Summer

Laying on my stomach on my cartoon beach towel that I've had for way too long, it feels like it's 100°. Fahrenheit of course, Celsius conversions will forever escape me and I gave up trying awhile ago although that's what they use here.

Of course it's not 100, it's probably not even 90 yet, but something about the humidity in this city kills me. I glance to my left and can literally see those heat wave things coming off of the sand. 

Sweat rolls down my forehead. What I thought was a mid-week beach break treat yo' self was actually just turning into a heat stroke.

Never did I think I would live in a climate that I found to be too hot, to be honest.

I shift again, and a girl in a purple thong bikini catches my eye. It's not out of the ordinary on the beaches of Tel Aviv, but her put-togetherness, her long manicured nails and large floppy beach hat make me overly aware of my disheveled hair and lack of makeup. She kind of looks French.

I wonder if I'll ever muster the courage to wear a thong on the beach, I ponder. Just about anything goes here; speedos are right and left, the less clothing the better it seems. I conclude that there's no point in burning my butt cheeks just to show some more skin.

It's kind of funny, we often get questions from our friends and family (particularly those planning to visit), "Do I need to cover up more? Do I need to wear pants? Should I buy a one piece?"

No. In Tel Aviv at least, you should do the exact opposite. You will see just about anything and everything; nothing shocks me anymore after walking up and down the beach for almost a year now.

I shift from my stomach to lay on my back, and make the mistake of putting my feet on the burning sand, quickly correcting it by burrowing my feet underneath. The breeze feels great, and I consider for a second actually going into the sea. Until I remember the warning from friends that it's jellyfish season, for at least another week.

Yeah no thanks.

To my left there's an old man whose a deep shade of brown that my ethnicity will never allow me to reach. I wonder how he's asleep when we are basically sitting on the sun. I'm jealous of his beer next to him.

We need more post-it notes, I remember to myself. Post-it notes are one of my odd loves in life; actually, making lists on them is. It was on my list today to try to find more post-its, and some cheap plates. You know what I mean - everyone needs at least a few crappy plates that you and your husband can easily chuck into the microwave/into the dishwasher/onto the floor without worrying about damaging them. Our old ones from the Target dollar section were getting disgusting.

Oh Target, I miss you. #2 behind Trader Joes.

I should probably wander down Allenby Street before heading back home to get some work done, and see if I can find a store that sells both post-its and plates together. Odds are low, which is why we now just order roughly 75% of things we need off of Amazon - even if we have to wait a week for it.

I stand up and immediately slip on my Birks to get my feet off the sand. Maybe I should stop at the juice stand on my way, in order to avoid heat exhaustion on my mile-long walk home? Sounds like a plan.

Waves

Fun fact: Israel is roughly the same size as the state of New Jersey

Now that I threw out a captivating fact to grab your attention, Happy Wednesday.  By the time you read this I'll most likely be closer to Thursday, but that's ok.

One thing I've always wrestled with when moving somewhere new (this is now my third time) is the lacking of simplicity. What I mean by this is, for awhile, things that would normally be fairly simple or mindless are not.  The amount of effort that has to be put into tasks such as finding the nearest grocery store, then purchasing said groceries, etc., is much more tasking in a brand new place.

Hebrew and a different currency don't help, but it's all new regardless of those barriers.

Relationships are the biggest simplicity that I consistently miss directly after the move - outside of Andrew, and my dog - all relationships are starting from scratch, having to be built up and nurtured, and therefore require a lot more time and energy than a relationship that is familiar and has been standing for years.

This is just me thinking out loud, not necessarily complaining, because I expected all of this going into the move.

One awesome thing about living in the middle of Tel Aviv is that when I'm having a bad day, a slower day, or just need to get out for awhile, the beach is always an option. And pretty much a guaranteed pick-me-up.

So yesterday after a productive morning I made the ten minute trek to the shore and was PUMPED to find that the waves were massive.

 {For the Med that is. I'm not talking Hawaii-sized waves but big enough to at least body surf and get tossed around}

I don't know what it is about big waves, but they make me irrationally happy. So I left my backpack near the shore by some trustworthy looking peeps and ran in, as cool-looking as possible (which is actually impossible when doing such an act alone).

