History in the making

Here I sit on this lovely (though chilly) early evening, laid up from a bad cold. I have managed to get my usual weekend gym time in but it has been pathetic with severe difficulties breathing normally so I am really praying one more night of good sleep will ensure I wake up with an easier time of it.

Today is a historic day because of the live jump more than 23 miles above the surface of the Earth on the anniversary of Chuck Yeager breaking through the sound barrier. Watching Felix Baumgartner jump from the capsule into the air was thrilling, nerve-racking and amazing. It is incredible how very far we have come in this day and age.

All of the conversations were capture via Twitter and Facebook with thousands of people watching via the Internet in real-time.

I had first heard of Felix Baumgartner planning his Red Bull Stratos jump via an in-flight magazine a few months back. At the time, I remember thinking "he is insane." I passed the article to my father to test the validity of the proposal.  My father also was shocked at the notion of jumping from a capsule so far above the earth's surface. The slightest rip in his suit could be catastrophic - it reminded me of the possible space shuttle disasters of the past.

Even Felix was tweeting as he rode all of the way up via the largest balloon ever created to carry him to space - the final tweet post-jump, "we live to conquer fears and pursue dreams, may our attempts and accomplishments progress humankind."

 

Felix pre-jump

And now for a little song I came upon via one of my favorite podcasts, the "Nerdist." Hope you like it!

All the rowboats...

As Regina Spektor sings in her new song "All the rowboats" - they all are ready to sail away. My time in London is slowly coming to a close but I am still embracing all of the opportunities possible. I have a strong interest in ticking off the items on my bucket list; and so far so good. One Italian restaurant, Centre Point, Harrods all done!

The past few weeks have been crazy at work; including a day trip (4AM - 10PM) to Geneva for business. As much as I enjoy the intensity of my job I do feel that at times it can be a distraction from my project interests which I really wish I had even more time for. 

THE GLOBE!
This past Friday I saw "the Taming of the Shrew" at the globe theatre & tried the delicious pizza express "Padana Leggera" that my friend Leia said was amazing. It truly, truly was. Really enjoyed walking from work down to Southwark; crossing the bridge (any of the bridges really) on a beautiful Friday on your own feels ultra relaxing. I have really embraced the times when I can just go and do something by myself. I feel like I take in more of the city that way versus getting caught up in interesting conversation! Of course, I love spending time with friends & flatmates and my coworkers but I really like having time just for myself to explore and see & experience everything.

Saturday was the thrilling exposure to "Meat Liquor." Definitely, hands down the best burgers in the city. I was utterly amazed! It's a very cool, dark environment with wine served in small mason jars & interesting cocktail concoctions. The fries are not chips but actual American-style fries. Haven't had those in forever & they were delicious. A little post-dinner card playing and wine with the flatmates & Tori and I woke up with a bit of a hangover. I managed to make it to the gym as I would feel utterly sorry for myself if I didn't go!

We have been in search for a person to take my room over when I leave at the end of October. Man, that has been a struggle! So much organizing and it can be quite exhausting giving the tours and repeating yourself multiple times over multiple days. We had a few people over on Sunday and since my other flatmate has decided to move out as well we have been pulling a bit if double duty trying to get someone for her room too. Honestly looking forward to downsizing & just living with my sister in NYC!

Oktoberfest with my sister Jody & one of my best friends, Nicole is about to begin! I leave for the airport Saturday morning and we return Wednesday evening. Planning to take them both to a pub quiz with work on Thursday and just do a bit of exploring. I believe my cousin Ashley will be in town as well which will be very exciting! Haven't seen her in forever.

As I haven't been feeling amazing today I am about to go back to sleep and hopefully feel 100% tomorrow!! Just really needed a non-stressful R&R day and then I should be back in fighting form.

Night!

Big changes.

