Tag: Home

Posted in My Life Now, Texas- Living with Parents, Thoughts and the Past

Where is My Home? [with Audio]

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

 

I don’t think I’ll ever be happy and I don’t think I’ll ever stop starting a post with that announcement. When I sit down to write and don’t come with a topic in mind, that’s where my mind goes. For whatever reason, in whatever environment I am in, I am not happy. It’s been years, so I don’t think I ever will be truly happy. Comfortable. I’d settle for comfortable.

I don’t think I’ve ever been completely comfortable in any place I’ve lived. I know it’s a delusion to think or hope that I ever will be. The world isn’t black and white. But… more? I want more? I want better? And I know I can achieve that. I don’t know if I deserve it, but I know it’s out there. It always is.

So when can I stop? When will it be enough? And when I get there, how will I know?
This sounds like an epic intro for a deeply poetic reflective piece. But it is not. It’s just going to be me complaining about my housing experiences. So, I (mostly) lived with my parents all my life until I left for university at almost 19. Life at home was great as a kid and stifling as a teenager. For the usual reasons and some unusual reasons. For a few months I lived with family or friends (about three or four different families) and I just wanted to go back home. I didn’t care that I’d be alone at home and I was ten years old. I wanted that.

When I did get to live at home by myself, I liked it. I still got super excited to tell my mom all about my day when she got home late at night, but I did well by myself during the solitary evenings. Sadly, that’s probably been one of my favorite housing situations. Top three for sure. :/

Other than that, it’s just been me living with my brother and parents. It was suffocating as a teen, but most of it didn’t have to be that way. I could have fought back, rebelled, changed my life for the better. But I didn’t. I didn’t go out. I didn’t invite over my two or three friends I had during these years. It was a stifling lonely-in-a-crowd feeling.

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Now, I wrote that amazing intro in the summer of 2019. It’s now a couple weeks from spring in 2020. I didn’t finish writing it because I think I didn’t want to deal with such a heavy question at the time. I had pretty much finished my first stint into education after a bachelor’s degree and an internship. I was ready to slow down. Or so I thought. Now I’m starting to realize that I can’t. For me, it’s either stop or go. There’s no in between. I used to think, and I still did when I wrote the prior section, that it was equally my fault and my parents’ fault that I didn’t enjoy my teenage years living under their roof. Maybe it’s the fact that my mother’s friend just condemned me to God’s wrath for being a rude and disrespectful daughter to my mother, but I don’t believe my unhappy teenage years are equally my and my parents’ faults. I do think there’s more I could have done. I could have rebelled and done what I wanted to, like I said above, but how was I supposed to know that the good outweighed the bad?

Continue reading “Where is My Home? [with Audio]” →

Posted in My Life Now, Texas- Living with Parents

Weeks of January 20th and 27th 2020- Work Woes, Weight Woes, and Workout Woes… Then a Reawakening.

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

Yeah, it happened again. I was really sad. I skipped a week and almost another of blogging. Yep. It’s going to keep happening. But I’ve decided to do a joint recap instead of try to piece together whatever that mess was. Here’s the important bits:

 

Week of January 20th 2020

 

  • I found out I’d lost a pound of weight since the week prior.
    • I hadn’t really done anything to make that happen except being more conscious of my snacking and not being excessive with that.

 

  • I applied for a job at a hospital.
    • I’ve been really mentally blocked for a long time and just can’t bring myself to move forward in my life. Now I finally have my dietetic license and can apply for jobs in my career, but my heart hasn’t been in it. I’m so tired of being rejected. (Not from jobs per se, but in general. Especially since my internship, but also in recent personal matters.) Axyl gave me the real-talk chat I needed and I mustered up the energy to apply for one job. Still waiting on word from that hospital.

 

  • I replied to a health food company. 
    • This company seemed interesting and though they reached out to me to work for them as a cashier (well below my abilities now that I am licensed) I genuinely wanted to learn more about the company and network. I decided to meet with the CEO/ founder later in the week.

