How Running Improved My Lifestyle

Running? Ew! That’s what I would’ve said if you had asked me about running two years ago. Back then, I played sports just to keep fit, and I absolutely hated running. Every time a coach said we were doing sprints or a mile run, I groaned. But in freshman year of high school, I realized how much I hated team sports and decided to give running a try by joining my school cross country team. At first, I wasn’t great, or even good, but I got better. I started slow and built up my mileage and speed. I wouldn’t say I’m great even now, but I’m getting there.

I’ve experienced so many benefits from running, and now I can’t imagine how I stayed sane without it. So, here’s a list of the best things that I have experienced or learned since I started running:

 – New friends. I don’t know why, but people who run are almost always the nicest people ever. Everyone on the team was so welcoming and encouraging to all of the runners, not just the good or experienced ones. Within a week of doing cross country, I had made three good friends with people I never would’ve thought I would become close with. Running also allowed me to become friends with older kids who I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

 – Productivity. There’s a whole theory that students who do sports are more productive and successful in school. I totally doubted this at first, but being on this team really helped my grades for two main reasons. First of all, since I was at practice until 4:30 or 5:00 every day, I started my homework right away when I got home instead of procrastinating first. Also, running taught me about having a good work ethic. In running, especially distance running, you have to work hard to improve. This idea definitely encouraged me to study harder in school.

 – Health. Obviously, running has been great for my overall health. It’s great cardio and a good way to stay fit. But it was also the first time I enjoyed cardio and participation in a sport. I like seeing how my hard work pays off. This opened my eyes to other forms of exercise that don’t involve the usual team sports, like biking and swimming. It also encouraged me to eat healthier since it was the first time I really cared about my fitness.

 – Happiness. Running really does relieve my stress and make me feel good. It’s even scientifically proven that the endorphins released during/after a run make people feel happier. It also makes me feel really good about myself because it shows me every day that I can do more than I once thought possible. After pushing through a hard workout or a long run, I feel proud of myself, and that feeling carries through the rest of the day.

 – Enjoy nature. I’ve never really cared that much about nature and the outdoors, to be honest. However, once I started running, I really began to enjoy running through pretty places like parks, fields, and trails. It’s a lot of fun to run to a beautiful destination, especially during the fall weather (fall is cross country season). I also appreciate good weather more now, because I know that whatever the weather is, I’m gonna have to run in it.

Overall, running has improved my lifestyle so much. I’m healthier, happier, and more productive, and I also have a much better mindset. Plus, though at one point I would’ve laughed if someone said this to me, it’s fun!

I hope this post was enjoyable for you, and who knows? Maybe I’ve even convinced to go for a run! Try it – I mean, really, what’s the worst that could happen?

– Lexie Brooke 🙂

My Transition to a Vegetarian Lifestyle

Hey, it’s Lexie… again! I am really trying to be consistent with posts because I know that once the school year starts I won’t have as much time and I want to build up my base as much as possible. Plus, I’m finally doing it: I’m writing a post that is not about books. Sorry to disappoint any fellow bookworms out there, but I really want this blog to be about all of the big parts of my lifestyle. This does include reading, but it also includes animals, running, being vegetarian, and school. How could I choose just one topic to write about when I know that I could connect with more people if I write about everything I enjoy??

Anyway, I decided to try out being a vegetarian in March of 2016 and I haven’t eaten meat since then. It seemed like a big change at the time, especially for others around me, but now I can’t imagine not being vegetarian. I know that a lot of people are trying to decide whether or not this lifestyle is a good fit for them, so I decided to write a quick post about my transition to being vegetarian as well as some of the benefits I have experienced since this switch.

First of all, I think it’s important to start with the WHY. Why did I choose to stop eating meat? For me, the answer is simple: I love animals. It makes me sad to think that people kill and eat animals who did them no harm whatsoever. Once the idea of trying to be a vegetarian got into my head, I couldn’t get it out. Every time I ate meat, I felt more and more guilty about eating animals. This guilt is what made me decide to try out being vegetarian.

