Time To Start Thriving In Life Instead Of Simply Surviving: Kauai, Part 2
Someone asked me about my recent trip today. I think they were more excited than I was to talk about it. People keep telling me they’re trying to live vicariously through my travel adventures. And all I can keep thinking of is like, then why not just go yourself? There’s something to think about with all of this. I want to encourage you to stop surviving and start thriving. Don’t just live, start LIVING. Let’s talk about Part 2 of our Kauai adventures today and stop setting limits on ourselves to enjoy more of this beautiful life we’re all a tiny but significant part of. Our last sunrise in Kauai at our hotel before catching our flight home. What Does Surviving Look Like? Guys, we only have this life, so why are we sitting around on our phones just wasting it? Doom scrolling for days in a revolving door not ever pushing forward into the next challenge or adventure. We make mundane tasks last hours just to get through our career. We pretend to like everyone around us just to save face. We don’t even enjoy what we’re doing but we do it anyway for LIFE because we feel as though we’re doing the best we can. Are we?? I sit here today, as one of you. As a human who feels there is more to get out of life than a bi-weekly paycheck. I’m looking to create more ways every damn day. Looking for ways to create more flexibility in my life, more ways to live freely without risk of being without a job by wanting to travel more, and more ways to find supportive avenues to raise a family than just the daily grind of the rat race. What are your thoughts about these things? Drop a comment if you’d care to share. <3 What Stops Us From Thriving? Just 2 weeks ago, I was on a returning flight from The Garden Island of Hawaii. It was a long flight yes, but enthralling nonetheless. I’m the kind of person that loves airplanes and airports, despite the annoyances that they come along with. Once I step foot out of my home, in my mind, I’m technically “on vacation.” So I soaked up every minute of that 9+ hour flight back, just to be able to mindlessly watch free movies (which you can on the Southwest app!), receive text pics of my furballs from the dog sitter, (also free!), and not think about work while napping next to strangers who breathed loudly and elbowed me off my armrest. (or is it theirs? I never know). And now, that I’m officially back at it with my full-time gig, immersed in my somewhat cluttered home, I’m already counting down the days until we have the opportunity to hike into Havasupai Falls. (We were scheduled for last fall, but unfortunately the flooding forced us to reschedule for spring. Stay tuned for a post all about it after we visit this coming April!) What is it about vacationing that haunts us when we’re back home? Why can’t we feel that bliss every day of our lives instead of just on blue moons? (Which if you’re wondering and are a space nerd like myself, is only every 2-3 YEARS.) Which from my experience, is about how often people actually schedule decent vacations for. That’s not enough. We have to do better. We have to make time and space to create more breaks and save for rainy days so that we can have the chance to embrace the feeling more often instead of less. Are you with me in figuring out new ways to do so? Read Part 1 of my trip to Kauai The Na Pali Coast in Kauai We trekked up and down the Na Pali coast in Kauai. We spoke to each other more intentionally without phones buzzing in our back pockets and we enjoyed each other’s company more vividly over JetBoiled coffee and dehydrated meals in the mud. We hiked through slippery trails and leaf-covered jungle to get to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We shared our trail with mountain goats, centipedes, feral pigs, and so many amazing birds. We sat through rainstorms and enjoyed the mist on sweaty days to cool us down, and smiled from ear to ear even when we put on wet quilts at night and wet clothes in the morning. We crossed creeks and mountaintops and developed new memories that only we get to share with one another. I want more of this. In fact, I crave it. One of the many creek crossings throughout our journey on the Kalalau Trail. Trust me, no one really notices or cares if you take 3 vacations a decade or 3 vacations a year. Which by the way, is our new minimum. One vacation (of some sort) every 4 months. We do our best to include some kind of adventure at the start of the trip, and some chill mode at the end of it. We shoot for at least 3-4 days (depending on the location of said adventure), at minimum, and up to 9-12 days as our current maximum. We also like to do our best to camp out of our car or backpack at least once each month, no matter the weather. Although we are currently considering a cabin for our February plans… Breaks are healthy, refreshing and necessary. We are not meant to work our lives away. Rainbows are basically in Kauai all day, every day. What an amazing thing to see so often here. This was one of our faves right over the Kalalau Beach. Here are some of our favorite stops in Kauai (and why, of course!): Anini Beach Park Check this link out to see the Kauai County Parks & Rec site! This was one of our favorite campgrounds. We decided
Figuring Out How To Put Pain First: Looking Through A Different Lens
Who said pain was ever a bad thing? I look at it differently these days. This may sound controversial but I use it as motivation to do better, get stronger, and keep pushing my momentum into the great unknown. It has a bad rep but if you sit back and look at the bigger picture, it can move mountains. Distractions Stir Past Pains As I sat thinking how to intro this post today, I started dozing off as I overthought every tidbit that came into my mind. I decided to take a nap, which then landed in some serious distraction (which is what happens EVERY time). Ugh. Sometimes that distraction though is monumental in my efforts to engage in self-reflection. It leads me into a weird world of even deeper thoughts that envelop my current state of consciousness, therefore unfolding a ridiculously giant black hole of new information and ideas. I have no idea how this works. But it works. For some reason my thoughts turned to my grandmother. She passed a while ago and I actually haven’t thought of her too much recently. When she popped into my head, I decided to listen to some old voicemails I had of her. The tears started shortly after. It’s funny, you think you get over some things and then they just rush back in like nothing ever changed. The tears didn’t come until her last message to me…it was almost as if she wasn’t just saying goodbye in the message. It felt real, like she really knew this was going to be the last message