75 Hard Restart Day 7: Lost Parking Tickets, Teriyaki Traditions & Choosing the Adventure
Restart Day 7.
At around 5 AM, I woke up in the airport terminal.
I don't know if I had actually slept or if I had simply closed my eyes for a few minutes while sitting upright in an airport chair.
Either way, my next flight boarded at 6:45.
So I got up and started moving.
The first thing I did was walk laps around the terminal for my workout.
Then I rewarded myself with a Starbucks Americano and a ham and cheese baguette, no top bun.
And yes, I felt like I deserved a little indulgence.
The past few days had included:
delayed flights
graduation events
airport sprints
very little sleep
lots of walking
lots of adapting
A warm breakfast felt earned.
Finally Sleeping on a Plane
Once we boarded, the plane was completely full again.
But this time, I actually managed to sleep.
I think I got about two hours.
Which felt luxurious compared to the previous flights.
I also did my reading during the flight and got my pages completed.
Small victories.
The Next Chapter of the Adventure
When we landed in San Francisco, I looked over at my daughter and said:
"That was exciting. Want to hear the next part of our adventure?"
She immediately shook her head.
"No."
I laughed.
Then she finally asked:
"What?"
And I told her.
"I lost the parking ticket."
Silence.
Then:
"Oh my gosh. You're going to find it."
"Nope."
Because while cleaning the hotel room that morning, I remembered seeing a random slip of paper and throwing it away without thinking.
And apparently that random slip of paper was my parking ticket.
So before we could even begin the two-and-a-half-hour drive home, we had one more unexpected stop to make.
Because apparently this trip wasn't done entertaining us yet.
The Long Drive Home
After sorting out the parking situation, we finally started heading home.
And I was exhausted.
The kind of tired that settles into your bones.
The kind of tired where your brain starts moving a little slower than normal.
But before making the trek home, there was one stop I wanted to make.
My favorite teriyaki spot.
Midori Teriyaki
I've been going there for over 30 years.
And one of my favorite things about this place is that when I walk in, they don't ask what I want.
They ask how my kids are.
So naturally, I got to brag.
My order never changes:
chicken teriyaki
rice
green salad
bean sprouts
Some traditions don't need improvement.
Ten Pounds Down
Before heading out for my second workout, I stepped on the scale.
And while this is only Day 7 of the restart, it's actually been about three and a half weeks since I first started this journey.
And as of today...
I'm down 10 pounds.
Ten pounds.
That feels pretty incredible.
Not because of the number itself.
But because of how different I feel.
Less swollen.
Less achy.
More energy.
Better sleep.
Fewer headaches.
Less stiffness when I get out of the car.
My bra fits better.
My body feels lighter.
A Flat Walk for Tired Legs
After a late lunch, my partner and I headed out for my second workout.
But this time I had one request:
Take me somewhere flat.
Because my quads were fried.
My ankles were sore.
And after:
airport running
graduation walking
city sidewalks
hotel workouts
travel
the hills were simply not happening.
So we drove somewhere flat and started walking.
And about halfway through the walk, I suddenly looked around and said:
"I have absolutely no idea how we got here."
I was trying to figure out:
what turn we took
what street we came down
how we'd gotten so far away
My partner just stared at me.
Then started laughing.
Finally he said:
"Wow. You really are tired."
Apparently I had completely forgotten that we drove there.
I was trying to mentally retrace a walking route we had never walked.
That level of exhaustion is almost impressive.
No Dinner Needed
By the time we got home, I was still completely full from the chicken teriyaki.
So I skipped dinner.
My body wasn't asking for food.
It was asking for sleep.
And I happily listened.
I think I was asleep by about 8:30 PM.
What I'm Noticing on Restart Day 7
When I was telling my partner about the trip during our walk, he looked at me and said:
"Man... what a horror story."
But here's the thing.
It wasn't.
Not even close.
It was hilarious.
It was chaotic.
It was inconvenient.
It was exhausting.
But it was also an adventure.
Because two people can experience the exact same events and tell completely different stories afterward.
One person tells a horror story.
Another tells an adventure story.
And the facts don't change.
Only the perspective does.
The flights were delayed.
The luggage got lost.
The parking ticket disappeared.
I barely slept.
All of that is true.
But I also watched my daughter graduate from Brown University.
Made memories I'll tell for years.
Ran through airports in my socks.
Met wonderful people.
Laughed a lot.
Got home safely.
And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos...
I a few pounds.
Not because I was perfect.
Not because every day went according to plan.
But because I kept returning to the basics.
Movement.
Water.
Food that supports my goals.
Sleep whenever I could get it.
And showing up again the next day.
That's what alignment looks like.
Not perfect conditions.
Not perfect execution.
Just continuing to return to what matters.
And after three and a half weeks, I'm starting to see what those small daily choices can add up to.
Ten pounds down.
And still aligned.
Restart Day 7 Complete
Lost parking ticket.
Thirty-year teriyaki tradition.
One exhausted brain.
Ten pounds down.
Still aligned.
