Guys. Can you believe it? This little blog of mine is now as old as a small child. I can’t believe so much time has passed, but I also feel like I was a totally different person when I started this blog.

For fun:

My first post

1st Blogiversary

2nd Blogiversary

3rd Blogiversary

This blog gave me so much more than I ever could have asked or expected. I started it in hopes of meeting a community and documenting my passion for health and fitness, but I never expected how it would change me as a person. Writing in here and sharing my life nearly every day helped my communication and writing skills (because as a science major in college, I rarely had to write). But it also helped build confidence I didn’t know I needed. And for that, I’m grateful.

Then->Now

So, just for fun: what was the world like when Fitness is Sweet was born? (December 2012)

iCloud wasn’t a thing yet. I had to plug in my phone to upload pictures for my blog. Every time. I’m so spoiled now.

Everyone was preparing for the end of the world (December 21, 2012).

Gangnam Style has taken over the world.

Gas in the Bay Area is $3.50 a gallon, which is actually down from nearly $5.00 earlier in the year (gotta love CA).

Instagram was only just starting to become popular. Instagram fame was not yet a thing.

YOLO was the battle cry of young people about to do dumb things everywhere. Now, it’s mostly just used ironically.

Healthy Living Blogs were booming. I think this time was really the rise of them. In December 2012, everyone was still reading the “big bloggers” and over the next year, tons of smaller bloggers would start their own blogs. Since, I think HLBs have declined. The big ones are still there, but there are fewer smaller ones and they get read less. Now, people follow fitness instagrams or youtube channels. I think the current age is the age of youtube, neither of which were too trendy in 2012.

Peanut butter was a very trendy food. Everyone was obsessed with putting it on everything (me included….ignore that whole undiscovered nut allergy issue…). People still do this, but alternative nut butters have become much more “in.”

Crossfit was the trendy thing to do. Everyone in the healthy living world was doing it. Since then, many have abandoned it for other activities. That’s not to say it’s not still popular, but there are trendier things to do now. Boutique cycling studios were also gaining popularity (SoulCycle was starting to spread), and these studios were opening in big cities throughout the country.

Perhaps along with Crossfit, Paleo was the trendy diet to try. In addition, we were beginning the war on sugar: trying to cut sugar in everything and demonize it. Me included, and while I still think sugar is terrible for your health, I’ve taken a much more relaxed approach to my consumption of it these days.

And since I suppose some actual reflection on my part should probably occur on this day, here are some ways I was different when Fitness is Sweet was born:

1. I was a freshman in college. Now I’m a college grad applying to vet school. What…?

2. Then, I was a D1 college rower. And I thought that I had to be on a team to still be an athlete, and to keep my athlete identity. Now, I realize that I can do my own thing and still be an athlete. I had a major identity crisis was I quit rowing and but I finally feel like I’ve found myself again as I continue to grow and improve in the fitness realm.

3. Then, I had never lived more than 25 minutes from home, mush less outside of California, and was still having a little trouble adjusting to college life, especially being away around the holidays (that year, I had to leave for winter training camp the day after Christmas). Now, I’ve lived in DC, Knoxville, and St. Louis. Living in other places was such an amazing experience, and not only did I make a life for myself in these places, but I really gained some perspective on what other people’s lives are like. I love learning the regional differences in culture and in how people grew up. I try to expand my perspective in as many ways as possible.

4. Then, I sort of thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but it was totally different than what I’m trying to do now. I knew I loved biology, but I thought I wanted to do some type of biochemical/nutritional research. Now, I’m interviewing for vet school, and have had a ton of veterinary and animal experiences since then. When I started this blog, I had never worked with animals. Now, I’ve worked with them in a ton of different settings.

5. Then, I was pretty high strung. I was high strung and stressed about school, I was high strung and stressed with how I ate and how I worked out. Now, I’m a relatively low-key person. Sure, exercise does help take the edge off so if I go too long without it I get antsy, but I’m generally not crazy worried about things. I’ve learned that most things are actually insignificant when you get some perspective. One cookie in the grand scheme of things doesn’t matter and is delicious. Stressing out over an interview probably isn’t going to make said interview go any better, so I might as well relax because I know I am prepared and am capable of doing just fine. One test isn’t going to make or break my career (well….except boards….) and if I put the work in beforehand, if I stay calm I’ll do well.

6. Then, I was still trying to find my place in college and find my group of friends. I was much quieter in groups. I always felt a little out of place (like pretty much everyone did but I didn’t realize it at the time) and I had major FOMO. But I found my people, and I found my confidence. Now, I can go anywhere and be place, chat the ear off a total stranger, and be just fine.

7. Then, I was invincible. My body could do anything, take any abuse, and it never gave out on me. HAH. Shortly after starting this blog, I was get sicker than I’ve ever been in my life with mono (probably made worse because I was sleep deprived and way over trained). Then, I would later develop a chronic stomach illness, annihilate my shoulder, and break my foot. Oops. However, with the realization that I was not, in fact, invincible, came a lot of character building and a lesson in actually taking care of and respecting my body.

8. Then, I was taking spin classes and dreaming of being a spin teacher, but not really pursuing it. Now, I’ve been teaching spin for 2 years, and will teach 3 classes a week starting in January.

Here’s to 4 years, and hopefully more to come!