The Itinerary

Ok, so I haven't written in a while....
sorry about that.  Life has been a little crazy with work, training, and a very scary incident with Humphrey.  I'll write about that later, but first, a post that has been requested by a couple of people.

Yes, I have people who read this blog!!!  You make my day!!!!!!!!!

The 101 Roadtrip Guide

So here it is....
the itinerary of what I did on my Road trip in August.  What I loved and what I would do differently.....

Day 1
Drive to Seattle.  Yes, it is a long drive, but completely doable.  If you want to break it up, stop in Yakima, WA.   If you left early in the am, you would still be able to explore and shop at all of the fruit stands I saw advertised.  The next day, get up early and go into Seattle.

Before you get to Seattle, stop at Snoquamish Fall.  Beautiful and a nice break before you hit Seattle traffic.

Day 2
We drove up to Bellingham, about an hour north, and went on a Whale Watching tour.  LOVED, LOVED this adventure.  We went thru Island Mariner Cruises and had even gotten a groupon to make it an amazing deal.  If I had the opportunity, I would spend a week exploring the San Juan Islands!!!  They are so beautiful.  I would hike, camp, and even splurge at one of the spas on one of the islands.

Day 3
Exploring Seattle.  We did it thru a Segway tour.  A fun way to cover a lot of ground.  Here's my one Seattle tip, don't go up the Space Needle.  It is expensive and not the best view in Seattle--instead go up the Columbia Building.  Cheaper and a better view.  We did not go in the Chulily museum and regretted it.  Other than that, just explore....

Day 4
Left Seattle behind...took my car on its first ferry ride!!!  Hooked up with the 101 Highway and got to Olympic National Park.  If you can, allow more time for this area.  The Sol Duc campground is AMAZING!!!  My only complaint, you can not make reservations, it's first come first serve, but worth it!!!  Soak in the Hot Springs; take the hike to the waterfall; and just enjoy the scenery.

Day 5
Went to Kalaloch Beach and campground.
Had my first experience with the Pacific waters....they are cold.  Do not expect to spend time in the water, unless you have a wetsuit.  It is still fun to explore the beach and the surrounding areas.  One of the cool things near by is the Quinault Rain Forest.  Yes, rain forest.

Day 6
Continued down the 101 Highway and got to Oceanside, OR.  The adventure along the way is part of fun.  We ate at Clark's Restaurant in Arctic, WA (it's listed in every guide I found about the 101).  Old time diner with amazing food.  We also found out that the 101 coincides with the Lewis and Clark trail and stopped at a National Historic site, Fort Clatsop.  It is very interesting and they have historic re-enactors as well.  We did not spend any time in Astoria, OR and wished we could of.

We got to Oceanside early enough to explore the Prom and the shops.  That was enough for me..  I did not really enjoy the vibe of the town, but did find an amazing photography studio.  It's a very touristy town.

Day 7
A short drive to Newport, but first a stop at Cannon Beach.  If you can, spend an entire day at Haystack Rocks and Cannon Beach.  It is beautiful, clean and perfect.  I saw a horseback tour going on the beach and thought, I wish I had signed up for that.  The town of Cannon Beach does not allow any chain stores in its limits.  Accommodations are expensive--I could not find anything under $200!!!  Oceanside does have very good deals (our hotel was $59) a night and I could have chosen at least 3 others in that price range.  Stay in Oceanside, but play in Cannon Beach.....

One of the fun things on the drive from Oceanside to Newport is that you go thru Tillamook!!  With the cows and the factory.  Yes, it is busy and touristy, but stop anyway.  You get to sample cheese and then there is the ice cream.....Yum.....  I got a map and found the actual cows.  I did not know that the Tillamook Creamery is actually a co-op of small family famers!!  I like them even more for this.

Take the time for all of the scenic side trips that you can.  The views are amazing.

We camped at Beverly Beach State Park.  Loved it!!!!  We even had our own beach access!!!

Day 8
Explored Beverly Beach, Newport and the surrounding areas.  Whatever your interests, you can find something to do.  A tip, pick up the locally produced guidebooks when you are in the area.  They have split up the coast into 3 regions and give a TON of ideas.  At the Yaquina Head lighthouse, go to the tide pools, but beware, the beach is made up of River Rocks!!!  It is very hard to walk on.

