Not a vacation...

The first week I was here I felt like I was on vacation.  Eat all the food!  Explore all the places!  Go everywhere!  I'm really good at putting pressure on myself to get everything done NOW.  Go, go, go.  I'm learning to have compassion with myself.  To allow myself to slow down and enjoy the moment.  It also helps to remind myself that "hey! you're going to be here for a while.  you have time."  On top of that there is the pressure (in my head) to make friends and get a job.  Do it now!  Put that altogether with my new bad habit of watching Netflix before bed which leads to not sleeping till late = I'm tired.  

So I'm hoping to focus more on self-care in a balanced combination of job hunting.  

My recipe of self-care:
Meditate
Morning smoothie
Workout
8 hrs of sleep

Journal

+less or no caffeine.  As much as I think I'll enjoy coffee, it always leaves me feeling anxious.

We'll see how it goes.

In frugality I trim my own hair... this time I messed up and decided to go with the mess-up.  This led to shaved head, which is very cold on a chill breezy morning.  It's growing on me.  I do like the look when styled but when working out?  It looks like a crazy wet mop on my head.  Also, veins on the side of my head are weirding me out.

Schnitzel is adapting well I think, though she's been getting more anxious since Grandma isn't here to keep her company all the time.  She's chewed up more things in the last two weeks than in the last year (most importantly and expensively my mouth guard for sleeping).  A friend has this backpack, and I've also talked about it with random dog owners so we went to Timbuk2 to try it out.  She can sit in it, though I think it may be a little tight with the side window closed.  It's TSA approved so I'm hoping this allows me to take her more places and will work if we ever need to fly together.  She's had her last two meals in it, trying to get her acclimated along with positive associations with being in it. Doesn't she look excited?

My lovely roommates gifted me with herbs!  Basil, parsley, and mint.  It was rough going at first but once I moved them to a bigger planter/pot and in a slightly shade-y/sunny spot they are alive and almost thriving.  Hoping I inherited a green thumb from my family!  I'm looking to collect a few more house plants for my room and some edible ones for outside.

Before.

 After.

Before unpacking the furniture I brought, the house decided we should get the work needed in the living room done.  After a week and a half of sanding, patching, wiping, priming, and painting - we are done!!!

My view from the deck of the backyard where I blogged most of today's posts.  The wifi is a lil slow outside but it was nice to sit in the sun for a while.  Trying to soak up as much as I can before it starts to get more into overcast/rainy season!

So that's a lil bit of an update.  I've had minimal homesickness but I think that may be because I've been keeping myself so busy.  There was one day where I got slightly choked up after showing a new friend a picture of my niece, but this was also after a drink.  I miss my close friends in LA, the familiarity of the city (getting the hang of Portland but heavily relying on GPS), and above all else my family, niece, and sister.

I like talking on the phone, but in the age of texting I'm not sure who else does.  Text me if you want a phone call or to video chat!  Much love friends!

Blue Start Donuts

Blue Star Donuts

www.bluestardonuts.com/
Address: 3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Phone:(503) 477-9635

*Actually you can try these too if you like. They have a location in Los Angeles on Abbot Kinney.*

Donuts are a thing here.  From the highly popular and creatively decorated Voodoo Donuts (which I'd still like to try, at least for the novelty) to the interesting techniques and flavors of Blue Star.  After seeing the line to Voodoo (I'm not that big a fan of lines, which is why it took me so long to go to Tsujita Ramen on Sawtelle) I decided to go to Blue Star.  I've had their donuts before but I had not eaten any since moving and was craving the initiation.

Now these are not your local donut shop donuts.  They're about $3 to $3+ a pop and come in flavors like Mexican hot chocolate, passion fruit, your standard bacon, etc.  In a way it reminds me of my old shop California Donuts (near 3rd and Vermont).  While California was about the toppings of cereal or cute oreo pandas, Blue Star has a step up on flavor delivery technique.

 From the top right: Passion Fruit, Cointreau Creme Brulee, PB+J

Yes, that is a pipette of Cointreau sticking out of that donut.

For example, while waiting in line, a Blue Star employee was topping the creme brûlée donuts with sugar then using a blow torch to caramelize it.  Also, pipette of cointreau?  Fancy donut.  My favorite is the PB+J.  Slightly different than the last time I had it, which was a pepper jam, this time it was a touch of habanero (marionberry?) jam filled with peanut butter powder on the outside.  I like it, it has the warm familiarity of a PB+J, it's filled (which is something I enjoy in a donut), and the PB powder is just fun (but a little messy).

 It was a nice treat to go with my coffee and hopefully I don't eat the other two, which I'm hoping to save in case my roommates want some (but then again I don't know if they'll still be good in a day or if my roommate thinks it's worth fighting her gluten sensitivity for).  I'm sure I'll go again but generally when I want a treat I get ice cream, which in Portland is a whole other story.

Fried Egg: I'm in Love

Fried Egg I'm in Love

Address: 3207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503) 610-3447
http://www.friedegglove.com/menu/

Portland, the land of carts!  Instead of trucks, you'll see a smattering of random parking lots filled with carts/trailers/tiny houses with wheels.  These cart pods (which brings up images of dolphin shaped carts frolicking through the ocean) are great ways to grab a quick lunch, or some are huge draws with beer gardens, live music, perfect for an evening out.  

After seeing the long line at Voodoo Donuts (I still haven't tried it yet) on a Friday morning I decided to go in search of a donut elsewhere.  With a Blue Star down the street I spotted this cart and decided to get an impromptu breakfast (this was right after muay thai, so I was hungry - see previous post).  

A menu of breakfast sandwiches, and one burrito, you can choose a variation of meats, additions, and vegetarian or gluten free options.   I chose the SMELLS LIKE PROTEIN SPIRIT ($5.75) comprised of a fried egg, my choice of bacon, cheese, and upon the offer I added their aioli all on locally made sourdough bread.  (They have house-made sausage which usually I'm all about house-made, except I don't like sausage.  *insert lesbian joke here*)

After a wait and some coffee I was handed a sandwich that looked like something I could easily make at home.

Or so I thought.

With the first bite I realized, sure, I could try to make this at home, but it would not have the precision or care that came with this breakfast sandwich.  The sourdough was perfectly buttery and toasted on both sides.  The egg was well cooked and with a runny yolk (I LOVE runny yolks).  The bacon was not too thin and not too thick.  I love thick cut bacon but I hate it when you take a bite and it's so thick you can't bite through it and the entire piece gets pulled out.  The cheese was still melted and gooey.  And the aioli added just enough moisture without becoming a mayonnaise-y mess.  The yolk, cheese, and aioli was this delicious combination where you couldn't even tell where one started and the other ended, but it was all GOOD.  

I thought about taking a picture after the first bite to show you how yummy it was but decided it wasn't worth stopping to do so.

Would I go back?  If I was in the area and at the right time, totally.  Plus side, they also serve mimosa's and beer.

Northwest Fighting Arts

I've always wanted to start a food blog but kept putting it off.  I wanted a good looking website.  I wanted a DSLR camera so I can take pretty pictures of what I'm eating.  Blah, blah, blah.  But today I realized, I want to keep track of where I've gone in Portland, especially if friends visit and want recommendations.  How am I going to remember them all?  I have a blog already, might as well just write whatever I want, and by no means, does this blog have to stay Ironman or even fitness themed.

So here we are.