Peru - go to there.

Ah, another gap between posts. But I got a valid excuse this time... for I was in Peru! Ok, so I was only there for a week but still.

This trip will go down as one of the highlights of my life. I got to see Machu Picchu, which was the #1 travel item on my bucket list. Honestly, this trip was ALL about seeing this world wonder. But I was fortunate enough to have some other crazy cool experiences on this trip.

Huacachina: an oasis just outside of the city of Ica in the Peruvian desert. We came here after a flight over the Nazca lines (sadly, these were underwhelming). Not only did we get to go dunebuggying and sandboarding in the dunes around here, we got to enjoy some time within the oasis itself. UHMAZING! Do yourself a favor and see this place with your own eyes.

Aguas Calientes: This is the tiny town closest to Machu Pichhu. Since we didn't have time to do the Inca trail, we stayed here for a night before seeing MP. A bunch of travelers told me this place was overrated. I disagree. No cars are allowed here, and it's awesome walking up the narrow, store-lined streets. Highly recommended.

Sacred Valley: I arranged for a guide to pick us up from our flight into Cusco and take us to Ollantaytambo so we could catch a train to Aguas Calientes. On the way, we got to drive through the Sacred Valley. Have you ever been in a place so beautiful, you wanted to prance around and sing? Well, this is what happened to me here. It was incredible to see the snow-capped Andes Mountains behind all these vast fields. And It was humbling to see the sheep-herders and farmers living simple lives (kinda makes me feel weird about being obsessed over my phone). We stopped at Moray (picture below) which was a perfect build-up to Machu Picchu.

 I wish I could have spent more time in this amazing country because there's so much I didn't see. However, seeing Machu Picchu firsthand... you can't describe it.

And if you don't believe me, then watch the episode of No Reservations in which Anthony Bourdain goes to Peru. Nuff said.

Eat yo greens.

Vegetables.

You know you have to eat them, but they just aren't appealing sometimes, right?

I hear ya. Why can't I just stay healthy by eating hamburgers, cheese, cake, cookies, ice cream, french fries, pork belly, fried chicken, soda, quail egg wrapped in bacon... whoa! I'm getting off topic here. Better stop before I salivate all over this keyboard.

Well, let me urge you to try something: kale chips. No seriously.

Recently I got hooked on New York Naturals brand of kale chips. Have you tried the Bombay Ranch? the Spicy Miso? Lawdy, it's some tasty ish. The downside: $8 for a pack that I can devour in minutes.

Always the penny pincher, I looked into making my kale chips and was pleased to discover many recipes. So I went out and bought a bundle of kale and went to work.

I did a few batches and discovered how easy it is to make up my own recipes. Here's my favorite:

Step 1: Rip up kale into bite sized peices, not including the stem.
Step 2: Put about 1 - 2 tbsp (depending on the amount of kale) of olive oil in a large ziplock bag. Drop in your kale and shake it all about.
Step 3: Arrange kale into a single layer on a baking sheet. Put in an oven preheated to 300 degrees, cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove baking sheet and generously sprinkle parmesan cheese over kale.
Step 5: Put kale back in oven for about 5 minutes or until the parmesan has melted.
Step 6: Enjoy!

Not feeling experimental? You can cook kale chips with simple olive oil and salt. Trust me, it's yummy and way better for you than potato chips.

I should note that this shouldn't replace your usual servings of vegetables, but it's an easy way to incorporate more greens into your diet.

Liebster award!

Today, I'd like to give a shout out to the outstandingly awesome woman behind Nami M. Scott: Life Enthusiast, who nominated me for a Liebster award!







According to her blog, the rules of nomination include the below:

1. Shout out the person who tagged you
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the 11 questions the tagger set for you
4. Choose 11 bloggers to nominate for Leibster awards and link them to this post (or as many as you can come up with)
5. The 11 bloggers you choose must have low follower numbers (think under 200 followers or around there)
6. Create 11 questions for the 11 bloggers to answer in their Leibster Award posts
7. Go to their blogs & alert them that you've nominated them
8. You cannot tag the blogger who has tagged you

So here we go!

11 Random Things:
1. I am a HUGE FC Barcelona fan. I know most Americans find soccer (or football, if you will) lame, but I am not one of them.
2. I used to be an avid baker, until I realized carbs = BAD and I had to cut down.
3. I am 98% accurate at telling what the weight of your business card paper is (thanks to working at a print shop for over a year).
4. My favorite childhood show is Gargoyles.
5. As a kid, the punishment "clean your room" was actually a joy. I used to love cleaning!
6. I can name all the kids in my graduating elementary school class, because there were only 30 of them. #SmallTownLife
7. I know what deer repellant smells like.
8. I can eat cilantro with anything.
9. I'm cool with spiders but centipedes represent ALL THAT IS EVIL IN THIS WORLD.
10. I don't know how to whistle.
11. I can sculpt you an Evenstar out of clay (if you're a nerd, you know what that is).

