Going back to where my journey began! 36 days from now....

Another goal. Another dream is before me! I am going back to the city where my journey began. For those who do not know my husband and I moved to Siberia in January of 2006. While there my weight began to spiral out of control far more than in the states. It was May of 2006 when we took a trip to London and Paris. For me this was a dream come true! How I longed to see the sites. After returning home from what was an incredible 2 weeks, we were reviewing the photos and I came across two pictures that left me speechless. How on earth did I let myself go to this degree? Where was the girl I once knew? It broke my heart to see just how big I had become. I chose in that moment to do something about it, and so I did. Fast forward a few years to 2008. We decided to go back to London and Paris once again, this time during the Christmas season and I was overjoyed as I had lost so much weight by that time. My before and after photos were a dream come true. 

Now, several years later, I have lost even more weight and I will be going back to London to take yet another before and after, but this time,  I am far ahead of where I ever thought I could be. I will be standing in front of Buckingham Palace yet again but this time, I will be standing there as a mother, wife and around 100 lbs less than I was in 2006. 

It is very sad that we do not have my highest weight shown in this photo. I was in denial and did not want to weigh in. It might be 115 lbs I have lost since that day, maybe more or less, we will never fully know as I was so ashamed. I wanted to tell myself I was smaller than I was. But May 2006 was definitely my highest weight and I hated who I had become, I could not even look in a mirror without crying. Who was I? I did not even see the Jen I once knew, but now, I am going back to this same location feeling as if I truly have a new spirit and outlook on life as right now, this moment in my life, I am by far the happiest I have ever been! 

Here is the photo that changed my life forever. I could not believe this was me. May 2006.

Here I am now, June 2011. Thinner, happier and ready to reach for more!  

Here is a recent photo of me after running in Paris. May 2011 

Now, I will be adding a running photo in London. The last time it was hard for me just to walk around. How things have changed! 

This is one of the before and afters - 2006 vs 2008. Now it is time for another one!!! Same location, but a very different me!

Just recently in May we went back to Paris and I was able to take some before and afters there as well, what a dream it was for me.....shopping there in the stores buying smaller sizes, walking along the streets of Paris and feeling proud of who I was, not ashamed as I was before. I felt as if I blended in rather than the fat American visiting as I felt back in 2006. I have big goals ahead of me which include both cites along with a few others soon to be discussed, but for now, I am ready to make new amazing memories in one of my all time favorite cities! I cannot wait!

I now have 36 days before we are leave for Scotland and England. We are traveling due to my husband's work and some meetings he is attending, but I will enjoy getting to see the sites while he is at work, then we will have our evenings together which is always nice. There is a gym and indoor pool where we are staying in Scotland so I will enjoy getting to workout during the day to stay on track when gone. This is a good thing because in London there are some AMAZING Indian food restaurants that I cannot wait to go back and visit. One is La Port de Indes....oh my word! I digress....eating in London will be a big treat for me as I have been watching my diet so closely but I can still get vegetarian dishes there which will be nice. I am also excited about running around London. I am going to scout out some good routes to run and take pics!

I am sad that this is the first trip we are taking without our baby girl. I am going to miss her like crazy but I am happy that she will get to spend some time with her grandparents and trust me, they are on top of the world right now!! I think the flight over will be the hardest when I cannot call or check in on her for 9 plus hours when flying. We are flying first to London and a few places in England and then to Scotland to finish out the trip. So it will be just over a week without seeing my girl. The thought of this makes me so sad. I hope we do ok. We have our big anniversary trip in December in which my parents where going to keep her again but if we cannot stay away she may end up going with us! :) I just cannot imagine a morning where I cannot see her face smiling at me or the feeling of a day without a her sweet kisses, hugs and love her for Mommy. I cannot even talk about this.....starting to get emotional. It is important for couples to have time together so we are excited about the getaway, but she is our life. Hope I can do this! :)

So I have 36 days to go and I want more than anything to try and lose 5 or 6 lbs before then. Sounds like an easy task but these days the weight is VERY hard for me to get off.  I am going to give this my all.