Fortunate Fridays {Incredibly Grateful} Edition

Ummm how is it Friday already?! 

How are you guys doing?! First of all, my apologies for missing last week's Fortunate Friday post. I was on a roll with this series and then a weekend came along when I didn't feel so "great" mostly from stress and stuff I needed to take care of. Hence, the motivation to complete a Fortunate Fridays post was not really there :-/. Don't get me wrong--- great things did happen last week. My mind was just not there to share much. I am human and my life, although I am incredibly grateful for it, is not perfect. I am sure you all out there can relate and understand.

But anyways.... I am back!

Have so much to say but I'm not sure if I call fill it all in to this one post so I'll try and make this a normal one.

And here is what I feel fortunate {incredibly grateful} for this week:

1. My friend Dana! Words can't even describe my appreciation for the fact she opened her apartment to me during my last week of the internship. She allowed me to sleep in her all-so-comfy couch. I felt so welcomed! Needless to say she greeted me with flowers, candy, and the most delicious banana bread she could find at the farmers market! How. Amazing.Is.She?!

Although after the weekend was over we just saw each other in the evening after work, we had an amazing time talking about careers, dating, and life in general. We also checked out a few really good restaurants in the process. And took one too many photos:

 

Yummy Foods:

**she also took me with her to a body pump class at her gym which was tough but super fun. That girl can lift some heavy weights!

2. The serendipitous way in which I found the topic for my final presentation at the internship (where there was a whole lot of people to impress). I was freaking out and then the perfect company "magically" appeared ;)

3. Successfully getting through one of the most nerve-wrecking presentations of my life to date and feeling amazing after.

4. Successfully getting through my entire internship this summer. Everything from pitches, to videos, to presentations, to quality time with Microsoft excel. I am walking away a completely different, much more knowledgeable person. This experience was priceless and I can't wait for what's to come!

5. All the great people I was able to interact with and learn from!

Bonus: being able to cover pretty much all "touristy" places here in DC. During my last weekend at the GWU dorms I was able to make my way to the (free) Smithsonian museums. Went to the American History museum and gave myself a nice tour.

As the foodie that I am; couldn't contain my excitement when I walked in to the Julia Child's and "evolution of food" exhibit. Great times!!!
 

...and that's all folks!

I am far more knowledgeable. I am happy, I am healthy. I am more well rounded. I know what I don't know. Understand more of what I know. I have a much clear picture of what I want. I have a more clear picture of where I am headed. of what makes me happy. I am excited for the future. Excited for what's to come. Excited for life. Feeling incredibly blessed. Thank you Jesus for all these blessings!

I am not going to lie about the fact this summer had ups and downs but the amount of ups more than made up for anything else. Also, the phrase "this too shall pass" presented itself and reaffirmed how true it really is :)

I move back to NYC this weekend and I seriously can't wait. I miss my apartment, my friends, my family; and everything else I have to look forward to!




Meme of the week goes to:

 *For some reason I came across this on instagram and it really stood out to me.

Cheers to Friday! Any plans this weekend?

Fortunate Friday {Good Friday Edition}

Hello dear friends!

It is good Friday today. To all of my dear Catholics out there, a day to reflect and to be thankful for everything that the one up above did and does for us. I am missing my mom as she is out of the country visiting her family. We would go to church every good Friday and take part in all of the activities.  I may have to do that on my own this weekend. My grandma is having a family dinner this evening so, looking forward to that.

I took today off from work to catch up on school work and to at least enjoy one day from my so called "spring break" without having to rush around and just to find some time to relax.

I woke up super late today catching up on sleep and then enjoyed a yummy breakfast.

In addition to the above noted "tasks" my apartment is in some serious need of deep cleaning and I may also go grocery shopping. I also woke up with the strange urge to purchase new sheets, a new comforter, new underwear, new everything! I may even paint my apartment (having painted it since I moved there over 2 years ago!).

 I've also been on some serious need of getting a bookshelf for the gazillion books I have at my place but I am not sure if that will take place today. I am just excited to "revive"  my apartment. and myself. :)

Will keep you all updated, of course.

Without further 'ado here is what I am feeling fortunate for this week:

1. God's unconditional love in my life and the feeling that I know for a fact he is always looking out for me. I cant explain it but when things are chaotic in my life and then when they finally fall in to place {sometimes miraculously} things make perfect sense and I cant attribute that to anyone else but the one up above! 

2. Co-workers that become amazing friends-- Not sure how this happened but I have become very close with one of my co-workers whom is fairly new. She has been such an amazing support system and I just feel so positive and optimistic around her. That's when you know you've met a good person!