It was a little odd, splashing and playing about in the waves completely by myself. I did some handstands and caught some of the bigger waves, trying to body surf them in. At one point a larger wave threw me under and I actually came back up with a stupid smile on my face.

An older gentleman was nearby also by himself, and we both caught each other smiling as another big wave came barreling through.  And it was the simplicity of those 20 minutes or so, completely alone with myself yet on a beach full of people that brought me a lot of unexpected joy.

So the point of this weird story?  I think joy is very easily found in simplicity, and I believe simplicity can be found easier than we often realize. You kind of just have to keep your eyes open, and seek it out.  I know building solid relationships out here is going to be a very healthy thing for both of us in the long run - but sometimes it's best to just take a step away from the noise and the events and the planned dinners or meet and greets - and be alone.

On that note, I'm off to another lunch.  Because it's about balance; and while my comfort zone is a good, necessary place to retreat to, I'm not going to make any friends standing in the ocean alone all day.

Cheers- 

Kait

Observing

Being a Type A person,  it is a bit weird to wake up every day and not have a solid schedule in place. Don't get me wrong, every day there are certainly things to get done, but for awhile we will be lacking a consistent schedule.

So until I fully figure out what my job situation will be, I see my basic responsibilities as:

1. Settling us into our new home - this includes stocking up on groceries which has been incredibly daunting so far.
2. Training our dog. At 9 months she is well-trained but we would love to consistently have her off leash; therefore I spend a chunk of every day working with her on that. 
3. Learning basic Hebrew. It very quickly became clear that I should know at least the basics out of sheer politeness.
4. Figuring it out. Let's dig into this one.

My sense of direction has been absolutely turned upside down here in the Holy Land, outside of knowing which way the beach is. Therefore I would define figuring it out as literally wandering around. Slowly learning where the nearest grocery store is, the best cafes, which juice stand is the cheapest. Observing. Plugging my headphones in, throwing on my backpack and simply trotting around with a dazed American look on my face. 

One thing I quickly observed, and fell in love with: Israelis seem to give very little sh*ts about rules. 

Exhibit A: The Beach

From what I can tell, dogs aren't allowed at the beach, unless you're at the specific dog beach.  I started laughing on my morning run earlier this week as I witnessed dogs literally everywhere.  Granted, it was earlier in the morning and I'm not sure that would fly during prime hours, but in short people seem to take their dogs everywhere and anywhere, regardless of what the signs actually say.

However we did find the actual dog beach and Kai has never been happier

(& I absolutely cannot read Hebrew, but I'm thinking a dog with a big X through it means no dogs)

Exhibit B: Scooters

Traffic within the actual city of TLV is kind of insane and once our car gets here (which at this rate most likely won't be until December) I'm not sure I would even be brave enough to drive it within the city. Drivers are aggressive and horn-happy, but beyond that, the scooters are TERRIFYING.  They do whatever they want, always.  On the sidewalks, going the wrong way, weaving between lanes, you name it.

Exhibit C:  Socializing

In summary, it seems that any hour is happy hour.  I'm constantly finding myself questioning if the entire country is on vacation ALWAYS, as bars restaurants and cafes are fully populated at ALL hours of the day and night.  I see business men in suits sipping on beers at 11 AM on a Tuesday, and just this morning while letting Kai out at 6 AM walked past several girls on their way home from bars/clubs.

Walk by any beach any night of the week, and there are enough BBQ's and picnics going on to make us wonder if it's a Jewish holiday we were unaware of (which is not outside of the realm of possibility).

Exhibit D: Graffiti

It's everywhere; it's like a social norm for there to be graffiti on a building, not a big deal at all.  It's grown on me quickly - I'm a big fan of some of the quotes I've seen so far...

I'll stop with the examples, but have plenty more if you're interested.  In short, my observation is that there are simply less sh*t's given in this country - certainly less political correctness, no tip toeing around, more laid back about a lot of stuff.  You say and do what you feel... and I kind of like it.

So the point of why I'm babbling about this observation is; I think that I need to somewhat apply this Israeli mindset to myself as I wander around Tel Aviv trying to figure it all out.  If I hand the cashier the wrong amount of money (which I have) or order the completely wrong kind of drink at the cafe (yesterday) - oh well.  Drink it, move on.

