Hey friends

I was planning on blogging about exercises that will strengthen your lower back (Jason hurt his back at work this week, hence the post idea!) but a letter that came in the mail has inspired me to write about something totally different!

So here goes…

Remember when I told you that I had sent in an application for the Exercise Science program at UNCC? Well, I’ve spent the past five weeks waiting for a response whilst dealing with major rejection anxiety issues. I even had nightmares!

*In my dream, my advisor from UNCC calls me into her office and tells me that she’s considered allowing me into their school but unfortunately, has decided not to. Then she rips up my application, tells me to get out of her office. As I’m leaving she shouts that my car is being towed and my boyfriend is breaking up with me too.*

I woke up crying.

Jason consoled me and has since then told me that I “have nothing to worry about. Why wouldn’t they accept you?”

Well today-it was confirmed!!!  

Eeeeeeyay! I’m in! I start in the Fall   (And yes, my real name is Anastasia. If you didn’t know that, then you probably missed this post!) After opening this letter, I thought to myself: Why were you so afraid of being rejected?! And I immediately knew why.

You see, I was a terrible student in high school. I didn’t take it seriously at all. My sister and I grew up with a single mom that was more like our friend than a parent.

If I didn’t feel like going to school, my mom wouldn’t make me go. We were never preached to about the importance of studying or making good grades. And it didn’t help that I suffered major social anxiety during high school.

I guess I saw it as a form of “torture” to go spend all day at a place where I didn’t have any friends, was too shy to make friends, and got picked on by the senior kids. (Though I was quite the character around my friends that went to other schools..)

(In no way, shape or form am I trying to get pity! Or blame my mom I love her with all my heart, but in order for you to know the full story, this stuff has to be included)

I literally spent the first semester of my freshman year eating lunch in a bathroom stall. Cliché, I know. I avoided getting my yearbook picture taken until my senior year just because I didn’t want to wait in line with other students!

My grades were decent in English and History (my favorite subjects), but Science and Math were in another ballpark altogether. I’d be happy with a C in either of them. But I usually scraped by with D’s (and once an F in Trig!). I just didn’t try. Thinking about my future was not my top priority, staying unnoticed was.

When graduation time rolled around, my GPA (back then I didn’t even know what that meant!) was a measly 2.1

I still applied to a ton of universities in N.C. because I figured that’s what you are supposed to do after you graduate – keep going to school. Plus, everyone else was doing it. After getting 5 rejection letters back from the places I applied to, I settled on community college…where I wasted the next 4 years of my life skipping from major to major and still not giving a flip about my grades.

In 2008 Jason and I took our friendship to the next level and started dating. I was still a Psychology major but wasn’t very passionate about it…or about anything for that matter!

And here was this guy that had a 4.0 and that spent many nights and most weekends working diligently on his homework and projects. A guy that would get upset if he made a B on something. A guy that would tell me to take pride in everything I do, only to have me respond my rolling my eyes.

I have to admit that Jason’s pride for his schoolwork kind of pissed me off for the first few months when we started dating Haha. He would spend nights doing homework instead of going to dinner with me and the whole time I’m thinking: “What for?! It’s just homework!”

Around this time, I was getting more and more into running and fitness, eating healthier and watching my weight. One afternoon my mom called to tell me about a new program at school called “Dietetics”. I switched my major and had finally found something that interested me.

-Granted, I still did not study as much as I could have. I still did not make the greatest of grades, sliding by with low B’s and a few C’s….but I made it through.-

I finally got to my last year of school when the only two classes I needed were Organic Chemistry and College Algebra.

The dreaded science & math combo. The high school me hated science and math. The college me…freakin’ loved it! For some reason Chemistry came naturally to me, everything we were taught made sense (and it helped to have a wonderful teacher) to me! I made an A on 3 out of 4 exams and aced the final getting all of my answers right. Algebra was great too, I found that I really have a thing for numbers if I put my mind/heart into it.

By graduation time, I had brought my GPA up from a 2.1 to a 3.1 I also made the Dean’s List and won a Gray Matter Award in Chemistry for having the highest grade in my class.

So you’re thinking: What’s your point??

I guess this is my point-

I’m really, truly proud of myself for getting this far. I’m thankful that I have a boyfriend that has shown me that taking pride in what you do is very important, and that if you take school seriously, who knows?! You might just get somewhere in life! I hate that it took  me this long to learn the importance of making good grades, but at least I got there

And you had better believe that I am shooting for the top when it comes to UNCC! No slacking here! I’ve kind of acquired this need to be the best of the best  when it comes to school…a bit overzealous? Maybe

To celebrate my great news, I went out for a 4 mile run on the greenway (ok-so I had to do a 4 mile run today anyway, but still) and finished in 36 minutes!!! “I’m get-ting fas-terrrr!” <—said in a sing-song voice.

I also celebrated with an un-sweet blueberry tea from DD  

Oh, Dunkin’ Donuts…

Even though I’ve gone vegan, I am still finding ways to enjoy your deliciousness.

PS. I love your blueberry syrup. It makes me feel as if I’m drinking a blueberry muffin…a big, chewy, blueberry-tastic muffin. Thank you for that.

Love, Your loyal customer with the curly hair

PS. I am still studying for personal training exam. I am finishing my study guide this week, and plan to study all through the next month, and take the exam the last week in May. I’m learning so much!

PSS. A recipe and that back-strengthening exercise post comin’ atcha later this week!

Have a great Thursday lovies! Thanks for reading

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