Like I said, becoming vegetarian can feel like a bold move at the time. However, for me, the hardest part was convincing my family. My mom was worried about making sure I got enough protein since I’m also a runner and it’s very important that I have a high-protein diet. My dad was unsure about it because he thought it would be a pain to have to make separate meals for me. They both took a bit of convincing.

I listed lots of high-protein foods to show my mom that I would be okay not eating meat. Some of the foods on the list were lentils, tofu, nuts, soy products, eggs and other dairy products, beans, and peanut butter. I’ve found that these are all great sources of protein for me. As for the separate meal issue, I found a few types of veggie burgers that I could make myself on nights when the rest of my family was eating meat. With that, my parents were convinced and I started my vegetarian journey.

To be honest, the transition was pretty easy for me. I ate lots of dairy foods, and I also tried out different ways of making tofu until I found some that I liked. Any cravings I had for meat were balanced by how happy I was to be eating an animal-free diet. This is one of the top two best things about being vegetarian for me. Looking back, it seems pretty upsetting to be eating a cow, chicken, pig, etc. It makes me feel great knowing that I’m participating in such a large movement of people that are keeping animals from being killed and eaten.

The other best thing about being vegetarian for me is the healthier diet that I now have. A lot of people think that vegetarians can get by on carbs and snack foods, but this is not the case at all. In order to stay healthy, I really have to focus on finding high protein snacks (peanut butter and carrots, protein bars, etc) in order to keep my protein and iron levels up. I’ve found that as a vegetarian, I have much healthier breakfasts and lunches as well because I don’t rely on just having meat for dinner anymore. I also eat healthier at restaurants because salads are often the only completely vegetarian option on the menu.

My transition to being vegetarian was much easier than I thought. In fact, the hardest part was probably just making the decision to try it. I’m so happy with the way it has worked out for me. If anyone out there is considering being vegetarian, TRY IT! There’s no harm in trying and it’s such a great way to eat healthily and help animals. Also, if you would like more vegetarian posts, like meal or snack ideas, let me know and I’d be glad to post some.

Hope you enjoyed!

– Lexie Brooke 🙂

P. S.

If you have any writing tips, suggestions, or advice for me I would definitely appreciate it! I’m new at this and would love any help I can get.

My Life in Books

Hey! It’s Lexie again. I know I said I’d be posting about all sorts of things on this blog, and I mean that. I want to post about my vegetarian lifestyle, running, family, high school, etc. I want to post lists, rants, stories, advice. But seeing as this is only my second official blog post, I’m sticking to what I know best: books. I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. Looking back on my short 16 years so far, it seems natural to associate each year of my life with certain books that I loved that year. I’ve decided to compile a list of my favorite book from each year of my life. Hope you like this list, whether you use it as a guideline for books to give loved ones, recommendations for yourself, or purely nostalgia and entertainment. Enjoy!

Age 1: Let’s be honest, I didn’t read at age one and have no recollection of any books my parents may have read to me. Sorry to disappoint.

Age 2: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This is a classic book for kids, and I know that my mom read this book to me a lot when I was younger.

Age 3: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. I was completely obsessed with this book for a while (seriously, I had my own giant purple crayon in my room). I chose it primarily because my favorite color was purple at the time, but I also loved the story and it encouraged me to be creative and draw more.

Age 4: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. Like I said, my favorite color was purple. Seriously, though, this was such a fun read for me when I was little. I loved the entertaining story, and I guess it taught me about respecting possessions, but I didn’t realize that at the time.

Age 5: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Okay, this one was really a favorite of mine all throughout the ages of 3-6. I loved the colorful pictures and rhymes. A lot. I even had a Lorax-themed birthday party. This book is also great because it shows kids their importance in the world – I still love the story today.

Age 6: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This was my very first “big girl” book, and I love this one a lot. It’s a really cute story about a mouse who rescues a princess, and it’s a really essential part of my childhood.

Age 7: Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy by Barbara Park. Really, I loved the whole Junie B. Jones series of books, but this was my favorite. These were great beginner chapter books for me, and my mom even liked reading them with me too. The stories are hilarious!

