Day 2: Smile

Today's kind of a rough day to think about smiling, hate to admit it.

My morning began with my daily run, and let me just say, the bliss I enjoyed in weeks 1-3 is almost nonexistent in week 4. It's hard. Not just like "ahhh can I walk now?" More like, "Why is my side burning randomly? Dear Lordy, it is HOT. I've been running a while... I can go ahead and check how much longer I have. 3:34 LEFT???? (Keep in mind that the hardest parts of my workout is when I have to run the two 5 minute segments. I'm not a runner, no hate.) Why, oh why, do I live in an area with so many hills??"

So, this morning was rough and I kept thinking about the coyote I saw casually prancing down the road in broad daylight last week. Well, at least I was distracted while I figured escape routes from any possible unwanted animal interaction. My day continued slightly downhill (Not my run, that is. It was uphill and proud of it.) as I went to go get my first ever Keratin treatment done on my hair. I was excited, emotionally prepared for the cost that would lead to many afternoons in children's clothing retail in order to cope with the cost, and even enjoyed a diet coke while I waited for the oils to seep through my unruly curly hair. And then, as I'm sitting there, immersed in Pillars of the Earth, the receptionist came up to ask me if I drove a dark Toyota SUV. I replied that I indeed did, and she proceeded to inform me that some random driver pulled in, scratched my pride and joy of a vehicle, and drove off. 

LIKE WHO EVEN DOES THAT?!

Luckily, the nice guys inside of Davenport's Pizzaria kindly gave their eye witness account to the police officer while I finished my treatment. After I paid the cost of the treatment and shampoo, that actually was higher than I initially had planned,  I got to talk to the police officer who kindly figured everything out and got me settled to get the accident report. By the time my mom pulled up, I was standing by my bruised car, with my newly board straight hair, sobbing my eyes out because I was turning into a money pit. This breakdown continued to become yet another "Please don't make me go to college" rant, in the middle of lunch hour Mountain Brook Village.

But in the words of my sweet friend, Hannah, I just need to "Cheer up, Buttercup!" After I cam home and cried a little longer, I ate a lunch of corn on the cob, asparagus, tomato, and sauteed squash and onions with my mom while watching Animal Cops: Houston. Currently, I am sitting on my couch with a fresh cup of coffee, and a pile of newly acquired magazines to pick through. At this point, it can't hurt to smile.

Smiling through tears, smiling through the rim of my England coffee mug, smiling at the prospect of a Target run this afternoon (4th time this week...), smiling that this time in two weeks, I'll be on my way to Cape Town, and smiling that it is June 12 and I am home, healthy, and very content. Smiling that I can't run for two days because of my hair, and smiling that there is a half watermelon in the fridge screaming at me to cut a huge slice off and to enjoy the rest of my day.

Stay beautiful,

Allie

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us whether we find it or not."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson