Of Roots and Roads

In the spirit of sharing more about me, one of my friend’s recently commented that I should share with my readers how funny am I. Okay that sounds really arrogant but everyone always tells me what a great sense of humor I have although I don’t think that comes across in the written word. One of my dreams would be to preform improv although the idea is also frightening. I have no experience preforming in front of groups, I’ve just been told that I am quick witted so it seems that could be perfect for improv.

I’ve also thought about doing stand up but I think that’s not as good of a fit. With stand up you’re writing your own jokes and telling them over and over again. I’m actually terrible at telling stories and need to improve but already that tells me stand up ain’t for me. I think just coming up with great one liners and hitting back is more of my comedic style which is totally perfect with improv. The problem is I don’t have a ton of free time. I’m currently working two jobs to pay the bills and working on starting my own business as well so I feel guilty dedicating myself to hobbies like this until my life is a bit more stable. It’s my current goal to take a improv in 2018 to dip my toes in the water and see how I like it. My friend also introduced me to these online classes that’s I’m going to watch when I have to just to get a feel for how improv works. Online classes could be great start if your schedule is packed like mine although I still want to practice and learn in person. I will write about my experience here when the time comes!

So I love to travel but I always need to make sure I enjoy my current life. I don’t want to live for the future, I want to enjoy every single day. So how do I set myself up to do that? Well for one, I’m a big believer in goals and rituals to help you get there. Achieving my goals gives me the same exhilarating feeling as when I step on a plane to a new place by myself. So I’m always working to recreate that feeling and goals work for me. The thing about goals though is they can feel so huge and unattainable sometimes. Like a mountain to climb with no energy to do so. To help, I create little rituals that change my behavior each day to get me closer to my goals. I hope this is making sense but if it’s not here is an example.

Goal:

• own my own successful travel adventure company

Rituals:

• wake up 5x a week at 5 to work for one hour on this goal before getting ready for my job. In this hour I usually research other successful companies I would like to model mine after, research destinations and plan itineraries for my future guests, find the most kick ass accommodation you never see in magazines or blogs.
• Make my lunch every evening before bed. This helps me save money to invest in my business launch and growth.
• Workout 3x a week: this keeps my body in an optimal state which I find also helps me preform better at work and in my personal life
• Go grocery shopping every Sunday night no matter what: this sets me up for a healthy week filled with nutritious and affordable meals. If I skip this ritual I end up eating out all week and generally feeling blah

I highly recommend creating up to 5 rituals you will complete every week to work towards your goals. Goals are also important to revisit and reassess every few months as your priorities change. My goals change and evolve so much over time; that doesn’t mean I am giving up on them, just that I am being real with myself when they need to be adjusted. If you’re looking for more guidance on creating goals and rituals, I found this blog post really helpful.

So you guys know I love to travel (clearly). But I wanted to open up and share other hobbies and interests I have. Cocktails have always been a small obsession of mine. A well made cocktail leaves my heart very happy though they’re not as easy to come by as one would think. Often when I try a new lounge or bar I’m left feeling blah about their offerings. It’s hard to find a passionate bartender these days. That’s why if I want a good cocktail, I usually make it myself at home. No one knows what I like better than me so this way my expectations are met. Lol.

My newest cocktail obsession is the delightful spicy yet sweet Moscow mule. Have you ever tried one? They seriously go down so fast and I can never have just one. I had tried making these in the past but the copper mugs are really necessary and the drink doesn’t taste as good without them. So I finally bought two Moscow mule mugs from a brand called Moscow Muled (clever!) and all of my Moscow mule dreams are coming true. They included a recipe in the box when I received them and I’ve been tweaking that a bit to get things juuuust right. It’s a pretty simple recipe but good ginger beer and premium vodka are musts – don’t cheap out! Here’s my go to recipe and I’ve been told it’s pretty amazing, no pressure.

2 oz Grey Goose vodka
6 oz premium ginger beer
Juice of ¼ of a lime
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Copper mugs like these

Pour vodka over ice in the copper mugs and top with ginger beer and lime juice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary for out of this world flavor.

Enjoy responsibly!

Since I don’t have any upcoming trips planned at the moment, I thought I’d share some musings about past travels.

Many years ago I visited South America by myself and had the most amazing time. I was there for a few months and traveled most of the country with a backpack. One of my favorite experiences of the trip even though it’s cliché and almost everyone has done it now, was trekking to Machu Pichu outside of Cusco, Peru. It’s a truly other worldly place that is hard to describe. Setting foot in an ancient civilization and walking the paths forged thousands of years ago is so humbling. Not to mention how difficult it was to get there – I honestly thought I was going to die at one point hiking a steep incline for many hours. Of course that was all in my head but it felt so hard nonetheless.

The three day trek it took including a dark climb to Machu Pichu at 3 in the morning was all completely worth it when I got to top in the light of the day and saw this beautiful ancient city. It was built in the 1500s and I’m amazed so much of it still stands today. I don’t think many of our modern North American cities would survive that well at all.

One strange thing when you arrive at Machu Pichu is most tourists take the easy way and get there by train and bus. I actually saw one woman wearing Juicy Couture jeans and stilettos! Meanwhile most of us that had hiked there were wearing dirty athletic wear and hadn’t showered in a couple days. Talk about a contrast!

Anyways, this is one of my most treasured adventures. From treking though knee deep mud, to waking up at 2am to beat all the tourists to the top, to collapsing in total exhaust and wonder once I reached the top, this will not be a trip I ever forget. If you’ve ever been you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.