Age 8: Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene. These books were a big turning point for me in reading, because I ended up reading every book in the series (there are 64, and they’re pretty long), which was an accomplishment I remember being extremely proud of. It also kick-started a big mystery book phase for me. I loved that each book had a new and exciting plot to follow.

Age 9: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I think I might’ve read this book when I was a little younger, but I remember re-reading it a few times once I understood it more, which was around the age of nine. I actually just read this book again as there’s a movie coming out soon for it, and I have to say, I still loved it! The characters are wonderful because they’re all very unique, and it’s kind of a sci-fi type of story with a great fiction aspect.

Age 10: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. The mystery phase was still going strong! The characters in this book were great as well because they were so entertaining. The whole idea of a secret society made up of kids was very cool to me, and I remember being so excited when I met the author at a book signing for the sequel.

Age 11: A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. This book is pretty sad, but I loved it because of the interesting characters. The protagonist, Mia, has synesthesia, which was something I had never heard of but was extremely interested to read about. I also loved Wendy Mass’s others books, like 11 Birthdays, The Candymakers, and Every Soul a Star.

Age 12: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. I had never read many post-apocalyptic books before, and I wasn’t a huge fan of that general idea, but I loved this one. For me, the story was perfect because it was very exciting without being completely based on action and adventure.

Age 13: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. To be completely honest, 13 was probably the year that I read the least, for whatever reason. However, I did read this book multiple times, and each time I loved it more. Like I said, I had a long-lasting mystery book phase, and this was one of the later books I read in that phase.

Age 14: Paper Towns by John Green. I had finally discovered the young adult section in the bookstore, and John Green was the most popular author, so I read all of his books. I’m not usually a big fan of books centered around romance, but I really liked this one because it also involved a little bit of an adventure as well.

Age 15: Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. I did consider putting this one under age 8 -9, because that was the age I first read these books, but decided they really belong under age 15 because that’s when they starting really standing out and impacting who I am. If you haven’t seen my last blog post entitled How Harry Potter Saved My Life, I suggest checking that out to see why Harry Potter was so significant this year.

Age 16: Orphan Train by Christina Baker-Kline. This has definitely been my best book discovery so far this year, although I do have about 5 months left of being 16. I was actually assigned to read this book for English class this year. Instead of reading just the 30 pages my teacher assigned the first night, I read the entire book. Yup. This books is fiction but has aspects of historical fiction, something I normally shy away from. However, I absolutely loved the way the story weaves between two different characters, time periods, and settings.

Well, since I’m only 16, the list can’t go on any further (yet), but I look forward to updating the list in the future. Before I go, I just HAVE to say that this was extremely hard for me. If you’re a fellow book lover, you know how hard it is to narrow down your favorites. Just because I didn’t mention a book on this list doesn’t mean I don’t love it!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my top books from each year of my life. Feel free to comment your favorite childhood books, or if you’re older I’d love recommendations for my years to come!

– Lexie Brooke 🙂

How Harry Potter Saved My Life

Hey! Welcome back to my blog (or welcome if you’re new – don’t worry, I’m new at this too). I know I just posted my intro post literally an hour ago. I’m probably being way too eager by posting again, but I wanted to write a real blog post with an actual story and topic. So of course, I went straight to Harry Potter for the topic, demonstrating the true nerd that I am. But you know what? I’m okay with being a “nerd”. I think it’s a great thing to love reading and to love Harry Potter and it’s not something that I’m ashamed of, which brings me to the topic of my post.

A year ago, I was a completely different person than I am today. Maybe I haven’t changed on the outside, as my general interests are pretty much the same, but my outlook on life is entirely different now. I am much happier with who I am now than I was last year, and I think that, as random as it might sound, I have Harry Potter to thank for a lot of this.

