Quiet Time

Hey everyone. It's been a while and I'm trying to collect my thoughts. I started my internship last week, had a friend visiting from Spain that I haven't seen in 3 years, and I start the second job tomorrow morning. I haven't been spending much time on Lapsity, but I'm trying to do a little tonight and be more productive in the evenings and mornings so I can be sure to fit everything in.

When to see a physical therapist today about my hip and back, and in a nutshell: I have an irritated nerve in my lower back which is causing my lower back, bum, and the surrounding muscles to be really tight. He gave me exercises not to do, stretches, and exercises to do a few times a day. To help with the inflimation, I'm supposed to take something like iboprofen to reduce it (500mg a day). I'm not completely happy about that. I just want the pain and the irritation to go away. I go back next week for him to check on my progress... so I better actually do the exercises.

My friend Nate was visiting CA for a couple weeks. He moved to Spain a year or two ago, and I haven't seen him (let alone his family) in 3 years. We were practically inseparable in high school, but after he went to college our relationship slowly fell apart. When he moved to Canada we'd both get yelled at by our parents because we spent so long talking on the phone that we'd rack up $900 phone bills. Then something happened where he got "lost" and then whatever friendship we did have was gone. At the time it was really hard for me. Before my current boyfriend, I would have said that if Nate came around I would have left any relationship to be with him. All that aside, we talked a lot while he stayed with us we talked a lot not only what was new with each of us, but he apologized and explained (in a general way) for the time he was "in a bad place." It was a huge relief, and it feels so good to have him back. Now that we put that all aside and talked, it's like he never left.

I'll try to get back on the ball with things though!

Back!

I'm baaaaack! I spent the last week in San Diego visiting my best friend and her family, and my family as well. My mom graduated with her associates, and the fact that she finished is amazing in itself (I don't mean that in a demeaning way). She's come an insanely long way since my dad passed away 12 years ago. She's got a social life, friends, and now she can say she has some schooling under her belt. We've got a... complicated relationship to say the least. The combination of her somewhat low self-esteem mixed with my own resentment towards her does not make for a strong mother-daughter relationship. That whole story is a separate post in itself. It took all week for the tension bubble to burst, but on the second to last day it did and there were tears, and somewhat raised voices (but no screaming thankfully). At least some things were put out there and the elephant was cut nearly in half.

On a completely separate note, it seems like everyone is participating in one of the three following things: (1) getting engaged, (2) getting married, or (3) having a baby. I'm 27 and there are people my age and younger that are already on child #2. I have trouble remembering that not everyone is on (or required to be) on the same timeline in that respect. Having that in mind, the very thought of having one child, let alone more, at this point in my life is insane. I love love love my best friend's daughter. She's 13 months, and the happiest child I've ever seen, but I am so glad she's not mine and I don't have that kind of responsibility right now. I'll stay selfish and only want to spend my time and money on my boyfriend and myself for a little bit longer (a few years longer at least).

On the engagement-marriage thing, it's not that I NEED it to happen now, or that I'll go anywhere if it doesn't happen soon, but it's a weird, nonsensical thing that I just want to know that it's actually coming soon. We've talked about it, and I know it's coming, but the ring makes it "official" (I know nothing's official until the papers are signed)... I know I know, it's silly, but hopefully at least any women that read this will understand. I'm trying to change my way of thinking about it. I look forward to when it happens because every time I do think about it I feel so happy and whole. I know it'll happen when it happens, and it's just a matter of us being financially secure. I also know that that is the only thing he's waiting for, and so I can have the ring and wedding that I want. Makes me love him even more. :-)

On that mushy note, I've got a few more things to do before heading to work. Yes! Work! I started my marketing internship position yesterday at a Berkeley based start-up. I'm pretty excited and the first day went really well. More on that later!

Day 2 San Diego

I arrived in San Diego yesterday, and even though I love being back, it's so incredibly hot where we are at. I spent all day feeling incredibly sick. I don't know if the migraine, stomach issues, and eventually throwing up is because of something I ate (which wasn't much) or if it was just from the traveling process. It happened last time I traveled.

We've got plans tomorrow to do some shopping for my friend, I'm going to get their daughter a late birthday present, and I need a planner. With two new jobs starting at the end of next week and Lapsity really kicking into gear (plus my planner is almost full), I really need a new one. Hopefully I can find something inspirational, functional, and creative.

A lot of people will think it's crazy or silly to want so much and something so specific in a planner, but when you have an incredible amount of things going on in their lives, a planner is everything. It's one of the only things that allows you to maintain your sanity, keep track of everything you have to do, and plan accordingly. It certainly helps that I love a good planner and creating lists.

When it Rains it Pours

Things don't really come in 3's no matter how much you want to believe it, but when it rains it really does pour. Yesterday I had my second interview for a job at a local gym and received a call 2 hours later about coming in for new hire paperwork... just 5 minutes after being asked to going a grassroots business in Berkeley as a part-time markting "intern." Both paid both part-time. Perfect timing for going on "vacation" and not having to worry (as much at least) about paying bills and the status of my bank account. It was then followed by 3 hours of meetings for Lapsity updates, help, etc. etc. It was a really productive and successful day in more ways than one and I'm so grateful for that.

I didn't get home until almost 10pm and I didn't have dinner until 10:30pm, and I was exhausted (and now it's 4:15am and I'm preparing to head to the airport, but I love it and I feel empowered. It's going to be a crazy schedule with a lot to it, but I decided that given the opportunity I'll stick with both for at least a year and then move forward from there.