One cafe gives you chocolate every time you order  :)

Happy Friday, hope you had an awesome week!  And if you didn't - forget it, and move on.

Cheers -

Kait

Oct.Toe.Burr

Does anyone know where the heck September went? Holy moly, I don't know about you, but it FLEW by over here in Baltimore.

I'm really excited for October. I have a lot of super fun things planned, the highlight being the 7-day cruise to the Bahamas that I won coming up in the middle of the month. My sis and I agree that it can't come soon enough.

I haven't thrown a monthly challenge out there for awhile, so I figured hey why not throw three challenges out there? I stumbled upon all three of these bad boys on Pinterest of course, the magical land where I spend too much of my time before bed.

got butt cheek?

Simple enough, wouldn't you say? Of course they will get a bit more time consuming later on in the month, but they work three different areas of the body that can always use a little bit of improvement. Join me for one, two or all, let's tone sh*t up.

This past weekend I was up on Long Beach Island in New Jersey for a coworker's engagement party. She nailed it, it was beautiful weather, and I even took a minute to sneak off to the beach and check out the New Jersey sand.

I was impressed.

Sunday morning before heading back to Maryland I nursed a slight hangover up on the rooftop deck with my coffee. I had one of those 'this is exactly where I'm suppose to be in this moment' thoughts pop into my head, and I felt blessed with all of the opportunities and adventures the east coast has thrown at me so far this fall, both large and small.

Morning posts are always a bit rushed for me, because I desperately need to get to work. I think we should talk about running next time, don't you agree?

I also think we should list off all of our favorite things about October. Ready, go:

Cheers to a new month! Let's make it fabulous.

K

Falling into Fall (literally)

I’ve missed you guys.

I apologize for my shady absence, but I was out living pretty damn hard this past Labor Day Weekend.

And now my body is desperately trying to find normal again, whatever normal is these days. 6 AM alarms have felt like 4 AM alarms the past three days, but it was well worth it. Mentally, it was more needed than I could have ever realized.

Physically? Physically it confused my body. Today it’s still asking me if the abundance of drinks – umbrella beach drinks, coronas with tangy limes, shots of whiskey – if all that was really necessary. Confused as to why I was eating philly cheesesteaks for breakfast on the beach, and chasing it with a cannoli.

That’s not a joke, I promise it happened.

Asking if not one, but almost two nights of no sleep was really necessary.

It was.

Because laying in bed next to my best friends, ranting about our dreams and our fears and asking the hard ‘why’ questions outweighs any night of sleep. Because sprinting into the ocean in the dim moonlight, with nothing between the waves and our skin… that’s living like we were made to live. And sitting in that sand, hand in hand, watching our beautiful sun start to peak over the edge of the water and sprinkling sparkles over the waves… that will knock any amount of sleep out of the water.

 You can take my pillow, I’ll take the memories.

The memories of standing in a gas station parking lot the next day, having my knee scrubbed free of asphalt and sand while tears of laughter and pain run down all three of our faces. The asphalt that I met at 4 AM on the way to the beach, in a dead sprint. The lost skin was worth it. The scars that will form will bring me joy, not sadness.

Dancing to the point of perhaps reinducing stress fractures in my feet? Worth it. Waking up with sore ribs and abs from laughing late into the night will bring me more pride than any p90x you want to throw at me.  

There was a re-prioritization that happened in my head this weekend, slowly. My health is so important to me. But locking myself up in my room for 3 weeks straight in order to sugar detox? That isn’t as important as living this life that is so freaking short. Celebrating the gifts we were given, the friendships we are blessed with, this amazing earth we live on.

I’m not saying I’ve punted. I’m currently sipping tea as I type this, absent-mindedly making my paleo-like list for the grocery store. By the way, we did make some healthy pumpkin bars this past weekend … and ate the entire pan by noon that same day. They were excellent.

Recipe linked here

I’ll wrap this up, I could go on forever. I’m so blessed to have my wolves. I’m lucky to have this life I live, no matter how hard and shitty it may seem at times. I’m excited that it’s fall, and for what it brings; both the good and the bad. It’s a season of change, not only as the leaves color and fall, but within my own life.

