the granola diaries

It had become an evening ritual – setting everything up the night before so that I could be efficient in the morning and not waste a moment of daylight. An alarm set to wake me before sunrise? Check. A full tank of gas? Check. Almond butter and jelly sandwich in the fridge? Check. Two liters of water in my Camelback? Check. Deciding on how many layers to wear and setting my hiking boots by the front door? Check. All my other gear neatly shoved into my pack? Check. A post-it note on my backpack to remind me to take that sandwich out of the fridge and pack it? Check. Over the past three months, I willingly lugged […]

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welcoming change with a big hug

When I first found out I had the opportunity to move to Seattle, my heart skipped a beat. I’m a firm believer that my initial reaction, that feeling in my gut, is a tried-and-true indicator of whether something is a good idea or a bad idea. I did not give myself time to be scared or overthink it before I said that one magical and powerful word – yes. “Whenever we think we know the future, even for a second, it changes. Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely, and we’re left only with the choice of what to do next. We can choose to be afraid of it, to stand there trembling, not moving, assuming the […]

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weekend warrior pick: portland, oregon

Recently, my team at work welcomed a few new faces from other teams. In an effort to get to know each other after the reorganization, my supervisor asked each of us to present an “About Me” slide for a recent team meeting – pictures encouraged! I had a ton of fun selecting pictures, trying to fit as many onto one slide as humanly possible. Travel was a consistent theme for all of the members on my team, but I took the crown as weekend warrior. With 10 vacation days and 2 floating holidays, by far the lowest compared to everyone on my team, I have managed to maximize my time off by taking weekend trips – anywhere […]

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happy it happened, not sad that it ended.   

It’s been a quick start to the new year – HOW IS IT ALREADY FEBRUARY!?  It seems like New Year’s is one of those times that people either love or hate. I sit on the fence with this one.  Ever since I was a kid, I felt anxious around the new year.  I never was one to believe the world would end, as has been predicted tons of times, but something about another year in the books is just a reminder that life is moving SO fast.  I still can’t decide if 23 is really young, or really old. Early last year, I decided to choose a word to focus on. 2017’s word? Grateful!  2017 was a […]

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coming soon – Marissa Piazza, RYT 200

One of my favorite feelings in the world is dropping into savasana at the end of a perfect yoga class. It’s difficult to define what a “perfect” yoga class is but when you have taken one, you can feel it. I leave class feeling like I have a certain glow, and I’m reminded of why it’s essential to come back to my mat. The ability to feel, and really tune in, is essential. Laying in savasana at the Wanderlust yoga festival this past October, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and felt as though I was full of light and warmth… I am sure the Texas sun beating down on me helped with that! It’s […]

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harvey: finding the light

  Anxiety, nausea, sadness, relief, grace, guilt, gratitude, happiness – I cannot remember the last time I felt so many varying emotions in a two week time period.  It’s difficult to describe the emotions that surface not only the anticipation of a hurricane, but in being witness to it, and seeing the aftermath. A sense of relief has washed over Houston as the flood waters recede, and ironically we have had the brightest, most beautifully sunny days over the last two weeks.  Amidst the suffering, I have seen such displays of humanity and compassion that have brought me to tears. For a city so battered by the wrath of a storm, I have been witness to an […]

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thai-style chicken wraps

Thai-style Chicken Wraps One of my favorite parts about traveling is trying new foods. I’m a true foodie and LOVE experiencing a new city through food, especially when I can then recreate my favorite meals at home.  This past weekend my friend Brooke and I went on a mini-vacation to nearby Austin, Texas. I’ll save the details of our girls trip for my next post… but as a preview I’ll share how I was inspired to try making a new type of wrap as part of my weekly Sunday food prep. Check out my Inspiration: Thai Salad Wrap from Cherrywood Coffeehouse Grilled chicken or fried tofu, cucumbers, red onions, carrots, daikon radish, shredded cabbage, cilantro, and our […]

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road trippin’

4 hours – one direction, one highway… so. much. fun. The experience taught me not only WHAT are road trip essentials, but that road trips TRULY ARE essential. Essential Item #1 – full tank of gas… BEFORE day of departure. Goes without saying, but I found myself filling up (yes, at an Exxon of course, and yes, I did get Plenti points) at 3:30pm day of departure. It’s a shame when you’re all ready to depart and find yourself needing to fill up… waiting while your car fills up, and of course getting distracted by the snacks in the convenience store. Am I the only one that can’t resist mini Oreos?  Lesson learned – don’t get sidetracked by an empty tank […]

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a love letter

Dearest Houston, Texas…. I’m so sorry that we started off on the wrong foot. The things I said about you weren’t nice, and I didn’t really have to chance to get to know you. A fatal flaw of mine is my inability to correctly judge based on a first impression. I’m slowly learning that nine times out of ten, I should believe the complete opposite of my first impression. I take back what I said about you being a “God forsaken” state (Texas that is – Houston I hope you don’t take offense to that?). A friend politely pointed out to me this week that Texas is more likely a state blessed by God, being in the […]

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it’s all in the name…

For months, I could not accept that I was leaving. I would say the words, but it never seemed real. I had spent all of my childhood in the same house in New Jersey, surrounded by friends, family, warm summers and cold winters. Texas? Did I actually think I could move there, just me?  Recently a friend of mine asked me how I knew that I could move away.  I sat there speechless. I admitted that I never really thought about whether I could or couldn’t. Coming out of school with a job offer was such a relief, it hadn’t occurred to me to ever say no. Looking back, I wonder if a subconscious part of me knew […]

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