3. Uplifting radio shows that motivate me-- I listen to a motivational show on Spanish radio which always manages to put a smile on my face. Do you listen to any uplifting shows?

4. The courage to talk to one of my managers about something (will share the topic on a post coming soon).

5. Finally finding Almond Butter!! (Quick Trip to Trader Joes)-- I made a gazillion trips to the whole food by my job with no lunch and yesterday I finally found my beloved almond butter during a trip to TJs! I also picked up a few staple items.

6. The time I've had to reflect on my experiences and getting to know myself better (does that process ever end?)

7. Optimism towards the future, finally feeling good again.

8. Things finally making sense, and self-forgiveness!

9. The courage to be more open on the blog (super freeing!)

As you may all have heard, one of the best known authors of the world, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, passed a way yesterday. I read several of his books growing up and I was very, very saddened by the news. I dedicate today's 'quote of the week' to one of his best sayings:

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it". GGM

Tell me,
1. Do you listen to any uplifting shows or podcasts? Please share!
2. Any plans for the weekend?

A Smooth Commute {and diet pill for breakfast?!}

Good morning all!

Happy hump day!

I had a pleasant commute this morning to work. I have been staying at my parents house this week considering my sister is on vacation and I can sleep on her bed. The commute from my parent's to my job is soooooooo much smoother than the one from my apartment. To make a long story short, it cuts my traveling time by about 20-30 minutes which is the equivalent of like 3 days in NYC time (I kid, I kid.).

Anyway, sleeping over at my parents also meant bringing over some of my foods that I had prepped for the week. Packing was a little stressful (isnt it always) but I managed to bring over some of the stuff including my banana bread which I am having for breakfast this morning with almond butter and a cup of joe'.

 

Yesterday while wondering the streets of wall street with my co-worker we went to Lot Less and amazing store with amazing sales and which I am obsessed with. I found these little pockets of almond butter for $1.

I ran out of almond butter about 2 weeks ago and have made sporadic visits to whole foods where they continue to be out of stock. Not sure what may be going on but I may pass by today again and see. But anyway, the little pockets are perfect for now although the jar would be a better deal of course.

So on to this diet pill situation….this morning as I made my way towards the cafeteria at my job to grab some coffee I ran in to a co-worker. This girl is absolutely beautiful and has a nice full shape which many would qualify as "over-weight". As we walked together she commented on how "hungry" she was but that she didn't want to break her diet. I asked her what does she mean? She responded by saying that she cannot eat anything for breakfast aside from a cup of tea. Then I asked her, what about lunch? she proceeded by saying she can have lunch but it has to be "light". She is on some kind of plan which involves diet pills from a fairly popular company I don't want to mention here. I felt sorry for her.

I felt sorry for the situation and I felt sorry for the ignorance of some people whom still believe that starving themselves is the proper way to lose those extra pounds. I don’t blame her. I blame the manufacturers of those companies whom, for the sake of profit, could care less about deceiving people about their "miracle pills". I can assure you that the CEO and high level executives at these companies eat pretty well and aren't starving themselves having a pill and some lettuce each day. I don’t want to judge. Maybe I don’t know the whole story. All I know is that the description of this diet she is on didn’t sound good.

I have to admit that back during my teenage years and maybe even very early 20s I would borderline starve myself in order to achieve that "idolized" skinny shape. Thankfully, through the years I have realized that deprivation is a sure way to fail in this area. There will come a time when your body will pretty much "attack" you and make you crave everything under the sun in order to get back those calories it had been deprived from for so long. The cravings will become so incredibly intense that you will have no choice but to give in and start the cycle all over again. This is a miserable way to live and I can attest to that because I've lived that first hand.

 

With failure comes experience and today I know that starvation is not the answer. Calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. It is all necessary for a well-functioning body and all works in unison to make you healthy and bring you to your healthy weight. It may be easier said than done but it is true. Our bodies are incredible machines and they will tell you what they need. If you starve it and deprive it you better believe that the first thing that will pop in to your head when you cant take it anymore wont be the healthiest food choices; and this is one of the reason for that yo-yo cycle.

 

Anyways, these are my two cents and some venting on the situation. What are your thoughts on this?

 

My Happy Places (Part 1)

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a great Monday!

This weekend I spent a lot of time with my parents. I decided to pay them a visit on Saturday and pretty much stayed over at their place until this morning (my parents live about 15-20 minutes away-- driving distance-- from my apartment so it is kinda' nice to have them close). I have to admit that it just felt good to be in their presence and to feel the love that only parents can provide. I kinda' missed that. It's been a while since I spent an entire weekend with them. 

