Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
At November Project San Diego, we're trying to stay true to the work hard, play hard mentality of our workouts. And even when we decide that a particular Monday or Wednesday will be fun-in-games, those days can be the most memorable (and challenging) when you all decide to bring it.
6.5 years. 2 home tribes. 10 traverbals. 1 positivity award. That’s the footnotes version of my November Project story. The long version is full of too many memories to even keep my own mother interested. So when I was asked to write a guest blog post I knew I'd have to find a way to keep at least some of you around until the end.
Today, we hosted a final workout for two titans of NPSD, the city of San Diego, and November Project as a whole. Lauren and Angelo bid farewell to a city and a tribe that they had called home for many years to leave us for a colder, wetter, land-locked city north of the 56.
It’s Wednesday. It’s 5:45am. My Alarm clock is belting “Forever Young” by Alphaville. It’s minus too much outside. It’s snowing. WTF am I doing? Every part of my body and most of my brain is saying to me that the time for morning burpees was in the Alphaville days. Its not 1984 anymore. I’m not a kid anymore. It’s time to hit snooze and stay in bed. But that was only most of my brain saying that… there is that tiny voice that starts with a whisper and slowly grows with each electronic pulse belting over the speak until I can no longer hear “go back to bed” and can only hear “JUST SHOW UP!!!”. This is November Project.
Christina Stegura is a force of nature, though you might not know that just by looking at her. Sure, she’s tiny, but within that frame is a power and strength that we’ve been lucky to witness and workout with for the past four years. If you haven’t had the chance to get to know Christina, know this: she is a selfless and dedicated human, a world traveler, an aspiring acrobat, a committed 5:25 crew member, and an accomplished cross-country cyclist! WHOA. We’re gonna miss all of these things, but we are going to miss your attitude, your spirit, and your willingness to show up, whenever and wherever it was needed.
Since it feels like there are a whole bunch more NPSD babies that entered the world this year, I thought we could celebrate NPSD’s 5th birthday by reflecting on the CDC’s Developmental Milestones for infants, toddlers, and well…us.
Social and Emotional
YOUR “CHILD” BY YEAR 2:
The forecasts for this week called for rain, and rain was had. In fact, “rain” doesn’t describe the amount of precipitation that took place. Deluge seems a bit more accurate, because things got floody.
It was the type of day where you wake up, see the weather, and think “I’ll stay home.” Which was a terrible choice, frankly. Because the rain made it SO. MUCH. FUN.
We know most (all) of you had no idea what this Pumpkin Spices situation was all about. But it’s all good (we don’t care).
It’s actually an inside joke from this past weekend at the Meeting of the Minds, where 105 November Project Co-Leaders from across 49 different cities across 8 different countries gathered to connect, share ideas, and discuss the future of this MOVEMENT.
And just like this morning, it was a hell of a good time.
And just like this morning, it got weird and uncomfortable.
You see, while it’s an opportunity and quite the perk for us co-leaders to get together, do some camping, have a few laughs (and drinks), it’s also time for us to get down to issues – such as how we can crush it as a tribe, our continued growth, our non-profit status, and even talking about inclusivity, diversity, and how we can continue to become more welcoming as a tribe and individuals.
We won’t dig into it here, nor at a workout, but you need to know that these discussions don’t just stop at the co-leaders. These cities would not thrive and these tribes would not exist without YOU. So over the coming weeks, Shira and I are committed to ensuring you’re in the know. And we’re committing to creating space where you can ask us questions, dig in, and be a part of what we’re building.
We can’t do this without you. And that’s the nicest.
Be bright, NPSD.
Don’t forget some important announcements
So today, amongst all the burpees, high fives, and hills, we focused a little extra time to leave our mark. We brought out a bunch of markers and let you draw on a blank canvas anything you felt at that moment. The drawings were a mix of funny, bright, weird, and heartfelt. Each one adding to the collective, making our own unique art of US. It’s a poster that represents something near and dear to my heart – how you’ve all made such an impact on my life.
When I moved to San Diego from Wisconsin, I didn’t know a single person. While I loved the beaches and warm weather, there was always something missing. It wasn’t until I found November Project that I truly found my sense of home. It’s been a source for best friends, the love of my life, countless examples of inspiration and joy, and a community I know is always there for me. I hope today served as a reminder that we all make a wonderful mark on this tribe and on each other’s lives. I know you have all made a life changing mark on mine.
Have a bright and wonderful day!
Justin
VERY IMPORTANT THINGS
Between rain, our selected venue being power-washed to hell, and getting moved out of our planned location, you all somehow managed to find your way, clear your own routes, and carry on the workout with massive smiles as if nothing had gone wrong. And THAT’S what makes NPSD so great.
You see, Shira and I do very little. Sure, we plan workouts, we lead bounces, we coordinate stuff and post on social media, but days like today remind us that the vibe, the excitement, the community is because of what the tribe brings. Without this tribe, Shira and I are just two weirdos standing in the rain singing Backstreet Boy lyrics by ourselves.
Take that into the world. It’s energy that you bring. And you get out what you put in. So keep smiling. It releases feel-good neurotransmitters and tells your body, “yo, shit is goooood.” And when it starts to rain on your parade, grab the rest of your boyband (or girlband, or coedband, or gender-fluid band), and just fucking dance it off.
You complete us, tribe. Be happy, San Diego.
REALLY IMPORTANT SHIAT