I was just looking through pictures from a year ago at my graduation party. Sure, I wasn’t exactly built or anything, but I was a heck of a lot more in shape than I am now. You never really notice you’ve gained weight until it all hits you like a ton of bricks ten to fifteen pounds later.

What can I say? I love food. I’ve eaten a ton of it, and become more busy and have had less and less time to work out. It’s time to turn that around, though. I’ve been running, on average, six miles per day. Three miles in the morning, and three miles at night. I’ve got the will power to change it all around and get back to where I want to be in life. The benefits of doing something like this are tremendous and will have so many positive reprocussions in my life.

This is just the beginning. This, along with my other goals I’m writing about for the next seven days will transform me into the person I want to become.

I’m about to head out to the Outer Banks tomorrow with my best friend Jen and her family, plus another one of my best friends, Allie. They rent a place every year down at milepost 18 on the Beach Road. I went last year and it was a lot of fun. Anywhere on the Outer Banks is great if you ask me. The area is basically my second home. The best part is I get to go back with my family two weeks after I get back with Jen’s family!

I’ve been working every day for most of the day, and it will be great to get some time to relax (I know, I know, some of you who are reading this are saying, “Yeah, so? I work 9-5 every day!” Well, I’m new at this whole adult work week thing). Anyway, I’m trying to get a break from technology for a bit and will not be blogging (I’ve post-dated entries for the coming week, and they’re really going to be insightful). They’re gonna be all about my life goals.

Leave your comments and encouragement for me to come home to! Everyone have a great week, and I’ll be posting live again next Friday (June 13th).

Nature is crazy. Here’s footage from surveillance cameras at First State Bank in Parkersburg, Iowa. The first video shows a house across the street being destroyed, and the second shows several different views of the bank itself being blown apart from the inside out. Incredible footage!

So I went out to a meeting of the Henrico County Historical Society yesterday. I’m one of the youngest members. Most, but not all, are over the age of 60. I really love local history, though, and am trying to recruit some younger members. Either way, I realized something big at yesterday’s meeting.

I was talking for a few minutes to two of the most elderly members, both of whom happen to be 84 years old. They’re two of the most interesting people I’ve met, mainly because they’ve been through and seen so much. I can’t even begin to imagine all the experiences they’ve had. They have lots of wisdom to share.

Anyway, the one thing I heard over and over yesterday was how they don’t feel like they’re as old as they are. They said it feels like they were just my age a short time ago. How scary is that? The common theme seems to be that life is really short. That notion inspired me to make the summer goals list that I posted last night. I’m gonna live it up to the best of my ability while I’m young. It already somewhat panics me that I’ll be 20 in less than a month. Seems like I just became a teenager, and I can only imagine that time goes by faster and faster the older you get.

This next span of years I’m about to head into, the twenties, seems to be the prime years of life, and I’m going to milk them for all they’re worth. Watch out, I’ve got some living to do and a plan to accomplish all I want to. Don’t stand in my way. I’m out to achieve my dreams.

Plain and simple, here’s what the summer has in store for me, if all goes as planned. By the time I head back to school in late August, here’s what I wanna do to change myself and enrich my life (in no particular sequence or order).

I’ll be on vacation this coming Thursday through the Thursday after in the Outer Banks. While I will have wi-fi, I’m gonna try not to spend much of any time with technology because, quite frankly, I need a break from it. I’m going to write myself silly in the next few days and post-date more in-depth entries on the topics below, to show up while I’m gone, one for each goal below, and for each day I’m gone.

1. Lose ten pounds (This is roughly what I’ve gained over the past year; probably more, but it’s a start)
2. Get out of my comfort zone (This may mean selling ads for my web business, public speaking, or doing some acting at church in video productions)
3. Read two books (Hey, I got my library card renewed; that’s a start, right?)
4. Meet some new people (Can’t go wrong with this)
5. Finish Downtown Short Pump (I’m well on my way, I just need to sell some advertising!)
6. Change my ways of thinking (Attitude, etc.)
7. Be more authentic (We all have room to improve on this one)
8. Stop trying to please everybody and just live my life (I take on way too many projects and consequently never finish any of them)

It’s going to be an interesting eight days of reading. I’m on the verge of transforming my life into what I’ve always wanted it to be. I’ve felt it for a while, and now I have a plan of action. Sure, it says “Summer Goals,” but really this is what I want to accomplish by year’s end. You could say that 2008 is my year of self-improvement, and 2009 will be the result of this year’s work and reap the benefits.