First Sunday

And suddenly, it's the last official day of Christmas break. While the kids don't go back to school until Tuesday, teachers have a day of inservice tomorrow, which, to be honest, I'm very thankful for. I'm glad we get a day to collect ourselves before the chaos of a new semester (and a STAAR semester, at that) begins. I have a few things to take up to my classroom, a few copies to make, and I am sure my PLC will meet for at least a little bit, but other than that, I'm not anticipating a stressful day tomorrow. It's funny because this time last year I was absolutely dreading returning to school. I mean, I felt so much anxiety over it. But this year, while I wish our break was just a little bit longer, I by no means feel any anxiety. And I know once I'm there, I'll be glad to be there. It's just ... getting there that's 90% of the battle.

But let's focus on today. It started out bright and early with a morning swim, followed by a trip to FedEx so that I could print and copy a couple of things, and then made my way inward to meet a dear friend for brunch at Adair Kitchen.

I played club volleyball with Kate during our freshman years of high school, and we quickly grew close. She's easily one of the strongest, most inspiring people I know, and she's one of those people where time doesn't make a difference. No matter how long it's been since you have seen one another in person, it's so easy to pick right back up where you left off. We enjoyed a belated birthday celebration over vegetable omelettes, and spent almost two hours catching up on all things life. A most wonderful way to spend my first Sunday of the year.

And now? A survey, of course!

1. What’s your favorite pick-me-up movie? (if you aren’t a movie person, what’s your cheer-up routine?)

She’s the Man is one of those movies that will never get old, and one of those movies that will always make me laugh, no matter how bad a day I’ve had. And did you know it’s based off of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night? See, educational.

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2. What achievement of yours are you most proud of?

Man. I hope I don’t sound like I’m bragging, but I feel like I have a lot to be proud of! I’m proud of the eight half marathons I’ve completed, I’m proud of my degree from the University of Texas, I’m proud of my job, and the success I’ve found in it. I’ve certainly got a lot to be thankful for.

3. If you could travel anywhere for a month-long vacation, where would you go?

Southeast Asia, Argentina, Australia – the list goes on and on and on.

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4. What’s one of your favorite quotes?

I  L O V E quotes, so picking just one will be hard to do. But I’ll go with this one –

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“And above all watch with glittering eyes the world around you. Because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

5. Do you sleep in the dark or do you like to have a light on?

Total darkness. I have to turn my clock on its face because the light coming from the numbers bothers me. Sad but true.

6. Do you collect anything?

I don’t really collect anything, except for maybe quotes. I used to be really good about printing, cutting, and pasting my favorite quotes into a quote journal, but I’ve neglected that over the years. I actually had a 365-day Lovely Thoughts Pad, in which there was a quote at the bottom of each page. For the quotes that I really liked, I cut them off at the bottom, and they are currently in their own little pile on my dresser. Baby steps, people.

7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I’ve received a lot of great advice over the years, but I think one of my most recent favorites is a quote I heard at church just the other day: “Set big goals, and take small steps.” Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point was referenced (a book that I own, but have yet to read) by the pastor, and he specifically mentioned a chapter on the Broken Window Theory. He states that when you visit low-income, poverty-ridden, crime-infested neighborhoods, you see a lot of broken windows. And by consistently fixing just one broken window at a time, the crime rate will lower. And that seems crazy, right? But the theory makes sense. You’re not going to change the world overnight. You’re just not. But by doing one thing at a time – by consistently fixing one window at a time – and doing it consistently, over time, you’re sure to make a big difference.

8. If could time travel, which decade would you choose to live in?

Probably the 1950’s. First of all, the 50’s fashion was on fleek, and I feel as though people were genuinely happier than are people today. Or maybe I just love the movie Grease. You tell me.

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9. What is your favorite type of cuisine?

I really love Mediterranean food. It’s light, yet filling, and oh so delicious! I tend to forget about it when choosing a place to eat, so here’s to keeping Mediterranean food at the forefront of my mind this year.

Niko Niko's

10.  What is a fitness goal you have (can be long or short-term)?

To focus more on strength training. I am a cardio queen, but I often push the weights to the side. They are such an important part of everyone’s fitness regimen, though, so I want to make them more of a focus during my upcoming workouts.

11. If you could compete at the Olympics, which sport would you choose?

This question is so hard for me because I freakin’ love the Olympics. I’m not kidding when I say that I plan my entire schedule around the big-time Olympic events, and then I spend any spare time that I have watching every other event. So, I’m going to let you in on my top three: gymnastics, swimming, and beach volleyball.

And that's all I've got for you guys today. I'm off to get myself fully prepared for the week, and then maybe settle down with a book and a warm blanket. Back to reality!

The Perfect Break: Part One

Hello hello, my faithful followers! If you have been following me on any forms of social media, you’re probably sick of all things San Francisco. But it was a most perfect weekend in one of my favorite cities with some of the best girls that I know. And if you’re ready to brave this lengthy post, I’ll tell you all about it.

