Healthy Airport Eats

Isn't it always such a drag getting wholesome foods at the airport? 

Sometimes I just hold off until my next destination to eat, but on days like today when I've been up since 5am with no breakfast and a long layover, I need to fuel up!

My go-to is always Starbucks 

I choose their Perfect Oatmeal: the perfect energy breakfast. Complete with an array of toppings from dried fruit to brown sugar and mixed nuts. 

I also order a tall iced coffee with 2% milk , cinnamon, sans sweetener. 

If I cannot find a Starbucks in my airport or terminal there is usually a Smoothie King (or similar place). I find the best smoothie that will keep me full the longest but is still fairly lean. Usually some kind of chocolate protein, banana, and peanut butter. 

Still struggling to find something, most convenience stores at airports have energy bars as fresh fruit. Opt for that until you reach your destination. 

What about you, any airport breakfast faves?

Off to catch up with this girl, who just caught up with me at Dallas DFW!

Do you know the way to San Jose?!

Posting from the plane this morning!!!

So very excited to be reunited with three lovely girlfriends of mine in the Bay Area. 

I am attending a traditional Punjabi wedding and could not be more ready to soak in the cultural experience. 

See y'all on the Pacific Coast! 

Struck Gold

Ever feel like you've found gold and it takes two to three weeks for everyone else to find it too?  That is how I feel about this song.  I heard it back in December for the first time, fell in love with it in early January, and now it is showing up everywhere.  Oh, and it's also my mantra for 2013. Here's a couple of covers I really appreciate:

Back to my original thought for this post--NYC.  There were many cool and hip places in NYC.  Here are a couple I'd check out if plan on checking out the city anytime soon.  

Wilfie & Nell - I had drinks at this lovely and quite cozy bar in the West Village.  I am also certain that I saw Al Pacino's twin there.  It was absolutely perfect and intimate. A perfect date spot.  Highly recommend it for late night talks and drinks.

Hudson Clearwater - is a swanky West Village restaurant with an intimate NYC feel.  We had a large group for a dinner party when I went here and I was thoroughly impressed by the fact that even though we were in a secluded and romantic nook, we were never abandoned.  They had some amazing cocktails on the menu and the food was fantastic.  The restaurant is a bit hidden, but a true gem and the ambiance was my favorite. 

The Standard Biergarten - When I first knew we were going to a biergarten in Chelsea I never thought it would be a traditional German-style one.  The glass enclosed hangout has Oktoberfest-style picnic tables with few cocktail tables and ping pong tables on the sides.  A full bar is available as well as three German beers to choose from: a pils, a wheat, and a black lager.  I had the black lager and will be reviewing it in the near future.  Didn't have any of the apps, but the pretzels and dogs looked delicious.  This is one of those places that definitely seemed worthy of hitting up before dinner with friends or a casual date night. 

Sarita's Macarconi & Cheese - I first heard about this place on television awhile back, probably on one of those food network shows.  It definitely takes a modern twist on the ideal comfort food.  I recommend the sampler which includes my favorites: the Parisienne, the La Mancha, and the Napolitana. Yum! 

Big Gay Ice-Cream - I went to this hip ice-cream shop in the East Village when my good friend from college, Erica took me on a food tour of her favorite spots.  It was perfect and delicious and, well, totally gay :) I had The Salty Pimp, and you will just have to click on the link to find out for yourself what that consists of. 

The Westway - Such a fun experience!! I was definitely creeped out at the beginning because I thought it was a strip club, that's because it used to be one.  It definitely feels like you are time traveling back to 1979, or into a Quentin Tarantino film.  The DJ was absolutely awesome playing some great hits from today and some amazing oldies that didn't make you feel like you were dancing at your cousin's wedding.  It's perfect for dancing, especially if you've always wanted to dance on a light up dance floor...check.

Have you been to any of these places? 

I plan on taking it easy this Monday evening, it's raining and I'm tired.  I plan on catching up on Girls, finishing Perks of Being a Wallflower, and maybe getting some grades on the computer.  

Happy Monday, wish me luck on my phone interview for WashU Scholarships tomorrow! 

"La joie de vivre"

My heart is SO full.  Full of humility, love, gratefulness, and happiness.  I am so thankful for how blessed I have been this year.  I feel as though I have been living up to my goals and resolutions so far.  The most important "la joie de vivre" - the joy of living.  

Let's take a look at some personal goals here from this post.

