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It's Friday and my entire state has shut down because of the icy weather. I know, everyone up north is laughing at us and thinking "ha! It's -29181 degrees here and we're still functional."
Well, guys, we're not used to ice, sleet, or snow here. Give us a hurricane and we're fine, but ice? It's a shit show. We can't drive. We can't work. We can't function.
But because it's 5 on Friday, I wanted to share 5 things that I didn't expect when I started blogging.
Let's start with the kind of awkward one first.
5. Hate mail It's safe to say that I did not expect people to write/tweet/facebook me hate messages when I started this whole blog thing. Mainly because I would never take time out of my day to send someone anything hate filled. Because I was raised the way I was, I always take time to respond to each and every message I get, hate included. So if you've sent me one (and you're still reading this!), thanks for taking time out of your day to think of me. I really appreciate you :)
4. Love mail For every negative message I get, I get at least 5 awesome, positive, encouraging messages. And most of the time, they honestly make my entire day. Sometimes, my entire week. Putting a lot of your life on display can get really...uh...overwhelming? And it's nice to have people who will support you, help you, and lift you up. So, thanks, guys!
3. ADVICE One of the best unexpected parts of this blog is having connections with a TON of people who are willing to give me advice in areas where I need help! This especially applies to running. Jesus. Just yesterday I asked for advice for what I think are the beginnings of shin splints, I had so many people offer help and advice! I am so thankful for you.
2. Friends (in real life) I've made so many connections through this blog in real life. Literally. Friends who text me and call me just to talk. It's nuts. And don't worry, when I talk about them to other people and say things like, "oh, my friend Rachael..." or "Oh, my friend Lizzy is doing this thing where..." it's not awkward at all that I've never met these people in real life. (just kidding. It's super awkward. But great.)
1. To inspire people I honestly never thought people would read this blog. I thought max, 3 people would even care what was here: me, my mama, and (maybe) my best friend. Earlier this week, EPW hit 80K views. I am so humbled. I am really proud to be a regular person. I am really proud to say that I was a fat girl who just wanted to be fit. I'm really happy that I'm able to find a balance. To eat healthy, but enjoy a cheese stick and beer with friends. I'm so blessed that others can find inspiration in what I'm doing.
