top ten cities I want to visit (and why)

I have been reading this super cute blog, Cakes, Tea and Dreams, and I think I am going to steal the idea of a list a week from her, which she says she stole from somewhere else. She's been doing a list a week all of 2010, I believe, but we'll just have to start a little late here at The Marriage of an Undomestic.

For my debut list, I choose...

Top Ten Cities I Want to Visit (and why)

*means I've visited this place and loved it so much I want to go back!

(source)

Seattle, Washington

flying fish at pikes place market, great coffee, space needle, rain, beauty

(source)

Belfast, Ireland

green everywhere, authentic pubs, cobblestone streets, dramatic ocean cliffs

 

 (source)

Portland, Oregon*

powell's bookstore, hood river, oneonta gorge, rheinlander and the neighborhood its in, good people

(source)

Charleston, South Carolina

plantations, Paula Deen, tybee island

(source)

Boston, MA

the green monster, the harbor, boston cream pie

(

(source)

Monteverde, Costa Rica*

cloud forest, canyoneering, great village, pizzeria de johnny  (best pizza ever)

(

(source)

Indianapolis, Indiana*

awesome metropolis

s

(source)

San Diego, California

great climate, running on the beach, the zoo

(source)

Austin, Texas*

great urban culture, lake travis, longhorn football

(source)

Greenville, South Carolina

falls park on the reedy

When I visit a city, I want to get all of the "sight-seeing" done in the first day. For the majority of the vacation, and my favorite part, I love to do the city like the residents do. Eat at the hole-in-the-wall places, run on the beach, read in the parks, explore the roads less traveled.

Can you tell vacation is on my mind? 

Which cities do you want to visit?

sunday afternoon

sunday afternoon sun peeking through mostly closed blinds

ceiling fans purr white noise -- 

the only sound in the house

church clothes kicked off in corners

stomachs full of bread and cheese and meat; 

hearts full of laughter around the table

unfolded laundry waiting in the dryer; 

unfinished chores can wait

  

tangled arms and sprawled legs and 

winding lines stretched out like a very long river

this is the glory of sunday afternoon,

and what we like to call the

Nazarene Nap

 find an unmade bed, 

a made-for-tv movie and a cushy couch, 

or a stretch of carpet and relax. 

you've earned it.  

bootcamp baby steps

Hello wonderful bloggies! So it turns out, when you take a day off for Memorial Day, it takes a week to catch up with things.

Since we last spoke, I started Bootcamp Tulsa. I have heard GREAT things about this program from lots of girls and now I know it's all true. My purchase came from Groupon, so it's only two weeks, but I just needed a jump-start booty kicking for my running training.

Unfortunately, after my first session on Thursday, I pretty much hated my life. This workout style is the antithesis of what motivates me. As I was telling my BFF, my entire childhood and growing up, I got very used to being the slowest, coming in last, and having to work twice as hard as everyone.

And I think it really became a mindset. Something I counted on.

When you factor in larger class sizes than I'm used to, timed drills, feeling like everyone who's already finished is watching me, not having as much rest time as the people who finish first -- not to mention 90-degree heat straight after a long day at work -- those have been my least favorite, least motivating factors. In the past, I have preferred more one-on-one interaction, everyone going at the same pace, etc. **

** Totally nothing against Bootcamp! Like my BFF, a lot of people are actually motivated by those factors, and lots of great success stories have been written through that program. I am all for the things they do and getting people accountable and moving. I think I will like it even better when I get to know these encouraging people better, too! **

So after my first session, I really, really wanted to never look back. If you really want to know how bad it was, let me give you a picture: after just the warm up with lots of up-downs, I felt like throwing up and a sweet older lady came to the side with me and poured cold water down my neck.

Yeah. It was like that.

Luckily, I was sick and missed on Saturday, and today after a long day at work, it took a mini-pep-talk from my wonderful JT to get me to go. And as I was doing my umpteeth hill sprint, I came to a realization: if I'm ever going to break my preconceived, slow kid mentality, I have to finish this Bootcamp. I did enjoy class much better today after my pep talk from JT and my little attitude check. It kicked my booty, but in a wonderful way.

I have never minded being slower (BTW, I really liked that they grouped us into "Fast, Faster, and Fastest" and never used the word "Slow") than others. But I am perfectly aware that my mindset isn't healthy, and that mindset won't get me through a half marathon in December.

So here goes Baby Steps toward a positive, healthy mindset. A mindset that doesn't freeze or over-analyze when other runners are around. A mindset that celebrates every inch of pavement crossed, every every drop of sweat that falls, and every major or minor finish line crossed.

A mindset that focuses on the beauty and strength of what God created a body to do.

letters

Dear This Picture, The Pioneer Woman posted you on Twitter as one of her photo competition favorites, and I think you may be one of my favorites of all time. Thanks for the beauty, LB



Dear Memorial Day, I'm so glad you exist so we can celebrate and remember some very important people. And thank you for the chance for some alone time. Do you know how much I enjoyed a little one-on-one time with a sleeping pup, Harry Potter marathon, and my cooking show favs? Revitalized, LB

Dear Bootcamp Tulsa, Tomorrow I start you. After weeks of running by your sessions, Groupon made me an offer I couldn't resist. Make me a promise? Even if I ask you to go easy on me, don't. Capiche? LB


Dear Journey, Bon Jovi, & Bryan Adams, Can you tell me why I've been so obsessed with your sweet ballads lately? I mean, I know you were staples of my college mix tapes, but why the return to my think tank now? Whatever, you have the best love songs ever. Convinced I was born in the wrong decade, LB

Dear LOST, I am in Team LOST finale, but only just. And I like to call it Touched by a Desmond, but that's okay because he's my absolute favorite anyway. The flashbacks were priceless and your score was killer. I'll admit I watched you again On Demand by myself and let the tears flow. But let's pretend the last fifteen minutes never happened? LB


Dear Kitchen Mojo, I'm convinced you've finally returned! You were gone for a little while, but last night you returned with gumption and I'm so excited. Together, we made a delicious pumpkin plantain soup like the one from my honeymoon and prepped the lovely cranberry herb turkey burgers for tonight. No more frozen pizza for us, LB (PS: Were you hiding with Austin Powers' faja?)


Dear JT, Someone has a birthday next week. Someone may have some tricks up her sleeve for this very special occasion! Thank you for taking care of the pup this morning so I could sleep in. Since we've been married, I've been amazed at learning the way your brain thinks. How being thoughtful is almost automatic for you. Committed to learning more about you everyday, LB

(Letters inspired by Emily at Today's Letters)