March Madness (Part One)

I just decided this needs to be a two-part post. After not traveling by air for a whole year, I went to California twice in one month!

Here’s how that happened… do you remember how I was supposed to be going to El Salvador in March to teach on a yoga retreat? That is now postponed to October 2nd. You can come.

Since I was already planning to take the week off and be away, I decided to make a trip out to LA. My friend, Pixie, decided to travel at the same time. So I stayed at her place to watch the dogs. Do you recognize these guys?

I also started a new job this month. Technically, I’ve been working with them since October, but we decided to make things full-time and more official. I’m excited!

While I was boarding the plane to fly out to LA, my boss called me about an opportunity. He would be leading a workshop in Southern California at the end of the month and wanted me to come along. Ok! I said.

I work from home, so I logged on for the early morning hours and had most of afternoon/evening free to explore. My friend came up from San Diego, and I got to see a few old friends in the LA area. Things were still pretty locked down and outdoor only— it was surprisingly chilly! But we did our best to meet up.

Pixie lives in such a beautiful area, and the boys were very well-behaved. I always feel lucky to stay there!

I threw any summer diet plans out the window for the week.

But we had some time for hikes and gorgeous views.

My friend Ashley had never been to LA, so of course we had to do the touristy things.

And we had a socially-distanced party in the park for a bulldog birthday.

The week went by too fast, with a lot of jet-lagged 4:30am wake-ups! It was so nice to see everyone again. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year. Sometimes it feels like six years and sometimes like six minutes. What a strange time, but I’m glad we’re getting back out there. Stay tuned for part two!

LBI in Springtime

I’m writing this a few weeks later now that I’m down in Long Beach Island, NJ “permanently” (not sure if I’m ever anywhere permanently at this point!) But in early May I came down to the beach for a little getaway. Being here before summer kicks off is very peaceful and relaxing. It’s not exactly bikini weather, but there was enough sun to go for walks on the beach. I forget how much nature is all around this normally busy island. The scenery is filled with gulls, crabs, dolphins, turtles, and all sorts of sea creatures. I ran into a family of geese down at the end of our dock that were guiding their new goslings by the water.

My sister joined me for the weekend and we did all of our favorite things, in quarantine style. It was different than your usual visit to LBI, sure, but we were able to check off some of the traditional activities. We had coffee and split a strawberry poptart by the fire at The Local. They’re open for full service with masks, distancing, and a limited number of guests.

We walked on the boulevard and onto the beach. There weren’t many people around before Memorial Day, but Mother’s Day brought a few families out.

The restaurant takeout scene was already busy before the summer rush. We called our favorite breakfast spot, The Sandbox, and were told there would be an hour wait. That seemed manageable since my sister doesn’t get to come down here very often. For dinner, we ordered sandwiches from Black Whale on the south end of the island. They had almost a two hour wait, but the server shortened it to an hour when she found out we were only getting crab cakes. Both meals were worth the wait since they provide reassurance that our beloved island eateries are surviving these wild times. I hope they stay busy and can do good business this summer in spite of it all.

On Sunday, my sister had to hit the road to go back to work as an essential employee, so I made us oatmeal bowls at home. The whole weekend was a fun girls’ trip and gave me some nice company for island hermit life.

The Hamptons

My sister is having her last hurrah in NYC this week before she and her boyfriend pack up and move to Pennsylvania to start his medical residency. I feel bad for them since their last months in the city were dashed by Covid quarantines. They’ve been fully cooped up, so I’m sure the trails and forests of PA will be a welcome change. I took a couple trips down to see them and make the most of our rare time together in the same state.

During one of the trips, I decided to take a drive out to the Hamptons, because I’d never been. I knew it would be a long drive, but I don’t have much else going on these days. I started out following this guide to the scenic stops along Montauk Highway, but after about 4 stops, which were certainly beautiful and worth stopping at, I decided I’d better just make my way to Montauk or I’d be on the road all day.

There are so many gorgeous views along the way; it doesn’t hurt to stop at any of them. And it was so nice being outside and on the water after so many cold and rainy days this spring.