So a lot has happened in the last couple of weeks! One big item is my relocation back to the US! It's a bittersweet move for me because I have really grown to love and care about the people and places here. London does feel like home away from home now - I no longer get lost and everything has a sense of familiarity to me. I remember, vividly, the feeling of complete anxiety and apprehension in every step the first couple of weeks I lived here. I would walk out of buildings and be completely turned around. It didn't help that I didn't even take a day off from when I first moved-in and started my job.

If I can advise anything - take time for yourself when you move to a new place. Take time to learn about the most basic of needs; ie where do you buy groceries, how banking works, transportation details. I had brushed up a bit before I moved here but I think I could have done a little bit more to be fair.

I have no clue where I will be working when I am back home at this time - there are definitely some options and since I am still 2 months out I have some time. I am going to be moving in with my sister in NYC! We have been looking for spots there and I am really looking forward to this aspect. Well there are a lot of good things to come - Thanksgiving with family, NFL, mexican food & sushi, Target, etc. Just a few things I really have missed.


In the interim, my good friends have provided me with a bucket list of things I need to complete. I really need to get a move on it. I have decided to use the bank holiday (man, will I miss these) catching up on work things and shopping for a bday gifts. Next weekend, I promise, will be for crossing items off the list.

The one I did get to was Venti 2 with Tori. Delicious Italian!

Transferring the copy from the back of the Busaba tablemat to this blog:

• Venti2
• Provodores
• Paradise 
• Kensington Roof Gardens
• Oxo Tower Drinks
• Centre Point Sky Bar
• Paramount
• Kew Gardens Picnic
• Aqua
• Bliss Spa
• Afternoon Tea - Claridges
• Harrods (I know, everyone makes fun of me on this one)
• Camrbdige
• Haka San
• Makiki "It Club"
• The Wolsley "Breakfast"
• G.A.Y

 Lucy and I went to the Notting Hill Carnival; apparently it is a very big deal; biggest street festival in Europe. Learn more here: http://www.thenottinghillcarnival.com/

It was an interesting experience. I was really expecting a lot more street vendors with lots of delicious food and drinks. Not so much. Also, TONS of prams/strollers & whistles. Everywhere. Drunk people + whistles + babies = lots of noise. Also, I wouldn't describe it as the safest environment - people smashing into each other to catch a glimpse of the parade. Definitely interesting to see but we didn't stay for very long.

I did pop-in to a comic book store to see if they had Walking Dead; also thought it would be nice to get away from the noise. It definitely was. Plus, they had a few options from the series to choose from. I picked up the fourth one and already read it. Amazing! Pics from the parade and my new copy of Walking Dead below!

I have been catching up on Dexter and Sister Wives when I have free time. Though this is definitely limited these days. I am in a bit of a funk lately trying to figure out what I really want to do and where I want to be. I guess it's just my personality to always be thinking and considering the future. I think my strong desire to be an entrepreneur is clouding any perspective to work at a stable, corporate environment. I do work incredibly hard at everything I do and put a ridiculously amount of pressure on myself to do my best whether I am at the gym, working on my projects or at work. I am usually the first or second one in and one of the last to leave each night. I find myself irritated when people stroll in at half past nine when I have been there for over an hour and feel there is so much to get done. I know this is my own hang-up but I cannot help my extreme work ethic and maybe I am envious that I cannot just let things go a bit. But then, maybe I wouldn't be here in London with a successful career path carved-out for me? hmmm.

Raining and Bursts of Sun - Summer in London to Welcome the Olympics!

People are amazing.

I didn't know that I would be so amazed by all-things "Olympics." Yet, here I am typing away on a blog post with the previous day recap playing in the background. "Background" meaning I keep stopping and staring at the screen every couple of minutes. I can't help it, OK? It's just utterly amazing to me that individuals have the dedication and passion to train for at least 4 years to only have a moment in the spotlight. I haven't been as fascinated by badminton or synchronized swimming which wasn't surprising; the surprising moment for me came when I couldn't take my eyes off of judo and the heptathlon.

