Exploring somewhere new

So one of the 30 things on my list was to travel somewhere new. Done! (Though I hope to travel more in the next year if we can). It was a beautiful trip, and I just fell in love with all the magnificent sights! Here are just a few:

There is so much beauty left to explore in this world. The sad thing is that there's not enough time or money to see it all, so choices will have to be made.
Can't wait to do more exploring! So blessed to be able to do so.

It's Canada Day

I've always been intrigued by the idea that my birthday falls on Canada Day, despite the fact I'm not Canadian. I don't know much about it, so I decided to do a bit of research (ie: a quick google search). I found some interesting articles that I skimmed. Here are two:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/how-canada-is-perceived-around-the-world-1.3132343

http://mentalfloss.com/article/31069/what-exactly-canada-day

Now that the mini-history lesson is done, on to the rest of my blogging. This past weekend we celebrated my birthday with my family and international friends that were visiting. My mom also broke out the top layer of our wedding cake in celebration of our first anniversary. Due to the fact that she only put it in the refrigerator in the days that followed, we did not actually partake in the tradition of eating it. She bought a "replicated" cake which we cut and shared. Then the next day we had a lovely Swedish Princess cake (the green one in the photos) homemade by my Swedish friends who were visiting. We also went to a wine tasting at a vineyard, which was lovely.

Today I turn 30. A whole 3 decades are now behind me! It's a bit hard to believe. Many people seem to "dread" turning 30, but I have actually been looking forward to it for the past couple years. It's like a right of passage in a way and I feel more officially an "adult" (Even though sometimes I still wish I was a kid). I can't wait to see what the next year and decade will bring. All I can guess is it is sure to be filled with more transitions. leaps of faith, and lots of adventures!

Summer Adventures

Well, it's official ---- I am not (yet) a good blogger. I cannot seem to finish what I start here in the blog world. I guess I'm a more dedicated blog reader really, not as much with writing it these days. It's still my goal to change that. While I'm changing things, I want to make an amendment to my last post. I apologize to anyone who was eagerly anticipating reading my list of 30 things before thirty - I'm changing it to 30 things to accomplish in my 30th year - maybe more manageable :)

1. Reconnect with friends and family - take time to call at least one person once a week. This is to work on reaching out more from my introvert phone-phobic shell and having real conversations (or even small talk) with people.

2. Establish a working exercise routine. The hubby and I started doing some light stretching together in the mornings, which I think is a good start, but I need to improve on this and add more vigorous exercise as recommended by my doctor. I am not as flexible or in shape as I once was. Any suggestions are welcomed for maintaining a routine (I'm really good at starting, just not on follow through).

3. Write more often. This is something I've loved to do since I was a kid and learned to read and write. My hope is to do some work on the stories I have had ideas for since my JVC and college days and turn them into something more. Or simply to write more in the blog, or journal or poems. Just to take time each day to write something and let my creativity come back to me.

4. Try new foods. In the home or outside, just to try something new and expand my pallet and/or cooking skills.

5. Finish at least 5 books. I used to be an avid reader. Lately I start a book and cannot seem to finish. Maybe I just haven't found the right one. Suggestions welcome for those books that are hard to put down because they captivate your attention.

6. Travel somewhere new.

7. Explore local areas that I have took for granted, and truly experience what they have to offer.

8. Find a job I can fall in love with again. Something where I feel happy to get up and go most mornings ( I know there will always be mornings I just want to stay home and in bed, but something worth pushing myself for).

9. Make homemade butter. I never thought about this until recently, as in yesterday. I was tourist-ing around NYC with some friends and we were in the MOMA design store where I saw a contraption that makes making your own butter seem pretty darn easy. I want to try that! (with or without the fancy gadget)

10. Be more focused on my spiritual life. I use to be good at this. It isn't always the best lately. Spiritual journaling, prayer, etc. I do try to do the "contemplative in action" thing, but I need to learn how to add more structured prayer time in my day, and more communal prayer (ie: nighttime prayer with hubby, joining a women's group...)

11. Make new friends. A follow up to the first item on this list. I am not very good at this. I often enjoy my hermit life, or spending time with my hubby or family. However, I realized that in the past year in this new city I have been relatively isolated, aside from a few visits with friends and people I connected with one or two times, and work.

12. Participate in a 5K (or something less) - walking, jogging or running. I'd like to get myself in shape and be able to do something like this. A color run or one for a good cause might do the trick. I need to pick a date and train.

13. Make homemade ginger ale. I saw this on an episode of "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. Seems like a fun thing to do. I love the Bruce Coast Ginger Ale, but it's so expensive. If I can make my own, imagine how much money we could save!

