Thinking Out loud

3 years of Blogging

August 24, 2017 by Alicia 4 Comments

I recently renewed my domain for my blog in this month. I can’t believe it has been 3 years since I took the plunge to buy bridgesthroughlife.com. These last 3 years have been some of the most evolving for me and part of why I started my blog. I remember over Labor Day weekend 2014, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the domain and work on getting my blog set up. I had been at my new job for just a few months and I was accepted into a yoga teacher training program. I started the blog so I could blog through my training, but also to log bits and pieces of my life as I moved out into the real world on my own in my first apartment in a new city.

I knew I needed a change back in 2013 and in 2014, I was given an opportunity when I was laid off from my job. I set out to move to Philadelphia, even though I had never been there before. I booked a one way ticket to meet with recruiters and look at apartments and eventually met up with Brian to travel in NYC then met up with his parents to go to Virginia and DC before heading home to pack up my room and move.

Just a couple weeks later I was on the road and driving to Philadelphia myself. I split it up into 3 days, stopping in Michigan to see my friend and her new baby, then in Ohio to visit my Aunt and then finally to Philadelphia. That was the most driving I had ever done alone. I didn’t have a job yet, so I basically lived at the library around the corner and applied to jobs daily. Within a month, I signed on to a job in center city Philadelphia, walking and taking the train to work instead of driving. Everything was a completely new experience, but one that I enjoyed. I believe a fresh start every once in a while is a good thing.

My favorite part of living on my own was having my own kitchen. My own kitchen stuff and cooking and baking whatever I wanted. I think having a whole fridge to myself was also great! You can imagine I did lots of baking and cooking each week. I also had a corner of a bedroom for yoga and would practice at home a lot. It was great!

In October 2014, I started yoga training. The training didn’t only teach me more about the history of yoga, but also more about myself and my body. After just a few months of the training, I was getting worn down. I thought it would be fine to just do yoga, but I learned that my body needs weight lifting and variety. I pushed through though and am so grateful for my training.

I graduated in May 2015 and then had a weekend with Brian in NYC. I needed a weekend away and a little escape. Oh and I had also moved apartments at the end of March 2015 as well.

In 2016, Brian and I got engaged.

2016 was quite the year as my job became more demanding and I knew that seeing Brian 1 day a month was hard as well. I decided I should move to NY to be closer to him, but first, I wanted to take the time to travel. With little research, Brian and I purchased work and holiday visas for Australia and I gave notice at my job in November. I left plenty of time between leaving my job and leaving to travel. Though still, there was little planned but a one way ticket to Sydney after Christmas. I enjoyed catching up with friends at home and having Brian come to my family’s Christmas for the first time. Then we were off…not knowing when we would return.

sydney australia — watsons bay australia

December 28, 2016 we left the US and we would land in Sydney on December 30^th. Throughout our travels, I tried my best to blog when I could and give suggestions on places to see throughout Australia and New Zealand (I have to work on a travel tab to showcase these posts). A total of 2.5 months in Australia and 3 weeks in New Zealand and it was the end. Brian had a job offer at home and truth was, we had spent a lot of money traveling and were at a good stopping point.

cairns scuba dive with Brian — Diving the Great Barrier Reef

But I wasn’t done and decided to head to Europe on my own for 3 weeks. I was happy to meet up with family friends along the way though. While I can travel alone, traveling alone in a foreign country or multiple foreign countries can be quite challenging. Thankfully I can read French. Spanish, on the other hand, is tricky and I was glad to have a friend in Barcelona who could speak Spanish.

I finally returned back to the US towards the end of April, spending a couple weeks at home, getting readjusted to the time zone. I visited friends and drove to Iowa to visit my sister. Then I packed up my car again and headed to NY. This time I drove straight to Ohio to stay with my aunt and then made a pit stop in Buffalo to visit with people before heading to Binghamton.

Binghamton is still an adjustment. The small town where all these people are connected and here I am a transplant from Chicago. If you know me, you know I like big. Big high school, bigger college, big city, city life and opportunities. I enjoy living in the suburbs of a big city and Binghamton definitely isn’t that, but I am making it work. I found a lifting gym I love, a couple yoga studios and a dance class for Fall. I think as long as I am doing activities I love, I can be happy.

Add to my activities the fact that I found a job in 3 weeks. Believe me, I was starting to doubt myself a bit with all the rejection emails that came through first. Small town and not much to apply to, but after the interview with my company, I knew I loved the sound of the job and company. I love the people and environment and that is what really counts. I know eventually I will have more work to do daily. I was honestly more confident than ever about this recent job search, knowing I had so much experience to bring to the table. The rejection emails are still tough to receive, but I am glad this company has given me a chance. 2 months down and many more to go.