I’d listen to over and over when I was feeling in need of her voice and guidance. Some call that a guardian angel, I just called her Gram. She was amazing and creative and beautiful and I still love her so much. After I finished her voicemail, I thought about the pain I felt in those tears of her being gone, and then how alive I feel in times when pain is at its most prevalent in my life. Allow me to explain… Pain is everywhere. We as humans just choose to ignore it most of the time. We push it down deep with pain pills or drugs or alcohol or other ways to mask its existence. I’m telling you to try embracing it. When I hike on cliff sides and my body aches from the miles of torture I’ve put it through, I feel alive. When I roll on a sweat-filled mat with a complete stranger smashing my insides in a BJJ gym, I feel alive. When I embrace the pain and face any fear that I have in my mind or body, I feel alive. So I ask you, why is it that pain scares us? What is it that makes us fearful of succeeding at something we know we can accomplish? Why is it so damn hard to accept that pain actually pushes us forward at times when we need it most? Related: How Self Reflection Helps You Grow as a Person The Pain and Growth Challenge I don’t understand life, and I’m sure you don’t either. But I do my best to relay these weird and circulating thoughts in my brain so that maybe one of you out there in the world can feel you’re not crazy like I used to think I was. It’s a strange world we live in, especially when we think of things like hiding what we really feel in fear of the way the world perceives us. Does it actually matter what most people care about? Do you actually care about what they feel? Probably not. When I lost the loved ones in my life, which there have been too many to count, I thought it was the end of so much. I thought that with my family members, my friends, even my pets. But the thing is, is that it has given me so much opportunity to form new growth. My branches have expanded past what I previously thought was possible because they continue to enhance and breathe stronger into growing new leaves. I’ve paid attention more, focused on studying less, embraced truths and felt more heartaches than I prefer to acknowledge. But the best part? They’ve created pain. And that pain created newfound strengths I didn’t know were underneath it all, all along. What gives you reason to reconsider the pain in your life? Do you have something you believe in that is being squashed by your lack of confidence? Can you do better by embracing what you have learned and applying it toward your future endeavors? I dare you to speak up more often, to challenge new approaches that you don’t agree with and feel the uncomfortable pain that comes along with unacceptance. Be brave, become more bold and start standing for what you believe in. And if that creates some pain in any sense of the word, use it. PS. If you’re still reading, here’s some motivation in the form of an old song. Some of you may know and love it, some of you may realize that Bob Marley was the OG of the first statement. It proves that you don’t need to follow the crowd to get ahead, you don’t need to say yes to everything. Trust the process and trust your gut. And if you hate it, try it anyway. Get uncomfy, friend. Disclaimer: This post is not condoning unnecessary pain. It does not look to endorse pain in a negative manner. It is meant solely for entertainment purposes only, from one person’s perspective, and is meant to show the positive outlook on embracing pain in a positive manner when possible through a shift of one’s mindset to create exponential growth. Related: Breaking Through The Pressure Of Society’s Expectations Have you enjoyed reading about Pain and Growth and how to embrace it all? We truly appreciate you reading today’s post on pain and growth through a new lens. If you enjoyed it, follow Habitual
Dry January…What About A Dry Life? 3 Cheers For Breaking The Generational Habit Of Alcoholism Part 1
Alcohol is a drug. It’s a poison. It’s what we learned in D.A.R.E. to stay away from and not steal from our parents fridges or pantries. It’s the gateway to doing “real” drugs or to allow you to let loose enough to say yes to them at least. It’s also the party bringer, the ease of all emotions, the life to any get-together with your college friends or your uncomfy in-laws. It allows freedom in your mind and body, to explore places and activities you may never have the chance to do unless you ingest some of that clear to dark brown liquid death. …Is it worth it? Why is Quitting Alcohol Frowned Upon? I write to you today as an early-thirties female that drank a little more than she should have in her adolescent years. I used to be ashamed of that, feel guilty talking about it even though it was such the norm when I was fully immersed. Those days flew by, not just because it was basically fun all the time every day all day, but because they were also a blur from being either intoxicated or hungover. I’ll be honest now, because well, I like you guys. And you know what? I like me a lot more now as well. It took a long time to come into that acceptance, but holy crapola am I sure glad I did. I don’t really know why it’s so widely accepted, or why it’s frowned upon for giving up and quitting drinking. People sure as hell don’t look at you sideways when you quit cigarettes, or drugs, or freaking pop for that matter. (That’s “soda” to you southern peeps out there). So, why is it so weird to the world when we decide to take the hard ass steps to becoming sober and quitting drinking? Why is it that we get shunned from parties and get odd looks at family functions when we’re not downing as many drinks as the rest of them? Strange, don’t you think? If you’ve been following Habitual Balance for some time now, you’ll know this has been a brief mention here and there. But each time we chat about it I’d like to dive into a little more context for the other uncomfortable humans like me that felt so out of their skin the first time we said it was time to give up alcohol. Making the Decision to Stop Drinking Alcohol Let me clarify. When I decided to throw in the towel on drinking, I actually never felt so sure of my decisions. (Coming from a HIGHLY indecisive person, may I add). But the uncomfies started flowing in when I started meandering out into the world and got googly eyes when I grabbed a sparkling water or a root beer instead of a brewski or a cocktail. (PS, did you know the word “brewski” is actually Russian? And here I thought it was some coined Pittsburghese or whatever. Pssh). Why is it so unnatural to ask for a different kind of beverage instead of quite literally pouring poison into ourselves? From what I’ve read and watched and listened