Simplicity, Pumpkin Spice & I’m Published! (TOLT)

Thursday means a big shout-out-thanks to Amanda @ Running With Spoons, I get a chance to rant all over the place today and use it as an excuse to linkup with some other fun bloggers.

1. So first off, I just received an email (literally like 3 minutes ago) that a piece I recently submitted to Thought Catalog was accepted (!!!), so I’m currently really excited about that. I’ve published this piece on my Mogul site before, but I’m a huge Thought Catalog fan and definitely feel I can get more exposure being published there. 

My piece: You Have the Right to Remain Single

I’ve written quite a few memoir pieces over the years and this one (written this past year) holds a special place in my heart, so I’m over the moon thrilled and so very flattered that it was published on this site. I have a writer’s page now as well, so I hope to continue to push myself to write content worthy of being published. (PS – If you’ve never checked out this site, do yourself a big favor and start perusing — there are so many great reads!)

2. I have big plans to be all outdoorsy this weekend, as the boy and I are going to drive a bit north of the city and go for a hike on Saturday, which is something we’ve been talking about doing for a while. September seems like the ideal time to hike in NY, so I’m stoked to get out of the city and explore some new-to-us paths and towns along the Hudson. It’s crazy to me that I live so close to these quaint little towns and gorgeous hiking trails, and yet I’ve barely explored any of that area. Time to change that! And I already know I’m going to want to go again once the leaves start to change and take in all that beauty.

3. Has anyone tried these alluring bars of healthy goodness yet? 

The only RxBar I’ve tried so far is the blueberry, which I rather enjoyed, so I figured I should buy a box of the seasonal pumpkin spice flavor while it’s available and show down on those as a wholesome way to welcome the start of Autumn. I’ve basically given up all bars except for the occasional Larabar (as they’re only dates and nuts), but I know these are also clean-eating friendly and whole food based, so I figured I’ll give ’em a whirl. Aka I blindly ordered a box off Amazon and really hope I like them. 

4. I feel like I’m getting a bit “bored” (not sure that’s exactly the right word but it’s in that wheelhouse so I’m sticking with that for now) with my workouts lately. I think I’m missing the high-intensity of the boot camp classes I used to take and need to up the kettlebell, plyo, TRX sessions to at least two a week. I’d love to try Orange Theory or do Class Pass, but right now my schedule is so restricted that really the only way for me to workout is either to wake up and immediately go running along the Hudson or else go two flights down to my apartment building gym and push myself as hard as I can without a trainer screaming at me to do another push-up until I fall on my face. Maybe I should take advantage of some of the Nike workouts, or look for suggestions online. Any thoughts? 

5. I’m currently reading The Untethered Soul and having mixed feelings about it. It’s very heady and zen, which I don’t really mind, except that while it does force me to think about the process of thinking and taking ownership of my consciousness (and not really being someone who is stuck inside her head too much or does much over thinking at all, some of it is a bit hit-or-miss for me), the primary affect it’s having on me is to make me wish I was really good at yoga (aka flexible at all) and send me searching for cool yoga pants online from which to start my own stretching practice in my bedroom. Apparently I associate meditation with lying on a mat in cute patterns and practicing gratitude… and I’m okay with that. I’m just not quite sure that’s what the author was going for. 

6. Been feeling a pull lately to really embrace simplicity more in the way I live, which is spurring me to want to dump the entire contents of my closet (and dressers, and beneath-the-bed bins) onto my floor and really contemplate what I can live without. This then led me to think about the kind of life I’d like to lead right now, which brought me to thoughts of moving somewhere super granola outdoorsy, surrounded by natural beauty, where I can engage in all sorts of physical outdoor activities to my heart’s content on a year-round basis and feel really centered and balanced. And that led me to thinking about what a complete overhaul of my closet would look like and what sort of clothing best represents me…and a few minutes later, I’d purchased a sweet Patagonia jacket from Backcountry. I mean, I can totally justify the jacket and love it, but find it sort of hilarious that a thought process starting with “simplify your life” and then going to “get rid of unnecessary stuff” finally led to “buy something new.” But I’m going to tackle the purge soon, I swear. This is just extra fuel for that fire. 😉

I think that’s enough ranting for today! Feel free to tell me something random from your week.

