That week in June when things were just crazy

I’m not trying to be dramatic here, but last week may have been one of the craziest weeks of my life. It was not so much about being busy (though I was busy, but like, who isn't?). It was more about having a substantial series of "firsts." In great ways, in crappy ways, in weird, wonderful ways, last week kind of changed a lot about how I see the world. Within the span of five days, I went through three fantastically new experiences that I will certainly remember forever. Each of these events deserves their own blog posts, but for now I'd just like to get it all out there on paper, if you don't mind. Here's what went down last week:

1. I ran my first HALF MARATHON. Me. Christy. I ran it.

And Daniel wore a fierce fanny pack.

How did I do this, guys? Willpower, maybe? Absolutely not. I don’t have that. Ghosts? Did ghosts carry me across the finish line? That's a bit more plausible, but still unlikely.

The point is, I did it. I didn’t stop, I didn’t cry, and I didn’t barf. I just kept running, my man at my side, and I felt very accomplished as a result.

Even a week after finishing, I'm still trying to process what this means for my life. I have superhero friends who enter half marathons on the reg, but I don't know if that will be me. Still, there was something so powerful for me about sticking to a training regimen, and maybe that's my takeaway here -- I need to be more committed in general. Maybe?

2. I went to/spoke at Alt Summit

And I held a giant balloon. (Photo credit: Brooke Dennis)

Seriously, this one really deserves its own blog post, and seriously, it will get one. I just can't fit everything I want to say about this experience in a quick little blurb, but just know this -- I am overwhelmingly pro Alt Summit. For those who don't know, Alt is THE blogging event of the century, and it is, in a word, amazing. Everything is beautiful, sponsors deck out the bathrooms with free swag, and Martha Stewart tells you everything you need to know about life. It's like going to a swanky summer camp, only substitute canoeing with breakout sessions about Pinterest. 

Be on the lookout for a full-blown post all about Alt. I want to be able to really do it justice.

3. I wrote my first viral article, and it was terrifying

Via Salon

You might have read this article last week, or maybe you read an article referencing it, but this piece I wrote about Honey Boo Boo kind of turned my world upside down for a few days. The day it ran, it quickly became the site's top story, and several other major news sites started picking it up. Entertainment news programs began reaching out to me for interviews, and of course, my Twitter notifications were through the roof. It should have been thrilling seeing something I wrote get such traction, and in many ways it was, but it was also really anxiety-producing. 

The article was released last Thursday while I was at Alt Summit, so in between collecting business cards and jumping into photo booths with new friends, I was also trying to figure out just how quickly this article was spreading. The answer -- fast. Really frickin fast. At times, it seemed too fast.

I learned a lot from this experience, and just like my half marathon and the glory that is Alt Summit, I am still processing all of my feelings from this viral madness. I may have more words on this and the whole idea of being a freelance writer at a later time.

So there you have it -- a crazy week, y'all. Not tragic-crazy or busy-crazy, just crazy. Just new and exciting and weird and great and also hard at times. I'm looking forward to continuing to digest all of these events, and I promise I will come back to you with full clarity and wisdom. That, or I'll just distract you with a GIF of a cat eating pizza because I'm on the Internet and I can do that.

Via xuwriter

Have a happy weekend, guys!