Adventures of the Former Elginista

I’ve never really liked pictures of myself, but I had a few good ones this year. Today’s #reverb10 prompt asks, “Photo – a present to yourself: Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.”

I took this photo of myself on a cool August day just before rain rolled in. I’d had a fantastic day at work – everything was humming along nicely – and I felt really GOOD. I rarely wear my hair back but had done so on a whim that morning and liked it.

I got home and decided to see if I could capture the energy and joy I felt. The first couple takes inside didn’t go so well – the lighting wasn’t right and gave off that yellow incandescent hue. So I scooped up the MacBook (I was using the Photobooth app) and went outside, just as it was starting to rain. I balanced the laptop on my patio table and had to turn it a couple times to avoid ugly backgrounds. I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

The other one I really liked while sifting through pictures was taken right after the Helping Hands 5k, when I had finally shattered the 30 minute mark in a race. My ex took the picture with his phone – he had raced, too, and cheered me in – and I was thrilled about my 28:36 time. It had been a really cool morning that necessitated a hoodie while leaving the house, but the run had warmed me up, and the sun was really bright.

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

Even when things are whirling and swirling, I know it’s all going to be ok. Better than ok. Everything’s going to be great.

Yesterday’s #reverb10 prompt posed this question: Everything’s OK: What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?

For me, it’s the continuity of the little things. Knowing that how crazy and chaotic things seem, my newspapers will be waiting at the end of the driveway when the some comes up tomorrow. There will be coffee in the house. (I make sure of that.) The cat will greet me when I get home, following me around like a puppy, happy to see me.

There will be annoying people on the train, but they’ll give me good stories to tell.

My work laptop will blue screen.

People will tweet.

I’ll consider going out for a run.

I’ll eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and a couple snacks in between.

All these things that happen daily help reassure me that everything’s fine. Because as long as the earth keeps turning, so will I.

Merry Christmas!

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

Names are so core to our identity, but ironically, we don’t usually get to pick them. Instead, names are bestowed on us in our first hours on earth (or even before birth), and we somehow have to reconcile the name, with all its associated meanings and baggage, with who we are.

As friends and coworkers become parents, I’ve heard the discussions that go into naming, with name after name getting shot down because someone had a bad second grade experience with someone by that name, or because it sounds “old fashioned” or “too trendy.”

Yesterday’s #reverb10 prompt asked, “If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?”

I’ve struggled with this over the years, and my college admission essay actual asked a variation of this. But I’ve really grown into my name, despite some challenges.

Crysta is unique – I’ve never encountered another person who spells it that way. I ran into some trouble after we moved to Crystal Lake and people would assume there was an l on the end. (My elementary school gym teacher called me Crystal for four years, and I was too shy/afraid of the mean old man to correct him.)

Being unique means no one has any preconceived notions of what a “Crysta” should be or do. No one got bullied by a Crysta, and no one had an annoying Great-Aunt Crysta.

When I started my Twitter account and this website, I would have loved to use just “Crysta,” but unfortunately, there must be one other out there, as neither was available. Hence, the Elginista moniker was born.

When racking my brain for another name, I couldn’t think of anything that fit quite as well. I’ve grown into Crysta and rather like it.

So call me Crysta…

How about you? What name would you take for a day – or the rest of your lifetime?

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

Just the other day, I wrote that my regret for 2010 was not traveling as much as I would like. Today’s #reverb10 prompt pushes that farther, asking us to describe, “How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?”

I was lucky enough to travel a lot growing up. Every year we went somewhere, even if it was just tacking on to one of my dad’s business trips. (That’s how we spent vacations in Cincinnati and Newark.) But my parents really valued travel for opening up new worlds to us, so we also did a relatively traditional whirlwind European tour when I was 12, and then moved to Hungary for a year when I was 14. While living there, travel was so easy – Vienna (with fresh strudel) was just a 90 minute drive away, and we drove all over Central Europe on weekends and our frequent school breaks. Heck, my math team went to a competition in Morocco.

As an adult, it’s been a bit more difficult to travel, especially having the funding and time off to do so. And other travel priorities pop up, such as weddings and business trips. (Though I’ve been pretty good about trying to add a day or two on many business trips so I can explore a bit.) In 2010, my only travel was a wedding in New York (the weekend before classes started, so I couldn’t add on time) and a business trip to San Diego.

Next year will be different. While school complicates things (and also may lead me to Asia in late summer), I just need to reset my expectations. Though big international trips are my favorite way to travel – I love spending a few days completely immersed in a new area, exploring until my feet are numb, people watching and wandering – they’re not as conducive to my schedule and budget.

