A Southeastern Road Trip

Last week, I made the drive down to Georgia to visit my mom in Savannah. I was back and forth on whether to take this trip, because my Spring has been hectic with traveling just about every other week, but I finally did it and I’m so glad I did!

I was lured in by the chance to see live ponies on Assateague Island. I almost canceled the trip when I found that the campgrounds in the park were all booked for the weekend. But I waited a day and found openings at the Cincoteague KOA nearby. I stopped in Delaware to do some work and visit with my friend Jesse from school, and then finished up the 4 hour drive.

It was perfect for me. It’s a little more built out—you probably wouldn’t like it if you’re looking for a solitary camping experience)—but as a solo gal camping on my own for the second time ever, it was exactly what I needed.

I was surprised to see it was mostly extended-stay RV campers (they also had the houses above to rent) and only a few of us in the primitive tent camping. There was even bingo and live music on a Friday night. I skipped that in favor of setting up my tent and building my fire on the windy plain.

It was so windy that I seriously thought I was going to end up sleeping in my car for the night. But once I staked down my tent, it held, and my little fire powered me through. Note: the camp store delivers extra wood right to your campsite if you run out. Amazing!

The wind died down by bedtime, and I surprised myself by sleeping (only a little restlessly a full 8 hours through the night). I stayed just long enough to watch the morning sunrise before packing up my tent.

Chincoteague is the southern island, but it’s only a short drive up to Assateague National Seashore. Two tribes of wild horses roam through the marsh and on the beach. Many visitors are lucky enough to see them, but it was possible that I wouldn’t see any that day.

I tried the beach without success, so I decided to drive back to the trails and take a little hike. I knew there was a horse overlook point on the trail, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up and end up disappointing. I decided I would be happy with the nature views, deer, birds, squirrels, and numerous bunnies that I saw close up.

But when I got to the overlook point, there they were! Not many other people were around, so I got to have a quiet solo moment with the horses (and 3 baby ponies!!!) It made for a majestic morning.

I’ve heard that at sundown they run on the beach. Seeing them grazing in the marsh was enough for me! I spent a few moments hanging out on the overlook, then did one more hike to see the lighthouse.

It was a highly recommended check off my bucket list. Then I was off to North Carolina for the next stop…

Springtime in New Jersey

This is really just a photo dump of sunsets and flowers before I forget! And who could leave out a lighthouse pic…

I might say that I liked winter here better than Spring? Of course, there are the random 65-degree days that are everyone’s favorite because they smell like summer. But in general, I could leave behind the blustery 40-50 temps when the calendar says it’s supposed to be April.

At least in winter you know it’s going to be cold. You’re prepared and expecting it, so you can only be pleasantly surprised when it’s above 30. But Spring… I never know what to wear and I’m just riding it out til June.

We still have the best sunsets for every season, of course.

And my friend Ashley and I went to u-pick tulips at Holland Ridge Farms.

They were everywhere and in every color!

I accidentally picked 11 instead of 12. But I can get behind Spring if there are flowers involved.

I tried my first pork roll of almost two years living here. It wasn’t bad and tastes like ham to me, but I’ll stick to my usual bacon, egg, and cheese.

Or maybe breakfast at home.

Had some yummy pizza up in Brick.

And here’s one more sunset for the road:

Colorado (Day Three)

We didn’t ski on our last day in Colorado, sadly, but with the two-hour shuttle ride to the airport I would have only been able to ski from 8-10am. You might say that would be worth it, and I might agree with you, but we opted for a morning stroll across town instead.

Keystone Village is a cute little ski town with restaurants and shops for buying t-shirts and all the souvenirs you need. I found a quirky-looking “curiosities” shop about 2 miles away, so we walked there, only to find that it was closed for the season. Not a huge surprise, since most of the shops close for the off-season, and this particular village was a little out of the way from the mountain.

The walk was nice, though.

We stayed along the river and warded off the geese. After a few photo opportunities, we turned around and headed back. I had leftover pizza for the road, and we stopped by to check out my step brothers’ house and meet their dog.

