Here. we. go.

If you noticed my post is (much) later than normal, you might have guessed school started. In that case, you would be correct. Even though this post is later than my original plan for publishing, I have to say this Friday afternoon writing session with a hot peppermint tea is actually quite stimulating. This might be my new way to wind down the week.

Yes part of our swag was a USB bracelet :)

It's real people. I had the first day/first week of my next 5-ish years. I am officially a PhD Candidate. It sounds prestigious right? I'm not sure that's the case; I might be more crazy than anything. But on those days when I'm wondering what I'm doing, I'll tell myself it is prestigious :)

I will be working on a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Nutrition with a focus on intervention and policy. What does that mean? Well, I want to learn how to effectively plan, carry out, and measure programs (also known as interventions) that will improve people's nutrition, health, and lives. I will also learn how to make the changes that work a more permanent part of our environment (policy).

If you mash it all together, I had about 1 day of orientation to learn about the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. I knew I had my sights set on a good school and program, but I didn't realize it was this good. To say I'm excited about the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious, yet gracious program would be an understatement. I learned the Gillings School of Global Public Health is the #1 public school of public health. Hm. Okay. The Department of Nutrition is also the top-ranked in its field. Not bad. Ignorance was bliss when applying and interviewing. Too late to be awestruck now, I'm already lunching and chit-chatting with people who's papers I have previously read and cited. And to Josh's credit, the basketball team isn't half bad either.

With all these rankings flying around, one might think there could be some ego-concerns. There might be, but I have yet to encounter that. Everyone is so down-to-earth and is genuinely interested in your success and thoughts. I have to confess that it was also pretty cool to have the academic leaders of these respective divisions of the university welcome us then tell us to "stop and smell the roses. Your dissertation will still be there."

I've hit burn out before. It wasn't pretty. So I think hearing this message several times just reinforced my intention to approach this next segment of my life with perspective, focus, and realism. What does that mean? I'm going to make it a point to dedicate myself to my studies and take advantage of the opportunity I have been given, but I'm also going to impose limits so that I can dedicate myself to family, friends, and other aspects of life. I was able to lunch with the Director of the Department of Nutrition and she essentially said- well Courtney, this is really the rest of your life. It will be important to figure out how to fit things in and make it a life. Well said.

Did I mention that the school is also beautiful?

Mostly undergrad (or at least how I perceive it) part of campus

The school of public health- where I take classes.

I mean look at this place.

I will say the honeymoon phase is over. I didn't realize how quickly my body would forget what those 10 - 12 hour work days felt like. The downside is that now I need to study after that. The silver lining is that I'm all over the place in terms of intellectual stimulation and combining work and school. To quote one of my classmates (we technically call them 'cohort' because we started together), after the first day she had a combination of "buyer's remorse and cold feet". My thoughts exactly. Knowing I'm in a such a wonderful position and have quite a rigorous training program in front of me, it's a bit daunting to live up to it all. It's also a little unsettling to dive in to anything but routine or comfort. I think I shall start a count for the number of times that I wondered what I got myself in to/did I make the right choice. Currently we are at 2. One time was a few months ago when it all became very real that we would be moving, etc. The other was last week.

What does it look like to be a graduate student? Well my 'contract' includes 20 hours of work per week for my mentor. I will tell you more about that another time. It also includes 17 credit hours, but I just found out late this afternoon that I got approval to exempt 1 class. Woo hoo! So technically I'm down to 14 credit hours. If graduate school is foreign to you, 9 credit hours is considered full time student status. If you add it all up, this will keep my schedule pretty full.

The beauty of this is that I love the classes. Nerdy perhaps, but I'm happy to embrace it :) My courses include:

• Nutrition biochemistry. This focuses on the processes in our cells that allow our bodies to break down, build up, or make energy from fat, protein, and carbohydrates. You all know those terms- not so hard right?!
• Epidemiology. This is a way to look at large populations of people and to describe the patterns of health behaviors or outcomes. 
• Doctoral seminar. We go to different presentations to engage with other researchers on campus and begin to critically analyze other people's work.
• Nutrition policy seminar. I will learn about many examples of policy's impact on nutrition.
• Research methods for intervention design. I will learn how to design research questions and studies to answer those questions.
• Interdisciplinary health communication. We will explore how communication and messaging can be used to improve people's health decisions.

More to come about all of this. I promise.

While figuring out this new routine I've learned some important things. Some might be applicable only to my position as a graduate student, but some will apply to living a healthy life, which is what I promised you from the start.