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Friday Five: Lately Life in Verbs

Hi Friday people — I’m alive!

It’s amazing how when you stop making something a habit, it’s so easy to just push it to the side. I have no intentions of quitting my blog life, but I honestly haven’t felt any overwhelming desire to post late, for one reason or another…or else when I do sit down to write, I can’t seem to focus on anything cohesive or put a post together.

Maybe it’s that I’m too busy livin’ & lovin’ summer life, or that I don’t feel that I have enough interesting stuff to write about, or don’t put any forethought into my posts. Or maybe it’s just that I fell into an unplanned break and have no reasons for that. Regardless, I’m still here, but sort of struggling with what to blog about these sunshiney days. Do I just share about my life? Do I need to take more pictures in NYC, when in reality I haven’t been going out that much because I work all.the.time?

So, here’s an end-of-August update on me, as I link up with Mar, Courtney & Cynthia for the Friday Five.

1. Running. It’s going. I mean, it’s going fine, even well, and I’m still totally enjoying it — but I’m not really marathon training, to be honest. We had 3-4 weeks of overbearing heat and humidity here where it was basically impossible for me to get any long runs in, so the only long runs I’ve done in the past month are two 11-milers in July and a 12-miler this past weekend — and while it felt great, it’s still a far cry from where I should be if I’m planning to run a marathon in 6 weeks. I think I like the idea of running this race again as it was an amazing experience for me last year and I’m chasing a revival of that all-the-feels-and-pride feeling — but I don’t know that I’m that into it this year. I need nice weather and lots of time on weekend mornings to do long runs the way I want…and lately, I’m refusing to run far in crazy humidity and finding myself wanting to do 10 miles (tops) and then go enjoy my day. I’m also giving myself the space to recognize that this is okay and that I do not have to want to run this marathon and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ll see how the next few weeks of long runs (or not-so-long runs) go and decide if I should defer til next year or keep trying to tough it out and push past the resistance.

2. Wearing. In runfashion news, I’m absolutely crazy about my newest running capris and cannot NOT share with all you fit freaks: Athleta’s Mesh Sonar Capris. Love.

3. Wining. I’ve had a few new-to-me red wines that I really enjoyed this summer, with the most recent being 1000 Stories Red Zinfandel last night at this absolutely darling speakeasy in the Flatiron called The Grain. I immensely enjoyed this California wine and will be running right to the wine store on my way home from work today to snag some! It’s aged in bourbon barrels, which creates a unique flavor, and it was so smooth and lovely. 

Also, has anyone jumped on the whole “frosé” aka frozen rosé trend? I’m hearing about it everywhere lately and although I’ve yet to try it, I know it’s totally my thing. I’ve been saying for years that I want to make frozen sangria a thing and open up a shack serving that and tacos on the beach in San Diego…and this seems like a step toward that dream.

I’ve seen a whole mess of recipes for diff types of frozen wine slushies and love this article that has 15 drool-worthy choices. The boy and I are planning to try our hands at a red wine berry slushy concoction tonight to bring down to the Jersey Shore for a beach day with friends tomorrow, so I’ll keep you posted on how they turn out. Test run for Labor Day!

4. Reading. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

One of my best friends read this a couple of years ago and raved about it, so I finally borrowed it – and am so glad I did. It’s a really insightful, reflective book focused on the concept of having the courage to embrace vulnerability in all areas of our lives and reframe what we think “being vulnerable” means. This call to vulnerability is paired with a lesson in understanding shame and its destructive forces, and how battling shame is most effectively accomplished through the process of choosing to be vulnerable and authentic. She’s best known for her amazing viral TED talk on this subject called The Power of Vulnerability, which is actually the most-watched TED talk ever. She’s awesome.

