Apologies for the lengthy hiatus after my last post. Things have been a bit crazy around here. Since I last wrote, we have packed up our Wyoming apartment, moved to Arizona to stay with family until Shawn secures his next job, and then, packed up again to travel to El Centro, California for a short (10 day) job. At this point, I am an expert packer and traveler, guys.
Before leaving Wyoming, they had just started reopening businesses, including gyms, so it was very bittersweet to leave just as I was able to get back to enjoying the place that had welcomed me and made me feel so at home there. On the other hand, I was excited for Shawn to have some time off, since he's been working non-stop for months now. Plus, the Arizona summer heat and being able to sit by the pool was looking really great compared to the 35 degree mornings in Wyoming. Everyone told me that I was leaving Wyoming just before the weather got really great...super. I legitimately got the ENTIRE winter there.
We drove to Lake Havasu City, Arizona about a week and a half ago, with the dog and all the important things (like exercise equipment, all my Lulu, and cooking supplies) loaded up into my SUV and Shawn's truck. Meaning, yes, we chucked most of our stuff on the way out the door. Just call us a couple of nomads.
I love Arizona. It is absolutely on my top 5 list of places I could see myself settling down in one day. I love the heat- I would so much rather be hot than cold, there are plenty of options for staying active, it's beautiful, there are tons of great hikes to do, and the list goes on.
In fact, we already did our first hike earlier this week. We went to SARA park in Lake Havasu to do the SARA's crack loop. We took Tucker, and my mother-in-law joined us as well. Hiking through the cracks in the mountain was pretty awesome. There's even a slide at one point that you can go down. Getting Tucker through all that was...interesting. He made it though!
Here was his favorite part:
My intention was only to take a day off to relax after traveling, hang out with my husband, and get settled before hitting the ground running with the blog and my online nutrition course. Instead, Shawn got a call from a company wanting him to fill in for someone going on vacation for a week, and before we knew it, we were packing our bags again and back on the road. Gotta take the opportunities when they're presented!
So here we are in California, living out of a hotel again. The one thing that I have kept really constant throughout quarantine has been my at-home workouts. I wasn't willing to sacrifice them, even for the few days I'd be in California, so I brought a set of dumbbells, some bands, and a mat. I'm planning to do lots of minimal equipment hotel workouts over the next few days. Here's a good one that I did yesterday:
3 rounds:
30 push-ups
30 alternating DB snatch
Immediately into...
2 rounds:
40 sit-ups
40 DB push press
Immediately into...
1 round:
100 air squats
200 jumping jacks
I also made a trip to the grocery store to get some healthy food options so we're not eating out every day. Our hotel room has a kitchenette in it, including a full fridge, so we can cook and store food in the room. I bought plenty of steamer veggies, a rotisserie chicken, fruit, boiled eggs, Perfect Foods bars, plantain chips, sandwich meat and bread, and some salad kits. No excuses here! I'll stay with Shawn until Saturday afternoon, then drive back to Arizona while he's working next week. Then, we'll be back on "vacation" for a while.
I realize all this moving around seems a little nuts to some people. My mother-in-law asked me the other day how I liked the "transient" lifestyle. Honestly, I don't mind it! Yes, it sucks to regularly have to pack up and move a bunch of stuff, and the uncertainty towards the end of a project is a little unnerving, but it has plenty of advantages too. I would never have chosen Wyoming to live in. Plain and simple. Because of Shawn's work, I got to see parts of the country that probably never would have crossed my radar. I also got to work in an amazing gym and meet some incredible people there. It's kind of exciting to move around, meet new people, make new friends everywhere we go, and see things we never would have expected to see.
Literally, on the way to El Centro, we drove through the actual desert. I'm talking rolling sand dunes for miles and miles. I've never seen that in person before. It was beautiful and terrifying (imagine getting lost out there) and awesome. All the traveling we've done has given me a new appreciation for the beauty, and vastness, of our country. All-in-all, I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for staying in one place. At this point, staying in one place strikes me as the boring route. Maybe I'll change my mind when we start our family, but for now, it's a pretty freaking cool way to live. Not to mention, I get to experience all this traveling with a pretty great person.
That's pretty much the update of the Wassy life right now. In summary, we have no clue where we're headed next or when. Haha. Regardless of where we end up, I'm excited for what's to come. For now, we plan to get through this little job, then head back to Arizona for some more down time. We're planning to get in plenty more hikes, including part of the Grand Canyon later this summer. I've also been running more, and plan to do a virtual half marathon with a friend in July. By the way, running is hard. Especially when there are tons of hills around. I've been on the struggle bus lately. Maybe all the hills will make me fitter though!
What fitness plans do you guys have for the summer? Once gyms open again, do you plan to be the first one through the door or are you loving your at-home workouts? Whatever you plan to do, I hope you're all staying healthy and doing what you can to fight this pandemic. Enjoy the rest of your week!