So in 2011, I’ll make an effort to go on more small trips. Ideally, I would love to do my Ireland trip, and I’ll start researching how flights align with my very limited school breaks. But then, I’ll shoot to take two or three long weekends elsewhere, places I haven’t been before. Maybe Boston or Portland. Maybe I’ll see friends living places I haven’t been. I’m going to Indianapolis for the Indy Mini Half Marathon in May. While I was born there, I haven’t been back since I was about 8 years old – I should spend an extra day exploring.

I haven’t figured it out quite yet. But 2011 will be a good year for traveling.

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

Yesterday’s #reverb10 prompt asks us to play time traveler. “Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)”

While reading others’ responses to this prompt, I ran into Grace Boyle’s take, which included a link to the FutureMe site, where you can literally write an email to be delivered to yourself at any point in the future. So I wrote myself a long letter that I’ll receive on my 30th birthday next summer. It should be interesting. (And now I must promptly forget about it, so it’s a surprise.)

But if I was looking back at the year ahead from a vantage point of five years from now (I nearly need a diagram to sort that out), I would remind myself to stay in the moment, not get too caught up in the minutiae and to stay focused on the big picture. Self, I would say, dreading the next two quarters of Statistics will NOT make the class any easier. Just buckle down and take it one week at a time. Getting through two quarters of tough math will likely be the biggest obstacle standing between you and a master’s degree.

Remember to keep saying yes to new opportunities and people, while being smart enough to know that it’s okay to say no sometimes. Don’t automatically discount things because you haven’t done them before.

Self, I’d say, strive for balance. Busy is good, indeed, but remember that it’s no good if you don’t appreciate moments when you feel fully alive. Work hard at work – that enables everything else – and treat school just as seriously. But make sure to make time for friends and adventures, and also the occasional night to sit on the couch and watch tv or lie in the back yard under the stars. Each of these is such an important component of who you are and what makes you tick.

And remember to take things offline, too. Twitter, Facebook and whatever new platform that will become popular in 2011 are important for creating the connections, but they don’t really matter until you take them offline.

Most importantly, take care of yourself, self. Get plenty of sleep – no blog post or YouTube video is so important that it’s worth sacrificing much-needed rest – and eat well. Keep running and lifting. Remember how great you feel once you’re done. But also remember that you’re never really done – fitness is a life-long, daily activity, just like brushing your teeth.

And to my 19-year-old, college second-year self, I shake my head and smile. I would encourage that self to not hurry so much to graduate in three years, because September 11 created a terrible economy to graduate into. Instead, I would suggest that self go for the dual BA-MA program and graduate in the normal four years, and take some time to join extracurriculars, too. Oh, and there might be some sage words of dating advice, too.

What would you tell yourself from either vantage point – five years in the future or ten years ago? And are you writing a letter to yourself?

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

Talking about what you’ve done in the past year is relatively easy. But thinking through what you didn’t do is a wee bit more nuanced.

Yesterday’s #reverb10 prompt asks, “Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)”

When I read first read this, I started thinking about regrets. What am I disappointed I didn’t do this year?

Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with all I’ve accomplished. Sure, not everything has gone to plan, but I’m happy with how the year has turned out.

Though there is one big thing I didn’t do this year.

I didn’t really travel. I took two short trips: to San Diego for work in February, and a long weekend in New York for a September wedding. Neither was a destination I chose out of my own interest, and the dates and timings were picked for me.

I absolutely love to travel, to get out of my comfort zone and explore new places, wander through neighborhoods and just take in an area. Growing up, my family traveled a ton, using the “explore everything until we collapse from dehydration or exhaustion” method. It was fantastic. I’ve seen just enough of the world that I’m hungry to see more.

I was on the verge of booking a trip to Ireland for late summer. After a lot of research, I had finally found the perfect itinerary that would let me see all I wanted to see (from Dublin all the way west, including biking the Dingle Peninsula) while coordinating the minutiae of lodging, transfers etc. But I couldn’t get dates and flights to align before school started, so I put the trip on hold.

So next year, I vow to travel more, to make a conscious effort to see and do more. (I reached the end of the year and had taken barely any days off – I hope not to have that “problem” next year.)

What do you regret not doing this year?

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

I’ll admit it. When I saw today’s #reverb10 prompt on Healing, I may have rolled my eyes just a little bit. (The prompt: Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?) When I started #reverb10, I was a little concerned it would be a little too new agey, touchy feely. Some of the prompts can certainly be interpreted as such, but this is the first one that merited an eye roll.

