I created this blog as part of my New Year’s Resolutions. Since it belongs to me, I publish when I want and choose the topics. As part of my 2011 resolutions, hitting the gym was also part of the plan. As if I needed any more resolutions, I also shared with you that we would be vacationing in Italy.

I can report that the blog still lives, despite it’s fractious publishing schedule. I enjoy writing but sometimes I simply do not feel like putting my fingers on a keyboard and commenting on life. As we head in to the last six months of 2011, my goal is to publish more frequently. Will you find me posting once a day? Doubt it. But once a week consistently would be better than my current schedule.

© Aaron Neifer courtesy of Stock.xchng

I am still hitting the gym five days a week. I feel better than I have in quite some time. Because of my continued Yoga practice, I am more limber than I used to be. Considering I could not sit “Indian style” when I started at the gym in January and can now, my limberness has improved even if it is not exactly prima ballerina status. But, it’s progress. Thanks to Zumba, my waistline is trimmer than it has been in a while. My husband recently read that menopausal women must do an hour of exercise a day just to maintain their weight. While I am not exactly menopausal yet, this is not good news for the twice a week Zumba class. This just means I have to add more cardio and lay off the dessert. Let’s see how that goes after our vacation and all of that yummy Italian food.

© Jose Hosttas courtesy of stock.xchng

My dream of vacationing in Italy is finally coming true. We will spend the last two weeks this month in Rome and the Almalfi Coast. I have poured over travel blogs, read tidbits from others, sought advice from well-seasoned international travelers I know and have borrowed well-used guidebooks with notes and highlights from other travelers.

Planning this trip was not easy. I am sure I heard my credit card break as I purchased coach airline tickets for four. Many family conversations centered around, “Let’s wait until after Italy.” “We don’t really need that now, we want it now.” “I said the next time my 11 year-old fridge broke, I was replacing it. But not until later this year.” “Next year we are purchasing a sprinkler system.” Did we eat bread and water for six months? No. But we were focused on the goal. Every time we looked at a purchase, all we could think was, “that is XXX amount of money we can’t spend on vacation.” Ok, well really it was Mike and I that were thinking that. The kids think money grows on trees and that Mom and Dad can just use credit cards.

Focus on what you want and make it happen. It might take a while and sacrifices will surely have to be made. But it will be worth it. I will do my best to blog and post a picture or two from Italy. If not, my blog will be speaking Italian in August.

Ciao!