 

  • I met a guitarist in my piano class. 
    • He didn’t have his book, so I offered to share mine with him. We got to talking and it seems he’s also from a different discipline like me. Because of his experience with guitar and my experience with singing, we both know the very basics of music like notes and rhythm and such, so the class went pretty slow and we spent a lot of it chit chatting.

 

  • I didn’t go to the gym most of or the whole week.
    • I can’t really tell from my bullet points from last week. I think I didn’t go a single day…

 

  • I met with the founder of the health food company. 
    • He was not like I expected. Very stereotypical. I won’t even go into detail. Let’s just say, I’m glad I’m not working for him.

 

  • I got really sad because of that meeting. Vented to a friend. Had a fallout with said friend.
    • Tears in my cereal the next day. I’m not even joking about that. : ( Axyl gave me a pep talk and I felt better. I decided to let that relationship go. At least the way I was going about it. Why put in effort to be told to back off?

 

 

Week of January 27th 2020

 

  • Found out I’d gained 5 pounds in the last week.
    • Officially obese category II (BMI 35). New highest weight I’ve ever been.
    • That’s what being very sad and giving in to emotional eating will do to ya.

 

  • Opening up more in sign language class. 
    • It’s easier now that there’s only like 10 students instead of 30 last semester. I think I surprised my professor since he and the rest the class are used to seeing me as the quiet, smart kid. That’s the way I usually present myself in most places. A lot of people don’t get to see my dark, funny side. Ha, this class won’t know what’s coming!

 

  • Getting bored in piano class. 
    • It’s very much a beginning piano class and apart from some much needed practice sight reading. It seems I know the basics. Didn’t even feel like chatting with the guitarist.

 

  • Decided to start eating healthier one step at a time instead of trying to do everything “perfectly”
    • I know how complicated nutrition can be, but I also know how simple it can be too. I decided it doesn’t matter what I think about myself or how scared I am to be skinnier. This has gotten out of hand and I can’t keep putting it off and gaining 5 more pounds every time I get knocked down by life. There’s not next week, or starting Monday, or maybe if I feel like it. It’s now. It’s starting simple and building on it. It’s slow, but steady. It’s Wednesday. I started eating healthier on a Wednesday. I decided to start with the most basic thing. I know there are more than two dozen essential vitamins and minerals, but take it one thing at a time. For it to be a lifestyle and not a diet it has to be maintainable. Start with what you know you can do and that you can do consistently. So I did.
      • Maybe I’ll write a more detailed post just about this later. Or maybe not. I’m not trying to influence anyone into following what I’m doing for a healthier lifestyle. That’s different for everyone. Maybe it will help some, maybe it will hinder others. I’ll think about it.

 

  • First aerial silks class
    • We are in pairs for the class. My partner seems very nice and super extroverted. She made the class so much fun, even though I only successfully was able to do one of about 5 moves we were taught and it was basically hanging upside down. 🙈 I wasn’t able to climb the silk or do a pull through. (My arms are dying. >.< I need to build some upper body strength!)

 

  • Went to the gym for the first time in about 2 weeks.
    • I took my brother with me before sign language class and he also did a bit of exercise. That was cool! I used the stationary bikes. Why this gym positioned the spin bikes right in the middle of all of the weight machines (read: with my butt directly in front of a couple of guys), I have no idea. It was awkward, but I still got a short bike session in before class.

 

  • Went swimming for the first time in about 3 weeks. 😬
    • I almost didn’t go because my mom and brother didn’t want to swim. (They said it was too cold and they would rather do some other form of cardio.) But, I did my swim session without them and it felt refreshingly nice to just concentrate on myself. (Usually, I keep an eye on my mom and brother because they aren’t the strongest swimmers.)

 

  • Cousin’s birthday party!
    • Cousins invited me to join them for some bowling. 🙂 It was so much fun! I hadn’t seen all of them in a very long time, but they were very welcoming. I’m so glad I was able to go. (Even though I suck at bowling, haha!)