It was a short trip overall (especially with my own silly mess-up of missing my flight), but I’m glad I took the chance on my first time skiing in Colorado. I have a feeling I’ll be back soon!

Colorado (Day Two)

The say it’s about the journey, not about the destination. Which is true, except when you’ve made it through hours of airport and shuttle travel, and it’s really all about the destination. But a full day on the slopes made it well-worth the transport. We started around 8:30am and stayed out until 3. The sun was shining the whole time.

It was nice that our condo was slope-side, because I was more than ready to pass out for a long nap afterwards. I was only able to wake myself up for a soak in the hot tub. We didn’t make it into town for dinner on night number two. Instead we had pizza delivered to the Airbnb and went to bed early.

It’s definitely good living in Colorado during April. I hope to make it back someday for more!

Colorado Birthday Celebrations (Day One)

Oops! I missed a flight. To Colorado. From Philadelphia. To meet my dad for a birthday ski trip.

Well, technically I was on time for the flight; I just forgot that you need to be there 45 minutes early to check bags. These past twelve months off from air travel have really gotten to me. And I probably need to stop parking in the cheapest lot where the shuttle only comes once every 20 minutes. You live, you learn…

Luckily I went to the University of Delaware, so I have a few friends who still live in the Philadelphia area. Two of them were kind enough to give me refuge (and homemade pizza!!) for the night. It was fun to spend my birthday eve among friends.

Can you believe I’ve only missed one other flight in all my years of traveling and maybe 100 (not sure) flights? We were in Barcelona taking too much time for sight-seeing and ended up taking the train in the wrong direction away from the airport. That was a lot stress, reprinting documents from budget airlines, and trying to sleep on the chairs/floor of the Barcelona airport where the guards definitely don’t allow you to sleep.

My Philadelphia friends live fifteen minutes from the airport, so this time was slightly less hectic. I rebooked on a flight for the morning, waited forever for the shuttle back to get my car, and made it to their house by dinner time. We popped champagne and had a short sleep, then early in the morning I was on my way.

The airport treated me to a sunrise view, and I remember one other time that I spent my birthday in that same airport in 2008, when it snowed and our flight to volleyball nationals was canceled. Again, this was much less hectic so I couldn’t complain and could only be mad at myself for missing a day of skiing. Or so I thought.

The transport from the Denver airport got me to the mountain with enough time to take a few runs in the afternoon sun, so I didn’t have to miss an entire day. Keystone Mountain is warm and welcoming in the spring, and by 3pm the snow had softened up a lot to make for some enjoyable April skiing.

My dad and I were pretty exhausted from the car, airplane, shuttle, plus half or full day of skiing, but we powered through and celebrated with birthday dinner and drinks in Breckenridge. Most things were open with capacity restrictions (at least outdoors) and it was exciting to experience such a popular ski destination. We had a nice time bar hopping up and down Main Street. You can definitely feel the altitude, coming from lower ground, but we must have had a second wind from the adrenaline of a new adventure.

More skiing to come on day two!

Easter in Long Beach Island

Even though I got a new job, I’m still working weekends at the restaurant. Mainly because I enjoy it and love the friends I’ve made there. The extra cash on the side doesn’t hurt either!

I spent the full Easter weekend working. I didn’t mind too much, since we got some good sunsets and busy crowds on the island.

I did miss going home or to my sister’s for brunch. Everyone was sending me photos of their yummy meals throughout the day, so I had to make due with deviled eggs off the work menu. Luckily, I like all the food there and these were quite tasty. That’s a fried shrimp on top.

It was a nice weekend to stay put after a couple weeks of traveling (and knowing I’d be traveling again the following week). I was glad to be home.

March Madness (Part Two)

I was back in LBI for a brief moment (and a sunset or two), and then it was back on another plane to California. What has it been like to travel during/post-Covid? I’ll say it has been crowded! All of my planes have been completely full. No social distancing in sight.

In some ways it’s nice to return to the feeling of normal travel. In other ways it leaves me wondering if we’ve opened the floodgates too soon. It’s like there were all of these immediate limitations that didn’t fully make sense, and now the lifting of restrictions makes even less.

