Sometimes it’s funny how things all fall into place.

I ran a 5K last week. Tonight I ran in the rain. Nathan brought me an old art project of mine. I listened to the Two Fit Chicks podcast where they were talking about setting goals- about how it’s good to keep your goals in mind even if you’re not accomplishing them right now. They talked about having goals in the holding pen – things you want to do and will do when your life is more able to achieve them.

I’ve wanted to be a runner forever. Ever since I ran out of spite when my college boyfriend and I split up. I loved the feeling of running then. The problem? Once I was over him, I was also over running. And then the problem with running became the pounds. And running got put in the holding pen for things like grad school and planning a wedding and moving several times and (honestly) a lot of pizza and fancy coffee.

But I always wanted to be a runner.

Last week, Nathan brought this home for me. I had done this for him and he found it in his desk drawer.

My best estimate is that I colored this sometime in the spring of 2007. I was still working with kids in the after school program. I had just got my first iPod (white, as you can tell in the picture). I didn’t have the jacket, but my favorite exercise pants were grey with a green stripe and my tennis shoes were black with a blue sole. (What can I say? I’m accurate.)

I’ve done it. I’m a runner. A goal I put in the holding pen forever ago. I’m there. And I’m just going farther. I am still running.

It makes me feel better about my career, about my photography, about the books I want to read. Just because I’m not accomplishing something right now doesn’t mean it’s not important to me. It’s just in the holding pen. Waiting for it’s turn to be set free.

So what’s in your holding pen? And what needs to be taken out for a ride?

(By the way, I think this might be next for me. Seriously.)