what is fun?

What do you like to do for fun? 

Have you ever given it much thought? 

I found myself contemplating this question a few days ago while stealthily reading, "The Happiness Project" on my Kindle during class. I'm really enjoying this book even though I think the writing is poor, because the one-liners and general ideas are fab. 

Like, have you ever thought about what you like to do for fun and how that makes you you? I sat in class and listed the things that I think are fun - not deep, meaningful things, but things that I would do on a random Tuesday to enjoy myself in the absence of pressing responsibilities. A random sampling of my list: 

reading in bed

getting massages

working out alone

going for walks with other people

reading blogs

writing my blog

online shopping (dreaming - darn international shipping)

looking up motivational quotes

painting my nails

reading magazines (whenever I can find one in English)

planning parties/activities (more fun than actually attending) 

doing my hair/make-up

baking 

going to Wal-mart

To see both sides, here is a random sampling of things I find absolutely no fun at all: 

board games

putt-putt

bowling

get-to-know-you games 

group running 

biking on Chine.se streets

It's interesting to think about the small things you do each day for, "fun." Not things you do once in a while, but what you do on a regular basis to have a reprieve from life's toils. If I look at my list with an analytical eye, I find that most things are solitary. I think this is because I am surrounded by people in all the responsibilty portions of my life- work, school, volunteering, etc. 

I've been thinking a lot about how I fill my days while reading The Happiness Project. She says, "it matters more what you do every day than what you do once in awhile." I'm sure this has been quoted a thousand different ways, but it really hit home with me. 

It matters more that I am kind to the people on the bus every day than if I do one orphan drive a semester. It matters more that I exercise and eat healthy daily than do a cleanse once a season. 

It's what we do daily that counts. 

Today was extra special in that it was Jess and I's last stair training run! The Great Wall Half Marathon is exactly a week from today! Eeeeeee! We met at her house early this morning for some errands and then a last haul up the stairs. 

I was really slow going and got lapped by my speedy friend, but I just kept telling myself that every step mattered, every step helped me be a healthy person, and this is for my life not just next Saturday.

I wore my official race shirt just to pump me up since running the stairs is not my fave thing in the universe...it worked...

I might miss that awful stairwell! I'm actually getting nostalgic over all the race training now that we are in the home stretch/taper. It's been 3 months of calculating distances, following a regimine, and accountability with Jess.

We both decided though that it will be nice to exercise without an impending date in our minds and the pressure to, "be ready."

One thing's for sure, I know we are!

Because of what we've done everyday for the last 3 months.

And it's been fun.

Imagine that.




walk slow. xoxo.