I was surprised to hear that we’d be going to an in-person conference for work, but happy since I’ve definitely got the bug after a full year off from traveling. I thought about staying in LA between trips, but I also like going home and unpacking my bags for a few days.

California was much warmer this time. The desert already gets up to 80 and 90 during the day. Luckily, the conference was mornings-only and we had the afternoons off to roam free.

I definitely didn’t spend much time in the room (or get much work done on the computer). The JW Marriott had a ton of options for activities: fitness classes, walking and hiking trails, bikes to rent, swimming pools, and a gym.

We took a bike ride through a nice park, past the flamingos and all different sized turtles.

It was tough to adjust to the Pacific Time Zone, which also made it hard to stay up past 9pm. But I was always up early (like way too early, at 4:30am) to get a sunrise walk or a workout in.

I was sad to leave the desert! I wouldn’t want to be there come summer, but I’m dreaming of a painting class or a yoga retreat there someday. Now I’m fighting jet lag on the other side and struggling to fall asleep before midnight and wake up at 7! It’s funny how quickly our bodies adapt.

No more trips to California in the very near future, but I’ll be going to Colorado next week. See you again soon, travel life!

March Madness (Part One)

I just decided this needs to be a two-part post. After not traveling by air for a whole year, I went to California twice in one month!

Here’s how that happened… do you remember how I was supposed to be going to El Salvador in March to teach on a yoga retreat? That is now postponed to October 2nd. You can come.

Since I was already planning to take the week off and be away, I decided to make a trip out to LA. My friend, Pixie, decided to travel at the same time. So I stayed at her place to watch the dogs. Do you recognize these guys?

I also started a new job this month. Technically, I’ve been working with them since October, but we decided to make things full-time and more official. I’m excited!

While I was boarding the plane to fly out to LA, my boss called me about an opportunity. He would be leading a workshop in Southern California at the end of the month and wanted me to come along. Ok! I said.

I work from home, so I logged on for the early morning hours and had most of afternoon/evening free to explore. My friend came up from San Diego, and I got to see a few old friends in the LA area. Things were still pretty locked down and outdoor only— it was surprisingly chilly! But we did our best to meet up.

Pixie lives in such a beautiful area, and the boys were very well-behaved. I always feel lucky to stay there!

I threw any summer diet plans out the window for the week.

But we had some time for hikes and gorgeous views.

My friend Ashley had never been to LA, so of course we had to do the touristy things.

And we had a socially-distanced party in the park for a bulldog birthday.

The week went by too fast, with a lot of jet-lagged 4:30am wake-ups! It was so nice to see everyone again. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year. Sometimes it feels like six years and sometimes like six minutes. What a strange time, but I’m glad we’re getting back out there. Stay tuned for part two!

February Photo Dump

In February, we finally FROZE here in central/south Jersey (I never know where it begins or ends)!

The end of January brought the first snow that actually covered the ground. Then there was a Super Bowl blizzard that at least brought some excitement to the day. And another snowstorm that forced me to break out the shovel.

I’m happy about it all. I can enjoy one or two good snows per season. Any more than that and I’m out of here.

There was a Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day partner yoga workshop (Hot or Not Yoga).

I ordered myself some special treats from a new local businesswoman (One Board Blonde).

I hadn’t eaten all day until 1pm, so I ate the whole charcuterie tin in one sitting and I have ZERO regrets!

I took some chilly beach walks.

And met my dad and sister for skiing in PA.

The winter sunsets continue to be a humbling reminder to stay present and grateful.

And now we’re on the cusp of another month. Winter in LBI is much more lively than I expected. I’m frequenting How You Brewin, The Local, the new Agnello Market, and occasionally The Port Hole. The swarm of people staying on the island all year (including me!) is apparent. And, of course, I’m still waitressing at Kubel’s where we’ve had a steady pace of regulars and travelers… and a few back-to-back Covid testing experiences that are getting to be an eye roll, but which I’m still reminding myself to take seriously!