Nami's 11 Questions for me:

1. Holy smokes! The apocalypse is here! You're at home & can only take what you can carry. What do you grab? A machete! Ah crud, I don't have one. OK, I guess my phone so I can call people while the satellites still work. Then a frying pan? I'd want to defend myself but I don't have weapons in my apartment!
2. If you could re-experience one moment from your past, whether it's because you just loved it or you wanted to change the outcome, what would it be and why? One time Dave Chappelle came into the print shop that I once worked in, but I was dilly-dallying in the back room! I still wish I had been up in the front at that time so I could've met him.
3. If you could name one thing about yourself that you think is great, what would it be? (Don't be shy!) My legs, because they are long and allow me to cover great distances with minimal effort.
4. What is your spirit animal? A dog. But that's a guess, I've never taken one of those quizzes.
5. What is your dream occupation? A zoologist who gets paid to study elephants or monkeys in their natural habitat.
6. If you could change your first name, would you? What would you change it to? (Assuming no one would think it's strange & life would go on as if nothing had happened...let's pretend all legal documentation magically changes without any hardship.) I used to dislike my name, but it grew on me.
7. If you had to paint your entire living space with different shades of the same color, what color would you choose? I'm a bit of a sucker for blues and greens, so I'm going with that.
8. If you could have a teleportation device that connects your current location to one specific location, what would that location be and why? Easy. Camp Nou in Barcelona so I can see my boys play! El Clasico is on my bucket list.
9. You get a letter in the mail from 90-year-old you. She/He tells you 3 amazing things you've accomplished. What are those 3 things? 1) You saw all 7 Wonders of the World (8 including the Pyramids which are a Wonder of the Ancient World). 2) You fought for equality. 3) You loved.
10. Would you rather have no elbows or no knees? I guess no elbows so my walking wouldn't be inhibited.
11. What is your proudest accomplishment as a blogger thus far? Sticking to it! In a world where everyone has an opinion, I question if mine actually matters. It does. Everyone's does.

 Blogs I nominate:

1. Paddington Peru - This blog has been a go-to for me as a plan my next adventure. It's also quite adorable.
2. Joy, The Baker  - Delicious recipes for the health conscious
3. EatSleepDraw - for a daily dose of creative inspiration
4. Let There Be Love - same as above, just with more GIFs

Ok, that's all I have for now as I delve deeper into a blogger's life. Think you have a blog I'd like? Let me know about it!

Questions for my nominees:

1. What is your number one travel destination (either a place you've been or a place you want to go)?
2. If you could be a character from any film/TV show, who would it be and why?
3. What is your weapon of choice in a zombie apocalypse?
4. If you could eat any type of fattening, greasy, sugary, all-around-bad kind of food without it affecting your health - what would it be (pick only one)?
5. You just found a magic lamp and are granted three wishes, what is the first thing you wish for?
6. Name your favorite Disney movie.
7. If you could get away with any fashion statement, what would it be?
8. If you were only given a week to live, what would you do?
9. Guilty pleasures, what's the first thing that comes to mind? (Keep it clean, folks)
10. What's the strangest food you've ever eaten?
11. You're favorite celebrity has just asked you on a date, who is it and where do you go?

 Enjoy everyone!

To Boston, With Love

Dedicating this post to the victims and all those affected by the bombings at yesterday's Boston Marathon. I've only spent a few days in Boston but thought it was a pretty great place. It breaks my heart to hear of such a senseless act happening, especially at a peaceful event.

Love an animal!

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month so I am dedicating this post to our furry friends. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a dog lover. Don't get me wrong - I love all kinds of animals, but I just so happened to have grown up mostly with dogs. Big dogs too. My parents used to adopt greyhounds from a nearby racing track. And after our last greyhound passed away (RIP Pat Pat), my parents brought home a pit bull mix.

Pit bulls are a breed that certainly evokes extreme emotions from people so I'm not going to start any debates. What I will say is that this dog became my best friend and I was legitimately in love with her. Her name was JuneBug. When my high school boyfriend broke up with me, JuneBug would snuggle up to my crying self and look at me as if to ask what was wrong, which made me feel better for some reason. She was so awesome that you could leave food on a coffee table - within easy reach for her - walk away, and not have to worry about her eating it. When I moved out and could only visit on the weekends, the stress I had acquired through work or bills always melted away the instant I saw her.

