Italy

Hey there kittens, 

I'm alive and in Italy. So maybe I'm more alive than usual? I have already, in my barely over 24 hours of travel, experienced a myriad of adventures that are already humorous. Which is lucky, for my fear of dying on the train in Nice or my lack communicative abilities nearly getting us sent to Spain were less than funny at the time. Ok, that's a lie, they were funny then as well. I have been gallivanting all over San Remo today, which is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. What? Just because I've never 'left the country' before does not mean my opinion is not valid. 

For those who are not up to speed on my life, the lucky seven of you (that's right, 6.9993 of the rest of the human race does know about my life), I am in Italy for two months whilst I teach English, live with host families, play outside with tiny tots and hopefully gain 45lbs at least from pizza and gelato. Ps, I've already had two pizzas and two servings of gelato and yes, it is as good as they say. Dammit. 

Hopefully I will be able to go intolerable exhausting and overly wordy detail soon about what's been happening and post some more pics, but for now here is one of the street I am staying on. Chow. Arrivederci. Whatever it is these silly kids say here 

The final days

The final days of Seattle, not the world. Though, now that I ponder it what a convenient title considering the whole apocalypse n such. Speaking of which, I recently watched 'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World,' which I also found to be ironic in it's timing. Nothing earth shattering, but a good flick.
Sitting here now I am flooded with the gaping smallness of my life. I have big decisions in front of me. So many in fact, instead of being overwhelmed, as I was and have been the past few days, I am now (more or less) finding incurable amounts of humor in the whole lot of it. Because no matter how many big decisions, - i.e., apply to grad school - espesh with my current view of secular education? Move out of the country? Keep working 4 different jobs? Marriage/family now or wait till I'm 30 as planned? Start confronting all my life's hypocrisies at once (I think I told you how I've been realizing just how hypocritical I am. It's sickening)? Move to Kauai and do yoga and eat fruit all day? Anyway, despite all these biggies, I am painfully aware of just how much it doesn't matter! I'm fine. I'm going to be just fine. There is a current to my life and I can swim with it in my decisions or I can fight it, but either way, I'm going to be swept away. I'm not trying to get crazy 'deep.' I just mean to say there is a lot on the table right now, but I feel completely comfortable knowing that I don't know a damn thing. When things are 'in flow,' I'll know it. When they're not, I also feel it. Guilt and obligation have no place in major life decisions.

Soap box finished.

Back to Seattle.

I feel obligated to mention a major hilarity of the trip. * - I was SOOO excited about eating some fresh seafood. I even took notes from my well-traveled spin class as to which restaurants were best. Reality: Didn't eat a solitary piece of seafood the entire time I was there. In fact, we ate at the same two places nearly the entire trip.

A Thai restaurant with some of the most delicious Thai I've ever had, and....

(this Tom Kah was my palette's Christmas miracle)

the Chocolati Cafe.

We usually ended every day here. We would take the liberty of ordering about 10 of the most delicious chocolates I've ever had, write in our notebooks, talk like we knew a damn....then laughed when the realizations hit that we didn't know anything, then we would order one or two more and go home to bed.

My last day in Seattle we did do something I had been dreaming of for a long time. I wanted to get lost in the woods. I told Judy of my borderline worrisome obsession with the trees I imagined to meet there. I was not disappointed. The day I go to Sequoia National Park I promise I'll faint, or cry, or pee my pants.

We did a relatively short hike about 40 minutes from Judy's place and it rocked my world. Being in Seattle, this amazingly green, beautiful city, I did think on how lucky I am to live in SLC. While I am fine to move if an opportunity arises, I feel so much gratitude for the proximity to my mountains. I can drive about 5 minutes and be swept away in mountain heaven.

I love lesbian boots. Judge me as you will, they make me feel like I could conquer the wild and return to mother with not a scratch or mud clod to scathe her carpets.

 T'was a great trip and Judy was a pretty bomb.com host. Has anyone jumped on my '.com' bandwagon yet? Just like leg warmers and David Hasselhoff, aka 'The Hoff,' let it come back!!

Question is....where to go next?

Seattle -Wherein I Begin This Thing Called 'Traveling.'

Seattle - Days 1-3:

I went last week to visit my dearest comrade and dear, dear, (did I mention she is dear to me?) friend Jessica 'Judy' Gilmore in Seattle. This feels berserk to say, but it is nevertheless true....this is my first time really traveling alone. I have flown, driven, taken buses alone, but for some reason this was different. It felt so good to buy a ticket and go.

