Juliana Moves

Happy summer, officially! Are you in a heat dome? We certainly are. Let me tell you, my new parsley plant does NOT like it. I am going to sound like a broken record for a moment, so bear with me, but how in the world are we already halfway through 2025?!

Time is moving differently for me this year and it has me feeling a little bit out of control. We’ve had a decent amount of travel this summer and that also makes time bend in odd ways. That said, we had an absolutely amazing visiting our friends in Florida! (Fernanda, Ben, Oliver – if you’re reading this – we love you!). We went to the Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park – two new (for me) national parks – and it was awesome. We also tasted fresh, Florida mangos and it is all I want to eat now. Sorry, peaches and cherries.

Anyway, back to business, June is almost over and Q2 is coming to a close! Let’s see how I’ve been doing on my 2025 goals, shall we?

Personal

Continue blogging at least 3x a month (I like this creative outlet for my brain!)

Still doing great here! I continue to enjoy randomly writing for this space. It scratches an itch in my brain that I didn’t know I had. Occasionally I get the urge to write something more intentionally, with multiple drafts and sit down writing sessions, but I’m not there yet. Above all else, I do not want this blog to feel like a chore or job or become inauthentic in any way.

Do more VHTRC events (local trail running group that I love)

During MMT I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with all the VHTRC-ers out there. It fills my cup and helps give running more meaning. I am looking forward to running Catherine’s Fat Ass 50k in July with Patrick! 

Explore more art (movies, music, shows, etc)

I may be slacking a bit with this one. We saw Pride and Prejudice (loved!), we attended a library talk (fun!), and I am still reading and changing up my music playlists a bit. I’d love to go to an art museum this summer and maybe watch more movies. We’ll see! Is there anything you’d suggest I read, watch, or listen to?!

Finance

Take the frugal path 2x a month (back in ATX I had no money so I was clever and frugal and more eco-friendly. That’s what I’m trying to harken back to here!)

I stopped keeping track of this, but I would argue that I am crushing it. One of my other goals in this category is to reduce spending on dumbass stuff (see below) and that really just goes hand and hand with this. I’ve been trying to buy used clothes (when needed) or repurpose something I already have around the house rather than buying a new gadget or item. 

I think doing this makes me more aware of the stuff in my life and forces me to confront when I am actually busy and need convenience or when I am just being lazy.

Save for a big Juliana & Patrick trip (Australia 2025?)

Patrick and I are actively trying to drive down our joint expenses so that we can save to maybe, hopefully refinance or recast our mortgage one day and to travel more! Over the last few months, I’d say we’ve both gotten better about being mindful of our joint consumption so that we can squirrel more away for the good, memorable stuff.

Reduce spending on dumbass stuff (I hate dumbass stuff and yet it calls to me)

I’m giving myself an A- here! I still get the urge to buy stuff randomly at times, though I also think that I make use of the stuff I do buy more than I did before. If you want to begin this journey, you should read The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. MacKinnon. Reducing your random spending and buying is difficult at first. Over time, it’s like strengthening a muscle! Now I get an absolute kick out of it. Nice try, capitalism!

Fitness

Work out a recovery routine that supports performance and endurance (my aging body has been speaking to me lately)

I am still going strong with yoga and strength training and the occasional foam rolling session. I’ve also added in three short core workouts a week to build more stability and body awareness.

Climb 3x a month 

Plot twist: we are going to cancel our climbing membership! We realized that we have too many other hobbies to dedicate additional time to climbing. Plus, we like being outdoors more than being in a climbing gym anyway. If we get the itch to climb again, maybe we’ll take an outdoor class or get punch cards. 

Do longer yoga sessions

Sort of hit or miss here. Sometimes I’ll do 20 minutes, sometimes I still only do 10, and sometimes I will stretch and roll for 30+! It just depends on when I am getting around to doing it during the day and how tight my body feels. Regardless, I am still going strong with stretching every day and I really do think it makes a difference.

How did you hold up in Q2? I don’t actually look at my life in quarters for the record! I just enjoy the reflection it allows.

Love,

JN