(Less than) 48 Hours in San Francisco - Brady

Last weekend Kevin and I traveled to San Francisco with two of our good friends from Fort Wayne. Tish taught with me at Carroll and David is her super awesome, super funny, super photographer husband. There aren't very many photos of either him or me because we both just bought fancy cameras and spent most of the trip behind them.

First off, let me just say that I think San Francisco is the most beautiful city in the United States. Here are some photos to prove it:

Flowers at Fisherman's Wharf.

Hendry Vineyard in Napa, where we did a tour and tasting.

The Bay Bridge.

Sunset on the drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Land's End Park.

Land's End Park. 

We spent lots of time walking, eating, wine tasting, and sightseeing. Two particularly interesting activities, for me, were seeing the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf...

And going to the Musee Mecanique, a museum of old carnival games also at Fisherman's Wharf. There were games like "English Execution" where you watch little dollhouse figures hang somebody (and "French Execution" where you watch them chop off the person's head), old "moving pictures" (you turn a crank to make them move) of the San Francisco earthquake or "Tiger vs. Snake," games where you shot basketballs or BB guns, and this little number...

Yes. It was exactly like the movie Big, except it was a grandmother instead of a scary wizard.

It was an amazing, whirlwind trip. We had two 6 a.m. flights, one the night after we "sprung forward," so I think we got 5 hours of sleep on Thursday, 7 hours on Friday, and less than 4 on Saturday. I think all four of us went as hard as we could until we were about ready to crash...we stepped off the plane in Chicago just in time.

I say it all the time, but traveling is truly just about my favorite thing to do, and I feel so lucky to live in an era and a situation that makes is relatively easy for me to make it happen.

Florida Photos - Brady

Another year, another trip to Siesta Key. Kelly, Mom, and I had such a relaxing long weekend. Most days I woke up to walk or run or take pictures on the beach at sunrise, then headed back to the condo to pick Kelly up so we could run to the village together. We'd grab coffee and eat breakfast there (sometimes Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma would meet us) and then walk the two miles back home along the beach. After that, if it was warm enough, we'd read on the beach, eat lunch by the pool, or nap, and on the one rainy day we encountered we got pedicures and went bathing suit shopping. At night we'd either go out to dinner or stay in for some veggie lasagna, and one night we were invited to a fabulous Valentine's Day party at my grandparents' condo development. I also bit the bullet and did a night swim - one of my favorite Florida activities - despite the cold. Oh, and after about 45 minutes of wheeling and dealing Kelly, Mom, and I got a decorated dollar bill up on the wall of the Siesta Key Oyster Bar.

I think I'm still sad about being home again. At this moment one week ago we'd just finished up lunch at The Salty Dog and were headed to the beach. Sigh. 

Here is a random assortment of photos from our trip:

Sunrise on the beach. 

Kelly, Grandma, and me at the Valentine's Day party.

The scene at the V-day party. 

Dolphins! Sited in the intercoastal...we actually saw one jump out of the water, Sea World style.

Wine at sunset.

Juice Cleanses - Kelly

Last January I decided to kick off a year of healthy decisions by embarking on my first three day juice cleanse.  I had just purchased a juicer and loaded up with fruits and veggies and jumped in.  It was hard- nothing but fresh juice for three days straight- but made me feel great.  I repeated the process three more time before I had to take a break because race training got to be too intense to spend three days a month not eating solid food.

In July I did another cleanse (this time purchasing my juice from Peeled in Chicago instead of making it) and then again in November with about seven of my co-workers.  It's never easy but I really got the hang of the three day cleanse.  

I decided that this January I wanted to take it a step further and try a five day cleanse.  That's right- 5 days without any solid food.  You drink a green juice (mostly kale, spinach, parsley, apples) in the morning, a lemonade mid-morning, beet juice mid-day, then another green and beet juice in the afternoon and early evening, then end the day with fresh made cashew milk.  

