Lipgloss Lounge: Bright Spot

It's been awhile since I updated about life. I must admit it's been a whirlwind of things, feelings, good stuff, bad stuff...you know, life. I think it's safe to say that the last 8 months have been the most challenging of any I've ever experienced. I've learned a lot about myself and people in my life. I can't say that I'm completely back to normal, but I think normal is all relative now. :)

There is so much to catch up on but tonight I'll start with one of the things that has been a bright spot this spring.

Back in 2002 I made a "life to do list" while on a trip back from Rhode Island. It's actually quite funny to read it now. Some of them are really silly (own all of the sex and the city DVDs) and some are really deep and long term (have a family). And some are just fun--like learning to play golf. I've always thought it was something that would be good for me to know how to do. Especially for my career. I was talking about it last summer but never got around to it.

This spring one of my favorite students was telling me that he was taking the golf class on campus and it occurred to me that instead of paying a golf pro to give me lessons, I could finally use the tuition benefit I get working at the college and take that class. So I signed up to take the class. And the student let me borrow his mom's clubs until I decided if I liked it or not. I have to admit that I was a little nervous to try out this sport. I wasn't sure I'd be any good at it or like it. But I needed a physical activity that I could do solo. I would love to get back into volleyball or softball but I need a team to really do that. So anyway, the first class was cool. We practiced our swings and learned a little about etiquette. And by the third class we went out to the course and did our thing. I did it badly, but I liked it. There is something beautifully frustrating about this sport that has a way of pulling you in. Not too long into the class, I was hooked. I would wake up thinking about my swing. And found every opportunity to hit up the driving range. Luckily, my student buddy was just as into it as me and would help me out. He was really patient with me and helped me out with tips and pointers. After a month, I decided that I'd invest in my own set of clubs and found a great set that I just love.

It's been so much fun to learn this sport. I have spent lots of time at the driving range by myself trying to get to know my swing and learn how I hit each club. It's been wonderfully therapeutic too. I even played in my first tournament with my Dad and two students a few weeks ago. It was so much fun! I wondered why I haven't been doing this my whole life. I mean, it's outside in lovely weather, you can dress cute and wear skorts, you can drink whilst playing, and it's highly social. Besides all that stuff it's incredibly challenging. I find myself thinking about how I can do it better all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm still awful, but I really have improved and am really hoping to be semi-decent someday. I even find myself watching the golf channel and reading books about it to learn more about the sport. I'm kind of a nerd about it right now because there is a lot of information to know.

I'm playing with co-workers this weekend and I'm super excited about that. I will most assuredly be the worst person out there but I don't care. It's all a part of my learning process. And I'm really thankful that I have had this in the last few months. It's given me something really fun to focus on. Plus I can now cross it off my "life to do list".