I didn't know Jessica Ennis existed before this year. I saw her face everywhere I went in the city and started to learn more about her as I continued to live here. I, of course, wanted my USA team to win whenever possible. Yet, I saw myself rooting for GB athletes and teams alongside the American athletes. BBC is obviously focusing on local athletes and it's so easy to want the best for everyone who competes. Everyone works so hard and I feel as though their story is being told on the iPad, computer and TV screens across the world - a little glimpse into the life of someone with the supreme desire to do well. It feels really special being able to be a part of it in any way possible.

Here is the advertisement from Adidas on Jess Enis. One of my absolute fave ads of all time - it gives me chills whenever I see it. Like just now. Chills; right?! I just love the words:

Queen of the heptathlon, as explosive as a fireworks factory. 3 fractures almost broke her, but in sheffield they're made of steel. so here's to her comeback. now for her coronation.

CHILLS!

Unfortunately tickets are very difficult to acquire as they are very limited and extremely expensive. There are a couple of free events - such as the cycling, triathlon and marathon. I managed to trek down in the non-summer rainy weather to trafalgar square to watch the US women take on the world in a very long 26.2 miles. My spot was perfect - right next to a large group of East Timor supporters (very random, I know) and a couple of Sheffield men. Everyone was so friendly and just enjoyed the day, despite the torrential downpour and sudden heatwaves. Ahhh, London. Never fail to disappoint.

Some of the friends I was with caught even better pictures and I will be adding those later when they send them over! I cannot express how exciting it was to be "this close" to my idols, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher. Desiree Davila ended up dropping out because of injury but ALL three of them are amazing women. They were so fun to watch and I have read and watched so many of their videos and interviews and then suddenly I was able to see them in action at one of the most important events of all-time. Even writing it now I still cannot believe it happened. They came around to our spot 4 different times and then we watched the very end on an iPhone from BBC streaming.

After that it was American girl out in the city; grabbing some food and pub hopping including a stop at a Blues Bar near Marylebone. Hyde Park was having a large, free, showing of events on big screens and I was able to watch the 100meter men's race and cheer with everyone else on the hope for Bolt to win the gold. He did.

Was such an amazing weekend that it was hard to get back to work today. I was exhausted! Unfortunately my knee has been a huge problem the past couple of weeks and I am stuck with cycling, elliptical and sometimes swimming vs running. I REALLY miss running. I think partly because I can't do it. I am actually quite nervous about it. Sometimes the pain can be so extreme that I feel like I am going to start crying or throw up. Pretty hideous feeling especially when you are out in the public. Like the hair salon for example. BOO. Wednesday I have an appointment with my doctor and I am really hoping for the best. My Osteopath has been very nice and helpful but I think I need x-rays at this point.

In other news, I have a lot of interesting life-events taking place that I cannot openly discuss as of yet. I am hoping in the next couple of weeks I will be able to talk more about that. All I know is that I have realized that I am stronger than I thought I was. I feel brave and happy knowing I will always find the positive, even if I am in a dark place. I admit to myself that I am a naturally happy person and I genuinely avoid and almost shut down a bit when faced with negativity. It makes me sad when I see that to an extreme degree in others; you have to be willing to find the happiness in yourself and the situation. It definitely makes for a better life. Just my little soapbox speech - yet, I truly believe that. As time goes forward I feel confident in the decisions I make and I think coming to London made that happen for me. I trust myself and am proud and happy with who I have become. I have met such amazing people here and cannot begin to express how they have impacted my life for the better. Forever.

So, not wanting to end on such a deep note; here are a couple of my newest favorite pop songs and an amazing video about the Mars "Curiosity" landing. Quite amazing.

People are amazing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bigscreen/tv/episode/b01llnb2/

Comic Con, 10K, Magic Mike, July Favorites and More!

