Hi ladies!
Today has been a much better day. Made it 20 minutes on the elliptical and then 25 minutes running. I used to avoid the treadmill, but weather here just isn't conduscive to running outside, so I started the treadmill this week. Oh, how it feels good to run again. First day I could only do 10 minutes, second day 15 minutes and today 25 minutes. Felt so good. I could feel the knots releasing in my shoulders. Gosh, I think I got really really tense after 1 month of Christmas vacations and then the shock of adjusting back to life in Switzerland after our California break. Was so tight couldn't even take a deep breath. I stuck to the program trying to build up cardio since I've been back and today was the first day I felt kind of back to normal. I'm a firm believer in the power of exercise! At least for those who tend to get stressed out like me.
One of my major stress factors is living in this apartment. We are trying so hard to abide by the Swiss rules of absolute silence between the hours of 10pm and 7am (I mean not even flushing the toilet or turning on the water silence and men are supposed to pee sitting down

) and then pretty quiet for the rest of the time. We bought like ten rugs since we've been back for sound proofing, plus I'm putting up curtains. We got some Christmas money for another big Ikea run for the carpets and curtains, plus a tv (and cable!). This trying to be invisible so as not to face the wrath of my "perfect" Swiss neighbors has been a source of considerable stress, but I'm trying to chill a bit. I think we're making considerable progress on the noise front (we're better than we've ever been) and as long as we're following the rules, that is good enough. Gaining the approval or acceptance of our Swiss neighbors is perhaps more than can be asked. The Swiss people are not the warm and fuzzy welcoming types.
Tomorrow I go to a career counselour in Zurich. This is paid by my old company as part of the severance package. I have no idea if it will be helpful or not, but I'm going to give it a shot, since it's free. Then I will start looking for a job. My DH has said that it's fine if I don't work and I'm definitely keeping busy hausfrauing, but ultimately, I think it would be better for me if I could find some kind of job -- provided that it can fit into the work/life balance. One step at a time and we'll see what happens.
OK...enough venting for me. Funny how all this eating, exercising, emotional stuff is all intertwined.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on our own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.
Denis Waitley