 

Next Week:

  • Last poem about someone I’m over. Just want to post it because it was something that hurt me deeply and I felt strongly about and now I don’t. I’m all about transformation and letting go of that is definitely a positive change in my life.
  • We’ll see how maintainable this healthier lifestyle really is. It’s been 4 days and it feels great. Hopefully I can say that after a full week. Otherwise, I’ll have to tweak it and make it more manageable.
  • Will I muster up the courage to apply for more jobs? I hope so…

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Note:

Picture is of my crappy little mountain bike that I’ve outfitted for future triathlons and indoor training. It’s not much, but it’s all I need. Such is life. I make do.

 

Posted in My Life Now, Texas- Living with Parents

Week of January 13th 2020- Hitting the Breaks on Triathlon Training and Getting Pep Talks from Friends and Family

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

This week was a strange one. It was sad, yet hopeful. Lonely and full of friends/family. I felt utterly misunderstood and as if I were watching a movie about my life. I’m struggling with indecision and fighting against what is holding me back from moving on with my life and beginning my career that will spearhead the next chapter. Before that though, let’s start with sadness.

Monday, Jan. 13th- Sleeping the Day Away and Helping Mom find her Classroom

I woke up at 4pm today. I think I slept at like 2 or 3am. Eh. Going back to my old ways of sleeping the morning and as much of the day away as possible. This isn’t good. Continue reading “Week of January 13th 2020- Hitting the Breaks on Triathlon Training and Getting Pep Talks from Friends and Family” →

Posted in My Life Now, Texas- Living with Parents

Week of January 6th 2020- First Official Week of Triathlon Training and Some Non-Official Translation Gigs

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

It is Thursday night as I begin writing this. I hadn’t planned on returning to this blog. I mean, I’m glad that I have, but it happened naturally, not as part of a New Year’s resolution or personal goal or anything of the sort. It’s probably better that way. I’m back because I want to be, not because I’m forcing myself to be.

I was going to start weekly blogging two nights ago, on Tuesday, but as I started writing I realized there were countless battles I waged with myself over the last six months in my mind, that I had to at least attempt to explain those occurrences on the surface. Here’s that attempt at a sort of update. The following night (Wednesday) I figured I may as well start fresh with the start of the New Year and make a weekly blog post of my first week of the year.

Yep… so now it’s Thursday… Let’s see what I can remember…

 

Monday, Jan. 6th- Probably Made a 10 Week Triathlon Training Plan

I technically stayed up Sunday night until early Monday morning (3am-ish) to make a training schedule, so that counts, right? Well, I already had a plan, but upon a bit more research I found it probably would not have been ideal. It was much more intense than a beginning training schedule should be. I haven’t exercised in about a month (minus the day before and the day of that indoor triathlon I’d done on Sunday). Starting from 0 to 12 hours of exercise a week probably would not have been a good way to start the season.

So, much to my dismay, this week’s plan is about 4 hours. I mean, from 0 to 4 hours that’s still a big jump, but I am antsy. I like to progress fast and am prone to getting impatient if I don’t see results in whatever it is I do. I like positive change and more than that, I like the validation or proof of it happening. But, fine… Slow and steady, that’s what they say wins the race, right? *sigh… Lessons in patience, I guess. Today was my first day I didn’t have other engagements since getting back from my trip to West Texas with my college buddies, so apart from making a family meal plan for the week and going on an hour indoor bike ride, I just relaxed and watched T.V. with my mom.

Below will be this week’s training plan, but basically it consists of 2 one hour stationary bike rides, 2 thirty minute treadmill runs/walks, and 2 thirty to forty minute indoor pool swims.

 

Tuesday, Jan. 7th- Probably Finally Paid for Dietetic State Licensure and Translated for Brother’s Doctors Appointments

Yes, I finally took a moment to read through some important emails about my new dietetic license and the accompanying fees and continuing education requirements I need to complete. I should be getting an official card with my state license to practice dietetics in Texas in the next two or three weeks. Yay!

Other than that, I got up at 6:13am. Know how I remember that? Because my dad and brother usually leave the house by 6:10am and I was so tired I’d fallen asleep after waking up for the first time at 5:45-ish am. I kid you not, we were in the car and on our way by 6:15am. I don’t even know how I got out of bed and dressed that fast…

But, it was important to me to go. Yes, it’s my brother’s appointment, but my dad does a lot to help my brother with his health and this was his 1 year check up appointment with several different doctors and disciplines after his kidney transplant. So… yes, important. And important for me to go to ease the language barrier. I know hospitals have translators, but if I’m available, why not help out?

