hey, manhattan

 

^^bye, boston!  I'll miss that little dude^^

Well, after a long summer, I'm finally in Manhattan.  I'm in love with my apartment and am already falling in love with this city (even the roar of the 1 train that races past my windows at all hours).  I'm headed home (to arizona) for a week or so before my new chapter begins...

 ^^mid-move.  I posted up in the living room for a few days^^

ps- a huge shoutout to charlie, who embodies everything a big brother should be. I was sure happy to have him along for the adventure of moving into this city. I sure got lucky with my brothers.

^^post brooklyn ikea "i'm starving i'll eat anything right now" hot dogs in the back of the uhaul.  the best.^^

AN UNEXPECTED EAST COAST ADVENTURE

 

last weekend brought the most frustrating travel disaster i've experienced.  i won't go into details because who likes listening to travel sob stories? (except those closest to me, who comforted me as i cried in the philly airport and then a cab and then the train station followed by a bus ... thanks ;) it tested my patience to the extreme (i'd say i did okay minus a few breakdowns over thirteen hours in).  although i didn't get to see k, it turned into an unexpected, whirlwind of an adventure.  it ended up being filled with old friends, a fabulous afternoon at the most amazing bookstore, lots of wine, and rooftop views.  oh, and a visit to my new neighborhood.  NYC, i love you already.

 ^^ a fitting wine for the weekend ^^

 ^^ this beautiful lady saved my weekend, twice ^^

BIG CITY, BIG DREAMS

I mentioned earlier that I'm leaving the mountains (that I have so fallen in love with) and am headed east.  I was first introduced to New York City when my brother Charlie picked up and moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan in order to earn his postbac degree from Columbia University.  I was so proud of him for attending such an amazing school in such a beautiful place.  I was enamored by the city - yes, the twinkling lights and unique culture - but I was especially taken with the people - the constant energy provided by over a million and a half people living on such a tiny island.

While applying to masters programs, I thought it would be fun to apply to CU since I was so enchanted during my visits.  A few months later I was shocked and thrilled to be accepted into their social work program (you can't get in if you don't apply, right?).  So after much contemplation, I made the big decision to move across the country (twice in one year now, am I crazy?) and make that big city my home.  I am so honored and excited to be working with the population and social issues in New York City.  I know the city will knock me down in more ways than I can imagine but I trust it to provide the inspiration and motivation I need to be picked back up and drive myself to make a difference in this world of ours.

HERE & NOW

^view at the top after a long, hard bike ride^

I'm here, I'm here!  I've been working my ass off to prepare for my big move to the east coast.  Traveling a little, reading a lot.  I promise I'll be back to explain soon.  But first, I'm off to Utah for some exploring......  here is a glimpse of some things that have been going on in my life lately, if you're interested.

^water break on the way up.  breathtaking (literally).^

 ^good (cheap) wine with good friends, always.^

^the sunsets here, man. i'm going to miss them.^

DON'T RUN IF YOU HATE IT

My mom and I were discussing an inspirational blogger Mark Sisson and how he revealed the best exercise there is.

His advice?  "The single best exercise there is, hands down, is the one you’ll do."

It is so true.  I don't like running and neither does my body.  Sure, every once and a while I'll have a great run and collapse in euphoria when I get home but for the most part I count down the seconds until it's over and it creates aches everywhere (my ankle, the arch of my foot, my knee....).  However, when I prepare for a bike ride or drive into the mountains for a hike, I am ecstatic - I can barely wait to get on the road or out of the car.  

Explore different exercises and find the one (or two or three...) that you look forward to doing - and do them.  Try that kickboxing class even if you think you'll hate it (I loved the one I attempted), go to a yoga class even if you can't touch your toes, venture to the Bar Method class or Zumba or spin....you may love it.  Exercise not only makes you feel amazing but it is so important for leading a healthy life.  Find a way to motivate yourself and do it.

HAPPY DAYS

 

'day one: beautiful (fake) flower seven year old mason "picked" for me on his way home from school'

I started one of those silly online challenges that sees if you can be happy for 100 days in a row.  I'm a pretty happy person so of course I can be happy for 100 days in a row but I thought it would be nice to take time out of each day in order to capture a moment of that happiness.  Here are a few of my first happy moments for the happy day challenge.  Have a wonderful (and very happy) weekend!

