dynamite.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

while driving with my dad the other day and referencing alice 97.3, he enthusiastically {out of the blue} says to me.

i really like that one song they play on the radio.

i throw my hands up in the air sometimes...saying ayo...gotta let go.

quite out of character, if you ask me. but, also i might mention here that he's also dabbled in beyoncé's to the left to the left and fergie's big girls don't cry.

{i guess we all have our vices}.

well, that simple song conversation lead to this wild dance party. we do know how to have a little fun.

enjoy!

inspiration.

Monday, May 30, 2011

this blog originally started as a place to write down "five things a day" i was thankful for. in theory, a great daily task, but hard to perfectly articulate the top five in a daily "blog friendly" format. if there were only more hours in the day...

for old times sake, in the top five format, i'd like to feature a guest blogger. a dear friend, whom i'm sure you know very well from it's all happening, is a traveling soul in the heart of europe at the moment. she sent me the most touching note that i know will inspire you, too. i want her to feel even more empowered in her sojourn.

her words so eloquently transcend the essence of appreciating the ups and downs of adventuring.

may her writing inspire and speak to you on the importance of gratitude as much as it did to me.




__________________________________________________

yassas gina!

upon your advice i've been doing some meditating and contemplating. i have yet to put pen to paper, but i've got a few thoughts running through my head so i'll spill them...

1. spetses
i love this tiny island because you can never really get lost. for a solo traveler who doesn't speak greek or read the greek alphabet, this is a big comfort. i rented a bicycle and biked around about half of the island. you just follow the sea and there are no tricky paths, large hills, or steep slopes to speak of. although my butt is sore today from an uncomfortable seat, it was very freeing to bike around. even in the main little town, there are tons of tiny streets and alleys but they all {eventually} lead to the ocean and the main road.

2. people acting friendly or aloof.
the staff at my hotel is very warm, i think i was the only person staying in the hotel last night so it felt a bit lonely. at breakfast the woman who works here offered to make me anything i wanted, and immediately brought out warm pastries and hot coffee. some of the waiters in town are a bit gruff, even when i try to speak some greek {yassas = hello, ofcareisto = thank you}, they are sort of unresponsive. i don't take this personally, the country is in deep economic troubles and this little resort island doesn't get much business during the week. wealthy athenians come here on the weekends, but that's about it until the summer months. they probably deal with a lot of rude people, and i don't begrudge them some aloofness to a random american girl wandering around {i think i look about sixteen to them - which is why the woman at the bike rental place didn't let me rent a vespa when i tried}!

3. kitties.
this i remember well from my time in greece when i was little. it's sad for the fact that there is probably a kitten over-breeding problem, but it's also great for an amateur photographer like me who loves a fuzzy subject. they are all over! meow.

4. time to think, and see.
i've gotten used to eating alone here on the island, but i'm definitely excited to get back to athens and especially back to paris. two radically different cities, but what's in common is that they are big, vibrant cities. i can talk a big game about the peace and tranquility of island life, but now i know for certain i truly am a city girl. i loved, loved going out into the trendy, non-touristy and fun neighborhood in athens on the night before i left for spetses. for a vague comparison think mission-esque restaurants {except al fresco}, a dash of northbeach broadway clubs, and several small tavernas and rustic bars in the loin or lower polk. fun! i was with good company because they said they hated the big noisy clubs. phew.

5. {well, five is too personal, so i - as the non-guest - must edit}.
just know that this is the best part...

...i think i might be a little less cynical about chance encounters, foreigners, romance, and finding love/lust/friendship at the tipsy pig. incroyable!

__________________________________________________





thank you for sharing. you are an inspiration and i am living vicariously through you.

images found here and here.

bon voyage!

exhaust this little moment.

no matter what, my living space is my haven.

when i am stressed i get to sit in my nook with candles, incense, and sage. it doesn't make the stress disappear completely, but it helps. best friends help too.

do you ever feel spread too thin? i do.

recently i was told that my adrenal system is out of whack, which is code for you're stressed.

i am, i admit it.

three things that will help: be in bed by 11pm, eat simple foods, and take time for yourself.

okay, i can do this.



here.

happy weekend.

Friday, May 27, 2011

i think one of the best feelings in the entire world is to open your mailbox to find a bright orange bubble envelope with handwriting you don't immediately recognize.

that dubious moment of sheer excitement.

who could this be from?




may you stretch those arms toward the sky this long weekend...and always...

santosha.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

i learned a new word today.

