My students and Earth Day

So, yesterday, my class was alluding to the fact that they wanted to be taken outside for lecture. And I completely would have... other than that I was dressed to the sevens (I wouldn't say the nines) for a awards banquet we were having later that night. One of my students who is a bit of a flake said, "Ew!" with a long pause and then said, "I hate being outside. You get all sweaty, and there's sun and bugs. Who would want to go outside?" I thought of this today while I was doing a 2-mile Walk Away the Pounds video as well as my 25 minute weight routine. Here I was, inside sweating away, all dirty and disgusting, while my student was concerned about louging around outside listening to me talk about the topic for today. There used to be a time when I was like this girl. I hated being outside, because of the sweatiness and bugs. But now I'm learning to appreciate the outside, to enjoy the sun and the freckles it brings to my arms and face (yes, I'm wearing SPF... it's my inner redhead coming out!), to like the sweat and where it comes from (hard work and exercise!), as well as appreciate the beauty of nature that surrounds me. Two years ago, that was not me. When people say weight loss is a life change, you don't realize how completely true that is, and how many aspects of your life is touched by that change... in a positive way!