 

'day two: this view with my coffee every morning (and my amazing 50 cent mug that i bought nine of)'

 

'day six: a little early afternoon golf with my parents. so much fun! (even though im not very good)'

 

'day eight: my first purchase for my apartment i don't yet have!'

 

'day ten: my first seedlings are planted in my new pot. grow, lavender, grow!'

HEART AGE

As you may have already guessed, I'm big into healthy living.  My passion lies with the food I make and eat but I also exercise multiple times a week.  I draw inspiration from everywhere - a conversation with my mom, my latest blood work, hopes of turning out like an adorable old couple I see taking a walk, or even just the way I feel after a day of eating well or a long bike ride.

My mom introduced me to this awesome (potentially motivating!) website that tells what age your heart is.  All you need to do is put in some information about your cholesterol levels (if you don't know them - go find out!), your blood pressure, the size of your waist, a little family history.... Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in the US (want proof?  see here and here and I'm sure you can find more).  And it doesn't need to be!  Educate yourself.  Start with finding out your heart's age!  Eat right, exercise.  You'll feel better, look better, and live better.

*image credit

SUNSHINE!

I was so honored to be nominated for the sunshine award by the beautiful ladies from The Attic.  I began writing (and continue to write) this blog solely as a creative and fun outlet for myself so it's pretty cool when I find out that other people actually read it.  And even more humbling to hear they enjoy what they read!  So a big thank you to Lynn-Holly, for making my day!  Her blog is so uplifting, be sure to check it out!

So what is the sunshine award?  I understand it as a way that bloggers can show appreciation and support for their blog crushes.  Blogs that they feel deserve to be commended for their hard work, positivity, and inspiration.  So thank you, Lynn-Holly, it is truly an honor to be noticed (especially when I thought my mom and brother were the only ones who read my posts!)

The rules of the sunshine award...

1. Display the award on your blog. 
2. Announce your win with a post and thank the blog who nominated you.
3. Post 10 interesting things about yourself. 
4. Nominate some other deserving bloggers. 
5. Link your nominees in a post and let them know with a comment.

 I don't think that I'm really that interesting, but here goes...

1. I am all about balance.  For me, the ultimate importance is to create a balance between work (or school), family, friends, significant other, self, spirituality, health and all the other factions of life.  I truly believe that this is the main factor that creates ultimate happiness in this life.

2.  I thrive off of change.  Moving to college hours from the life I knew to a place where I didn't know a soul barely phased me.  Spending four months on a ship where I knew no one and traveled to countries I had never dreamed of (or heard of, in some cases) was the most amazing experience of my life.  Moving across the country (WI to AZ) in the midst of a huge post grad transition has been inspiring.  I crave change.  Scaring the hell out of myself and being in uncomfortable situations are what inspire, motivate, and push me to grow.  I can only attribute this to my solid foundation of family and friends, some experiences in my youth (mostly: my summer home from ages 9 to 20), and a thirst for new experiences.

3. I circumnavigated the world on a ship when I was 20 years old.  I spent time in thirteen countries in a span of four months with some amazing people.  It was unbelievable (sometimes, I think it was just a dream) and if I'm lucky there will only be a few other moments in my life that will be able to live up to the epicness of those four months.  I rarely discuss it because very few people understand and I miss it every day.  Luckily, I made some amazing friends that I know I will have forever.

4.  I am a traveler (for life).  My parents got me hooked when they strapped my three month old self in the car and drove from Wisconsin to Utah for my very first road trip.  Countless states and over twenty countries later, I haven't stopped... and I don't plan to.

5.  My family is pretty awesome.  I grew up with the best parents who valued respecting and supporting one another, family dinners, sports we would do together (mostly sailing and skiing), traveling together.... the list could go on.  They had (and still have) the parenting thing down and I only hope I can be as good to my kids as they have been to us.  Us includes me and my two older brothers who are the most brilliant, creative, and hardworking people I know (each in their own very different ways).  I like to think that, because I grew up with them as role models, I am made up of little pieces of each of them.

6.  I really love to cook.  I love to experiment with new flavors and use the freshest, 'realest' foods that are available to me.  I aspire to have my own garden one day (I'm starting tomorrow with lavender).