{i love learning new words}. as of late, undiscovered words are falling from the sky and landing ever so lightly into my consciousness. serendipitous droplets of love speaking to me in their own way.

today's: santosha.
[saaaaantooooggggggiiiiiiiaaaaaa] let it roll off your tongue now.

in its simplicity, a yogic word meaning contentment. it can be thought of as not coveting more than you have.

a good lesson in one short word.




adding it to the life mantras. that's all for now.

just you & i.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

i have so much to say.

sometimes there are not enough hours in the day for me to stop in and chat with you. i apologize. i have so much bottled up to share, darlings.

since i can't find the energy to write, i'll leave you with someone else's words that sum up a part of my soul right now.

missing you.

sincerely,
me.



and of course, i am always sending you a little bit of this.




pretty things via here.

tell me your story.

Friday, May 20, 2011

think how many stories there are out there.

life stories.

the kind full of mistakes and wrong turns, but also triumphs and lessons learned.

...and laughter. we must not forget the stories full of life's best medicine.

someone once told me that our lives are always at a crossroads. this didn't really resonate with me until just recently. life is one big crossroads actually. full of intersections on a daily basis. we just learn to choose the roads that work best for us.

one of my favorite things in life is to get people to tell me their story. i'd bet you some are taken aback by my question asking, but i really just want their own personal novel. their background, their adventures, their essence.

i hope you know that. no judging, just pure curiosity. i do my best to portray that message.

i had a thought.
each and every person we pass, realize that they have a story. let our minds imagine what secrets they hold, what places they've visited, what loves they've had. when we look beyond the surface and read between the lines it allows us to realize that we're all connected {there's that word again} on a much deeper level.

we share a common link in our stories.




please tell me yours.

ps. great moment in yoga i'd like to share with you.

"for just one minute i want you to let your mind stream in every single thing you are grateful for in your life. just let the gratitude flow naturally through your mind, however your thoughts work."

i found myself being grateful in that moment for even the things i'd resisted letting myself be thankful for beforehand. because we should be grateful for everything. because we are exactly where we're supposed to be. we're living our very own crazy, tragic and sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful, life stories.




discovering gratitude teaches me this.

*quote and inspiration for this post via my writers crush. if i could only write as good as she does. and photo via happenstance.*

we all just want to feel connected.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

my mind wanders back to this post and the talk on human connection.

i keep coming back to this sentence: we all just want to feel connected.

isn't that the truth of it all... the heart of the matter?

connected in love. in friendships. in spirit. in ideas. in chemistry. in interactions. in self-confidence.

connected to new friends. to old friends. to the strangers we pass on the street or stand behind in line.
we are looking to form bonds.

i crave connection. i'm doing whatever i can these days to find it.

in my opinion, connection to the breathe is where it all starts because this means connection to yourself first.

vinyasa is the connection of movement and the breathe. it just dawned on me...i've made the connection to yoga and my life. it's why i keep getting back on the mat. so i can clear my mind of all of the nonsense and feel connected to each and every one of cells that make up my being.

connection breeds goodness.



it all starts here. may you open your heart to connection.

*photo found on pinterest. this site is going places, my friends.*

breathe deeply.

Monday, May 16, 2011

tonight i went home to visit the parentals. oh, they mean so well.

and, they love when their oldest birdie comes to visit the nest.

it's nice to get a sneak peak into their world sans chickadees and see how they genuinely crack each other up all by their sweet lonesome. in this world, that's becoming a rare occurrence. a blessing, really.

i'm so lucky to witness their idiosyncratic love. i'm oh so happy for them.

sometimes they get me going...i spew story after story after story.

dating in your twenties and blind dating were two of our topics of conversation this evening. exhausting, quite honestly. and, such a foreign concept to them.

mom looks at dad.

"don't ever leave me!"

i am so thankful for these two peas in a pod. they are great role models for lasting love.


i hope you are breathing deeply these days. xoxo.

let your guard down.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

i'm a little out of my element these days. new opportunity, new routine. it's a challenge not to know what to expect each evening, like 6:15pm yoga. but, i know this is good for me. there are other ways to explore feeling grounded.

one word comes to mind: fresh.

tonight i got to visit with an old friend. a relationship that allows my true essence to shine through. no filter, no guard with him.




it's special to encounter people who allow you to be your most honest self. to reveal your insecurities and quirks like they are just another topic of discussion, issues to face head on.

letting your guard down can be so simple, yet so refreshing and rejuvenating. i need to take this idea with me in my new phase of life.

tonight taught me a good lesson in spontaneity. that things don't always have to be so regimented to bring happiness. and, just like my backbends preach, to open my heart to the unknown.

why did you kiss me? because i like you.

