With a little more time to breathe than typical semesters, I have embraced the concept of taking care of myself. Oftentimes, back in the states, I find myself so stressed the fleeting thought of exercising taking away studying time is enough to steer clear of the Whitt. Things are (luckily) a little bit different here! I feel more like the average college student who has time to take naps, sporadically go out to dinner or spend time with friends, and go to the gym.
That being said, I forgot how much I love to sleep. I generally get a full 8 hours; if I don't, I can take a nap ranging anywhere from 1 to 4 hours every day but Wednesday - my busy day. Even better, I don't feel behind or stressed when I wake up!
Exercise. in simple terms, I've done a lot of it during my time in India. Most days I wander over to the world-class fitness center Marena and spend at least an hour there. If I don't make it to the gym, no problem! I've been taking ashtanga yoga classes for one hour a night, five days per week and the results have been amazing! I made it a point to photo-track my progress periodically:
Seeing as I had nowhere to go but up in terms of flexibility, seeing such dramatic results has been so motivating to continue classes. Once I return from a group travel week (tomorrow until October 8th), I will begin a second month of lessons.
Lastly, the meals in India generally consists of primarily carbs, oil, and sugar. While it is easy (and free) to eat each meal in the dining hall, I have discovered a great food court upstairs where I usually eat at least one lighter meal per day. Depending on my mood, my meal can range from cereal and milk to tomato soup to fruit salad to Subway (yes, there is a Subway!).
Having the time to adopt these new healthier habits has been a real blessing. I feel more confident, healthy, happy and energized. I cannot wait to come back the the US with my new lifestyle and daily routines. However, returning just after Thanksgiving and before Christmas may pose a few challenges...
I am off to bed after a long week (2 exams, 2 papers, 1 epidemiology assignment). Tomorrow afternoon marks the first day of "epic travel week". My group will be traveling to various cities for the next 10 days! Although I will not have my laptop, I plan to find an internet cafe at least once, so keep in touch and wish for safe travels.
Love,
Nikki
That being said, I forgot how much I love to sleep. I generally get a full 8 hours; if I don't, I can take a nap ranging anywhere from 1 to 4 hours every day but Wednesday - my busy day. Even better, I don't feel behind or stressed when I wake up!
Exercise. in simple terms, I've done a lot of it during my time in India. Most days I wander over to the world-class fitness center Marena and spend at least an hour there. If I don't make it to the gym, no problem! I've been taking ashtanga yoga classes for one hour a night, five days per week and the results have been amazing! I made it a point to photo-track my progress periodically:
 |
| Before the first day of class. |
 |
| After 7 classes. |
 |
| After 17 classes! |
Lastly, the meals in India generally consists of primarily carbs, oil, and sugar. While it is easy (and free) to eat each meal in the dining hall, I have discovered a great food court upstairs where I usually eat at least one lighter meal per day. Depending on my mood, my meal can range from cereal and milk to tomato soup to fruit salad to Subway (yes, there is a Subway!).
Having the time to adopt these new healthier habits has been a real blessing. I feel more confident, healthy, happy and energized. I cannot wait to come back the the US with my new lifestyle and daily routines. However, returning just after Thanksgiving and before Christmas may pose a few challenges...
I am off to bed after a long week (2 exams, 2 papers, 1 epidemiology assignment). Tomorrow afternoon marks the first day of "epic travel week". My group will be traveling to various cities for the next 10 days! Although I will not have my laptop, I plan to find an internet cafe at least once, so keep in touch and wish for safe travels.
Love,
Nikki
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