Our flight took off on Friday morning at 6am from Bush Intercontinental Airport, which meant arriving to the airport at about 4:30am. I woke up around 3:15am, giving myself about five hours of sleep, but I soon realized that my three travel companions really never went to sleep. Whoops, I guess I’m the lame one. But I managed to sleep most of what was a fairly uneventful flight, besides the turbulence at the beginning, and the UH student who had never been on an airplane before and was traveling to San Francisco for an interview. He was rather comical. But we made it to San Francisco right on time, claimed our baggage, ordered an Uber, picked up the key to Mary Ellen’s apartment, dropped Lindsay off at work – trooper – and made our way to Mary Ellen’s precious apartment in the trendy Marina district. Taylor, Amira, and I had a couple of hours to kill before we were scheduled to meet Mary Ellen at the Ferry Building for our Urban Hiking Tour, so we ate brunch at Squat andGobble, which reminded me very much of my breakfast at Honey Honey a couple of years back, before walking, yes, walking, to the Ferry Building from where we were. It was a solid three miles. And then we had a five-mile hike through the city. We actually ended up walking 14.3 miles on Friday, but let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Squat and Gobble. Y’all. This place was just wonderful. It was precious, it was delicious, it was reasonably priced, and it absolutely hit the spot. We all went back and forth on what to order before finally deciding on something, but my NorCal omelet – egg whites with xxx was just wonderful. Paired with a side salad and whole wheat toast and jam, my stomach was more than satisfied. We all commented on just how good our food was, and maybe that was because we were out of our minds hungry, but Squat and Gobble is just one of those places that has it all. No matter how picky someone is, what dietary restrictions someone has, or if you’re in the mood for breakfast for dinner, you’ll find something that will please your pallet. A great start to what would be a most perfect trip.

We then decided to walk to the Ferry Building, and though it was a very lengthy walk (sorry, guys), we saw so much along the way. Shops and mini parks, and one-of-a-kind food establishments, and we were nearly late to meet Mary Ellen! We finally made our way to the Ferry Building, and man oh man, that place is a dream. Taylor and Amira stopped for coffee at the famous BlueBottle, while I pulled myself away from the roasted nuts and the plethora of ice cream shops.

Mary Ellen took a half day at work and met us for our UrbanHiking Tour that would take us to the top of Twin Peaks and everywhere in between. We took the Muni to Castro, and met two others at the Castro Theater. Quick side note – one of our fellow hikers, Emily – was also a high school freshmen reading and English teacher who loves to bake and has a dream of opening a bakery one day. Talk about a small world. Anyway, our hike took us through the Castro neighborhood, up and up and up to the top of Twin Peaks and Tank Hill, and we even got the opportunity to be kids again and slide down the Seward Street Slides. Another fun fact for you guys – San Francisco has 220 parks and mini parks, and I think that’s one of the things that I love about the city. So much green! We learned about the Eucalyptus trees planted by Adolph Sutro, and most of all, the views we were awarded were just incredible. Pictures don’t do it justice. And even though my calves were screaming at me as a result of those uphill climbs, I would absolutely recommend this hike to anyone visiting San Francisco, or to anyone who calls San Francisco home. It takes you places you probably wouldn’t discover on your own, and you will learn quite a bit of interesting history along the way. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and fun and made everything really come alive. For someone who disliked history classes most of all, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the history I got this weekend. Maybe it would have appealed to me more had I been in the place about which I was learning? So, yeah, Stratford, get on that one!

Tank Hill

Our feet were aching, and our backs were tired, so we felt as though we more than deserved two scoops of the famous Bi-Rite Ice Cream. We braved the outside-the-door line for some unique-flavored ice cream that reminded me of Austin’s Lick, and my friends humored me by saving at least one scoop for a GoPro photo in Dolores Park. More on the GoPro to come, but I’ll just go ahead and call that one of my best investments. Bold statement, but it made getting group photos so easy. Anyway, we devoured our ice cream – mine Vegan Coconut Chocolate and Orange Raspberry Sorbet topped with sprinkles – while enjoying the sunshine and people watching at Dolores Park.

Our legs were pretty much shot by this point, and we were miles away from where we needed to be, so we Ubered back to Mary Ellen’s apartment where we showered, lounged, and met Lindsay and her work friend Kerry for dinner at The Chubby Noodle. Lindsay was a trooper and ended up having to work last-minute all of Friday (and even Saturday morning!) at the Bank of America San Francisco office. At least she didn’t have to use any vacation days? Positive thinking! Anyway, we had 7:45pm dinner reservations and I’m sure glad that we did because this place was hoppin’! This restaurant is family-style, so we split the Spicy Garlic Noodles, the Tuna Poke (my first time trying raw fish!), and the Korean Pork Tacos (my favorite!). We entertained the idea of going out afterward, but our tired bodies convinced us otherwise. We trekked back to Mary Ellen’s apartment, set up the air mattress, talked for a little bit, and then fell asleep fairly quickly, and we didn’t wake up for quite some time the following morning. Except for our worker-bee, Lindsay, who left the apartment just after 5:00am so that she could get some work in before our bike adventure. She is a rock star, and now I’ve written enough already. Saturday and Sunday’s wrap up to come!

Have a great one!