Monday, May 9, 2011

sometimes i worry that maybe my words aren't good enough for you. will you ever get bored? stop in to see me and think, i need more.

maybe that's just what i need from myself, more, in the word department.

in hindsight, it's a pointless worry. we all have a few of those up our sleeve.

today i must share the most darling video with you. from none other than TP. one of my all time faves. a post on her to follow.



indulge in this minute and forty four seconds. it'll bring you back to your kindergarten self when andrew phillips kissed you up and down your back in mrs. brooke's class.

oh wait, oops. that may have been me!

either way, i hope it reminds you of something sweet and innocent.

happiness is nothing but total relaxation.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

i can honestly say that in my adult life i don't think i've ever had an entire week off dedicated to re-charging my soul. i'm so grateful for these past nine days filled with health, healing, and happiness.



tomorrow marks the start of a new adventure.

diving right in!

proud.

half marathons are a funny phenomenon. paying money to run 13.1 miles. there's some odd joy in the entire experience.

one foot in front of the other, they say.

mom had tears in her eyes when we crossed the finish line.




it was a moment i will always remember. just a mom in a sheer moment of proudness. is that even a word? it should be one.

happy mother's day, mom. we've had quite the journey, you and me. but, we made it. just like we made it to the finish line greeted with tears of joy, we made it to our happy place. we are both better for it now.

i love you! thank you for creating me. for giving me the gift of health among so many other beautiful gifts.

i wish you all the love and happiness in the world.

the road less traveled.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

the road less traveled chose you, gina. despite what you and many others may have predicted.

someone wise pointed this out to me this week. and, for some reason it was one of those statements that kind of smacked me across the face, handprint left behind. the kind of sentence that your mind keeps wanting to revisit and ponder because it enthuses you in the deepest part of your heart.



surprise yourself. because if i can, you can too. the true self shines through when you live your unpredicted life. it's quite extraordinary.

today was one of those solo adventure days. let's emphasize the word solo here. confidant-less for an entire twenty-four hours.

i had this moment, mid-afternoon, basking in the sun where i have never been so incredibly certain that i am my own best friend.

for the record books.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

i had one of those days today.

you know, the ones that make you feel grateful to be alive and well. the ones that promise you, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. it was a simple day full of simple things, but it made me appreciate san francisco more than i have in a long long time.

let me re-cap so i can remember forever and ever.

it started with sunshine - always a plus - and a walk with my older {soul} sister that i never had. but i do have now, so all is right in the world.

a walk with her and the little one . nothing like starting your day with an eighteen month old to remind you that it's okay to get excited about the little things. like every "bus!" that passes by. he is nothing but pure grace. i am so lucky to witness him grow.

then a coffee. hot latté to go along with the hot day. why not?




it's more than just a power walk, really. it's a baring of the soul. it's this comfort that exists from being in step with your soul sister. to be able to say anything your heart desires. fears, hopes, dreams, giggles, embarrassing moments, pointless facts, random stories, epiphanies. everything. it's so nice to have a buddy like that, wouldn't you agree?

so we walked and we talked and we shopped and we mani-pedi'ed. and, we all know that's on my top ten favorite activities. my toes are feeling la la lavender.

the rest of the day included more of my favorite things.

ready?

the grove, hummus, salads, kombucha!, coconut water, bathing suits, sun tanning, picnics, becoming fearless book club, chatting, blue sky, music, yoga, phone catch-ups, sushi, and chocolate.


i mean, if only every day was as carefree as this one.

but, it's okay that they aren't, because these ones become all the more blissful. this day is one for the record books.

one of our best laughs was our chant {thank you, mom, for this one}

sun sun do your duty
make my bod a bod of beauty


followed by stace admitting,
geans, i don't think i've ever been in a bikini at the park before.

me either!

and why wouldn't we add in a downward dog in a two piece? it's a free day.

thank you, stace, for spending it with me. i know you don't believe me, but you truly taught me everything i know. and for this i am eternally grateful. my inspiration, my soul sister.

'tis the week of re-charge.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

my sweets, i am missing you.

'tis the week of re-charge. a much needed week, indeed.

i got to spend this past weekend in carmel, one of the most blissful places on earth.

do you know of this little secret?

something about the northern california coastline takes my breathe away. it's different. as if the overflowing sea is just there to gaze at and the sand is a mere accessory to the crashing waves to be delicately walked on. no one dares to get in.

sure, fine with me. i'll take in the view.

thanks to our dear audrey's twenty-sixth, we had a wonderful getaway. happy birthday, friend.


it really was a delightful way to spend a day of birth. surrounded by best friends and cocktails.

we got to pop into the inn at spanish bay and i decided {long ago, really, but am finally coming clean} that when i have a boyfriend, we'll whisk away on a romantic weekend to the outdoor patio by the fire pit at sunset.

of course, my guardian angel girlfriends are always here to do it with as well.

oh, thank heavens for best friends.
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