No Sleep IN Brooklyn!

The Beastie Boys ALMOST had it right. The city that never sleeps holds true to their motto...and it's not only Manhattan that burns the midnight oil. All of the Big Apple's buroughs, including Brooklyn, seem to maintain this rep and I've got to say it's pretty impressive! Is it the fact that New Yorkers typically live in an apartment so small that they feel claustrophobic if they spend more than 7 hours sleeping there? Is it because the cost of living in NYC is so expensive, there's no other choice but to work 80 hr weeks?? Or is it simply because with roughly 8.4 million people and probably the same number of things to see and do, New Yorkers are too busy living it up, to sleep?! I'd like to think the last scenario is the case, but my logic tells me otherwise. Regardless, any time spent in this city-full-of-life is sure to be crazy and busy...exactly how I roll! So, my latest trip out there gave me another chance to get a feel for what drives these insomniacs to never stop.

The only agenda my friend Sara and I had was to A)make it on the Today Show (I'll gladly admit this touristy idea was all mine, and a little tradition I like to keep up every time I visit), and 2)get a taste of some highly recommended NYC foodie spots. Being that we were staying in Brooklyn, we decided to knock one of the hot spots off the list right away--practically stepping off the plane and into Grimaldi's Pizzeria in the Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn, right at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. There we stood, in a line outside of the tiny pizzeria, with our suitcases, and about 12 people in line ahead of us. An Italian man that looked to play the part of the owner (my assumptions were confirmed by the pictures on the wall of him with various celebrities) was ushering people into tables that were barely big enough to fit an entire pizza. No fluff. Not even breadsticks on the menu! Just brick-oven pizza that is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! Throw in the view of Manhattan all lit up only steps from Grimaldi's, and you've got yourself a homerun!

We proceeded to get 4 hours of sleep...(hey, when in Rome, right?!)...and join the herd of tourists standing in the cold at 5:30am to watch the Today Show being filmed. Okay, the real goal was to get 2 seconds of airtime on national TV; I didn't tell everyone I know to watch for nothing! Luckily, we got our quick debut and were satisfied...ready to cover some major ground.

Magnolia Bakery was a point of interest (as are all bakeries for me). What usually has a line out the door and down the block, this bakery is perhaps one of the most charming bakeries I've ever stepped foot in. It's one of those places where you watch the employees frost hundreds of cupcakes and wonder, if you had that job, how you could possibly have a bad day at work. Colorful cupcakes that just scream 'happiness'....and proceed to give you a sugar high before crashing but those are just minor details. Go to Magnolia Bakery and Be Happy.

Levain's Bakery (yes, another bakery...and if you know me at all, this is not a surprise to you) was a top priority of the trip and all you have to do is walk by their storefront on the Upper West side and you'll know why it was a must-visit. Stepping down into the bakery is like walking into a sauna that blows the aroma of cookies at full speed. Fortunately, for the sea of bakers crammed into the tiny space, there's no place to sit so they avoid having to deal with loiterers basking in their cookie comas, unable to leave. 4, only FOUR kinds of cookies. That's it. Frankly that's all they need to do, and I hesitate to share this info because I'm not sure if I want the secret out! These are, by far, the BEST, most delicious, gooey in the middle crunchy on the outside, massive cookies I have EVER put in my mouth. And one is good to cover lunch so no need to plan to eat it as a 'snack'. Even the most descriptive culinary words wouldn't do this cookie justice. I can only leave you with a picture.

With pure,sweet,indulgence, comes some much needed activity; another beauty of this massive metropolis is the fact that you can walk miles and miles and be distracted the entire time. We took some time to meander through Central Park, as a trip to NYC is never complete without getting lost in the most visited urban park in the U.S. The size of Central Park, and the number of people wandering through it on any given day never ceases to amaze me. I have always thought that the hustle and bustle of the big city and lack of 'fresh air' would eat me alive if I lived there, but Central Park IS that breath of fresh air and wide open space that even the 'urbanist urbanites' need every once and awhile. Throw a splash of burnt reds, oranges, and golden yellows in the picture and you've got yourself a beautiful Fall afternoon!

