I have this odd quirk that makes me a really cheap date (and easily entertained) when I’m on vacation in another country: I love foreign grocery stores. I can’t explain why. It’s just a part of my life-long foreign fetish, I guess, but there’s just something about checking out what foods are popular in other countries, how they’re priced, what the packaging looks like, and anything else that pops up as I stroll up and down the aisles. A worldwide tour of grocery stores sounds like a great kind of vacation to me. I’m weird like that. When we went to Germany in 2010 I had a great visit to…
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Immersion
It’s interesting what happens when you are placed (or place yourself) into a world completely different from what you’re used to. After a while, your brain starts to make adjustments. The length of time varies for everybody–I have a feeling it has a lot to do with how open-minded a person is and what his or her past experiences include–but eventually, we all adjust. Studies have shown that being totally immersed in a foreign language is the best way to learn it, and although I believed that before I arrived in Costa Rica on Sunday, today I can say that I know it to be true from personal experience. Although…
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All By Myself
So here I am, at this awesome hotel in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Actually, it almost doesn’t even seem like a hotel. It wasn’t, always. It used to be someone’s house. Now it’s a “hotel” with twelve rooms and four suites, one of which Jim and I were given (yay!). I am in heaven, honestly. This is a working trip for Jim, and I tagged along willingly, knowing that I would be left to my own devices. I find that most people either don’t mind spending time alone, or they absolutely hate it. I rather enjoy it, to be honest. It’s not that I don’t like (or prefer) being with others–I…
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Dailey Method Interval Class: Icing On The Cake!
I guess “icing on the cake” is probably not the best choice of words in the case of a fitness-focused post, but that’s how it feels and it’s my blog so we’re going with it. You all already know how I loudly exclaim on a regular basis (on Facebook, on the phone, on Twitter, in person, and even to total strangers) how much The Dailey Method has changed my life. I have written about TDM workouts so many times that I finally created a landing page for all of the posts (See the link at the very top of this page?) for any of you who might be curious. After…
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Girls’ Night Out: Go Red For Women!
It’s that time of year again! For the third year in a row, I will be joining a bunch of my girlfriends, B96, 104.3 K-HITS and Bath & Body Works at the gorgeous Alhambra Palace (1240 West Randolph Street, Chicago) for “Girls’ Night Out: Go Red For Women”, an event that celebrates the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. The event is on Thursday, February 28 from 7:00-10:00 p.m., and I know it’s going to be a great time. Last year was pretty awesome. The only problem I’m currently having will sound familiar to you: wardrobe. I drove myself absolutely insane in 2011, trying to find the perfect…