I may not have been the best at blogging consistently in 2014 or 2015, but I feel like I stepped up my game in 2016 with Yoga Workshop Fridays. I think more about what do people want to read and what can I help them with. Through traveling, I made travel guides of must see places and even after returning from traveling, I have posts about how to travel with your significant other and what to pack. Travel has become a big part of my life. I like to go to new places whenever I can. If you told me 10 years ago I would travel in Europe for 3 weeks solo, I would think you were crazy. Travel helped me to learn to go with the flow and learn to adjust to my surroundings. Perhaps that is one of the biggest things that has helped me with moving to new places and be OK with not having a set plan of what to do in the office each day. Before, I would freak out over no plan and now I think about, OK what can we do or how can I solve this issue that came up. It’s all about how we react to the situation.

I don’t really know where this post is going, other than to say, WOW. Look at all that I have accomplished over these last 3 years. I love having this place to log important times in my life and see how I have grown and changed. I love connecting with like minded people. This year was my first trip to Blogfest and Idea World and I see many more in the future.

Blogfest IDEA bridge 2017 — Blogfest/IDEA World July 2017

Now that my domain is renewed, you can expect I will be sticking around here for a while. I love writing, taking photos and putting my thoughts out there.

Thank you so much for reading and following along.

Thanks Amanda for letting me think out loud.

How do you think you have changed in the last 3 years?

Being Grateful in Tough Times

August 17, 2017 by Alicia Leave a Comment

This week has been quite an emotional week. It reminds me to be extra grateful for each day that we get. In an instant, life can change. In this time, I recently listened to Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations Podcast episode 3 with Sheryl Sandberg talking about her loss of her husband. One of the things that stood out to me was how Sheryl said her life has changed. Yes, there is more sadness, but also she learned to be more grateful. She is more grateful that she gets to age and still be here. Remember we can spend our life complaining, but what kind of life is that? Why not practice gratitude? For over a year now, I have written down one thing I am grateful for each day and it really has changed my perspective on things. It helps me stay more positive, even in times like this.

With gratefulness in mind, I want to list a few things that I am grateful for this week.

Stopping in Ogdensburg to have lunch with Shantel

I don’t know how we have managed, but somehow we really have seen each other once a year since graduating from Buffalo together in 2012. Even when I was living in other states, we have made it happen. When I knew I would be driving to Tupper Lake, I remembered swinging by Ogdensburg last year and knew it would be the perfect place to stop for lunch. Even though the situation of meeting up was sad, it was nice to catch up with Shantel and also eat a good meal (especially since I didn’t eat again for 7 hours after that).

Family friends

Staying at a family friends and enjoying this morning view of Lake Saranac

Brian’s family has so many friends and quite a social life in both Tupper Lake and Binghamton areas. While again it is always sad to meet people at a funeral, it is just so impressive to see so many lives that his family has touched and I am grateful to be marrying into such a community.

Beautiful weather

This summer has been so rainy for so many people and this week during services, it has honestly been some of the best weather all summer. When I am driving long distances, I find it is much nicer to drive in sunny weather and that helped me to enjoy my drives.

My buddy Lucy

It’s hard for dogs to lose a loved one too. They have been sad as well. I am happy that Lucy loves me so much. She was following me all around the house last night and just soaking up all the petting and head massages I have been giving her. She even slept on my yoga mat all night last night.

I could go on to say all the food, conversations, stories and just being there for Brian and his family in this hard time. I am grateful for it all. I know it won’t be easy getting back to a routine, but we are moving forward together.

I also have to give thanks to everyone who has reached out to me via text, phone call, Facebook, etc. I really appreciate it.

Thanks Amanda for letting me Think Out Loud.

The Year of Me

July 13, 2017 by Alicia 2 Comments

It may be July, but it’s never too late to set some goals for yourself. Inspired by a phrase I first heard on The Chatty Sisters Podcast which they referenced from The Girl Next Door Podcast (can you tell I am obsessed with both of these podcasts?!), is “the year of me.”

2017 has brought many changes into my life. Starting the year out traveling in a different country with just the clothes in my backpack definitely changed me and my thoughts on life. I feel oh so fortunate that I said years ago to myself I’m going back to Australia, to travel for months. Of course I knew MONTHS of travel can’t happen unless you A) work for yourself and have a flexible schedule or B) don’t have a job. When Brian lost his job and I decided I needed to move, it was the perfect time to travel and we went for it. We went without a plan and I can’t lie, that scared me. I went in with a simple expectation though, to enjoy it. Enjoy it, I did.

australia zoo koala cuddle 2 — holding a koala, one of the best days of my life

When we came back from traveling, Brian and I both agreed, we want to do it again. Next time, Asia, where I believe our dollars will stretch much farther. I don’t know when this will happen, but I am glad we both enjoyed the travel so much and it’s something we can save up for in the future.

Meanwhile, I am at that age where my friends are getting married and having kids. Honestly if you asked me 10 years ago what I would be doing now, I would have probably said “being a mom.” It’s something I have always wanted and still want. However, I realized, it’s not the end of the world to wait until you are 30 years old to have a child and right now I am enjoying my freedom. I don’t have the responsibly of being a mom, nor do I have any pets. The person I need to care for the most, is myself. That is where “the year of me” comes into play.

