Blend

This past Monday I was having a hard time. I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed about everything that I needed to do to get my life back in order after spending so much of last week sick [aka migraine + stomach flu].

My house is consumed by dishes, laundry, dirt, grime, and just general untidiness.

I have stacks of homework that need attending to.

Things with my piano lessons got really insane because of all of the rescheduling.

I.WAS.TIRED!!!

I tried to keep it together and pull through but I just couldn't do it. I have been really stressed about this new career path that I have chosen and feel like I have inadequate knowledge to move forward. I believe more and more that I am going to need to get a full bachelor's degree to help me along as well as several individual certifications. And I know that I am still young and have lots of time and I shouldn't be worrying so much about it but hey... that's just who I am.

Why does this freak me out so much? Well... I have only ever worked in music [except for a brief time of working as an aide in an autistic cluster at WJHS]. I KNOW music. I have played the piano nearly my entire life and I feel as confident as all get out about teaching music. Fitness is new to me. I am still learning. I am still gaining knowledge. And I know that it will come as I continue to improve my education but confidence in this field seems so far away.

As I thought and researched and prayed for help I felt inspired to visit Lindsay's List. If you don't know about this blog and don't follow Lindsay GO OVER THERE RIGHT NOW!!! Seriously. Stop reading, and click on the link. She is my favorite blogger of all bloggers in the history of the internet. Seriously. She is so open and real and it is so refreshing.

As I was reading through her recent post my eye caught on her button about the 2013 Blend Retreat that is being held in Park City, Utah in May this year.

What is Blend? (From Blendretreat.com): The BLEND Retreat (named so because we wanted to combine “blogger” with “friend”) is a relaxed, laid-back retreat for healthy living, food and fitness bloggers across North America. Instead of focusing on seminars and speakers, the focus will be on friendship and having a weekend away to get to know one another in real life.

I have really wanted to attend this but didn't think that I could because I only have a small blog (That I just recently started updating again) and only have a few followers/readers (THANK YOU!) but this time it caught my eye that you don't even have to be a blogger to attend.

I felt a flood of relief. I just felt like this is what I needed. I need something to look forward to. I need to connect with people who are doing what I am doing. I need to increase my peer network and put myself out there and PURSUE this.

So cute hubster and I talked about it and I bought the ticket.

I decided not to stay overnight since this one is in Park City. It is my first time ever going to one of these and I have the advantage of taking a bit of a "one foot in the door" approach. Test the waters, so to speak. If I absolutely love it and next year it is held in Colorado... maybe I will go.

I really think that this will open some new doors for me and give me a better/greater perspective. I don't think I have ever just done something like this just for me and I am definitely nervous but it is an excited nervous, you know?

And what better way to celebrate finishing the semester at school?

QUESTION FOR MY READERS: What have you done lately that was JUST for you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Loves... Shayla