Happy July everyone! I am in the process of writing up a little blurb about celebrating (even acknowledging) the 4th of July in London. Needless to say it's an interesting experience. I figured I would doing a little write-up here in addition to my other fun activities. Other items in this posting is about my experience at London Comic Con (*spoiler* it was awesome), British & Nike+ 10K, Magic Mike and a few favorites I have captured for the month!

4th of July
Celebrating 4th of July in London could only be compared to breaking up with a controlling boyfriend and then going to a party he is hosting with a bunch of his ex-girlfriends and celebrating the break-up. The ex-girlfriends being other American friends I chose to spend the evening celebrating in typical American-style eating hamburgers & drinking wine and lager.

To be fair, all of the non-Americans in town were very supportive, even bringing in Krispy Kremes into work to celebrate the occasion. I think everyone felt slightly sorry for us Americans having to work knowing our overseas family and friends were out watching fireworks and sleeping in. Unfortunately, I am not a donut-lover and to be honest I would prefer an Apple Pie or BBQ but was nice to see the old college try by friends and colleagues.

A pic from our night on the town with tiny sparklers. A fun time but looking forward to the American version!

Comic Con!
Comic con is a little, okay a LOT smaller here than in the states. Though I did see quite a number of people dressed up, etc. and plenty of fabulous celebrities including cast members from Star Trek TNG, Farscape, Stargate SG1 &Firefly. I was able to go to a panel with Jewel Staite and Adam Baldwin talking about Serenity/Fire Fly. I was impressed how much Jewel knew in terms of episode details and behind the scenes information. Adam Baldwin did stress that he was massively jet-lagged but he provided the comic relief. Couldn't believe how relatively calm I was about seeing everyone - minus Christopher Judge. Wow, he is amazing looking in person. I couldn't believe how great and huge is in person. It was a cool experience but it was a bit annoying that final schedules were not released until very late and so you had to buy tickets for a day not knowing exactly what would be happening. It worked out on some level but the Game of Thrones panel was really early AM so we were not able to see that which was a bummer.

I plan to make a stop at San Diego Comic Con in the next couple of years - definitely a dream of mine. Seeing all of the tweets about how great it is makes me so jealous.

Link to London Film and Comic Con for reference: http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/

 Christopher Judge (Teal'c from SG1)

Adam Baldwin and Jewel Staite (Firefly and Serenity)

 Lucy and I at Comic Con!

Panel with Jewel and Adam - VERY popular panel!

British Nike+ 10K
I had raced a 10K only once before, during the Philadelphia Triathlon. I had done really well the on the swim and then pretty well on the bike but had been struggling with a hip problem for some time and when I got to mile 3 in the run I was having a lot of problems. Thankfully, I had a chance to run a new one with this race. I was in Croatia the week before so I didn't train the way I normally would have but did okay. The experience enough made it worth it. It was the most amazing feeling being out there with 30,000 other people just running through the streets of London in the rain with thousands of people clapping and cheering us on. Cannot express the feeling in words. Go do it yourself and you will see. It is an amazing race and well worth it!

 

 On my walk to the bag area - was a little tired and nervous. Mostly because I was very sore from weight lifting from the day before but it all worked out!

 The sea of runners. Play on words because it was raining quite a bit throughout which I loved!

The route as shown on the http://www.thebritish10klondon.co.uk site

 

Post-Race and after lunch. I think I took a shower and then went straight for a mini nap after this photo. Finished the race in 1:12.

Magic Mike
Went and saw Magic Mike yesterday and it was really enjoyable. Ate dinner at good ol' Prezzo for the third night in a week. They have this light option of salad and pizza that I pretty much get everytime I go. It's quite reasonably and right down the street. I am still working out and eating healthy and haven't lost any additional weight from the huge weight loss from the last few months but I think this next week with the additional miles I keep adding will help. So, if you are looking for a dinner and a movie experience with some girlfriends I would definitely suggest going to this show. It's great! Might be a bit uncomfortable for the shy-type of girl but still, go! Break free a bit!

