'm still able to hang out with my buddies this weekend so that's awesome! We had so much fun last night, even though afterwards I felt like I had been run over my a large semi truck.
-Amy and I went to the Cross Country race this morning. It was AWESOME. I'm 100 % positive that i'm running for the team next year. I just love the cross country atmosphere so much! I miss it terribly. Racing is such an insane, amazing feeling. We "volunteered" but mostly we just ran around wearing the spiffy bright yellow jackets and pretended to be important. We had a lot of good laughs this morning.
-I'm looking forward to one last thing but that's a surprise, Can't talk about it yet :)!


I've had a really productive day so far. I'm doing a terrible job getting ten hours of a sleep a night though which is why once I finish this i'm going to nap like i've never napped before. ha! I did finish my concert report and did a little Spanish Studying. I'm so happy that I have all day tomorrow to just get myself organized. I'm going to sleep, study, & relax. Stress-free day before a stressful week! I feel so much better just knowing what is wrong with me instead of just wondering and thinking i'm just lazy & dumb. Ha! This too shall pass. Just like my hip flexor injury, asthma, pitched nerve, fractured spine....
Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. Someone please go for a run for me! :)

10.16.08

First, I'm posting this video to make this entry less depressing. This is hilarious!


Setbacks just keep coming and pushing me back down. If it's not my back, it's my leg, not my leg, it's my hip, now I have MONO. Can you believe it?! It sure explains my lack of energy, no-so-great grades this semester, and my constant need for sleep. I'm not taking this very well, as soon as the doctor came into the room and told me I burst into tears. First thing on my mind: running. But the good news is that even though I have had mono for a couple weeks my running as still been pretty good. Imagine what i'm going to do when i'm healthy! That is the only thing that is keeping me in an ok mood. Otherwise, i'm crushed.
..so for the next few weeks (or months) I will be consuming my body weight in fluids, barely eating food because I have completely LOST my appetite, sleeping 10 hours a night, taking 6 pills a day (8 including asprin), and not running. Unfortunately. I'm reducing my credits so I can manage to try and get my grades up and i'm going to try extra hard for the remainder of the semester. Since i've been home i've been researching, researching, & researching I need to fight this virus FAST and i'll do anything to speed up my recovering process.

Here is what i've learned about mono thus far.
-It's nicknamed the kissing disease because it obtained through the swapping of spit. Not only am I not KISSING anyone but if the opportunity comes around within the next 3 months, I CAN'T. HAHAHAHA.. I'm just kidding, I don't care. but still!!!
-Cure to Mono: there isn't one.GREAT. It just has to run it's course and my body has to fight it. Drinking fluids and getting rest are the only things I can do. (The pills I'm taking are for different infections, I get into that later)
-Throat soreness is worse during the first 5-7 days and will subside over the next 7-10. I'm on day one.
-Fatigue continues for months after symptoms have ended. Avoid participation with contact sports, good thing running isn't a contact sport. Muhahaha!
-Particles of the virus can be present in my saliva for up to 18 months. (That's rare)
Now onto the medications i'm taking. Not only do I have Mono, but i'm full of infections caused by this sickness. My body has just given up. I'm on the steroid Prednisone because my tonsils are swollen and I can hardly swallow. I'm also taking Erythromycin.. and couldn't tell ya why. I didn't really ask question (1)because I could talk,swollen tonsils & (2) I will take whatever they give me as long as it speeds up this recovery.
Only good news about this whole ordeal, is that I don't have to take my Spanish mid-term tomorrow. Ha! Since i've been dead tired this entire week I havn't studied. Now I have some extra time. Gym class tomorrow shall be interesting, I'm going to ask if I can just sit out. At least i'm there right. Quick story: Last gym class we were playing golf INSIDE the GYM, not smart.. Anywhoo, and golf hit me right in the ankle. I dropped to the floor and held back the tears. It took about .2 seconds before it started swelling. Undoubtedly, I have the worst luck ever.
This weekend is going to be filled with rest, studying, and barely any movement. I want to get back to running ASAP. Shower time, I smell sick & I must refill my juice cup.
Alyssa

10.15.08

HOLA!

