philadelphia – Page 2

Wanderlust 108 Philadelphia 2018

September 24, 2018 by Alicia Leave a Comment

Happy Monday!! Wow I really can’t believe this is the last week of September already. It was still feeling like summer down in Philadelphia on Saturday. I drove down on Friday after work and stayed with a friend down there. Her baby was already asleep, but I got to meet her 5 month old with quite the head of hair on Saturday morning.

I headed out early, around 7:30, to go to the Navy Yard in Philadelphia for Wanderlust. This is my third year attending Wanderlust 108 in Philadelphia. I signed up by myself, hoping to meet some Philadelphia friends down there, but then they couldn’t make it. I like going anyway because it’s a chance to visit Philly, even if just for a short 24 hours. It turned out that some people from the yoga studio I currently go to were signed up and we somehow parked at nearly the same time and found each other before I even texted them.

We registered and laid down our yoga mats and then checked out some of the tents before getting ready for the 5k. I decided to just walk the whole 5k and enjoyed chatting with my friend the whole way.

After the 5k, I grabbed some sample granola bars and water and waited for the yoga to start. I also ran into a fellow yoga teacher training friend who lives in Philly, so it was good to see her.

The sun came out which felt wonderful except that I didn’t remember to bring sunscreen so I ended up very sunburnt after the practice. Thank goodness for tons of aloe vera and most of the sunburn is better today, but my shoulders got the worst and lifting has been a challenge.

We finished up with a short meditation and then you were free to roam around the area. I decided to just pack up my things and leave around 1pm because of the drive back and I wanted to make a stop at Trader Joes. I found a Trader Joes in Media, PA and it was easy to get to and find parking, which was better than trying to drive into center city Philadelphia. I also loved the cute brick building it was in.

I stocked up on Trader Joes essentials, like cookie butter, dark chocolate and pumpkin O’s. I also grabbed a sandwich to go which I quickly devoured in the parking lot before hitting the road. It was basically my first real food of the day that wasn’t a protein bar.

I was happy that my drive back was a lot smoother than driving down on Friday night. It was sunny and a nice day for driving. Although the outside temperature quickly changed from 80 degrees to 60 in my 3 hour drive. My sunburn was coming out and my upper body was hot from it.

sunburned — I was closer to a lobster by the time I got home. (my worst sunburn this year and it was officially the first day of Fall…)

As soon as I arrived home, I showered and aloe vera’d ( <- yep just made that word up) my body. I was pretty tired and decided to have a snack like dinner and watch a movie on Netflix before heading to bed.

Sunday morning I felt well rested, but I was exhausted when I was trying to work out at the gym. I know the sunburn was playing a role in that and also squats with burnt shoulders are probably not recommended. I pushed through and took my time before heading to the grocery store. I spent the afternoon doing some meal prep for the week like roasting veggies. Finally cool enough that I don’t worry about heating up the house too much. I then tried to get organized with homework for the week and spent time relaxing.

Have you ever been to a yoga festival?

Do you sunburn easily?

Philly Weekend and Flower Show 2018

March 13, 2018 by Alicia 1 Comment

This weekend I headed down to Philadelphia with Brian and my friend Alicia2. We left shortly after 7am on Saturday morning. It was a grey and cloudy morning in upstate NY. Thankfully as we got closer to Philadelphia, the sun came out. You never realize how sunny a place is until you leave it and suffer with clouds all winter.

Despite the sun being out, it wasn’t all that warm. It was at least in the 40s. We arrived and managed to get a parking spot in the hotel lot after a bit of a wait. Then we headed to the hotel and put our bags in storage. We arrived around lunch time which was perfect to head into Reading Terminal Market. This was Alicia2’s first time to Philadelphia and we wanted to show her some good spots. The market is definitely overwhelming the first time you visit and it doesn’t help to be stuck in the lunch/flower show crowd. I settled on Mexican while Brian and Alicia2 enjoyed some seafood. Then we had to wait in the VERY long donut line for the best donuts. The only donuts I will really eat are the amish donuts in this market. I’m a simple person and got vanilla with m&m’s.