I’m always missing summer, but I haven’t hated the winter here much at all. I just completed the opening ceremony of a March challenge that I’m doing with my friend Pixie, so I’m planning to be focusing, writing, and posting a bit more on here in the coming month. It feels like a fresh start.

<3

2020

What a day. One of my favorite yoga teachers from Austin, Erika, whose class I used to attend religiously would always remind us, “We are more alike than we are different”. We all want the same things: to feel safe, to feel loved, to feel free. Some days it’s harder to understand how other people think and what drives them to do what they do. Today is one of those hard days.

I find it difficult to believe that this time last year, I was still wandering in Australia, ordering too many flat whites from coffee shops and deciding whether to come back to the US or not. I’m glad I did, at the time I did, obviously because of Covid lockdowns and because 2020 was the year I finally came home.

We’ve seen a lot of memes about the horror of 2020 finally being over, but I’ll remember it as a year that brought me closer to home than I’ve been in a long time. Among all the shaking up and uncertainty in the world, there’s a certain comfort and ease in the feeling of sitting on the couch with your family, or at least knowing that a friend is only a short drive away. I’m still fighting off chin pimples from many hours of mask-wearing, but at least I’m doing it at home.

The Whale

Like for many families, Covid interrupted our normal plans for holiday gatherings this year. We skipped the annual pierogi-making when we would spend a day at our Cousin Debi’s house making Polish pierogi for Christmas Eve dinner. She spends weeks drowning in flour, making them for family, friends and coworkers, so we pretend to be helpful and join for the day—but we probably require more help and time than she could do it expertly on her own!

In fact, there would be no family Christmas Eve dinner at all this year. We usually go to my dad’s cousin’s house and join multiple generations in a traditional feast, and recently added less-traditional jello shots. Some of us have skipped a year or two (me for gallivanting in Nicaragua or Australia), but we always come back. When I missed last year, I had no idea it would be two years before we reunited again. 2020 was the first year since my grandma started the holiday gathering that the whole family would not be together on December 31st.

I made the decision to go to my hometown to my dad’s house. We’ve all kept pretty isolated in our communities, for the most part, so it was a low-exposure risk as far as the virus was concerned. My sister, on the other hand, had to skip for the first time ever since her boyfriend is a doctor working with coronavirus patients. My uncle, too, a regular member of the household at Christmas and in the summers, decided to stay down south and avoid the travel and higher case numbers in New York.

This year was different, and didn’t feel completely like Christmas, but we made it work. My dad and stepmom put together awesome meals; we saw some snow before the rain melted it away, and we opened presents from under the Christmas tree.

Back at my other home (in LBI), I used the downtime and cold as an excuse to do three rounds of cookie baking. I gathered the few decorations that my mom left here and that I have saved from various apartments combined with the pre-lit tree my sister lent me to create a little bit of holiday spirit.

On Christmas Day, a whale washed up on the beach near where I work. Leave it to a small island town to let everyone know about a beached whale in a day by word of mouth. Of course, I had to trek out past the light house to have a look.

It’s always sad and disheartening to see any deceased animal, but I’ve never seen a whale alive or dead, so it was also cool and felt like a once or maybe twice in a lifetime opportunity to get so close. It almost didn’t look real. They’ve since buried the whale in time for the new year.

Winter Wanders

Hello and Happy New Year to all of you, friends! I started writing up a 2020 reflections post and going through my phone for pictures to pair with it, but I found all of these photos from Longwood Gardens in the winter, and they were too beautiful not to share with you.

While going to school in Delaware, I’d visited the gardens a few times in the summer months, but I had always wanted to come back to see their Christmas display. I finally got the chance last month. My sister came over from Harrisburg and we met for breakfast. It’s wonderful to be living in a place where you can meet up with a treasured family member for a day! She introduced me to her favorite restaurant, and I’m a little embarrassed to tell you that we ate there for breakfast, left one of our cars, and came back for lunch when we picked up the car. It was that good!