to since becoming sober, I have begun to notice some amazing changes happening in our world. (Changes I would have also never known about before quitting drinking were I still to have the beer goggles on). Changes like local breweries that offer non-alcoholic beer to go along with their wood-fired pizza, or wineries offering their chilled juice instead to pair with their linguini, or even mocktail shops where you can go and find actual liquor look-a-like bottles that are all non-alcoholic. (In case you’re still feeling those uncomfies and want to try to get less weird looks when you go out). Alcoholism is a disease. …But it’s also a feeling. Related: Working Through Self Expectations & Limitations Alternatives to Alcohol Let’s put it to the test. What do you remember about your favorite party? What booze you drank or the high you got from being buzzed with your besties and the emotions that came along with it? Do you remember what shoes you wore or what outfit you finally decided on after an all day event of try-ons? (Not looking at pictures from the past, that’s cheating!) Or is it more like the vibes you felt from the crowded room where all your loved ones and friends were gathered and happy, singing Sweet Caroline and Asher Roth til the sun came up. Psst. (I’m guessing it’s the second one.) Therefore, I am totally here for the newest mocktail shops and NA beers coming onto the market. They’re more prevalent than ever before and I couldn’t be more excited for this movement. Check out this online shop that offers a TON of options for whatever you’re into. Here are my top 3 personal favorite sparkling water brands that are tried and true throughout the last 222 days. I prefer the lime flavored options, but if I can’t find any of those I just grab some lime juice and add my own! Topo-Chico (bottles or cans) San Pellegrino (bottles or cans) Liquid Death (as spotted below in the pic!) Don’t like sparkling water? Try this smoothie recipe out. The Benefits of Choosing an Alternative Beverage Do you know why? Because instead of feeling bad about regretted decisions since I would alter the state of my brain, I now can enjoy the feeling of celebrating my milestones with those closest to me with a cold Topo-Chico (with lime of course) in my hand. I remember everything, I wake up feeling hydrated and refreshed, the bubbles feel all bubbly-like, it’s great. Check this out… Lime extracts and brain health: Lime extracts may protect brain cells from the effects of sugar and amyloid beta toxicity. And guess what? It’s also helpful for those that struggle with anxiety, so, double yay! I’m sure you’ve heard of those “healthiest alcohol to drink” articles that explain in great detail how good it is
Escape Vs. Experience: The Journey To Becoming Self-Aware: Kauai, Part 1
Did you ever just melt into your bed after even a short day of work? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me today. On my first day back to the daily grind waiting tables, I was lucky enough to get off early…only to find time to work on a new project (which I’ll be introducing to you guys very soon!), and then order an entire pizza just for me, myself and I. It’s only after pounding away on the keyboard for hours (and maybe one or two too many slices), that my eyes finally hit “go the eff to sleep” mode. So, into the bedroom I came to get some shuteye, only to then find my brain in overdrive getting what it finally needed most…time to think. Waimea Canyon State Park (rainy and cloudy) some haze is from the previous volcano eruption on the Big Island just 3 days earlier! Vacationing in Nature Adventures You see, that’s what I love most of all about getting away. About vacationing in nature and getting a full dose of sunshine, rain, mud, and adventure each and every day. It’s the time when I can finally shut off “work” brain and focus on what I love most, creation. As the clouds roll away from my mind, the time approaches when I can finally jot down things that come to me that I have had no time previously to do so. This (and the middle of the night) are when my best ideas come through from the other side. Why don’t we schedule more time to be unscheduled? What is it that makes us so involved in the daily routine that we forget to immerse ourselves in being human? Kokee State Park, Kauai. Campground #2 of our trip! One of my all-time favorites in the country thus far. DEFINITELY going back. So I write to you today not from my laptop, but from my phone, in the dark, on my bed. You know, away from the big light. Neurodivergents where you attttt. “The big light” is a term used by neurodivergent individuals to describe overly bright or harsh lighting, which can often cause significant discomfort, anxiety, and sensory overload due to heightened sensitivity to light that many neurodivergent people experience; essentially, it refers to a major trigger related to lighting that can negatively impact their daily lives. -Thanks for explaining, AI Overview of the big light on Google I don’t know why my brain works in this way, but it just does. I live for these moments, I thrive in being outdoors and breathing earth’s beauty, it’s when I think my best and most clearly. Where do those feelings come for you? Do you have a special place or setting or room that comes to mind? Go ahead. Close your eyes and envision that feeling you get when you’re there. Beautiful, isn’t it? Related: How Traveling and Adventure Changed My Attitude Toward Life Backpacking down the trail into the Kalalau beach campground on the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. <3 Haze and mist still present on Day 2 of our trek. Our Escape to Kauai As you may have noticed, I took a teeny tiny sabbatical from writing the last two weeks. And I freaking missed you guys. That’s because we were blessed to be able to have not only spent some time with the family away from our jobs for a few days, but also to have gotten to spend 9 days (including a whole lot of travel time) in the most amazing island of Hawaii. I’m talking about “The Garden Island,” Kauai. If you haven’t heard of it or you’re too busy talking about going to the more popular islands such as O’ahu and Maui, I promise you, Kauai takes the cake. It’s one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been, including one of the most inspiring, and epic adventures I’ve ever been on. Yes we did do the whole resort thing for a handful of days at the tail end of our trip, but we spent many more nights before that camping along the coast on beaches and in its badass rainforest. If you’ve never camped in a jungle with pigs behind your tent…guys, go get yourself some gear. (Check out places like REI or Public Lands for some perfect first time gear sets! We even hit up Dick’s Sporting Goods for last minute athletic wear on sale). And if you decided to not fly with a ton of extra weight from dehydrated meals, I recommend checking out Pitch-A-Tent for a local online reservation backpacking and camping equipment rental service. It’s amazing! No, seriously. Not only were we able to quickly choose what we needed on their website, but got the items shortly after in their pickup box labeled with our name. We just needed some one-time use dehydrated food packets, but they have a plethora of other products to choose from if you want to pack less and rent more! Trust me, cleaning backpacks is NOT fun…just ask my mom. 