writing challenge

Day 2/30 Monday March 13, 8:15pm, near Masaya, Nicaragua
Something CRAZY happened over lunch. My family and I received a WhatsApp message from my sister Aden that said she was in an ambulance on her way to DELIVER HER BABY EARLY. She’s 34 weeks but just got diagnosed with preeclampsia at her doctor’s visit, so she should be having a baby…well…any moment now! This is exciting, but the conditions surrounding it are unsettling, especially since my family and I are miles apart. I’m in Nicaragua. My mom is at home in San Diego. My dad is in Beloit on a business trip. Aden is in Austin at the hospital. So yeah. We’re pretty spread out. I feel the urge to hop on a plane to be by her side, but I know that our parents will be there tomorrow, so that puts me more at ease. This is her third baby, and her deliveries are no joke! She had her second baby on her living room floor, delivered by Jordan and my mom while they were on the phone with 911. (Yes, you read that correctly.) How is it that the first delivery was the “easiest”? I was there by her side for the entire thing, and she handled it like a champ. I even played the theme song from Rocky while she was pushing! The nurse looked at me like I was crazy, but Aden appreciated it. I know every pregnancy is different, but oh the stories my sister could tell! I’m currently checking my phone like crazy for updates. There are only a couple of hours left in the day. If my new niece arrives tomorrow, she will share her b-day with my dad. Happy birthday, Dad! Happy birthday baby girl! I can’t wait to meet you!

Please send good thoughts to my sis!! I’ll have an update for everyone tomorrow! Peace out, day 2 of my writing challenge. xoxo

Day 1/30 Sunday March 12, 3:00pm, near Masaya, Nicaragua
It looks like I’m doing it! I am committing myself to 30 days of raw, unfiltered writing. I first saw someone post about a writing challenge on Facebook and thought it sounded interesting, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about the 500 words/day requirement. Then, when SoCal Runner Gal posted that she was about to do her own writing challenge without the word count minimum, I just knew I had to get on board. How many more signs did I need? It was speaking to me and there is something I like about a good challenge. I love lists (I’m a Virgo) and I love numbers (but please don’t get me started on how I feel about Excel). Being able to quantify something makes the task easier for me…It’s more digestible. For example, I could say “I’m going to blog/write/journal more” and possibly yes, that may happen. But it is far more likely to happen if I say “I’m going to write for 30 days straight” because I don’t like to fall short of goals I set for myself…arbitrary, or not.

Now that I have my plan, I wonder where my fascination with lists comes from. I already know that Virgos like lists. We are organized, routine loving beings by nature. But what else? I remember in January 2015, my BFF Nicole and I set out to complete 31 runs of at least 3.1 miles and 31 planks in 31 days to celebrate our 31st year of life. That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? (See? I’m already excited!) We were both equally determined to complete this random goal we had set for ourselves, and while it wasn’t easy, we did it. Thinking back on it now, I am so very grateful for this challenge because this was during an extremely difficult period in my life. It might have been one of the hardest months of my life so far. I was confused. I was sad. I was in shock. I was an emotional zombie. Those runs snapped me out if it, even if for only 30 minutes a day. They did something for my state of being before I had a therapist, before I had my daily yoga practice, before I was ready to face reality. They made me feel like I was in control, and they gave me the kind of release that I needed when I was keeping most of my emotions locked inside.

So…what is it about numbers and lists?
1. For me, they are a guiding light.
2. They give me a sense of purpose and direction.
3. While I function perfectly fine without them, my brain turns on a little more when I have something specific to focus on.

I haven’t decided if I will share on here each and every day, but I can promise you there will be 30 continuous days of writing! No word count minimums. No set topics. No rules. Just writing.

Will you join me on this writing challenge? Sharing is optional. ; )