I spent the past week in Boston for a professional conference.  Being born in the Midwest (Missouri) and raised almost all of my life in the South (Arkansas), it is not hard to believe that I have not made it up North all that often.  In fact, the furthest North I had been until this past week was D.C.  Boston was everything and more than I had expected.  It had history.  It had a great nightlife.  And it had great food.  Not to mention, it has some amazing institutions of higher education, which I was able to visit Harvard.  The conference was like a family reunion.  I saw and reconnected with people I knew from my undergraduate days, graduate program, and professional career, as well as made a ton of new contacts throughout the conference.  There is nothing better than the feeling of having your passion refueled from a conference.  I left Boston tired, no lie, but excited about all of the meaningful work that lays ahead of me over the next year.  From my academic course work and research to the work of my assistantship and internship, there is plenty on my plate and to look forward to completing.  The conference made me even more ready to tackle it!

If being professionally recharged was not enough, I decided to hit the gym some since being back.  I actually ran two miles today on the treadmill at the gym.  Dang, I feel good.  Or, more like, tired, but good is relative right?  This is even after I had worked out last night with a friend (we did chest and shoulders).  Why the sudden urge to visit the gym?  Simple:  summer!  It will be here before you know it and I still have the holiday pounds to work off (and muscle to get back).  If I had more time and commitment, I would actually go through with the three month P90X system that I purchased a couple months back.  The only problem is that the workout routine is six days on, one day off, and realistically I just do not have that sort of time to commit.  Or, maybe I do, but I choose to spend my time in other ways.  Besides, going to the gym and seeing other people work it makes me want to work it that much more.  Competitive much?  As my friend told me at the gym last night, "I am only competing against myself."  I laughed.  Yes, we are our own competition, but it sure is motivating seeing others lift weights and run in order to keep myself going.  I may be my only competition, but I sure am not my only motivator.  It takes a village to raise my heart rate!

This weekend looks like it is going to be a good time to catch up on some much needed rest, studying, and cleaning my apartment and car.  I am a firm believer that a picked up house reflects a picked up life, so I plan to get my life more picked up over the weekend.  I am also going to have lunch with a friend I have not seen in a while, so I am really looking forward to that.  All and all, things have been moving along nicely with school, work, and life.  I have more than enough to keep me busy these days... which there are no complaints coming from me.  Speaking of busy, I think I am going to watch some television and take it easy tonight.  Tomorrow will be packed full of productiveness... until then... laziness here I come!