Personal Goals

• Go on a blind date
• Ask someone out on a date, because who says I can't go after what I want?
• Find a more unified theme for my blog, and increase my viewing audience
• Go on at least four brewery tours by the end of the year
• Ride a hot air balloon
• Send birthday packages/care packages/cards to show I love my family and friends 
• Buy all Christmas gifts by the end of November
• Send out Christmas cards by the first week of December
• Make a habit out of reading CNN, just like I read blogs/social media sites
• Every time I open social media I have to open CNN or another news source
• Minimizing all meat intake to once a week
• Go ALL OUT for holidays (Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Mardi Gras)
• Travel abroad at least once this year 
• Travel to NYC, New Orleans, Dallas (for you, Sarah), Boston, Seattle, and Santa Fe
• Take another road trip across the country
• See more of my best friends (in person)
• Go to at least one concert

That's pretty darn successful for February 2013, especially considering I had not purchased plane tickets or concert ticket to either.  I feel good about this list, and I think it's definitely possible to complete everything by December.

I just returned from my trip to New York City and it was incredible.  I had the most wonderful time with my roommate visiting friends, being young, and simply living.  I'd love to give a brief update in pictures and a short list of places I highly enjoyed.  I have never felt so alive in the city, and even though I have no desire of living there, it was a blast to visit as a twenty-something.

Of course we arrived in the middle of Blizzard Nemo

Made a new friend on the left, reunited with a new friend on the right, and had a great time with my roomie 

NYC streets were dead in the middle of the night during Nemo

But the snow made Central Park look magical the next morning

Magical 

Met up with my college friend,  Erica! 

She took me to the Big Gay Ice-Cream Shop!  

The baby was soft serve with caramel topped with sea salt and covered in chocolate! 

There was a romance about Washington Square Park

Serendipity has legit hot dogs! 

But they are even more serious about their Frozen Hot Chocolate!  

Beauty in the Upper West Side

NYC night life

Craziness in Grand Central Station

Ended the trip with a PHENOMENAL performance by Mumford & Sons

Huge venue, but I was honored to be SO, SO, close to the stage

Are you experiencing "La joie de vivre" this year?

Rain Day // Mantra

All this recent excitement for Girls kind of, sort of, may have caused me to purchase a ticket to New York City.  No, really.  Okay, maybe it wasn't just because of Girls, but I am so psyched to go to the city in February.  February is one of my least favorite months anyway, so I may as well jazz it up a bit and hit up the east coast.

Louisiana to NYC, booked in a NY Minute :)

It's been about six years since I last went and even though I don't plan on doing the touristy things very much, I am thrilled to take this trip with my friend and roommate.

Best part?  I plan on seeing Mumford and Sons while I'm there.  They're playing in Brooklyn two days in NYC, and you bet I will see them while I'm there.  I bet you're wondering, were they a deciding factor on whether I went on this trip or not?  You bet they were!

So, let's analyze how my mantra for 2013 is going, "the work can wait" and "anything could happen."  For me, this year is about living.  I mean really and truly living.  Work can wait sometimes, and I want to enjoy life.  I have accomplished so much in the past year and a half, but I have missed out on living parts of it.  At the end of this year I intend to feel 100% drunk on LIFE.

I think the universe took it to heart when I established said mantra for my life, because today I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to find out that school was cancelled because of major flooding/tornadoes/storms.  HALLELUJAH!! What a beautiful surprise to have a rain day.  The work can wait...obviously, it did today!

I slept in, made breakfast, had lunch at my favorite restaurant, watched Django, sat on my porch and worked, and went mud riding(!). Say, what?  Yes, you did not misread, I went mud riding on a rainy day.  A friend we met a couple of weeks back drove by, honked (in true southern fashion), and before we knew it, two of my roommates and I were headed to the bayou to experience a southern tradition for rainy days.  It was an outstanding experience, and yes I missed yoga, but made some fantastic memories.

All I can say is that, life, well lived is good.

How has 2013 started out for you? 