5. Feeling. This is everything. This is what I hope to build my practice around — helping others live out authentic lives devoted to the daily pursuit of owning their own uniqueness and voicing their own story, in whatever way feels truest to them, so that they never tire of the lifelong journey toward the best version of themselves. ❤

Have a lovely weekend, lovies. ❤

Best part of your week?
Something you’re learning/an area of growth you’re experiencing lately?

Thinking Out Loud

Hi friends! How’s May treating you?

I have zero excuses for my two-week blogging hiatus. Of course I missed you guys, but LIFE! I’m glad I can link up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for Thursday’s Thinking Out Loud post today, because a healthy dose of randomness sounds up my alley right now.

1. Travel. I was in Colorado last week for a quick 3.5 day trip, which was definitely too short but all sorts of fun. I love so many things about that state and will take any opportunity to get back there! Tyler’s brother lives outside of Boulder (a city I really like), so we went for his MBA graduation. Of course I’ve been looking at lofts in Boulder online for the past week now, because that’s what I do every time I go anywhere cool. #wanttoliveeverywhere

2. Fit Cities. So, this article was just published on the Fittest Cities in America. NYC didn’t make the top 10, but Denver, San Francisco and San Diego did (not to mention Seattle and Portland, two cities I’ve been so wanting to visit), so I’m doing the logical thing and taking this as a sign I should move West. As if I needed more of those.

3. Run. This Saturday, I’ll run my favorite half marathon for the 4th consecutive year: The Airbnb Brooklyn Half. I’ve had great experiences running this the past 3 years, so I’m hoping this one follows suit. I’m definitely not over-trained (to say the least), but I think it’ll be manageable and hopefully fun. 🙂 It’s the boy’s first half, so that’s exciting, and I’m thankful we can do this together (even though he’ll probably finish wayyyy before me).

I don’t actually have any goals for this race other than to feel good, enjoy it, and finish under 2 hours. Not too much to ask, I don’t think!

4. Watch. If you haven’t seen the film Brooklyn and you have any sort of heart for the beauty of humanity and a touching coming-of-age story whatsoever, you must see it. I adored this movie sooooo much – one of the loveliest, sweetest films I’ve ever seen. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed it.

5. Read. I’m currently finally reading Oscar Wilde’s class The Picture of Dorian Gray and really rather enjoying it. His writing is so whimsical and thought-provoking and unique, and I need to make a note to read more of his works.

6. Drink. Boy & I lucked upon a delicious cabernet by Martin Ray Winer at a lovely restaurant called Colterra in Niwat, Colorado, and I need to track it down and buy some asap. It was one of my favorite cabs I’ve had in a while, right up there with my beloved Josh by Joseph Carr:

I feel like I try so many different cabs all the time and always hope I’ll stumble upon a gem, and this one was such a welcome surprise. Crossing my fingers I can find it!

That’s all for me today — hope you’re all doing well!

Reading anything good?
Discover any new wines lately that I should try?
Anyone else have a race this weekend (or next)?

Thinking Out Loud

I’m linking up with Amanda @ Running with Spoons for this week’s TOL random spill sesh!

1. This is everything.

The boy sent it to me this morning and it resonates with me to the nth degree (and I posted a different version of it on my IG this morning, so follow me @glitterstruck!). It stirs up such thought-provoking questions about life & purpose & passion & doing everything that’s burning a hole within me and makes me want to purge all things I don’t love from my life and start over with a clean slate. Anyone with me?!

2. I am soon to be a proud (and super stoked) possessor of one of these babies:

My parents live right on a lake and I am SO EXCITED to spend my weekends balancing on this beauty all summer! I’ve never been on a SUP before but am 1,000% convinced I will love it. It seems like the perfect way to start a day, when the world is still sleepy and the sun has just risen and all seems quiet and perfect.