For some time now I have been trying to put together a list of my personal "happy places" and my parent's home is without a doubt on the list. This post will be part one of a series of post where I talk about places that bring me happiness-- and why. Sometimes the reason is irrelevant. As long as something lifts your spirits and makes you feel better, that's all that matters. Happiness needs no explanation. I encourage you to search for your own personal happy places. Being reminded of what brings you joy can be beneficial for the heart and soul in good times as well as not so good times. 

Anyways, while at my parent's place I got my hair done (Saturday), wen to mass and then got my nails done (Sunday). I also ate some good homemade food and indulged in a bit of apple pie and vanilla ice cream yesterday. My mom loves to bake random stuff so whenever I am over there I am almost guaranteed to be surrounded by some kind of dessert.

Mass was great and brought peace to my heart. It emphasized the subject of surrendering our troubles to the lord once we have done what we can. Sometimes we forget to let go and let God do what needs to be done. Felt good to be reminded of that.

Additional pics from the weekend:

Made Banana Bread on Friday night (had several bananas that were past the ripe stage and I mean super-duper passed. Perfect for some delicious baking):

A failed attempt at Kale Chips. I have a feeling I didn’t leave them in the oven long enough. Recipe called for 15-20 minutes but next time I may go for the 30. Needless to say I threw out almost the entire thing:

A visit to the library where I found this awesome book:

Didnt go to class today. Needed a mental health day!!! So i am here relaxing for a bit!

Cheers to a smooth week!

Good Bye dear 20s!, thank you for everything :)

Ladies and gents:  Taking an interim on my catching up posts to make a public service announcement. I was born in the 80s. 1983 to be exact :)

I went back and forth on whether I really wanted to reveal my age on the blog but then I figured that 10 years from now I'd probably wish I had shared. If anything, it could serve as a reference of how my life changed/evolved/etc over the years. So here is the announcement:

Today is my 30th Birthday :)

Me, 29 years ago:

Ok, so I wrote this post yesterday and scheduled it to pop up today on the blog. I planned to take off from work on my bday so my plans is to have brunch with a friend, get my nails done and then have dinner with family in the evening. I will let you guys know what I did over the weekend (with photos of course).

So, considering this is a 'special' post. I could outline the "highlights" of my 20s, share what I learned over the past 10 years, share what my present life looks like and/or a combination of everything. I will save the "combination" for when I write a book because it may take me a while to write such a post. Hence, I will go with the highlights.

Below are the main things that happened in the last decade (which I can remember from the top of my head).

Highlights of my 20s:

Graduated college (at the tender age of 21)- Bachelor of Science degree in business.

Got my first "official" corporate job (also at 21)

Learned the true meaning of independence!-- after graduating from college I stayed living about 3 hours away from my family. Although I went away to college and actually lived in the dorms; the transition from being a student living on campus to being a working person living on my own was an interesting experience to say the least!

Traveled, Traveled and Traveled some more! This was definitely one of most amazing things that happened during my 20s, the ability to travel!-- My dream place to visit since I was a little girl was Paris, France and I was blessed enough to cross that out of my list when I was 28 :). I absolutely loved the experience and cant wait to go back.

I may be missing a country or two but here's a quick summary of some of the places I was able to travel to: Puerto Rico, Aruba, Bahamas, Lima, Peru, Cusco, Peru (Machu Pichu), Costa Rica, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Vancouver, Canada.

Side note: I actually made a commitment to myself in 2008 to visit one new country a year. So far so good. I think the only year I may have skipped in terms of a new country was 2010 but made up for it in 2011 (you'll see why below!). the list doesn't include the Dominican Republic since I am actually from there. I love my country more than anything but traveled there back and forth more times than I'd like to admit during my 20s. At least once a year for about 5-6 years.

Interesting Fact: 2011 was a very challenging year for me. A lot of things happened. Two major ones were loosing 2 very loved family members around the same time that I lost my job. I was also having a very hard time with school feeling as if I were going to fail all my classes (thankfully that never happened, thank god!). However, it also turned out to be a very significant year for me full of amazing transitions and life-changing experiences. It was also the one year where I traveled to a total of 5 different countries.

Amsterdam (2011):

Aruba (2011):

Paris (2011):

 

Bahamas (2008):

 

Costa Rica (2013):

 

London (2011):

 

Brussels-- beer country! (2011)

 

Vancouver, Canada (2012):

 also in Vancouver, Canada: Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Machu Pichu ruins Peru (2009):

Within the US: Vegas (about 4 times), Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Washington, D.C, Albany, New Orleans, among others that I seriously cant remember.