We enjoyed our donuts and then headed into the Flower Show. The entrance is always grand and this year with the theme of “Wonders of Water”, it was a rainforest entry.

It was the final weekend for the flower show and it was packed. The entrance is always the worst as everyone tends to go the same direction and you move the pace of a snail around the big displays.

Brian immediately pushed his way ahead and we didn’t see him again for a good hour or so. Alicia2 and I took many photos along the way as we pushed through the crowds.

Finally we made it to the center area and were able to have a bit of breathing room and watch an interesting demonstration of flower arrangements for a mermaid theme party.

Then Brian found us and we walked around the competition area seeing the flower art displays. From pressed flowers to interpreting a painting and more, there was a lot of talent on display. I loved the pressed flower displays!

Eventually we made our way into the vendor area where they sell all kinds of stuff, some flower related and some not. Of course you can buy flowers, garden accessories, jewelry and lots of homemade items. I left with a bar of my favorite tea tree soap.

After the main flower show area, we headed over to the wine tasting area. I think I tasted one rum or something and then I decided to shove my way through the crowd and find a seat while Alicia2 and Brian enjoyed the samples. I rested and worked on dinner plans.

By the time we finished up at the flower show, we were able to walk across the street and check into our hotel room for the night. We relaxed a bit. I got some food network tv time and then we decided to take a walk to the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin’s grave per Alicia2’s request.

We headed over to City Hall and Love Park and then caught an Uber to the Front Street Cafe near Fishtown Philadelphia to meet up with two of my friends. They are expecting their first baby in April and it was exciting to see them. The food was wonderful and the dining location they picked was great! Something on the menu to please everyone and we admired the decor inside and had a great waiter. We talked and talked. We talked so much, we ended up paying and continuing our conversation for another hour before calling it a night around 10pm.

Our Uber was waiting for us as we headed out of the restaurant and it was a short ride back to our hotel. And yes I could have driven my car over, but Uber was way more convenient and worth the $10-12 each way.

As soon as we got back, it was time for bed. I think we all crashed hard after all the walking.

Sunday morning, we all woke up at about 8am with the time change. That was perfect for getting up and heading down to breakfast. Breakfast was ok, but we decided to take a walk to Reading Terminal as well. I wanted a smoothie and Brian wanted some good coffee. We found both and then packed up at the hotel and headed to the zoo.

It was a sunny day, still a little chilly, but it was a good zoo trip. We saw the red pandas roaming around the zoo in the 360 experience.

Many of the animals that were out, were just laying in the sun and I don’t blame them. The good thing about zoos is that there is always a little house to go in, like the reptile house or bird house to see more animals and get out of the cold.

The flamingos stole the show with their squawking. It also amazes me how they walk in synch. It’s like watching synchronized swimming sometimes.

I enjoyed the big cats like the lions and tiger. They were pretty much all sleeping away though.

Before we left, we were able to catch the alligator feeding. They only do it once a week on Sundays at 1pm and we just so happened to be heading back to the entrance at that point and caught it. Of course, at this point, I’m hard to impress since I went to the Australia Zoo, but I did still enjoy it.

It was about 1:30 when we left and we decided to grab a late lunch at the King of Prussia mall at our favorite Mexican place, Cantina Laredo. Alicia2 got to try my favorite mojitos and we filled up on chips and guac and got a restaurant week special of carnitas tacos. All of it was amazing and I was full for the rest of the night and into Monday I swear.

We walked off a bit stopping at DSW, Victoria Secret and a couple other stores. I had some coupons to use and you have to take advantage of shopping in PA with no sales tax on clothes and such.

By 4pm, we headed back to the car for the remaining 3 hours back home. I drove and my passengers both slept. I stopped at a rest stop for gas and was filling my tank and a guy filling his tank on the other side commented “everyone asleep but the driver.” Yep that’s how it was. On the bright side, I played my CD in the car and it was super sunny outside which really helps make the drive not so bad. Plus I have done the drive so many times now that it’s pretty familiar.

