Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Summertime!

So here's a brief recap of my spring/early summer adventures! I was lucky enough to be able to be a guest teacher at one of my closest friend's studios in Arkansas, go to Cabo with two of my closest girlfriends, and spend two glorious weeks in my homestate of North Carolina. ...


This is a picture of my soul sister Sarah and me in her studio, Maitri. This trip was a fantastic break for me. Not only was it "family" time in the South with Sarah's family in Arkansas, but it was also my first time teaching outside of my studio in Colorado. I was welcomed whole-heartedly by the Maitri community, and was so grateful to be able to successfully share my unique jam-sweat-flow sessions. It was also a memorable trip in that I got to be a student again, and to spend some quality time with my adoptive family.  





Next up was my trip to Cabo, Mexico, with two of my closest friends in Colorado. I like to describe this trip in that it wasn't Cabo "woo-hoo" (imagine this paired with a raise-the-roof hand motion), but rather a restorative beach trips with the girls. It was a lot of yoga, running, lying on the beach, girltalk, and sleeping. Oh, and fabulous fish tacos, sunsets, car music, spa dates, and piƱa coladas. Since it was May, the resort we stayed at was essentially a retirement town, which was more than fine with us. We ventured into downtown Cabo a couple of times to eat, drink, and shop. We also made a day trip up to Todos Santos. We found it an adorable town, although missed being right on the beach. A boss/client of ours in Breckenridge treated us to a fabulous meal there, one of the best any of us has ever had! I planned my vacation reading perfectly, choosing to take with me Elizabeth Gilbert's "Committed," Elisabeth Eaves's "Wanderlust," and "Tales of a Female Nomad." All books about the travels and adventures and revelations of women. They led to fabulous insights and conversations to be had on the beach which watching the turbulent ocean. Overall, we came back to the mountains (which were still snow-covered!) suntanned and refreshed. 




Last up for now was my trip back home. One week in the mountains, and one week at the beach: perfection. My time at home was filled with spending time with family, friends (a surprising number of friends in town from high school and college!- great catch-up sessions!), eating at my favorite restaurants, snuggling my puppies, and yoga yoga yoga at my studio. This being the studio I did my training at, it's practically my home away from home. I always attend at least one class a day while visiting, trying to soak up as much diverse yoga as possible. Some of my all time favorite and inspiring teachers are here. I always leave home feeling inspired as a yoga student and teacher, as well as feeling enriched from being in the place with so many people I love body and soul. It's getting harder and harder to leave every time. Not to mention how hard it was to leave after being at the beach. We've been going to the same beach as a family for the past 17 years. We've stayed on the same street, eaten at the same restaurants, set up our beach chairs and umbrella in the same place for as long as I can remember. We have our own community there, filled with awesome family friends and a routine. Days are filled with running on the beach or "the loop," eating custard from the local ice cream shop, reading Nora Roberts for hours on the beach, body surfing with my dad, walking and talking on the beach with my mom, sea kayaking or SUP-ing with the dolphins in the lagoon, and, naturally, taking fun beach yoga pics. This vacation was by far getting the best of both worlds!


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

#365daysofawesomeness

Hi all!! Apologies for the hiatus through the spring. My next post will definitely be about filling in the blanks! To put it shortly, the spring was full of travels, friends, family, and good times.

This post is about my Instagram challenge, #365daysofawesomeness. A friend of mine took part in Burton's (a sponsor of her's) June #30daysofawesomeness challenge. I missed the take-off for that, and at a sushi date with a girlfriend, decided to start my own. And bump it up a notch.

Sometimes choosing a picture is so obvious. Sometimes it's a struggle to choose just ONE!

{day 19} Yoga with friends.

{day 10} Loves at the FIRC fashion show.

{day 14} At the top of Mt Quandary at 14,265'!

What's challenging is finding awesomeness in the days that are filled with work and stress and monotony.
{day 22} A friend at work letting us borrow her bouquet. 

{day 21} A lazy afternoon on my day off. Much-needed R&R.

{day 17} A delish cookie and chai getting me through a long day at work.

The benefit to this is that it forces me to always be seeking something awesome, to be looking for awesomeness in even the most mundane day. Maybe it's beautiful flowers outside work, maybe it's a nice gesture from a friend, maybe it's a brief puppy kiss. This challenge has helped me discover that "awesomeness" doesn't have to be a view from a 14,000' peak, an awesome night out, or the most awesome/epic/adventurous thing ever. Awesomeness can be anything that brightens your day! 

To see more of my #365daysofawesomeness, follow me on Instagram: lizwilson0406. 336 days to go!