Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my 44th birthday . I like to think I'm not 44 years old but 44 years wise. Grateful for everything that has led me to right where I am. Last year was a challenge in so many ways, but also the year where I grew so much as a person. 

Last year I ran 3 half marathons, a 10k a 9k , a mud run and a color run. Thankful for my legs for carrying me!

I was able to be there for my children every single day. Thru tears and laughter, sadness and happiness , I was able to be there to support and comfort them. Grateful to be a stay at home mom .

Thankful for my good health and my willingness to learn and grow daily.  Thankful for my many friends who have been honest with me even when it hurt, comforted me when I was in pain , and loved me unconditionally .  I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life .

It has been a year of learning and growing, heartache and happiness , finding my faith and living authentically. 

Wishing myself a year of peace, happiness, abundance and good health. Living and loving with an open heart.

When we know that anything is possible ... ANYTHING is possible!! Creating the life I've always imagined, one day at a time. 

thank you for being a part of my journey.

In Love

-A

Wanderlust

I have always loved to travel, it's one of the reasons I became a flight attendant after college. Seeing the world thru my own eyes and heart is an experience that can never be replicated. For me, travel is not for a vacation , travel is something that makes me come alive, something that nourishes my soul. Something that I need to experience on a regular basis to feel connected and whole. It doesn't take a trip around the world to satisfy this need to travel, a simple road trip to a new  destination brings the same amount of fulfillment.

I have traveled to Hawaii where I rode down a volcano at sunrise, I snorkeled for the first time and felt incredibly humbled at what I had seen below me. I have traveled to Mexico and Canada , London and Paris and have gone horse back riding through the hills of Jamaica. it is not the act of a luxurious vacation, it is the act of exploring the unknown and soaking in the sights,sounds and culture. It is about becoming submerged in a different place.

I recently traveled to Denver. I had forgotten how beautiful it was, how the mountains were breathtaking and how the mountain air would fill my lungs with such ease. I had forgotten how overwhelming it would feel to see all of this divine beauty and how my heart and soul would be filled with so much joy that it would take my breath away. 

Oh but it hit me, and my first morning as I took an early morning walk, I cried. The universe sent me a sign.. This time a physical sign that stopped me in my tracks and made me say " ok, I hear you, I get it and I am listening !!" 

I'm in the middle of Colorado taking a 6 am solo walk and run into this sign .. Purdue ..The college I attended in Indiana, the place that I left my heart, the place that always brought me such comfort , the place that I always stop at and sit for hours at a time to clear my head and listen to my heart. A place that I will forever be connected.

I cried out of comfort and connection. It was something I needed to see to know that we are all connected and even thousands of miles away, one little reminder can bring such peace. 

 

I immediately knew that my trip to Denver would open my heart even more, guiding me to pay attention to every sight and sound . Allowing me to Just Be present in each and every moment .

Here are a few more things that let me know that I was exactly where I needed to be:

Wanderlust: the strong desire or need to travel the world 

I have so much to share about my time spent in Colorado. Day one let me know that this was all divine timing.

-A

Be Your Best Self

A week ago my life changed. Not in some crazy kind of way but in one of the gentlest most loving ways possible. Totally unexpected yet completely appreciated. 

There are many people that I look up to and admire, people that live their lives in the way I aspire to. Living with faith, love and honesty in their hearts. A conversation with one of these people, a dear friend for over 20 years, inspired me even more to live my life authentically .

Over the years I have read books, watched videos and attended seminars on living an authentic life ,finding my passion, living from love not fear, discovering my true self. In this exploration ,I have grown into the woman that I am today.. A strong woman, one with the courage to leave an  un-fulfilling marriage and  the strength and ability to co-parent with a love filled heart , a woman that knows that I am worthy , I  am lovable and I am enough. A woman that has come to realize that thru my struggles I have grown to love myself even more than I could imagine and that I am imperfectly perfect and am absolutely ok with that.  

It is so rare to have someone speak to you with such love in their heart, with compassion and conviction.  What he did for me was give me hope and re-affirm purpose. Not that I had ever lost hope, but he reminded me that we can all have whatever we want in this beautiful thing called life .  He reminded me to continue doing what I have been doing : living my truth and being the best that I can be. I have re-evaluated things in my life since our conversation and removed things and people that don't align with my soul . I am focused on taking care of ME, mind (reading and continuously seeking and  learning) , body (eating what nourishes my body and keeping my body in optimal health by moving it everyday), and spirit (praying, meditating , journaling). THIS is the gift he gave me, the gift of knowing /following my truth and purpose .

