Whew... it has been a crazy ride so far out here! I've done things just in a week and a half that I never would have thought I was capable of but that's the point. You find out who you are and what you're made of out here. When you're pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and forcing change every single day, you'll be shocked at what you come across.
For example, some words that have been used to describe me over the past few days were: adventurous, overachiever, fighter, hardcore, inspirational, determined, and fearless. I have rarely heard these words in regards to me for this kind of circumstance. Usually if people use those to describe me it's for one specific action or achievement. Here... people use these regularly and it blows my mind every time. I have unlocked an entirely new dimension to the person I am and it's amazing what I'm finding that I never knew I had in me.
I have a million stories to tell just in my first 10 days of time here so it's kind of hard to focus on just one thing to talk about but here are a few new experiences that I've had. First... lets talk about Dr. Ray. Oh dear goodness... Dr. Ray. This man has magical healing hands. I don't know what kind of witchcraft he practices but it is WORKING! On Day 1, I pushed way too hard on the first hike and my hips completely rebelled against the rest of my body. I could barely walk for the next two days because they were so out of whack it was incredibly painful. I forced myself to push through the workouts but after each session I was just about doubled over in pain. I tried everything I could think of to make it better... time in the hot tub, extra stretch classes, a massage, and even icing them. Nothing was loosening these things up. So I made an appointment with the chiropractor on staff here. I've heard so many incredible stories about things he's helped people with that I thought I'd give it a try but, being me, I was still a little cynical. And when I met him for the first time, he knew it.
He wasted no time in getting started (each session is only 20 minutes long) and worked through basically every muscle group in my body. The first great thing about him is that he's very personable and knows how to make you instantly comfortable. I mean... anytime someone is shoving your leg up by your nose to stretch it out makes for a pretty solid icebreaker. Try it sometime. It works. Anyway, he pushed my right leg up as far as the tightness of the muscle would allow which, I'm sad to say, was no higher than my hip. He said "See where this is at right now? In a few minutes it's going to be by your head". I laughed at him and thought 'yeah right dude, I haven't been able to do that since I was 17 years old so good luck' but let him give it a shot anyway. He did his chiropractor thing, twisted me into a pretzel, popped some things into place, and pushed the same leg up again. You know how far it went this time? All the way to my head!!! What?! I was blown away. After a few more pops and adjustments, he had me walk around. I felt like a completely new person. The hips were still a little tight but nowhere near what they were before and the rest of me was definitely feeling the instantaneous effects. It was incredible! Needless to say, I'm going to see him each week that I'm here because it helps with my energy and overall ability so much.
Something else I've been doing while I'm here is trying every meal they put in front of me. I'm usually a somewhat picky eater and if something has one ingredient that I don't like, I have a hard time bringing myself to try it. But I wanted to be as open-minded as possible while I'm here so every plate of food that has been on the menu and given to me, I have tried. For the most part, I have liked every single thing that I've tasted! The nutritionists and chef here do a fantastic job of giving lots of different options and making the food taste delicious while still being healthy and under a certain calorie limit everyday. We get several options for breakfast and mine usually involves some kind of scrambled egg. Now... I love eggs... could eat them all day if I had to... so good... but usually I pair them with some kind of salty side like bacon or sausage. We don't really get that salty option here. So I found a new best friend and it's name is: Sriracha. Oh my goodness it livens up my eggs and wakes me up all at the same time! I have it most mornings and it is delicious. Another great thing are the desserts that we get every night after dinner. Usually it's some kind of fruit paired with a sweet sauce and sometimes... that sauce is chocolate. We had chocolate covered strawberries the second night that I was here and earlier this week we had chocolate covered bananas. It was to die for. SO GOOD!
Though most things are delicious and wonderful... I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have a few complaints. On Sunday, we're given a sack lunch since most guests leave that day and the stay-over guests go out to see the sights of LA or just be somewhere that's off the property. So this past Sunday our sack lunch included an apple, string cheese, cucumbers and carrots, pita bread... and hummus. Now, let me just say that I've never had hummus before. Never really wanted to. But I was keeping an open mind and decided to roll with it. When I opened it up and smelled it, I knew I was in for an experience... so I decided to document it. Here's how my first hummus tasting went:
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| Giving it a try... |
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| I'm a little nervous... |
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| Tastes a bit grimy and weird... |
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| Yeah... I don't like this... |
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| Maybe a second bite will be better? |
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| Yeah, not so much... |
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| Gotta wash that down with water... |
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LOTS OF WATER....
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So... that one didn't work out so well for me. But since the hummus disaster of 2012, I've successfully enjoyed every other meal that I've received here. That's saying something! From one picky eater to the millions of others out there, you CAN eat healthy and have it taste delicious. Trust me, it's possible.
I'm out of time for today but as I said, I have so many stories to share so I'll do my best to keep them coming and update as often as I can! I'm only a week and a half in so there are plenty more experiences on the way to talk about as well. Thanks for the continued support whether it be words of encouragement, prayers, or just following my blog and videos. I'm so in awe of all the help everyone is willing to give to keep me strong throughout this journey. I'm forever grateful!
Kelly Jo, I have never been a "believer" in chiropractors but EVERYONE who has ever been a patient of Dr. Ray has spoken of his healing touch as "magical." Obviously, a practioner does not earn that level of reputation without cause. I am so grateful he was able to help you!
ReplyDeleteI also made myself try every recipe that was prepared for me. First of all, it was cooked by someone else (YAY!) and served by delightful young servers (love them) so it was already better than anything at home. Second, I was there for the experience, right? I was never hungry and I did really like most of the food. When I really did not care for something, I just asked for a simple substitute, like a hard-cooked egg or a veggie burger. I was not a huge lover of the desserts so I often asked for a piece of fresh fruit instead, which I ate later in my room.
The hikes were my favorite and the kitchen staff were awesome. (I was at Ivins in Utah.) I was recovering from a major injury/illness when I was there so I do not think anyone thought I was inspiring. I was very inspired by some of the others. I will hold a few people in my heart forever, for extending friendship when I really needed a friend.