Day 9
It is time to leave Oregon behind and head to California.  But before we did, we spend the morning at the Newport Aquarium.  It is ranked in the top 5 Aquariums in the country.  It's fun and as a special treat, we got a behind the scenes tour and kissed by a Sea Lion named Leah.

Leaving Newport around 3, we headed off to Crescent City, CA.  It was a little long, but stunning in its views.

It was another camping adventure, as we had made reservations at the KOA.  DO NOT BOOK THERE!!!!  It was awful, between the shower hogs, the drunk couple fighting until 4 am, and just general bad attitudes all around, I wanted to leave in the middle of the night.   There are many campgrounds in the National and State parks of Redwoods.  Go there...  there are hot showers at most of them and they are cheaper than the KOA.

Day 10
Explore Redwood State and National Parks...  It's weird--California has Redwood parks and the then there is the National Park.  As far as I could tell, they overlapped a lot.....

On the road into the park, we saw a herd of elk on the side of the road that must of had 30 in it..

Now onto the trees,  AMAZING.  I am 5'9" and felt like an ant.  Take some time to do some hikes and become immersed in them.  Lose yourself in their beauty.

We stopped at the Trees of Mystery in Klamath, which is soooo worth it.  We took a tram ride thru the trees, had nice paved trails-with a self audio tour with information about what we were seeing, and the largest privately owned Native American museum.  It was well worth the money and time.

Another fun fact, all of the drive thru trees that you hear about are on privately owned land.  We paid $5 to drive thru one.

Day 11
It's time to head to San Francisco.  The 101 Highway was still our guide.  We took a little time off of it to drive the Avenue of the Giants, but still got to the Golden Gate Bridge by 2 pm.  If you can, park on the north side of the bridge.  I missed the turnoff and drove the bridge and then got in a mess of traffic before I found the parking lot.  I was surprised how busy the walkway was and how many groups will walk 4 across.  It made for a frustrating walk on the bridge, but still do it.  GO THE WHOLE WAY and back.

Here is my one and only hotel tip of the whole trip.  The Wharf Inn.  When I was planning the trip, I went into sticker shock for the price of hotels in San Francisco. WOW....  The Wharf Inn's rooms are very basic, do not expect a fridge or microwave in your room, and yes the walls are a bit thin.  Request a room on the 3rd floor and in the back and the noise is not too bad.  I did not find it too bad, and the free parking (even for 6 hours after checkout), the price and the location made it all worth while, plus the front desk clerk was very friendly and informative about the area and gave a great dinner recommendation (Alioto's).

Day 12
San Francisco....Ride the cable cars, explore China Town, and whatever else catches your eye....
We left around 5 in the afternoon and drove to Sacramento.

Day 13
Drive home....

In summary, to make this trip affordable, we camped about half of the time.  I love to camp and all of the campsites we stayed at had warm showers......

The purpose of the trip was to get a feel for the area.  I had never stepped foot in either Washington or Oregon.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  A week in the San Juan Islands....  More time in Olympic National Park...... Time in Cannon Beach.....  Hike more in Redwood....  See more in San Francisco....

Did I have fun....
ABSOLUTELY!!!!
So get out there...

Your Tour Guide,
Melissa

Drip, Drip, Drip.....

I recently went on a bit of a road trip.

Ok, it was an epic 3000 mile adventure.

Since creating my Bucket List a while back, I look for ways to complete items.  I checked off quite a few on this trip.

#1.  Visiting all 50 states.  I got Oregon and Washington on the list.  For as close as they are, I had never visited either one.

The beauty of Snoquamish Falls, Washington

Haystack Rocks, Cannon Beach, Oregon

#2.  Go on a Whale Watching Tour...
        Ironically, a groupon helped me out with this one.  I went on the Seattle page of Groupon and found a 6 hour Whale Watching tour out of Bellingham for $49.  It ended up being closer to 7 hours since we were in fog for a majority of the trip, so it was a very good deal.  We saw Orcas and a Minky whale.  This only increased my desire to see Grey whales.  So don't be surprised if I do this one again.