To finish the trip off, in honor of making it across the river and staying in Brooklyn for the first time, we deemed it only necessary that we make the trek across the Brooklyn Bridge. I must admit, aside from expecting to catch a couple of cool views of the city from the bridge, I didn't have high expectations for this early afternoon walk. Again, shocked at how many people were out to literally walk the 1.14 miles across the river, we joined the line of people and slowly made our way from Manhattan to Brooklyn. This jaunt alone made me that much more excited to someday run the New York City marathon, so I can cross this bridge a second time! The views of the city weren't nearly as breathtaking as the bridge itself. It was the cherry on top of a delicious multi-flavored bowl of ice cream...a perfect ending to yet another adventure in the ever-changing, never-dull New York City!

Addicted

While my travel drought continues (NOT for much longer...there's a light at the end of the tunnel!), all of you will only have to endure one more 'life accomplishment' posting. Keep the cheering to a minimum, please. ;) Really, though, it is more of a realization that I'd like to share, as well as formal documentation of my future goals/plans so that I have expectations to uphold. Let's face it, if you know me at all, you know that I'm generally a very lazy, non-goal-driven individual ;)

On with it....

I'll never forget the day I went to watch my mom run one of her countless Twin Cities Marathons, because that Fall day in..oh..2002 is the reason I am officially addicted to running marathons. Jumping into the sea of shuffling, exhausted, barely coherent runners right around Mile 24, and running a few blocks with my mom was one of the most inspiring moments I can remember. 26.2 miles to RUN...at once! The feat seemed overwhelming at the time, which is why I tabled the idea for a handful of years, until my goal-oriented trait shined through and it was time!

I cannot go on without partially revealing some of the logic behind my decision to try a marathon. There are many goals one can work toward, many stars to shoot for. Some are realistically out of reach or unattainable, and while I've always been a strong advocate for 'going for the gold', nobody enjoys getting those denial letters from prospective schools or jobs, or finding out they didn't make the team. Trust me, I've experienced all of the above and that hasn't stopped me. Back to the point at hand--a marathon IS a realistic goal for many people, it's the training that's the hard part! So it was that logic, and the hefty registration fee that I knew I wouldn't give up without a fight, were the motivation I needed to give it the good ol' college try.

I have to admit that I do believe my experience training for my 1st marathon was through rose-colored glasses....and perfect conditions. A combination that I, unfortunately, will never see again! I was living in California at the time, working at a weight-loss camp; perfect weather EVERYDAY, paired with constant exercise made it feel effortless. The marathon itself back in Minneapolis was far from effortless, and although I was able to cross the finish line with a smile on my face and my mom at my side (!!), my plan was to save that $110 the following year and buy a delicious latte to drink from the sidelines.

Now, a year is a long time. 365 days. 52 weeks. Ample time to not only bury and repress my memories and plans of not doing another marathon ever again, but somehow sneak in a new goal! Run a marathon in a different city! It's amazing what I can talk myself into. The Chicago marathon it was, and I must admit, it was definitely a different experience. Running with 45,000 people, through downtown streets so packed you'd be convinced that the entire city was there, is an adrenaline rush that cannot be described, only experienced. The upside: you have constant support for 26.2 miles. C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T. The downside: there isn't a break in the sea of people long enough to 'justify' walking. I'm sure fellow runners would concur that we squeeze in those walking breaks when the least amount of people are there to witness it...as if we're trying to prove something more than just running a marathon! That was my downfall though. I succombed to the pressure of having hundreds of thousands of complete strangers see me walk, and I hit the Great Wall of China at Mile 21. My 20 minutes sitting on the ground outside of a porta potty debating whether that was going to be my final moment as a living and breathing being, luckily passed and I was able to s l o w l y make my way across the finish line. Now, if there were ever an 'a-ha' moment where I realized and decided that full marathons just weren't for me, THAT would've been it. Alas, it was more of a fleeting thought, followed up by the greatest idea ever: to CONQUER the Chicago Marathon 2010 and show everyone who's boss!

