Thursday, May 26, 2016

Istanbul and Athens and life back home

We just got back from our trip, Nick, mom and I. I feel like I've experienced a ful spectrum of travel styles this year from traveling solo (amsterdam) to traveling with a tour group (Transylvania) to traveling with family. The other interesting difference, is that I usually visit only one city per vacation. This time we squeezed in two. The challenge being, I mostly remember Athens, being the last placed we stayed. And we stayed at a really nice house just steps from the acropolis, on a quiet residential street.

It was a fun trip and both nick  and I were happy we could take mom on this trip since she really enjoyed herself. Now I'm back and getting over the jet lag and it already seems like another world away. I'm so happy I don't have to go into work and can enjoy a leisurely recovery. I've really been enjoying my sabbatical and am starting to get used to this lifestyle. But now that I'm back, I'm at the point where I need to figure out the next chapter. And cram in a bunch of projects. I've been getting a bunch done - I will be having a garage sale next weekend, weather permitting, with my neighbors that will finally empty my basement that has been filling up from my editing. I liked the Marie Kondo approach to organization and I keep reminding myself of the mindset shift, it's hard to break old habits.  But it does help that I'm on restrictive spending mode. 

Along the same lines, I'm tackling a new mindset project, moving from my environment changes (stuff around me), to my physical/psychological environment. I'm starting the Whole30 on friday - tomorrow. I'm off to shop for a bunch of vegetables and meat. I think I eat pretty healthy and up to a month ago would say I didn't eat hardly any processed foods. Until I realized single ingredients are processed too, like flour. My main goal is to have a healthier body and I'm realizing my body is reacting to food.  I've had low energy in the past, especially last year, and I attributed it to the stress of work.  But after removing the mental stress, I'll still find I have dips in energy, especially right after eating breakfast. I started experimenting with different foods but felt like it was a jumbled mess and not getting anywhere.  And then someone mentioned the very popular Whole30. Just what I needed, a road map to healthy figure out what food effects me and how. The premise is that you detox your body of potentially challenging food.  Basically all my favorites, dairy, grains, legumes, sugar, alcohol.  And you eat meals around a serving of protein, vegetables and healthy fats. I do eat these types of meals often - especially fancy salads. But the dairy, carbs and sugar are what I'm going to be challenged with since I'll often throw in some quinoa and cheese into my salads.  Although I am excited to beat the "sugar dragon" as they call it.  My vague New Years resolution was to cut the sugar intake down.  It was a lot of Will power battles. Around Easter, it was a real fight not to go back to the store to buy more Cadbury cream eggs. This was after I had already consumed several. And frankly, my thighs are proof that my battle with sugar isn't going well. But honestly, the more I read about sugar the more I realize it's a drug, so my results are only expected. You can't expect not to be a crack addict, when you still have a little bit each week. Hence the need to detox the system. 

It will be an interesting month, but frankly this is the best timing - no stress of work, no travel, and fresh produce is blooming.  I'm dropping Wallis off for surgery this morning, eating the last of the non-whole 30 food in the fridge (yogurt, cheese, bread and waffle mix), filling the fridge with new food.  And emptying the pantry - I'm putting the non- whole30 in a bin in the basement.  So I have to work at greeting to the pasta and other foodstuff. I'll keep you posted. 

Wallis is going in for surgery on her right leg and to do some follow up repairs on her left leg. She's going to be my bionic cat by the end and hopefully have much better knees. I have no idea what to expect, even though we went through this only recently. Before whe could use her good leg to move around with, but now, with both legs out of commission, how... How does she use the kitty litter box, move to eat, drink, etc. So many questions, which I'm sure they will answer tomorrow, post surgery. She's been a trooper, but it's a battle to get her in the pet carrier. She was so easy going before when it came to the vet visits but I guess it's only expected after all the vet visits recently. Hopefully this is the homestretch.

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