LiviN Life DailY

Happy Valentine´s Day

2012-02-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Many people seem to have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. For some it is their favorite holiday of the year and for others it is the opposite. I try not to get caught up in what some people may call a “Hallmark Holiday”, but it is a nice day to acknowledge all the people in your life that you love and care about. I have been going through a lot of my pictures as of lately, and I am always surprised with the many pictures I have, and those that I forgot about. So this turned into a PHOTO FLASHBACK, looking at good times spent over dinner, trips, or just random captured moments. After looking at all my pictures, it had me thinking about all the wonderful people in my life in various places. I have had a lot of transition in my life, moving to NY after Graduation, to moving to Spain a couple months ago but there are people who have remained constants despite my new locations. I feel extremely blessed for all the people who have come into my life for various reasons, and I just wanted to wish you all a HAPPY VALENTINES´S DAY. I hope everyone has a great day. Mine has been great thus far: a Morning run, looking at photos which sparked this blog post, and now I am off to work. I plan to buy some chocolate to enjoy when I get home, and that is a great recipe for a great day.

Here are some photos I came across…. PS. Don´t feel left out if you’re not in any of these photos, you may have been taking the picture, or were running away when I was trying to take a picture of you!

Barcelona Part II

2012-02-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I was back in Barcelona for the second time with a friend from NYC who was visiting me for the week. We both had been to Barcelona before, but this time around, we wanted to see things we didn´t get the chance to see before. There are only so many hours in a weekend, but I was able to see a few new things. However, I have a new list of things I want to do the next time I am back in town. I got a great list of suggested bars, and restaurants to try but there wasn´t enough time. I will share the email I received, and feel free to try out these places if ever you’re in town.

Barcelona Recap

1. 1. Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria- This is a great outdoor market right off Las Ramblas. This was my first stop for the weekend, to grab breakfast. I loved all the colors of the fresh fruits and veggies. Too bad I wasn´t staying in a place where I could cook. I really wanted to buy the Salmon filets, and put together a tasty dinner.

2. House of Gaudi- This was awesome. Definitely a must see thing to do when in Barcelona

3. Park Güell- This Park was designed by Gaudi and it makes a good follow up trip after visiting the house of Gaudi. The Number 24 bus stop, is less than a block away and it takes your straight to the park. You can spend hours finding new spots of the park that have the best views of the city.

4. Picasso Museum- Last time I was in town, I missed the Picasso Museum, because I didn´t make it there before 8pm when it closes. Fortunately, this time around I knew the hours of the museum, and got FREE entrance. The first Sunday of every month the admission into the museum. After visiting this museum, I felt a bit encouraged to start nurturing my creative side a little more

5. La Biennal – I discovered this restaurant last time I was in town, and fell in love with their tapas. Aletas de pollo con miel (chicken wings with honey), Patas Bravas, and their Brie Croquets . Coincidentally the hotel I stayed at this time around, was right near the place I stayed last time, so I made a stop here, to curb my craving for great Tapas.

6. Obama Bar- This place was recommended to me, and I was curious about the name so I checked it out. It is a British Africa Bar, with awesome decorations and of course; there is a life size statue of Obama, but the is no correlation with the name of the bar and Obama.

7. T-10 Card- I almost bought the Barcelona Card for a 3 day trip which was about 33 euros, and opted for the T-10 journey card which is 9.95 euros, and allows you 10 rides on the metro, and busses within Barcelona. The good thing about Barcelona, is that from the city center everything is pretty much walkable. 10 journeys was just enough for a 3 day trip.

On the flip side, traveling has its Ups and Downs. On the first night my friends and I arrived, I witnessed why everyone tells you to be careful with your belongings in Barcelona. My friends and I were getting on the train. Two guys dropped something in front of my friend, while one was bending down to pick it up the other one had his hand in her purse. It was a rather rehearsed stunt, the guy grabbed her Passport and other identification, but luckily with the quick reflexes my friend had, she felt what happened and was able to snatch back her belongings.

I also discovered that I TRULY appreciate when I ask directions to get somewhere, and a person doesn´t know. Just say I DON´T know, rather than leading someone astray. The morning of my flight back to Sevilla, I tried taking the train to the airport. I looked up directions vaguely before leaving that morning, and asked for the remaining directions along the way. My flight was at 10 30 AM, and I managed to arrive at the train 5 mins before 8AM with time to spare. I got on the train I was directed to after asking for directions, and closed my eyes to rest until we arrived at the airport. I was woken up by one of the train attendants asking me where I was going… I told him, and he said this train doesn´t go to the airport. I had a mini panic attack, and tried to figure out where the nearest stop was. It was now almost 8 45am and we seemed far from the city, the train was a commuter train and the next stop wasn´t for another 10mins. I discovered we were maybe 45 KM outside of Barcelona, and now fighting against the clock to make it to the airport in time. Again, I had to ask how to get back towards the city center, and I was getting conflicting messages. I really couldn´t afford to miss my flight and someone suggested the best thing to do was to catch a cab. It was now a little after 9AM at this point and our gate closed at 10AM. It was about a 60 euro cab ride, but it got us to the airport in time. In the moment, it really sucked. No one likes to spend unnecessary money, but at the end of the day, at least I was safe, and didn´t end up missing my flight.

