I recently vacationed in Florida. Most people think of vacation time as a time for breaking the rules… eating whatever you want, staying up late, sleeping in and just having fun. In the past, I would’ve bought munchies for the road trip and gotten a large cola at McDonald’s right before leaving town. Most of my meals would’ve been at restaurants with ice cream cones in between. However, this vacation was different. I purposely chose to eat healthful meals the majority of the time and walking remained a priority. I drove to Florida with my Aunt Melvena, and we stayed with our cousin Marilyn. Marilyn lives in The Villages which consists of lots of loops (in place of streets) and several roundabouts (in place of traffic lights). Experiencing the loops and roundabouts, I began thinking of them in … Read entire article »

The only time in my life that I can recall actually choosing to run was between my junior and senior year of high school. I wanted to go on a teen missions trip to England and Scotland, which first meant enduring two weeks of boot camp. In preparation for boot camp, I needed to lose 20 pounds and be able to jog a one mile winding trail. For weeks I jogged around town with a clear focus of what I needed to achieve. As I reflect back on my boot camp experience, the intent of the trail and obstacle course we faced everyday apply to my current situation as well: follow instructions, work within boundaries, and be a team player. By the end of the two weeks, each teen had to demonstrate mastery of … Read entire article »