It was a warm day for December, so we wandered around comfortably outside and in the greenhouses all afternoon. I may bite my tongue later, but so far I’m appreciating the mildness of Mid-Atlantic winter. It’s been seven years for me without a real winter, and it’s not as bad as I remember. Ask me again in late February…

The decorations were gorgeous! I’m curious to come back at night, but those reservations filled up quickly, so we’ll have to wait until next year.

Fall

Hello! I’m here, more quiet and still than in a usual year. But, as we know, this is not a usual year.

They tell me island life is busier than in most years. I’ve never been here for this long, so I’ll have to take their word for it. The temperature has dropped, but things feel… strangely normal.

I’m lucky now, because the past 9-10 months have been anything but normal. Somehow we’ve been allowed to keep operating and I’ve managed to build a sense of routine that feels steady, but could always be gone in the blink of an eye.

Yoga has moved from the beach and the turf to indoors (thankfully for me, because I can’t handle the cold). Restaurants and gyms are still open, so I can continue life as it was going in the summer. That gives me a nice sense of stability and I’m sorry if you’re wanting to do those things and cannot.

I’m still dreaming of kicking off a Zoom yoga class before the end of the year so that we can all practice together if you’re not here.

I’ve started teaching at another studio here, and there still has been time for restaurant life, sunset views, and a quick trip back home to take in the fall foliage.

And a small-sized Thanksgiving with my sister and her boyfriend. And when I say small, I mean the number of people; the menu was most definitely regular-sized.

We enjoyed making the most of a weird and distanced holiday.

I’ve officially become a New Jersey resident (gasp), which include not one but TWO trips down to the shortest line DMV in Cape May. The first time I was turned away for not having all the right materials, but I turned it into a beach day instead. The second time was more successful, and I visited Lucy on the way back:

This is the longest I’ve stayed in one place for a while. It feels safe and like some sort of a home. I’m waiting to discover next steps, but right now I’m happy to be here. And the sunsets have still been amazing, in case you were wondering.

Life in LBI

Now that we’re all caught up on Spring quarantine and visits to Harrisburg, PA, that bring us back to here, Long Beach Island, where I’ve been somewhat safely planted as of May. It feels wonderful to be back, and I’m going to need a whole carousel of sunrises and sunsets to show you what each day has been like (see below). I’m working at the same restaurant as last summer, and it almost feels normal despite wearing a mask and gloves for sometimes ten hours a day. Customers have been mostly friendly and generous, although I’m selfishly glad they’re not allowed inside yet, so we have less cleaning side-work and don’t stay open as late. Oh, and the health factors, too.

I like my job and the people I work with, so it has felt more like a blessing than a burden to be working again. I’ll update you more on all the restrictions sometime this week! But since May, we’ve been slowly starting to peel back the layers of lockdown. It started with solo walks on the beach, and life on the island began to pick up speed. I’ve done yoga distanced in parks and I’m teaching weekly classes on the beach with Yoga Bohemia.

I’ve found it relatively easy to be socially distanced and outdoors, since we have the whole ocean and bay to entertain us. Fourth of July was a little more spread out than usual, but we were still able to gather with friends on the beach. I’ve played beach volleyball with a mask on and gone surfing with friends.

I still get most of my meals from The Local Market (and my sister makes fun of me for it), but I’ve added a new neighborhood coffee shop to my repertoire.

It’s certainly been a stranger summer than most, but is there anything more I can ask for than for 2020 to feel slightly normal? The sun keeps rising and setting just as before.

Harrisburg, PA

I didn’t expect to ever hear myself saying this, but I am very into Harrisburg, Pennsylvania right now! My sister, Elayne, and her boyfriend, Will, moved there last month to start their new life of being veterinarians and doctors around Hershey. They are enjoying it so far, and I’ve already gotten to enjoy it a few times with them.

When they first found out that Will’s medical residency was going to be in central PA, I have to admit I was worried that they’d be bored. But since I’ve visited, I’ve found that Harrisburg has a lot more to offer. There’s Hershey Park and all of its surrounding benefits—wineries, breweries, and a chocolate spa. (Yes, we are going there as soon as the world reopens and I have a weekend off!) Even the firetrucks have Hershey Kisses on the back. There are tons of nature hikes and even some underground caves. And their new townhome obviously has a lot more space for guests than the old apartment in Queens. It’s a win all around.