A pod K male Orca in the San Juan Islands

#3.  Help someone achieve their goal.
       My mom, for reasons I never understood, has always wanted to take a Segway tour.  I have not, but since I was the main organizer of the trip, I took the lead and once again used Groupon for a Segway Tour in Seattle.  Mom was very scared and nervous when we got there, but between our guide/instructor, Aaron, and me--we got her on and within minutes, she was having a ball.

Learning the ropes and crossing off a Bucket List item off for Mom

Guess what, I had a ball too!

The main lesson of this one is this--I was not that excited about doing this.  In fact, I thought I would be embarrassed the whole time while doing this with her, but I had fun too!!!  In helping her achieve a goal, I encountered something I would have NEVER EVER done and enjoyed it.

#4  Visit all of the National Parks

       This is a goal that will probably take me a long time to achieve and that's ok....  I love spending time outdoors and our National Parks are exceptional places to do that.  On this trip, Olympic National Park and Redwood National Parks were visited.

The Beauty of Olympic National Park

The massive trees of Redwood National Park

#5 Walk the Gold Gate Bridge
  There was not a great start to this adventure, when after a 5 hour drive to get to San Francisco, I missed the turnoff for the parking area and my GPS decided to have a hissy fit.  I was a little frustrated when we finally got there and started the walk.  The crowds, sometimes walking 4 across, the wind, and being right next to 6 lanes of traffic didn't help once we started either.  As a result by the time we had crossed the length and started back, it was not fun.  We found a a quiet, non windy, spot and took a break and to realize what we were doing.  On the parts of the bridge that were not crowded, we would stop and enjoy the views.  By the time we completed the back and forth, we were actually having an ok time.  We were a little taken back with the wind and noise of the this adventure, but still glad it was done.

#6.  oh wait, I missed the opportunity to pay a toll for someone else.
  When I was getting in line for the ferry in Edmunds, Washington, I was all set to pay for the car behind me til I saw how much it was, and then I backed out.  It would of been $20 something bucks and I wimped out.  I thought I had a cheaper toll still ahead and would do that one.  There wasn't.  The Golden Gate Toll is all automated now, so you can't pay for the car behind you.  The toll that I thought I would pay later was included in my ferry fee.  Lesson of the day, don't wimp out.  Don't think, oh, I'll do it next time.  Do it......

One of the reasons I wanted to do this post was to reiterate that Bucket List items do not have to be expensive.  The Whale Watching and Segway tours were done thru Groupon.  Visiting a National Park is not that expensive and when you camp in them, your costs get even cheaper.  It was free to walk across the Bridge.  Life is all about experiences and Bucket Lists can be about making sure you accomplish the experiences that matter to you.

And now that I am home, I am working on more drips in my Bucket.
Melissa

A Change in the Wind....

Even though life has been going pretty well for me lately, I have been wanting some changes.

Is that weird?  I'm not sure.....

The feeling has been getting more and more intense and pushing to the forefront of my mind.  I am questioning why I do what I do and if it still works for me.  Somethings just need a little tweaking, but I have a feeling others will have massive changes.

Traveling seems to bring this out in me the most, and I just got back from an epic 13 day road trip that I will be posting about later.  I think it is because when you travel, you are completely knocked out of your routine and comfort zone, and I love that, mainly because it is always your idea when you travel.  The universe, life, your job, your health, your family did not knock you out of your routine, you did and that is a wonderful thing.

I changed my hair color yesterday.  This is something I have not done in YEARS!!  It has worked for me, but it was time to change it up.  My hair is now a light brown with blondish highlights--no longer the dark chocolate brown with caramel highlights.  I lightened up....  :)  It took about 4 hours to accomplish and I love it.  Pictures will be coming soon, so keep an eye out on facebook.

I'm tweaking my exercise routine.  Running, of course, will be staying in.  It would be hard to train for a marathon in January if you are not running.  My yoga practice will be changing from antigravity to a more tradition vinyasa practice with some Bikram thrown in.  I stopped Bikram a while back because I was getting too competitive with myself in class--doing challenges (which was an amazing experience), but it made me think that if I was not going everyday, I was failing somehow.  Lame, I know, but I'm fairly competitive by nature and it just happened.  I am going back with the intention of being in the moment.  I'll see how it goes and let you know.