Goals for 2013

I've been thinking about goals and resolutions.  I like goal-setting, it makes me feel accountable to myself.  I feel really good about 2013 for three minor reasons:

1. Odd numbers are my favorite
2. The number thirteen has a history of good things in my family
3. There will be lots of change happening this year, and I embrace change

Personal Goals

• Go on a blind date
• Ask someone out on a date, because who says I can't go after what I want?
• Find a more unified theme for my blog, and increase my viewing audience
• Go on at least four brewery tours by the end of the year
• Ride a hot air balloon
• Send birthday packages/care packages/cards to show I love my family and friends 
• Buy all Christmas gifts by the end of November
• Send out Christmas cards by the first week of December
• Make a habit out of reading CNN, just like I read blogs/social media sites
• Every time I open social media I have to open CNN or another news source
• Minimizing all meat intake to once a week
• Go ALL OUT for holidays (Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Mardi Gras)
• Travel abroad at least once this year 
• Travel to NYC, New Orleans, Dallas (for you, Sarah), Boston, Seattle, and Santa Fe
• Take another road trip across the country
• See more of my best friends (in person)
• Go to at least one concert

Physical Goals

• Continue to improve my yoga practice, and master at least two more headstands, including variations of dolphin and scorpion
• Join a yoga studio by the end of September 2013
• Join a gym with spinning classes by the end of September 2013 and join
• Find a team sport/ book club (not physical, but still) / beer tasting club or other group the join by October 2013

Professional Goals

• If accepted to a graduate program I want to choose one that will help achieve my long-term professional goals
• Apply to work at Teach For America's Summer Institute to gain professional development and better improve my management skills and leading a group of people towards success.
• Give my students a purpose every day for why they are in my classroom, with a goal-driven mindset until they exit in May 2013
• Mentor at minimum two more students individually on their life goals
• Set up a field trip for my Spanish I & Spanish II students by end of March 2013
• Make sure I am always doing something to work for social justice, whether that is volunteering somewhere new, helping individuals, or donating to a cause.

This list is definitely subject to change and I will probably add to it.  So much to accomplish, but it's a long year.  Among all these goals I want to create more.  The world is my canvas...

I'll show you how it turns out in 2013 ;)

What about you, share one thing you'd like to accomplish in 2013?

J-J-Jaded

Greetings from the beautiful and very chilly Pacific Northwest y'all.  I was told that my southern accent is revealed every now and then, who doesn't love a southern belle though, right?  Scratch that, I don't necessarily consider myself to be a southern belle.

I have spent a blessed time here with my dear friend Lisa.  We spent our Friday in Seattle meeting up with Teach For America with the UW-School of Social Work office of graduate admissions. Thank you, Lisa for putting up with my crazy adult-post-TFA meetings, you're a doll.  We had a great time going to a couple of consignment shops and making fun of how tiny the clothes are at American Apparel.  Can you believe some of the sizes wouldn't even fit an Olsen twin?!

On my mind lately (and I promise it's not the lack of sun out here in the state of Washington) is the word jaded.  Jaded in regard to romance I think we could say.  Let me just clarify and say that romance persé has definitely not been on my mind, but rather my indifference to it.  I would like to think that most people who are not in steady relationships whether married or unmarried have thoughts about romance.  Usually daydreaming about the romance you want in your life, of your ideal partner, your future partner, your soul mate (or whatever your choice of jargon is).  At least this was always the case for me.

Instead of these thoughts coming to me, I hit a wall when I consciously attempt to force myself to daydream about happily ever afters.  Today I named that wall: J-A-D-E-D.


jaded [ˈdʒeɪdɪd]

adj

1. exhausted or dissipated

2. satiated

jadedly  adv

jadedness  n

HA! Remember, that wonderful song?  Casting Aerosmith aside, I think I'm just jaded with the possibility of romance in my future.  That sounds awful, does it not?  I am definitely crazy about romance and love and all the roses and rainbows that come with it.  It's more of a feeling of too good to be true at this moment in time.  That's not quite right either, and it makes me sound cynical, which is also incorrect.  Now, I'm just contradicting myself.

Not very bright side of me? Except I do feel optimistic, it's just that my heart is just not as enthusiastic as my mind is.  They'll catch up with each other, don't worry ;)

Stay tuned for an update on the beer page as we tour some microbreweries in Seattle today! I made a friend who happens to appreciate a good craft beer, an important quality in my book!

Fun at Urban Outfitters

Really hoping to be a Husky next fall! 

In love with how apparent fall is in this state

So enamored

Crashing into a pile of leaves, check! 

Apothecary Bars are my new favorite thing

Experiencing the shops at the U

There are indoor trampoline parks for adults! 

Toe touching! 

Never grow up!

Delayed post // Delayed flight

My goodness it's been too long. I'm blogging from the airport. I am awaiting a delayed flight to Seattle. I cannot wait to be in the beautiful Pacific Northwest again.