My favorite parts so far have been walks along the river where you can find roaming woodchucks and views of distant riverboats. There are also some crazy humid-weather bugs that look like they belong in a jungle.

We’ve hit some coffee shops and restaurants (one that shockingly already offered indoor dining!) And you can never beat cocktails on the patio with family and friends.

I’m happy for them to settle into such a historical and charming city. And I’m glad our family has a new place to gather and spend time. I’m already looking forward to the next visit!

A Quick Return to Normalcy

Hi friends! Wow, I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without posting. But, truth be told, this spring and so far into summer have been wild and loud enough as it is. I’ve been doing a lot of sitting and reflecting (and now working), trying to process everything without adding more content to the noise. There was a lot that I liked about this spring, namely getting to visit with family and a few longtime friends, a chance to slow down and stay on one coast of one country for a bit. And on the other hand there was and continues to be a lot of confusion, frustration, sadness, and anger at why our world is the way it is and what’s coming next—both on a personal level and a societal level.

So I’ve stayed pretty quiet on the internet. I’ve cooked, crocheted, read books, and taken long rejuvenating walks in nature, just like everyone else. Sometimes those are the only things to do. I began to visit with friends outdoors and visit my sister in her new home (more to come on that!)

As summer arrived, I settled back into Long Beach Island, NJ and life has started to feel somewhat normal again (more to come on that, too!). It’s a magical place, and I’m secretly glad for all my failed endeavors to be back in California at this time. LBI feels like exactly the right place to be.

When I first got back, I was pleasantly surprised to find a protest here for the Black Lives Matter movement— I was surprised and a little nervous about going by myself since New Jersey can be very red and LBI is very white. I reached out to some friends to see if they wanted to come and, of course, most of the friends I know here were already planning to go. It made my heart happy to arrive and see people of all ages and skin colors in the crowd.

It felt reassuring to know how many people care, and at the same time it feels like not enough to march with a sign when elsewhere people are struggling and losing their lives. I hope you’re sitting and reflecting too, and that it sparks the changes that we all need to act and make.

I’ll be here wishing you and all of us well.

LBI in Springtime

I’m writing this a few weeks later now that I’m down in Long Beach Island, NJ “permanently” (not sure if I’m ever anywhere permanently at this point!) But in early May I came down to the beach for a little getaway. Being here before summer kicks off is very peaceful and relaxing. It’s not exactly bikini weather, but there was enough sun to go for walks on the beach. I forget how much nature is all around this normally busy island. The scenery is filled with gulls, crabs, dolphins, turtles, and all sorts of sea creatures. I ran into a family of geese down at the end of our dock that were guiding their new goslings by the water.

My sister joined me for the weekend and we did all of our favorite things, in quarantine style. It was different than your usual visit to LBI, sure, but we were able to check off some of the traditional activities. We had coffee and split a strawberry poptart by the fire at The Local. They’re open for full service with masks, distancing, and a limited number of guests.

We walked on the boulevard and onto the beach. There weren’t many people around before Memorial Day, but Mother’s Day brought a few families out.

The restaurant takeout scene was already busy before the summer rush. We called our favorite breakfast spot, The Sandbox, and were told there would be an hour wait. That seemed manageable since my sister doesn’t get to come down here very often. For dinner, we ordered sandwiches from Black Whale on the south end of the island. They had almost a two hour wait, but the server shortened it to an hour when she found out we were only getting crab cakes. Both meals were worth the wait since they provide reassurance that our beloved island eateries are surviving these wild times. I hope they stay busy and can do good business this summer in spite of it all.

On Sunday, my sister had to hit the road to go back to work as an essential employee, so I made us oatmeal bowls at home. The whole weekend was a fun girls’ trip and gave me some nice company for island hermit life.

The Hamptons

My sister is having her last hurrah in NYC this week before she and her boyfriend pack up and move to Pennsylvania to start his medical residency. I feel bad for them since their last months in the city were dashed by Covid quarantines. They’ve been fully cooped up, so I’m sure the trails and forests of PA will be a welcome change. I took a couple trips down to see them and make the most of our rare time together in the same state.

