The Time I Went Backpacking

So I went backpacking over the weekend. I never thought I’d see the day, but I guess when you meet someone that means enough to you…you indulge in what makes THEM happy.

I won’t lie, I had FUN. No shower, no proper bathroom, freeze-dried food (WHAT?!), sleeping on the ground and a lot of dirt.

I am now in love with Lake Placid and as we left the Adirondack region I just kept asking myself, why? Why must I leave? I want to stay and play forever.

Our little journey consisted of a little over 13 miles of backpacking/hiking/exploring. What a freaking workout. I think I had 25-30 pounds on my back and the rocky paths were no joke.

It was nice to unplug for two-ish days and enjoy good company in the beauty that is nature. I know that we will be planning another trip and probably soon. As soon as we left ADK Lodge Nick asked if I wanted to go again THIS WEEKEND. I giggled and kindly declined. I need a nice weekend to relax in Roch! 

Heading into the Adirondacks!

Avalanche Lake

What used to be Marcy Dam

Avalanche Lake

It's not a proper post without miss Olive

Mountain Man & City Girl Are Going Camping

Not that this means anything to my readers but our little group of interns just sold our first logo to our client! PARTY. That nugget of good news calls for some Happy Hour celebration.

Tonight we are packing to take a weekend trip to the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. We are planning on taking on High Peaks...more specifically Algonquin. Below is a beautiful image (obviously not mine) of Algonquin in the fall? Definitely the fall.

via 

Now, I have camped before...but not the way in which we will be this weekend. You see, it's always been a tent, maybe a cot, definitely a campfire, bathrooms/showers, campfire food, etc. Not this time. This time Nick is taking me REAL camping. No showers, no bathrooms, a one-person tent, freeze-dried food....all that nature/mountain-man stuff. 

I'm nervous because it's a ten mile hike and the climb can be difficult based on reviews I've read. But I am confident I can do it. So, wish me luck! Cannot wait to share pictures with everyone. 

What are you doing this weekend?

Post Vacation Rituals

…with food. 

With my recent lifestyle change I have been paying attention to what I put in my body. Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, I’m not the hippie psycho that HAS to be all natural, all this or all that…I just like to put a main filter on what I am consuming.

A typical day for me will consist of a smoothie, a green juice, a small snack and a bigger meal that I try to eat at lunch-time. Training my body to get used to its new way of life was no easy task as I love chocolate cake and ice cream as much as everyone else.

This is the part where this thing called “vacation” slips into your life and you allow yourself to indulge not for just one or two meals, but for a few days! In my own philosophy I think it is important to let yourself have a sweet treat or something fried every now and then because it’s important to understand that it’s not about never eating those goodies again, it’s about portions and control.

So vacation. Vacation brings (for my family) fried food in the form of fish n’ chips, the occasional ice cream, the morning walk to Dunkin’ Donuts—donut included, the extra snack at the random bar you decided to grab a beer at & so on. You see what vacation did there? Processed fats, hydrogenated oils, sugar for days, your BFF sodium, and some extra carbs on the side!

Others may not struggle with weaning off these bad YUMMY foods, but I definitely do. The minute I feed myself all those things my cravings ramp up. I have a hard time getting them under control and getting back to my normal way of life. It’s things like the free bagels at work yesterday…did I need one? No. Did I eat one anyway? Duh. It was delicious. But you see that bagel then effs up my craving system for the rest of the damn day. So how do I get it to stop?

Water. Water is a small miracle. After all those nasty foods my hands were so swollen from the influx of sodium and other crap that I put in my body. The best way to counteract the sodium is by drinking lots of H20 throughout the day. Not only does water help me reduce swelling but it keeps me FULL and less likely to reach for the random bagel, check out the chip drawer or snack on all the free m&ms our office has to offer—a blessing and a curse I tell you.

On Monday evening I knew I had to get my ish together quickly or the rest of the week would be a gorge-fest. Environmentally-friendly people please don’t hate me but I bought a 3 liter bottle of water from the grocery store so I could CHALLENGE myself to consume the whole thing. I work best if I can challenge myself. Playing a sport for years really paid off. And guess what?! I drank the whole thing. My rings fit onto my finger again. I lost a half of a pound…not a lot but come on that was definitely from the water drinking! I haven’t convinced myself to run yet… ;) Maybe today or maybe tomorrow—running is for another post.