🙂 Below is the instructions straight from Osprey themselves on how to properly clean your backpack. Thank me later when you see all the gunk washed off! Hawaii or Costa Rica Not able to decide on Costa Rica or Hawaii 4 months ago, we pondered which would be the best bet. As we were in Hawaii many years ago, we were leaning on Costa Rica…that is until we learned about backpacking the Na Pali Coast. Clearly, that won. And I’m so glad it did. Because it was life changing. You may have heard me say that about a hike previously, but I challenge you to go on any of the ones mentioned in this blog and not feel the same. Each forces you to take a new outlook on life, to embrace your being in a whole new light. It makes you uncomfortable in ways you never thought possible and realize that you CAN do the hard things your
Personal Growth: The Ultimate Long Game
You think you know yourself and then life goes ahead and slaps you in the face again. WHY? Because well, it can. And it does, repeatedly. It’s times like these that make me step back and realize that even though you thought there was a road there one day, doesn’t mean there can’t be a cliff there another. Long term personal growth is hard and… …maybe it’s time to take that leap you’ve been avoiding, eh? Embracing the Struggle for Long Term Personal Growth (PS – Stay tuned, because next month I’ll be taking my own leap. Check back in January…or subscribe!…to find out what it is!) Let me talk to you today about being stuck. About feeling so stuck that you feel like your skin is crawling. Not in a bad way, but a creative way. As in, you know there is something that is calling to you, you just can’t figure out what it is yet. Maybe it’s because we’re out here searching high and low for it instead of letting the universe drop it in our laps when the time is right. It’s hard when those around you support your successes but also may make you feel unworthy of things as well. Sometimes this can be close friends, co-workers, or even family. Are they jealous? That’s what the default setting is, right? No. I think it’s doubt. I think it’s doubt that who you’ve been or what you’ve done for so long has just sunken into their psyche and now to think that you’ll do something different, something more, is just so out of your reach that it’s now laughable to them. Let them laugh. Keep focusing on your own journey, your own growth. Keep realizing your own potential at your own pace because NO ONE ELSE can do it for you. Each time I encounter these people in my life, it only pushes me further. Let them inspire you. Let their doubt be the reason you succeed. When we condition ourselves to live in this bubble of frustration and stress and angst and upset, it pulls us down. It ruins our good moods and the moods of those around us, so you know what? I’m starting to go against the grain and embrace it. I’ve learned little by little not to care about certain comments and to know when it’s okay to stay quiet. For me, this is when I learn, when I process, when I internalize my feelings and thoughts and get what I call “a squeezy headache.” Maybe that sounds stupid to you, but we all have it in some way, shape or form. It’s that feeling of needing to get shit done. It’s that feeling of release. Whether that looks like a strong workout to you, or running a half marathon, or signing a deal. To me, it is writing. It is releasing my feelings to the world to show others that it’s okay to be yourself. You don’t have to feel bad for it. The Effort Behind Long Term Personal Growth Sometimes I look at these people and get envious of their success. I relish in the idea that they have it all figured out and if I didn’t have these feelings, I may think that I wasn’t fully human. Because that’s what they are. Human freaking feelings. I sit and wonder why it’s so hard for me to focus on what I want in life. Why it’s so difficult to just DO the things that need to be done. And then I remember that what I learned growing into my adulthood is different than what they did. My growth is different than what theirs is. And my path is forged in a different direction than those around me. And maybe that is for the best. Because when I sit back and actually consider what their lives are like, what they’ve gone through (that I know of) and what I’ve gone through, I realize quite frequently that I wouldn’t have it any other way. We all have our own shit storms to deal with. We all have our own traumas to navigate as adults and that’s okay. The way you are handling your own life is okay. Just keep doing your best and continue to be your authentic self. Long term personal growth does not happen overnight. Hell, it may not even be done by the time you’re checking out. But as far as I see it, as long as we’re doing our best to make what we want out of life happen, then we’re on the right path. Of course, growth takes effort. You can’t just sit back and watch the clouds roll by expecting change to show up at your doorstep. (Cloud watching is something I highly recommend though, as I’m sure you probably haven’t “had time” to do that since you were a kid). Go ahead, just do it for 5 minutes…without your phone in your hand. *Need a reason to sit the eff down? Here’s a good one. Check out the Insight Timer app and let your mind rest for a few minutes while you listen to soothing music or a quick guided meditation. It’ll be the best minutes of your day, pinky promise. Navigating Challenges and Change When you look at the bigger map of life, you start to realize that these little problems don’t mean as much. You start to embrace those daily habits changing little by little, because even though it feels like forever at the time, I bet when you’re 80 it’s going to seem like seconds. I’m no longer for the “grind” kind of life. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. And just when you think you’re doing everything right, it knocks you back down to size. If you’ve been following HB for a while now, you’ll know that this blog was born out of one of those core moments in my life. Oddly enough, just as I thought I’d
Have You Embraced The Secluded & Serene Beauty Of Seneca Rocks, West Virginia?