I was surprised at how rural and scenic everything is once you get further out onto Long Island. It’s a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Queens and the rest of NYC.

Since it was midweek, the stops weren’t crowded at all. It was even strange to see the touristy beach towns almost deserted. On the other hand, I was glad to have views like these all to myself:

Montauk was the main attraction. I couldn’t believe how many trees and how few cars I saw along the highway. I wouldn’t have believed that I was less than two hours outside of New York City. Once I got into town, I could tell that I was in a beachy vacation neighborhood by the number of cars and people walking around, but it still felt calm in the offseason. Restaurants were open for takeout, so I grabbed a bagel for the road.

Of course the main lighthouse park was closed due to quarantine, but I was still able to walk around the beach and the base of the lighthouse. The restrooms were open, which I thankfully found out before I had to duck behind the nearest tree! I did see more people walking around on the trails down to the beach, so I put my mask on and kept my distance.

I felt peaceful walking along the water by the ocean. It ended up being a long-ish drive from Queens (about 2 hours each way), but I found it to be worth the trip. I’m not sure the next time I’ll be on Long Island after my sister moves, so I’m glad I took the chance to travel out there while it was accessible. However, if anyone has a Hamptons beach house, I will gladly accept any invitations (wink, wink).

Back to El Salvador

Another thing that feels far away and inappropriate to talk about now is how we went to El Salvador in the first week of March. I joined Pixie and Surf Sweat Serve for the second year in a row as yoga teacher, Spanish translator, and event coordinator extraordinaire. If there is a better job on this earth, please tell me and I will apply.

We stayed at Puro Surf again since we’ve become so close with the best staff members and the BEST surf coaching team.

Much to my own shock and disbelief, I rode my first unbroken wave this time around.

We hosted a group of twelve women in this incredible country, and I’m so glad Pixie chose the week that she did. It was our last international hurrah before borders started closing and we all got sequestered indoors. I’m thankful for the pictures that are helping me relive it.

This trip was a little bit different from the last one because we got off the hotel property, walked around town and visited nearby bars and restaurants. El Salvador gets a bad rap, mostly because of gang violence among locals, but I’ve never felt safer in a Central or South American country. The locals are very friendly and welcoming to people from the US, and they’re always willing to chat or help you out.

Especially now that I’m tucked away at my dad’s house in Upstate NY, I feel so lucky to have gotten to see so much of the world and to have had these experiences. I’ll be sharing more about our retreat week while I’m here in hibernation. I hope the stories will inspire you to grab life by the horns (once we can go outside and start living it again).

And if you’d already like to start planning for next year’s trip, you can do that here.

Disney Day

It feels weird to talk about Disneyland right now, but that’s where we went three weeks ago before it shut down until mid-April. It was my first time, and I was very impressed! My parents have always spoiled me rotten, so I’ve been to Disney World more times than I can remember. My sister and I even ran the Disney Marathon in 2012. We are old Disney pros.

I wasn’t sure what level of excitement to bring for the trip. My mom warned me that the California version of Disney was smaller with fewer adrenaline-inducing rides. But the park is less than an hour from East LA and we started out with the new Star Wars area, so that quickly raised the bar high.

The day got even better from there! We rode all my old Magic Kingdom favorites and saw new things like Mickey-shaped pretzels and the Sleeping Beauty castle. Since we were in the off-season, it felt like a chill rendition of the all-out Orlando experience.

We helped Katherine eat a giant turkey leg and hung out by the Louisiana-looking river. She and Nath have been living in LA for a few years, so this wasn’t their first rodeo. They showed me the fast pass system which rmeant we didn’t have to wait in line for more than an hour for most of the rides we wanted. We were bummed that the newest Star Wars ride was already booked for the day by the time we got there, but there was plenty else to do.

We met Pooh and Eeyore and got more drenched than expected on Splash Mountain.

Riding “It’s a Small World” was a bit surreal for me when we saw the koalas and kangaroos in the Australia display. Had I actually been in another hemisphere only a week before? It really was a small world after all.