Here we go:

• Over prepare. It will turn out to be just enough. 
• Bring a water bottle. Refill whenever you can. 
• When you have time or a see a restroom, use it. See previous point.
• Pack a lunch and healthy snacks. My days are long and the commute can make it that much more unpredictable as to when I actually get home and can eat. Having my lunch and snacks saves money on the budget, prevents random (less healthy) visits to the vending machine, and never leaves me hungry. It also keeps my brain fueled for all those challenging questions and conversations. I like to carry dried fruit and nuts for a quick, sustaining pick-me-up. My favorites right now are raisins and almonds. 
• Start the day with a fully charged lap top and phone. Bring appropriate charging supplies. Plug in when you can.
• Use a back pack so that you can fit everything in one spot and be as kind to your body as possible.

Try setting yourself up with a healthy snack or water bottle, and let me know how it works for you. 

Until next time :)

Meet Emma

Those of you who know me probably know Emma. But for those of you who don't, allow me to introduce you. Emma has been in our life for 7 years and she has also been referred to as: Em, Em&Em, Emma-boo, Emmie, Em-Nem, Emma-girl, nugget, girlfriend, Kujo, Big Haus, and a gentle giant. She pretty much answers to whatever you call her, so say hello to Emma.

This is Emma.

Emma is our not-so-little nugget, but that doesn't stop her from thinking she's a lap dog.

I promise I'm under there. 

She's not a child in the traditional human sense, but she has definitely given me/us great practice for the future. I got Emma when she was a mere 7 weeks old, and here we are 7 years later.

Baby Emma

During this time we have visited the vet for regular check-ups; we have dealt with allergies; we've lost shoes, sunglasses, undergarments, wallets, textbooks, etc. (the Labrador breed likes to eat...); and we've visited the doggie emergency room (because of all those items she liked to discover).

Why am I introducing you to Emma? Because in spite of all the crazy things along the way, she has been a great source of happiness, stress relief, and physical activity. Research supporting the benefits of pets is pretty strong. Pets provide companionship and a reason for exercise. They can also help lower blood pressure, anxiety (unless of course you come home to find the house in disarray...), and symptoms of depression.

I'm here to share, in pictures, how Emma has positively impacted my health.

Emma loves to hit the pavement and go for walks. She really does prefer pavement to grass, probably because she's allergic to it. In fact, she always looks for sidewalks. She is a true city girl.

Morning stroll.

Weather doesn't interfere with us getting some time outside. Rain or shine we get out there, and sometimes we find the 'extreme' weather is more fun.

She loves to run through the snow.

Emma also likes to share her walks with friends. Walking with friends introduces the social context of physical activity. These walks with friends provide a great opportunity to catch up in person or on the phone. It doesn't even feel like work.

Walking with friends.

Even though Emma loves to walk, when she's done, she's done. How do you get a 90-something pound dog up and moving? You don't. You can jump and run around like a crazy person, but she'll just look at you like you're a crazy person. Instead, I try to view this as an opportunity for me to get some bonus activity. And if she's still lying there, then I learn to just relax or phone a friend.

I'm pretty sure she's telling me- "I'm not moving"

Emma also likes to experiment with other forms of activity. Often times she joins me on my yoga mat. This makes it quite difficult to do a bridge pose when she feels the need to lay on me. Again, she thinks she is a lap dog.

Downward dog.

Her latest/newest excursion was a trip to the beach. Emma loved splashing and playing in the waves. She also enjoyed drinking the salt water. Dogs are not meant to drink salt water. Let's just say Emma made quite a scene on the beach, and I was a mortified pet owner.

Emma is always happy to see me, or anyone else who walks through the door. How can you not smile and forget about whatever was stressing you out?

She also reminds me to play. Unfortunately she usually wants to play after I sit down to work, but I figure 5 minutes of play will improve my focus and creativity. In fact, there is research that supports these 'brain breaks'.

No work and all play.

Emma is always up for a good time. She is very social- there have been studies showing that dogs can be date magnets- and thus reminds me to connect with people.

And when it's all said and done, she reminds me that sometimes you need to just take it easy and rest.

I'm not saying you have to get a pet. I'm challenging you to take some of your precious time to think about what constant in your life can prompt you or provide a good excuse to have fun, relax a little and get some activity. Maybe you're a plant person- how about gardening? Maybe you have children- can't they provide these same things? Find your match and dive in.

Did I mention the unconditional love is a nice bonus?

Until next time :)

It's my party (and they're my people)

Two weeks ago I told you I was on a stealth mission. Do you remember? I should forewarn you that the nutrition educator in me likes to continuously reference back to previous information. The more we can expose and reinforce, the more likely you will be to connect, remember, and perhaps even make a new habit. You've had your warning, so let's get back to the point :)

Two weeks ago I wrote about all the wonderful things people did and said before we moved. I also mentioned that I was on a stealth mission. Now that it has been executed, I can let you in on the secret.