 New orleans (2011) Bourbon street & Cafe du Monde:

Seattle, Washington- Roadtrip!! (2012):

Vegas! (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012):

I am looking forward to visiting a lot of new countries as I enter my 30s. I am very excited about it and have quite the list of places to cross out!! I don't take this for granted and truly consider it a blessing from up above that I have been able to be  to so many places!

Took my GMATs (*twice*) and got in to Business school!-- Long story with this one but I have been a part-time MBA student since the spring of 2010. The degree has its ups and downs but I will be done next year (God Willing) and I cannot be more excited to be done with that phase in my life.

Rekindled my LOVE for writing: I believe I started this blog around 2010 (is embarrassing I cant remember exactly). However, finding the "blogging world" was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my 20s. I remember that I always loved to write since I was very little. However, as I got older it seemed that I had a hard time finding outlets where I could express myself with my writing and really feel "free" to share without holding anything back. I hope that my writing continues to evolve and develop through the years-- from founding new blogs to maybe writing a book--- Its fun, therapeutic, amazing. If you write, you know that I mean.

Got Laid off for the first time in my life: After being at a job for 6 whole years (very early 20s through my late 20s) this was initially a very challenging situation for me. Sometimes your job becomes your identity (as it was the case with this particular job) so, when it was over I felt as it had been some kind of serious breakup. 

I lost my job the same exact day I had plans to go fly to Europe and I remember crying my eyes out to my friend at the airport. Well, guess what, after all the tears I realized that was the best thing that could have ever happened to me! I was not happy with the job at all but I was way too comfortable. Had that not happen, I'd probably still be there (miserable). Things immediately turned around for me and that was honestly the best thing ever! (not to mention i had severance, unemployment benefits, etc. so money was not an issue whatsoever.). Ironically, this was a positive highlight in my life and looking back, I am thankful for it. Blessings sometimes come in disguise!

Finally got myself a job in Wall Street!-- Don't ask me why but ever since I graduated college I wanted to work in Wall Street. I thought it would never happen but the universe sure has a way of surprising you when you least expect it.

Was able to save enough money to buy my own place!--- Words cannot describe how amazing it feels to have your own space, your own apartment, your own "sanctuary". I call it my perfect place because it has everything I ever wanted! The community is super clean and well kept so I never have to worry about "weird insects" (if you know what I mean), I have a running track right behind my place, my monthly payments are low, I pay no electricity. I can go on and on! love it.

Understood the incredible benefits of saving money-- I know this is something probably everyone knows but I didnt quite grasp the concept until the years passed and I realized how important this is to say the least. If you are in your 20s  right now (or even if you aren not) and your job offers 401(k) matching or any kind of retirement contribution benefits please contribute up to your companies contribution. Everything adds up. Dont forget to save! save! save! as much as you possibly can. You will never regret it.

Developed a love strong appreciation for running--- I have mentioned this in the blog before but running has become a part of my life that I have learned to truly enjoy. Specially when it comes to doing fun races with my sister and friends (which I love!). i did my first 5K when I was 25, my first 10K last December, and my first half marathon this past April 2013.

First 5K (2010):

First 10K (2012):

First Half Marathon:

Lost close family members-- this is a sad story but I lost my uncle and my maternal grandmother only a month apart back in October/November 2011. There were other stuff going on during this time so to say that this was a very difficult period in my life would be an understatement. A year later my grandfather on my father's side passed away :(

Dated, a whole lot!--- I dated a lot of guys in my 20s two of which were serious long term relationships. I would say that about 80% of the guys I dated treated me like a queen and then there was the other 20%. After all my experiences (I can probably write several posts on the subject) I finally realized that actions ALWAYS speak louder than words. ALWAYS. There is no exception to that rule. I had some amazing times but I also went through a whole lot of pain. Despite all that, I am happy to say that I am genuinely glad for everything that happened to me in the love department. I know I needed to learn many lessons and trust me, I learned every single one of them! Excited to get married in my 30s and have a little girl or two :)

Found what my two passions are--- after a series of trial and error I finally learned what makes me happy and what makes me wake up in the morning excited to start a new day. I hope I can make a career out of my passions in the very near future.

Learned that a healthy and happy weight can be achieved by eating REAL foods and making fitness fun: I learned sooooooooo much about healthy eating and fitness in the past decade I dont even know where to begin! I went from nearly starving myself in my teens (boderline anorexia) to learning the proper way to nourish myself and keep fit during my 20s (the right way). Its been an amazing road. My weight has not always been consistent but I can tell you one thing, I love and appreciate my body more than ever.