It looks like we won’t be visiting any amusement parks for a while now, so I’m glad we went when we did. LA Disney turned out to be 10/10, would definitely do again.

Marina del Rey

Thus far, 2020 has held a lot of uncertainty. I think we’re all feeling it in the first quarter, and I know the small ripples are being felt in my own life. In January, I was feeling restless. I’d planned to join my lovely friend Echo on her yoga/snowboarding retreat to Japan in March, but something wasn’t feeling right. I didn’t think I would be able to relax and enjoy another trip after hanging out in Sydney with nothing to do for two months. The Bali workshop was already booked. Too much vacation is an easy problem to have, and I’m sure from the outside it looks like I’m never working (!!!), but I do eventually get fidgety if I’m sitting around twiddling my thumbs for too long.

It was time for the plan to change.

The day after I decided to pull out of the Japan trip (pre-Coronavirus scares!), Pixie, my El Salvador retreat leader, started messaging me. She wished we could still teach on her trip together and keep some consistency from year to year. I, of all people, realize that I’m scattered and often too non-committal, so I was nervous to tell her that my plans had changed yet again. But the wheels were already in motion.

“…What if I said I might still be able to go?”

And with that, we locked it all into place. I would land at her new apartment in Marina del Rey. She needed someone to watch her dogs for a week. I would have time for visits in LA, and we would depart for El Salvador on February 29th.

Sometimes things just click, and this felt like one of the clicks. Here’s the view from her new apartment:

I think I made the right choice.

Still fuzzy from the long flight, I walked on the beach to view the Pacific Ocean from the other side. Pixie introduced me to her new rescue baby, and we became fast friends:

Gouda (on the left) is new. Oscar (on the right) is my old pal.

I made new friends, caught up with old friends, played beach volleyball, and took some of the best walks I could have imagined. I was reminded of my old life here, and I sure did miss it.

California, there is just something about you.

Last Steps in Sydney

Suddenly, after Bali, there was only a week left in Sydney. Four months had spun past and disappeared into a cloud of fine memories. It took a lot of back and forth decision-making in the first month of 2020, but by the end, I was ready to leave. I wanted to get back to teaching and meaningful work without being held back by the limitations that come with a temporary visa.

The last days were full of my favorite things about Sydney: Bondi Beach, good food, live music, and saying goodbye to all of the dear people I’ve known here.

I had time for a Galentine’s brunch at my friend Amanda’s, safely sheltered from the flooding that drenched the city for three days.

My stuff was back in Mike’s apartment, so we go to hang, eat pizza (among other delicious Italian foods), and see some shows. I checked off the last things on my list—nope, I never did do the Harbour Bridge Climb, but I did come away with a sweet lil’ tattoo!

I definitely had tears in my eyes during the last bus ride home from the beach, but they were knowing tears. Nostalgic, grateful, but prepared tears. I was ready for the long road home.

Last days in Bali

My last days in Bali were wrapped up with trying Bintang beer for the first time and continued exploring. On the last day, I’d planned on visiting the popular Tirta Empul water temple for a water purification ceremony. But when the day arrived, it seemed like it would be crowded and far, so I caught a ride to the smaller, quieter Gunung Kawi temple.

This decision process was common in my trip to Bali—quietly going with the flow and altering the plan if something didn’t fit the moment. The driver and I were some of the only ones at Gunung Kawi early in the morning. I got to enjoy views like these all to myself:

The trip was a much needed reconnect to my spirit and practice. It’s hard not to feel spiritually inspired in Bali—every family has a temple in their backyard and they make offerings to their gods at multiple points throughout the day. Chickens, cats, and dogs roam on dirt and stone streets, and nature is abundantly all around you. Physically, I started moving and feeling good again after taking some time off to rest my back and joints. It was a joy to experience another enlightening and stress-free trip to the magical land of Ubud.

Yoga Workshop Day 5

I really left you hanging in Bali, and I’m sorry for that! I found the whole trip to be perfectly rejuvenating and exactly what I needed. I had been feeling a little lonely from months of solo travel and brand new friendships, but visiting Ubud reminded me of the joys and freedom of traveling on your own. I spent so much quiet time in nature and in the city doing the things that I wanted to. I learned even more about the yoga practice and connected with many friendly faces.

