Since last I wrote, in most of the country, Spring has sprung. With it comes animals out of hiding, flowers into bloom, and grass into the deepest hue of green I have ever seen. It's now no wonder to me why some people live this far north; they deal with the harsh winters in exchange for a real change of seasons and spectacular Springs and Falls.

With the change of seasons and the more bearable climate in many of the northern states, I've taken an earnest interest in jogging as a way to keep in shape. If you know me, I've always been one to bitch and moan about how much I hate jogging as a sport; I found it too dull and repetitive for me to really enjoy (I preferred cycling or a more dynamic sport such as soccer). Well, I've decided to give it another chance now that the weather has turned delightful, I find myself in a different locale every day, and I've been shown quite a few entertaining podcasts to keep on top of. Luckily, this all coincided with a brand new specialty running store opening only a few blocks from my home: welcome to the neighborhood, West Seattle Runner (special thanks to co-owner Lori McConnell for taking the time to get me in the right pair of shoes)! How could I say no to the opportunity?

View of the lakefront jogging path looking out onto downtown Madison, WI.

I've found there are quite a few parks, nature trails, and pedestrian paths near many of the locations I visit with work, so it's made my days more fun trying to hunt them down and document them. If anyone knows of a good way to do this with an online tool (preferably one that includes photo uploads), please let me know. Right now, if the location is an established park or trail, I can bookmark it on Google Maps, but this is not always the case.

There are only a few weeks left before the end of my contract and I begin the barrage of location changes I have scheduled for myself over the course of my four month Summer break. It all kicks off with Memorial Day, baby. TI, here we come.