Case in point: while doing a sonogram we found out my brother had his gallbladder removed. Neither my dad nor my brother knew (my brother was too young to remember at the time we suspect it was removed). I’m sure my dad signed the papers necessary to allow the surgery, but there was a lot going on at the time and I highly suspect when situations get critical there’s less time to get a translator and talk through every little (or not so little) procedure. I’m glad to be back so things like this aren’t as likely to happen.

 

Wednesday, Jan. 8th- Translating for Mom’s Doctor’s Appointment and Why I Care About Language so Much

Continue reading “Week of January 6th 2020- First Official Week of Triathlon Training and Some Non-Official Translation Gigs” →

Posted in Personal Poetry Collection

Guide me Away from Here – Personal Poetry Collection

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

I’m going a bit insane here. My licensure exam is in four days from the time I write this and though life has gotten much better since I moved back home about six months ago, I feel as though if I fail this exam… I feel that if I pass it, I can say this half a year of moping and, frankly, recovering from the time away were worth something. If I fail… that just confirms my fears that I’m a waste of space and ultimately a burden on my family.

It’s unbelievable how much support I’ve gained in those five years. My life and myself changed drastically and (mostly) for the better.  I have some amazing people behind me, but recently, I’ve been thinking about the first friend who believed in me. I call him AJ on this blog. He was my first and best mentor, in the truest sense of the word. I meant to pay tribute to him in my previous post, but got a bit off topic. He told me to never stop sharing my poetry, so here you go… for AJ.

 

Guide me Away from Here

December 22, 2019

2:48 AM

Papers, pens, and practice.

I’d rather toss some dice,

but a friend told me twice

(at least), “We aren’t mice.

Work past your vice

and cut yourself off a slice

of success. Being nice

is for the lice.

 

You are wise.

Youth only a guise.

So, pick a bigger fight!

Someone your size,

now that would be a sight.”

 

 

He is right.

Yet, on this height

lays my kite

string binding me tight.

Posted in Uncategorized

I Am Miserable- three months after moving back home with my parents

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

It’s extremely depressing to realize you currently have nothing to live for. My mood is a fucking roller coaster. It is exhausting and always refreshingly strong in its mania and depression.

 

Be Careful What You Wish For…

So, I realized why I’m so miserable since I came home from my year-long internship in Puerto Rico. (Believe me, I was miserable there too, but in a different way.) I have nothing to live for. I don’t have anything going for me in my life. I thought this is what I wanted. I thought I could use several months to reset and improve my life. To focus on myself and in a sense set myself up for success when I ultimately begin my career. Nope. That did not work.

I’ve been back at my parent’s home since July. It’s been three months. Feels like so much longer. I hate the emptiness. I thought I wanted to be free of school and work stress. I dread getting a job, because people stress me out. I can’t live without anything at stake though. I’ve gone from one extreme to the next and every day I feel like I’m worse off. I had the opportunity to move to West Texas with a friend and I decided against that because my father in a heartfelt moment told me “you’ve suffered so much already”. He pretty much told me to take a long deserved break. That got to me.

 

Another Flashback to my Less than Perfect Childhood. Boo Hoo. Feel Free to Skip; You’ve Read This All Before.

Thinking back, my life has been as easy as an unfortunate life can be. By age ten I was used to the idea that I had to look after myself. Moreover, I felt responsibility for my family (my mother, brother, and father). By 14 and for the entirety of my high school years, I felt little to nothing. I was practically a kid. My mind was older, sage and self sacrificing and my body was grossly overweight like a middle aged woman, but my age was young. Too young for how I went about life and how it treated me.

I felt almost nothing those years. I remember admitting aloud that I did not feel love from my parents nor did I have feelings of love for them, but from my behavior you would not have been able to tell. They were my obligation. Fact, not feeling. I helped in anyway I could. Ways that shouldn’t have been asked of me and, to be fair, ways that were not asked of me.