The fifth day of our yoga workshop with Kino was the closing ceremony. As usual, we kicked off with our daily discussion of the yoga sutras. We learned that in all of the 196 yoga sutras the word LOVE is never mentioned. Still, Patanjali hints at it, with references to pranidhana (devotion), maitri (friendliness), and ahimsa (non-harming). The feeling of love is infused into his words, and any act of hatred would be considered an act of self-harm. He recommends that whenever negative thought forms appear, as they inevitably will, the seeds of the opposite thought should be planted.

In the Ashtanga yoga closing mantra, we ask that all beings be happy and free from suffering. Kino had us take it a step further in a seated metta meditation. In metta, we first call attention to ourselves—if I’m not happy and free from suffering, how can I fully wish it for others?—then to the ones we love and feel close to, and finally (the hardest one!) to those we dislike or the people who frustrate us. As spiritual seekers, we liberate ourselves from wishing ill upon others as we do our best to free the rest of humanity.

The closing ceremony was held at the studio and hosted by a Balinese priest. He chanted and blessed us while we lit incense in our traditional flower baskets. Sometimes I roll my eyes at myself for being an American practicing yoga in a studio with American teachers in such a magical foreign country with a rich spiritual history. The traditional closing ceremony was a way to tie it all together and it helped me feel more connected to the local culture at the end of the week.

Sunrise Climb

Why, oh, why would we want to wake up before 2 in the morning for a two hour hike up a volcano? I wasn’t sure, but I decided to do something active (and a little crazy) and booked the Mt. Batur sunrise trek through my hotel. Shockingly, I was able to fall asleep at 8:30pm (maybe I was worn out from my chakra balancing session that day), so I got five hours of sleep.

When my alarm went off at 1:40am I was confused, but I pulled myself together, got dressed in my warmest clothes, and french braided half of my hair before the driver knocked on my door ten minutes later. I did my best to braid the other half of my head in the van while we drove around Ubud picking up a few other hikers. Around 2:30, the six of us got out at a coffee plantation where we were served banana Nutella crepes and tea or coffee. Lots of coffee for me, thanks!

My internal clock was totally out of whack, but I felt energetic and ready to hike. I was glad to have read some reviews beforehand and wore pants and my warm raincoat. It was cold sitting at the picnic tables and waiting in the parking lot, and some of the other girls were shivering in their shorts and tank tops. Things quickly warmed up once we started walking, though.

All the treks start around 2 or 3am because you want to make the two hour climb by sunrise and it’s Bali, so once the sun is up the world turns excruciatingly hot. Our guide passed out flashlights and led us into the long line of hikers making their way up the trail.

We stopped at certain points to rest and drink water while our guides either smoked cigarettes, toked funny cigarettes, or made offerings to the gods.

Our group for the day ended up being perfect. There were only six of us when some groups had twenty people. We were all around the same age, good fitness levels, and positive energy. The trail was pretty steep and rocky, but we kept a swift pace and enjoyed getting to know each other along the way.

I was also glad to have read some accounts that said the hike would be horribly hard, long, freezing, and slippery, because I found that the whole trek was easier than I was expecting. I was definitely winded from the climb, but I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the top where I felt warm and not totally exhausted.

The epic sunrise views were 100% worth it!

The guides served us some hard boiled eggs and white bread to keep our energy up, but most of the food went toward feeding stray dogs while we were distracted by the views.

Our guide was extremely helpful and more than willing to show off his photography tricks:

The hike got even better as the sun came up. We continued on the path to see more views of other two volcanoes in the distance.

My favorite highlight was coming across some wild monkeys at the top of the trail.

In case we needed a reminder that we were climbing on an active volcano, we could see steam rising up from certain holes in the rocks. We walked around at the top for about twenty minutes, then started to make our way down. I was worried that the steep, rocky trail we came up would be very challenging on the way back, but our guide took us on a different path that was much flatter and easier.