3. I ran outdoors last night (4 miles) and again at 6am today (another 4 miles) and felt great and am so ready to get back into higher mileage weeks and push myself. I guess I have to admit I’ve been feeling rather stressed, in a frenetic, no-time-for-myself, rushing-from-one-thing-to-the-next sort of way, and really could use some more long runs for the sole purpose of having time alone to breathe. It’s so necessary to find that which makes you feel good and alive and keep doing more of it.

4. This is “my wine”: Josh by Joseph Carr, Cabernet Sauvignon.

I love this wine, and it’s become my go-to and basically the only thing I drink regularly. Well, I recently discovered some fun facts about the winemaker: Joseph Carr is from my hometown area, in the same county where my parents live! It was like I was destined to try 4326242324 wines in the past 15+ years only to discover that my taste buds could tell a local. 😉 This is a great article about his rise to success and details the struggles in his journey to turn this wine (which honors his father’s name) into a massive hit.

Soooo, if you haven’t had this wine (and are a cab fan), you must. It’s phenomenal. And if you’re ever in NYC, look me up and we will drink it together. 🙂

5. Do you ever think about what you might want to do with your life if you didn’t have to worry about bills & health insurance & all that jazz? Not being dramatic — just been thinking so much about what it means to live a joy-journey life of passion lately. It’s one thing to talk about it, but what does it realllly look like if you put it into action?

And yes, that was my preface into saying that I’m trying to convince the boy he wants to move to Maui and go off the grid for a while. & that I want to write a book about following your passions and choosing joy.

6. I recently read the book Language Arts by Stephanie Kallos & am consequently captivated by the wonders that are storybook houses.

How have I missed these before now?! Like, what when how why where?!
Yes, I would like to live in a fairyland, please. Someone get me one of these.

7. One of my adorable clients recently surprised me with this:

Talk about the perfectly appropriate gift for this therapist. I think maybe I should start collecting wine glasses with different icons or from different places or whatnot. That’d be a fun & useful collection!

8. And now I want wine. Not hard to set that in motion.

Go ahead, think out loud! Tell me something random from your week.

Thinking Out Loud

i’m really liking these Thursday link-up posts lately (hosted by Amanda at Running With Spoons) — feels good to have a weekly post dedicated to just rambling about whatsoever my little heart desires. 🙂

ONE: yes, i’m still marathon-high — duh. i’m not sure if that should even be in question. i’m planning to ride this feeling of elation for as long as possible, thankyouverymuch! everyone at work has been asking about it, and all my friends are so encouraging and eager to hear how it went and i feel like i could just talk about it forever. but don’t worry, guys — i won’t. i swear. 🙂 just let me have it for a leeeeettle longer, mmmkay? because my world just feels all sorts of wonderful this week.

TWO: my recovery has been amazingggg. i’ve gone for two long walks since the race on Sunday (5 hilly miles Monday, 4 miles on Tuesday), did an hour + of kettlebells, upper body strength & abs yesterday morning, and woke up this morning ready to run — so i did! aside from the obligatory residual soreness, i have no actual pain or anything concerning, so i set out at 6am and ran 4.6 miles and felt so good and so happy and so grateful for it all, for this wonderful life that is so very mine.

THREE: i just read Paper Towns by John Green over the weekend and reallllly enjoyed it. this coming-of-age tale is sweet & heartfelt & reflective & raw & emotional & really makes you think about what it means to be young & vulnerable & so very present in your own life, on the verge of self-discovery, at such a tender time. this book has some heart-wrenchingly beautiful lines in it, and i was really impressed with his writing. it made me feel so much, and to me, that’s the best thing a book can do.

