Welcome and thank you for sharing your story. I know for someone who is shy that had to be very diffifult but you did it and I know just getting it out there has to feel good.
I truly believe that we are all in this together now and are going to help one another.
There is something I haven't shared with you all yet that I just wanted to say. I moved down here to Florida last March. And while I love the weather, I have been very lonely and felt really disconnected. Honestly, its hard to make new friends when you are 36 and working in a very small office. I also have two small children so I don't get out much. Anyway, I haven't made a single new friend in Sarasota since I moved here. But these past couple of weeks, I have to say, that the sadness I have felt with all my friends being in Seattle and not making any new ones has dissipated. And I know why. I feel like I have made about 20 or so new friends all at once (the active posters on the threads, although I hope to make friends of the whole group by the time we leave Orlando). I have been a part of these boards since 2001 and I haven't felt the friendship and support that I have going on within the main trip thread and this one since I started DISing.
So I just want to tell you all that I am really grateful first to Beth to starting this whole thing, and second of all to all of you for joining in and joining in this weightloss quest too because its really made me feel a part of something with friends which is something I haven't had for a good year now, save the two visits I have had from friends in Seattle (and one coming up too!) I have been lucky enough to meet one DISer and she was great. I look forward to meeting all of you in September.
And I will stop with all the mushy stuff now or I might cry (or make some of you ladies sick, lol.)