School is stressful, i'm sick AGAIN, i've got a million things on my mind, & endless homework (which i'm lacking motivation to do)...the joys of being a college student. Good news is that I did a 7 mile run yesterday pain-free/no numbness.. Yay! Hopefully the recovery process keeps going in the right direction. I'm adding a half marathon to my racing schedule for the spring --May 3rd -E.C. Half Marathon! My spring is packed with races, hopefully I can find some for the remainder of fall, even though i'm not in the best shape right now due to injuries. I'm hoping to do 7-9 miles this afternoon with Amy but that all depends how I feel in a couple hours. I've got a sore throat, i'm super tired, and achy. Not good.
Not much else going on in my life. Spanish test Friday, lots of friends coming to visit this weekend, and a run club & CRU tomorrow. That's about all my plans, I need something exciting to happen in my life. & I need a Halloween costume! My friend Amy & I are going to Madison for Halloween to be with my other good friend Steph. I can't wait, it's always such a fun time when we get together. Steph is actually one of the visitors this weekend. :)!

Since I have nothing else to say. I'll post some pictures!

Amy & I


My Best Friends & I in MEXICO!

10.13.08

"This time we're not giving up, let's make it last forever. Screaming Hallelujah..Hallelujah."

How adorable is that picture above?! I snapped that while I was on my bike ride yesterday. It's one of my new favorites!

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[[PLEASE WATCH VIDEO BELOW, IT'S AMAZING]]

My leg is feeling surprisingly better, I learned from HERE that the numbness MUST BE coming from my lower back, since i'm still going through chiropractic treatment, maybe it's just not completely healed yet (??). Who knows, but I am investing in new running shoes, maybe that will help. If not, oh well.. I love new shoes. :) I'm planning on doing 30-35 miles this week. It'll just continue to gradually increase my mileage, i'm getting restless. I just want to be injury free, i've been battling injuries for far too long.
Today is another busy day. I've had three classes already, one more to go, tutoring my latino first graders, then celebrating my BFF's 21st birthday! Busy, Busy, BUSY.

PiCTURES: Scroll to see more.

Whitney and I.

The three roomies. Left to right: Me, Whiteny & Steph.

I love fall. This is my bike route, beautiful, isn't it?

Mississippi River.

Live the live you love, LOVE. THE. LIFE. YOU. LIVE.

Buenas dias!

Nine hours of sleep = a very refreshed ME! :)
I had a terrible week so i'm excited that it's over & done, now i'm just looking ahead!

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RUNNiNG

I'm injured once again. This injury is just extremely complicated and I can't figure it out. I'm going to by some new running shoes to see if that helps & I'm going to student health services first thing on Monday. What's nice about this injury is that I can still run on it, there is no pain involved; my leg is just NUMB. I'm aiming for 28 miles this week, I took 2 days off because of the numbness in my leg and I got a terrible cold. Hopefully next week i'll be back up to 40 miles. I'll keep my fingers crossed. After I finish writing this i'm going to hike up the bluffs (they are BEAUTIFUL, I'll take pictures!) & then i'm planning a 8 mile run. Unless my leg tells me otherwise....

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Mi vidaaa

Besides my horrific week (3 papers, 2 exams, endless homework, tutoring, stress...etc), I did have some good things happen. McCain came to my town and my ONLY republican friend and I went to his rally. It was AWESOME! 4000 plus people were packed into this building to listen to him speak. There was protesters everywhere outside the people,people chanting U.S.A inside, signs everywhere, and security guards every which way. It was AWESOME!. -- Thursday night my friend and I went and saw Nights in Rodanthe, AMAZING! Highly recommend it, I was all out bawling. :)

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WEEKEND

Not a whole lot planned this weekend. Just relaxing enoying beautiful fall! I just finished up my pumpkin coffee (ohh! TIP: Add some pumpkin pie spice to your coffee grounds and then brew it, it's tasty!) Now i'm going to hike the bluffs, run, make pumpkin pie with the roommates, go to the football game.. then who knows. Tomorrow though it's HOMEWORK, HOMEWORK, HOMEWORK all.day.long

BESiTOS!

My bestest friends & I at EC HOMECOMING!

I CAN RUN AGAIN! Woo Woo! I'm finally back to my old self. My back is feeling good and i'm ready to start putting on the miles! Yesterday I went for an easy 4 miles, I don't want to start off too quickly and risk getting an injury AGAIN. I felt great so i'm looking at doing 6 this afternoon. I have a crazy, hectic day today, it will go as follows: class, PPST testing (reading portion), 6 mile run, job interview, bible study, HOMEWORK. It is never ending but I love keeping busy.
Another thing I love is.. FALL!!! It is beautiful outside; I love the leaves crunching under my feet, seeing my breath, the crisp cool air, wearing my warm clothes :) and running in this weather is a dream. I missed out on fall last year because I was in ESPANA so i'm takin it all in!

My fall to do list: La lista de cosas por hacer
- Drink Pumpkin coffee as much as possible. (I made it this morning for the first time, Black coffee with some pumpkin spice Mmmm Mmm! & a packet of Splenda!)
- Hike up the Bluffs. The trees are beginning to change colors so the view is probably amazing right now!
- Go on as many long runs as possible/ run in Hixon more (Cross country trails, lots of pretty trees to look at!)
- Get some apples from an apple orchard! Yummy.
- Practicar mi gramantica de Espanol cinco veces cada semana.
- Go for walks and enjoy the beautiful days.
- Keep my apartment super clean. -I know you're proud Mother.
- Live for Jesus TODOS LOS DIAS!! (everyday)
- Go home during Harvest.
- Accept the fact that Winter is coming and soon I will be cold the majority of my day. (I am a WUSS when it comes to cold weather.)

Off to class now! love.love.love!
Alyssa

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
- Philippians 4:13

I have so much to update on! Here it goes:
-I'm injured AGAIN but it's only temporary. The curve in my lower back messed up my back, I got a pitched nerve in my leg from it so for the entire weekend I had one numb leg. Good news is that it's fixable and i've been going to the chiropractor every other day and i've almost got all my feeling back in it and my back is healing great. Because of this injury I won't be running the half marathon this weekend. I'm disappointed but there will be plenty more. I volunteered for it though! I will be getting there at 5 am sharp Saturday morning! Woohoo!
-Half-Naked Mile tonight! We are doing a benefit on campus for the special Olympics called "half naked mile", you come in a goofy costume or sports bar and run a mile. I'm pumped!
-I start tutoring Hispanic kids on Monday! I'll be doing this every Monday for the rest of the semester. I can't wait, it's good experience for teaching and i'll get to practice Spanish.
-I'm meeting so many great friends! :) :) And my roommates are still AWESOME.
-School is hard work and at times I find myself overwhelmed. Example: Yesterday while talking to Mom on the phone I had a minor anxiety attack. Haha. (It was an exam week). ick
- I had a job interview!!! I'll find out if I get the job this weekend. It's a waitressing job OF COURSE. I'm super excited.
I have so much more to update on but i'm going to be late for run club if I don't leave now. :)
Alyssa

Life is too short to be anything but NOW.

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
Steve Prefontaine.

It's 9 o' clock pm. I have to read 3 poems, read 50 plus pages of history, print off job applications, write an essay about why I "love" young children & education (i'll be exaggerating that) and go for a night run with Amy. College is horrible. How many days until summer vacation?! So instead of getting right on all of this, I am writing in my blog. Procrastination at it's finest.

Yesterday I had an amazing run. I felt like I could do anything when I finished. I did a 3 mile tempo run with a 3 mile recovery. My legs were a little sore today so i'm only going to go out for a slow 4 miles tonight. No idea what i'll be doing for tomorrow. I have a crazy day tomorrow, 7:45 am class until 10:50, Library until 3:00, study for my huge Spanish test, celebrate my roommates birthday and then go to bible study. I'm already overwhelmed and I don't even have a job yet. Oh man.

Other news, Starting in October i'm going to be tutor for latino/hispanic kids learning English. I can't wait! :) This is volunteer but it'll look good on my resume. My life is about to get hectic. I'm also applying to work the YMCA, the pay is terrible but I want the free membership to the gym. HA!!!

Alright, I really need to get going. But first i'm going to share this poem I found in one of my notebooks, I probably wrote it around my junior year of high school, when I was all emotional hahaha. It's completely fiction.

"You've got the cure to a broken heart?"
Cried the lady dressed in red.
He looked at her and smiled
Then gave her brandy instead.

Graciously she took it
And drank each and every drop
But even after all the smokes and drinks
She still hasn't forgot.

'Cause pain lives on forever
And the highs always fade.
The blurriness comes clear again
To show the life you've made.

The desperation in her voice
And the empty bottles scattered.
Proves she can't go on alone
And that her heart is deeply shattered.

A pill or two can't help her
Or unhaze those pretty eyes.
Her love is lost inside her
From too many of his lies.

Deception is the greatest weapon
In hurting a fragile heart.
So ladies always guard yourself
Before you get ripped apart.

Because there is no quick remedy
To help you get back on your feet.
You'll just keep getting pushed down
and the ends will never meet.