I've been dreaming of this aspect of my life since I can remember and despite my modest, meek, humble, and slightly embarrassing savings account, I decided there is no better time than now. Somewhat inspired by this video.
I just wholeheartedly believe it is possible to live a full, motivated yet non-'busy' sort of life, and to make a living at it. I know it may seem naive, but it's a notion I am passionate about and I refuse to let go of. That and Peter Pan of course....in a non-pedophiliac sort of way.

Anyway, it was a great trip. Rainy. Duh. But more rainy than usual I hear, because just my luck all I kept hearing was, "you should have been here a week earlier, man was it beautiful weather." Great guys. Thanks a heap. Judy and I mostly did what we would do if we were in any other place or back in Carl's basement in SLC. We did a ton of talking, figuring out who we are and crap, running, eating (just wait till I tell you about the chocolate cafes), and going for long, delightful walks. It felt wonderful to be visiting a person who is also a terrible 'tourist.'

Here we are in a cafe working on shtuff.

Cute, Judd

The humidity LOVED my hair. My hair loved the humidity. Non one asked me how I felt about it.

Day 1: - The first night I got there I joined Judy on her weekly co-ed soccer team. They were insanely friendly and let me play, even though I am out of practice and out of shape. God love those sweet mormons, they'll befriend just about anybody;).

I was blown away at the greenery of Seattle. It's such a beautiful mix of city and mountains. I can see why Judy wants to stay.

Judy lives on a road called Phinney Ridge, for those of you who are familiar with Seattle's surroundings. About a mile from her house is the most gorgeous lake/park. We ran every morning around it and I got my fill of people watching and an adequate amount of gawking at the rowers. I want to be on a rowing team. Bad. 

 Some famous park I can't remember the name of

This bookstore was phenom. We drove into the city and literally went nowhere else for about 5 hours. Judy and I were reading the same book about how to better understand the female anatomy and come to love our individual processes. Here is the exact book - Click Me

One fateful day we decided to try and 'see the sights.' Remember earlier how I said we both sucked at being tourists. Here is where I validate that fact with our tale. 

Pike's Place Market: 

So fun and Christmasy

One day I will live in a place with a year-round market full of delicious produce. One day. I have...shall we call it a 'knack' for finding samples and free food. It's a curse and a blessing. My family will attest to this. Thus a market full of people offering you free, delicious produce is my description of what a righteous life will lead to when we die. (aka heaven and all it's synonyms). 

Original Starbucks

 Gum wall. Herpes? Take your pick, we offer it in all different flavors and colors.

We then hopped the ferry, which was a bizzarre experience for me. Cars just driving on and off a boat like it's natural. What kind of a wack place is this. We headed off for Bainbridge Island.

It was a cold, very rainy day. Did we have an umbrella? Nope. Did we have a car for once we got to the island? Nay. Did we have money to spend once we got there? Us? Never. 

About an hour into our wet, cold island experience we both looked at each other and laughed. We are not tourists, we don't like tourist attractions, and we are poor. So, we resigned to finally admit who we are and spend the rest of the night going for a walk and eating chocolates at the chocolate cafe.

Sunday was a great day. We drove to Olympia, a super hipster/punk city, which is surprisingly the capitol of Washington. Who knew? Judy is living my lifelong dream of living in a tiny house. Yep, a tiny house, not a trailer, not a treehouse, not a house that is relatively small. A tiny house. Check out this blog for more info: How to Build a Tiny House

 The one she is renting is built buy a girl not much older than us and it is in the most beautiful location, it almost makes me sick.

Her back yard. Disgusting, isn't it.

I thought this communal well (whale? wel? wale? Spelling eschews me today) was neat.

Another tiny house in a college community in Olympia. We were visiting a friend from SLC that goes to school there and all of the kids are studying Environmental Science or Humanitarian Anthropologie or something of that nature. Notice how the kitchen is on the outside? The landlord of these things is making B-A-N-K.

TBC

Back from the literal D-E-D

Aloha commrades!

It may have been a week or two since I last posted.....

I'm happy to announce I'm back on the bandwagon. I heartily believe in the science of blogging and it's positive effects on the life of myself and the lives of those around me, so maybe I should, I don't know, do it.

