Time and Inspiration

Today started so well. I got up early and meditated, I listened to an Oprah podcast on my walk to the train, and I even saw a rainbow! I was feeling in the flow and inspired. I felt like I was on the cusp of a break through. I didn’t know what I was about to figure out, but I knew it was meaningful. I knew that I needed to take some time for myself and that something would come through. 

But then I walked through my office door and all of that changed. By the time I put away my coat and turned on my computer, my work day had already started. And it was a stressful day of back-to-back meetings from 9 until 3 pm. And, even though the meetings were great and I was able to accomplish a good amount at work, I ended the day in a bad mood.  

I was in a bad mood because I never had time for myself. And I know that it’s no one’s fault but my own. I could have said no to something or taken time between meetings.

And I ended up so frazzled that now I am writing something that I know is not what I was meant to write today. I’m trying to tell myself that it’s okay because I needed to be reminded of this lesson and because we all need to practice protecting our time. We can play creatively with the field of time when we practice mindfulness. And today I let my day happen to me instead of creating my day and playing with time. 

Did you control your day or did your day control you?  

Anxiety

I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. It feels like there is a pink elephant sitting on my chest and that there isn't enough space for me to breathe. My mind begins racing with my to do list and worrying about things outside of my control. There are days when the panic grows and grows, even though there is nothing external to cause it. I wish I could break free but I wonder if the anxiety is just part of me. 

My anxiety has been the driver of my success for so long that I wonder if I would fail without it. I wonder if I could check off everything on my to do list. I wonder if I could be successful without a sense of doom over my heart. 

But as I meditate and take some time for myself, the anxiety is lifting. There are moments when I am completely carefree and there isn't a knot in my chest. I had the greatest time last weekend because I could enjoy myself and not worry and carry the weight of my pink elephant of stress. These moments of freedom are expanding, and I'm still getting everything done that I need to. And when the doom comes back, I can stop it faster. I can actually breathe. And that's a great step.

For so long she was a human going, human doing, human seeing.
But then she learned how to be a human being.

Taurus Full Moon

As you may have noticed, there was a beautiful full moon this weekend. I don't know much about astrology, but some of my friends were posting about the Taurus Full Moon so I decided to learn more!

According to my research, the Taurus Full Moon, also known as the Beaver Full Moon, is linked to abundance. It is a time to clear any limiting beliefs about personal worth and value, so that you can easily create a life of abundance. It reminds us to ground into who we are and to remember the power of presence. The moon will make us sensitive, intuitive, emotional and romantic. Dreaming will become more vivid and creative, and encourages presence. 

Have you noticed any effects of the Taurus Full Moon this weekend?

Yoga Nidra

Every Friday night, I go to a free meditation class at the yoga studio near my home. The class is 45 minutes long, and is the perfect way to unwind from my week. For the first few months, it was the only time in the week where I could actually relax. It is my oasis.

Usually, the meditation class is a mindfulness themed around a chakra or a feeling, such as love and kindness. Last night, the meditation class was instead a Yoga Nidra meditation. Yoga Nidra is essentially yogic sleep. It is a meditation where you float between consciousness and sleep, and is incredibly restorative. You lie in shavasana with as many pillows and blankets as you need to be comfortable, and then concentrate on relaxing each part of your body. Research shows that one hour of yoga nidra is the equivalent of four hours of sleep.

The 45 minute class flew by. I never fell asleep during class, but my body felt as if it had slept through the night. After class, I was so relaxed that I went to bed early and happily slept through the night. 

Have you ever tried a Yoga Nidra class?

SUP Yoga

One of the fun activities at Soul Camp (full recap here) was taking a stand up paddle board yoga class. SUP Yoga has been on my wish list for a long time, and is even on my current 101 in 1001 list. The class did not disappoint and SUP Yoga is my new favorite sport. I am not usually naturally gifted at sports, but SUP Yoga combined my love of water with my love of yoga and I am hooked. Our instructor, Amber Maron, teaches SUP Yoga in LA and I will definitely be visiting her soon.

