december

four sisters mountains in western sichuan

STARTING || to mentally prepare to begin another year. January comes and I usually feel disconnected through much of it. I'd like to prevent this this time.

FINISHING || the last of Banksy's shots so that he can go outside & meet new puppies & go for walks & just generally not be cooped up in the tiny apt all the time.

MAKING || pickled veggies for the first time ever.

CRAVING || mulled wine.

READING || the martian by Andy Weir

WATCHING || allllll the christmas movies.
LISTENING TO || this lady's sweet Christmas playlist(s).

WEARING || new slippers from uniqlo & my down vest.

EATING || whatever home baked goods I can get my hands on (mostly from other people because home girl is STILL without an oven.)

DRINKING  || night: chamomile tea. morning: BREWED COFFEE FROM OUR NEW COFFEE MAKER. Can I just say that I can't believe we didn't do this sooner? Two year of french pressing is far too long. #sosmooth #sotasty

LEARNING || how to make home made bone broth in response to a crazy bout of antibiotics that I'm currently on. Triple womp.

PRACTICING || letting go of things that no longer serve me.

WORKING || on not projecting my stresses. Deep breaths make it so much better.

PLAYING || fetch with Banksy in the hallway in our building, it's literally the most adorable thing ever that he's always understood the concept.

TRAVELING || to taiwaaaaaan. The beach, some mountains, a coastal bike trip & many jaunts around sweet neighborhoods are on the agenda.

WANTING || to feel better, physically. the cold feels like it's seeping into my bones already. Chengdu don't play no games with them wet winters.

PLANNING || a time when I'm back on the busy train. For now, gratitude for slower days = more time to be still and intentional with my actions instead of rushing 24/7.  

HOPING || for a much more exciting NYE this time around in China. Year 1 was good, year 2, not so much. Maybe it's about the odd years(?) But hey, no expectations.

December has been kind of a weird month so far. Jeremy and I got a puppy right after Thanksgiving. Something that we didn't think we would do until we returned to the US. (SO glad we didn't wait.) A Banksy post is in the works...

We bought another IKEA christmas tree, i lost a job, (China makes no sense sometimes,) made some new friends and  traveled to some gorgeous mountains (a post for that is in the works, as well.) 

Had many a moment where I felt like all of this was too much. That life can feel so out of control and heavy. I've learned that gratitude practice is a real thing. It's a real, tangible thing you can put on paper. That projecting happiness can help you to actually feel happier. That dogs are easily one of the best things in this world. That health should be celebrated every single day. That the leaves changing colors outside, although late in my mind, are still beautiful & a sign of something ending- only to start again anew.

December, you are cold foggy breaths, puppy kisses & white twinkle lights. You are reminders of life, that each day is a gift & that good things are all around me., always.

merry christmas, dear readers. may 2016 bring you much joy & happiness.

november

hong kong at dusk.

STARTING || all the projects I've been thinking up recently.

FINISHING || all the laundry from two weeks of not being home. 

MAKING || plans to get coffee with new friends.

CRAVING || more time with AJ, the time they were here went too fast. #ohchina

READING || Goop's BE column & I finally got on the skimm train.

WATCHING || the light fade from my windows, much earlier. I think I'm just going to pretend I live in London, where the clouds are also normal.

LISTENING TO || Saint Cava.

WEARING || tennis shoes that were too small in the summer (ha, my feet are weird.)

EATING || home cooked goodness after two weeks of crazy [good] eats in various cities. 

DRINKING  || coffee with HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP IN IT. *fistpump* Also, thanks mom for sending all those spices I needed, you's aaaaaamazing.

LEARNING || to find more joy in the every day.

PRACTICING || getting back into a post vacation routine.

WORKING || a bit more than last month, hollah for that.

PLAYING || catch up on all the blog post drafts I have waiting for completion.

TRAVELING || nowhere. A staycation is planned for this weekend & I could NOT be more excited for it.

WANTING || another trip back home. A year is too long.

PLANNING || to find a bike for the husband (hopefully) this weekend & a well overdue wine night with the new bestie next week.

HOPING || that by this time next month, I have an oven again.

