Weekend Getaway in New York

This past weekend we celebrated our 1 year anniversary New York style.

Yes, it’s been an entire year since we’ve been married. And no, I still cannot believe it. This year flew by- between getting married, traveling, work and all of life in between- we wanted to make sure we took the time and space to reflect on how much has changed and how much we have changed since we became legally wed.

Truthfully, it’s easy for us to fall into a routine at home, and while we didn’t have the budget or the time for an elaborate trip, we felt a change of scenery and some good company would do us good. Less screen time, more (real) face time.

Sometimes a change of pace is all you need to refuel.

Outside of the hustle and bustle of New York City, I was pretty unfamiliar with what else New York had to offer. Luckily, our brother-in-law spent the day with us and showed us around town.

The energy was different from what I had experienced in the city. Central Park was filled with families, activities and chatter that spoke to its diversity. Creativity ran wild, dreams did not know limits and endless inspiration lurked around every corner.

On Saturday morning, we ate breakfast at Manny’s on this cute little, plant-filled patio and soaked up some sunshine. You really can’t beat fall weather in the North East. It doesn’t hang around for long, but if you can catch it- there’s nothing like a cool, crisp fall day.

We made sure to fill up our Hydroflask every chance we could get to save money and waste and stay hydrated, of course. I was pleasantly surprised by how many places had water jugs or fountains for us to use.

VEGANDALE FESTIVAL. 

It just so happened that this vegan festival was taking place the same weekend we planned to visit NY. And since I have been experimenting with a whole-foods, plant-based lifestyle for quite some time now, I wanted to see what it was all about.

There were over 125 vendors, ranging from fresh fruit juice, to vegan burgers, to ice cream and everything in between. Throughout the day we had some fresh pineapple and watermelon juice, kombucha, buffalo cauliflower, a vegan burger, 2 drool-worth scoops of cookie dough and peanut butter cup cashew and coconut-based ice cream, BBQ jackfruit and some fries (because, yum.)

We spent most of the day walking around, waiting in lines, and eating our little hearts away.

I was over-the-moon excited about my watermelon juice (as you can probably tell) & my ice cream. I actually was really excited about everything, period.

Food, ILYSM <3

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Van Leeuwen ice cream.

This was undoubtedly the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. Made with cashews, coconuts and cocoa butter, I would challenge anyone to tell me it wasn’t the tastiest thing on the planet. Should’ve gotten three scoops… or four?

And the cherry on top… Van Lee ice cream delivers NATIONWIDE. It’s seriously only a matter of time until I make my first order.

We ended our weekend with dinner in Williamsburg. It’s just a short Uber from Brooklyn with tons of shops, restaurants and 24-hour bars. Williamsburg definitely seemed like the place to be.

New York, thanks for showing us your magic.

Simplicity in Sri Lanka

Earlier this month, my husband and I journeyed to Sri Lanka, an island off the coast of Southern India, for our honeymoon.

Our plan was to go surfing, but that was about all we had on the agenda. And this was hard for me. I am a planner- usually to a fault when traveling. I want to see everything possible, so I plan so much that we are more exhausted after our vacation than before we left.

But this trip was different.

We were staying in one location where our only scheduled events were 2 surf lessons a day. Other than that, everything would be left up to the present moment.

And… it was wonderful.

After coming off of planning a wedding and a honeymoon and working two jobs, I wasn’t quite sure I remembered what “down time” was. I felt like we were wasting precious time as we lied in the beach cabanas in between sessions. There was just so much to see and explore…

But what I didn’t realize, is that if we had left to explore, we would have missed all of the opportunities that were right in front of us.

Like befriending a couple from Germany, talking to the owner about his plans to open another surf camp in Bali and playing cricket with all the locals. Oh, and watching someone climb up a coconut tree in like 5 seconds, with a machete. Doesn’t get fresher than that…

There is a feeling that comes with travel that is hard to explain. You come home and you are just a little different than you were when you left. You view the world in a way you didn’t know existed before.

This trip I was determined to bring more home than just memories and tanned skin (& about 8 million mosquito bites).

I wanted to bring home this feeling of simplicity that brought me so much peace in Sri Lanka.

It’s not often that you find yourself in a country where life is far from luxurious, yet surrounding you, are some of the happiest people. This was so incredible to me that I actually find it hard to put into words.

All of the things you worry about in this life… Driving the best car, having the most impressive resume, living in a extravagant house. Does any of this really matter if you aren’t happy? The one thing I learned from this trip is that your life can be whatever you choose to make it, and from my experience, simple is most certainly better.

As the holidays approach and we find ourselves caught in the crowds of shoppers, and the rush of the season, I encourage you to focus on what’s important in your life- whatever that may be. Find happiness in the most simple of things.

Ways to cultivate simplicity in your daily life…

1. Be present

Easier said than done, I know, but practice makes perfect. When you are always living in the past or planning the future, you make no room to enjoy the present.

Start small. Talk with the people around you, put down your phone when you are waiting in line and become more in tune to the things that are happening around you. Feel the temperature on your skin, see the changing seasons and listen to the sounds of your life.

One of the things that really made a different in my life was turning off all phone notifications other than calls and texts. I no longer get notified when I get an email or when someone liked my Instagram post. Once I realized how distracting it was, it felt liberating to turn it all off. There are no more interruptions during dinner and no more distractions when surrounded by family or friends. You choose when you want to engage in social media, not the other way around.

2. Practice gratitude daily

“Gratitude helps us to see what’s there, instead of what isn’t”

Something new that I have recently started doing is saying 3 things I am grateful for each night. It can be as specific as something that happened that day or as basic as having clean water to drink. I used to find myself drifting whenever there was a quiet moment in the day, longing for more adventure or more clarity in my life. The more I bring myself to this space of gratitude, the more I am able to realize just how much I have to be grateful for.

A gratitude practice can happen in many different ways. You can start a journal, call a friend or relative and share your appreciation with each other, or you can meditate. This will help to see the good in all situations and will also help you be more present. Try incorporating a gratitude practice for a week and take notice of all the positive changes that start to take place.

3. Say No

Saying no to things that don’t serve you may be one of the hardest things for some people to do.

Throughout life, we are presented with many opportunities. Opportunities which could lead to positive changes in your life, or opportunities that could cause harm. It is when we realize this, that we can stop saying yes to every chance we get and start to say no to things that are not meant for us. Not all opportunities are created equal.

Saying no could be as simple as turning down an invitation to dinner. Or it could be as big as turning down a job because something about it just ‘doesn’t feel right’. The more we listen to our intuition and say no to opportunities that aren’t in our best interest, the more space we create for things that are.

Choosing when to say no means prioritizing the values that are most important to you. The next time you get presented with an opportunity that you are unsure of, ask yourself if it aligns with your values, and if it doesn’t… then simply say no.