So. Between that moment, and the present, I have finished my 2nd Chicago marathon (sans the porta-potty detour) and have accepted my marathon addiction.
Until life gets too busy to carve out a few hours every weekend to run, or I start caring more about making it to Happy Hour than getting in 6 miles on a random weeknight, having that goal, that event to look forward to every year, and bring meaning to my workouts is something I won't be giving up without a fight. As long as my near future doesn't consist of weekly physical therapy recovering from knee surgery, or planters fasciitis, a couple of the marathons I see on the horizon include New York marathon, London marathon, and at least one weaving somewhere through California. Those should be able to feed the addiction for the time being...

Travel Drought...

Although my initial idea and intent of creating a blog was to document and share travels, adventures, and experiences...I got so caught up in the excitement of exploration, the actual title of my blog slipped my mind! As interesting (and abundant) as travel blogs are, I have failed to remind myself that TWO other (pretty major) passions of mine are LIVING and EATING! Granted, I'm not going to fill my blog with a plethora of stories about my life that could be better kept in a personal journal...and certainly won't dive into the world of food blogging and photography...but I will gladly share some of my favorite dishes and toot my own horn when necessary ;)

So during this economic recession and TEMPORARY travel drought I've been forced to accept, I am taking some time to check off a life goal, which I DO believe is worthy of documentation! (Sidenote in regards to my favorite dishes: Shawn and I have a list of restaurants to check out as often as our finances allow; so while I've got much to report from the 'foodie side' of this blog,that will remain on the back burner for now....

-August 15th, 2010. YWCA Women's Triathlon-

I think the first time I gave any kind of serious thought to dabbling in the exhilerating world of triathlons was when I was in the middle of running my first marathon and thinking to myself how absolutely crazy I was for signing up to run 26.2 miles, and that from that point on I would only do half marathons and give triathlons a try. Well, as most marathon runners can relate, when I crossed that finish line, I was already mentally signed up for a marathon the following year. However, the goal of completing a triathlon didn't diminish and with the motivation and excitement from my mom, to try one together, I decided it was time. Knowing full well that the measley 500 yrd swim would haunt me until 'the big day', I did my homework and swam laps at the gym weekly, for a good two months. It wasn't until I had to share a lane with someone, (looking like a novice swimmer on the verge of drowning due to the 'waves' the other swimmer created), did I realize that a pool was NOTHING like a lake. My back-up plan was to do the doggy paddle or side-stroke the entire 500 yards!

The big day came, and due to an injury my mom was out of commision so it was up to me to ride this challenge solo and give it my best shot. Beautiful day to swim, bike, and run...but as my nerves started to get the best of me, I would've happily bypassed the whole thing and go grab some coffee. My mom, Meg, and Shawn were all there to cheer me on, which was very encouraging...I just hoped they wouldn't be able to track me doggy paddling in the water!
The swim was, in fact, JUST as hard and scary as I imagined! After the initial run into the water, and swallowing a few liters of Lake Nokomis, I couldn't help but laugh at myself and how I ever thought training in a pool could resemble swimming in a lake surrounded by 50+ people! Needless to say, I used pretty much every stroke BUT the crawl to make my way around the buoys, trudge out of the water, and through the line up of loudly cheering strangers. What a rush!!


The bike was beautiful, but I was so happily distracted by the feelings of relief from completing the swim, it was more of a joyride than a leg of a race! Luckily my strongest point, running, was the final event and I made up for the lolligagging on the bike. It was an amazing feeling to finish my first triathlon, and I can say with the utmost certainty that it was the birth of yet another passion and hobby! I must also note the humbling feelings of 'awe' as women of all ages and sizes crossed that finish line. It sure is refreshing to see so many people taking on, and accomplishing a personal goal!

Traveling Bucket List

Anyone who knows me would probably agree that I am a pretty decent daydreamer. Most of my daydreaming revolves around traveling...a mere glance at a picture of a cityscape, or an exotic destination is enough for me to dream up an entire trip. I should almost turn it into a business, but the fine print would casually state that I'd be joining my clients on the excursions I dreamed up for them. It's only fair, right?

