I feel like since I've started this blog I've spent a lot of time home in western Mass - which isn't the norm but I guess there's just been some things going on that have required me to be out here on the weekends.
This weekend was completely personal as I really have just been craving some time at home. So much, that I actually even hopped on a Peter Pan bus to get here after work on Friday. It was my first Peter Pan experience and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it again. It wasn't AWFUL, but it wasn't great. Just wondering when the last time they upgraded the buses were? A craving for some home time and having to work on my final project management project (which I haven't done yet) is what brought me here this weekend.
I find now that I'm out of the house I enjoy coming home now and spending time here. I love playing with my chocolate lab. My mom also just adopted a Golden Retriever puppy whose super cute but also super super hyper, just like all of the time... :) I've had 3 different puppies in my lifetime and I swore they were all nappers. This dog, doesn't nap at all. I honestly haven't even seen her close her eyes once.
It's weird coming back after moving out because I feel I now have a deeper appreciation for western Massachusetts and what it is. For those who aren't familiar with Massachusetts, you have three major cities: Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. Pretty much all the cool stuff is in Boston and people in Boston don't know the state even goes west past Worcester and to them Springfield is basically upstate New York. While we're definitely close to upstate New York, western Massachusetts is its own unique little beauty I'm starting to realize.
Growing up here, I always complained that there was nothing to do and that it was boring. There's a lot of land here and not a lot of different places to go out so I definitely still stand by my point but there's definitely beauty in the trees and mountains, especially this time of year.
I'm wishing it wasn't as cold as it is because I would've loved to take Calvin, my dog, out for a hike but I was able to get a really long walk in on the treadmill in the fitness room my mom just converted our old office into. She's been doing a lot of home improvement projects, so it's interesting to come home because each time there's something different.
I think people underestimate walking, I know that I certainly have. I thought walking was just a lazy form of working out but after seeing a quote from Kayla Itsines about how she doesn't run she actually walks on a high incline, I've given it a chance as a part of my little enjoyable fitness program. I put on an episode of Hollywood's Medium and walked at a 3.5 pace and 11 incline. I did this for a whole episode - 45 minutes - and burned 500 calories! I'm amazed at how many calories you burn walking on an incline; I find it to be more than when I run. I was drenched in sweat too and time flew as I was able to relax a bit and watch an episode of the show.
And because I don't have enough to do at my apartment :) I've also embarked on cleaning my room at my mom's house out because there's just so much crap here and I don't even know what it is. I started off pretty productive and I'm feeling good 4 large green trash bags later, but I definitely lost a lot of time going through old cards and photos that were in my desk drawers and my closet. I was hoping I'd find a new good items to list on Poshmark, but it seems I already cleaned house in the clothing department before I moved. I DID however find a few of my favorite tops that I thought I had lost but were actually just hiding in the way way back of my closet.
For those who have moved out, do you have the same appreciation for home now or am I just super weird?
Also, anyone fans of high incline walks on the treadmill?