Eventually though, old age takes a toll and we had to put my sweetheart down a few months ago. As devastating as it was to say goodbye, I am so happy I got to experience a strong animal-human bond. You have to have experienced it yourself to know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, though I personally think that dedicating a month to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is silly because cruelty should NEVER happen, I do think we should all do our part to help. The ASPCA along with the Humane Society are some of the biggest organizations to help animals, but you should support local shelters too! I periodically volunteer at Sean Casey Animal Rescue in Brooklyn by walking dogs, photographing animals and updating their website. If you can't find the time to volunteer, I can tell you donations are always appreciated.

And if anyone reading this has never loved an animal, you really have to open your heart to one. It can change your life.

Go to the Middle East

It was this day one year ago my boyfriend and I returned from a 2-week trip to Egypt and Jordan (yes, I know Egypt is a part of Africa but I'm going to clump it with the middle east for this post). I have never been so happy to be back from a vacation. Don't get me wrong - the vacation was great! It just made me appreciate my home country so much more. I mean, I can wear shorts and a sleeveless top in the summer and NO ONE cares! To do the same in the MENA region, well, as a woman it's not good. 

Seriously though, traveling to these two countries was an eye-opening experience and I highly encourage others go - but I do have to exercise a word of caution. Everyone has seen the Egyptian protests in the news. My fella and I went at a good time, when things had settled after the ousting of Mubarak but before the election of Morsi. We also hired a private guide through a company called Memphis Tours (highly recommended!) and they took good care of us. If you're planning a trip, don't do so independently. And definitely check the travel alerts. In regards to Jordan, this is probably the most progressive and safe country in this region so no worries there.

By the way the Pyramids are AMAZING. It was humbling being in their presence and I honestly could have spent my whole time in Cairo staring at them. We also went to Luxor and explored Karnak temple and tombs in the Valley of the Kings (King Tut's tomb was closed for repairs though - balls!). Luxor, in comparison with Cairo, was clean and quaint. Beautiful town.

As a whole though, Egypt upset me a little. It's easy to see how the decrease in tourism has affected the country, even though I had nothing to compare it to (it was my first time here). Children are barefoot in tattered clothes, panhandling on the streets. I couldn't walk 10 feet away from my guide without being surrounded by people begging for money. Trash is everywhere. I saw a dead, bloated ox floating in a litter-ridden canal which I later saw people drink out of. I'm no economics expert but this is what happens when a government doesn't invest in it's people, one thing I appreciate our country for doing. But despite the country's flaws, it wedged it's way into a special place in my heart. I strongly recommend you read the news regarding human rights for Egyptians, and maybe even donate a little. Check it out

I'm glad I did a combo trip, because Jordan was SO different then Egypt. It is a truly a remarkable country - surprisingly lush and green in the north with an otherworldly rock desert in the south. Also home of the Dead Sea - a body of water that makes you super buoyent because of the salt content. The people living there are the most genuinely kind people I have ever come across - and huge WWE fans too (random...). At tourist sites, I saw large groups of free-spirited young girls laughing with each other and yelling greetings to my boyfriend and I. A few of them approached us and asked us all sorts of questions. These curious young ladies fill me with hope for the future.

Oh yeah, and Petra has become my favorite place on earth - take THAT Disneyworld.

Going back to where I started, I'm happy I made this trip and I came back with a new found love for my country. Yup, I now don a mullet and listen to Toby Keith. 'MURICA!

Expand your horizons, folks. ;)

Take a chance

Long time, no bloggy!

A few months ago I interviewed for a position that was within the same field as my career experience, but on a platform that I didn't have experience in. I admit, I was nervous in the interview and left thinking I wouldn't get an offer... but I did.

I think everyone at some point in their lives need a reminder to remain confident. It's easy to get overwhelmed in a situation you may not be comfortable with. My new position is hectic as I have to manage a large workload in addition to learning new things (hence why I haven't blogged in awhile). I am often pushed close to my limits and sometimes I make mistakes. I have a bad habit of beating myself up when I do, but the important thing is that I learn from them. I'm sticking with it and getting better as I go along.

Moral of the story: take a chance! You may surprise yourself.

Explore new territory, locally

I live in NY, Brooklyn to be exact. I have a slew of restaurants and shops within walking distance from my home - but even I get in the habit of sticking with what I know.

My home is located a little deeper into Brooklyn, and when it's time to go out locally, I have a tendency to walk west and north towards Manhattan. I don't know why. Maybe because there tend to be more options that way. Recently, I walked east and south to try a new restaurant in a neighborhood I rarely explore. And by golly, I just found one of the best tasting burritos in my life - filled with chipotle chicken, guacamole, onions, rice.... Stop watering, mouth!