This pain won't last forever
but the highs will always fade.
The blurriness will come clear again
To show the life you've made.

xox
Alyssa

Push through..

Running.
I run because it clears my head, it keeps me fit, and keeps me sane. It challenges me everyday, pushing me further & faster. It gives me energy. Makes me stronger. Keeps me motivated. Gives me "me time".
I love getting faster everyday, hearing my heart race and the shortness of breathe. I love racing against the clock, going out for long distance runs, and my collection of asics ;).
I love the friends I have made through the sport.

I loved running college cross country and I will be on the team next year. I loved the hard workouts, traveling to the meets on the weekends, spending 3 hours a day at practice, having no time for anything but school work and running, and sporting the sweet scsu jersey!


I love the butterflies before I race, the pain during the race, the amazing feeling when i'm finished, and the runners high.

I love the fact that I will never have 10 toe nails because they fall off because I run too much. I like the fact that I can run through the pain of blisters all over my feet. I can run through the pain of chaffing. I can keep running even though my legs feel like they are jello or are just completely numb. I'll keep going.:)

Who said running was a non contact sport??

I am a runner. I'm addicted. Try it.

As God's partners, I beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God's great kindness. For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.
- 2 Corinthians 6: 1-3

Today is the day :). Hoy es la dia. Isn't it an amazing thing that we all can fall so far away from Christ yet he still loves us and welcomes us back with opening arms?!

A year ago today was my first day in Sevilla. It's crazy to think how fast time passes. In my Spanish Civ class we were discussing Sevilla and my heart felt like it got ripped out and STOMPED on. I love it there. I love how exciting everything was, how I learned something new every single day, the terrible task of trying to get people to understand me, and I loved seeing all the beautiful sights. It was an amazing experience that I think every college student needs to experience. It made me grow so much as a person, not mention made me travel savvy ;). Te echo de menos, Sevilla. I am finally putting together my photo album from my travels this year and it looks SWEET! I'm very proud! It's not even close to being finished but I have a great start.

Not much going on tonight. I had four classes today, went for my run, showered, actually did my hair and now i'm sitting here doing nothing. hahaha. I'm content with that though. It's kind of an icky day/night, great running weather though. Kept it nice and cool and sprinkled the entire way. Can't make it much easier.
No big plans for the weekend, but I am super excited to go back to Spooner next weekend for my Dad's party. I've missed it the past 2 years in a row because of cross country season and Spain so i'm anxious to go again.

Run log.
5 1/2 miles -- My legs feel back to normal so i'll probably do a good 10 miler or so tomorrow. I'm forcing myself to go to the grocery store tomorrow. I'm eating so much peanut butter and oatmeal it just may start coming out of my nose...


xox
Alyssa

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."

I officially added Education to my major yesterday, so now I am a double major in Spanish & Education with an international studies minor. Which translates into lots more schooling and a lower paying job when i'm through. Ha, but that is alright with me because I will be doing something I truly love. Classes are going good, my global issues class is a snooze. I'm so tired by the time I get out of there all I can think about is how much I need want a coffee or lately diet mountain dew. I feel like i'm still unorganized, It need my mother's touch ;) hint hint mother .

I Think i'm going to take a quick nap, go for my run, shower and then i'm going to CRU tonight.. Which is Campus Crusade for Christ. I'm really looking forward to it, I need to make some friends with the same goals and values as me. Which so far I am.. All of my friends here are runners. I love it!

I decided i'm just going to do one post a week rather and just keep editing on each post, makes things a little easier. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Run log
Monday: 30 minutes
Tuesday: 5 miles. 12 mile Bike
Wednesday: rest Easy 2 miles. 6 Mile bike
Thursday: 7 mile run is the plan, depending on the soreness of my legs.

I've had so many changes in my life lately but everything has been so positive. I'm all moved into my apartment in La Crosse and i've been blessed with two great roommates. Both are runners on the cross country team and are very responsible girls. I know we will keep eachother motivated and get along just fine.

Today I went to the Grocery store and it was TERRIBLE. You know you are grown up when you have to start worrying about keeping food in your belly. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. I hope to find a job soon, i'm applying at some places tomorrow after my first class. Hopefully I get something right away because i'm not good at not having a steady income.

The main reason why I created this blog was to keep my current goal in check which is training for Grandma's marathon in Duluth Minnesota. It's June 20th and I could not be more excited.

Monday: 30 minute run, 12 Mile Bike