14. Successfully grow a plant from a seed.

15. Learn more Malayalam. I want to be able to converse more (or at least understand more) when communicating with hubby's family.

16. Take a dance class - I loved dance as a kid. I'd love to get into a class for adults - maybe ballet or tap, or even ballroom.

17. Host a game night. I enjoy playing board games, card games, etc. I want to host a game night with friends - apples to apples anyone? :)

18. Go to Mexico and/or Canada.

19. See Niagara Falls (from both sides)

20. Reduce the amount of junk in my possession - sell, give away, throw away all the stuff that just takes up space and increases my anxiety. Learn to let go of attachments

21. Take up swimming, yoga or Zumba (kind of overlaps with a couple others ,but hey, why not?)

22. Crochet a blanket again

23. Bake homemade bread (to go with the homemade butter, of course)

24. Become more knowledgeable/specialized in an evidence based model of practice for my career

25. Get my cholesterol level down and my vitamin D level up (ie: two concrete ways to see if I am working on the goal of "getting healthier")

26. Do a write up in my Family Book with details on both family of origin and marriage

27. Learn to make Italian food from my aunt

28. Learn to make Puttu from scratch, without the mix

29. Post some samples of my writing or art on the blog

30. Join a club/group related to an interest or hobby, or to learn something new

The next 30 days

Hello Blog-world! So I've been slacking again on my blogging, but luckily trying to move forward in life! The next 30ish days are the last days of my 20s - a decade that has flown by. This month also brings with it our first wedding anniversary - 1 year of marriage down. It went in the blink of an eye. It seems only a few months ago that we were making all the preparations, and now we are ready to celebrate completing one year as husband and wife. I am so excited to celebrate these two lovely events in my life. It is my hope that I will continue to grow as an individual, as we also set to grow as a couple, and as a family. There is so much that has happened in just one year, and so much to look forward to. There is so much more I'd like to write, but I have to go prep for dinner. I hope for the next month I can come more often and blog on adventures and goals. If there are 30 things I'd like to accomplish in these last "30 days to 30" (okay, a bit less now), it would be:
1. Reconnect with friends - I'm terrible at keeping in touch. It's so easy now to just skim Facebook and think I'm connected with others, but the reality is that just is not true. I'd like to reach out more - even if by email or messaging (I don't care much for phone calls).
2. Finish this list... to be continued... I have to really prep dinner now :)

Weekly Post 4: Circles of Life

LIFE. In high school I attended youth group and part of the name was L.I.F.E - standing for "Living in Faith Experiences" (or something like that). Funny, that just came to me as I was beginning to write this blog entry. I guess that is what "Life" is about in some ways. It's an accumulation of experiences we live through each day, each moment. I keep seeing patterns in my life, somewhat circular in nature, and that is part of what I want to reflect on today. This morning my husband made a statement to me that I did not really comment on at the time. Something to the effect of "Didn't you say you wanted to write a book?" This question seemed to come out of nowhere, and I was not really in an alert enough state of mind to reply (Yes, dear I did say that). However, it stuck with me. Yes, that has been one of my dreams since childhood - to become an "author". I use to love writing, coming up with stories and jotting them down in my journal or notebook. I even managed to type up the beginning of several stories only a few years back. Why did I stop? Life, I guess, in some senses got in the way. Fear, took over - the fear that no one would really be interested in what I wrote, or that it wouldn't be "good enough", or maybe even that it would be liked, and I'd be expected to write more... or the fear that what I was writing really made no sense, or that people would judge what was going on in my head... So, just before opening up the blog, I flipped through the journal I received for my birthday in 2006, in which I have kept snippets of my writing - essays, short stories, beginnings of stories, inspirational quotes from favorite authors or other people in my life, etc. There were some based on true life events that brought me back and some that really stirred something in me. There are stories there waiting to be told, to be completed. Characters waiting to come to life once again. I had written down a quote, or rather the words "agere contra", to act against... my notes read... "find God in unexpected place and move past fear"... "Is this part of myself keeping me from being more loving and generous? Is it keeping me from being close to God and to other people?". This brings me back to the patterns in my life - each time I've made a big move or transition, there is a strong fear that makes me think twice. I have always tried to take the leap of faith, to push myself to go beyond and try something new. In my work life, it was the populations I was working with - with each job I said "Oh, I'm never going to do this." and then, not long after, found myself in positions I had said I wouldn't do, and yet was doing and even enjoying them. It's these places in my life I have truly lived a "faith experience", and grown as a person. You plan one thing, but when you put your faith in something bigger than yourself (God, in this instance), the plans turn out very different (and often better), than you can ever imagine. Sometimes it is doing the thing that I think I cannot do or wouldn't like, that ends up being one of the best decisions. So I have to remember that when I feel strongly against moving in a certain direction, to ask myself "why?" and to look at what it would mean to move in that exact direction (as long is it is not harmful to myself or others in any way). in my personal life it was taking the step to let go of the past, and be open to new people and experiences in my life - that has been one of the best decisions I have made, in finding the person who I had been seeking. Who I resisted getting close to initially, but who has seen all the parts of me and continues to love me each day. A person with whom I can share my life and be myself. Who at random moments brings up just the words that my yearning soul needed to hear ( like, hey honey weren't you planning to write a book). So back to writing, those words helped put a spark in me. I'd been feeling sort of unmotivated - going about daily life, but feeling a bit deflated. This is a time of transition. I am working on completing professional certifications in order to move forward in my career and find a job where I feel I can utilize my skills and creativity to help make others' lives better. In the meantime, I feel a struggle. I volunteer my time, and do the best I can to contribute to my family and community, but something was missing. Maybe, just maybe this is it. My new goal (along with all the many others in my life), is to complete at least one of my books and work towards getting it published (even if it doesn't). I need to work on setting deadlines, and writing each day, but I want to bring that passion back into my life. To bring full circle the dreams of my girlhood into my adult life. To give myself that creative outlet, along side the art work, to express all the thoughts and feelings trapped inside my head, and the pages of all my old notebooks, and word documents. Things to ponder: What patterns do you see in your life? What was your childhood passion that you do or can bring into your adult life?