Brian had a nice 2 hour nap and then we chatted a bit during the last hour. My tire light decided to give me a scare at a toll stop and then went off again. I was a bit nervous for the remainder of the drive, but tried to put the thoughts aside. I know from experience my tire light is always right. After dropping off Alicia2, we got home and Brian checked all my tires. I now have to keep an eye on the driver front tire but at least it was fine the next morning for the gym and work.

We got home at about 8pm, which was perfect for me to have time to make my food for Monday morning, unpack and get settled into bed. Luckily I planned ahead by grocery shopping on Thursday night and had all my food set.

It was an amazing weekend with Brian and friends. I was glad Brian was able to take off work and have this mini getaway. I think we all needed it. Then it was back to the regular work week and gym time on Monday morning. I also got back to my regular eating. I may have overdone the chips and guac while we were out, but hey, you have to live!

One Year Since Philadelphia

December 11, 2017 by Alicia Leave a Comment

Instead of a weekend recap, I have a special post for today.

———-

I can’t believe it’s been a year (Dec 9) since I left my job in Philadelphia and embarked on quite the journey from December 2016 through April 2017 traveling. At times, I miss Philadelphia. I miss the city and especially during the Christmas season. I love cities during the holidays. Yes they are crazy, but that Holiday season air fills me with happiness. I know it’s so cheesy, but I love the decorations, the Macy’s windows, grabbing a hot tea to warm my hands and walking with all the shoppers. If I’m in Chicago, I love an opportunity to ice skate at the bean. I know some people stress during the holiday season, but I see the joy. We complain about the cold, but for me, it would be weird to have a warm Christmas. I know we have had some unusually warm Decembers in the last few years and don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed not pulling out the winter coat, but Christmas feels like it should be cold and snowy, as long as I can stay cozy and inside. Last year, I got my white Christmas in Chicago right before taking off for Australia and it was the perfect send off. I will tolerate the cold until New Year’s and then after that, it’s more torture knowing you have 3 more months until Spring.

But back to Philadelphia…I think back on the times walking to Love Park (before it was under construction) and the Christmas Village. I usually only came back with a gingerbread cookie of some sort. In Philadelphia, there was always a place I could take a walk during my lunch break, whether that was to grab tea because I wasn’t feeling great or going into Barnes and Noble to browse the books. Sometimes I would even sprint to Reading Terminal for a donut for me and Brian when he came down.

Even though at times I was afraid walking alone at night to the train, I would love looking up at the buildings, all lit up, some in red and green for the holidays. I had a love/hate with working on the 32^nd floor. The view was amazing, but knowing in a time of emergency that I was on the 32^nd floor, was scary to think about and I know 32 is nothing compared to floor 100.

The thing is, Philadelphia was a stepping stone for me. I never really felt I could settle there. See, I love the city, but I love living in the suburbs. I had the best of both. I took the train into work so I didn’t have to worry about starting up my car which was amazing for those 2.5 years. But now, my commute time is about 1/3^rd of what it was in Philadelphia so there are always pros and cons. I’m now working in a small town, which is a very different feel from center city Philadelphia. I can’t go down the street and shop for a pair of sneakers and Christmas gifts, but hey maybe that is better for my wallet (except all that online ordering I have done at home lately).

I still miss living close to a big city. I don’t think I will ever stop loving cities. I see so much opportunity in them and Philadelphia was the perfect one for me to go to on my own to explore. I also got to learn so much history, which if you know me, I HATED anything history in school. Seeing it though, in person, is so much different. I’m glad my parents could come down for a weekend and we could walk and visit many museums.

