Dave Bowden – Managing Editor 

Here at Oxygen, there’s no question we’re spoiled. In addition to our company gym, we’re constantly surrounded by friends and colleagues who share our passion for a strong, fit and healthy lifestyle – people who find it perfectly normal to eat six to eight small meals per day consisting of things like tuna, oatmeal, Greek yogurt and, of course, chicken. (Though hopefully not all at once.) 

Admittedly, it can sometimes be easy for us to forget that out there in the “real world” beyond RKP headquarters, it’s not always as easy as we might like to think. For instance, what if you work in close quarters with other people who decidedly don’t care for tuna? What if your office has a small fridge with no room for your abundant clean eats? And what if your busy schedule – which could include everything from work and school to family time, volunteering, and, oh yeah, a social life – simply does not leave a lot of space for gym going and (near-constant) eating? 

I’ve been grappling with these questions myself lately, as I’ve recently made a fairly major life decision. After two and a half years here at RKP, including the past two years spent serving proudly as managing editor of Oxygen and our sister magazine Clean Eating, I’ve decided to take the slow road onward and pursue a new direction in my career. 

While I’m excited for a new challenge and opportunity, I knew when I made this decision that it would be bittersweet. Immediately my thoughts turned to the colleagues here who have become friends over the years – to say I’ll miss working, working out and laughing with them everyday would be an understatement. 

But what I didn’t realize until recently was that I’ll also be removing myself from the best possible support system a fit person could have. Without being able to rely on the little things I’ve come to take for granted – namely, the widespread availability of gym buddies, clean eats and the kind of social structure that reinforces my fit lifestyle – I’ll have to work that much harder to ensure my motivation comes from within. 

Fortunately, after working on more than 50 issues for two industry-leading magazines, I’ve learned a thing or two. So, instead of taking time Monday mornings to prep my clean snacks for the week, then storing them in my office fridge, I’ll have to make time to do it Sunday evenings and start bringing a cooler to my new office. Though I’ll be surrounded by the myriad fast food options available in an urban center, I’ll have to keep my clean-eating lifestyle top of mind and opt for healthy choices. And while I’ll no doubt be busy tackling both the work and the learning curve that come with a new job, I’ll have to make sure I keep up with my training and adjust my new schedule accordingly. 

I’ll be the first to admit that it won’t be as easy as I’ve made it sound. There will no doubt be days when I’m tired, stressed, busy and tempted to give in to the many excuses that can keep us out of the gym. But the fact that I already have a plan in place and know what strategies I’ll need to keep up my fit lifestyle is testament to how much I’ve learned from Oxygen. Working here really has changed my life – unquestionably for the better. 

While I hope that I’ve made some contributions to the magazine and to you, its readers, I know that they’ve given me much, much more. For the past two years I’ve had a job that has challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally. A job that, on more than one occasion, has inspired me to improve myself. And so, as I write my last words for Robert Kennedy Publishing, I can think of only two that seem even remotely appropriate: 

Thank you.