They’re really pretty short little blurbs, but if you need to catch up, check out Part I, Part II & Part III before proceeding. If you’ve been following along, continue on.
Not going to lie, 2016 and 2017 were pretty shitty (pardon my language, but that is the most appropriate term in my humble opinion), especially to Chris. We did finally sell our California house in 2016, but that was the only big positive thing that happened during that time.
In February of 2016, Chris lost his sister, Angela, to cancer. Then in May of 2017 his father passed away of a heart attack. Shortly thereafter he learned that his position at Wallops was being dissolved, and he would no longer have a job as of August 1, 2017. Then we got word about his mother passing in late September. It was a really rough, somber time for Chris and me.
After we returned home from Chris’ fathers funeral, we talked seriously about possibly moving back to the Midwest. We wanted to be closer to “home” mainly to be able to visit with Chris’ mom more frequently. She was by herself and wasn’t in the greatest of health, though you never would have known it if you were just meeting her for the first time. We figured we’d take a year or so to come up with a plan. Well, little did we know we wouldn’t have that much time.
Several months after Chris’ mom passed, things started to calm down a bit. We decided we did not want to move to the midwest, but would much rather stay here. Whether we are a stone’s throw from our family members or a thousand miles away, there’s nothing we can do to keep certain things from happening. Chris found work at a local retail outfit that sold lawn equipment and repaired small engines. It was something different, he was working with a close friend, and it was temporary. He enjoyed it for the most part, but it just wasn’t him. He actually tried to purchase the business at one point, but just couldn’t make it work. The price being asked versus the profit the place made just wasn’t a good idea. So he left there and moved on.
He’s currently working with a private carpenter, learning all kinds of new things. Which is great given our current situation…
I am still working at the animal hospital, but have also been teaching a group exercise class at the local YMCA for the last 2 years.
About 5 years ago I became interested in group exercise. I had already been running for several years and was working toward bettering my self in terms of my health and physical fitness. I enjoyed (and still do) running, but needed something different. I needed some other type of training to work on strength and flexibility. I started taking some group exercise classes at a local boutique fitness center. One of the classes I started taking was called Pound. Oh my goodness, you talk about FUN! And a killer workout too! I enjoyed the class so much that I looked into what it would take to become certified to teach the class so that I could bring it to more people.
In March of 2015 I became a bonafide Pound Pro! I taught classes at the same boutique studio that I was taking classes.
POUND Pro Training March 22, 2015 in Springfield, PA.
My POUND Posse shortly after becoming certified!
Not long after becoming certified for Pound, I learned about another pre-choreographed format of group fitness called SoulBody. They offered two different types of a barre-inspired workout. After looking into it I realized that it was right up my alley. I looked into trainings to become an instructor and found a training being hosted in Bethany Beach, DE. That was only a little more than an hour drive for me. I signed up immediately.
In May of 2016 I became a certified SoulBody instructor and have been loving bringing this format to as many as possible. I started at that little boutique studio. After a few months, I wanted to do more, so I started to check in with other gyms and fitness centers. I finally was able to convince the YMCA to bring SoulBody into their Group Exercise line up in 2017.
SoulBody Barre UNHITCHED March 2017
We have both come to love the Eastern Shore of Virginia, especially our little neck of the woods. We live on a nice sized property in a very quiet, almost secluded area, surrounded by trees and agricultural fields. Our community is very generous and friendly and we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else on the ESVA. Once we decided we wanted to stay here for good, we started looking into buying the little piece of heaven we’ve been renting all these years.
On Tuesday July 16, 2019, at about 4:00 PM, the property became officially ours. The rest of the story has yet to be written…..
2012 after Hurricane Sandy swept through. She was a Tropical Storm by the time it reached us.
More of our Winter Wonderland!
Our little abode covered in snow.
CJ waiting for someone to toss his aerobie!
AnimalWhiz 