I promise I am still here..

I am still alive - just been here and there. I will be back stronger than ever..just not sure when.

- Blog Hiatus.

The 3 Little Work Conundrums

While reading a few blogs today, I found a few workplace themes or recurring issues I thought were quite interesting. Based on many others' experiences and stories, I wanted to give a few examples and ask following...

Picture this: You get the job. You strut your stuff as you give out your business cards and you are ecstatic that your bank account finally has enough digits to buy you something other than ramen noodles. You have a salary and benefits, hallelujah! Then, the unexpected happens… 

This is like the butterfly effect - you get to pick the ending! Which paradigm are you most closely associated with in each scenario?

1) You hate your job. Wait a minute, this wasn’t supposed to happen?! You thought this was your dream job. You were pumped when you got hired – eager to work with your banana republic trousers and your game face on. So what happened?  You realized that the job reality didn’t quite match up to the job description or perhaps, like so many recent college graduates or unemployed citizens, you were just so enthralled with the thought of having a job –any job - that you were blindsided. 

Now what?

School of thought a: suck it up, this is a recession and life isn’t made of roses. Change your attitude and get back to work. You can find a better job in two years.

Oh, you hate your job?  Why didn't you say so?  There's a support group for that.  It's called everybody, and they meet at the bar.  ~Drew Carey

School of thought b: Start looking for a new job as of yesterday. Life is too short to stay in a miserable, motivating, life-sucking position. I need to find something that I love doing.

 Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.  ~H. Jackson Browne

2) Everyone’s warned you about it. Your mom would definitely disapprove. You know it’s a bad idea and yet somehow it happens – you get “involved” with someone at work. You don’t even know if you signed a document stating “thou shall not fraternize with co-workers.” THINK THINK! What did that contract say and why do you not have a copy of it now? Does anyone at work know? You tried to keep it a secret but you suspect rumors are circulating.

Now what?

School of thought a: I am professional, damn it. People are a dime a dozen and I can find someone to hang out with romantically anywhere. You shouldn’t put yourself in a sticky situation, especially when it involves work.

School of thought b: work is work. It is not their business what happens outside of the workplace. I dare someone to say something to me. If no PDA or even hint of a relationship is occurring at work, what is the problem? All I need to do is get ahold of the document I signed upon employment…

The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.  ~Arnold Toynbee
 

3) What review? What raise? Your pay is based on a yearly review. Your review determines whether or not you get a pay increase and it is your direct boss’ duty to perform that yearly review. The only problem is, your boss is nearly a year behind on your first review and your second year mark is coming up - aka time for another review. You have asked for a review both in person and in written form, but still nothing.

Now What?

School of thought a: you need to grow a pair and take the issue to upper management and demand that you get your rightfully deserved review. You don’t care that you are stepping on your boss’ toes. Who cares if he makes you miserable for the next couple of weeks, maybe even months, because you tattle tailed on him. At least this way you will be getting your raise, hopefully, maybe…

School of thought b: I need to wait it out until the second review time comes along and politely remind my boss that now I am an entire year behind. When he does not follow through yet again, I will persist and just hope that he will actually do his job this time – hey it could happen, right?

Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas.  ~Paula Poundstone

Beat the Bloat 2011

In an effort to get my groove back and my booty whooped into shape, I have started (once again) running about 30 miles a week and doing 30 min weight training sessions every day after work. So far, so good. I don’t have as much trouble on the working out and breaking a sweat part as much as I have a problem with food. How much do I really need to eat and when is a tricker formula than it sounds. This is especially true because I can’t eat particular food because my stomach is so sensitive and I really have to plan in advance. I have been trying to collect a few recipes that are simple and easy to do, because by the time I get done at the gym, it’s 8pm and I am starving. If I am really running low on time, I go for my "quick" meal ingredients to make a salad and add beans as for protein or I simply have a protein shake – GNC’s generic cookies and cream flavor is the best.