Peace

Happy Monday! I'd venture to say that this is a happier Monday than usual, seeing as I woke up about two hours later than I usually do on Monday mornings. And I had one great weekend. From spending the majority of Saturday at the rodeo with my friends to turning around on Sunday and having some fun in the sun, if you will, I don't think spring break could have started on a better note.

I left you guys just before brunch with Amira, and guys, I am obsessed with Tout Suite. Not only was the food incredible - I'll get to that in a minute - but the ambiance was just the cutest. When I heard that it was "hipster," I didn't think much of it, because after living in Austin, I know hipster. And Houston isn't it. But this place is hipster. Starting with its location and outside appearance. It's just off the freeway, in what appears to be an old, abandoned warehouse. I personally was just thrilled to see that it had a parking lot, because that's not something you typically see in downtown Houston. And when we walked inside, I was immediately enamored with the place. It just screamed, "cool." It actually used to be a Ford dealership, a motor oil shop, a nightclub, and now it's a cafe. And it still has the original floor from 1904. Hipster.

The chalkboard walls, subway tile, hanging clipboard menus, succulents, and fun light structures all really appealed to me, and they all worked together to give the place a very homey, rustic, and chic feel, as though anyone and everyone from any walk of life is welcome there. It reminded me of Pinterest, and you guys know I love Pinterest. And the seating was plentiful, which, again, is not something I was expecting on a Sunday morning at a hot Houston brunch spot. Amira and I had absolutely no trouble finding a table.

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And the food. I had a hard time deciding between the quiche and the avocado toast, but eventually ended up going for the avocado toast. And I did not regret that decision. It would probably be pretty easy to recreate, as it's just avocado, honey, and cracked pepper on sourdough, but oh, it was absolutely delicious. I had no trouble finishing off every last bite. The pepper gave it a little bit of spice, but I was a huge fan.

And though I'm not typically a tea person, I'm trying to ease myself into drinking it on a regular basis, so I ordered a cup of peppermint tea. Though I didn't finish the whole cup, I really enjoyed it. It complimented my toast nicely, and it warmed me up on what started out to be a gray and chilly day. And for those of you who are coffee drinkers, I hear the coffee is to-die for. So there's one more reason for you to check this place out.

Finally, we didn't try anything from the bakery, as it was only about 11:30am, but everything was so beautifully presented. As the sister restaurant to SWEET in City Centre, I would expect nothing less. I will absolutely be returning, as it is worth the 20ish minute drive. This time I'm going to try lunch or dinner, and hopefully they have a vegan sweet treat option. Most places do, these days, so I'm fairly confident on that one. Overall, I give these place five stars. The brunch was very reasonably priced, and it seems as though everything else is, too. Don't be surprised if Tout Suite makes another blog appearance before the week is up!

After we had stuffed ourselves to the brim, we hopped back on the freeway, taking I-45 South all the way to Galveston. Well, actually, there was a wreck on 45 that made traffic move at the equivalent of a snail's pace, so we took a detour through Pearland and Friendswood as a means of avoiding the congestion. Once we hopped back onto I-45, it was smooth sailing. And, the sun came out, so we were convinced that it was meant to be.

We found a parking spot pretty easily along the Seawall - I didn't even have to parallel park - and I pulled out my bike while Amira traded her tennis shoes for blades. We biked and bladed along the Seawall, expertly weaving through people, for about half an hour to 45 minutes. The weather was seriously perfect, and the sea breeze felt incredible. I couldn't believe that I was in Galveston, as I kept commenting on how blue the water looked.

After our cardio session, we walked toward the pier to purchase tickets for Galveston Island's Historic Pleasure Pier amusement park. I had been to Pleasure Pier a few years prior, but because the weather was so bad, a majority of the rides were closed for the day. Fun fact for you, Pleasure Pier has more rides over water than any other theme park. We rode the swings, which is something I wish you all could have experienced. We flew high up into the air, and the view was incredible from up there. I didn't risk snapping a picture, but it was blue for miles and miles.

We rode the ferris wheel after that, and Amira and I both commented on how at peace we both felt up there, looking out into the water, feeling the sun tan our skin. She let the stress of her looming deadline go, and I haven't thought about school or STAAR in days. I felt as though I had not a care in the world, and I loved it. We all deserve days like that, and often. They're just so good for the soul.

And because we couldn't stay peaceful for long, we then boarded the Iron Shark, possibly the world's scariest roller coaster. Kidding, but you know those roller coasters that go straight up, and then more than straight down? That was the Iron Shark. It lasted maybe 30 seconds, but I was screaming my head off for that entire 30 seconds. I was talking to myself as we were ascending, saying, "It's almost over, it's almost over, it's almost over." I know, that's the very thing that I don't want to do in life, but roller coasters are a different story. I love the thrill, but I'm still scared silly.

So after one fun-filled, sun-filled day, we were ready to make our way back home. And I wish I could say that I was productive once I arrived home, but I watched a documentary until falling asleep. Another night with over nine hours of sleep. I could get used to this.

And that's all I've got for now. I'll pick back up tomorrow or Wednesday!