During one of the trips, I decided to take a drive out to the Hamptons, because I’d never been. I knew it would be a long drive, but I don’t have much else going on these days. I started out following this guide to the scenic stops along Montauk Highway, but after about 4 stops, which were certainly beautiful and worth stopping at, I decided I’d better just make my way to Montauk or I’d be on the road all day.

There are so many gorgeous views along the way; it doesn’t hurt to stop at any of them. And it was so nice being outside and on the water after so many cold and rainy days this spring.

I was surprised at how rural and scenic everything is once you get further out onto Long Island. It’s a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Queens and the rest of NYC.

Since it was midweek, the stops weren’t crowded at all. It was even strange to see the touristy beach towns almost deserted. On the other hand, I was glad to have views like these all to myself:

Montauk was the main attraction. I couldn’t believe how many trees and how few cars I saw along the highway. I wouldn’t have believed that I was less than two hours outside of New York City. Once I got into town, I could tell that I was in a beachy vacation neighborhood by the number of cars and people walking around, but it still felt calm in the offseason. Restaurants were open for takeout, so I grabbed a bagel for the road.

Of course the main lighthouse park was closed due to quarantine, but I was still able to walk around the beach and the base of the lighthouse. The restrooms were open, which I thankfully found out before I had to duck behind the nearest tree! I did see more people walking around on the trails down to the beach, so I put my mask on and kept my distance.

I felt peaceful walking along the water by the ocean. It ended up being a long-ish drive from Queens (about 2 hours each way), but I found it to be worth the trip. I’m not sure the next time I’ll be on Long Island after my sister moves, so I’m glad I took the chance to travel out there while it was accessible. However, if anyone has a Hamptons beach house, I will gladly accept any invitations (wink, wink).

Porch Parties

Whew. It’s hard to keep your mind satisfied and occupied on its own day after day when all you have is a yoga mat, some crochet yarn, and a Netflix account. Fortunately the weather turned up for a bit in New York (but only a little bit since it apparently SNOWS HERE IN MAY) and we were able to do some outside visits with family and friends.

My sister drove up from New York City to hang out on the porch, so we made some raspberry bubbly jam margaritas. Margaritas have definitely been a big theme of our quarantine thus far. What else can you expect after my birthday, Cinco de Mayo, and the weekend and other days around Cinco de Mayo which were full of nothing but puzzles and rain clouds? I will say that the bubbly jam margs (made with seltzer and raspberry jam) were a crowd pleaser.

My dad lit up the BBQ and it almost felt like summer here for a day. We camped out on the porch and soaked up the sun. It was a welcome relief from all the windy, rainy days we’ve experienced this month and last.

He also made an awesome tres leches cake. Our days have certainly revolved around food and whatever we can possibly celebrate, but who can be mad about that?

I haven’t jumped into the live yoga teaching scene yet, but I have been taking classes with some of my favorite teachers. I love that quarantine is giving me time to experiment with different exercise classes like bootcamp, weightlifting, and core. I always come back to my old favorites, though, and I’m feeling lucky to be able to connect with former teachers from different parts of the world. I have been teaching my own classes on YouTube whenever I get the chance (you can subscribe to my channel here).

The sunsets have been lovely, and I hope you’re still enjoying your own bursts of nature when you can. See you soon!

Small Adventures

Ok so, I haven’t been 100% sheltering in place. I did my best, really. And it was a lot easier when it was raining. A person can only do so many puzzles.

We’ve sometimes branched out from our walks in the neighborhood to include nearby parks and trails. My dad and I took a nice weekend hike through James Baird State Park. Having to stay close to home has deepened our appreciation for nearby gems.

But this past week was very nice, so I went upstate a bit to visit my friend Annie and to celebrate her daughter’s first birthday (socially distanced, of course)!

On the way home, I stopped to get my daily exercise in by checking out the Hudson River Skywalk over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. I think I liked it as much as the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie! It was definitely refreshing to be out and about.