I’ll always have my friends in Philadelphia and my favorite yoga studios to keep in touch with. One thing I am most proud of was doing my yoga teacher training in Philadelphia. The Yoga Garden felt like home immediately when I walked in and there are few studios since that I can say the same about. Philadelphia will always be a special part of my journey in finding myself. I’m always working on myself, figuring out what I want for my life, but Philadelphia was a huge growing place for me and I’ll always be proud of that. Even with only living there for a short time, Philadelphia has this special place in my heart, feeling just a bit like home.

bridge love park — Bridge in Love Park in Summertime

Since I’m only about 3 hours away from Philadelphia right now, it’s perfect for a weekend visit. I’ll actually be flying from Philadelphia to Florida this Christmas, a last minute trip, so hoping to enjoy seeing some Christmas trees and windows in Philadelphia for a day this winter. Then in March, probably head down for the Flower show.

Do you have a place that you felt you did a lot of growing up?

Yoga on the Steps 2017: MIMM 109

May 22, 2017 by Alicia Leave a Comment

Hey there and happy Monday!! I am coming at you from Philadelphia today. I will be heading back to Binghamton this afternoon, but enjoyed a weekend in Philadelphia to attend the Yoga on the Steps event, staying at my friend, Rachael’s new house and walking A LOT. My steps were kind of slacking on Wednesday through Friday due to the heat and already doing yoga or weightlifting during the day, but I definitely made up for it this weekend.

On Saturday morning I drove down to Philadelphia for the weekend so I could participate in Yoga on the Steps Reach and Raise event on Sunday. I drove to the King of Prussia area and stopped in Wegmans for a small salad for lunch. Then I headed to the King of Prussia mall to walk around a bit and check out some stores before heading to Rachael’s house for the weekend. Of course I ran into a parade and event near her house and spent 20 minutes circling to find parking, but it was great once I arrived. We walked around the festival. I even got to weld a bit which I haven’t done since my high school welding class. Let’s just say it wasn’t a nice weld, but the guy said the piece would definitely stay together so there’s that.

From there, we ended up grabbing an early dinner of chips and guac and a burrito for me. It was only 5pm when we FINISHED dinner so we decided to walk down by the river all the way to Penn’s landing and a bit beyond.

We grabbed dessert along the way and I got an iced tea as well.

waterfront snack time — sugar cookie and iced tea

I think we walked about 4 miles from Rachael’s house which then meant it was a long walk back. We didn’t get back until 9:30. Basically, constant walking for 4 hours.

We got back and relaxed a bit and then it was time to head to bed.

Sunday morning I got up at 6:45 so I could eat breakfast and start heading into center city at 7:15. I found my way to the train and took it down to 15^th street and then walked to the art museum. There was so much new construction and the walk to the art museum seemed to take longer as I zig zagged my way to open sidewalks.

I got there shortly after 8 which was perfect to check in and then meet up with my friends from last year. The event started at 9:30, so we took some pictures and enjoyed the sunshine beforehand.

We were then led through a short meditation of mindfulness, heard from a few speakers and then did our yoga practice. The event had around 2,000 people and I just feel like it is so powerful to practice yoga with that many people. Plus the money raised goes to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a great non profit organization to help women and men diagnosed with breast cancer.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather on Sunday. It was absolutely beautiful!! Afterwards, I enjoyed chatting with my friends and eating snacks provided.

yoga on the steps 2017 2 — gauc salad and granola bar and pretzels

In the afternoon, I enjoyed my second lunch at Rachael’s house and then we went for another walk, but only for about 2 hours. We ended with some vegan ice cream made from coconut milk and then got pizza next door because the smell was too good to pass up.

coconut milk ice cream — lemon lavender ice cream made with coconut milk

Finally in the evening, Rachael and her husband made some veggies, because we didn’t eat enough food apparently. I enjoyed a bit of down time doing some writing and then it was time to wind down for the evening.

I’m so happy I got to come down for Yoga on the Steps. The drive from Binghamton isn’t too bad so I think I will plan to attend next year as well. It’s also nice now to visit Philly, a city I got to know over the 2.5 years I lived there.

Linking up with Katie for MIMM.

What’s one fun thing you did this weekend?

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