Soul Camp

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Soul Camp, a 5-day sleep away camp for adults near Fresno, CA. 180 beautiful souls - men and women of ages 21 to 75 and of all races, came together for a week of fun and healing.

The founders, Ali and Michelle, both went to summer camp when they were younger, and wanted to create the camaraderie of camp for adults, infused with spirituality and personal development. Each day there were five sessions, with at least six classes to choose from in each session. There were delicious meals and plenty of opportunities for bonding and development, such as bonfires, a talent show and and a relay race. 

It's hard to describe how beautiful and profound the experience was. I made three incredible breakthroughs in my personal development and feel like a different, more grounded person now. I went horseback riding for the first time in ten years. I learned SUP Yoga (another blog post to come). I made deep and authentic bonds with friends that would have taken years to develop in the "real world." I stood in my personal power more than I ever have before. 

I am so grateful for this experience and have already bought my ticket for next year. I am anxious about going back to my job tomorrow now that I have experienced another way of living, but know that my friends will be there for me and that the lessons will stay with me. 

Outdoor Yoga SF

Yesterday I checked another item off of my California bucket list, and yoga on Ocean Beach lived up to the hype. Started by Julie Aiello, Outdoor Yoga SF is an hour long yoga class on the beach followed by a dance party. 

Everyone is given a pair of headphones, and there is a DJ playing music to go along with the yoga class. Near the end of class, Julie had us walk down to the ocean and dance with our feet in the water. After class the DJ played more upbeat music and everyone kept dancing until the sun set.

I'm still processing the class, but I will leave it that it was the perfect way to unwind and feel the light of the sun. 

Earthquake drill

My office just had an earthquake drill. That is certainly not something that happens on the east coast. It’s easy to laugh off and have gallows humor, but it does wear on me that I live somewhere with consistent potential doom. I try to remind myself that none of us are ever safe, but it is strange to live somewhere that catastrophe is inevitable, we just don’t know when. But I try to make myself feel better by having an emergency pack and an emergency plan, and to realize that I have been very lucky so far. It’s just a different experience and a different perspective on life. I guess it’s just more culture shock.

Service

Today was super powerful. Today I got to help present more than 700 pieces of recess equipment to a local school on behalf of my employer, Blue Shield of California. It was so heartwarming to see the looks of excitement on the faces of the children, and was so fun to be able to give back in a more tangible way.  

I used to do a lot more direct service work, and I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. It was such a great feeling to know that I had impacted someone’s life. I used to do that every day when I worked in City government, but the burnout became too much. But service wakes something up inside of me that is so integral to my identity that I now am planning on finding more opportunities to volunteer and serve.  

How do you give back to your community and what does it mean to you?  

Authenticity

I haven’t been my real self on this blog very often. I have posted a few entries that are more than just the “DVG Everything Is Awesome Tour Guide” but have not been telling the whole story. Because as much as I have been able to explore some really cool stuff in California, it hasn’t been very easy.  

I have always been a home body, and am very close to my family. I hadn’t realized how much I relied on having people nearby for my own happiness and security. So this has been a bit like the transition to college all over again. Only without the structure of school orientation and combined with the struggle of losing my father last year. All of the baggage that I thought I had dealt with is coming up, and it hasn’t been easy to work through. 

But it is definitely getting better. I don’t cry as often, I am learning to support myself, and I am making a whole new group of Friends. So, if you’re struggling through a transition, here are a few tools that have helped me in adjusting.  

• Routine. I go to a free meditation class every Friday night and it has worked wonders. Not only does it provide structure and alone time, I also now see the same people every week which is very reassuring. 
• Adventure.  On the other side of the coin from routine, it also has been helpful for me to have adventures. Life is about having fun, and taking time to explore San Francisco has been a blast. I also often bring new friends on adventures, which makes it double the fun. 
• Journaling. As I have mentioned in the past, I am working though the book The Artists Way. The purpose of the book is for everyone to find their inner artist, starting with “morning pages” every day. Morning pages are three pages that you write in your journal every morning, even if you have nothing to say. It has surprised me how much I have enjoyed writing every day- I even rearranged my commute to make it easier! 