I really am working on the practice of gratitude for all the sweet things I've been up to lately - and the ability my husband and I have to take trips, and go exploring & stay in sweet air bnb's & make plans to go somewhere new every few months.

when you're in the throes of living in a place that isn't "home," you can forget that there are still so many moments to soak in and be happy for. Maybe not every moment is easy and I find myself dwelling in negative thoughts way more than anyone should - but I feel like China is wearing on me in different ways than it used to & that's just straight up hard.

I think I put on this brave face & push through the day, trying to make it "count" according to my weird mental status of things that matter, but it still get's to me sometimes. Especially after spending time with people from home & having an awesome time and then having to return to normal life in China.

I miss target, and chipotle & drinking pumpkin beer. I miss bright orange & red leaves, and trader joes & the smell of the ocean. I miss Ghent,  and stockley garden art festivals. Finding shoes in my size & soft, pillow-topped mattresses. 

Life throws curve balls. I should feel grateful for all the things I got to do in October, and the places I got to see. But, now that it's over, I feel a little sadder & a greater longing for the home I remember.

So lemme go make another PSL and eat some of that sea salt dark chocolate someone threw into Amy's suitcase.

I am grateful for today.

November, you are here. & I am here. Let's embrace like lovers cause you are potential & I refuse to be anything less than grateful.

october

sunset over chengdu from my new buildings rooftop.

STARTING || to pick up steam teaching yoga here.

FINISHING || a long period of not having a computer. 

MAKING || chili pepper mango tofu & salsa.

CRAVING || soft serve ice cream. & pumpkin anything. 

READING || the life-changing magic of tidying up, (of course.) by Marie Kondo.

WATCHING || the man in the high castle & the good wife.

LISTENING TO || SO MANY PODCASTS. Currently obsessing over On Being, One Part Podcast & Limetown.

WEARING || layers in the morning; fall has arrived to Chengdu.

EATING || spinach/feta/balsamic with lunch. & the occasion avocado.

DRINKING  || coffee from all the little shops in our neighborhood.

LEARNING || that there is no prize for being right in an argument.

PRACTICING || letting go of rigid structure and allowing things to just happen. Also, drawing mandalas.

WORKING || less than I ever have. & it' so weird.

PLAYING || the weaving & dodging game with all the maniac drivers in this city while riding my bike. 

TRAVELING || to mountains & small towns and HONG KONG with AJ & Cameron!!!!!!!

WANTING || a hair cut. 

PLANNING || our HK itinerary & travel plans for December. Taiwan? Vietnam? Korea? TBD.

HOPING || for lots of sunshine this month.

October is easily one of my favorite months. The craziest thing is that the time last year, I was in the US getting ready for Amy & Cameron's wedding all while doing the super intensive 14 hour a day yoga teacher training. So intense. So crazy that that was a year ago. What's going on, time!? 

It does present a problem when there is very little here by way of "autumness" that is abundant back home. No PSL's, no tree lined streets all red & yellow, no harvest festivals, no real acknowledgement that it's a new season, other than people donning warmer layers.  

I have been frequently saying that I feel a shift in my life, and each time I say that, another shift occurs. Whether it's moving or finding new friends or things to do, or whatever, there is aways some new experience or situation that is causing me to face my insecurities & grow a little (or a lot.) It's been a crazy month, ( I also feel like I say that every month.) But it's always true. Crazy town, that's where I live.

I have so many blog post ideas stashed away for when I have long afternoons with a computer at my disposal. 

But for now, I am eagerly awaiting our visitors & super excited for the next few weeks of exploring and having adventures with family. Now I'm off to figure out how to clean off my phone without having a computer to back my photos up to. #icloudwhyyousohard!?

October, I see you in the sunsets & the chill you bring. Here's to seeing you from beaches, mountain tops. & all the spaces in between.

september

one of the final sunsets witnessed in Chongqing.

STARTING || to make new friends in Chengdu. 

FINISHING || a season of taking the bus to leave my neighborhood every day. 

MAKING || lots of stri-frys because the baby oven didn't make the move.

CRAVING || INTERNET.

READING || The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 

WATCHING || rain falling on all the walking city dwellers that I can see from my window.

LISTENING TO || The Well/Aware podcast. Really fresh stuff.

WEARING || My flyknits daily because the groceries aren't going to walk themselves home. 