Also, I don’t know about y’all but my top 5 favorite diet busters are so hard to give up…everything in moderation, right? The only problem is I don’t know how to eat these things in moderation. I could eat buckets full of this stuff:

1) Beer and Wine

2) Chicken nuggets and wings with lots of SAUCY SAUCE

3) Ice Cream and frozen yogurt

4) BREAD in all of its forms

5) French fries

I apologize ahead of time for the lack of measurement in these recipes, but literally I just eye-ball most of the things I make, so it’s hard to say. Just taste it, add to it, repeat, repeat, until finally satisfied.

 

Turkey Trot Burgers (watch out now, they have a little a bit of a kick!)

Ingredients:

1lb ground turkey

½ diced yellow or white onion

 1 fresh garlic clove or 2 teaspoons minced garlic

Eyeball it – onion powder

Heavy hand of ground black pepper

1 fresh minced jalapeno

Dash of paprika

Heavy dash of chili powder

Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

1 egg white

Variations –

depending on what you feel like, add BBQ sauce, hot Sauce, soy sauce, or salsa directly on the meat. I think it makes it more tender…

Caramelize your onions…

Directions:

Fold ALL of the ingredients into the ground turkey meat and separate into patties.  Cook on the stove in a skillet or on a grill for about 10 min.

Breakfast in the morning, breakfast in the evening, breakfast anytime!

For a very low cal, but delicious breakfast try this egg white omlette with stewed cinnamon apples

Ingredients:

4 egg whites or 3 egg whites and one full egg

Chopped veggies of your choice

(cheese - optional – I recommend pepper jack or Colby jack)

Two small apples or one large

Cinnamon

2 or 3 splashes of Orange Juice

Dash of salt

Directions:

Chop the apples up into chicken-finger sized wedges

Pour the OJ on top of the apples and as the pot warms up, keep sprinkling the cinnamon on top of the apples until the cinnamon gets thick with the orange juice – at this point the heat should be on medium

Add the dash of salt

Stop cooking when the apples are soft and the sauce is thick

Crack your eggs and separate your yolks from your egg white. Spray a pan with non-stick spray and throw in any veggies you have laying around – onions, peppers, jalapenos, mushrooms, spinach… it’s all good! Then add your eggs. Egg whites are ready when they are no longer runny.

Nacho Mama’s Guacamole

As many avocados as you please, but for this recipe’s sake (makes about 2 cups) 4 medium avocados

1 small tomato

¼ yellow or white onions

Dash of cumin

Lots of garlic! I use about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic but this is up to you

Onion powder

3 squirts of lemon

Ground black pepper

Salt is kind of optional here – I would add a tiny but, but honestly you won’t miss it and I am an advocate for consuming less salt

 Looking for a little more pizazz? Try adding jalapenos, poblano peppers or diced red peppers

Directions: FOLD, don’t mash these ingredients together in order to preserve the chunky texture. Refrigerate.

Throw guac in a pita, on a sandwich with bacon, on a salad, eat with chips, with celery, heck eat with eggs -  the possibilities are endless!!

My alternative cardio sessions when I am not running are composed of the stairmill (like a stairmaster, but the stairs are moving) walking at at least 4.0 on a 5.0 incline, bootcamp classes, and cycling classes. I definitely think that on days when you are not feeling particular motivated, working out with other people gives you the boost you need. I recently read that even 10 min a day of breaking a sweat can keep your metabolism revved up. Get up and go do something. I wish my cubicle had a treadmill.

I recently did the Warrior Dash, which was a great experience. It is definately more about the fun than the competition. I would encourage trying it one time, but unless the obstacles get more creative, I probably won't do it again. There were walls to climb, mud to trek, firepoles to slide down, barbed wire to crawl under, you get the picture.

Possibly the Quickest Trip to Turkey and Greece...

My favorite part about traveling is not knowing what a place will be like until you get there – some destinations are all hype and some do not disappoint. The good thing about my job is that it allows me to catch a sneak peak at places I may want to return to in the future and that is something I am definitely thankful for. This time, I went on an an ITV upgrade on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas.