How do you get through times of transition? Anything else I should add to the list? 

Half Moon Bay

Posting about the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Fest made me realize that I never posted my original blog about Half Moon Bay. 

Half Moon Bay has a special place in my heart; it’s the first place that my husband and I visited when we were considering moving here and is my favorite get away when I need to be near the ocean. The nearest Dunkin Donuts to me is also in Half Moon Bay, so it’s a definite bonus that I get to have my favorite coffee on the trip. There are also a dinosaur garden and some great greenery’s on Route 92 that are worth an amusing stop. 

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Fest

I did it! I checked another event off of my California Bucket List! And the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival did not disappoint. Being in Half Moon Bay is always amazing, but the festival even exceeded my very high expectations. There was art for sale, there was food, there were performers and most importantly there were pumpkins! The header photo is of me on the winner of the pumpkin competition. It weighs 2,363 pounds, and is the largest pumpkin ever grown in the United States. 

The festival continues tomorrow (October 15) if you are in town, or mark your calendars for next year. I already have! 

California Wildfires

The California wildfires have continued to spread, and all of the ash is causing a layer of haze up to 70 miles away. I have friends whose houses have burned down, and at least 21 people have died.  

It is hard not to be hopeless when there seems to be another tragedy each week, each closer and closer to home. But I try to remind myself that we will get through this and that fear is unhealthy. It is our responsibility to be the light and exercise faith. So I send light and love to wine country, and hold space for the recovery of our world. 

Ferry Building

My office is around the corner from the Ferry Building, so I hadn’t thought of it as a San Francisco attraction to add to my list. But it is on every tourism list, and is my favorite place to go out to lunch, so why not! 

The San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay, a food hall and an office building. My favorite restaurant for lunch is Cowgirl Creamery, and I love Hog Island Oyster Co. for dinner. I haven’t yet gone to the Sliding Door, but have heard that their food is delicious! 

Brenda’s French Soul Food

Last night my husband and I went to a delicious dinner date to Brenda's French Soul Food. Brenda's is on all of the San Francisco bucket lists, and did not disappoint. We got fried chicken, ribs, collard greens and mac and cheese, and then ordered a flight of beignets for dessert. From start to finish everything was delicious and I will definitely be back. 

Bottle & Bottega

In order to open up my creativity, I recently started reading the book The Artist's Way. The assignments of the book are to write three pages in a journal every morning, and to go on an "Artist Date" on your own every week. My artist date this week was painting. Painting can be a trigger for me - my grandmother is a very talented painter and I grew the belief early in life that I was not a good artist. But this Saturday I began to tear down these negative beliefs!

Bottle and Bottega recently opened a franchise in Redwood City, and they hosted a free paint class to get the word out. The class was hosted at Portobello Grill; we arrived at 11 and ordered lunch, and then the class begun. Instead of the entire group painting one canvas, each person was able to select what they wanted to create. I painted a little owl, and the instructor helped me create something that I was actually proud of. 

The owners of Bottle and Bottega are hosting more free events on October 13, 22 and 29, and are taking reservations for full classes and private events. 

101 in 1001: October Update

I can't believe that it's already October and that I've been in California for four months. For my birthday, I created a 101 in 1001 list. I've already made some progress, but still have a long way to go!

Doctor, Dentist and Optometrist appointments: One of my first "adulting" tasks for after graduation was to have a check up and finally get glasses.  

Meditate every day for 1 month: This was the most challenging goal to achieve this quarter. I use the app Calm, which is free and has hundreds of meditations for every instance. I especially love that the app has sleep stories for when you are having trouble falling asleep. I am still not sure if I am a better person because of my meditation, but I really enjoyed the challenge. 