Before we knew it, we were getting scooped up by our driver. He gave us the option of returning to the coffee plantation for a drink or heading straight back to Ubud. We all agreed on getting back sooner. I was more than ready for these banana pancakes at my hotel and to rest up before three hours of yoga workshop in the afternoon.

I’m so glad I took a chance on this incredible hike that ended up making the perfect morning! Solo travel can get lonely, so signing up for activities that you want to do can be a great way to meet awesome like-minded travelers. 10/10 I would totally do it again!

Healing

Reflecting back on the last few months has few months has me thinking: I’ve been meditating and chanting Hindu mantras, hanging out with Italian guys and eating delicious food in Sydney, and now exploring alternative healing practices in Bali… have I turned into Elizabeth Gilbert yet?? I was really wondering that on Monday when I went to see a traditional Balinese healer named Mr. Ketut.

Note: Half the men in Bali seem to be named Ketut, and Gilbert’s friend passed away a few years ago, so I can confirm that it was not the same healer from Eat, Pray, Love.

I wasn’t visiting the healer for any specific reason, apart from some minor aches and pains. But I was curious to see what the experience would be like, and I had been feeling a bit lethargic from all the physical resting I had done during January. I did some research and found that I didn’t want to go to the fancy spa/resorts that had good reviews because too expensive or to a non-Balinese person because also too expensive and I can do that in America. After reading carefully, I wound up at a place (Ubud Chakra Healing) with fewer reviews but a positive reputation. It was on the Monkey Forest Road across from the soccer fields in the back of a shop. I stopped by to make the appointment a couple days in advance and didn’t provide any other information.

When the day arrived, I wasn’t sure what to wear, so I wore my yoga pants and a tank top (I read that you’re supposed to dress modestly, but that’s all I had). I waited for a few minutes on the patio outside a family’s home and the young receptionist told me her father would be there soon. When the smiling and peaceful-looking healer arrived, we went upstairs to a room with a typical massage table and peaceful mantra music playing. I laid face up in my street clothes—beforehand I wasn’t sure if they’d give me something to change into.

He didn’t ask any advance questions about how I was feeling or why I was there, which I think is the way it should go. They say that during energy healing, the healer acts as a channel for the source energy to pass through. Their hands are supposedly guided to the places that need attention, and I think that sharing too much information might sway the healer to focus on those areas rather than letting the energy work naturally.

I closed my eyes and the healer held his hands over my head and face. He worked from my head down to my feet and back up, then instructed me to turn over for the other side. Sometimes he would gently press on a certain area or simply hold his hands over me. I read some reviews that Balinese healing sessions can be painful with a lot of kneading and pressing, but this session was very gentle with only light pressure—typically in Reiki and energy healing there is not a lot of massage or touching. I felt the most activity in my head. When Mr. Ketut pressed on my sinus area I felt a tingling sensation that lasted after the session. When he pressed his fingers above my eyebrows I could see in my mind’s eye a lot of light, almost like a strobe light or series of flashes that felt very intense. I could be wrong, but he seemed to spend extra time on my left knee, which has been giving me some trouble lately.

The whole process took about an hour and cost $40 USD (just sharing the details in case anyone reads this and is curious to try). Afterwards we sat and he asked how I was feeling. I told him I could still feel a bit of pressure and a pulsing sensation (not unpleasant) in my face and head. He didn’t speak much English, but he told me he felt some blocks in my heart area that he tried to work on. I was expecting some more revelations, but that’s all he told me. We sat for about five minutes so that I could drink water and let everything settle. I left the session feeling lighter and energized, and over the following week I have felt more energized, confident, and content.

The healer asked if I practice yoga and said that he could tell, because most people who come to see him already have a yoga or meditation practice. In my opinion, that’s a little bit of a shame because I think that all types of people can benefit from alternative healing methods. But of course there will always be some disbelievers or those who are less inclined to try.