Recently, I went on a long weekend trip with my spouse of now 10 years. We traveled to a beautiful place in the mountains of West Virginia called Seneca Rocks. If you’ve heard of it before, or have even had the opportunity to visit there in the past, you’ll understand that it has some seriously awesome hikes and scenery. Let’s talk about those. Introduction to Seneca Rocks and Its Hiking Trail So often we would plan these big trips for our anniversary. Other times, we would just let it roll on by if it was in the middle of the week or say “it wasn’t a big deal” to celebrate. But this year, we finally threw in the towel of “not caring,” and decided that since we were lucky enough to have it fall on a Saturday, we’d do our best to spend the weekend by ourselves even though we just went somewhere shortly beforehand. It was one of the best experiences of my relationship thus far. I had high expectations that I tried to squash, (which typically happens if I start getting in my head too much). Seriously, this can be detrimental so I highly recommend going with the flow instead! “A campground” was something I wasn’t too sure of, since we’d been backpacking more recently and got to experience the feeling of being totally alone. I liked that. I also was not super keen about being a hundred yards next to a pack of yelling coyotes 4 times in one dark and quiet night. (We’ll keep that for another post!) *PS! If you’re getting into camping more remote, or just don’t want as many peeps around you, I highly recommend checking out the app, Hipcamp! It’s been super helpful in finding us some next level spots (even for same day booking!) Sign up to get $10 off your first night under the stars! And if you’ve ever thought about hosting on your own property, check it! You can start listing your land on Hipcamp as soon as today. Very cool. Get to the Seneca Rocks Campground Early…Real Early So anyway, I was cool with a campground and let the hubs do the choosing. Seneca Rocks was something he’d brought up in the past. Something I recalled him talking about but alas, a place we never really decided on. When he found the campground, we knew that it would work and planned that we would just get there early to choose a spot. …Don’t do that. For reals, if you’re thinking about going to a campground around this beautiful place, consider Seneca Rocks Shadows. It’s epic. BUT, DO book a site ahead of time!! Or make sure you arrive super early to choose your perfect spot. I have no complaints about ours, but we arrived (for what we thought was early) around 2/3pm, and were lucky enough to snag THE LAST SPOT. Phew! Please note that if you do decide to choose this awesome campground (which you totally should), that you’ll need a 2 night minimum weekend booking if you decide to book online ahead of time (which you also totally should). You can even stay up to 14 nights if you choose to!! Which is really great to have as a backup option if you would decide to do some nearby backpacking and want to use this as a base camp. We definitely plan to do this in the future, since Dolly Sods Wilderness is known for great backpacking trails! So, let’s talk car camping at Seneca Rocks. What is it? And how is it different than backpacking? We Backpacked Rim-River-Rim Of The Grand Canyon In 2 Days: Here’s A Few Things We Learned Car camping is much different than backpacking. 1. It’s so nice because you have so much more stuff to use when you need it! 2. It’s so annoying because you have so much more stuff when you don’t need it! Yes, each statement is true! If you’ve done either of these kinds of camping, you may understand what I mean. I think if I had to choose one or the other, it would be backpacking all the way. Sure, you have to carry things on your back for miles on end and hope to the heavens that there’s some kind of water source along the way (or just research where your water sources are), but over car camping? Sign me up. Why? Because I’m a minimalist in a hoarders body. Because I loathe the idea of possibly forgetting something and I swear that the more space and time I have to fill with extra stuff, the more stuff that makes its way along with us. (Which is why I ALWAYS procrastinate on packing for anything). And guess what? Even with a rented Bronco full of groceries and items we thought we’d need for the weekend long trip, we STILL had to stop at the little store to grab some last minute forgotten items. With backpacking, I KNOW for a fact that I will have everything I need. For several days in the Grand Canyon, I survived on water sources and dehydrated meals. No bars, no extra fluff, just chilling with my weightless packable gear and a tiny packet of hot chocolate. (Because why not). BONUS – Path To Productivity: My Struggle With Planning And The Perfect Hot Cocoa Recipe But I did not have the chance to overthink my items to pack, I did not need to look at my piles and wonder if I had remembered everything, because with backpacking, everything I need for days or weeks even is packed nicely into one solid pack I can carry anywhere. (There’s even a system to packing it correctly, so I literally cannot mess it up.) No boxes of food, no bags for a ton of garbage, no pots and pans and extra camping gear or firewood. Just us, the packs, and the trail. It’s awesome. 5 Must Have Items for Trips to Seneca
Healthy Hacks, Delicious Smoothies, and the Secret to Eating More to Weigh Less!