FOUR: i’ve juuuust begun reading a new book, gifted to me from one of my bff’s darling boyfriends, who stumbled upon it and thought i’d enjoy it. (thank youuuu, Josh! oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)

anyone read this?

lil blurb from Amazon: In Why We Run, biologist, award-winning nature writer, and ultramarathoner Bernd Heinrich explores a new perspective on human evolution by examining the phenomenon of ultraendurance and makes surprising discoveries about the physical, spiritual — and primal — drive to win. At once lyrical and scientific, Why We Run shows Heinrich’s signature blend of biology, anthropology, psychology, and philosophy, infused with his passion to discover how and why we can achieve superhuman abilities.

sounds pretty dope to me! stoked to delve into it.

FIVE: so, i think imma run a half marathon next weekend. because why not?? i’m more than trained, i’m feeling great, and it looks like suuuuuch a rad race. i mean, even the name is fun: The Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon. like, stop. i so need to run this.

the race is held in the gorgeous Thatcher Park just outside of Albany, NY, in the small town where my bff lives, actually. it’s a trail race — the photos on the site make it look so lovely and appealing — and apparently a lot of people dress up in costumes and really get into the Halloween spirit. i think it sounds like a total blast, and i was planning to be upstate next weekend anyway (because two weeks without my new boy is two weeks too long…omg what is happening to me?!), so it seems like a no brainer. i know i have a Wonder Woman costume somewhere i can dig up….jk. i’ll prob paint on whiskers and find ears and call it a day.

SIX: who’s dressing up for Halloween?? okay so my tooth & tooth fairy costume doesn’t seem to be happening this year (i’m determined it will happen one day!), but we have another idea that could turn out really sweet if i actually get my butt in gear and start working on it.  i just wanna wear cool make-up at this point, not gonna lie.

Tell me something random from your life lately!
Anyone doing any costume races this season? Have you ever?
What’re you being for Halloween?

currently {me}

*running. weekend mileage: 13.1 mile insanely hilly run upstate on Saturday; 5 mile insanely hilly power walk upstate on Sunday. even though the terrain is challenging, i love running at home. it wasn’t humid, the country roads are beautiful, and it’s so peaceful. sure, i’m running more slowly, and i run out of water every time, and i always start too late so it gets super hot at the end…but it’s all worth it.

• the bad: i have a shin splint. ouch. i’m really hoping to be more diligent about icing and resting if i need to and not pushing myself to any further injury.
• the good: i feel like i’m at a good place mentally with my running. i’m not running as much as i’d like, and definitely not as fast as i’d prefer, but i’m enjoying it (when my leg doesn’t hurt) and not allowing myself to stress out about it and just tackling it one run at a time.
  
• the in-between/uncertain: will i run the marathon in October? i have no idea. i haven’t run more than 13.1 miles still, and that’s felt like a struggle lately (b/c HILLS and heat), so i don’t think i’ll be ready, or even want to, to be honest. i guess we’ll see in a few weeks!

*eating. dried mission figs. i bought a bag at a lil farmer’s market by me the other day and they’re just so good. i don’t know why i don’t keep these on hand all the time. i’d love to say i eat them b/c of all the potassium and fiber — which are great benefits — but really, i just love ’em, and they fill me up.

*reading. This Side of Paradise by my beloved F. Scott Fitzgerald. this is his first novel — he was only 23 when he wrote it (talk about a genius combination of ambition and talent) — and the 4th i’ve read of his. it’s quirky and witty and apparently semi-autobiographical, and i love the main character’s name (Amory Blaine). it’s intriguing so far, and definitely different from anything else i’ve ever read. i wouldn’t call it a page-turner, but i’m enjoying following this flighty protagonist as he attempts to come of age rather trippingly. as do all of his novels, this one has some amazing quotes. i just adore his writing.

*writing.

*current mood.friend points if you can name this song (without Googling!).

hope your weeks start off rad, friends.