I'm happy to report that I'm on day 4 of my five day cleanse and am feeling pretty good!  Here's the run down of how the days have gone so far:

• Day 1: Felt great- not eating or preparing food actually saves a TON of time but I waited way too long to have my cashew milk at the end of the day and thought I was going to be sick.  Also- I went to an event at a bar and sat there drinking beet juice while everyone else was enjoying beer... not fun!
• Day 2: I might have freaked out a little bit about the fact that I wouldn't be eating anything for four more days.  I also might have gone to a super intense yoga class that was way too much for someone just drinking juice!
• Day 3: Got my groove back!  I had a massage in the morning (it's another way to break up toxins stored up in your body) and went to a super chill yoga class in the evening
• Day 4: Totally uneventful.  Drank my juice, had a lot of tea... no big deal.  Feeling incredibly normal- no real energy spikes but plenty of energy to focus on work and do what I need to do!
• Day 5:  I'm anticipating I'll be in a great mood.  I'll be proud of myself for getting through it and super excited to eat when I wake up on Saturday morning!

Pretty much everyone in my day to day life is aware I do these cleanses so I've fielded all kinds of questions.  Here are some of the most popular:

Do you lose weight?  And are you doing this to lose weight?

The answer to the first question varies- the first time I did it I lost seven pounds and gained two of them back when I started eating regular food again.  (This was also right after the holidays during which I had probably gained 5 or 6 pounds.)  This time around I've literally not lost a pound (and I've added days!).  I definitely don't do this as a dieting technique- you might lose some weight but it'll come right back on when you start eating.  I do do it as a way to re-set my eating habits and that can eventually lead to losing weight, though.

How many calories are you getting?  Is that safe?

The whole cleanse is about 1150 calories per day.  No- that's not a lot but it's totally fine and safe for a few days.  It honestly amazes me how little I need to eat once I'm back to eating real food- I think we all think we need way more than we actually do.

Are these smoothies?  And you seriously don't eat any food? 

Nope- just juice!  You need a juicer, not a blender, to do it at home.  And no- I really don't eat any food.  You can have all the water and herbal tea you want between juices but that's it!

Can you workout while you're doing the cleanse?

This varies from person to person but I say yes.  I don't go running but yoga a few times during the cleanse actually makes me feel pretty great.  During the 5-day this time I went to yoga twice and will do a pretty intense workout on Saturday after I've had some food again.

Why do you do it?  Is it healthy? 

For me it's totally healthy.  My skin looks great while I'm on the cleanse (hello glowing skin in January!) and I just feel lighter.  As I mentioned above it also helps me reset my eating habits.  Lately I had been craving cheese and bread- two things I don't need that much of- and I guarantee those cravings will be under control once I go back to eating food.  This is the main reason I do it- it's a chance for me to hit the reset button and re-evaluate my food choices.  If you're someone who has a challenging relationship with food it's probably not the best decision.  Juicing can be a great addition to any healthy eating plan- you definitely don't have to give up food for a few days to reap the benefits!

So there you have it- my juicing experience in a nutshell.  

Soon...very soon...- Brady

Today it was over sixty degrees in Chicago. I forced myself to get out of bed and go for a run because I know it'll be a long time until it's this warm again. It was humid and sweaty and awesome.

Know what it made me excited for?

This:

Siesta Key in two weeks with my mom and sister. I CANNOT wait. It's my favorite place.

Around here...- Brady

Things have been pretty quiet. I got my wish - I'm back in my safe, predictable routine. Get up. Work out. Go to school (or get set up to work from home). Have dinner with Kevin. Read or watch TV. Go to bed. No complaints, of course, but the highlights of our weeks feel a little bit less blog-worthy than ziplining through the rainforest.

Nonetheless, here's what we've been up to.

Last weekend Kevin and I finally made a trip down to the Garfield Park Conservatory. It was really pretty and really interesting, and I think that visiting botanical gardens in the winter is a good antidote for the cold.

Another January favorite has, for me, been attending a new yoga class. Groupon had a crazy deal - a pass good for 30 fitness classes at gyms around the city for $20 (total - so less than $1 per class). I've been using mine to go to Sat Nam Yoga, which is a studio set up in an old Victorian style house. I go to a sunrise class on Thursdays and love it. I think I may bring Kevin with me next week.

Let's see...what else? Both Kevin and I recently read the book High Fidelity and really got into it. We're watching the movie tonight. And I'm now powering through Anna Karenina for my book club. (Yes! Finally part of a book club!)

Oh, and Bridgeport. We really like to drive down and visit the only neighborhood in Chicago that reminds me of La Porte. We went last night for an art exhibit and dinner at an Italian deli.