7.  I have some great people in my life (aside from my aforementioned awesome family).  I made amazing friends while at camp, semester at sea, high school, and college who I know will be there for a very long time.  I don't make my friendships easy with my constant moving and changes.  It's not easy staying close friends with someone when you go over a year without seeing one another but that's how I know these people are here for the long run. 

8.  I grew up in an amazing state.  Wisconsin is home to the nicest and most humble people, beautiful landscapes, and amazing seasons.  But I have fallen in love with the west.... the mountains, the weather, the open sky.  I am so greatful I grew up in the Midwest but I love it here and I never want to leave.

9.  I majored in Sociology in college because I loved my classes and my professors.  The content of my classes was so meaningful and inspiring.  I would read my textbooks for fun, voluntarily spent a year and a half writing an honors thesis solely because I enjoyed it, and still keep in touch with my professors (I still had a social life, I swear).  I am hoping to achieve a masters in social work in the next two years and still have no idea what exactly I want to do but I know that my knowledge gained in college will be a foundation of that and will travel with me through life.

10.  Speaking of college, I went to a great one.  UD was the best combination of intimate classes, amazing people, and a supportive and thriving community.  UD students have mastered the art of work hard, play hard (again, going back to balance).

And finally, I don't follow many blogs (my everyday reads are at the bottom of my page) but a couple that I know to be inspirational and deserving....

Starr Struck

The Patch Diaries

Little Green Sofie

Welcome Home

ellenorsworld

NEW YEAR

my first sunset in 2014.  hermosa beach, ca

i am finally settling back into a routine back in arizona and am (almost) done with my holiday traveling (k has one more birthday trip for me this weekend).  coming back after a cold (but wonderful) stay in the midwest made me realize how much this place has become home.  i love it here.  i am not one for new years resolutions as they often get forgotten and lost but i am a big believer in setting and working towards goals.  reachable, manageable, positive goals.  i like to set goals once or twice a year (usually at benchmarks - a birthday, a new semester, a big move) and then once a month or so i go back and reassess.  alter what needs to be altered, scrap a goal if there has been a big change, set new goals if needed, or come up with a new plan to achieve a goal.  so anyway, my birthday is less than a week after the new year so i like to use that as a time to set new goals and reassess.  i hope to write a little more about my goals in the upcoming weeks but one of them is to utilize this space more often as a place to share thoughts and as a creative outlet.  cheers to a new year!

BIG BEAR

a couple of weeks over a month (i swear time is moving faster everyday) ago my mom and cody and i road tripped.  road trips are my favorite and the cali mountains were calling us.  it was a much needed weekend in nature.  cold (see: freezing) nights were accompanied by tea and chocolates (i was on vaca....) and the days were spent hiking, exploring some beautiful historical areas, admiring our family friend's stunning horses, and attending inspiring film festivals.  and cody was in dog heaven, i think he's mad at us for leaving.  big bear, you are wonderful.  maybe ill be back this winter....

SOUL SEARCHING

I've been in the mountains, searching for my soul. It feels good to be lost in the right direction.

MORNING ROUTINE LATELY

It's so nice having some leisure time to relax and reflect and start creating again and brainstorm for my future.  I've mentioned before the importance of breakfast and have shared my thoughts on living a positive life and I think that it's important to have a thoughtful and reflective morning in order to start each day on a good note.  
I often find myself turning to my phone first thing in the morning because that's what I use for my alarm and it is so easy to click through instagram or check my twitter feed. So, in order to avoid this effortless habit, I started a new routine to inspire a reflective morning.  Each morning when I wake up I go to my quotes board on pinterest and click through new quotes in order to find one that resonates with me.  I write it down, artistically if time allows, and place it somewhere in my room that I can see it as I move in and out throughout the day.  I've found that this is a good way to avoid social media in the morning but give myself some time to wake up and get my brain to slowly register the new day.  I have also been enjoying my breakfast outside and taking in the beautiful view.  Starting my days in a more thoughtful and calm way has given them more focus, and I love it.

and of course Cody is always there to share my breakfast ;)

PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS

I'm so excited to start my adventure out west.  And when I came upon this seasons beautiful Patagonia Look Book I became even more eager.  I grew up camping (and was a diehard Patagonia baby-the cutest) so these photos brought some nostalgia for the past and even more excitement for my future in the mountains.