Of course there are a whole other host of tips and tricks that will help to get you back on track. But after this 4^th of July, water has been my key. 

Now go fill up a glass of water and enjoy!

4th of July Weekend Pt. III- Martha's Vineyard

Saturday, the 6th, was our last full vacation day—activity wise—so we headed to Martha’s Vineyard for the day. 

We drove to Cape Cod to catch a ferry over. The ferry ride was about 25-30 minutes. The ferry took us into Oak Bluffs. I should mention that it was freakin’ HOT. Like, oh my lord sweat is dripping off me, hot. Somewhere between the actual temperature and the amount of humidity, I began to lose my sanity. 

Oak Bluffs was PACKED with tourists and beach-like shops. Because we were so hot, I think we were easily overwhelmed by the amount of people that were around us and wanted to get out of there ASAP. We quickly settled on a $7 bus pass that would allow us to hop on and off a city bus to go in between parts of the island. I had been told several times to check out Edgartown so we headed there. 

Y’all, Edgartown is where it’s at—such a different vibe from the chaotic Oak Bluffs. First, there was A LOT more shade to walk in, so we weren't melting and there seemed to be less touristy type shopping and more actual shopping that everyone in the fam enjoyed. We actually ended up spending the rest of our time at MV in Edgartown. Dinner was delicious. I had a Greek-inspired sea bass dish and I wouldn’t have changed my dinner choice for the world. 

I definitely think we will go back to MV in the future. Next time we would spend a night there. Beach day in the morning/afternoon and then clean up and eat dinner and shop around. Enjoy the rest of vacation pics!

My mom and I on the way to MV

Sunset on the ferry back to Cape Cod

Long day = ferry nap time

4th of July Weekend Pt. II-Beach Day

The next day was just the most perfect beach day—so we headed to the beach! Rhode Islanders like to keep it simple and refer to the beaches in Newport as First Beach and Second Beach, I can dig that.

We headed to Second Beach to catch some rays. Growing up I never understood why my mom and sister enjoyed just lying there in the sun…the younger me always wanted to play in the water or build the best sand castle. Now that I am working full-time in an office, I completely understand. 

We goin' to da beach. Hehe. Sorry, Nick.

It was only a matter of time before the boys got bored and dragged my mom and I out deep into the ocean. Ok, I am being dramatic. I’m 5’3” and quickly I can’t reach, so that’s deep water for me. The water temperature was perfect. I am used to the luke warm water of the Gulf of Mexico and a lot of course seaweed (yuck). Second Beach didn’t have the nasty seaweed I am used to, so that was a pleasant surprise!

My main slice took a stab at surfing and returned frustrated. Apparently surfing is a lot harder than it looks.

Funny how laying in the sun all day can work up an appetite.Around 6 we packed up and went to Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown. We went based on a recommendation by my uncle but upon arrival we learned that this place has been on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! 

Rhode Island is known for the calamari and so is this place. Of course we had to try it. I promise I am not a huge food critic but I didn’t think it was that great. It was a little too chewy for me and lacked flavor. My main dish was Fish n Chips with fried cod. That was pretty yummy!

Later that night Nick and I took a trip across the $8 Bridge to Narragansett. The fact that it costs $4 both ways to cross that stupid thing blows my mind, but whatever. Our friend KJ used to go to RIT but transferred. He lives in Narragansett and he was around so we got to see him! We hung out on the top deck of The Coast Guard House. The Coast Guard House has a restaurant on the lower level but due to the damn it endured during Hurricane Sandy, it was still closed.

KJ & I

Can’t party like I used to and I’m only 21, sad day. Around 12:30 am we headed back to Portsmouth to call it a night.

Tomorrow is Part III- Martha’s Vineyard! 

Read More:
4th of July Weekend Pt. I- Rhode Island 

4th of July Weekend Pt. I - Rhode Island

We arrived in Portsmouth, RI around 1 AM on Wednesday night at my grandparent’s place. This is the third time I've road tripped there from Rochester and every time it’s at night. One of these days I will learn that this is a bad idea. For some reason the last two hours through Massachusetts and Rhode Island are brutal. Somewhere between the low (45-50 mph) speed limit and the lack of lighting on the highways—one begins to feel like they are on a journey to nowhere.