You’ll see this crazy monkey statue at the corner of the soccer field on Monkey Forest Road

In yoga teaching these days, offering physical adjustments has become controversial—and with good reason, after we’ve seen many cases of longtime abuse being exposed. But I hope that, as teachers, we’ll continue to offer adjustments with consent, because even if you don’t believe in the energy work, there is something incredible about the healing power of touch. And I hope to live in a world where we aren’t afraid to reach out and touch someone— in a kind and mutually-agreed upon way, of course.

Penestanan

When in Bali, a brave person might do something wild like rent a scooter and drive themselves to anywhere they wanted inside or outside of the cities. I’m too afraid to drive unchaperoned in a foreign country, so I’m on foot. But these feet have taken me to some pretty nice places so far: on a ridge walk, into a rice paddy field, and up this sweet green flight of stairs to a new land…

They led to Penestanan, a lesser traveled part of Ubud, where I found gently trodden trails, a quiet market, and a homey cafe.

Penestanan is actually quite easy to walk to. You simply venture to the end of the main road, under the part with hanging vines, and cross the bridge over the river. Soon, the stairs appear on your left.

This part of the city is elevated, up the stairs or a big hill if you’re driving, so when you get to the top you see views like these:

I don’t know why, but the last time I stayed here I imagined that Ubud was smaller. I wasn’t sure if I would have enough to do during a six day trip. However, now that I’m here I’m finding so much to see and do! Even if those things include a slow walk past roosters and rabbits or sitting outside and reading a book.

I’m tempted to say I wish I had more time here, but actually I think I have daresay the perfect amount of time.

Expanding Expectations

The last time I came to Ubud I stayed a little outside the center in the most wonderful hotel. This time I wanted to be close to the yoga studio, so I’m in a guest house very close to Ubud market. I was nervous about staying so close to the main street—because it’s really busy and crowded with foot and road traffic—but the house is actually tucked away from the craziness of the center. I’ve been waking up each morning to the sounds of roosters crowing down the street. Then I step out onto the patio to enjoy a breakfast of what has been pancakes every day so far and might continue to be pancakes every day that I’m here.

There is a lot more to Ubud than meets the eye. The obvious place to start is the main road where you can find the market, Ubud Palace, and the Saraswati temple. But if those are your only tastes of the city, you might leave underwhelmed. The magic is out in the rice fields with views of volcanoes and banana trees. And in the little side streets with local people living their regular lives, nearby waterfalls, Indonesian warungs (restaurants), and healthy new-age healing spots.

Simply being in Bali is healing on its own. However, during this visit I’m also opening up to trying some “out-there” healing methods. After the workshop on day one, I stayed for the next class on “Deep Psoas Release Exercises” and spent the hour and a half fatiguing my hip flexors to then allow them to shake uncontrollably in order to release whatever needed to be released in there. It was astonishing to feel how much they would shake and how the shaking would travel through my body—into the back of the legs and all the way up into the abdomen. The teacher was a mystical woman who had a safe and calming energy. When I saw that she was leading a “Breath Work Trauma Release” class the next day, I decided to return… to be continued…

Tasmania Day 2

Our Tasmanian expedition continued on day two (i.e. the best day!) when we visited Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. We saw the devils, which was only appropriate after being in their namesake.

Of the only two wildlife sanctuaries that I’ve visited in Oz, this one was my most favorite. We were lucky to see all sorts of rescue animals. We even watched a surgery being performed on a baby wallaby with burnt paws from the brushfires. This was a very special place.

Believe it or not, this was my first time seeing koalas and kangaroos since I came back to Australia. Bonorong really made up for it. There were more kangaroos than I ever could have imagined in one place! And there was an area where they could relax if they didn’t feel like being bothered by human contact, so it was different from other places where kids are touching them and tourists are bombarding them with handfuls of food.

Afterwards we stopped for a nice lunch along the river where we saw a platypus swimming in the WILD!

Then it was time for a short hike in Mt. Field National Park to Russell Falls. I’ve visited quite a few national parks in the US, so it was interesting to do a comparison in Australia. I found their trail maintenance and signage very impressive. The nature made me feel like we were walking into Jurrasic Park! And we spotted a few pademelons hopping around near the trails.