July Favorites
RUNNING:
Now using RunKeeper and Fleetly to capture all of my running activities and track with friends. I have a goal of 150 miles by the end of August. Might be a tough one cause I started later than I should have but going to really give it a go! I really enjoy having something I am accountable to and they also include routes to use so that I know how far I am going while I am outside. If only it didn't rain every second of the day in London during the summer so I can go out more. Everyone here says this is more rain than usual but honestly, I don't know if I believe that anymore.

Fleetly and RunKeeper - get the apps and check them out online!

VIDEOS:

Kate Winslet in the movie store - definite favorite!

New favorite band: Keane

New favorite advert: Olympics/Lotto - tearjerker alert

An amazing family trip + European Observations

I have just recently (very recent as of a few days) gotten back from a trip with my family through Europe. We visited the following places:

• Amsterdam
• Antwerp
• Brugge
• Brussels
• Dubrovnik 
• Couple outlying towns in Croatia including the plitvice lakes
• Zagreb

Most people vacation maybe one or two places but since we ventured to quite a few you realize that when people ask the same questions, specifically, "how was your trip" and "where did you go" that you really wish there was a super short reply that you could offer. Perhaps a piece of paper with all of the locations and an emotional statement "it was an amazing time" versus repeating yourself and sounding a bit like the rain man. Nevertheless, I was all about Dustin Hoffman today and I embraced it.

Obligatory (and let's be honest, amazing) photo shots of the trip:

Favorite experiences from the two weeks away:

• Playing cards with my family 
• Drinking Tinto De Verano (Spanish spritzer) while playing cards
• Amazing views
• Being outdoors
• Laughing for two weeks straight
• Feeling completely at-home many miles away from any of my true "homes" with the family
• White Water Rafting + cliff diving (video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGWToInzK-4)

Now for my casual observations based on my travels through Europe. I have been to quite a few places in Europe now and believe I have some key insights

First of all - regardless of what I write below there is one thing you should do. Go to Siena. Go to Cinque Terre. Put these on your bucket list. While you are at it - a white rafting trip with your family will surprise you. It's honestly more fun than you can handle. Go write it down now. Done? Cool, let's continue.

Few observations in my travels through Europe:

• Stairs are frequent; elevators and escalators are not - this is probably obvious
• A/C is not an absolute - just be prepared to be about "natural air flow." Maybe a fan or two if possible. Maybe not. Croatia did have an A/C in the house we rented but I have also experienced none at all. In London for example - no A/C on public transportation, etc. It can get hot with too many individuals. Trust me.
• Tourists are annoying. My family had a saying on the trip "Large groups of people, when given their free-will and not specific guided instructions/left to their own devices and decisionswill be ridiculously annoying. " These same groups are so easily manipulated. You could see one or two individuals breaking off to go look or do something nearby and then the flood gates of people running to see what these individuals had found. Absolutely crazy, annoying and ridiculous. Sheep.
• Venturing outside of your comfort zone and language can be rewarding. Seeing the road travelled by the massive tourists mentioned above can be quite magnificent. There is a reason (usually) why the "hot attractions" are popular. Yet, trying something completely new and different outside of the mainstream attraction can be equally if not more rewarding.  We stopped off at a very small beach town in Croatia and were rewarded with an amazing experience. Beautiful, warm water and friendly people. Just a very good feeling all around.
• Learn some of the language before you go and while you are there. I didn't read up on the languages before our last trip. Yet, while there I try to learn certain words - ie "voda" = water in serb-croat. Little things make all of the difference and make it easier to get by I think.
• Understand the currency and the rules of the country. Seems obvious.
• In Europe there is not an obsession with ensuring that all possible safety precautions are present. Living in the natural world and taking some risks is far more European than American. As a family we commented on the that we really liked that there weren't gates and fences, etc blocking us from our experiences in the natural environment for fear of being sued or whatever if the situation turns bad. I saw no accidents when in these situations and believe that everyone adheres quite nicely to the most basic of rules.
• Europe is hands-down WAY better at being eco-friendly. For example, in our hotel room in Croatia we had to ensure the window was shut for the A/C to work. Apparently, per my flatmate, this is quite common. I hadn't seen this previously but it makes sense and is much better from an energy-saving level.
• Customer Service is not as strong in Europe though we had a pleasant stay in most places and restaurant service was decent. You always get your food. You don't always get it with a smile and getting the bill can be a lengthy process. Just relax and enjoy the ambiance!