Thank you all for doing life with me. I will always try my hardest to publish my full self on this tiny little domain, hence the semi-romantic rant I just went on. I’m glad I’m back, I’m glad football is back, and I’m so, so glad that tomorrow is already Friday.

What are the thoughts on the new layout? Props to my girl Kailyn, she worked her magic pretty dang hard. Get in touch with her if you're looking for a blog makeover.

Cheers my friends.

K8

Pumpkin Parties... & A Beach Bonanza

I'm actually not sure if that title makes any sense? Oh well, it's my blog.

Anyone who already follows me on Twitter or Instagram may already know this, but I have a confession to make. I have pumpkin fever.

what's that? i've used this picture before? i know.

Today consisted of pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast as well as a pumpkin smoothie as an afternoon snack. The day before started with some banana pumpkin overnight oats.

AND, because I’m a lover not a hater, I’m going to share how to make it:

Pumpkin-Banana-Dark Chocolate Overnight Oats:

The night before, combine the following:

-1/2 cup of rolled oats (or however much you want)

-1/2 cup of pumpkin

-1/2 or 1 full banana

-cinnamon

-squirt of honey (however much sweetness you enjoy)

(optional: chunks of dark chocolate, flax, chia seeds, dash of vanilla extract)

Mix/smash all in bowl with enough milk of choice (I use almond milk) to cover the ingredients. Let soak overnight. Enjoy in the morning!

For a warm version, basically combine the same ingredients in the morning and heat that puppy up for about 2 minutes in the microwave. Voila! So good, I was literally licking the spoon in the parking lot before walking into work.

OHHH, you're sick of these weird self-portraits of myself? Lately, have you found yourself thinking:

That's unfortunate, because I'm not going to stop.

On to more exciting things: Labor Day Weekend!

Late tonight, three starry-eyed Colorado babes who I like to refer to as my wolf pack will arrive at BWI Airport. I do believe I’ve mentioned them before but just in case you wanted another visual… here’s an example of our semi-daily roll call, where we literally stop whatever we are doing and send out a pic of ourselves in that very moment to our on-going group text. Because that’s how long distance friendships operate, right?

Kar

Les

Sarah

and of course, me. 

Following my killer fabulicious 18 mile run tomorrow morning, we are headed to Bethany Beach along with Andrew and a group of his hooligan friends. We rented a house, and plan to do very little aside from lounge, soak up some sun, play in the ocean, catch up on life, grill… enjoy some beverages… you know the deal. Just an All-American weekend.

Hope your Labor Day weekend is absolutely fantastic, take some time for yourself, whatever that may look like!

Cheers!

a blind mouse beach trip

First things first… I’m free!!

Holllaaaaa

And you’re all finally free of my bitching constant eye glasses references.

Anyways, onwards!

The 5:30 a.m. alarm on Saturday morning was rough. But well worth it. 

After quickly mixing up a green smoothie to keep my 30-daystreak alive and throwing it in the AWESOME L.L. Bean thermos that my aunt hooked me up with, we were on the road by 6 a.m., coffee in hand. We didn’t really know what to expect by the way of ‘beach traffic’ and wanted to make it across the bridge before it got too backed up. We were quite successful, as we pulled into the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware a little after 8 a.m., no sweat.

Wide open Bay Bridge

It was a beautiful morning, so we walked to beach and pondered what we would have for lunch that day the secrets of the vast ocean as we stared out at it. At the time, I was still forbidden from contacts yet refused to wear glasses at the beach. So I was a blind little mouse, and not the best partner when we tried to play Frisbee. But hey, I tried.

I managed to escape without a frisbee to the face.

confused blind mouse

 I’ll spare you the minute by minute details of our laying on the beach conversations. I will note that the day wrapped up with this:

Gelato!!

And this:

It was definitely a successful beach trip, followed by a productive Sunday yesterday.

But it’s a new week, and I’m ready to hit the trails. I randomly signed up for a trail 10k for this coming Sunday that I really hope to do well in… and therefore plan to get in a few extra miles this week. Temperatures are pretty stifling here lately (90 degrees +) but hey, nothing like training a little adversity.

Anyone else have some upcoming races?

Here’s to a solid week. Cheers!