And, finally, we've been enjoying mild temperatures and sunny skies. (Although it can snow anytime, as far as I'm concerned. I'm a little worried Chicago's going to go an entire year without snowfall.) This morning we ran the 5-6 miles downtown and ate breakfast together at Grahamwich. Kevin went into his office to work for a couple of hours, and I headed home on the train. Nice way to start the weekend.

And that's about it! Happy Saturday to you - stay warm and keep your fingers crossed for snow.

Put On Your Adventure Hat! - Brady

Here's what it's like to visit Costa Rica:

Wake up before your alarm to exotic birds chirping and sun streaming in your window. Fail to fall back asleep because you begin to think about your plans for the day. In your hazy state of mind, start envisioning the worst. Taking a hairpin turn too fast, causing a terrible car accident. Getting a flat tire in the middle of the jungle. Falling to your death from a zip line cable. Breaking an ankle on a hike. Being pulled out to sea by a rip current during a surf lesson. 

Get up. 

Have a delicious breakfast on somebody's porch or balcony - chat with the hotel owner. Have some Costa Rican coffee. Feel a little braver. 

Dress for the adventure of the day. Slather on sunscreen. Pack your camera.

Arrive wherever you're going. Feel a little less brave. Try to take pictures anyway. 

Do whatever it is you're doing. This might take an hour or two, all morning, maybe even all day. Live through it. Get that adrenaline pumping. Maybe get a little bit hurt - a bruise, a bump on the head, some injured pride, even. But, overall, feel psyched. Eat rice and beans, maybe some fried plantains if you're lucky, at some point.

Arrive home. Take a shower. Feel relaxed for the first time since you woke up. 

Dress for dinner. Eat more rice and beans, maybe some plantains. Do something nice - normal vacation stuff - like get ice cream, stroll through the town square, drink a Guaro Sour (like a margarita, but meaner), or soak in some natural hot springs. 

Go to bed. 

Repeat eight times. 

I'm not sure what I expected, but this trip was crazy. Not a vacation, an adventure. Every single part of every single day was hard. Getting from one place to another was hard, even. Roads looked like this:

Also, there were very, very few signs. We had to ask multiple people for directions each time we went somewhere new. We drove through three streams on one three mile drive (which took 45 minutes, mind you).

Almost every day we did some sort of difficult activity. We surfed.

We zip lined. (That tiny orange dot is me! Remind me to tell you sometime about how I got stuck and my friend Luis rescued me.)

We swam in natural pools made by waterfalls. 

I'm in this picture! Can you find me?

We spoke Spanish. Lots and lots of it. We ordered food in Spanish and got directions in Spanish, chatted with our hosts in Spanish and even consulted a bit with a lovely Costa Rican doctor in Spanish (don't worry, nothing major, I just needed a little medicina).

We hiked to deserted beaches.

We went down a waterslide that would never, ever pass code in the United States (that almost landed Kevin his own doctor's visit). We sweat through our clothes, let them dry on rocks, then sweat through them again. At one point, Kevin had to coach me through a particularly difficult moment in a hike. I looked down, got kind of paralyzed, and started to panic. And on and on.

All of this was wonderful and exciting. But it was also hard. Every day I had to put on my adventure hat. There was no phoning it in - I just had to suck it up and be brave.

But there were really nice, non-scary parts, too. We ate breakfasts here, that looked like this.

We did yoga here.

We saw natural beauty everywhere.

This is an active volcano, and those black rocks are what's left of a lava flow from the 90s.

We soaked in natural hot tubs, the water heated underground by the volcano.

We drank milk right out of the coconut.

We had lots of good coffee.

We even got some reading in.

Oh, and we celebrated New Year's Eve with a giant street party in a tiny town on the Nicoya Peninsula. New Year's in Costa Rica means bonfires on the beach, firecrackers, spraying beer at midnight (yuck), and a song that involves a good woman, a good donkey, and a good mother-in-law. 

And, of course, we met wonderful people. The hosts at our bed and breakfasts. People in town. The many individuals we stopped to ask for directions. Even the dogs are friendly in Costa Rica.

I have to stop or I'll actually upload all 800 of the pictures we took. But let me leave you with this. The first monkey we saw, and Kevin imitating it. 

Happy New Year from two very happy, very lucky travelers.