I'm really excited, grateful, and stressed about all this but I can't wait to see what it holds for me.

As long as there's Progress

Monday morning... exciting and dreaded by people around the world. I guess it's all in how you look at it. If you hate your job (or whatever you typically have to do on Monday mornings) I guess it's understandable dreading its arrival. As cliche as it sounds, I really do think it's all in how you look at it. Being negative isn't going to make the day any better or easier to get through. Positivity makes a HUGE difference. So, I'm trying to be positive this morning about how the next two weeks will go. Granted I'll be in San Diego from Wednesday until next Tuesday, there really isn't much to complain about (aside from a slight anxiety that comes over me when I have to fly). Thankfully it's only an hour and a half flight.

The weekend was actually really productive. When I look at my mile long to-do list it doesn't look like I got much done, but actually thinking about it (and being reasonable) I made some pretty good progress on Lapsity. I worked on the financials of the business plan, decided on some shirt designs to kick off with and sent them to a friend for a prototyping quote, broke down what should be in our investor, business and charity leave-behinds and started designing them as well.

I'm meeting with a friend today who spent the last 25 years in the printing industry to learn more about the terminology, processes, and what not. It'll make it easier when I'm dealing with printers. It's difficult to order and answer questions when I don't completely understand terminology like spot color, 4-color, 1-color and all of the different materials being used. In our previous conversations we've talked about different products that can be printed on, and it's really amazing what's possible... not just things like pens, water bottles, paper and apparel. You've got stickers, packaging (cardboard, plastic, metal), cups, buttons, and about 8 million other objects and materials. It's going to be a lot of information, but it should definitely help.

Non-Lapsity related... I pretty much took the last week off from working out. I don't know why I let myself do it. Whether you love being active or not, it's REALLY hard to balance out work with working out. I love how working out makes me feel and I'm much more confident when I do it, but then while I'm working out I think about what I should be doing for Lapsity, applying for jobs, and more. It's kind of double-edged sword. The only question I can think of that helps me put things in perspective is: Which can you (and will you actually) start later in the day and have the option to start later? For me it would have to be work. I know I'm not going to want to go to the gym at 8pm so I might as well do it in the morning, get it over with, and then spend the rest of the day kicking ass.

On that note, I'm off to the gym for some cardio and an attempt to one day reaching my fitness goals (which, like my to-do list, is also endless). Here's to a great Monday for everyone, and remember: As long as you make progress towards something good, it was worth it.

And so it Begins.

I have to admit that I'm a little afraid to write this, even though the chances of someone reading it is slim. The very idea that someone will and then have some kind of expectation for me to continue, succeed, and then look forward to the next installment of it's forward program is pretty frightening. But, if I'm going to start, I might as well start big. And I mean BIG.

So here it is...

Lapsity is a mobile application that allows users to turn everyday physical activity into charitable giving. Users use the Lapsity App to log their miles and the route they go on, businesses sponsor a route or a given charity and match the distance completed by the user, and the charity receives the donation. It's a win for all involved. We've kicked off all of our social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and YouTube, and we're working on getting everything together for a Kickstarter campaign.

We've also started developing the app and the official website. We're making a few minor changes to the site before it's official launch, and it should me ready (hopefully) in the next two weeks. For the app development we're starting with the iPhone. We decided to go this route because all iPhones are the same size and shape. Android and other Smart Phones come in so many different shapes and sizes that the development will take longer and require more tweaking to make sure everything runs smoothly for non-iPhone users... which is where Kickstarter comes in. Kickstarter is a fundraising platform to raise money for projects. People pledge, they receive incentives, and as long as we hit our goal we'll get the funding. If we don't hit our goal then we get nothing. Kind of a bummer huh? That's all the more reason for us to start getting the word out now and do everything in our power to get people to donate and see how great of a project this really is. Our goal is going to be $25,000. It's a big number but we're confident we'll reach it.

We've got plans for merchandise, events, expanding to other activities such as biking, swimming and kayaking (basically anything that can be measured by distance), partnering with other businesses and brands, and hopefully one day going global. We want to create an application that not only encourages people to lead a healthy lifestyle (at least being active), businesses to focus on the community as well as their consumers, and something that allows charities/non-profits to get the attention and support they deserve.

I decided last week that we needed to start volunteering with local programs to not only connect with the organizations themselves and get our name out there, but to really live the Lapsity brand. Once we have our t-shirts designed we'll order a few so we can wear them to volunteer days, events, while exercising, etc.

There's so much to do before being able to approach an investor that it if I think about everything as a whole, as opposed to just one thing at a time, I get really overwhelmed and basically freeze because I no longer know where to start. When that happens I close my eyes, lay my head back, and take a deep breath. I know that if I just cross one thing off the list at a time then everything will get done and we'll be successful.

So that's one thing that's in the cooker right now, and the what's on my mind pretty much all day. If I'm worrying about finding a job (which is also a huge stress factor at the moment) or getting in my workout then I consider putting them off to work on Lapsity, if I am doing either of the other two things then I'm thinking about how to apply it to Lapsity and how to make it better.

It's a lot. When I really think about it and wrap my head around Lapsity as a whole it's HUGE. I know everyone says it, but it's completely true... the hardest things are usually worth it, and if it was easy then everyone would be doing it (then what would the point be).