April was a busy month for Whitney and me. We had a lot going on with dieting, trip planning, and working.
We started the month with a wonderful Easter dinner with some friends that we made in the area. It can be difficult being away from family for holidays but making friends in the travel assignment area can make it easier.
Whitney and I had to really crack down on our diets and finish strong in order to reach our goals. We were able to make it, and it was a very satisfying feeling for me to be down a total of 50 lbs over the past 8 months! We went out for a big celebration dinner once the diet was over that was delicious.
We have been increasing our activity levels as part of the diet which meant that I walked 3-4 miles each day at lunch in April. We also went on a hike on the Neusiok Trail in the Croatan National Forest which had some beautiful scenery. Whitney’s mom came to visit for a weekend and we enjoyed hanging out with her and made a big seafood feast!
We went and played laser tag at a place in Atlantic Beach for one of our friends’ birthday which was completely unlike any laser tag place I’ve gone in the past. It was very realistic and a lot of fun. Definitely not just for kids anymore! After laser tag we went and checked out a local brewery in Atlantic Beach.
We had to make appointments to get some immunizations for our upcoming international trip. Initially it wasn’t bad at all, but I had completely forgotten how bad the soreness can be the day after shots. Hepatitis A vaccine was the worst!
We took a trip to New Bern, NC to do some shopping for light weight clothes to take on the trip. After New Bern we drove an additional hour to Greenville, NC where we explored the city and went to a few breweries downtown. I also had my first experience at Mellow Mushroom which was good but a little overrated, especially for the price, in my opinion.
It was a big month financially since Whitney and I finally finished our HealthyWage weight loss challenges. We haven’t gotten the official payout for the challenges yet, but the points are in my account and I’ll be requesting the payout soon, so I’m counting the money in my net worth for this month. I also received a couple of bank account sign up bonuses which amounted to a few hundred extra dollars in income this month. The stock market remained basically stagnant last month, which didn’t do me any favors net worth wise, but you can’t have it all, right?
Due to the extra money from the HealthyWage bet, my FI date was moved up a month and is now March 2019! If any stock market recovery happens in the next several months then that date could be moved up even further.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for next month!
Fifth Wheel Physical Therapist 