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Let It Go
Ever overhear someone talking bad about another person and just know they were talking about you?
Yeah, me too. It happened Saturday night, in fact. I’m sure the ladies didn’t expect me to hear the conversation, but I heard it nonetheless. I won’t tell you exactly what was said, but I can tell you that most people would probably let it go.
But I can’t.
That’s the problem with me and my anxiety. I can’t just let shit go. And I can’t articulate what’s happening in my mind to anyone else–my words never feel strong enough to make someone else feel what I’m going through.
So I pretend. I act like nothing is bothering me. Even when anxiety is constantly looping in my brain, threatening to push me into panic mode, I smile and pretend like everything is fine. It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. Saturday night I pretended to be looking up something on my phone to make the ladies think I hadn’t heard them, or didn’t care enough to acknowledge that I did.
I haven’t mentioned what happened on Saturday to anyone until now, but trust I’ve been thinking about it nonstop since it happened. It happened after an event I’d helped plan, one that I thought was pretty successful. But apparently someone had issues with me and my departure from the event, which was the conversation I overheard.
I wish I could just not care.
I wish I could remember that the event was successful and someone’s small comment doesn’t overshadow that.
I wish I could remember that what other people think about me doesn’t matter.
But too many times, I can’t let it go.
So I’m setting a new intention for 2018: let it go!
- Let negativity go.
- Let stress go.
- Let other people’s opinions of me go.
- Let drama go.
- Let my unrealistically high expectations for myself go.
- Let doubt go.
Not saying I’ll have it mastered by the end of the year, but I’m damn sure gonna try.
What are your methods for overcoming anxiety?
Snowy Days
Winter in Wisconsin is in full swing, y’all. And ya girl is NOT FEELING IT.
Something Everything about the blistering cold, the gray skies, and the seemingly unending snowfall just makes me depressed. Being cooped up inside doesn’t help my anxiety either. The days are so short it feels like you never see the sun. The wind chill is so cold that it burns your skin. Now how much sense does that make–weather so cold it feels hot?!?
We got four inches of snow on Saturday, and another inch on Monday. More snow is predicted for tonight, and even more next week. My snow shovel and I have been best friends the past couple of days. #truestory I shoveled my driveway as my cardio warmup before my personal training session on Monday. There’s a silver lining to this cloud after all! 🙂
But, in all honestly, I know this rough patch won’t last. Where there is cold, eventually there will be warmth. Gray skies will be blue again. And summer will be here and make me forget all about these snowy days. Here is a snapshot from a hike at Devil’s Lake last summer–I cannot wait until I see green trees and feel the warm sun again!
Veggie to Vegan
Happy February, friends!
Today’s post revolves around a decision that has been months in the making for me–I’m officially starting my transition from vegetarian to vegan. This is my “official” start because we all know the Internet is forever–I figure if I declare it here, I’ll have to stick to it.
Just for a bit of background, I gave up meat on and off during high school (over 10 years ago #oldladystatus) but made my forever transition to vegetarianism in 2016. In the beginning, it was tough–I literally dreamed about frying chicken–but now I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with the lifestyle change. The cravings for meat have subsided, and vegetarian cooking has become second-nature. Honestly, some of the vegetarian dishes I make taste better than the meaty version! (At least to me, anyway.) Check out a few vegan meals I’ve made below, and if you want more #foodporn, follow me on Instagram:
Delicious vegan food I’ve made! (Clockwise from top left: Banana “Ice Cream” with Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, Tofu Fingers with Roasted Potatoes, Tofu Scramble with Roasted Potatoes, and Portobello “Steak” Strips with Green Beans and Rice Pilaf)
Why haven’t I become vegan yet, then? Three big things: Greek yogurt, eggs, and cheese. Greek yogurt makes the list because it’s a good source of protein, which is something I need since I don’t get protein from meat. It’s also super convenient for breakfast and/or a snack, which works well with my work/gym/life schedule. Eggs make the list for the same reasons–protein and convenience. (Also, plenty of the baked goods I love contain eggs, and I can’t quite give up my sweet treats just yet.)
And then there’s cheese. Ahhhhh, cheese. I live in Wisconsin, y’all. The cheese up here is out of this WORLD, and it’s EVERYWHERE! Real talk, I had no idea how many different types of cheese there are–and how tasty they could be–until I moved to America’s Dairyland. I’m also a firm believer that it ain’t pizza unless it has cheese on it–and I love me some pizza. So cheese has stuck around for a while even though I got rid of butter and cow’s milk a long time ago.