Weekly Post 3: Faith and Creativity

Hello Blog World! This weekend we celebrated my husband's birthday (his first as a married man). It was mostly low key, but a really good weekend overall. Friday night I cooked a lovely Italian inspired meal - baked balsamic eggplant parm, rosemary-garlic roasted potatoes and homemade tiramisu (his favorite) for dessert. It was accompanied with a lovely red wine and nice conversation. Saturday we went to our favorite local place for brunch followed by an outing to the movies. Afterwards we came home, rested, then cooked dinner together. Sunday we went to morning mass for Palm Sunday then talked to his parents briefly, rested for a bit, then headed off to have dinner out with my side of the family. After church this weekend, and as we approach Holy Week, I have decided I need to work on limiting my use of technology more to focus on the meaning of the season. While my prayer life can always use a boost, I feel like I often turn to the internet or tv to relieve anxiety lately, and realized maybe something was missing. When I think back to the times I have been most happy and productive, it is when my faith/spiritual life is strong and when I am utilizing my creativity more often. I feel like the most I have used that creativity lately was in developing meals and the sign I made saying "happy birthday" to my husband. I opened an email this morning from the Zentangle founders and realized I need to dive deeper into my creative life. When I first started learning and practicing the method of Zentangles, I was so excited! It was relaxing, creative, and productive. It gave me a sense of accomplishment, as well as keeping me grounded in the moment. So, my main goals this week are as follows: 1. Strictly limit use of technology (more specifically facebook and internet - as I tend to waste a lot of time/procrastinate with them)- I'd like to say 15-30 min max per day - and none Friday ("fasting") 2. Build up spiritual life in preparation for Easter - spend more time in prayer and contemplation, attend religious functions for Good Friday 3. Allow art to take a more central role in my life again as a means for using my leisure time in a more beneficial and creative way to soothe my soul My hope is that by the next time I post, I can include some updated pieces of art to share. :) Thought for today: What are healthy ways you deal with anxiety and "soothe" the soul?

Weekly post 2: Living in the Moment

So I'm slipping already and missed one week! Last post I contemplated healthier eating, and we have been working to incorporate veggies and fruits into our diet better. I worked this weekend and was treated to two delicious meals home-cooked by my honey on Sunday. Being the wonderful husband he is, he brought me a hot meal to work for lunch, and we worked together in the evening to create a very tasty chicken biryani (ok, maybe not the healthiest, but super delicious!). It's about the fourth time we made the biryani together and it just keeps getting better each time (especially as we are getting more coordinated at working together). The cabbage made it's appearance again (for lunch) as it was in need of being used up! My next food challenge is to use the eggplant, broccoli and potatoes that I bought last shopping trip, and make a grocery list for this week that stays within the rest of our budget for the month. Below is the photo of the biryani from the last time we made it.

