Day: April 3, 2017

B is for Birkenstocks #AtoZChallenge

So I was looking at my sandals that are beat all to hell, and I realized that they are in such terrible shape because they are so well-worn and well-loved.

When I started grad school, I lived in a cold climate, and I kept having issues with my right ankle. The ankle issues weren’t exactly new–I’ve had problems with my legs for years. When I was younger, it was attributed to growing pains. But I knew, for instance, at a very young age to elevate my leg if it were giving me trouble. I can vividly remember spending the night at my friend’s house (when I was 9? 10?) and being in tears because my ankle hurt and having to elevate it to go to sleep.

Right. So not new to ankle pain.

Anyway, I thought it had been acting up because of the cold, but it was bad enough that the doctor prescribed me orthotics. The orthotics were all well and good until I moved to the balmy clime of Florida, land of the flip flop and sandal.  Oh, and I could no longer blame the cold for my ankle issues.

More doctor visits, and this time I was instructed to get some sandals/shoes with good support. More specifically, it was recommended that I get some Birkenstocks.

I am on my third pair of these. I don’t understand people who have had the same pair for over 20 years, since the longest mine have lasted is maybe three, and that includes getting them re-soled. Probably because I can’t deal with the grody foot bed. But I digress. source

Doing so changed my life. I can teach in my Birkenstocks and not be in pain at the end of the day. This is HUGE. I can also walk around theme parks without wanting to throw in the towel before the day is over.

It’s pretty great.

It also showed me that I had to invest in good footwear. My personal budget for footwear was around $50-60, and that was for sneakers. I never wanted to spend more than $20 for sandals. And that was a lot! And it also meant no more flip flops. Or whatever other super flat sandal is in style and adorable and that I want. But to kick it back to yesterday’s letter A post, I had to accept that those types of shoes would not serve me. Even if they would look amazing.

Oh well.

So, yes, I am grateful for Birkenstocks, the sandals that helped save my ankle.

Blogging from A to Z is a challenge that runs through the month of April.

For the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year, my theme is gratitude. Every day, I am going to post about something I am grateful for. Tune in tomorrow to see what I pick for C.

But if you try sometimes, you get what you need: February/March in review

1. March was all about the Slice of Life challenge. I posted every single day in March, and, if you missed any, you can find them all here.

If I were still doing the challenge, I might have posted yesterday about going to the NCAA regional semifinals for gymnastics which was pretty cool. I would have complained about the lack of distinctive leotards and how bars seemed to be every single team’s nemesis and also the awful, awful music used for some of the floor routines. Also the price of stadium food. I would have gloated about spending time with a super cool lady friend and that our team made it to the finals. But then I would have possibly made a sadface as I described how me and my friend figured out there’s no way we can make it to the finals.

2. In February, I read five books:

Continue reading “But if you try sometimes, you get what you need: February/March in review” →