I woke up on the 4^th exhausted but excited to spend some time with my family. My grandparents were scheduled to fly to Spain for the rest of the summer at 5 pm out of Boston so we had a few hours to spend with them before they left. My grandmother is a wonderful woman—preparing to spend more than a month away in a different country always involves a lot of work however, she managed to wake up and make one of my favorite traditional Spanish dishes so I could have a taste of Spain before she left.

I have never had paella in a restaurant in the United States—ever—just what my grandmother has made. So I can’t even make a recommendation on where to try it or get it if you can. I can suggest that if you are ever in Spain at a restaurant that serves family-style (most do), this is a MUST HAVE. Traditionally paella has some clams in it along with chicken and shrimp but for the sake of time this one only has chicken and shrimp in it. Either way, it is still delicious.

While my dad drove my grandparents to the airport in Boston we killed some time in Newport just hopping in and out of shops and enjoying the scenery. On the way into town my uncle took us on a little detour to see the Newport mansions on Bellevue . If you are ever in the area go check them out, they’re unreal. I have never actually taken a tour of one of them, we always drive by, but just looking at them will make your jaw drop.

It was HOT in RI this weekend. Even as a native Texan I struggled. Dry heat is one thing…but heat + humidity is a whole other ball game. The heat called for a stop in the White Horse Tavern. My mom was told by a man on her plane that she should go check it out. Constructed in 1652, the White Horse is one of the oldest taverns in the United States. I’m not sure if it was because we heard it was awesome and I set a mental expectation for it but I honestly thought it kind of sucked. The actual tavern itself had a cool atmosphere, you could tell the place had a ton of history and the way it was shaped was neat…but food/drink wise I give it a C. There were maybe 5 beers on tap—I would expect a lot more—and the little pizza we ordered was far from your normal bar pizza.

My dad returned from Boston and grabbed us from Newport. Unanimously we decided that before continuing July 4^th festivities that we needed a nap. We returned to the condo and all 4 of us were OUT. An hour later we were ready to go. We threw on our swim suits and headed to a friend of my Aunt and Uncle for a little BBQ and water fun on the Sakonnet River. Nick and I hopped on the two person kayak and took it for a spin. We kayaked around the mini island in the bay and watched Olive, the newfie, swim.

On the Sakonnet River

After the sun went down we headed to watch some fireworks! The show itself was kind of slow but after finding out that it was put together by donations it made more sense. Despite how slow the fireworks were, the finale didn't disappoint!

All in all it was a great first day of vacation. Part II to come tomorrow!

Five Day Weekend

Last week I learned my company is extra American.

Initially the office was scheduled to be closed on July 4^th & 5^th …which is pretty sweet. I know some people who don’t have the 5^th off—how rude.

BUT we found out that the office would be closed on July 3^rd as well!! Yes, a 5 day weekend please.

So what am I doing to celebrate this momentous occasion? Well, first I am sleeping in because unfortunately my travel buddy doesn't work for a company as cool as mine and has some deadlines to meet. Then I am planning on meeting up with my friend who will be in town for some lunch. And shortly after that the car is getting packed up and we are off to Rhode Island for the 4^th!

I am beyond excited for some R&R and most importantly time with my family. It has been weird to not be home for the summer but at the same time I find it so relaxing.

I haven’t seen my dad since late February and it’s been about a month since I've seen my mom. My grandparents are off to Spain for the rest of the summer and are letting us take over their condo/house/thing. But more importantly, I was able to convince my grandmother to make TWO signature Spanish dishes for us before she heads off to the motherland…party in my mouth y’all!

It’s ironic that I come from one of the biggest states in the U.S. and we are off to vacation in the tiniest. If you’re familiar with RI at all you know that you can drive through the whole thing in a hot minute but the speed limits are SO LOW. I’m not kidding. A main road that is typically 55 MPH is about 45 MPH…if you’re lucky. It takes some serious patience to drive over there. I just need to remember to breathe.

We will be staying in Portsmouth at my grandparents and my uncle lives about 2 minutes away. Newport is about a 10 minute drive so some time will definitely be spent there. We have a little trip to Martha’s Vineyard planned; I have always wanted to check it out.

Newport, RI via

Martha's Vineyard via

What are your plans for the 4^th?