Regardless of whether or not I'll ever be able to get paid by going on adventures with complete strangers, I do know one thing. The daydreaming will never cease to excite me and I will always....ALWAYS have an on-going traveling bucket list. Some destinations will hold a life-long spot (i.e. New York City), because let's face it, you can never get enough of the Big Apple. Others may jump around the list, which is why I'll keep them in no particular order...jotted down just like they are in my travel journal. This list will probably never shrink in size, and I would imagine that's partly due to the fact that it's a bit easier to jot down 'Australia' in a notebook than to come up with the time and money to take the leap down under! Ah it all feeds the obsession....

Here goes..

Peru - (Lima and 4 day hike to Macchu Pichu)
Australia
New Zealand
Italy - Cinque Terre,Amalfi Coast, the Southern tip, Tuscany...i'll just take it all
Central France (wine country) and Southern France/French Riviera
Alaska
Prague
Hawaii
Colorado - skiing/snowboarding, hiking, white water rafting...any outdoor adventure
Vancouver
Banff & Calgary
Toronto
Great Smokey Mountains
New York (lifer)
New England in the fall
California (every last inch of it...another lifer)
Costa Rica
Tokyo, Japan
Beijing and the Great Wall
Washington D.C.
London during Christmas time
Stockholm, Sweden

Roughing it. (kind of....sort of)

Some of my favorite childhood memories consist of campgrounds, s'mores, and a pop-up camper that smelled of mothballs. Although the family pop-up has since been retired, and I prefer sleeping in a tent or outside (depending on where I am in the country), summer still is not complete without at least one camping trip.

Madeline Island, just outside of Bayfield WI, is the most southern island of the Apostle Islands, in Lake Superior. Although it's a mere 15 minute ferry ride from Bayfield, once you're standing on the sugar sand beach of Big Bay State Park, it's actually hard to imagine that there is civilization within hundreds of miles. Madeline Island is like the Midwest equivalent to the island of St John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Well... minus the turquoise water, crazy safari taxi rides, and Bob Marley always playing in the background. The stretch of sugar sand and crystal clear water (albeit ice cold!) with nothing but a few sailboats on the horizon, can send your imagination far beyond the border of Wisconsin! A more affordable alternative ;)

The key to this kind of trip is to leave the watches, cell phones, and alarm clocks behind. You really have no choice but to be on the sun's schedule, unless you sleep like a log. Starting the day out with a dip in the lake at sunrise, is better than the sound of any alarm clock out there. We spent the day kayaking, lounging on the beach, and even built up a tolerance for the ice cold water :) It's so easy to drift off into a different world and literally forget about reality.
After a layer of sand built up on our sun-soaked bodies, it was time to rinse off, venture into town, and get what seemed to be the two most consumed items on the island. Ice Cream and drinks! Upon arrival on the island, it is impossible to miss the structure that looks like a carnival tent on a deck...with a ton of junk around it. Tom's Burned Down Cafe it is. If you prefer to wear stiletto's and drink martini's, you don't belong here. On that note, you probably wouldn't even be on the island in the first place so it's a moot point. Regardless, check it out. You'll walk away with a plethora of life motto's and quotes in your head, and probably a stumble in your step.

Finally, no camping trip is complete without a surprise or two! We were well aware that rain was coming but at some point decided that just kind of throwing on the rain tarp would suffice. The steady rain, all night long, was very cozy...made me feel like a wuss when I sleep under a real roof during storms! Alas, we woke up to puddles in the tent which meant it was time to call an end to the Madeline Island camping trip of 2010. It's great to know that even a few days, a short little break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, can bring me back to the basics. The simple, meaningful things in life.

The Land of Bikes, IPA's, and Voodoo Doughnuts

To anyone that lives in a big city, full of traffic headaches, smog, and a starbucks on every corner, and is looking for a refreshing (but not lazy and boring) break from it all, I have one word for you--OREGON. Talk about an under-estimated state that has so much beauty and adventures to offer! I've always been interested in visiting Portland, specifically, as people who have visted the city have told me they thought I'd love it. Indeed. What I loved even more is all of the exploring there is to do, within hours of the city....not to mention the beautiful coast!