EATING || All the mango I can get my hands on.

DRINKING || Peppermint tea before bed.

LEARNING || how to enjoy really long days with a broken computer & no internet (& did I mention it's been raining all of like one day while here!?) 

PRACTICING || My forearms stands & meeting new people (during which time I realize that I am actually an introvert & would rather sit in my apartment alone all day.)

WORKING || on deep breathing. On taking things one day at time. On trying to find the good in bad situations. 

PLAYING || the "where can I get free wi-fi?" game that does not entail a starbucks. 

TRAVELING || back & forth to IKEA for storage solutions. #oyvey

WANTING || to really be ok with owning less. Like, last month I mentioned that less is really good, but being absolutely ok with it is still a lofty goal for me. I still want all the things, pretty much all the time.

PLANNING || on all the glorious things I'm going to do on my new computer that is a mere month away from owning. I am currently typing this on my ipad with a wireless keyboard because my poor macbook is laying in a deconstructed pile on the coffee table. #allthetears

HOPING || for positive, uplifting people to enter my life. For less feelings of inadequacies. For more acceptance of change. For less rain so I can go exploring without my umbrella. 

Whew. Looking back at last month, I knew that I would regret all that "can't wait till September." talk & yeah, I totally do. I am on my second week with no internet at the new apartment, which, for the first few days was kind of refreshing. Dinner time was spent carried around an actual conversation, we didn't stare at our screens while lounging on the couch before bed. But now, man, those hours of no work & no social life are stacking up fast and I feel all kinds of down without the distractions of the internet world. It's a mixture of things, all under the umbrella of change. I know this isn't forever. It just feels like it at the present moment. Seeing as you will be reading this about halfway into the actual month of September, I can end this on a positive note by saying that October (& my awesome sister/brother in law's visit) is literally around the corner, along with new things that I can get excited about. Just gotta enjoy the slow days in the meantime.

September, you are making me feel like my life is too fast paced for you. But I will adjust. Slowly. 

august

No filter image of downtown Chongqing. Yes, those are crystal clear blue skies. 

STARTING || the last full week of living in the same apartment as Jeremy until September. Prepare for blog post overload.

FINISHING || cleaning out the closets. Goodbye shoes.

MAKING || this month count, down to the last day. 

CRAVING || slower days. 

READING || the girl on the train, by Paula Hawkins

WATCHING || mostly suits, with an occasional elementary thrown in the mix.

LISTENING TO || IAMBEAR & Odesza

WEARING || moisture wicking everything. The world is a sauna.

EATING || Baked peaches & coffee dark chocolate (found on mega sale!! #winning.) 

DRINKING  || coconut water.

LEARNING || to shake anxieties.

PRACTICING || my splits. One day, you will be mine.

WORKING || on yoga playlists & the best way to keep the dust bunnies from multiplying as I pack. 

PLAYING || "how much work can I squeeze into my day before I leave Chongqing?" 

TRAVELING || to Chengdu, many many times. I will be a train traveling pro by the time this is over.

WANTING || less. Moving makes you realize how little you actually need.

PLANNING || how we'll decorate the new place. 

HOPING || for this month to be seamless & as stress-free as moving to another city in China can be.

"Whirlwinds, galore! Moving is crazy! Why did I buy this? How am I going to pack this? Can it be September now?"

All spoken, all more than once. 

August, may your craziness remind me that I have a life that is crazy good & to be thankful for it.

july

sunset from south mountain, chongqing

STARTING || the daunting task of packing up all our belongings in preparation for our next move. (!!!!)

FINISHING || up a season in this crazy city.

MAKING || cold-brewed iced coffees 

CRAVING || a trip out of this country. I can't believe I haven't stepped foot outside of China for almost a year. (what.)

READING || this blog, and this blog. 

WATCHING || hahahaha, new girl reruns. Also, true detective but I'm not really that impressed with it yet.

LISTENING TO || tep no & ta-ku

WEARING || the lightest material clothing I can get my hands on. #3showersaday

EATING || LYCHEE. Obsessed. 

DRINKING  || grapefruit juice & soda water. 

LEARNING || to find beauty in the small moments.

PRACTICING || stretches to go with my earlier morning wake ups.