Over the past year my friends turned the big 3-0, and they have been doing it big. One friend gave birth to her first child the day before her birthday, one friend got engaged, one friend celebrated her birthday the same day Mizzou played in the SEC championship game (pretty awesome considering this was only our second year to play with the 'big dogs' ), one friend hosted a Roaring 20's soiree to benefit a foundation created in remembrance of children who lost their battle with a rare disease, and there were lots of surprise parties in between.

I'm one of the 'youngest' of my friends, so I had a little extra time to observe and think about how I would ring in the new decade. The logistics of moving to a new place around my birthday told me that I wouldn't be having any crazy bash. So what could I do to still make it special?

Back in March I put together a book to commemorate my husband's birthday. Thirty of his closest family and friends (1 for each year) contributed a variety of stories, pictures and messages. It was so touching to read each message and see the time and effort everyone put in to it.  At that moment I knew exactly how I would celebrate my birthday. I would send messages to some of my most important and influential people.

After searching long and hard, I came across a small business owner who would humor me and my lack of really knowing what or how I would orchestrate this. I finally came across a quote that I felt captured the essence of what I wanted to do, and she kept it nice and simple. That's me- nice and simple. Well maybe not always, but I sure strive for it.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it" ~William Arthur Ward

Now that I had the cute stationery, I had to figure out what to write. I was a bit more nervous about this part. How could I put these thoughts in to words and put them on paper? How could I say something meaningful in such a tiny amount of space? What if I start going on tangents and the note doesn't make sense?

Once I committed to it, the notes actually provided quite a lot of time to reflect on the impact people have had on my life. This made me feel at peace and simply happy. I feel like a lot of times happy is paired with excitement and energy. But this was a different happy. Like a zen happy. I even peacefully smile as I recall and share these events with you. Have you ever felt that way? If not, try to find or do something that makes you relaxingly happy. You won't regret it.

As I committed to putting words on paper, common themes began to surface. My people are graceful. They are inspirational. They are role models. They are nurturing. They embody strength. They are compassionate. They are faithful. They are supportive. They have open arms. They love.

Call it selfish, but writing these thoughts and feelings on paper is perhaps one of the best gifts I've ever given myself. The demands of daily life, and those sometimes unpredictable stressors, can make it easy to kick in to autopilot and cut off from those around us. This gift to myself was a way to reconnect with my people. I wanted to let them know that they don't go un-noticed.

The anticipation of dropping them in the mail was like Christmas morning. No one knew this was coming. Knowing I was delivering an unexpected thank you was gift enough. Then the gift kept on giving.

I began to hear from people- by text, by phone, by e-mail, and even by Instagram and Facebook. I didn't really want to hear anything back. You know it can be awkward to put yourself out there. I just wanted them to know, and I wanted life to go on. But I'm so glad some of them responded. My heart warmed and my eyes watered. Now that I think about it, who wouldn't love to hear that someone thinks the world of them? People felt as special as they really are, even if it was only for a brief moment in time.

Thirty isn't so bad, especially when you have such great people surrounding you :)

Now I promised to offer some healthy tips each time, so here is how I'll tie everything in. Oftentimes people want to celebrate with food. I found my gift for the heart and mind to be more rewarding than any of my favorite sweets, but that's not to say you can't have them. There are a couple ways to approach this; it may just take a little creativity and a little confidence to do something different.

• Sometimes it's okay to have your cake and eat it too, maybe just have a smaller piece. 
• Sometimes it's fun to think outside of the box or strive to make something a bit more nutritious. We tried some black bean brownies and energy bites for a work celebration.  These were 'taste' size treats, instead of 'jumbo' size, that allowed gluten-free people in the office to partake. 
• Or maybe, just maybe you can come up with some other treat. Would you like to go for a walk with someone special? Maybe you want to meet up for good old-fashioned fun like tag, flag football, or other childhood favorites? 
• Or maybe you could do something good for the soul.

Whatever it is, do something that makes you feel good. Isn't that what celebrating is all about?

Until next time :)

Roomies!

Meet our roomies. They are a huge reason our move across the country was so smooth.

Carolyn, Lauren, Lindsey, and Michael

After living with them for 4 weeks (yes it took me this long to get them all together for a photo!), I've decided that they are one of the most loving families I have ever met or interacted with. Now I have to be honest, I already knew they were great. They are family. But their warmth, grace, and love for each other (as well as those around them) is simply beautiful. Their hearts are big. Their faith is strong.