I also made a goal chart last week (there we go, not on the blog, but still reflecting on goals!). I included personal, health, financial and career goals for the month, next 1-2 years, and 5 to 15 years that follow. A lot of good things to work towards! Mostly it comes down to building positive relationships - with my self, my husband, extended family, clients, and most importantly - God. Something I noticed about myself lately is how I've grown when it comes to not jumping too much to conclusions about the future outcomes as much as I use to. I'm starting to get better at living in the moment (though I still do get anxious about the unknown and future), but I'm learning how to live with what comes and talking myself (and others) back to the moment. I definitely noticed doing it twice yesterday - once with a very anxious client, and then again when my husband was worried about the dinner being ruined, after we forgot to add more water into the pressure cooker. It turned out fine (slightly more browned chicken, but nowhere near ruined). For once, I was the logical and reassuring voice of reason. (Usually it's the other way around). Needless to say, despite the challenges we sometimes face in communicating, we make an excellent team when it really comes down to it. I could not be more blessed to be where I am today, with my family life and career. Sometimes I try to rush ahead to the next thing, but I"m realizing more and and more that there are so many wonderful things to learn and take in from my life in the present. I am not where I thought I'd be as I start to approach 30, but I cannot imagine my life being any different. I am excited to see what the future will bring.

Weekly Post 1 : Eating Healthy

One of many goals I have is to eat healthier. Of course, don't most people want to accomplish this? (I mean, unless you are a total junk-food addict who doesn't really care about your health, or already do a great job at eating well balanced meals). After marriage and taking on responsibility for most of the cooking, I have become more aware of what it means to cook meals to nourish both our bodies and our souls. Since marriage, I have really been honing my skills at South Indian cooking (Kerala style, to be more specific). I have slowly gotten the hang of the detailed and laborious process that goes in to cooking my husband's comfort foods, and may even say I've gotten really good at making a few dishes. :) Sometimes we do our grocery shopping and cooking together, and have been trying to workout a budget and pick foods that are both healthy and within our budget. We have also been trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our diet. This week I found cabbage on sale, and decided to buy it. I've never really been a big fan of cabbage, though did like when my mother had made stuffed cabbage polish style, and the couple times I'd had cabbage made by my mother in law and others in India. So I bought it, and last night cooked up some red fish curry (with salmon - yummy!) and green cabbage thoran. Everything came out delicious - and it was healthy! My next task is the polish style stuffed cabbage, or a recipe I found for a cabbage and white bean soup. I'll definitely be buying more, as it was cheap and easy to use! After much consideration today, I have decided to challenge myself to buy and use one new vegetable each week. I am finding that when I cook these veggies I disliked as a child, in a new way (say, as a thoran or with a lovely mix of spices), I love it. I then saw a challenge on some article online about trying "one new fruit that scares you each week". So, I am going to embark on this adventure in food: Try one fruit or veggie each week that is either new to me, or that I disliked before, in a new way. The second challenge is to try to use it in more than one way during the week so it doesn't go to waste if not used in one meal! I find too often we have leftovers that are past their prime, or veggies I have to get rid of with deep regret because they sat around too long in the fridge or on the counter. For any readers: Any suggestions for ways to eat healthier and save money at the same time? What are some good vegetables or fruits to try?

Another Leap of Faith

Hello again, blog world! I've decided it's time to once again sit down and send my thoughts out into the vast world of the internet. Life moves both slowly and quickly at the same time, and sometimes it helps to just sit down and reflect on it. Recently I have been diving in to reading a couple blogs, and one I follow regularly and enjoy, got me wondering why I stopped writing and creating art, and sharing with the world at large. Yes, I am a fairly private person, but there is a sort of joy that comes in connecting with others over lifestyles and allowing the vulnerability that comes with sharing parts of oneself. It's what I enjoy about working with people, despite the social anxiety that I often face. It's why I choose to push myself out of my comfort zone. I like being able to sit down and listen to someone else's story- to see their struggles and triumphs, to see the individual in each person as well as the common ground we all share - regardless of our identity or backgrounds. I like to see the growth that happens, the learning that we can do in each moment. So I'd love to use this blog to continue to reflect on my explorations of the world around me. To make a log of the growth I do as an individual and part of the community at large. To jot down the thoughts and feelings that come with spiritual and emotional growth. To reflect on marriage, social justice, religion, literature, cooking, family, mental health and more. To take on challenges posed by the outside world, and from myself. I'd love to write daily, but my goal is to start small - with a weekly post on goals, dreams, and thoughts, and see what this might grow into. To express my gratitude for what I've learned from others about love, faith, and food. To practice self care and maybe help just one other person to see things a bit differently than before to improve on the quality of life for themselves and another. Even if not one single person reads what I have to say right now, may it someday surface and be a source of hope in the future.