I don't wanna wait

In just under 2 weeks time, I'll be running the London Marathon - jeepers!

Check out what came in the post:

To say I'm excited is an understatement. I completely cannot wait and as the days draw nearer and all I have planned is finishing off bits of work before uni, going for 'light' runs and walking the dog, it's safe to say that I'm getting a bit impatient.

Patience has never been my strong point. I remember when I was turning 6. We had just arrived back in the UK after living in Venezuela and I could not wait for it to be my birthday. I was sharing a hotel room in Chorleywood with my mum and woke up every hour from 10pm til 5 am, waiting to get that 'birthday feeling' which I thought you were meant to feel when you turned 6. Poor Mama G!

Being patient is a hard thing when you get excited by so much, and thinking about the future is no different. A few years ago I watched a film called The Bucket List, if you haven't seen it, it's really good, definitely watch it! Anyway, the film (as you can probably guess) is about two men going through a list of certain things that they want to do before they 'kick the bucket.' And ever since I watched the film, I've been making a list of my own, adding to it different challenges, hopes and dreams that I have for my life. And for your eyes only, here are some of them (I'll let you take a guess which ones I've actually done):

Learn to surf, snowboard and water ski

Have a handicap of less than 36

Drive across America and see the Grand Canyon

Experience life on a farm

Volunteer with something I'm really passionate about

Do a ski season

Build an igloo.

Travel (Australia, Chile, Vietnam and Madagascar)

Write a blog

Perform at an open mic night

Be a bridesmaid

Have my first kiss (had to include a cringey one)

Go to Cadbury World

Cook Christmas Dinner

Climb a mountain

Sky dive

and of course... run the London Marathon.

There are a few (quite a few) more things on my list, but they get quite cheesy so I'll leave those hidden, safely at home. I guess the issue is, there are so many exciting things to do in life, I just want to do them all now! This song has pretty much summed up my week, as well as made me want to watch Dawson's Creek again...

I was catching up late last night with one of my close friends from home about life, uni and, yep of course, boys (oh typical girl chat).

With both of us having never been in a relationship before we were laughing at how impatient we've been in the past to be in one. We concluded that the time we've spent being single has instead been quite a blessing. Now with the different people/boys that are in our lives we encouraged one another to be patient, to know that whatever is in store for us, will happen when (and if) it happens. And that's not always an easy thing to let sit. In some respects I prefer my brother's advice when it comes to boys 'Basically, just go up to him and kiss him. See what happens.'

Let's be honest. I would never do that. For one thing I am significantly shorter than said boy (or any boy really) and would probably nail my face in his chest, get a nosebleed, and then feel uber awkward. 

But back to the point, it is said that patience is a virtue, and I understand that, I do. You learn a lot when you have to wait for something. 

It is in the waiting that we can appreciate truly what we are waiting for. 

That doesn't make it easy though. And I'm realising that it's ok to feel frustrated sometimes. That's better than indifference. There is a prayer that is written on the front of my bible my mum gave me when I was baptised:

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Whatever you believe, I think the sentiment is the same. For most of the things in our lives, we have the opportunity to make things happen. Most of the items on our bucket lists are achievable. There may be an issue of money, time and goodness knows what which makes it challenging to make those dreams come true. But they are possible. My friend Con always tells me that I'm someone who likes to live life on the front foot. And it's true I like to get things going, experience all I can out of life, push myself to try new things, do things that scare me. I can't fathom a life where I concede to letting it just get 'boring'. 

BUT at the same time, there are things I cannot change. I cannot speed up time and right now, I'm a student, I don't have millions of pounds to my name. So I have to, we have to, learn to be ok with that. Hopefully I'm not going to become Drew Barrymore in 'Never been kissed,' but even if I am, unless I decide a complete personality change then I have to learn to be ok with that.

So after all that, the marathon is only 13 days away (I know I need to get a grip), until then I'll keep training (tapering down) and trying to relax.

Running Update:

• I ran 22 miles last Monday which was great, though pretty tiring! Since then I've limited my runs to only 5-8 miles each which has been good to 'taper down' and relax my legs.
• The next couple of weeks will include a visit to physio to get some more hip exercises (they keep giving me grief) and chilling out-lush!
• Thank you so much to all who have donated, I am so nearly at my fundraising target. If you have any spare change or anything at all you would like to donate then you can do so here: www.justgiving.com/jennygwyther

Hope y'all have a lovely week Xx