I am signing up for American Sign Language classes thru my local community education.  I feel like I have not been challenging myself mentally lately and learning a new language, that requires coordination, should amp up my mental skills.  As an added bonus, it is on my bucket list.  :)

It is also time to change up my inner conversations....  I was doing well for a while keeping the negative self talk out, but it is creeping back in and I want to nip it in the bud.

It is funny because I was just thinking about my New Year's Resolutions and the first one that popped into my mind was my 'Continue' resolution.  It is all about moving forward and not getting stuck in a rut or back sliding.  Maybe that is where these Winds of Change are coming from...

Melissa.

PS...
GRRRRRRR!!!  Just went to sign up for the American Sign Language class and it is postponed until the Winter semester.  So I signed up for a Photoshop class instead.  Just working my brain in another way.

Random Musings on a Half....

I went...
I ran...
Slowly, but I ran....
and here are some random things about my adventure.

1.  I can not run and drink from a cup at the same time.  Runners, is there a class I can take?
2.  No matter how many times you offer me Gu at an aid station, I will never ever take it.
       Seriously, it is gross.....
3.  I can run and eat an half of a banana or gummy bears.  I felt so coordinated after my drinking misadventures.
4.  Apply your anti chafing product with gusto.  I was whiter than normal, but made it thru ok.
5.  Steep hills during mile 6 are just mean.
6.  Kids dressed as superheroes that are willing to run up with you make mean hills slightly better.
7.  Volunteers along the course really keep you motivated with cheering.
8.  5:25 is early to get up and get ready for a 6:30 start time.
9.  Runners, as a whole, are an amazing wonderful encouraging group of people!
10.  I ran the first 1 1/2 with a runner from Texas in a race in Morgan, Utah.
11.  Misters are the greatest thing ever on a race course.
12.  Otter pops at mile 11 rock!  I even got my favorite flavor--grape.
13.  13.1 miles is a long way, but it is doable.
14.  I ran slower than I had planned 3 weeks ago, but you know what.....it doesn't really matter.
15.  I will be running another Half Marathon in October.
16.  I will run on Tuesday, because that is one of my running days.....
17.  Yes, I am tired, but not in pain.  Added bonus....no loss of toenails.
Melissa

The Build-up

I have been training since the end of March for my first Half Marathon.  That statement alone should give you a clue to my sanity and reasoning as of late and give you an inkling of what I am about to describe.

It started off great.  I had a training plan, with 4 extra weeks, to get ready.  I ran; I swam; I did yoga; and I rested.  It was not easy, but it was doable.

About 3 weeks ago, I hit a groove.  I had finally conquered the mental block for 10 miles and I was cruising.  I began setting goals for myself beyond just finishing, which when I started this adventure was my only goal.  I began worrying about pacing at certain speeds and about my finish time.  I began comparing myself to a weird ultimate runner who only existed in my head.

My dreams starting to have a running bent to them.  The Half Marathon was taking not only time and thought during my waking hours, but in the nighttime too.

I was stressing out.

Then on Saturday, I got sick.
A bug that has left me exhausted, tired, and drained.  My appetite has been off.  I have missed my last 2 training runs.

On Monday, I considered canceling my hotel room and missing the race.

Today is Thursday and I will be running on Saturday.
Without a watch....... I will run at what my body tells me is ok, not what I think I should do.
Without a goal.......except to cross the finish line.

With joy......I love to run.
With gratitude.....A year ago, I barely ran a 5k.  On Saturday, I will run 13.1 miles.

Why do I do this to myself?  And it is all on me.  Everyone in my life has been so supportive and encouraging about just attempting a Half Marathon.  I was the one who started putting time limits on it.

A thought keeps popping in my head that sums it all up.....

Let it go
and it will be what it is meant to be......

Melissa

Am I Crazy?

The bathroom in my house is hideous.  I'm not exaggerating, just telling you the simple truth.

It has peach/pink tiles, not just around the bathtub, but halfway up the wall the entire length of the bathroom.  It's like the 70's threw up in there.  To make it even worse, the cabinets were painted to match the tile.  euwwwwww.....

The colors have driven me crazy the entire time I have lived here, but have you ever done a bathroom remodel?  They are insanely expensive.  boo.

So, I lived with it and painted other rooms and lived with the bathroom.

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I have a Pinterest problem.  How does this relate to my ugly bathroom you may ask?  Pins that show cheap and easy ways to redo a bathroom.  I have been stock piling those pins, and then asking people who know these things if they are a good idea or if I would just be making a bigger mess of things.

