I'mmmmm back! I know you all can hardly tell I've been away since I scheduled posts for my absence, but man, can I tell I've been gone! A few random thoughts about coming home again >
// It's always weird when you get to see your own house the way a stranger would. Coming home, I definitely had to re-acquaint myself with our digs. They were nicer than I remembered (always good!).
// I missed the internet...but not in the way that I expected. I get SO MUCH inspiration from all of your blogs, instagrams, pins, etc., and this trip really made me realize how important that is in my daily life. I missed the visuals of the internet that make me want to daydream and create. I did not find myself doing much of either of those things these last three weeks.
// I'd be okay if I never saw another mosquito again.
// I am in love with eating good, healthy meals again. Camping and being on the road does not lend itself to fresh, clean food, and my gut paid for it. I also got a stomach bug about 2/3 of the way through our trip, and it is hard to get the digestion back on track when your options are mainly freeze-dried or processed foods. Ick.
All in all, it was a lovely trip, and I'm excited to share more pics this week. In the meantime, I thought I'd start back into blogging with sort of a softball post - liebster! Louise from
Stars in Jars nominated me, and I thought it would be a nice way to jump back in. Yes,
I've already done one of these, but neveryoumind that.
Here's how it works >
1. List 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer your nominator's 11 questions.
3. Pose your own 11 questions.
4. Tag 11 bloggers with less than 200 follows to answer your questions.
5. Link back to your nominator.
Here goes.
11 Randoms.
1 // I am obsessed with Target. Best store ever.
2 // I have never been stung by a bee. <---- knock on wood
3 // I have never been pulled over by a cop. <---- knock on wood
4 // For the life of me, I am terrified of headstands and handstands in yoga. I do not like being upside down. I am working on this.
5 // I love anything Muppet related. They just make me insanely happy.
6 // My favorite play is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7 // I think a cube of good feta eaten with a grape tomato is about as close to heaven as you can get on earth.
8 // I have always been a strongly cat-oriented person, and ever since we got our dog I feel like I am betraying them a little bit.
9 // I am naturally a blonde, but have been dying my hair black (with one year of dark red) for the last 12 years.
10 // I never spoke with a professor once outside of class in all 4 years of University.
11 // I read magazines thoroughly cover to cover, every single caption and blurb, and in order.
Louise's Questions
Tell me a joke. Oooh, I am no good at jokes. My husband is a mathematician, so this one always sticks with me: What did one math book say to the other? I've got problems.
What you change if you were president/prime minister for the day? Wow, I would change A LOT. Well, the president doesn't actually have that much power, but I'll answer this question as if I was dictator for a day. First off, I think it is abhorrent that we do not have universal healthcare in this country. While "Obamacare" is step in the right direction, it does not go far enough, so I would instate free healthcare for all. I think there are problems with the gap between the rich and the poor, women's rights issues, campaign finance reform, race issues (I would put George Zimmerman in jail!), food deserts, etc., etc., etc. I'd try and fit a lot in. And that's just on the domestic front!
It's dinnertime, what are you cooking me? We eat vegetarian 95% of the time, so probably something with some good veggies and grains, and most definitely some cheese in there :). When I entertain, I often turn to recipes from
Heidi Swanson, since they're all veg-friendly, and just a hair fancier than what I cook everyday. This recipe for
Giant Chipotle White Beans is a favorite. I have never made anything of hers that I did not like.
Have you ever had a mystical/spiritual experience (or anyone you know)? I can't say that I have personally, or anyone I know since people tend to keep that sort of thing close. I can say that through my practice and study of yoga, I have developed a spiritual practice of sorts, and it's something I think a lot more about now than I used to. I think chanting "om" is one of the most lovely things a group of people can do together. I wrote an article about why it's so great once
here.
Who would play you in the movie of your life? Audrey Tautou, duh.
What's your favorite childhood movie? There are lots, but one that sticks out is Dirty Dancing. Me and my friend Sara would watch the end scene over and over again, and try and re-enact that dance in her basement family room.
What is the wildest thing you've ever done? Hmmm. I tend to be pretty risk-averse, so I don't get too wild. To me, the wildest thing I've done is move to 2 new states in the last few years, where we know no one and start from scratch. I never would have done this if I wasn't forced to, but I'm so glad that I've done it.
Describe your perfect date. Wellllll...I have been with the same guy for the last 15 years, so I haven't had a lot of technical "dates." One of our special things that we do is go out for Neapolitan pizza and fancy cocktails, and then proceed to critique the food like restaurant critics. We're pizza geeks.
What's the best gift anyone's ever given to you? My student loans were paid off by a dear benefactor completely out of the blue. It is truly the best gift I have ever received. Also, my husband just dropped off a chai next to me accompanied with a forehead kiss; that was pretty nice, too. ;)
Which are cooler, dinosaurs or dragons? DINOSAURS by a million. THEY WERE REAL that is CRAZY! We've coincidentally been watching Walking with Monsters on Netflix and the whole pre-historic world blows my mind.
Are you proud of yourself? Oh, jeez, that's a big personal question, huh? ;) Well, yes in some ways and not in others. I am proud that I have supported myself fully (loan payoff aside) since I was barely 18 years old. I am proud that I am the wife of an amazing guy, and that we've worked hard to make our relationship work over the years. I am proud that I became a yoga teacher, that I have been successful at all of my jobs, and that I like me. There are things I'm less proud of, of course. I wish I set higher personal goals; I wish I knew how to push myself; I wish I was better at connecting with people sometimes. But all in all, I am proud that I'm a work in progress.
My Questions
If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Describe your perfect breakfast.
Dream dinner party. Five guests, alive or dead. Go.
Do you practice yoga?
If yes, what's your favorite pose?
If not, what keeps you from liking it?
Have you ever broken a bone?
Do you believe in ghosts?
What album has been your soundtrack this summer?
If you could be any animal for a day, what would you pick?
What is the prettiest place you have ever been to?
Are you a lover or a fighter?
Tag, You're It.
I'm going to tag less than 11, and go with the 4 lovely ladies from my sidebar that have less than 200 followers
(want to swap with me? go here.)
Have you done one of these posts before? Leave me a link in the comments, I love to read these things!
shanti >> sondra
It's hosted by Susannah Conway, and has been going for 4 years running now. Basically, it's a month to post pictures only, with maybe a word or two, or maybe not. It's pretty free-form, you don't have to do it everyday, you can post one pic or many, etc. There's also a whole bunch of other optional components: a flickr group, an Instagram hashtag, photo prompts, a link up. But the part I like best is that they're all optional. 