The trip started out with the MAX Light Rail stalling for about 30 min getting into downtown from the airport. After an already long day of traveling, with maps in hand, Shawn and I decided to hop out and walk to our hotel. Very easy downtown to navigate...just like a grid! Reminded us of Minneapolis, so we didn't feel too out of place.


Staying downtown over the weekend, much less the weekend of the 4th of July, didn't portray a very accurate picture of what a typical day downtown would look like...I presume. However, from walking along the Willamette River dodging bicyclists, to wandering through the Portland Saturday Market checking out local artists' goods, to diving into the wide world of breweries and food carts, we had enough on our plate! We couldn't figure out if the Portland Saturday Market was a good way to get a feel for what the locals do on a Saturday in the summer, or if we fell into a typical tourist trap. Regardless....get there when it starts if you want to leave with a sane mind! Grabbing some grub at the Rogue Brewery is a must, if you're looking for a laid-back, chill atmosphere with decent bar food and a bible of Rogue beers. If you're not on a schedule, and are feeling patient, swing by the Voodoo Doughnut as early as possible and be prepared to wait! Even if you don't dig doughnuts...it's worth the experience to try some crazy creations!

The Pearl District was definitely the area we felt the vibe in...full of breweries, restaurants, and shops, this was the only part of downtown that didn't feel like a ghost town at night. Finally, if you're looking for an adorable family-owned Italian restaurant with large portions of homemade Italian dishes, go to Bella Gioia in the Pearl District. On the otherhand, if you're closing down the bar and looking for some decent, cheap food to get you home...hit up one of the many food carts! Minneapolis is definitely behind on that one!

The last few days were filled with a couple of amazing hikes, exploring several coastal towns, and taking in some beautiful scenery and the freshest air you can imagine! For those who aren't as motivated for the hike, as they are for the scenery, do yourself a favor and at least commit to the 1.2 mile hike to the top of Multnomah Falls -- an absolutely breathtaking 620 ft waterfall about 25 minutes east of Portland.


After pausing to take in the unbelievable natural beauty of this waterfall, the more seasoned hiker would feel warmed up and ready to take on the next challenge: Saddle Mountain! Seasoned hikers, we were not, but of course that didn't stop us from conquering the 2.5 mile hike, reaching an elevation of 3,283 ft, to the summit. Heavy panting was the norm for at least the last mile of it, but the views along the way left me speechless! Unfortunately, we didn't pick a clear day to dominate this mountain, leaving us high in the clouds with no evidence of just how high we were!

As my future posts will show, my favorite trips are filled with lot's of activity, inevitably followed by amazing meals....play hard...eat hard. Isn't that how it goes?! Well after our hikes and exploring the coastal towns of Cannon Beach, Seaside, and Astoria, we owed it to ourselves to eat well. From lunch on the coast at Maggies on the Prom in adorable Seaside, to delicious homemade breakfasts and bottomless coffee mugs at our B&B Clementines in Astoria, to Shawn's massive 2x4 burger at The Lumberjack Grill in Cannon Beach, we most definitely were not deprived of incredible food along the way!

Where it all begins....

Spring of 2003. This, I believe, is where it all began. I took (what felt like) a huge leap out of the tiny little world I knew and lived in, and set out to study abroad in Alnwick, England for a semester. To sum it up, Alnwick is TINY. Cute, quaint, charming, however you'd like to label it....I labeled it suffocating. Don't get me wrong, it was all of the above, I just don't fair well in small towns. Needless to say, within the first 2 weeks of arriving in Alnwick, I was starting to plan escapes. Adventures. ANYWHERE! Since returning to the States, after backpacking all over Western Europe, I have had an ongoing 'Traveling Bucket List' that never seems to shrink.

I wish I would've started this earlier, because I have been so privileged to have already been on so many adventures, and would love to share them all. Alas, the list has NOT gotten shorter, it only continues to expand...so I am confident that I will have plenty to share!