Buy coffee for a stranger: There is a homeless woman who I see most mornings on my walk into work. She has a big smile and greets everyone, and I often think about her the rest of the day. One day, I was having an especially rough commute, so decided to buy her a cup of coffee. I truly think that it did more to change my day than change hers, but I was glad to know that she was drinking a warm beverage while sitting outside. 

By the next time I post an update, my goals are to:

• Go on a yoga retreat (I'm going to Soul Camp in a few weeks!)
• Go to a trivia night
• Drink 8 glasses of water per day for a month
• Find an exercise routine

Sausalito

Yesterday we drove up to Sausalito to meet up with one of my cousins for the afternoon. The drive was long, but once we were over the Golden Gate bridge I was so glad that I had agreed to make the trip. We met up at Bar Bocce, which is BYOB on the beach, and caught up for a few hours. It was a perfect September day, and I was so happy to be on the beach.

We then had an early dinner at Salito's next door. We started with a delicious cheesy bread bowl (pictured below) and then each had a sandwich. After dinner we took a walk up to the ferry terminal and back, and then got back in the car. It was a very short trip to Sausalito, but I will definitely be back. 

Monterey & Carmel

Last weekend, my husband and I drove down to Monterey for our second wedding anniversary. After a stressful summer and a long few weeks of being long distance, it was exactly the get away that we needed. 

We stayed at the Wave Street Inn in Monterey, which was very simple and so close to the ocean that the seagulls were very comfortable on our balcony. But it was located very close to Cannery Row, and a perfect home base for a weekend of exploring.

View from our hotel

On Friday, we arrived in the early evening. After checking in and unpacking, we walked downtown for dinner at the Crown and Anchor. One of the websites described it as a British pub in a ship, so I had pretty high hopes, but it ended up being just a pub with lots of nautical decorations. But the food was delicious and it was a great way to start the weekend.

On Saturday, we slept in and then started our day with donuts from Red's Donuts that we ate near the water. We then got in the car for a day of driving and adventures.

First was the 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach. There is a $10.25 fee but there are 20 sites that are well marked and maintained, so I found it to be completely worth the cost. We walked through the woods at Huckleberry Hill, we strolled down the beach at Spanish Bay, and I was able to take photos of the Lone Cypress. Unfortunately there was no parking available at the Ghost Tree, so I need to come back to see it!

After the 17 Mile Drive, we continued south to Carmel. We had lunch at the Carmel Belle, then walked the neighborhood. We purchased some art for our apartment by Jeff Daniel Smith and sampled candies from the Cottage of Sweets.

Once we had explored Carmel, we then went on a hike at Point Lobos Reserve. The views were very similar to the 17-mile drive, but it was great to be in un-interrupted nature for a few hours.  On our way back to Monterey, we stopped in Pacific Grove to find the Kissing Rock. The Kissing Rock is two rocks that have worn down over time, and now look like two people kissing. It was challenging to find (it's near Esplanade Park, not Lovers Point Park), but was a cute tourist destination.

Once we got back to Monterey, we were very tired so just had chowder at Fisherman's Wharf and then went for pizza. When we got back to the hotel, my Fitbit recorded that we had walked 11 miles!

On Sunday, we had brunch at Cafe Lumiere, a hipster coffee shop inside of a movie theater with instagram-worthy food.

We then spent the rest of the day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was worth the very expensive admission, and then drove home. 

AT&T Park

A few weeks ago, my office had an employee appreciation event, and I was able to check Taking a Tour of AT&T Park off of my California Bucket List!

The event was held on the bleachers with lunch on the suite level, and I was able to take a tour of the park! The tour included the press box (the computer in the room with the big windows is where the official score keeper sits!) and the visiting locker room. The tour was only 20 minutes so I would only recommend for big baseball fans, but it was great to be able to see parts of the stadium that we don't see when watching the game. 

What is your favorite ball park?