Best part of your weekend?
Anyone have any trips coming up?
Whatcha reading?

snippets from my lately life

hi, friends! hope you all had fabulous July 4th weekends. i was off both Friday and Monday and was out and about nonstop since last Thursday night, so i’ve had quite the lovely little long weekend and am struggling a bit to get back into the swing of things this week (aka put on work clothes and be a 9-5 adult).

life has been fun, though! busy busy, but fun.

here’re some highlights/updates from my lately life:

*running. still doing it, but i admit the last week hasn’t been very plan-following…and i’m actually okay with that. it’s nice to give yourself a little slack from the runcrazy mentality sometimes, it seems. i’m aware that i can tend to get a bit obsessive.

i had a friend in town who is also a runner, so we ran together Friday & Monday, and it was nice to have a running partner (even if he eventually broke away and smoked me both times). Saturday the weather forced me indoors, so i suffered through 4 miles on a treadmill and thankfully emerged unscathed. gah those things are hard to wrap your mind around once you’ve foregone them for a bit!

*Dave Matthews Band. their music was basically the soundtrack to my high school and college years, and i saw them play live on Saturday evening in Saratoga, NY for the first time since my early 20s. i’m such a fan of Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) — it’s an amazing indoor/outdoor venue, and my favorite place to see Dave play.and holy cow, those guys are incredible. there’s something about an amazing live show that gives me all the feelings and ignites the very air, and i stood there in a crowd of 30,000 people with such a full heart and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the simple things in life. i think his music just does that to people, as it’s so uplifting and energetic and makes you want to love everything and everyone.

just Googling his lyrics makes me happy. #musiciseverything

*fitness fashion. unsurprisingly (and luckily!), a few of my closest girlfriends gave me workout clothes for my birthday (thanks, loves! you know me so well), and i’m absolutely over the moon for these Omshanti pants my bestie Alex gave me:i think peacocks are just the coolest, and i’ve been eyeing these babies for months now and am sososososo stoked about them. this is my second pair of Omshanti Power Pants, and i’m a big fan of them. the material is super silky and light and stretchy and comfortable, and i love the patterns and colors. definitely a repeat customer here. now i just need to start doing yoga!

*NYC. because my city never ceases to amaze me with little bits of magic around every corner, and little snippets of wisdom speckling the sidewalks.i especially liked this one because it immediately made me think of a Bible verse i love, Proverbs 4:23:

always solid advice.

*eating: mangoes. can’t get enough of fruit lately, which is actually helping me eat less sugar/chocolate/any other snacks, so i’m loving this and hoping it becomes a sustainable life habit thing. i eat pretty clean, but i definitely could clean it up more and snack less, so fruit is my answer to that!

*reading:my friend was reading it at my lakehouse over Memorial weekend and raved about it, so i jumped on the bandwagon. i’m liking it — definitely a page turner — even if the main character sort of drives me crazy. i have issues with judging the main characters of novels if i don’t find them overly likeable or relatable. does that happen to anyone else? i SO love a good book and i want to like the person telling the story so that i’m invested in what happens to him/her, and it can be a thin line for me sometimes! it’s a cool story — the writing is good but not spectacular (i love when a book has beautiful, flowery, descriptive writing), and it’s a good, light summer read.

Send me some book recommendations, please!! i’m in desperate need of something good.

What’s up in your world lately?
Anyone had any good runs they’d like to brag about? i’ll live vicariously through you this week, as i capped out at a sweaty, humid, messy 6-miler. the weather in NYC has been gross lately!

shut up and put your $ where your mouth is…

and yep, i’m still wishing i was waking up in Vegas. 😦

have i mentioned my Katy Perry crush? love her. and that song.

and Vegas. i loved Vegas.

for starters, the Bellagio is breathtaking. such a gorgeous place in which to wake up every day.

i can never grow tired of this incredible blown glass chandelier piece, Fiori Di Como, by artist Dale Chihuly. i’d seen it the one other time i bopped through Vegas because it was the #1 thing i had to visit, but being able to stay in the Bellagio and pass by it every day was a serious treat. in my opinion, this is a Vegas must-see.

this is what i want my bedroom in Heaven to look like. please take note, God.

the garden rooms were incredible, too. walking through the Japanese-themed indoor garden late on my final night there, i suddenly was hit with the sheer magic of it all — one of those indescribable feelings where time seems to envelope you in the beauty of a moment and you find yourself stopping short, overcome with the very act of belonging, right then and there, as though everything was just as it should be in the world for one split second — and i turned to my friend and all i could muster was, “this is a nice moment.”

i think i live for moments like that.