How have I been healed this year? That would imply I was sick or needed healing!

But once that train of thought cleared the station, I realized that I have indeed done a lot of healing this year. I look at where I was a year ago compared to where I am now, and I marvel at how my life has done a 150 or 160 or so. And along the way, I have healed some of the old bruises and mindsets that were holding me back.

In fact, I started running as my relationship fell apart, in those odd few months between calling off the wedding and actually breaking up. Running was – and still is – so therapeutic, a chance to clear my head and get away from distraction. Running lets me process everything happening in my life, even if I’m not actively thinking about whatever’s troubling me. I come back from runs with a very peaceful, satisfied feeling that helps fuel the rest of my day and week.

I also finally admitted that I need more sleep than I did when I was in college, so I push myself to bed earlier. (Lately, that push is more like a gentle nudge – I’ve adapted to the increased sleep, and don’t need to be reminded of the benefits.)

In general, I’m taking much better care of myself than a year ago, eating better, exercising better, sleeping better. And as a result, what could have been a very tough, very terrible year has gone fantastically well and is ending on a high note.

So while I may not have gone to a healer – heck, I barely go to the doctor except for routine checkups – I’ve found ways to heal myself and proactively prevent further damage.

If that’s what healing means, I’ll take it.

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.


I’ve been really good about trying new things this year, from new food to new activities, new friends and new priorities. So when today’s #reverb10 asked about “trying,” (Try: What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it?) I was intrigued to think about next year’s possibilities.

But then I was stumped by what I actually want to try versus what I want to do. Reading through several other #reverb10 posts for today, several people quoted Yoda’s wise, “Do or do not, there is no try.” They make a good point.

Even so, there are indeed some things I want to try to do.

I want to try to take more pictures of life as it happens, and then do something with those pictures.

I want to try to ride my bike more consistently so I can do a half century ride at some point. (Obviously, this one I can’t really start until the thaw.)

I want to try to listen more and talk less.

I want to try to push myself just a little bit beyond my comfort zone.

I still want to try to learn how to dance, but I seriously doubt this will actually happen. I took two years of lessons as a kid, and a Zumba class last winter. The latter just confirmed that I have no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

I want to try to be satisfied with every decision I make. Maybe not happy – but at least satisfied.

I want to try to blog more frequently than I did before I started #reverb10.

How about you? What are you going to try in 2011?

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.

My friends rock. I have some I’ve known since first grade, back when we rode the school bus together and played on the school playground. Others have been in my life since high school or college, and still others I’ve met only this year.

So when yesterday’s #reverb10 post asked about Friendship, I was intrigued. The prompt asks, “Friendship How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?”

The best friends shift your perspectives in ways that you don’t realize at the time. They don’t force you to change; rather, through invitations to new events, new ideas, offhand comments, suggestions, etc – they enhance and enrich your life, opening new doors. Your world expands in ways that you don’t see or grasp until you step back and think about it.

But if I had to nail down one who really changed my perspective in 2010, I’d point to Jenn, a relatively new friend I met through my boss. We’re both newish runners who work with social media, but I’ve learned so much from her. Jenn’s creativity in the kitchen has inspired me to start actually cooking – and enjoying it. Her approach to food is wholesome, natural foods. I had dabbled in such cooking but couldn’t really translate it into daily life. Now that I’ve cracked the code, I feel so much more energetic and capable – huge wins. Meanwhile, watching someone who started running after I did run a half marathon in August pushed me to set the bar high for myself. We commiserated after the Hot Chocolate 15k and plan on sharing the F*cking Freezing Frozen Lake Half Marathon next month – we’re already questioning our sanity. Essentially, she’s just plain cool.

The other friends who have had a huge impact me are the #runnerds on Twitter. I can’t count how many (usually weekend) mornings I’ve felt like lounging and being lazy with coffee and newspapers, rather than going out for a run. I do love to run, but on weekend mornings, there’s a certain freedom that comes with laziness. But then I flip to Twitter and see how many of my #runnerds friends have already come back from their 4 or 7 or 18 mile runs, and I know I should do likewise before the day falls apart. Having such a community celebrating shared successes has gotten me off the couch. And they’re awesome in real life, too.

Do you have a friend who has changed your perspective this year?

This post is part of #Reverb10, a month-long project to reflect on the year nearly gone. Read all my #Reverb10 posts, or learn more.