I usually give a good recap of the places I visit, but honestly I was only in Athens and Kusadasi long enough to give you a first impression.

Athens, Greece

The Acropolis is situated in the middle of a city and then bam. There it is. About two right turns from a Starbucks – you just have to laugh. I can only imagine its grandeur when it was first built. First off, please do not let the sleeze bags take your money and convince you that they are doing YOU a favor. From the train station where most tourists arrive, it is a 15 min drive to the attractions. If you get in a cab, make sure you do not pay more than 20 Euro. They all speak English and they will all try to talk you into all kinds of things all day long. If you purchase the ticket for the Acropolis, it costs 12 Euro and you get access to the rest of the sites. Don’t take the tour bus. A note of warning, it can be quite windy and dusty – as in, if you wear white and don’t wear sunglasses, you will come out blind and wearing brown.

There are a good amount of nice, reasonably priced cafes all around. Ask for something traditional and don’t get a Caesar salad. Do try the olives!! (ps – this is why I gain so much weight when I travel often. Seriously though, how can you ever guarantee you will be in such a cool place?

Things to see..

The karyatides statues

Theater of Dionysus



I wasn't expecting such a large crowd or the construction occuring onsite

View from the top



It was so dusty and dirty that my foot was literally two different colors





We refused to pay more money for two cabs - cram cram cram!



Say Hello to My Little Friend:Flax

Meet my friend, Flax seed.

I cannot say enough good things about flax seed. This is all going to be TMI, but it is necessary. If you have known me for more than 5 min you know I have stomach issues. Name the issue and I probably experience it to some degree at least a few times a week. The doctor actually called my stomach situation “interesting” and “unusual” – wtf I know it’s interesting and unusual and that’s why I am paying to see you and to receive your help, not to reiterate things I already know. Anyways, flax seed is the only thing on God’s green Earth that has any effect on my body. You don’t have to take my word for it;  see my little friend’s benefits below:

According to Flax health.com –

1. Flax fights cholesterol

2. Flax fights diabetes

3. (This one is my favorite!) Flax fights constipation and staying regular keeps you lookin’ good.

4. Flax fights cancer

5. Flax fights inflammation

6. Flax fights menopausal symptoms (OK – so most of us won’t be needing this benefit for a while, but hey – now we know for the future.)

7. Flax fights heart disease

8. Flax and the immune system

9. (The second most surprising one) Flax fights the Blues  -  Preliminary research suggests that eating a diet rich in flax could slash your risk of ever feeling down in the dumps

10. Flax helps reduce weight and keep weight under control  - boosts your metabolism and helps keep you satisfied.

11. (So surprising it’s not even funny, but tempting to try just out of curiosity!!) Drum roll please….

courtesy of

Flax can be used to make homemade lube – SAYYY WHAT?! I stumbled upon this blog while conducting my research and thought this was just awesome. This is a new level of DIY! Check out the Herbwife's kitchen - it's full of all kinds of fun tid bits.

And now, a little Q & A

Ground, whole or in oil form?

Ground  wins the battle – Ground is better than whole and oil because it is easiest for your body to digest and contains the most fiber, Omega-3s and lignans.

The other way to put Flax "in" you, lol...How do I consume it?

Flax seed doesn’t really have a taste  - so go crazy. I add 2 tablespoons into my morning juice and drink it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, which helps me use the little girls room. More creative ways include flax seed in your diet:

- add it to your smoothies

- combine flax seed with bread crumbs and batter your chicken or fish in it

- sprinkle over your salad for a bit of a crunch

 If you feel like baking try this recipe for peanut butter, banana and flax muffins (and give me a call!) -  they sound scrumptious!

Seriously, just consume it on a daily basis. If you skip days and are inconsistent, you won’t get the full benefits.

Things that I am diggin’ right now:

1. Combat boots – specifically these!

2. Boyish watches with large faces  - my dad bought me an Anne Klien watch that looks very similar to a Michael Khors one I really wanted. Mine was half the price YAY.