&then there was the fact that i had alllll the family time, which i was craving. it was amazing to spend so many days hanging out with my parents and brother. they’re just the best humans.

side note: dry heat and zero humidity is my absolute dream weather. my hair loves it, too.

so, what did i do? well, i went to the gym every morning and got in a lot of good cardio, which was an ideal way to start my days… considering the remainders were spent like this:

poolside, working on my first tan of the season (woot!) with the same “skinny cool as a cucumber” drink every day,
reading this book in its entirety, finally, (really good — a must-read for anyone who loves running and wants to be inspired by a machine of a running man),

and spending the evenings enjoying yummy food, cocktail parties, banquets and lots of champagne. oh, and one Texas Hold’em tournament…which was fun, for the whole one round i managed to stay alive.

we had dinner at Lago one night, the newest restaurant in the Bellagio, which overlooks the famous fountains and was absolutely charming and delicious. wine and tapas = right up my alley.

the best part was watching my dad when his small plates arrived — we thought his eyes would pop out of his head when he saw the size of his salad. apparently we should have explained the concept of “tapas” prior to dinner. my brother and i almost lost it watching him try to keep it together.

we had a spectacular view of the fountains, Oceans 11 style. it was magical.

i definitely didn’t do the typical Vegas — no crazy nightlife or pool party insanity for me, except for 2 hours i spent at a club in the Bellagio (drinking club soda and wishing i was asleep) — and although i was there for the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight, i didn’t attend the fight and managed to avoid most of the craziness by having cocktails and drinks at a quiet bar in Aria with a friend i never get to see.

for me, this was a pretty darn perfect Vegas trip: balanced, relaxing, fun, and full of wonderful people.

i already want to go back.

Vegas fans: Where do you like to stay? Fave things about Vegas?
Do you workout on vacation? i was so proud of myself for working out every day, i can’t lie. 🙂

Thinking out Loud

linking back up for the 2nd week in a row with Amanda at Running with Spoons and the other gals who participate in this Thursday fun!

1. is the lamb here to stay?  so please tell me you guys are familiar with the whole “in like a lion, out like a lamb” idiom used to describe March’s personality, right? i’ve been chanting this every Spring since i could string words together (my parents were great teachers, thanks Mom!), but when i dropped it on the boy last weekend, he looked at me like i was speaking Parseltongue. i mean, this is a thing, guys. someone tell me they say this, too?

art: Emily Arnold McCully

translation: the sun & blue skies have returned to NYC, and we hit 55 degrees yesterday. i seriously considered starting patio season already after work last night. can’t wait to run outside tonight, and i’m choosing to believe it’s only going to get better from here on out. c’mon, March!

2. eating: all the protein. so although i’m not sticking to Whole 30 strictly (i had wine with friends last night, whoops), i’m still loosely trying to base the majority of my diet around their food list, and i’ve been eating more eggs in the past 2 weeks than ever in my life. i was never much of an egg person, and now i’m hard boiling them like whoa and actually loving them. they keep me full for hours and eliminate any desire to snack, so i’ll take that! i’ve also been eating a lot of grilled chicken, and staying away from chips and crackers and bread products 100%, so that’s a win.