You see, up until last year, I was totally concerned with the way other people saw me. In middle school, I was fairly “popular”, meaning basically that a lot of my friends were considered cool by others. However, I would spend hours each week planning my outfits and thinking about how my friends would feel about them. I also read books or watched movies or listened to songs based on what types of things my friends liked, not what I liked. I just wanted to please my friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t unhappy, but I was subconsciously living for others rather than for myself. And I don’t blame my friends for this either. I don’t know why I felt this pressure to please others, but I did. It could have been them, or it could have been me, but it was probably just the combination of them and me together. I wasn’t really as similar to them as I had been in the past, but I felt that I should still be like them, so I pretended I was.

In freshman year of high school, I was separated from these friends because we didn’t have classes together. I became upset about this because I saw them becoming closer with even more “popular” kids and I wasn’t a part of that anymore. For whatever reason, I felt tied to these friends even though my newfound independence was bringing me to realize how much they had held me back in the past. I was making plenty of new friends, but I still felt like I had to somehow repair my old friendships because that was how it was supposed to be.

But then, during the summer after freshman year, something happened that changed my perspective: I cleaned out my closet. Revolutionary, I know. Just kidding, the thing that changed my perspective was what I found in my closet, which was my old copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. I had read the Harry Potter books countless times when I was younger, but I had since forgotten about them. Since this was during the summer, I had a lot of free time and I decided to re-read the book, which quickly turned into re-reading the entire series.

By the time I was done, I had started sophomore year of high school. Gradually, I was becoming a more self-confident person. I didn’t care that I wasn’t as close with my old friends, who were now drinking and wearing tons of makeup, by the way. I didn’t care if my outfit wasn’t completely socially acceptable, as long as I liked what I was wearing. I didn’t care that some people probably thought I was lame or annoying because I color-coded my notes and worked hard in school, because I liked doing that. And I became closer with friends who felt the same way as me. I feel that I have Harry Potter to thank for this, specifically the characters Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood.

Hermione is a total know-it-all who loves studying and can sometimes be a little bossy. In the first book, Ron and Harry don’t like her because of this. But she quickly proves how great she is by saving them countless numbers of times, and the three become best friends. Hermione was a total boss in my eyes, and I really do hate to use the phrase “total boss”, but there’s no other way to put it. She showed me that it is okay to be a nerd, to try hard in school, and to be vocal about what you want.

Luna is, in many ways, Hermione’s total opposite. She has her head in the clouds, she wears crazy clothes, and she talks about creatures that nobody else has ever heard of. The kids at Hogwarts pick on her and call her “Loony” Lovegood. However, she becomes friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and helps them out in many tough situations. She proves she knows more than she lets on, and she became a favorite character of mine because of her sense of humor, individuality, and wisdom. Luna showed me the importance of being yourself, and not caring what others think about your opinions or your style.

Now, before I wrap up this ridiculously long post (what can I say, I love Harry Potter!), I want to make something clear: Not all of my friends gave me that pressure to be someone else. I am so grateful that I have lots of friends that have stuck by me since elementary school, and who love me just the same now that I have revealed my love for Harry Potter and the countless other nerdy things that come with that. I am also grateful for my new friends, who support everything I do as well, whether it is something they enjoy too or a random little quirk I have.

I hope you would like to hear about my quirks as well, and that you will be able to relate to or enjoy my posts. If you liked this post, please feel free to follow my blog. I have plenty of new content coming – I even made a list of ideas to write about, but I’m open to suggestions too! Hope you enjoyed!

– Lexie Brooke 🙂

My First Blog Post

Hey! My name is Lexie, I’m 16 years old, and I am excited to be sharing my life with you, whoever and wherever you may be. I decided to start this blog because I love writing, but whenever I try to make up a story, I find that I can’t follow through with the characters or the plot. By starting a blog, I can tell my own real-life experiences to the world, and hopefully, others can relate to these experiences. My blog will be revolving around the things that I experience on a daily basis as a high school student: school stress (college – eek!), family drama, friendship, sports, etc.  I will also write about my interests, which include music, animals, and reading – I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I will be writing a lot in the coming weeks, so look out for more posts and I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I know I will enjoy writing it!

– Lexie Brooke 🙂