 

Why I’m Obsessed with Achievements and Why I am a Masochist

But that is who I was. Who I still am, if these last three months mean anything. I tried to keep them happy. As happy as they could be, given the circumstances. I felt like their protector. I felt strong and learned to enjoy that spark of a high. If nothing else made me feel anything, being responsible for my family made me feel accomplished. Well, not that I could really feel that then. That may be why it did something for me. I didn’t have to feel it. It was evident. On paper and not in my heart, it was clear my playing the part of comedian, translator, perfect daughter, etc. was an accomplishment.

That’s how I learned the intoxicating power of selflessness. Of putting myself last. Of suffering for the health of others. And liking it. So, yes, to all of my friends who have come to know me personally and have asked me why I put so much on my plate or why I’m such a masochist. I finally have an answer for you. Selflessness meant something to me when nothing else did. So, in a sense, it wasn’t true selflessness, though I wasn’t aware of it at the time.

It gave me a purpose. School also gave me a purpose. My parents were preoccupied with other much more important things than me. I understood that and accepted it. I still do as much as it still hurts. I wasn’t about to stress them out more by being a mediocre student. So, I had a goal of high grades and going off to university to escape my home.  As paradoxical as it sounds (and get used to that, because it’s the essence of my being), I strived for new academic heights as a way to please my parents, (well, not even that, just to not stress them) and I also did this for my own personal gain- escape.

 

But It Was Not Enough To Make Me Happy

I, understandably, was miserable. I grew up being told I was melodramatic. I believed it. I thought I should have been happy. My parents weren’t divorced, I had an older brother, had good grades, and a couple of friends plus those everyday things sometimes taken for granted like clothes, clean water, electricity, etc. and I was capable in many areas as my never ending new hobbies proved. I felt I should have been happy, but I knew I wasn’t. So I left.

Without more than enough money awarded to me by my high school to pay for the dorm fee and without the support of my father (to move several hours away) I left for university where my purpose was free from my need to please them. I learned my own values and began therapy. I learned to feel. I was finally happy. I was free. I was me. Then I, confused and without anyone knowledgeable to ask, I picked my major. Then changed it the next semester. (As always here is the link to that story.)

 

And I Set Myself Up For a Life of Self-Loathing

I feel as if I tried to fail out of that major throughout most of my time completing it. I almost did, in fact. An internship is mandatory in my career. I almost did not get matched….but I did. If you’ve read my blog during the last year, you’ll know how that went. (Hint: I say this in the truest sense of the word- I am traumatized.) Now I have to take an exam. That’s it. I’ve tried so hard to sabotage myself and this could be it.

I went through the education to become a pharmacy technician and simply did not take that exam. That sent my life in a completely different direction. I ended up doing hospitality/customer service work (more trauma there) instead of a much higher paying job in the field I originally sought to pursue. (Link to that story here.) This lead to my first choice of major (hospitality) and ultimately my degree (nutrition and dietetics).

 

I Believe I Could Be Happy if I Chose to Be… But Will I?

I think I could be happy in this career, but I spent so long fighting it, I don’t know with certainty anymore. I should feel blessed. I am grateful. I understand a bachelor’s degree is an accomplishment. But it doesn’t feel like anything to me. I feel like a failure. I am very disappointed in myself and my life choices. Half the time, I fully hate myself. After five years of working for this wretched career, I’m at a critical point of make or break. I have no doubt in my ability to pass the exam. I have the capacity to learn. I just have to convince myself it’s something I want to do.

That’s terrifying. I still don’t have an exam date. I haven’t registered. (I don’t have the money for it, plus I’m just putting it off.) I also don’t doubt the possibility that I simply will not take it. That I will have suffered though that despicable internship for nothing. I’m in limbo. If that’s the only thing I have to work towards, if that’s the only guiding light in my life right now, it’s no wonder I feel dead inside. I don’t have anything to life for. Worse yet, the only thing looming in front of me is a career that so far has brought me more pain than joy (and not the good type of pain!).

 

WOO HOO! Summary Time Finally!