WORKING || on the mental prep that will be needed for restarting in a whole new city.  

PLAYING || constant catch-up with life these past few weeks. I feel like everything is moving in a constant blur.

TRAVELING || to Chengdu, our soon to be city, to scope out apartments & the like.

WANTING || an entire day with absolutely nothing on the agenda.

PLANNING || all the things I'm gonna do with all the free time I'll have come September. 

HOPING || for some exploration & adventures this month. A change of scenery would be good for my soul.

Sorry for the late post, it's been a crazy month. All the kids are out of school here which equates to ALL THE ENGLISH TUTORING. Super fun times. Super busy fun times. So, hopefully things start to slow down soon so I can, you know, move. I hope July is finding you happy, and healthy & with a little bit more of a tan than I currently have. 

July, you are a beautiful reminder to find stillness & enjoy the sunrises.

june

from our anniversary trip : the beauty that is jiuzhaigou

STARTING || to wish our AC functioned properly. I truly believe it's possessed & refuses to work at the change of any season.

FINISHING || all my YTT post-training required reading. All that's left is the final. Wooooo.

MAKING || mediterranean omelets as often as possible. 

CRAVING || a tan.

READING || 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. (he is my new obsession author.)

WATCHING || the fall now that I have a giant mad men sized hole in my heart.

LISTENING TO || san holo & alabama shakes 

WEARING || mostly athletic wear because it's a jungle out there. 

EATING || loads of watermelon. 

DRINKING  || iced teas. I also happened to notice that la croix sparking water is now carried at the international grocery store. So, cheers to that.

LEARNING || to take things one day at a time. 

PRACTICING || earlier wake ups.

WORKING || on drastically upping my water intake.  

PLAYING || the hair vs. humidity game. I kind of wonder why I even try to style it, because lets be real. It just stays in a giant knot on top of my head from wash to wash.

TRAVELING || to Wulong for a short trip. The place I used to see on google images when I'd search for Chongqing......

WANTING || more slow days of coffee & him. 

PLANNING || this fall's tour around china trip, part two, with Amy & Cameron. 

HOPING || for more facetime chats with besties. They truly are the best.


Bring on the sun shiny goodness, June! I'm ready.

may

STARTING || to take lots of night time walks with Jeremy. Balmy air in the darkness is a favorite.

FINISHING || the serial podcast. Those were the moments when I wished for longer commutes. (He totally did it, btw.)

MAKING || more time for meditation. 

CRAVING || the beach. Due to some unfortunate visa business, that's the farthest from where I'll be this month.

READING || Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. 

WATCHING || Scandal. I hate to admit that. I am pretty hooked. 

LISTENING TO || lady crush Irene Pappas's mixes on spotify. Pure gold. 

WEARING || flip flops for long days & regretting it when my feet are BLACK by the time I get home. #butmyfeetaresohot 

EATING || so much fresh pineapple. 

DRINKING  || cold pressed juices from the new juice bar near by on splurgey days.

LEARNING || how to take rest days. 

PRACTICING || patience with my computer, who is old, slow & full. Especially on days like today when I dare try to do more than one thing at a time. 

WORKING || on watering my plants daily. 

PLAYING || the "lets see how long I can go without coffee" game. I usually lose. 

TRAVELING || to Chengdu & Jiuzhaigou for our 2 year Anniversary. I'm just gonna lay on a bench there & pretend I'm on a beach.

WANTING || citronella candles for our balcony.

PLANNING || on watching a whole lotta mindless movies & TV while riding a bus 8 hours (each way) this weekend.

HOPING || for a bomb-tastic anni trip & exciting few weeks to follow. Summer is coming!!!

May, you bring so much happiness.

april

STARTING ||  to feel much more like myself after months of clouds. Sunshine is truly like medicine.

FINISHING || a series of yoga classes for my YTT - one more requirement down!

MAKING || plans for my balcony. I'm thinking a little wooden table, some flower pots & some string lights. 

CRAVING || some crumbly blue stilton. I'm way overdue for a cheese plate.

READING || Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (just finished & it was so good.) & Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 

WATCHING || a very wide mixture of things. Getting excited for the last season of Mad Men & the return of GOT.

