Back after a long absence

Well, hi there! It's been a while since I've last posted. Since the end of August, I've just been going nonstop with school and everything. So, here's to playing catch-up!

On my Weight Loss:
     I have now lost over 50 lbs, and I am smaller than I ever thought was possible. This week, I bought a pair of jeans...in a size 4. My very first pair of size 4 pants. I am still shocked, even though I'm wearing them right now. I cannot thank God enough for the courage to start this journey, for the self-control to continue it, and the determination to carry it through even when it got hard. I'm not exactly done yet - I still have 4 or 5 lbs to go - but I'm getting closer every day.
     There are days and times when I look into the mirror and shock myself. I don't know if I just forget how I look, or if my mirror is playing tricks on me. But sometimes, I look into the mirror, and it looks like I'm tall and skinny. And I like it.
     It's been a struggle recently to not be "afraid" of food. I don't mean that I've been terrified of food, like I think it'll attack me or something. But when I would be faced with a situation where I didn't prepare my own meal, or I didn't have a chance to look up the restaurant's nutrition info before going, it would make me very nervous. I'm working on growing out of that, but I know that it will be a lesson to be re-learning for months to come. I am making progress, though.

On school:
     Classes are going well! I passed the piano proficiency exam last week, so I was very happy about that. I'm singing next Friday for regional NATS, so I've been working hard to prepare for that. I got some really positive comments from the judges at local NATS a few weeks ago.

On everything else:
     I've been experimenting in the kitchen these past few weeks. Mostly just trying out recipes that I find online. So far, I've had a lot of success, and my current thing to make is cinnamon applesauce. I could easily eat my weight in that stuff and be perfectly content. I love spending time in my kitchen and preparing meals. I can't wait until I "grow up" and actually have someone to cook for besides just myself.

And now, it's back to the practice room!