My First Week in Philly

I can officially say I've lived in Philadelphia for over a week now! It's still really weird to say that, but I suppose that's an adjustment I'll eventually get used to. This past week, Lauren's brother, Kevin stayed with us, exploring the city just a little bit more. Going from a suburban setting where I can drive my car wherever I want, to a big city and having to take public transportation to get places is probably one of the biggest challenges to this move, but I'm actually getting used to that too.

I've already had to call my credit card companies to change my address so that my cards no longer get declined, our apartment is mostly put together and organized, and I've already found a lot of delicious vegan food within walking distance of my apartment. Life is good now, and it will continue to become more comfortable as I get more used to living in the city.

The subway and bus routes are actually pretty easy to figure out, but surprisingly I've been walking a lot. Getting my Fitbit to buzz everyday hasn't been hard, and I enjoy walking to the grocery store and other little shops and restaurants, although I'm sure my outlook on walking will change once it begins to snow. I'm not really looking forward to that.

On Monday I also joined a gym with an indoor pool, track, rock climbing wall, and fitness classes in addition to the regular gym amenities. Kevin showed Lauren and I how to lift weights on Monday, and I'm still so sore! I wanted to rest my arms and legs yesterday, so I opted for the core conditioning class. I've never really taken a group exercise class before, but trying out new forms of exercise is on my 24 goals list, and since they're included in my membership fee, then why not take advantage of them? The class was intimidating at first, but everyone in the class are at varying fitness levels, so no one sticks out like a sore thumb. My upper abs are still sore from yesterday, which I guess is a good sign. But mainly, my tail bone hurts the most from all those crunches! Am I the only one with that problem? In other exercise-related news though, running has sadly taken the back burner while I strive to incorporate cross training and aim to stay consistent with weight lifting (not like body builder status, I just want to add a little muscle here and there).

My dad and I also went to New Jersey for two days to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. I love their downtown area and am looking forward to visiting them again soon. It's nice to know they're only a train ride away.

For my birthday my mom wanted to get me a nice snow jacket. We thought it would be best to get one once I get to the East Coast since they're bound to carry the warmest clothing. I found one at L.L. Bean, but I had to order it online since they didn't have their warmest layers in store yet. It arrived within a few days and it's very warm, but I just sent it back for a smaller size. At least I still have a few months before I'll truly need it! I also ordered a pair of snow boots from L.L. Bean that are backordered until October. This whole snow business is completely new to me and I don't really know what to expect. We'll play it by ear I suppose.

Lauren's birthday is on Friday so I'm looking forward to spending the day touring the city some more and seeing the other side of Philadelphia. I'm excited for a day at Reading Terminal Market and a delicious dinner!