That was to be my first point in this rambling: the biggest thing I have to work towards at the moment is something I’m almost convinced I dislike. Obviously, I’m resistant. Obviously, this makes me unhappy. My second point is that, being back in this household, I’ve lost the sense of myself I’d gained during the last five years on my own. I’m not the perfect daughter or sister, but I still have strong urges to help my family before myself.

With how depressed I’ve been, that has proven difficult, but when it comes down to it they are a higher priority to me than myself. That isn’t healthy. My third point, and one for a separate post because that’s a much longer complaint, is that triathlon training is slow. My faulty coping mechanism of emotional eating was never resolved during my years away from home, but it was improved, for sure. Nope. Now I hear my parent’s voices sometimes and instinctively reach for chocolate.

So yeah, TLDR: I’m miserable. I’m all kinds of messed up and I recently realized I currently have no pleasurable purpose in life.

SO… life sucks. Try to have a decent day, but if you can’t, I don’t blame you.

Posted in Uncategorized

Week of July 8th 2019- Medical Appointments, Purple Hair, and my 4 Year Old Friend

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

Monday, July 8th- Dentist Appointment… Remember to Read Contracts and Ask Questions Before You Sign

I’m weirdly excited to be back and getting all these health appointments checked off my list. It’s not that I didn’t have health insurance in Puerto Rico, in fact it was a requirement for my internship over there. It’s just that….. ermmmm….. well, in this case I have only come to trust one dentist in the world. I’m sure there are many capable people in the profession, but I’ve only been introduced to one along my traumatizing dental hygiene journey. That is why I refuse to see anyone else.

The check up went great. All the usual stuff: a few cavities, a scan of my teeth since they’d recommended something to straighten my teeth (won’t say the name, because ehh, I’m not a lawyer), and, oh yeah, the tech or whoever was flossing my teeth at the end of the cleaning yanked out one of my fillings. ….yep. Everything was fine and then I felt something in my mouth. Whatever, they had to put more in for those cavities I mentioned. It was either coming out there or at home, so no biggie.

$35 was all thanks to my insurance. I got some papers to sign about the teeth straightening thing. 2293 or something. No comma. No decimal point. $35 and $22.93, that would make sense, right? Nah, after another scan to send off to the company they clarify and say it’s $2,293 and that I’d already signed and agreed to pay that amount. Gosh darn it. I’m really upset by this, because I misunderstood and didn’t know that I’d misunderstood, so I didn’t ask questions and ugh. It’s frustrating. Hopefully they can work something out with the company. Geez.

 

Tuesday, July 9th- First Day Playing Professor

Ha… I didn’t go to the gym today. I woke up at 2pm. Yep. Didn’t think I needed an alarm. Thought, what’s the harm in waking up at 10 am or even noon, I’ll just go to the gym then and study after. Nah. I woke up at 2pm. -____- So I didn’t. instead I read a bit more of chapter one of the first textbook I am working on reading to study for the exam to become a registered dietitian. After coming to a decent stopping point, I made a power point, added some pictures and presented it to my mom.

That was my plan. Study then teach. Best way to learn, I thought. It might still be true, but it was a process to teach her conversions from the metric system to the imperial and vice versa. I don’t know if I can do this, or (as mean as it sounds) if I want to. I don’t want to drag out my study time. I just want to learn this stuff well enough to pass that exam and know how to treat my future patients. We’ll see how far I get with her.

 

Wednesday, July 10th- Eye Doctor Appointment and Getting Used to my Face Again

I went to my favorite doctor today! 😀 Ever since I was a kid, the optometrist has been my favorite medical appointment. He helps me see and doesn’t stab me with needles or drill in my teeth without anesthesia (yeah, kind of why I’m traumatized in regards to dentists…). I think that’s a good trade off. We’ve been going to that same doctor for years and it’s been pretty great that the staff there has seen me grow up. It’s like a subtle check up on my life goals every year to make that small talk about what I’ve been up to since my last appointment.