LISTENING TO || springtime birdies outside my windows.

WEARING || my hair in a top knot constantly because 200% humidity.

EATING || avocados. I decided that I didn't care that they cost the equivalent of $5 USD per. 

DRINKING  || mango milk when I'm feeling fancy.

LEARNING || how to keep up with laundry when you have no dryer & limited air-drying space.

PRACTICING || the act of being present & finding happiness in the fact that I'm alive. 

WORKING || on ESL lesson plans for daaaaays.

PLAYING || FKA twigs & Chet Faker

TRAVELING || just around my city this month. But next month! 2 year anniversary destination TBD!

WANTING || the ability to find jeans that fit properly in this country of non-athletic woman. Womp.

PLANNING || the husband's birthday weekend extravaganza!!!

HOPING || for many more sunny days ahead. & maybe a slight bit of color to my very pale skin.

The month of springtime weather (or something. It was in the 90's this entire week.) & Jeremy's birthday, which just so happens to fall on a three-day weekend. Couldn't be better than that!

April, you are the start to so much.

march

EATING || home-cooked goodness after two weeks with no kitchen. 

DRINKING || Hazelnut 8 o'clock coffee brought over from home. I never thought I'd be so happy to see that little red bag.

PRACTICING || digital calligraphy so hardcore that I gave myself a neck ache last night. 

MASTERING || how to actually use my new bamboo stylus. Kiiiiinda obsessed.

LEARNING || that it's ok to be wrong. It's so hard, you guys. Pride is a jerkface.

PLAYING || with all filters as I edit the eleventy billion photos I took during our massive tour of China.

FINISHING || lot's of books from the many hours on planes & trains.

READING || red sparrow by Jason Matthews

WATCHING || All the houses of cards. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life once I finish season 3.

WALKING || in the cold, in the snow, in the rain & in the wind.

WEARING || whatever smells the least dirty as I wash my entire wardrobe.

COOKING || anything that doesn't resemble Chinese food.

WORKING || on making my blog pretty. Also, new fonts.

TRAVELING || to the lake by my house for some morning runs. The air quality is finally  getting low enough to spend time outside.

WANTING || to have more of a desire to start studying Chinese again after taking two weeks off. Don't. wanna.

this month has been a whole lot of crazy traveling, which means I haven't really been in any sort of habit of doing for like three weeks. I am super excited that we returned home to slightly warmer temps than just about everywhere we traveled to & the air quality is consistently the lowest I've seen it in months. Which makes me pretty much the happiest person alive. Now if only the sun would come out.... 

Yeah, I'm probably asking for too much.

March is going to bring about some magic, I can feel it.

february

EATING || various chinese dishes that a friend of mine has taught me to make & the usual bok-choy/garlic combo. 

DRINKING || Puer green tea. THE best.

PRACTICING || so much Chinese. I kind of wonder if this language was invented as a cruel joke to anyone who didn't grow up here. 

MASTERING || the art of storage space in our tiny apartment. Ironically, I love this apartment more than any of my bigger places. 

LEARNING || to accept that God is bigger than my challenges. As big as they feel at moments, He is bigger. There is a reason for everything.

PLAYING || around on travel websites, getting super amped for our big trip around China with family.

FINISHING || many shopping trips to IKEA for extra pillows, towels & blankets. YAY VISITORS!!!.

READING || wild by Cheryl Strayed

WATCHING || House of Cards, season two prepping for season three's release ON MY BIRTHDAY. #bestgiftever.

WALKING || up to my rooftop on clear days to catch views of the skyline.

WEARING || my fake Ugg's pretty much daily. The temps have been swingin' loooow as of late.

COOKING || well, making, homemade hummus & using the rest of that caramel sauce to make apple crisp.

WORKING || on finding peace. & not allowing one bad thing to explode to all the bad things.

TRAVELING || oh snap, yes. Many trains & planes to Chengdu, Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou & Shanghai.

WANTING || to overcome. to allow myself room to fail.

Sorry for the delay, February just kind of showed up & I wasn't really paying attention. But yay for a big month of travel & my TWENTY-EIGHTH birthday!!! lol, 28. 

------

Looking forward to lots of adventures this month & hoping for some sunshinier days ahead.

january

EATING || GF pancakes & experimental baked goods usually including some combination of oats & peanut butter. 

