Let’s all let out a sigh of relief. Lent is over! *phew*

In past years, I’ve always given up a combination of things for Lent. (Fried food and sweets, sweets and sodas, fried foods and sodas…) and this year was no different. I gave up fried foods (sowhatifihaveaproblem) and all beverages excluding water.

I am happy to report that this year, Lent was more than just another 40 days I begrudgingly deprive myself of one of my favorite foods. In 2010, Lent changed my life.

Avoiding fried food was easy as pie (and NOT because I substituted french fries for pie. Though that would have been awesome.) For me, it’s just overdone and stale. (Ha. Pun not intended but still amusing.) Fried foods is my default go-to faster, so now it’s not even really all that difficult for me to evade greasy goodness. On the flip side, fasting liquids threw my entire existence into disarray, an experience I couldn’t have prepared myself for even if I was warned. Hence, the trip to the emergency room.

(in case you missed it: click here)

Since I checked into caffeine rehab, I haven’t had a lick of trouble sleeping (which, if you know me, is UNFATHOMABLE) and the few headaches I’ve gotten haven’t reached “real” migraine status and have gone away after only taking two Excedrin Tension Headache gelcaps (I used to take up to NINE Excedrin Migraine tablets JUST to bring my migraine down a few notches to merely a severe headache.)

(However, last weekend a few girlfriends and I took a road trip to Alabama to see Ingrid Michaelson and Mat Kearney play a show. Over the course of two days, two huge bags of chocolate were demolished between the four of us, and on Monday I got a gnarly headache from -you guessed it- the caffeine in the chocolate.)

And so. I’ve completed my stint in rehab and will now go forth living a caffeine-free life. I’m excited at the prospect of fewer migraines and being able to sleep like a normal human.

What in the world am I going to fast for Lent ’11?

Has giving up something ever changed your life?