So–how is this transition going to work? Starting today, I’m cutting cheese out of my diet. (Guess I’ll be eating a lot of “ain’t pizza”.) I know it’s going to be rough, but I really want to transition to a plant-based diet so I’m gonna do it! Here are a few of the reasons I made this decision:
- I want to be healthier and eating just fruits, veggies, and nuts can be pretty healthy.
- I’mÂ
slightlydefinitely disgusted by the way meat is processed. - Drinking the milk of an animal well after I’ve been weaned doesn’t make any sense to me, and milk may not even be the best source of calcium (as many of us were taught to believe).
- Our environment is precious, changing my diet could help protect it.
If you’re interested in cutting meat out of your life, check out this article by the Harvard Medical Center–it’s got some good information about the different types of vegetarianism and potential health benefits (and risks). Also check out my Veggie Girl board on Pinterest for lots of vegetarian and vegan recipe ideas.
If you’re not interested in cutting meat out of your life, that’s cool with me. #nojudgementhere #yourlifeisyours But I hope you’ll wish me luck on my journey from veggie to vegan!
Pura Vida: Part 4
Pura Vida: Part 3
We’re drawing nearer to the end of this four-part series on the mother/daughter trip of a lifetime–a tour of Costa Rica! If you’re just now checking out this series, make sure to go back and read Part 1 and Part 2–trust me, you wanna know about all the cool/funny/awesome moments Mom and I shared during the first two legs of our trip. 🙂 And now…
Day 6 (continued):Â Arrival Day in Guanacaste!
Another day, another early morning pickup–our van arrived at 6:45am to take us to the final stop on our Costa Rican adventure. The van ride was long and the roads were winding, but the views along the way were absolutely breathtaking.
Adios, volcano!
And when we got to Guanacaste, the view was even better!
Hola endless blue skies and beautiful blue ocean!
We arrived at our hotel before our room was ready so to pass the time, we browsed in a few shops and had lunch at a vegan restaurant. It was delicious!
Sweet and sour veggies with Asian slaw for me and “ice cream” cake for Mom!
With a few more minutes until check-in, we hung out at the bar until the front desk manager told us our room was ready. The room was absolutely adorable–inside and out!
Artwork outside the room…
…and inside too!
Our room was also very close to the pool, so we slipped into our swimsuits, grabbed our books, and enjoyed some delicious cocktails poolside. We we definitely feeling the #puravida vibes.
Relaxing. Refreshing. Amazing!
The rain kept us inside again that night, but the skies were clear when we woke up. We took advantage of that by hitting the streets of Guanacaste!
Day 7:Â Guanacaste!
Breakfast at the hotel kicked off our beach day! We spent some time checking out the different stores on the strip, then found a restaurant with a patio on the beach for even more relaxing in the sun.
You wouldn’t think that chilling on the beach would make two ladies work up such an appetite, but it surely did. We asked the front desk manager at our hotel for some recommendations for lunch, and he hooked us ALL the way up. He talked to a friend of his who owned a restaurant called The Roof. We quickly learned how it earned its name–it was a ROOFTOP pizza place! The restaurant wasn’t open yet, but the owner opened up early just for us. Talk about #VIP treatment!
The view was amazing, and the pizza was absolutely divine. Just see for yourself:
The Roof
The Roof
Delicioso!
After that fantastic lunch, it was more of the same awesome stuff: drinks and reading by the pool. It may sound lame, but the hotel was such a wonderful place that we didn’t really want to leave it. (If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend Hotel Pasatiempo!)
And the rain lulled us to sleep yet again…
Day 8:Â Guanacaste!
You can probably guess what we filled our time with on our remaining day in Guanacaste…
- Shopping – check
- Eating – check
- Enjoying delicious drinks on the beach – check
- Generally being fabulous – double check!
We made a few new friends at the different beach side restaurants we dined at too:
Friend 1:Â Sleepy!
Friend 2:Â Hungry!
Friend 3:Â Squirrel-ly?
This was one of my favorite days of the trip because Mom and I got to really vacation. We didn’t do anything we didn’t feel like doing. We enjoyed decadent desserts and didn’t care about the calories. And we talked–which meant the most to me.
Enjoying a sweet treat with the sweetest woman I know–my mommy!
Day 9:Â Journey to San Jose!
Saying goodbye to Guanacaste was terrible. But we had to make our way back to San Jose to catch our flight back home. It’s almost like the universe knew we didn’t want to leave: this transport was the worst van ride of all (it almost made me carsick!) and we were stuck in traffic for a longggggg time. (Long enough that our van driver flagged down a bread vendor and bought a loaf. Guess he figured he might as well have a snack since we weren’t moving at all!)
After we finally made it to San Jose, we grabbed a quick snack while we waited for our room to be ready. This was my final Spanish test, as the restaurant staff didn’t speak any English at ALL. I guess I passed (because they gave us the cake and coffee we ordered) and after we settled up our bill we checked into our last hotel room of the trip.