I wasn’t joking about the triathlon, guys. I want to do one. (I want to do more than one, but baby steps, haha.) So, I got some contacts. It’s pretty weird to switch from glasses to contacts. Not just for others, but for the person wearing them. I hardly ever see my face without glasses. Mostly because even if I wasn’t wearing my glasses I’d have to be practically pressed against the mirror! XD No, but in all seriousness, I’m dorkily excited to get used to just my face again. 🙂 I’m actually thinking of a few other changes… but…. I’ll keep y’all in suspense until they happen. heeheehee…

 

Thursday, July 11th- XD I Dyed my Hair Purple

Hahahahah, that was fast, wasn’t it? Yeah, so it was a good day for Instagram today. I’m getting more used to this social media thing. This whole week I’ve been pretty good about posting to my Instagram story. I think I feel more motivated to do so knowing I left behind some friends in Puerto Rico that may care to see them. 😥 I miss Chance and Joseph. But yeah. There’s my shameless plug for my Instagram. Follow me @MyDragonflyLife.blog I pinned a story about me trying to poke my turtle, so make sure to check that out! 🙂

Anyway, other than playing with my turtle, Frankie, I went to the gym and decided to bike 10 miles. That was absurd seeing as it’s only my second day biking. Haha! The sprint triathlon I’m aiming to do is a 12 mile bike, so oh well, I’m progressing just a tad quickly. X) After coming back from that mess I decided to create another one…. on my head. XD I enlisted my mom to help me dye my hair purple.

I know, I know. Not good for job prospects, but I’ve wanted to dye my hair for years now and I figured now was the perfect time. I also figured purple is the hardest color to mess up. Light or dark purple, it all looks good. ……….yeah….. Didn’t turn out like I thought it would. XD Looks like a deep, dark mahogany with the slightest edgy purple tint. XD I don’t know how else to describe it!

 

Friday, July 12th- Triathlon Training Goals and Random Singing

I unashamedly did nothing today. Well. I didn’t study, which is supposed to be my main goal. I went for a run. :/ Ran 2 miles. Ugh. I did 1.75 on Wednesday, so I was hoping to do more today, but *sigh* I know it’s going to take time to get back to where I was two years ago when I used to run. My goal is 4 miles. When I decided to train for a triathlon I made this whole plan. I went full blown obsessed and have a year’s worth of monthly distance and time goals. My first month is 15 miles on bike, 4 miles running, and 100 meters swimming in less than 2 hours. Completely doable, I think.

After the run I watched yet another stand up special. I’ve been watching a ton of those lately. And…wandered into my brother’s room to play Guitar Hero on his Wii. heehee. That was fun, but like all other things, I suck now. X) I swear, I used to be good, but now I’m back to medium difficulty. After a few songs I switched over to a karaoke game. -____- I promise I can sing. Decently. When no one is watching….

Ughhh. I played for like an hour or so trying to shake the nerves. Uhhh. I know it’s just my mom and brother in the room, but I just can’t sing unless I think no one is listening. The sounds just don’t come out if I’m nervous in any way. :< It stinks. I mean, for all I know, I am a terrible singer. But I really do think I’m okay at it. 😦 One day I’ll share a clip with you guys…

 

Saturday, July 13th- I Made a 4 year old Friend 🙂

14.99 miles on bike. -___- 65 minutes. Gosh. So close. Since I don’t own a bike, this was on the stationary bike that automatically shut off after the hour workout and a 5 minute cool down. Geez, haha, I was so upset. Oh well, Now I have to work on improving my speed and pace.  After a quick stop for some junk food at a gas station, my best friend Lyza calls. I’d texted her yesterday about hanging out and showing her sisters 4 year old child Allison (Alli for short) my purple hair. Make up store she said. Not what I expected, but alright!

When they came to pick me up, Lyza was in the passenger seat while her sister, Sophia, drove. That meant Alli and I were in the back. It was cute. Alli was really shy at first, but eventually at the make up store I bonded with her over PAC man lip glosses. Apparently she really likes PAC man and Mario. I’m definitely taking her to an arcade someday soon! I hate skimming over everything, but we did a lot! My Instagram story showed more, but here are the big parts.

We ended up going to a grocery store and by this point Alli was following me around. 😀 She once said in her little toddler voice “I want to go with Laura” X) She can’t pronounce my name, heehee. I almost told her to call me Lizzie since that would probably be easier for her, but not even Lyza calls me that. That nickname came about in university. Anyway, at the grocery store Lyza and I each took one of Alli’s hands and would swing her super high. It was so cool!! And Alli loved it, of course.