Hey guys! Now, we have been chatting for some time together about a healthier lifestyle both mentally and physically. Anddd I promised to share with you all some of my tried and true favorite things! In today’s post, I’m going to share with you my best smoothie recipe yet, including some other tips on how I’m boosting my metabolism by actually ADDING calories to my day. Mind-blowing, I know. (Stay tuned for a future post revealing some of my go-to camping recipes!) Oh! And don’t miss the really cool interactive spreadsheet for free at the end! How I Made My Change If you’re new here, I’ll give you a little context to my current situation. I’m an active 33 year old female with a healthy lifestyle and a fatty liver. Contradictory, isn’t it? Check out a few of my recent posts to see how I figured this out and what I’ve been trying to do to reverse it. Turning Things Around At 33: Why It’s Never Too Late To Start Embracing Change With Growth When Push Comes To Shove, Remember To Not Compare Overcoming Negativity On The Scale: How I’m Learning To Be Okay With My Body So, last year when I had two trainers that specified in completely different ways of training, I thought I had it all figured out. (This was before that discovery, of course…and before I quit birth control completely!) One day after all of this new info surfaced, I realized that I’d been heavily relying on everyone else to tell me what to do and what was best for my body. Of course, trainers do know most of the time what is best for our bodies. That’s why they’re trainers, after all. But what I realized was that I needed to do some deep dives on how I wanted to approach the next several years of my life, and if I really wanted to be motivating myself through external sources. I didn’t. So, I quit them both, and proceeded to stop going to the gym for a month or more. I didn’t do much of anything, really. I was a lazy blob figuring out life. But then it happened. One day, I decided that I was going to go because I felt like it. Because I made the decision to. Because I knew that it was what my mind and body needed. I also knew that even though I kept telling myself I was eating right, I knew deep down that I could be doing better. It’s amazing what we tell ourselves on repeat just to turn our cheek to what is actually the right decision. Wanting to gain that self-motivation, I kept up with it this time. I continued to let myself ebb and flow and move with the cycles of life throughout this journey I’ve been on. I was easy with myself on days that didn’t feel right to go, and went all out on days that I felt like being in beast mode. After a while, I stopped craving crappy food, too. I began looking for new ways to slowly incorporate more healthy options into my life and less junk food to fill space or time. And that is where my favorite smoothie recipe was born! My Metabolism Boosting Smoothie Recipe It’s not all that and a bag of chips. Well, it doesn’t actually include chips at all…but it’s delicious…and not chunky…and that is something that has been hard to perfect. I also found a few ingredients that I didn’t know about before, and realized that hello, duh, I could be using greek yogurt instead of WATER to add more fuel to its power. It’s the perfect blend of smoothness, deliciousness, and balance (in my opinion) of ingredients. Check it out: 1 handful or cup of frozen blueberries 1 handful of spinach 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder 1 room temp banana 1 spoonful of NuttZo 7 nut & seed butter A serving size of your favorite vanilla bean or unflavored greek yogurt That’s all folks. 6 simple ingredients. I’ve noticed whatever flavor of protein powder I pick doesn’t make too much of a difference, but I prefer unflavored if it’s available. The peanut butter can be whatever kind you like best as well, but I opt for this brand as it packs a little more protein and a few more things than just your plain old Jif. I really like the unflavored greek yogurt as it has less sugar content than flavored, but what I usually have on hand is vanilla bean. I also like to spend 15 minutes or so per week just bagging up some of these ingredients. (I freeze sandwich bags of blueberries, spinach, and the banana. I’m sure you could add the others as well if you wanted). Doing this makes it super easy to grab and throw in my Ninja in the morning before work to make sure I can get in a hefty dose of protein and healthy options first thing. (I even got a cute glass container to travel with it in to inspire me to drink it on the way to work). Losing Weight By Adding Calories Soooo, did you know that you can actually lose weight by ADDING calories?! Because your girl had no freaking clue. It sounds like such a backwards concept that I’m sure a lot of us out there had never even heard of such a thing. It’s also super hard to do if you’ve ever tried it, especially since most of us are used to attempting to be calorie restrictive. Ugh. Since I’ve been struggling to lose weight even though I feel like I’m doing basically everything I can, I talked to my trainer again about this. He explained that since my activity level is so high, my calorie restricting is actually hurting my body because it’s not letting it repair itself properly. Basically, my body has just been on go-mode, and only offering up
Turning Things Around At 33: Why It’s Never Too Late To Start Embracing Change With Growth
Hey friends. A lot has happened since we started this journey together. Pushing through adversity has been one of the hardest things to overcome in my journey to a more present self. Let’s talk today about how that’s going and how you can learn to get through tougher times to enjoy yourself more on a daily basis. Your Worst Enemy Sometimes adversity can hit home. It can come through the loss of a loved one, a job misfortune or just a plain old bad day. It can get you down and wear you out, but I’m here to let you know that working through times like these can only make you a stronger individual. Why are we always so hard on ourselves? Why do we let comparison steal our happiness and truth of who we are inside? If you want nice things, you don’t have to feel guilty. If you enjoy the simple life, you don’t need to feel like you’re missing out on nice things. The “simple life” can be looked at in several different ways, it is simply what makes you feel happy and alive. This past week I had a change in my outlook on life. Something personal came up that made me feel envious of others lives and created regret that maybe I hadn’t been living my life to its fullest, or rather, to what I “thought” I should be living it like. After several days of pouting and upset, I finally realized that I am in fact living my best life. I am, in fact living my life to its fullest. I have no reason to make complaints, remarks of others I may be envious of, because in the end, we’re just all humans doing our best to live our lives the way we feel that we should. I want to let you know that you can be anything you want in this world. If you find toxicity in any parts of your life, you can change them. You can create the lifestyle