Let's go back to last summer for a second. One year ago I started to seriously entertain the idea of going back to school. After perusing my google search results, the University of North Carolina stood out as a top prospect. I thought, well if having family in the area doesn't make this meant to be, I don't know what would.

Now fast forward a couple months to when I was invited to interview. This family did not hesitate to open up their home to me for a quick trip. On top of that, they picked me up after my late flight in, and they rearranged their plans so that I could have a car to get around town. In the less than 24 hours that I actually had with them, we shared a walk and 2 meals. I just knew this would be the best move for Josh and me. We would have people in a new place. And I can't think of any better people to have.

During my visit they casually mentioned that we would be welcome to stay with them. They had a spare bedroom that could house us. I thought oh how nice, but I'll be nearly 30 if/when we move here. We are too 'old' to be shacking up with family. Plus we have a dog that is the size of another human.

Well, after I officially received notification of my acceptance, Michael and Carolyn again mentioned the idea that we could plop down with them. Again, I thought how nice, but we should really have our own space. We don't need to be cramping their style.

Weeks and months passed, and Josh still wasn't able to secure a teaching position. I knew what my student stipend would be, and it definitely wouldn't be enough to have housing AND eat. So, the moment came when we had to make a decision. I still worried about cramping anyone else's style and sharing a kitchen, but Josh played it fiscally smart and said- "We need to see if they were serious".

Thank goodness for technology, because FaceTime allowed us to have an actual face-to-face conversation. So much better than text, e-mail, snail mail, or standard phone call. We were a little nervous to be like "Hey were you serious when you said we could live with you? Because we're going to take you up on it." But they were so laid back about the whole thing that it put our nerves at ease.

They essentially said they wanted to pay it forward. What beautiful words. I total you they had big hearts and are full of grace. When we got off the phone, Josh and I committed to one day paying it forward like they have for us.

At that moment, our move just got a lot less stressful. We had a landing pad. We didn't have to worry about finding a place in the wrong side of town or even finding a time to come down and find a place.

We have such an awesome set-up here- a fenced yard, a dishwasher, a Keurig, it's way bigger than our last apartment, and our landlords aren't crazy. More importantly, we have people. True Josh and I have each other, but we also have people who have taken us in as their own. They include us in the family meals (don't worry we share responsibilities), ask how our day was, invite us to "redneck" with their fun neighbors, and we get to find out what cool high school and college kids are up to these days.

Redneck = sitting in your driveway and having adult beverages with good conversations.
I don't really consider this to be redneck,  but maybe that's just me. 

Lindsey is a little fish.

Lauren goes to school with Pirate Pee Dee. The name is actually quite complicated. You should google it.

Doing fun local things- Durham Bulls game.

Emma even has some fun roomies! She is learning important life skills- like not eating off other's plates.

We like to go for walks together, even if it is raining.

And when walks aren't enough, they can frolic in the front yard.

Josh and I had a special bond with this family before we moved in. Mine extends a little longer than Josh's because they were my family first. On top of being family, I had the honor of rocking teased hair and a hoop dress for Michael and Carolyn's wedding. I was the flower girl. I actually came across my head piece while packing for the move. My mom couldn't part with it. I loved that hoop-skirted dress, so much so that I cried when my cousin Brett stepped on it and ripped it.

Michael & Carolyn's wedding day. Yes this was the 90's. 

Flash forward 21 years and you will see Michael officiated our wedding ceremony. Having family oversee our union kept things feeling so personal and so right. He affectionately deemed us Joshney. It was an accident, but ironically that was the time in pop-culture when it was cool to combine the names of people who were dating or married.

One of my favorite images from this day. Michael's expression makes the picture. 

So as you can see, this family holds a special place in our heart. They always will. Josh jokes we will live with them for the duration of my program, but rest-assured Michael/Carolyn/Lindsey, that won't be the case :)

Moving across the country has the potential to be scary and lonely. But I have yet to feel either of those things. We have felt at home since day one. I can't wait to see what the next few years have in store.

Tip for this week:

• Plan your meals. This is Josh's favorite time of the week, not. We have ended up sharing dinner cooking responsibilities. It has been awesome to come home to dinner some nights and share the love and appreciation on others. Planning ensures that we don't duplicate meals or buy too much food. I use a weekly planner so that I can visualize what we need. This then helps me create grocery list that gets me in and out of the store faster and on budget. I also plan in pencil because things change. Maybe the menu says enchilada casserole on Tuesday, but we just aren't feeling Mexican flavor that night. The good news is we have other items available to create a balanced meal that better suits our time or taste. 

Until next time :)