We saved up some energy to try another brewery when we got back to Hobart (Hobart Brewing Co.) There were enough food trucks, shipping containers, and fire pits to convince you that you were in Austin, TX or any other trendy US city.

We finished off our day with dinner at the Drunken Admiral where the service was a bit slow but the cocktails were quite tasty. Cheers!

Tasmania Day 1

I linked up with my parents again in Tasmania! This has been a fun little adventure, getting to see them for a bit, going our separate ways for a few days, then meeting up to hear about all the fun they’ve been having. My flight got into Hobart earlier in the day, so I had time to visit the very cool Museum of Old and New Art. I loved being so close to the water during the trip—you take a ferry from the city down the river to the museum. The ferries are part of the experience, so you can drink champagne and ride on sheep and whatnot.

This museum experience was unlike any other. After riding the ferry and passing through the entrance, you head underground to see the art. I spent about three curious hours down there, and there’s no way I could have seen everything.

I also had an actual good Australian bagel (not at the museum), which is definitely something worth writing home about (Bury Me Standing).

My parents flew in later, so we tried out Cascade Brewery and celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday at the wonderful Old Wharf Restaurant in their hotel. It was so nice to get to be a part of her extra special day!

Veganuary Update

This might be more of a lack of Veganuary update after a few slip-ups, but I’m doing my best! I like starting the new year off with a healthy challenge, so I’m trying to be meat and dairy free for these 31 days. I was finding it very easy during the first two weeks, because Sydney has a ton of vegan restaurant options, like this pancake place right down the street from my building:

And this coffee shop with cool graffiti in Marrickville:

I’m finding that I feel better eating vegan this January than last year. Last time, I think I was eating a lot of nut-based products, which were making me feel bloated and gassy (sorry TMI!) This year I’ve been sticking with veggies, beans, and some soy stuff from the grocery store. King Street in Newtown is my favorite strip in Sydney for plant-based eateries. I also like making my own stuff at home, like this vegan pizza or last week’s cauliflower tacos:

However, this past week proved more challenging! My friends from England hosted a Sunday roast, and I wanted to try new things like Yorkshire pudding and old favorites like stuffing. It was my version of a Thanksgiving since I missed the one at home. Then I really fell off the wagon since there were invitations to multiple sushi restaurants and a friend made me some amazing cheesy risotto.

As usual, I find eating vegan very easy when I’m on my own. But when I’m out with friends, I hate being the fussy one. It’s hard to stick to my guns because I’m not completely opposed to eating meat and dairy. I just don’t enjoy it on a regular basis. I don’t think I’ll ever be fully animal product-free, but it’s nice to do the challenge. I’ve been finding myself choosing vegan more often throughout the year, too, so never say never.

First Week

I had to follow a sad fire post with a positive life post, because it really has been a fine first week of 2020! In spite of reading/worrying about the fires and feeling guilty about living a normal life while people are facing loss and disruption, I did some regular old fun things. I found a new yoga studio:

It’s in a neighborhood called Rosebery that is a little sleepy but sweet and reminds me a whole lot of California. There’s a market where you can order coffee and toasties and have yourself a pretty nice Saturday morning, if you so choose.

We had our first brewery and first beach day of 2020:

At the beach, there were announcements of rough currents and a SHARK SIGHTING so they kept closing the water to swimming. As someone who was not in the water at the time of the shark, I found this very exciting! And I’m glad to know they have a beach-wide announcement system to let you know about these important things.

My English friends introduced me to a game called beach cricket. I’m certain I didn’t follow all the rules, but I laughed a lot in the process of learning them.

And, wow, look at this view from the ferry on the ride back:

It was SO HOT on Saturday night, but it’s since turned into cooler weather and bits of drizzle here and there. Keep the rain coming please.

I went to my first show of the year on Sunday night! There will surely be more to come.

Happy Holidays from Down Under!

Merry (belated) Christmas everyone! I love this time between Christmas and New Year’s when everything seems to slow down and we have more time for what’s most important to us. I had to take a little break from blogging for most of December because I was working almost all day every day. Bauble painting life is serious, but loads of fun! I’m sad that it has come to an end.