My Birthday Gift!! Micheal Khors Inspiration below:



3. Shark week

4. Stairmaster Mill – it’s like a step master but much more hardcore. I am currently trying to get into serious shape and this is great machine. Try it - it will kick your ass (in a good way)!

5. Bacon on a stick! I went camping and rotisserie-style cooked bacon on a stick and it was OH SO GOOD!

6. Vodka Tonics with lemon – nothing like it on a hot, sticky Florida day

7. “Trust falls” – check em out on youtube

8. Investing your money – I am still trying to figure out how I will personally be investing, but I did start by opening up a high-interest online saving account for my emergency money that I can’t touch unless my entire family dies and my car/ home go up in flames and I am only left with the clothes on my back (I surely hope this never occurs by the way)

9. My real human hair extensions – got ‘em from Sally Beauty. Works for me because the last time I got a haircut, the bia chopped off all my hard earned hair - months of growing out my hair SO if you ain’t got it, fake it (at least until my hair grows back out)!

 

Things displeasing me lately:

1. Hit and runs – I witnessed one in downtown Fort Lauderdale and it made me super angry. Someone’s Land Rover is now dented and some bitch isn’t taking responsibility for her actions.

2.Women who breast feed in public and spray people with their breast milk – lol watch this video

3.People who steal from other people – my roommate had people over and someone stole ALL of my jewelry. Where are your morals? Steal from corporations or huge companies, but not people for Pete’s sake! They have plenty of money and they won’t miss it.

Things some people think are a big deal but I don’t:

1. Urinating outside if you are a female - hey, when u gotta go, you gotta go!

I may or may not have been marking my territory out there...

2. Using nannies (not replacing them as a mother figure, but using them for help)

3. Gambling – everything in moderation my friends.

4. Not owning a TV. I do not have one. If I need to know something, I look online. I read. I ask people. I watch other human’s TVs.

 That'll be all.

In My Country, We Say "Sounds Good" {Spoken in an Italian Accent}

Ah  Venice. The title to this blog is dedicated to one of the Italian contractors that work with Allin (my company) named Andrea. He is super funny despite the fact he doesnt speak a lick of English. He is in the white shirt below.

I started out my day at 6 am. I went for a nice jog around Mestre, which is where my hotel is, approximately 15 min away from the main city center. We had no power in the computer room and no power mean no connection, hence no work! Lucky me. I don’t get a day off so it was refreshing to leave and ge to explore, which is what I live for. I spent the afternoon in Venice, which proved to be a cute city, even with the hoards of people speaking all different languages, taking up space and breathing me oxygen, and dragging their luggage around being slow ( Why am I so impatient?). I would have liked to see more of the “real” Venice, where people are simply going about their day and having coffee on their balconies, but I only caught a glimpse.

Venice wasn’t necessarily disappointing, but it is nothing special, in my opinion. What draws tourist to the city is also its downfall. There were TOO many people and TOO many boats. One thing that would be cool to do is rent a kayak. I would have done this on my own, but after extensive research, I have found that because of the Italian bureaucracy and the booming gondola biz (it’s quite expensive. We are talking 80 Euro min for a ride), you can only purchase a kayaking tour for 120 Euros.

I have no idea what the nightlife is like, but there is plenty of shopping, pizza, and gelato to go around for daytime fun.  Speaking of shopping, I couldn’t help myself – I bought a ring made of blown glass, which ones just one of many items made of that material. Among the usual postcards, t-shirts, and such, there were many interesting masks and pieces of art that were readily available.

I went into anything I could, but seeing as how it was Sunday, some of the attractions were closed –the Davincci Museum being one of them. I visited a few churches and one cathedral in particular just blew my mind. I went inside to admire the décor and architecture / contemplate my sins, so I sat down at a pew. I began trying to imagine what used to happen there , how different religion is today versus then, and how intricate the ceremonies used to be when all of the sudden I started crying. Why? I am not sure – something about that place made me overwhelmed so I had to make myself leave to compose myself. I have never experienced something like that and it weirded me out because I didn't know what was wrong with me.

