Friday the 13th

Did you know that since February has 28 days (well, most years), that the dates in March are identical? This means that we'll have another Friday the 13th this month! Speaking of February, I haven't written much lately so I thought I would give a quick update. I haven't written because I haven't really been doing a whole lot. Due to the quick move, I had some double rent to pay last month. I also have three trips planned in March so I wanted to keep a little quieter than usual to save some money.

One of the trips I have planned this month is to Northern Ireland to run my first half marathon. I've been training since New Years and it seems to be going pretty well. I haven't been quite as disciplined as I was last year, but I also feel healthier and haven't hurt my knee yet so I'm hoping everything goes well. I'll be running the Larne half marathon, which is located about 30 miles northeast of Belfast on the coast. I'll be running along one of the most scenic coastlines in the world and I'll spend a few days exploring the area before and after the run. I've been doing a lot of training in the gym, and doing my weekly long run along the Thames river near my flat. I'm surprised how nice it is along the Thames, especially as I run away from the center of London. I guess I'm surprised because I'm in the middle of one of the world's biggest cities, but the paths along the river are very park-like and often you wouldn't even know you are surrounded by city life. Some of the paths aren't even paved which makes it easier on the knees. My longest run so far has been 10 miles. Wish me luck!

Since I don't have a camera when I run, I can't don't have any pics to show of how nice the path really is. But I can show you the route I have been running!



Another highlight last month was my first driving experience in the UK! That's right. A friend of mine needed to move and I said I would be happy to drive a rental car if she needed to get one. Due to availability, we had to pick the car up in Wembley, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from where I live. I was surprised how easy it was to adjust to driving on the wrong side of the car, the wrong side of the road, and shifting with the left hand. I only made one major mistake when I instinctly pulled out onto the right side of the road. Ellen was quick to correct me and we survived to tell the tale. I also got to use the car to stop at Ikea to pick up some items for my new room. I don't have everything I want yet, but it's getting close! I do have a few pics of the driving on facebook, but there aren't many so you're not missing much.

This month I'll be heading to Austria for a long weekend to do some snowboarding, the Peak District to visit a friend I met up north last summer and do some hiking, and then to Ireland for the half marathon. My mom arrives the first week of April and we'll be exploring London and heading to Germany and Austria for 7 days. So stay tuned...there is a lot coming up!