The story of my absence is mostly a boring one filled with words like 'lazy,' 'detached,' and 'idealistic.' The latter may be slightly confusing, allow me to explain;

I have this vision of sharing all my health, exercise and wellness views with the world, or at least documenting them for myself and my posterity of cats later. So, I decided I would create an entirely separate blog full of beauty, wisdom, and blogging wit and magic. But, as luck or lack thereof would have it, it has taken more time and work than anticipated. This is still in the works and something I'm very excited about. But, for now, I realize it is time to document my life as it currently is and tell you it is good to be back:).

Me as of Today (Looks-Wise):

This is one of the more recent pics of me. I blend in with the puppies, so don't be confused, I'm the one with the blue headband.

What I'm Up To:

I am a very lucky girl. I have about 4 different jobs and I love them all. I get to play a lot, all day, with cool peeps....it honestly is a dream come true. I know it's ever-changing, I'm not stuck in a career yet, but I kind of like it this way for now.

• Job #1 - USANA health sciences - corporate wellness facilitator - part-time

So essentially I help keep the employees of Usana's corporate office healthy, happy, and maintaining a good work-life balance. I teach yoga, a nutrition/exercise intensive 6 week bootcamp program, weight training, and stress relief. I also meet with people one-on-one to discuss health and train people how to use the weights and....get this, indoor rockwall. Lauren (the lead facilitator) and I also come up with fun health initiatives throughout the year. I am in charge of a smoothie demo next month. Should be fun. I love the people I work with and am having a great time doing it.

 Water balloon volleyball tournament

Absurd obstacle course. Yes, t'was of my creation. :)

Job #2/3:

• I currently teach a buttload of fitness classes. Yes, a buttload, commonly known as a plethora, a lot, hefty amount, numerous, etc. I teach a spin class at the field house on campus twice a week, a spin class at a different location on campus twice a week, two bootcamp classes on campus, and then 4 yoga classes plus 3 bootcamp classes at Usana. I should be the picture of fitness. I'm not, but I should. That's the thing about teaching fitness, you learn to cheat so as to not give away the fact that you can't breathe and sprint straight up a hill while calmly counting down the seconds. It's an art I am perfecting, this one of cheating the look of ease while inside I think I might die. It's taken me some hard-earned hours of practice I tell you. Anyway, I am learning to cheat to survive, thus my fitness level is probably subpar. Oh well. Health is a feeling not a number, right?!
• My classes at the fieldhouse are about to end and I'm heartbroken, I always am. I get very attached to my students and my schedule. 
• Next semester I am teaching: Mon - yoga and bootcamp, Tue - spin, Wed - total body fitness and bootcamp, Thurs - spin, Friday - yoga, Sat - spin

Job#4

• Personal Training - I love personal training only because of how differently I do it. I only take on 3 or 4 clients and basically they become some of my best friends. Some of them I do more yoga and others we work out, but always, and I mean always, we learn a ton from each other and have a great time. I'm so grateful that I am trained in a vast array of things so I can mix it up to create something special and designed specifically for them that day. Love it. Ha, what an adorable, underhanded way of complimenting myself, forgive me. It can be draining, so I try not to take on too many clients. But if you are interested or know someone who is, don't be shy to give them my info. I'm more than willing to meet with peeps to see if we are a good fit for each other. Yes, it is much like online dating;). 

Ok, I'll tell you more about my day-to-day as time goes on, but for now here are a few pics from my Thanksgiving. It was great, minus the whole direly sick part the day before, I loved it.

T'was a true-to-life redneck Thanksgiving....just as the pilgrims would have wanted it.

 Matt cooked up some serious explosives and even made a cannon that provided quite the shock and awe effect. There are videos, I'll share when I have them. Rating is yet to be determined.

The tiny twerps used straws as bullet shooters. Sooooo many educators would be so proud.

 These psychotic ladies, true to their psychotic form, were picking out prime cow pies all afternoon for a cow-pie-throwing contest. I had multiple cow pies thrown at my head. I'm eternally grateful to report none of them struck their aim. 

 Small example of the explosives architecture 

My somewhat forced participation.

*Fun fact - Madison, Ty and April's oldest, told me before we left for shooting, "Chelle, those jeans are  TOO skinny." I responded, "Madi, their called 'skinny jeans.' She then replied, "I just like your classic fit better. This is NOT your best look. I suggest you shop somewhere else next time."

She's 9. Awesome.

Yep, those are explosives hidden under that adorable pyramid of season decor.