Anyway, I encourage you to go out of your way to try something new. You'll never know what you'll find.

Go for a run.

I've always envied the jogger. Many times have I been passed by one while I shuffle down the sidewalk. They seem to go forever without taking a break. Me? I want to collapse and die after a few minutes.

However I'm done with gym memberships (too expensive and I simply don't go enough) and need to find a way to stay active, locally and cheaply. Whilst browsing the app store for fitness applications, I came across something unique. It's called Zombies, Run! I was hesitant at first because it costs a whopping $8 (my limit for apps is usually $2). However, it seemed worth a try, and hey, I guess it's cheaper than going to the gym.

The app is a combo fitness/GPS tracker and story. In it, you are a survivor for a base camp called Abel Township and you are asked to go on missions (there are about 30 missions total within the game). It is more motivational and fun than I expected. I actually enjoy going jogging now! I've run more in the past month than I have since high school (because it was a requirement for P.E.). In fact, I can now run for a mile straight before I get out of breath (that's a milestone for me) and my jogs usually last 45 minutes to an hour. Last time I jogged, I gave up after 20 minutes.

It helps that the app has a "zombie chase" function, meaning an alert sounds during your run telling you zombies are close and you have to run fast to outpace them. The alert beeps faster the closer the zombies are, and it really motivates you to sprint as fast as you can.

Another fun component are the supplies you pick up during your missions. Not real supplies, of course, but the more supplies you get, the more you can build Abel Township; consequently increasing survivor population.

Jogging has become a great stress reliever for me. After a run, I feel much more calm and clearheaded. I hope I stay motivated enough to continue it once I finish the missions in the Zombies, Run! game.

Give jogging a shot, you might just make it your activity of choice.

Volunteer

You may have heard about this tiny little hurricane called Sandy that hit the east coast. It didn't do much except kill 100+ people, ruin hundreds of homes and cost billions and billions in damages. (Yes, this is my attempt at sarcasm.)

Sandy has affected millions of lives in NY and NJ. It also wreaked havoc in the Caribbean before making it's way up north. It truly was no joke.

In my life I've seen so much coverage of hurricanes in the news, never did I think I would live in an area that would be affected by one. I was one of the lucky folks - I didn't lose power and my wonderful neighborhood didn't suffer much more than a bunch of downed trees (my sympathies go out to people who woke up the next morning to find their cars smashed). I didn't want to be one of those people that said "oh, this is terrible" and end up doing nothing. The people affected were basically my neighbors!

I started scouring the webs for volunteer opportunities and quickly got discourages. The Red Cross only accepts donations, NY Cares requires an orientation before any volunteer products. I reached out to a number of orgs and no one got back to me. Then I came across Occupy Sandy. The same people who brought OWS are now putting their time and money towards organizing volunteers and donations directly towards affected areas. Their website has great info on how to help and where to go. I went to the Rockaways, a devastated area that seems under-reported in the news, and organized donations at a local church. You can also sign up to help people clean out their flood-damaged homes. Locals told me the most help they have been getting Is from guerrilla volunteers, not so much FEMA or the Red Cross. It's very inspiring to see folks coming together to help despite the tragedy.

Other ways to help: no donation is too small! You can send money to the Red Cross or preferably a local organization (who seem to be making more of an impact). Before I heard about Occupy Sandy, I stumbled across The Legacy Center while checking out the damages in Coney Island. I literally walked up to these good people and they let me help out with distributing goods to affected families.

Go to Italy

Seriously, go to Italy. Europe in general is awesome (I'm especially fond of Spain) but Italy is one of those places that really has something for everyone: ruins, beautiful beaches, scenic lakes, great wine, great food, cities with canals, amazing art and history galore. If you can only go one country in Europe, I would have to say go to Italy. That tears me up a little, because as I just mentioned I LOVE Spain. The people and food are something else. Also, Austria, Germany, Brussels and the Netherlands are each amazing in their own right. Wasn't too fond of France but that's a different story...

Anyway, Venice is unique. The country side is beautiful and where else can you see the Colosseum? Take a trip!

Blog about it!

Welcome everyone.

We've all felt rundown at one point in our existence. Some of us let the pressures of life overwhelm us: the push to make more money, starting a family, paying taxes, owning a home, etc. But life is more than your job, where you live and what you own. This blog is intended to encourage everyone to make the most of their lives. I'll update this blog regularly sharing my experiences - food, travel, a new hobby, etc. I hope you enjoy!