DRINKING || essentially the same three things - water, coffee & home-made grapefruit kombucha. 

PRACTICING || the art of being present. reminder - life is made up of those seemingly small, insignificant moments. 

MASTERING || motivating myself in home-workouts because I still haven't bit the bullet & paid the ridiculous gym membership fees.

LEARNING || to grow where I am planted.

PLAYING || catch-up on organizing my iphoto folders so 2015 can be a little prettier by the end of the year. (hence the reason there was no "in review of 2014" post.)

FINISHING || splurge sale shopping & getting down with some for real saving. Sorry, Zara, it's not me, it's you.

READING || the silkworm by Robert Galbraith (*cough,* JK Rowling.) Also, yes, please by Amy Poehler.

WATCHING || nothing of any real substance because I've been falling asleep 20 minutes in. I blame the 10 hours of daylight we have right now. 

WALKING || up mountains & in the snow. I kind of want that to be a monthly ritual now.

WEARING || heattech leggings (uniqlo, I love you.) & thick, chunky sweaters.

COOKING || home-made caramel sauce for the first time. (& it was a success!)

WORKING || on building connections.

TRAVELING || to quiet places. ready to get some work done for this new year.

WANTING || sunshine. Chongqing winter, you are the thing I am most determined to overcome.

The sky has been grey for a while now, but as Jer always says, "you make your own happiness." So here's to a little mental happiness, positive vibes & an uplifting start for a fabulous new year.

cheers!

december

EATING || foods with sriracha cause I found it at an international grocery store & it just makes everything so much better.

DRINKING || coffee again. I knew that my love affair could only be put on pause for so long.  

PRACTICING || patience with all the children I am teaching english to now. 

MASTERING || baking without flour.

LEARNING || Chinese words for all the foods.

PLAYING || a game with how long I can go without fixing the heater in our apartment that is slightly possessed. Ok, not slightly. 

FINISHING || lots of yoga teacher training post-training requirements. They are many.

READING || Nothing again. I ran out of time on the last book in my Oyster que, ha. December snuck up on me.

WATCHING || elementary & all the Christmas movies.

WALKING || in my sorel boots now that the rainy season has officially set in. 

WEARING || a pashmina wrapped around my neck at all times.

COOKING || my first thanksgiving (sans-turkey) I've ever done. Also experimenting with some Chinese foods.

WORKING || on posting to my blog more. Sorry.

TRAVELING || to the top of a mountain that is a third as tall as Everest on Christmas Eve. Pumped.

WANTING || my first batch of home brewed kombucha to not be a total flop. Crossing all my fingers.

The tiny tree on our windowsill is all the Christmas decorating I've been able to do as of yet because our big trip for our big tree (WITH LIGHTS!!!) hasn't happened yet. Moments (they happen frequently) that I am thankful for having an IKEA in Chongqing. 

I'm looking forward to a month filled with lots of to-do lists, planning our trip to Mt. Emei for Christmas, wrapping some gifts for the husb & maybe finding some mistletoe. 2014 is one month away from being over & I fully intend on closing out with a bang. 

Happy December!!

november

EATING || my last few incredible meals before shipping back off to China. 

DRINKING || much less coffee than this time last month.  

PRACTICING || my mental capacity to remember all the Chinese I haven't used in two months.

MASTERING || icloud.

LEARNING || how to say no to all the heavy things I want to take back to China. Like boots. & wine.

PLAYING || peekaboo with my nephew, Levi & my "niece," Cameron.

FINISHING || the last of my visiting rotation. 

READING || ha, the same book I was reading two months ago. Can't wait to get back to normal life so I can finish it.

WATCHING || babies growing up & friends growing into their lives & homes. 

WALKING || in the thickest socks I can find. Wool, you are everything.

WEARING || Sweaters & vests.

COOKING || up some exciting new things for the rainy winter season I have ahead.

WORKING || on mental preparation.

TRAVELING || back to Chiz-ina.

WANTING || a business class seat upgrade for Tuesday. Someone needs to just make that happen. 

a few days late, but here nonetheless. The next time I write, I will be back in my new apartment in Chongqing. 

Life, it goes on.