Haha, yeah... I went home with the hope of experiencing a snowy winter for the first time in years. Instead, this is what I got. Hello, 65 degrees, sunshine, and no sign of precipitation! Long time, no see :).
So what is one to do when your skiing trip (almost (but more on that later)) falls apart? As it turns out, plenty of options exist. Such as...
YOGA. In your own yard. In UGG boots :). Namaste never felt this good.
HIKING. And LOTS of it. I averaged 7-8 miles a day (it turns out that getting lost in the woods helps with mileage :). And I was almost able to burn off all the calories I consumed. Almost :).
FALL in LOVE with NATURE. And how could you not? Having lived in Houston for almost 8 years, I found myself craving to disconnect from urbanism for once. The sights and sounds of the Bulgarian forest helped handsomely and effortlessly.
VISIT the CITY. That said, I couldn't not visit my hometown for a day or two... At the very least, I had to do my annual let's-pretend-we-are-a-tourist walk around the city.
PHOTOGRAPH some RANDOM ANIMALS. Namely, every sheep, goat, dog or cat I encounter. Because they are just too darn cute. And free-spirited. And happy. And in their natural habitat.
SKI. Even if it's fake snow. With your 60-year-old dad! In sunny 50-degree weather. Best ski trip ever.
And FINALLY, enjoy some REAL SNOW. On your last day of vacation! Mission accomplished.
I must say, I closed 2015 in the best way I could imagine. I'll miss this year. But having such a good year is an inspiration to ensure 2016 is even better. My ambitious self is already plotting away how to make that happen :).
A few months back, a co-worker of mine convinced me to join my company's Spartan Race team. He didn't talk it up much: he mentioned it's a long-ish run with a few fun obstacles. You know, no big deal. Something someone who runs as much as me should complete more than easily (read, you don't really need to train for it). Ha ha ha.