I went for a little stroll in the park, got hit on hardcore by a gross man  and quickly exited. The park was full of canoodeling couples, fat, content pigeons, and gypsies (By the way, all of the above annoys me - lovers stop the PDA. Pigeons stop crapping on humans. Gypsies, please stay away...you smell).

A few days ago we went to a bar/ restaurant called Coopers and drank a shuttle of beer. No lie . It is larger than a beer tower and the alcohol content is 9 percent. I did not have a good morning at the office the next day.

 In the coming weeks I suspect I will be working my ass off and this was my one and only day off, so I will try to savor it. I am currrently drinking wine and going to downstairs to eat veal...later....

Memorial Day Weekend - A Much Needed Rest

I really need to learn to sit down at designated times to update this blog..entries once a month aint going to cut it.

I figured I would share a few things I did over my Memorial Day weekend, since I was very active and had a blast.Thanks to all of those American soldiers who make it possbile...

One of my good friends came to visit from Milwaukee, so naturally we had to take him to a very Floridan meal of crab. The best part about the meal is becoming animalistic - eating with your hands, butter and juicy goodness dripping, and then if your happy and you know it, you BANG your mallet on the table. The whole look is complete with a giant bib and believe me, you need it!

Mangos, mangos everywhere! Mango smoothy for breakfast, mango in your fruit salad for lunch, tacos with mango salsa for dinner. My mango tree is in full force. I would give out my address so that you can taste one of the delicious mangos for yourself, but that would be opening myself up for stalkers.

I live with this fellow, named Bret, and one other female. We have collectively decided that every Tuesday is officially Tequilla Tuesday and Bret has to wear this poncho, which he loves.

My little monkey friend. Not really, he is not as cool as Abu from Aladdin. This lilttle guy wouldnt shake your hand unless you gave him a dollar.

Took advantage of the beautiful Florida outdoors this weekend. I went kayaking, bike riding, and on an airboat ride through the Everglades. I didn't get to see any gators out there, but I was surprised to find that the "sawgrass" will indeed cut you!

Ahhh...so relaxing. Everything is better at the beach. The waves were calm, the beer was cold, and the thongs were out. Lots of people flocked to bank in the sun this weekend. My only complaint was the cost of parking - I'd say I paid about $20- $30 for parking in a matter of 3 days.

Do me a favor, if you have a boat and live in South Florida please call me. Let's be friends! This picture was taken from South Intlet Park in Boca Raton on Memorial Day when I was on a bike ride. Such a beautiful place!

This week I have bee getting ready for yet another trip to Italy. This time I will be gone for a whole month, but I will be a hop and skip away from Venice, which I expect to explore. Be on the lookout for that!

Until next time and hopefully that wont be next month...

Practical Advice - Traveling for Rookies

I used to be a rookie – I hadn’t taken a flight or ridden a train in over 5 years. Then BAM, my job took over and all I do (it seems like) is travel from place to place. The good news is that now I know which airports have the most obnoxious customs, the best food, the most exasperating layouts, the most inexpensive souvenirs...

Atlanta’s International Airport DOES suck, Munich (MUC) has great beer and crepes, and Milan’s train station is huge, like an airport and the likelihood of a pigeon crapping on your head is 60/40 them (see the dirty rascal above).

1) When flights say that you need to be in the boarding area 30 min before departure for domestic flights and 1 hour before departure for international, they are not joking. Even if you are about to piss your pants or are starving, find your gate first and verify that it is correct and when boarding begins. It has happened to me one too many times that I thought I was in the clear and went to pee or have a quick drink only to find out that a) they had been calling my name over the loud speaker - I of course didn’t hear a thing and they were pissed b) the gate was actually way father than anticipated and instead of a two min walk it was more like a trek c) I actually missed the flight, but wouldn’t have missed it had I not stopped to tie my shoe. 