We can never settle or live a life less than what we imagine, as it isn't our truth. I am forever grateful for my friend, for his kind words and his open heart. He is proud of me and I am blessed to call him my friend. 

Live each day fully and from a place of truth and love ❤️

JUST BE

-A

Connection

There are some people in this world that you are connected to. That no matter how many miles between you, that no matter what circumstances may arise.. Your souls are intertwined and connected for eternity. 

People talk about soul mates in such interesting ways, that they complete you , that it just feels "right" , that they know each other's thoughts or can finish each other's sentences and I agree with that but I also feel that there is more. I believe that soul mates push you and challenge you to be the best version of you possible. What that means is that they push you outside of your comfort zone , encouraging you to dig deeper inside of yourself for your truth and purpose. If two people merely come together and never lift one another higher , things become stagnant. The same is true when one person seeks truth and growth and the other does not. The power of a soul mate is in the depth of which they share themselves with you, the transparency ,the trust, and the vulnerability that they are so willing to display. Living from a place of love and never from a place of fear.

A soul mate shows up in all forms: friends, lovers, family, co-workers... There are just some people that you connect with on a soul-ular level. Pay attention ,open your heart and accept all that comes your way in this  amazing life that we are given. 

Live each day fully and be present in the moment so that you recognize the gifts all around you. 

JUST BE.. Open,loving,kind,compassionate, faithful, strong, generous... The best version of YOU possible❤️

Reebok and Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Chicago

Recently I was given the opportunity to teach yoga at the "stretching and relaxation" tent hosted by Reebok at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Chicago . 

ME, the girl who had walked for the last 5 years to help raise awareness for Breast cancer, ME , the woman who went through Yoga teacher training to help deal with my own transition in life was being asked to help guide others . 

Yoga has been a part of my life forever , it's a part of who I am . It has kept me grounded, mentally stable and whole. Yoga is a way of life for me. It's not just what I practice on my mat, but what I practice in my daily life that's way more important . That's what creates the person that I am, and pushes me towards the person I want to be. 

I am grateful for such an amazing opportunity and got to meet two other amazing Chicago yoga teachers, Melissa and Heather, who taught that day as well.

When you do what you love and love what you do. Everything is perfect.

Living authentically

I've been wanting to write here again for so long. Yet kept putting it off, keeping the words, thoughts and emotions inside.  

And then when I take time to actually put the words on paper... I can't, because I have so many thoughts at once. Several different stories to tell yet all intertwined as one. Tales of love and loss, new beginnings, wanderlust , connection, friendship and my yogi travels. Stories of hope and of disappointment , feelings of excitement and sadness , the feeling of butterflies in my stomach as well as feeling that dull pain in my heart . The urge to protect myself yet knowing that I can't live fully while being fearful, being afraid to live and love openly and honestly does not align with who I am. I choose to live my life authentically .

So here I am, rough around the edges, a little scarred but so amazingly strong and imperfectly perfect. Living each day to it's fullest . Full of forgiveness , love,

Compassion and feeling blessed and grateful for each experience. My dear friend Pilar told me that Nothing happens by coincidence, everything happens for a reason.. You meet people to either teach them a lessons or to learn a life lesson from them.  Pretty simple when you think about it, yet also pretty amazing. 

So I guess I end this today by saying, be kind ,caring and compassionate to yourself and also to others .  Live your life from a place of love and authenticity .

-A

Vegan Banana Bread, (Chocolate Chip Banana Coconut Cinnamon Bread)

With the freezing temps here in Chicago I wanted something warm and comforting today. I threw this together and it turned out perfect ! I scribbled the ingredients down on a napkin before throwing everything in the bowl, just in case things worked out ok.

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

2 ripe bananas 

Handful of dairy free chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease load pan with coconut oil.

In a med sized bowl mix coconut oils(solid state) and sugar together until blended. Add in bananas and mix a little more, I used a wooden spoon - no mixer necessary. Add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until everything is blended.

Bake 40-50 min (mine was perfect at 41 minutes, don't over bake or it will be dry)