30-day trial almost complete

On December 10, I decided to exercise for 30 days straight no matter what (well unless my arms and legs got cut off and I changed my name to "Art," but that's just common sense). For the past several years, I've been unable to exercise very regularly (read: I'm a lazy bum), but I figured a 30-day commitment was something I could meet.

It's been difficult. I wake up late enough and need to get into work moderately early after a commute, so I almost never exercise in the morning. Then some days, I have evening activities. To make matters worse, it rains at random times throughout the day and week, so outdoor exercise is harder, and there is no gym within walking distance of home or work. Also, I like to take the bus to work.

Oh and did I mention that our neighborhood is not the safest? On the day we moved in, we saw fire trucks down the street because a 14 year-old girl had stabbed a guy, after he tried to prevent her from stealing a purse.

But I resolved to do exercise 30 minutes a day for 30 days, and it's been 28 days. One day I went to a basketball game and knew I would get home late, so I took a walk at work, and when I started freezing to death, I walked briskly around my building, which is rather large, while thawing out. Other times I've turned the exercise into a social event when family or friends are visiting.

The nicest part is I've come up with some creative ways to deal with exercise, and how now, going to the gym at 10 p.m. just doesn't seem weird and I don't encounter much mental resistance. Don't get me wrong, it's not as natural as, say, eating pork and crab dumplings at the Shanghai Cafe in New York City, but it's getting there.