- You can save a lot of time and hassle by just having a carry on. Beware: if the flight is too full they may check your bag anyways, but the good news is that you will not be charged.

- Save time by printing out your boarding pass and checking in online. If you have a smart phone, you can get the rewards or points card/ barcode your flights on there and simply scan it at the airport. If you already went on the flight (even if it is international partner) you can either fax in your ticket to get the miles applied or mail it in. Contact customer service to see what you can get because a lot of airlines are have merged and are partners and you may not even be aware of it.

- Speaking of international travel, you should think about applying for a credit card such as Capital One Venture card, which has no international fees. International fees can really add up, so this is a huge help and there is no fee to have the credit card for your first year + you earn rewards - I love rewards!

-Do not get water or fill up your water bottle until AFTER the security point – duh. I see people chugging water and it holds up the line. Why do people insist on wearing their watch, belt, shoes with lots of laces, coins, etc. you are going through security – is this baby’s first time or what?

-Wear slip-ons, sneakers, etc. but wear shoes! They make you take sandals off and it’s just gross to have to be barefoot in the airport. No wine openers – I have been a victim of losing a few, because for some reason I carry one around with me.

- Wear layers. Running around in the airport makes you extremely hot then mid-flight it’s arctic. I recommend wearing comfortable clothes with a cardigan or sweater and a scarf. The scarf can also double as a travel pillow on the flight.

- For long flights I recommend a moist toilet to relieve you of the “dirty” feeling on the flight and a small bottle of lotion because flying makes you extremely dry. Drinking plenty of water also helps.

- Lines at the train station for information and tickets are always a 30 min wait so it’s a good idea to research online and look at train times before you get to the ticket office. Do not assume they will speak English, so be ready to give them train numbers, destinations, and be ready to make train connections/ switches on your own.

- When you have to leave your car at the airport and you use services such as “park N go” or “park N fly” check online for coupons. They also have reward programs, such as, pay for 10 nights get one free.

- Most nice hotels will have outlet adapters in case you forget yours.

I am sure I will have more advice soon, as I am set to go back to Italy June and July. Picture of me enjoying a nice meal from my last trip below:

Diner and vino on my last work project =)

A Guy Named Nathan

This is a random story.

I was at the Fort Lauderdale Airport on my way to Atlanta. I have this tradition where I get to the airport early enough to drink a beer (expensive beer to be exact usually about 7 bucks for a Bud) before a flight. I now feel if I don't follow the tradition, my plane might crash. Anyhow, I was enjoying my beer when a cute stranger started talking to me and it just so happened he had just come from backpacking in Colombia. He had been to multiple cities, taking in the sites, sounds, and tastes while exploring around and meeting new people. Seeing as how I am from Colombia and have never really been, I was intrigued. Not to mention, I also love exploring unknown lands, so this guy struck my fancy.  I talked to him for about 30 min and it was a very comfortable conversation despite having known him for all of two seconds. Nathan was a nice guy and I am glad I met him for two reasons:

1) It reminded me of where I come from and how I really need to get more in touch with my roots instead of making excuses about the fact I know little to nothing about Colombia and have made no plans to go visit. This guy went on his own, without knowing much Spanish and he had a blast. He just went for it. Why haven't I been there? New bullet on my bucket list.

2) I remembered that I am lucky to have the job that I have. Although there is not a lot going on in some of the cities I have to visit for work, this is something a lot of people would love to do. I get an all expense paid trip to Italy, and once I get my work done, I can stuff my face with cheese, carbs, and rich wines. I can't really think of anyone else I know that gets to do these things. I need to enjoy it now while I am single and without kids.

this is NOT Nathan but he looks cool too...

all for now. 