you want, the career you desire, and the relationship that looks perfect to you. You alone have the control to make these things your reality, and all you have to do is begin. Begin the changes to encourage your new life, begin accepting that you are on the right path in this universe and let go of the control over what you think you need to do to get there. Things will always happen whether planned or not, and adversity will always strike when you least expect it to. This personal conflict in my life made me at first feel like it would have such an impact. I thought that it was going to cause such problems and uncertainty that I got worked up for days about it. But after some time to just sit and think, (without a screen nearby), I had time to self-reflect on what my actual problem with the situation was. I then realized that it came at a perfect time. A time where I am now confident and comfortable in my own skin to take on this new challenge. Not a time where I was weak-minded and fragile like I was not so long ago. Sometimes challenges present themselves in weird ways. They come out of nowhere when everything is going well and try to break you down mentally. I challenge you to push back and stand up for yourself. You’ve come this far, all you have to do is keep forging ahead. Related: When Push Comes To Shove, Remember To Not Compare 5 Tips to Start Becoming More Confident in Yourself What are some things you can do to start becoming more confident in yourself? What are some aspects you can adjust about your life so that you are comfortable with the path you are on? Let’s talk about a few suggestions. Find things that make you happy. Do them more often. This is easier said than done, trust me. Remind yourself that you are enough. You are okay. You are on the right path. Say it in the mirror if you feel comfortable doing so. Talk to a friend about your situation. Try to be completely open and receive their feedback without criticism. They probably know you better than you know yourself. Give yourself little reminders of how amazing you are. Write down your favorite book excerpts or lyrics and put post-it notes where you get ready in the morning. Speaking of getting ready, GET READY! Stop being lazy and start encouraging yourself to get out of bed and fix your hair, do your makeup or nails, take a bath or read some. Make time for yourself, even before a workday. You’ll feel better and more confident going into the grind. Why have you been holding back on the things that bring you joy? Who has been holding you back? Has it been yourself? A loved one? A friend? It’s time to stop putting off the hobbies and interests that you collect happiness from. It’s important to spend time with these things especially after a long day at work or when you’re feeling overstimulated. Related: Working Through Self Expectations & Limitations Don’t Let Expectations Hold Back Your Joy This bump in my road has brought so much more clarity than I could have asked for. I’ve found that not only am I enjoying who I am, but I’m also making an effort to dip my toes into things that I’ve been dreaming of doing but haven’t yet accomplished. Having big goals before turning 30, I became a little upset when these still were not embarked upon recently when turning 33. But I’m making progress…and so can you. These changes don’t have to be giant, they just have to exist. Start prioritizing a little more time on fun and you’ll begin growing in ways that you didn’t think were possible anymore. It’s almost like we hit the pause button at
We Backpacked Rim-River-Rim Of The Grand Canyon In 2 Days: Here’s A Few Things We Learned
Hey friends! If you’ve been following along for a while, you’ll know that more and more travel tips will be coming your way as we move forward on this blog. Although there are many trips I’d like to share with you, I think starting with one of the hardest feels like the best way to begin. In this post you’ll hear about what permits we needed to acquire, what our level of preparation was, and a few things we plan to do differently in the future at the iconic Grand Canyon. So, let’s get started, shall we?! (P.S., I’ll be adding our very own shots from the trips in these kinds of posts. So, if you have any questions about the places in the photos drop a comment!) Prepping for Rim to River to Rim Adding more travel into our lives has been huge lately. The hubs and I kept saying we would do this, but you know how that goes. Work pressures you to do more, family obligations arise at inconvenient times, and well, travel can be quite expensive, so there’s that whole monster on its own. Fortunately, we remembered to apply for permits last year and were lucky enough to snag some for May to hike the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We had a few months to plan, shop for essentials, and train for the heavy hike we were about to embark upon. If you’re looking to grab a permit yourself, check out this site to apply. We started out thinking that we would be okay with most of our gear, only to realize that a lot of shopping would still need to be done. As the trip got closer and closer, we recognized the need for more packable, ultra lightweight items to ensure we’d be able to carry everything we needed on our backs. As this was going to be a quick in-and-out, we wanted to make sure we packed light as well to make the whole travel process more manageable. We reserved a little hotel room on the South Rim for the night before, and then scheduled a nice hotel in Phoenix for the day after. We ended up with 1 large suitcase for camping and hiking supplies, 2 small carry-ons for each of our things, and 2 Osprey backpacks. (This is our favorite brand of backpacks. We’re even thinking about upgrading to their luggage for our upcoming trip this December!) It was an interesting first backpacking experience. We were not sure what to expect with the trail, with the Bright Angel Campground being shut down for construction, we anticipated it to be less busy. There were loads of people however, with smaller daypacks and a few with larger ones, but most of our fellow hikers carried nothing but a bottle of water. *Before you go into a hike like this, be sure to know your (and your companions) limits! Hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back can be deadly if you are not properly prepared to handle its conditions. Like, seriously. How Traveling and Adventure Changed My Attitude Toward Life Research Your Hike Ahead of Time Which is exactly why it is pertinent to research your specific hike and plan for a time of year that you won’t get too baked by the hot Arizona sun. Make sure you have layers as the temperature can vary GREATLY depending on where you are at in the canyon. Here is what we recommend bringing (at the bare minimum) for a short 2 day backpacking trip to the bottom and back up. An ultralight tent (we have 2 people in our party but opted for the 3 person so we could allow room for our essentials along the inside. A sleeping bag that is also ultralight, making sure to find one that suits your need for whatever time of year you go. (We chose