Since returning to the states and finding a job, I’ve decided to invest more into myself. For me, this means, spending money on gyms, personal training, good food, trying new skin care items and just taking time to myself. I am fairly independent. Brian is usually at work and so I have gotten used to it being me, myself and I. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but it definitely makes it easier when Brian has only 12 hours off and has to return to work.

Whenever you move to a new place, you have to make it feel like a home. For me, that means finding a gym I love and getting involved in activities. As much as I need my alone time, I also need socializing and the best way to get that when you don’t know people in the area, is getting out and doing something you love. I love yoga studios as you usually run into the same group of people each week for a class and that has been a way for me to make friends in the area. I also finally found a dance studio that does adult classes, so hopefully starting up tap dance in the Fall again and that will be a great way to meet some people in the area.

deadlifting for the first time in 5 years

The other thing I mentioned above is investing in new skin care items. I have to say I am pretty lucky when it comes to skin care as I really fail at washing my face consistently and I don’t use make up. I didn’t have a problem with pimples until high school. Then I had to cut out milk from my diet due to suddenly having issues with it. After college, I took it a step farther and tried to eat very little dairy, if any and focused on veggies, fruit and meat. Fewer junk foods and carbs and my skin has never been this clear.

My skin is sensitive so I have to be careful about what type of face wash I use. Lately, I have been exploring new face washes and even face masks since getting a mud bath in New Zealand. I am currently obsessed with the cold mask Love Lettuce from Lush. Unfortunately the Lush store is an hour away so that will only be a treat now and then, but it has made my face feel amazingly smooth. I also know I need to take care of my body and my muscles are sore after hard workouts, so I am trying to take a salt bath once a week. In August I plan to join a massage membership and get a monthly massage.

Your 20s are the time to explore different things and really discover who you are. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Travel, explore your own backyard, try a new product because you feel like it, try a new workout class or activity in your area. Get outside whenever possible and just be grateful for what your body is able to do and in turn take care of your body.

This year is MY year to try new things, get out of my comfort zone, be a little selfish and just get out there and enjoy life!

Thanks Amanda for thinking out loud.

No Questions, just thoughts.

Connection: Thinking Out Loud

June 22, 2017 by Alicia Leave a Comment

I’m not sure what it is about yin yoga where suddenly I get all these ideas in my head about blog posts. Last week’s theme was connection. The teacher shared a story about how she is close with her neighbors and it is such a blessing.

I grew up on a dead end street for most of my life. The first 7 years I was in a downtown area, third floor of the apartment building my dad owns. Then we moved to a house. On this street we had many friendly neighbors. We had block parties in the summer, which my family and I eventually took over the planning. The block parties were a great way to all get together, share food and have games with the kids. Actually since I moved in 2014 there hasn’t been a block party…I hope someday someone takes over the planning again.

As my yoga teacher talked about her story growing up with friendly neighbors, I remembered how lucky I was to grow up where I did. I loved having neighbors who took care of our cats when we were out of town, let my dad borrow their car when he suddenly had a flat tire and my sister needed to go to an ice skating lesson, kept a spare set of keys in case we were ever locked out and also just showed they cared.

I loved when it was spring and summer and kids would be playing in the street (dead end so usually safe) and neighbors would be out gardening. I actually learned to ride a two wheeler bike in those streets and I remember asking my dad how would I have learned had we still lived in our apartment? I couldn’t ride in that street as it was busy and the sidewalk was uneven so it just seemed like it would be harder. He assured me we would have found a way but I am still thankful we moved when I turned 7 to learn.

As kids, my best friend and I would run through the neighbors yards and try to hide from the boys on our street. Especially when they had water guns. Only some of our neighbors had fences so we were able to run through the bushes to other yards.

Times now are so different. We are constantly glued to our computers, checking Facebook or other forms of social media. Some kids have cell phones by the time they are in Kindergarten. In some ways the cell phones are for our safety because we are constantly worried about something happening, which is unfortunate as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I love social media. I love the people I get to connect to because I have found people with like minded interests and sometimes that is hard in the area that you live. It is harder to make friends as you get older. It is also harder to make friends when you move to 3 different states in the span of 5 years. I love that Facebook keeps me connected to people I have met. That way, in case I lose their phone number or their number changes, I have a way of reaching out.

However, it is important to have those in person connections. It is important to step away from our electronics and have experiences in real life.

When I was traveling and had limited wifi, I enjoyed it. I was able to soak up the experiences and be in the moment.

I guess what I am saying is, don’t forget to step away from your electronics from time to time and have a conversation with someone on the street, in the gym or in your office. Take time to meet up with a friend for coffee or something and put away your phones. You never know when you can make someone’s day, simply by saying hi to them.

Thanks Amanda for thinking out loud.

Thoughts on Connection with others?

« Previous Page

Stopping in Ogdensburg to have lunch with Shantel

Family friends

Beautiful weather

My buddy Lucy