At the end Alli and I held hands and started running around in circles. Hahaha, on the third one we went a bit too fast and Alli ended up sliding on her back for a full revolution or so. XD Sophia and Lyza we concerned when they looked back and saw Alli on the floor, but it was a smooth slide and I knew she wasn’t hurt. I think children react how they see the people around them react. I was smiling and happy and since she wasn’t hurt she smiled and was happy right back. 🙂

The last event of the day was going back to Sophia’s apartment to watch a movie. At this point Alli had picked me for a play partner and refused to have it any other way. It was really sweet, though I still wanted to watch the movie. In fact, I felt like all day I spent more time with Alli than with my friends… We played catch then some more chaotic form of dodge ball before Alli settled down to play Mario and I got to watch the movie with Lyza and Sophia. All in all, and amazing day!

 

Sunday, July 14th- Mopey

I wasn’t feeling today. It kind of hit me that I have to study and want to train, but I really have no where to be. No responsibilities and while that’s great to some extent, I need something to work towards. It also hit me that I don’t have any money. My parent’s helped me out when I was in Puerto Rico, but now… I’m living in their home. Eating their food. Yeah, I’m not going to ask them for an allowance. Ugh, I could have a job if it wasn’t because my dad wants to go to Mexico for two weeks with all of us (he played the “I’m old and I don’t know when the next time we will all be able to go together will be” -____- I couldn’t say no.)

So, here I was all day. In my room with the door closed (yes, I took back that right even though I know my parents don’t like it) singing or watching anything to distract myself from the thoughts in my head. Until midnight when I suddenly wanted to do everything and write about countless topics. -____- Why brain?

 

Next Week:

  • Swim classes start on Monday! Hopefully my hair dye doesn’t color the pool water purple….
  • My friend from university will get here on Thursday. My older followers might remember Mariah. Then on Friday she and I will drive down to another part of Texas (about five or so hours away) to visit other college people. For her, her fiance Richard and for me my freshman year roommate Sherri.
  • Also continued running and biking, though I only have until Thursday when Mariah gets here. o.o Looks like I’ll have to pull some double sessions. Plus the swimming. Uff! I hope I survive! Come back next Monday to find out!
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Journey through a Meal – Personal Poetry Collection

Posted on by Lizzie Gomez

(Long-ish intro/explanation. Feel free to skip down to the poem below.)

I wrote this as an antsy teen the day I came back from a school trip. My parents rarely let me stay overnight with anyone or for any reason. Miraculously, the exception was the annual state competition with the math team when I was in high school. It was a weekend trip and it was marvelous. The only time I was apart from my family growing up. I love my family, but I’m quite a loner. It was suffocating growing up constantly surrounded by people. Guys. I wasn’t even allowed to close my bedroom door unless I was changing!

Anyway, now, six years later ends my hero’s journey (nerdy literature reference). :/ I’m really glad to go home, but I know myself and I know it won’t last. For the last five years I’ve avoided home. I went to university six hours away by car then to an internship six hours away by plane. For the last five years I’ve only been home during winter and summer breaks, maybe three months out of the year. Now I’m moving back for the foreseeable future. Until I take an exam, get my license to work as a dietitian, and make enough money to move out. Foreseeable future. Probably a year at least. So…. yes. Relatable poem, me from six years ago. :/

The day this was published was also the day I took a plane home from my nutrition internship in Puerto Rico to my home in Texas.

 

May 1, 2013

Journey through a Meal

     The part was decadent

     being set free: incredulous

     Why so much longing? 

    It’s coming back to me.

 

    Cream-filled middle

    sweet but delicate

    All in the moment,

    then, it’s gone.

   It’s coming back to me.

 

   The cream’s gone sour

   feelings of worry and

   absence run through

   Fork set down,

   platter pushed away.

  It’s coming back to me.

 

  Only crumbs and rot left

  nothing to savor.

  Dishes stained

  nothing has changed.

I have come back.