3. reading: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. i’m a big C.S. Lewis fan — the Narnia series is one of my faves — and i started this book years ago but didn’t get into it. my roommate and i decided to read it together and discuss it, so i’m committed to it this time.

in case you’re unfamiliar with it, this is from Wikipedia: “The Screwtape Letters is a Christian apologetic novel written by C. S. Lewis. It is written in a satirical, epistolary style and while it is fictional in format, the plot and characters are used to address Christian theological issues, primarily those to do with temptation and resistance to it…the story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior Demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a Junior Tempter.”

so yep, the narrator is a demon, and the book uses this interesting style to tackle a bunch of issues in the Christian faith. it’s rather dense, but i think it’s really good for me to read this (especially after all the fiction to which i default), so it’s good. i love being challenged and forced to really think about serious issues, so this is certainly accomplishing that.

4. Vegas! so i just found out last night that the weekend i’ll be in Vegas is now the weekend of the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight — aka the richest fight ever, with a purse of over $250 million!! whaaaaat?! thank God we booked our flights way ahead of time, b/c i imagine the prices will soar. i’m not into boxing whatsoever (i just know Pacquaio’s name b/c my old trainer was a Filipino who was also a boxer and he was obsessed), but the weekend should be packed and full of fun events and craziness, so that’s cool. not that i’ll probably partake in anything. i just am stoked to go to Vegas. and it’s a family trip — have i mentioned how much i love family trips? when your family is as fab as mine, you want to do all the things together. seriously, our vacas are the best.

5. food. these snapea crisps in wasabi ranch are so good. i ate them on Tuesday on the train ride to class because i didn’t have time for lunch…but i refuse to consider them “chips” because they are essentially vegetables. they’re so light and puffy and have a great flavor. i’m a sucker for anything wasabi.

6. NYC Half. i’m not running that this year (sad face), but a big “good luck and have so much fun, this is an amazing race!” to all of you who are tackling it. i loooooved this race last year and had allllll the feelings about my city, so i hope you runners have a smashing time.

7. Instagram humor. half of my feed consists of these comedy accounts…please tell me you guys follow them. daddyissues? betches? girlwithnojob? i cannnnn’t. hilarity.

whena bestie and i are going anywhere (before we fall asleep on the couch and our boys take pix):

when you’re not with an actual like boy and amusing yourself with boytoys:

when your delusions of grandeur don’t quite align with the reality of your life in NYC:

but i’m maintaining that it’s still the best city, no matter what.
Whatcha thinkin’ bout this Thursday, friends?
Tell me something good from your week!

2 Things Tuesday

ONE: running. annnd just like that, i’m baaack outdoors, for the win! stoked to report that my last two runs were outside:

Saturday: 8.5 hilly miles upstate (this was a tough one — my legs were so tired)
Monday (last night): 5 balmy miles along the West Side Highway, in near-50 degree weather!! booyah. this one felt amazing.

i was struggle-city all day yesterday — Monday-ing like whoa — and was fairly confident a run wasn’t in the books for me. i went home from work, took an hour nap, and forced myself to the gym for a half hour of weights/strength — and that was all it took to wake me up and make me crave the outdoors. i figured i’d just pop out a couple of miles, 3 tops…but i felt sooooo alive and wonderful and thrilled to be outdoors on the nicest night of 2015 thus far in NYC, that 5 miles flew by. don’t you just love it when that happens??

TWO: reading. i read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes this weekend on my train rides to and from upstate. i really enjoyed this book: i found it an easy, quick read, with an engaging storyline and a likeable main character, driven by a very complex, poignant relationship. characterization is so important for me in a novel: if i don’t like my narrator or care about her fate, i have a hard time really losing myself in the story or becoming invested. i thought this was nicely written, heartfelt, and genuine, albeit a bit hard as well, as it deals with some serious life issues. it’s one of those books that made me feel so utterly grateful for my life, while simultaneously inspiring me to want to do more, see more, experience alllll the things.

here’s to making it through Tuesday!

Runners: how’s the running going? Is it warming up near you?
Book recs? Send ’em my way, por favor!