We read more, uploaded tons of pictures of our trip to social media, and checked in with loved ones back home. Dinner was room service in the hotel room and our lullaby was the heavy deluge that is a hallmark of the rainy season in Costa Rica.
Nighttime in San Jose
Day 10:Â Departure Day in San Jose!
Our dreaded final day in Costa Rica–after a whirlwind of fun and adventure, it was time to say goodbye.
I’m a momma’s girl through and through, so I hated saying goodbye to my #1. But, at least it wouldn’t be goodbye for too long–I’d see her again at Thanksgiving in November. I’ve said this a million times, but only because it’s true: I’m so thankful to have a mother who loves me so much. She sacrificed a lot so I could have a great life, and I could never ever EVER repay her.
Mother and daughter after the trip of a lifetime!
Yes, our trip was over, but…this series isn’t! Check back soon for the final part of my Pura Vida series–it’s the best part for sure. 🙂
Pura Vida: Part 2
Welcome to Part 2 of my Costa Rican adventure with my wonderful mother! If you haven’t checked out Pura Vida: Part 1, please do–you definitely want to check out our adventures in Tortuguero. Two words: zip lining! 🙂 And now…
Day 4 (continued):Â Arrival Day in La Fortuna!
Our last morning in Tortuguero was beautiful–hot and sunny with bright blue skies. It was tough to leave, but leave we did (after a final breakfast). After the boat ride back to the mainland, we hopped on a bus and took a ride to a restaurant for lunch.
Lunch was buffet-style with the BEST FRESH SALSA I’VE EVER TASTED. (Let me say this right now–one thing that did not disappoint during this trip was the food. I’m a vegetarian, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find enough options while I was there. Not only was there wonderful fresh fruit at ever meal, there was frequently salad with fresh veggies and lots of other tasty meat-free options!)
After lunch, a van picked us up to drive us to La Fortuna. The trip was lengthy, but just like before, we were able to see a lot of the smaller towns on our journey.
As we got closer to La Fortuna, we could start to see the volcano. Yes, an actual VOLCANO! Was I a little scared that the volcano would spontaneously erupt and we’d die from the molten lava? Absolutely. Was I willing to sacrifice that to take in the beautiful view of the volcano from our hotel room. ABSOLUTELY. Just look at this beautiful view!
Like the garden of Eden!
The hotel we stayed in had a few more amenities than our previous place in Tortuguero. We had wi-fi in our room. We had towels folded into cute animal shapes. We had a TV with premium channels. We had multiple poolside bars. We had room service. And we had…(wait for it)…air conditioning! #thankyoulord
Hello, butterfly.
After we got settled in, we walked around the rest of the site. Our room was awesome, and the rest of the place was even better–check out some of the cool stuff on site:
A playground..for animals! Hotel staff put out leftover fruit each day to attract lots of colorful birds.
Poolside view
Just a hottie sitting next to a hot spring. 🙂 But seriously, the hot springs were over 100 degrees!
We eventually made our way to one of the poolside bars…
Enjoy a drink poolside? You don’t have to ask me twice!
Happy hour was going on, so we enjoyed a few drinks and watched the Costa Rican national soccer team on TV. (They won!)
Two pura vidas, please!
After the game and drinks and dinner at the bar, we went back to our room to get some much-needed rest.
Day 5:Â La Fortuna!
This was the first day that we didn’t have any excursions or tours planned–we could do what we wanted, when we wanted.  Turns out, what we wanted was a relaxing day of shopping in town–and that’s exactly what we got.
We had another good breakfast at the hotel, then took a cab into town. We purchased souvenirs for our loved ones back home including, but not limited to, Costa Rican coffee. I bought eight bags of coffee to bring home–Mom ended up getting about 10! We needed to share the blessing of authentic Costa Rican coffee with all of our friends and family back home.
Downtown La Fortuna
We bought so many souvenirs we couldn’t even carry them all comfortably–we ended up buying tote bags to put the souvenirs in! All that shopping worked up a definitely appetite, so we stopped for a bite to eat.
Lunch date with my favorite lady!
After fries and milkshakes in a cute open air restaurant, we went back to the hotel for more relaxation. Since we were in Costa Rica during the rainy season, we spent a lot of evenings chilling in our room because of the torrential downpour that started at about 6:30 each evening. We got a lot of reading done and slept very comfortably after our full day in La Fortuna.
Day 6:Â Journey to Guanacaste!
Luckily we got some good rest during the night, because we got picked up at 6:45am the next day to head to our final tour stop–Guanacaste. Check back soon for Part 3 of our Costa Rican adventure!