I didn't abandon y'all because I don't want to blog anymore. Absolutely not. I have been dying to blog and keep everyone posted on the happenings of my small town life. You see, our house has been having loads of trouble with our Internet. It has caused one too many problems and our company that shall remain nameless told us the earliest day they could come out and address our issue was November second. Yea. I know. Our Internet has been faulty for two solid months and the earliest they can address the problem is first week of November? I kid you not.

On a much happier note the day has finally come. I am returning to Seattle and this time with a mission: to envision my future there. I have a meeting with the graduate school of admissions at the UW School of Social Work as well as a meeeting with the Executive Director of Teach For America for the Seattle region.

I am hopeful and cannot wait to make some connections with some incredible people. Send good thoughts my way. Also, part one of my application is complete. Part two is coming and I need to ask for my recomendations.

Have you ever looked through your phone pictures wondering what others might say about your life based solely on the kinds of pictures on your phone? These are thoughts I have while I await to be boarded.

I will leave you with my recent phone pictures to say what you need to say about ny life. Feel free to share in the comments section.

Catch y'all in the Pacific.

Pumpkin Pie blizzards are the best part about October

German Festival in Louisiana

Historical Cemetery in Natchez

This is almost my whole family in Louisiana

Historical Antebellum homes in Natchez

Home//An Unfamiliar Road

Sometimes an unfamiliar road can feel like home.

I want to move to the Pacific Northwest.  I never thought I'd be saying those words.  It's something that I never imagined.  I always knew that I wanted to visit and in my heart I knew I would fall in love with all that it had to offer, but to move there?!  I realize I'm too close to my family and love the comfort of all that is southern.  I also know a part of me is missing something unwritten that will transcribe with a move across the country.  I feel as thought I have had pieces to the puzzle all along, but it wasn't until this weekend that I saw how they fit.  

I am so thankful, more than ever to be where I am in my life right now.  The past year has been one of many changes and one thing I distinctly remember feeling in my last relationship was this...

My then boyfriend told me to follow wherever he was (location-wise) and insinuated at the thought that if I loved him I would go where he went after my commitment with Teach For America(TFA).  It's funny how those thoughts and feelings were interpreted to me.  It felt like the clock in my early twenties was ticking and post-TFA I had to be where he was (because that's what I knew he wanted) and if I loved him I would do so.  <-- It makes me sick to even write that, but if you find yourself unable to relate to that sentence perhaps you haven't experienced that kind of love.  When you do, I promise you'll understand.  Before I was able to finish my commitment with Teach For America, my going where he went did not seem to be good enough.  I remember feeling my heart break a little at the thought of not being able to choose a graduate school or take an opportunity based on what I had always imagined for myself.  If that sounds selfish consider this: it is important when two people who love each other grow, understand, and support each other through our process of becoming.  In order to love ourselves we must allow ourselves to become, and in order to love others we must love ourselves.  While being together is important, I think it is necessary to support what the other wants, allowing you to nurture them, the relationship, and they themselves better.  This may mean being together in the same city, or together (and not forever) but apart.

An evening sunset behind Mount Rainier

A part of me has wanted to apply to graduate schools and other opportunities out of the south, and just go somewhere unexpected.  Washington state is exactly that--unexpected.  I knew within about ten minutes of arriving to Seattle (err...maybe it was as I saw this beautiful sunset over Mount Rainier from the plane) that I saw myself living there. 

 If you've heard me rave about California, you may be thinking I am acting on instinct, but I can safely say that I like it at least three times better than I did California.  A great part of it has to do with what I felt in Washington.  The Seattle/Tacoma area felt completely laid back, beautiful, with perfect summer weather, and there was this lack of materialism that I didn't feel in California.   All I know right now is my mind thinks about moving to Seattle all the time.  It's on my mind, I'm making plans, and we will see where those thoughts take me.

Now for some nostalgia, here are some snapshots from my extended Labor Day weekend in Seattle with my wonderful friend and host Lisa.  Expect some links to some amazing shots she took to come very soon.

New friends by a campfire

Remember 10 Things I Hate About You? Recognize this shot?

Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington

Amazing lunch at Row House in the Lake Union district of Seattle

Shooting with Lisa at University of Puget Sound 

Pit stop in Port Townsend while cruising the Olympic Peninsula 

French Press coffee & change

Beautiful Lisa & I 

A reflection of Harmony

Basically in Canada as I overlook the Dungeness Spit 

The most beautiful sunset I have ever experienced

I will leave you with a little something the beautiful Lisa left me with.  Sadly we never got to hear it on our last adventure yesternight, but it is perfect.