Any others you can add to this??

Sharing just a few of my favorite things from May & June

So because I have been ridiculously behind on my blog posts (look, I am a busy girl, OK?) I have decided to break them up a bit. The past two months have been exceptionally busy for me but at least I have some fun things to post, right?!

This post is going to focus on a few favorite hot items that I have come across that I think are interesting/unique and might be something you should check out.

Audio:
1. Nerdist Podcast
I might have mentioned this podcast before; seriously it is amazing. I would go ahead and start with the Brent Spiner or the Neil Degrasse Tyson episode (more to come on him later) if you want to kick-start your interest. A lot of really cool people have been interviewed by the trio. Chris Hardwick is the main guy from all of the dating show fame. Though, he isn't exactly proud of this past it seems.
http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/nerdist/

Video:
2. Neil Degrasse Tyson
How did I not know of this man prior to listening to the interview on Nerdist podcast? It almost depresses me. This little video has become one of my favorites to listen to. randomly. sometimes even at work. it's true.
My mom and I were having a chat while we walked through the Croatian National Park Plitvice Lakes while on vacation. We were looking at a waterfall and she expressed that you can feel so small when you see something so magnificent. Not to get too emo (bringing the word back in a big way) but I do think Neil's take on this is one to embrace.

3. Your Father's Murderer: A Letter to Zachary

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152758/ 

I came across this documentary when checking out top films by year. Do other people do this? Do other people watch movie trailers and go check out lists of top films to make sure they catch-up on the "best of" films? I hope so cause I love doing this. It's quite relaxing. Anywho - back to the film.

I want to be very honest. This documentary will make you cry. I do not care how strong you are or how unemotional you are during movies. This is a tear-jerker. Despite the fact that I watched this when I got home from my vacation with my family and was already a bit sensitive, I am so glad I did. In addition to being an impressive film (when there are a LOT of crappy films to choose from as of late) I value the need to appreciate the the importance of an individual that didn't get a chance to live the life they should have. 

Look, just go watch it. Thanks.

App:

4. Keek Video iPhone App

I was downloading a bunch of applications to my iPhone and found a couple I am in love with; one of them being "Keek" (http://www.keek.com/). Apparently a couple of the Kardashian girls use this app quite a bit which obviously is an ENORMOUS influence on my life (*insert sarcasm here*). It is a fun app. Basically you just provide updates via mini-videos and then upload. I did a couple quick videos which are terrible but including one (http://www.keek.com/!y43jaab) just to show the example. Feel free to laugh at my attempt. I will get better if I continue to use it.

If you are really cool you will "keekback." #justsaying.

Reading:

5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

If you like gaming and sci-fi/fantasy movies/books you should absolutely read this book. My dad gave me this as a gift while on vacation which was lucky as I had forgotten to bring my own. I loved it and didn't want for it to end. Apparently the movie is in the works which is going to be amazing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1677720/)! 

Tip: Pay attention while reading because there is a little "afterparty" for this book that continues the game after the last page has been turned. 

Gaming:

6. The Tribez

Everyone already knows about draw something, scrabble and words with friends. I am really liking this other game called "The Tribez." I was just looking for something simple to occupy my time when I didn't feel like reading, etc. It's pretty fun and is FREE. Obviously there are little insertions in the game where real money can be used to make your game go quicker and achieve extra levels more quickly but you can get by without. 

New favorites to come for July in a future post!