I have planned and plotted and dreamed......

and now I am springing into action with the pace of a turtle.  This will be a slow process, as I will be doing the majority of the work, but the end result will be worth it.

The Plan......

Sand, prep and then paint the bathroom cabinets from their icky peach/pink to Chocolate Coco from Behr.

Prep and paint the walls from their dull beige/peach to Organic Green from Sherwin Williams.  (I won a gift card to them a year ago that really sparked this idea)

The tiles are the biggest project and the one that has given me the biggest grief.  I saw on Pinterest a way to paint tile.  Was this really possible?  Would it last?  The answer is yes, but with some major qualifications.  You have to use the correct paint; properly prepare the tile and make triple sure the grout is clean, free of mold and in the best shape possible.  I can paint with the best of them, but grout work is  not my forte.  That is where professional help will be brought in.

The cabinets will be painted first.  This will be an upgrade even if I do nothing else.  The mismatched portion of this adventure will occur when I paint the walls, but the tiles will still be their icky color.  I've  already prepared my tidy organized soul that this will be an uncomfortable phase.

Say farewell to this....

UGLY Peach/Pink Tile Begone!!!

My budget for this entire project... $250.
DIY!!!!

I'll keep you posted on my progress......
Melissa

Silence, Bliss, and then every thought in the Universe

Meditative Frogs

A meditation student went to his guru and said, 'Every time I sit down to meditate, my mind goes crazy and I can't calm down.  My mind wanders and it does not seem to be doing any good.'

The guru responds, 'Don't worry, just wait two weeks.'

Two weeks later, the student comes back in and is soooooo excited and exclaims, 'My mind is calm.  I'm finding bliss and peace every time I meditate.  This is the greatest thing ever.'

The guru calmly replies, 'Don't worry, just wait two weeks.'

My meditation challenge has been exactly like this.  It goes in ebbs and flows and brick walls and stops.

I've practiced many different forms of meditation since January 1st.  Guided meditation, Zazen meditation, moving meditation, sleep inducing meditation, and holy crap has it only been 5 minutes mediation.

I've learned to let my mood and day choose my meditation style for the day.  If I have an idea of what I want to do and force it on my practice that day, I WILL STRUGGLE.  As I prep for my meditation, turning off my phone, etc.,  I ask myself, 'What is going to work today?'

So, Lesson #1 of meditation,
Let it flow.  Do not force it.

People have been asking me how long I meditate....  The answer is a bit complicated.  It varies.  Some days I'll meditate for almost an hour, the next 10 minutes.  The goal is to meditate with full intention, not time.  The Zen meditation practice of Zazen is very structured and regimented.  You sit for a specific time in a specific posture.  I have done this style, but I started rebelling against the time restrictions.  For 25 minutes, I would be in bliss and peace and then I would feel like my meditation was complete, but I would still have 25 minutes left in the time.  I would then sit in frustration and lose what I had gained.

Lesson #2 of meditation.
Be flexible on time.  Listen to your body and mind.  However, challenge yourself every once in a while and do a longer timed meditation.

My New Year's Resolution was to meditate every day.  By a bit of luck, I put no other conditions on it, like time or style, which is not normally my style.  I have missed a few days, but not a lot.  Ironically, it's on the quiet days, that I have a tendency to miss.  On crazy, busy, hectic, stressful days, I crave my meditation.

Lesson #3 of meditation.
Make a habit of it.  Consistency is the key to this....  You'll survive the brick walls and stops, if you just keep meditating.

The best part of my meditation  has not occurred during my practice.  It has occured in the rest of my life.  My critical inner voice is calming down--you know the one that says you can't do this.....  During exercise, I am able to find that quiet space in my mind and just let my body do what I set out to do.  I am also sleeping better.  And on those nights that I'm not sleeping well, I do a guided meditation that sends me right to sleep.

So, the final Lesson of meditation.  #4

Enjoy the results.  Enjoy the silence and bliss.....
just Enjoy.

Since I've started this, friends and family have been sending me quotes and cartoons about meditation, so I will leave you will this final thought.

If you do not have time to sit in silence for 30 minutes,
you need an hour.

Namaste,
Melissa