5 Things I wish I could blow my tax return on...

 1. Zebra Lovin' - The lovely table you see to your left. Cute and simple. I am going to attempt my own version of this look on some TV trays that I picked up this weekend from a yard sale (Seen on right)
I got a set of 4 (one is broken I will have to see
if I can give it some TLC and bring it back to life). But, I was thinking for colors: coral and white. Look: antiquated and weathered. ZigZags are in!! I am going to be busy in the next couple of weeks, so we'll see when I get around to this...

pic of table via Das le Townhouse
http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com/ 

/

 2. Clock Work Orange - Look by Anthropology
Clocks+Random assortment+Indy look = LOVE
Not sure if it will flow with my ideas for my place, but still a very clever way to showcase some retro clocks that would otherwise never have a home. 














3.  Stick a Fork in it -Found at Pier 1 - you can't tell from this picture, but this is made of wood and it's about three or four feet tall, with what seems like contact paper on top and the fork is actually made with chalk paint! I once found a giant fork in a thrift store and my love affair with giant cutlery began. I have always had a soft spot for chalk paint; for some reason it's like a phenomenon to me.

4. Stay a while Coat Hanger - Urban Outfitters-It's practical and girlie without being too girlie and you don't see them too often these days.I just need one end of story.














 5. Bad to the Bone Leather Jacket-  iOffer.com (originally from Banana Republic) is an eBay type site check it out!

I live in South Florida, so this purchase would be a stretch but it's gorgeous and there is a cool breeze about one week a year down here. I wouldn't want to catch a cold, right?





Hope things went well for all of you this tax season! I just keep repeating to myself: Save Save Save...

Like Depeche Mode, I have found my personal Jesus

Like Depeche Mode, I have found my personal Jesus... in running!

The lyrics to this song flashed in my head as I was pounding my feet on the pavement. The sun was rising, I was surrounded by thousands of people, but I could have sworn I was all alone. The air was cool and fresh, as the waves crashed and waved to me. I had one of those great moments when you feel connected with the world and super glad to be alive.

                “Reach out and touch faith
                Your own Personal Jesus
                Someone to hear your prayers
                Someone who cares
                Your own Personal Jesus
                Someone to hear your prayers
                Someone who's there…”

This past weekend my aunt and cousin came from Orlando to run the A1A Half-Marathon with me. It’s a fun course that takes you by bars and restaurants (which are usually full of people trying to get a drink at the bar – myself included), through a shady park, and ends by the shore side.  I hadn’t run a race before or run farther than 8 miles (why would I?) so I was unsure of how I would like it or how my body would hold up. About 30 min into the race, the sun started to rise, as it was about 6:30am, and even though it was slightly cloudy, the sky was filled with a beautiful arrangement of oranges, yellows, and pinks to finally reveal our trusty friend that provides us with a warmth and vitamin D - the sun. I was listening to a great song and felt so happy and SO FREE! There is something about running that makes me feel like the freest person in the world – like I can do anything, go anywhere, or just keep running like Forest Gump and never look back. 

When I finished, my left knee felt like a blown-out tire, my butt was burning, my hamstring was tight and throbbing and somehow I was ecstatic. I kept thinking, when can I run my next race?! Others did not not have had such a pleasant experience; the guy that finished next to me puked about 30 seconds after crossing the finish line and there was a man with blood all over his shirt, which I was informed was from his shirt chaffing his nipples (OUCH!).

For me, running clears my head, relieves my stress, and makes me feel better about everything. For others, this may be spending time with kids, cooking, cleaning, working 60+ hours a week, yoga, shopping, etc. I think the point is, whatever makes YOU happy and works for YOU is what you need to focus on. Running a race was on my bucket list, so now I look forward to whatever my next escapade may be. What's on your bucket list? If you don't have one, you need to make one!

Continuously setting goals (of any kind) is the key to motivating yourself to get out of bed every day with a go-get-em attitude and a pep in your step. Even if you set small goals or make minuscule changes to your routine, they eventually they will add up and you will feel better about yourself. Sometimes you just have to do what makes you happy, even of other people think it’s weird or don't agree.

Be happy and find your personal Jesus!