I may be missing some stuff but I will leave it at this for now.

I feel excited to be welcoming a new decade of LIFE! :)

I learned so much in the last 10 years that I would seriously have to sit down and write a book about it. This is the quick summary of it all. I can either feel sad that my 20s are over or I can be excited to start a whole new and fresh decade, alive and healthy! I choose the latter :)

Tell me, what has been the highlight in the past 10 years of your life?

Lets Catch up Part 1: Divas Half Marathon *and* Rock N' Roll 10K

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I passed by here! We have a lot of catching up to do! Okay maybe not a lot but enough that I can’t see myself writing just one post so I may split this up between 2 or 3 posts max.

Where should I even begin? Well, I can start by saying that, as promised and previously announced, I ran the Divas Half Marathon which took place in long Island on Sunday October 6^th and the week right after that, on October the 12^th I ran the Rock N Roll 10K race which took place in Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park. So, basically a whole lot of running has been going on. I have to say both races were a lot of fun and it was great that I was able to share the experience with my sister and friends. The most important part of running both races was that I (once again) was able to appreciate my body which is capable of so much. The races were a couple of friendly reminders to love my body and not take it for granted. We should all remind ourselves of that even when we aren’t running/putting our bodies through strenuous activities but sometimes we all need a wake up call!

After completing both races I felt extremely thankful that the half marathon took place the week before the 10K. I am not sure I would have been able to endure it had it been the other way around. Here is a quick recap on both races.

Divas Half Marathon:

So, let me just start by saying that aunt flo’ decided to show up in the middle of the night just hours before the race. Lately this ‘monthly visitor’ has had a tendency of showing up at the most inappropriate times (i.e.: went to Costa Rica back in April and she showed up the first day of vacation). But anyways, somehow I managed to dress ‘appropriately’ and drank two Advil’s prior to the race to stop any cramps from gearing their ugly heads. I am happy to say that my strategy worked and I was able to run smoothly, with no discomfort, at least at that level.

The weather on the other hand was not exactly perfect. It was cloudy and at times some drizzle was coming down. The sun did not come out once during the entire 13.1 miles but at least it didn’t actually pour rain (although running a half marathon in pouring rain actually sounds fun).

My legs and knees were amazing until approximately mile 10-ish when apparently my extremities finally caught on and that’s when I really started to feel super exhausted. My poor right leg/knee was particularly not happy at all. However, I kept going considering that when you’re consistently running so many miles; it sometimes hurts more to stop. However, when exhaustion hit, I mentally prepared myself to stop and take a real walking break at around mile 11.5, which I did. I lost my running partner as she continued running but everyone is different and I had to do what felt best for my body. I picked up the pace again at around mile 12-ish and ran the rest of the way—taking it slow. I surprisingly picked up some type of strange (yet, extremely welcomed) speed at around mile 12.5 or so and finished strong!

Photos:

My little cousin rockin' my crown post race...lol..isnt she gorgeous (Love her!!):

At the finish line I received the most awesome medal Ive gotten to date!.

My time was a little bit longer than my first half marathon (by about 10 minutes) but I honestly did not care! Two half marathons in one year has been quite the accomplishment for me and I am very proud of myself and my body. I may not be running half marathons at stellar times but I know what my body is capable of doing and an average of 10-10.30 (sometimes 11!) minutes a mile has gotten the work done and it works for me!! What works for you?

Rock N’ Roll 10K Brooklyn

Another super fun race! Thankfully aunt flo’ was long gone by the time this race came around so I had one less thing to worry about! The day was much nicer than the weekend before and although when my sister and I woke up for the race (~5:30 am) it was kind of dark outside; by the time we were all gathered at the starting lines the sun was beginning to peek through!

The weather was pleasant, I was comfortably dressed, and I ran the entire 6.2 miles quite smoothly. After running double that amount the week before; this particular race almost felt like a breeze! (Which is when I realized how grateful I was the long race had already been done and over with!).

I had never ran in Brooklyn’s prospect park before (or anywhere in Brooklyn) so I am happy to say it was truly an amazing experience.  

At the end of the race I got my super cool medal and tons of freebies (including several bottles of nesquick chocolate milk—ooolala so delicious). Another amazing race for the books!

Photos:

Favorite Photo:

Post race we found this little dinner in some random street by the park and had the most delicious brunch!!

And that's PART UNO of my catching up series :)

Hope everyone is doing great! 

Tell me, Have you ran any races lately? What’s a “comfortable running pace” for you, especially when it comes to long races?