For the past week, we worked some crazy hours and busy shifts. On the last night, Christmas Eve, we stayed after to pack up the whole store and have it ready for the stock team to pick up overnight. It felt like moving out of a college dormitory in about two hours, but knowing that it was the last shift made things a little easier.

I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made as an ornament personalizer, maybe it’ll be a good life skill for the future. Here’s week one versus my last week:

Looking back on week one is a little embarrassing and causes disbelief that they hired me, but I guess they trusted that we’d pick it up eventually. After the last shift, I came home and did a little decoration for Christmas. I’m on my own in the apartment, so it felt appropriate to make myself a little table of special things from “Santa”. My coworker even gave me a present and I thought that was so nice!

On Christmas Day, we headed to the beach. It was a very Australian Christmas, which didn’t actually feel like Christmas at all. But it was exciting to see all the Santa hats and outfits out on the beach.

My new friends prepared a bbq and we hung out until it got dark. It was definitely a celebration that I won’t soon forget!

Brush Strokes

Whoa! Hi! Hello, December. I hope that if you’re reading this, it’s December where you are, too. I’ve been quite busy working at my new job in Santa’s workshop. Somehow it’s happened that I’ve become a seasonal ornament decorator, and I certainly do not hate it. I’ve always wanted to learn hand lettering, and now I have the (paid) opportunity to practice brush script almost all day, every day for a whole month! Isn’t it funny how sometimes life delivers exactly the right goods?

That was our training view. I must have passed the trial, because on the first day I found myself setting up the booth and nervously taking orders by myself. Luckily, one of the trainers came to help me out so I could keep practicing. I’m still learning and I get frustrated when it doesn’t look perfectly how I want it to. After a few days, I didn’t think I was getting any better. But this was my second shift:

And here is my… maybe eighth shift:

I’m trying to think of it like crochet, where I felt clumsy and awkward when my grandma was teaching me, thinking I would never figure it out, and now I can do it with my eyes closed, watching a movie, and in all sorts of patterns. Hopefully the improvement continues over the next 24 days!

If this weekend was any indication, things at work are going to be rather hectic from Black Friday until Christmas Eve, but the shifts fly by and I’m enjoying myself. What more can you ask for from a job?

In the free hours, I’ve been treated to some perfect park sunrises on the walk to yoga. I’ve found more exotic birds—these pink ones in particular, neighborhood restaurants, and the yummy gelato place that’s juuust long enough of a walk away to give you some exercise on the way there and back.

I love seeing all the cockatoos around here!

Beach Dreams

Over the weekend, I went to the movies by myself, which I really don’t mind doing, because I love the movies and I love myself. I may have had one too many drinks beforehand with my new housemate— one in the most gorgeous garden wine bar that unfortunately didn’t get photographed. The theatre was artsy and tiny, but not so artsy that they wouldn’t be playing Hustlers ft. J-lo, because that’s all I wanted to see. I am here to recommend it, and I’m more in agreement with its 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating than the 6.6/10 on IMDb.

Then, of course, there were the trailers that made me want to see other movies, so I may have to go back again next weekend for this one that seems like a good tricky love story.

The next day, my Aussie friend met me in Bondi Beach (where else?) for a coastal walk. We were close to calling it off due to a light rain in the morning, but I’m glad we didn’t because it ended up turning into a gorgeous day.

I drank two lattes because I’m made of money and milk. This place puts koala stencils on theirs and I die every time:

They’ve taken down the sculptures, but I promise there’s plenty to see anyway. I purchased an umbrella because I knew if I bought one it wouldn’t rain, but if I didn’t have one it most certainly would. Amanda and I planned out our desired adventures for the upcoming weeks and generally had a lovely girls day out. We’re visualizing when we both move to Bondi and live at the beach.

On Monday, I woke up to more smoky skies and my room smelling like a BBQ. This week should bring cooler temperatures and some rain to hopefully settle all the nearby fires down. I’m practicing being grateful for every moment and every blue-skied day.