ones that would keep us warm down to 30 degrees fahrenheit.) Electrolytes. This is no joke. We brought 1 tube of NUUN tablets thinking it would be more than enough, we used them all and ran out just before the top. (Remember, we were only in the canyon for TWO days!) I would bring 1 tube, per day, per person moving forward to be on the safe side. They help recovery and soreness immensely. I was actually never a fan of them until that day. I’ve been using them everyday ever since. Water bladders and filters. This was really helpful to have as a backup for when water was just okay looking or potable water was nonexistent. We prefer the Sawyer brand but it’s truly up to your preference. Dehydrated food or homemade meals to heat up. I really like to opt for the ones that are high in calories, carbs and protein. These kept us fully fed and satisfied for several days without having anything else to eat or snack on. (Check out your local outdoor store or hit up REI online for seasonal deals! Not to mention if you become a member, you’ll rack up some points that you can use the year to come!) Here is a list of items that we brought for personal comfort or luxury items that are not deemed 100% necessary: Ultralight camping chairs (these were a small fortune but kept us super comfy when we got to the campsite.) The campground actually provided picnic tables but these were a much more enjoyable option. Books to read when we stopped for breaks or before bed for winding down. A few extra plastic REI water bottles for mixing electrolytes or filtering water easier. Hot chocolate, because of course. Flip Flops, our feet were totally thankful. Guys, this is the Grand Canyon. The one and only massive hole in the ground that will *and I repeat,* WILL kick your butt if you don’t set yourself up for success. Make sure to make ample lists ahead of time of what you need to bring, and definitely
When Push Comes To Shove, Remember To Not Compare
Last night I had a breakdown. It was small but it was mighty enough to kick me into gear again. I’m always wondering where life will go from here, and looking for ways to broaden my horizons in any way possible. Upon leaving the grocery store yesterday though, my mind went into straight spiral mode when I realized that my entire day consisted of un-fun, un-relaxing tasks. My mood darkened, my energy from the day shrunk, and the long list of things I haven’t yet accomplished started creeping in to remind me just how much I suck. If this sounds familiar, trust me, you aren’t alone. Find the Time to Vent I heavily considered getting up to write this post at midnight last night when my mind was racing with those defeating thoughts. Being a blogger about finding balance however, well, that wouldn’t make much sense, would it? So, I tried my best to snuggle back into my covers and call it a night. Yesterday wasn’t full of heartache or agony or hard times. It didn’t have much of a bad moment in it to be honest. But little by little, the spiral began, leading me into straight up angry tears by the time I got home. The icing on the cake? My favorite pair of shoes chewed just enough past the point of repair by my oh so cute pitty. I went outside to pout. Yes, pout. I sat for nearly 30 minutes before my husband came out to make sure I was okay. He knew I was having a moment and is always so great about reading it and giving me my space. (Something I definitely need to work on). How are you doing with that? As I sat there, I wondered what set off the tears, the frustration, and reflected on how I managed to get into such a crappy mood after having a relatively good day at work. You see, this would be the time I used to reach for a drink. Frustration, be gone! Although I’m no longer living that life, so in my sobriety, I sat there wondering if I could find the reason why this all came to be. Taking it one step at a time from the end, I realized the shoe had been my breaking point. Why? Because (and here goes the overthinking brain…3 cheers to those of you who can feel this pain!), …because if I had only been home more to be with my dogs and take them on walks and care for them fully during the day they would have less anxiety while we were gone or have the desire to destroy our shoes. I would have the time I needed to practice self-care to the maximum, create the lifestyle I so long for, and finish my hobbies and projects around the home. I would have time to dedicate to creating healthy meals for my family, drive to get proper groceries instead of relying on others to choose for me via Instacart, and come home to a less cluttered home since I would have all the time I needed. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. I was at this point in my life once, where I had all the time in the world…but something was missing. Maybe it was this blog? It brings me pure joy to write and release these feelings with others who understand how I am. It creates happiness to know that I may someday be able to let another know that they’re not by themselves and that we all have feelings of doubt in our lives. As much as we try to work out the “what-ifs,” they’re still there, deep down. Related: Overcoming Negativity On The Scale: How I’m Learning To Be Okay With My Body Be in the Now, Don’t Compare I raised an imaginary glass after my pouting session to engaging with my inner self. After much reflection and understanding of how I got there, I was proud of myself for not reaching for a drink or creating an unnecessary argument with my spouse. And then, I realized how much I was comparing what I wanted years ago to what I want now. Back then, something was missing. I’ve fulfilled that since. Now, I crave more time, only because time is more prevalent to me as age creeps upon me. Something of course I didn’t feel in my early twenties or teens. As I grow both physically and mentally, it occurs to me that I have not lost this game, I have not created an unmeaningful life, it simply is a different life than that of which I wanted as my past self. Now, I am able to learn and grow from what I’ve accomplished and failed in, as opposed to being angry with myself for not trying new things. Once we move past the need to compare ourselves to others, I think we start to compare ourselves to well, us. And in my opinion, this can be an even bigger beast to tame as we tend to compare ourselves so harshly instead of recognizing what we’ve had the opportunity to engage with over the years and overcome. Why can’t we accept that change is going to happen? That as we grow we will develop new ideas or goals in life? Why is it more acceptable to look backward in regret as opposed to looking back on how well we’ve done? Here are a few ways I’m going to practice comparing myself less in the future. Wanna join me? Continue to practice patience. Go sit with yourself and turn your phone off, (I turn mine upside down sometimes and this is also helpful!) Enjoy just being present with your thoughts. And if those thoughts are awesome ideas, make sure you write them down. Begin to look around you more. Write down things that you’ve accomplished and keep track of your progress.