RECENTLY CAPTURED MOMENTS

OJAS

{The beautiful, inspiring beaches of Ghana}

My favorite part about eating healthy is how it lifts my spirits and this Whole Living article only further affirmed my experiences.  I love this idea of an 'ojas' and I can't wait to try some of these tips for better nutrition to impact my mood.  Some other things I like to do to ensure a positive day and boost my ojas....

Do yoga (even just 5 minutes) the moment I get out of bed.  This stretches out my body and calms my mind so I can start my day on the right note both mentally and physically.

Eat a good breakfast.

Exercise!  Find a type of exercise you enjoy and get into a routine--this is another aspect that has a positive impact both mentally and physically.
Surround yourself with positive, happy people that you love.  A positive attitude is contagious!  Those who I am closest to agree with these beliefs and we help one another to keep a positive, happy outlook.

Have something to look forward to--whether it's a delicious new recipe I'm planning on making for dinner or a new bottle of wine to indulge in that evening, having something to look forward to makes me that much happier throughout the day!

What do you do to ensure high spirits and a positive day?

BEERBEERBEE

{I loved the Apple Peach Hard Cider from Ciderboys}

This weekend was perfect!  Friday night we celebrated my mom's last day of work with our favorite fish fry and some Veuve Clicquot. On Saturday we made our annual visit to the Breast Cancer Showhouse.  It was beautiful and fun, as usual!  After the showhouse we visited the newest restaurant in my town, The Bay.  I give it rave reviews, the salmon salad was delicious.  Then we headed home to get ready for Beer Fest. We spent the rest of the day tasting the amazing beers of Wisconsin with friends and enjoyed a barbeque at a family friends house for dinner.  It was the perfect weekend.  

{one of my closest friends, Luckey, and I at our second annual beer fest together}

{me, Charlie, and my mom enjoying the day}

{one of my favorite beers was a chai tea porter from this Stevens Point Brewery}

THE WEEKENDER

{A shot I took last summer while sailing on Lake Michigan of the sunset over Milwaukee}

This will be my first weekend spent at home in weeks but the last weekend I'll spend in my hometown for a while.  So I've filled up my schedule with dinners with family and friends, Milwaukee's best beer fest, and a father's day cookout.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Here are some fun weekender links....

I am a huge Sex and the City fan and loved this collection of Carrie Bradshaw moments.

In case you're in a bind and craving some vino.

So very true.

Some good ideas for making your home more efficient.

These are so cute for a girls night!

I'm currently re-reading this and am so excited to see the movie when I visit Kurt next week!

PLANT DRIVEN

^^homemade sushi! a birthday exception.^^

Healthy living is an important part of my life.  This is most prominent in the kitchen where, on a regular basis, I eat a whole foods plant based diet.  Put more simply, I rarely eat animal products or animals themselves.  My Wisconsin-born family gave up all things animal (including cheese!) over a year ago (beginning with this amazing documentary) and we are so happy with the results.  I feel better, have healthier skin, and am overall happier.  Contrary to what many believe, my diet does not consist of lettuce and cardboard.  In fact, I have more fun cooking on a whole foods plant based diet!  I get to use my creativity and scour the internet and cookbooks for fun new recipes and I even make up my own.

That being said, I eat this way for health reasons only, which means that I get to make exceptions when the time is right.  Having me over for dinner?  Make me a steak!  What did I order for Easter brunch at Lillie’s?  Eggs benedict with salmon! Balance is essential to a healthy life and everyone needs to indulge once and a while :)

^^juicing with fresh fruit and vegetables from the farmers market has become a new favorite^^

^^a cheese-less pizza picnic at Columbia last Spring when Kurt and I visited my brother Charlie in NYC^^

IVY LEAGUE

I spent a good amount of my weekend driving but it was worth being able to celebrate my cousins graduation in New Hampshire.  It is a beautiful part of the country that I have never been able to explore before.  Although Dartmouth is located in the middle of nowhere, it was absolutely beautiful and inspiring in it's isolation.  From frat parties to official Phi Beta Kappa meetings, it was a wonderful weekend full of food and a lovely celebration of accomplishments.  Congratulations, Joey!