Despite these two little hiccups I had a great weekend in Barcelona. See below for additional suggestions I got from a friend, of things to do while in Barcelona. These places are on my list of things to do the next time around…

Barcelona to be continued…. Suggestions I was given before I went, but didn´t get to all of these over the weekend.

- Bel-Luna Jazz Club – The Jazz & Pin up club. Amazing music and pin up photography www.bel-luna.com

- MONVINIC. I attempted to make go to this place. Went on a Sunday but it was close. However, the person that recommended this said that they could write a 10-page essay on this place alone. If you’re into wine, it will take you on a journey around the world one sip at a time. Great staff of five sommeliers that go above and beyond to give you their expertise’s on every one of the 3000 wine labels they carry and not make it stuffy and uncomfortable while doing it. www.monvinic.com/.

- “If you take me up on NOTHING else, please take me up on this recommendation.” One night when you haven’t eaten and you do some proper stretching, as a group go to El Rodizio Grill (C/ Consell De Cent 403 T. 34 932 655 112) It’s a Brazilian all you can eat spot. Good GOD!!! As was recommended to me, order the Picanha! P.S. DO NOT EAT BEFORE YOU GO! That’s all I’ll say.

- “Be advised: Barcelona is closed on Sunday! You'll find some small spots open but for the most part, it's like tumbleweeds rolling down the street! However, we stumbled upon this one spot: Lotus. Boy, did we have fun! It's a Brazilian Club, a live band, live performers (men will love it), great capirinhas , and a fab DJ (played hip hop all night long). Fun times!!!”

Feel Free to add any of your favorite Barcelona spots…..

Flash Card Abs

2012-02-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

January, February, March, April, May… Then it´s summer. It will soon be the time to start bearing skin, and getting away from the security of hiding underneath layers and layers of clothes in the winter. Many people wait until summer hits, to start their summer bod work outs, and many magazines, and fintess indursty business profit from this. Why not get a head start, save some money, and start now? Starting a workout routine now, can give yourself plenty of time to get your body where you want it to be, rather than searching for fastest way to shed pounds. Right now is the time to start, but are you puzzled where to even start? I have found it helpful to sit down, and evaluate target places you are trying to improve, and put yourself on a 4 to 6 week workout plan, and as time progresses, increase the difficulty and change the different exercises.

Abs, Abs, Abs… It seems as though this is the focal point of everyone´s desired body part to improve. I find it sometimes, difficult to think of what exercises I want to do, to target all my core muscles, versus just focusing on the appearance of 6 pack abs. Something I have found to be very helpful is FLASHCARDS.

My Make Shift At Home Gym

FLASHCARD RECIEPE

1. Get a pack of basic Index Cards

2. Do some research on Ab exercises, and pick around 20 exercises to start

3. Next write down the names of the different exercises on an individual cards

4. You now have an index of different Ab exercises that target different parts of your core,

5. Now, when you plan to focus on Abs, you can take out your handy dandy FLASHCARDS, and choose about 6-10 cards, and those exercises will be the exercises you will do for that day.

6. Choose how many repetitions you want to do for each, and select a whole new set for the next day you do Abs...

This helps organize your workout routine, and adds some variability to the different exercises you may be doing. You can also apply this idea to different muscle groups such as ARMS, LEGS, and BACK.

Let me know your thoughts on this if you try it. Hope it is equally beneficial for you as it has been for me.

Out of Commission and Back in Action

2012-02-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Long time no Blog Post. January has a month of curve balls. After spending a lovely 2 weeks in France and London for the Christmas holiday. I returned back to Sevilla, ready to get into a new routine for 2012. I moved into a new apartment, got situated, and love my new roomies. The only drawback, has been moving into the new place without Wifi already being hooked up. My roommates, said they would have it set up in a week, which turned into two weeks, and then a month. I have learned a bit of patience in the midst of things and am learning how to adapt to the more carefree lifestyle here in Spain. On the flip side, not being completed connected to the WORLD WIDE WEB, gave me opportunity, to find cute little coffee shops, to check my email, and chat with people from home, as well as explore more of Sevilla outside of looking things up online. I have met a new people who have showed me new little parts of Sevilla that I haven´t seen yet. I have also had the time to do things, I have been putting on the back burner such as my dream board, looking into a place where I can take formal Spanish classes, and become more immersed in Sevilla than I was when I first moved.

I am happy to begin checking things off my list of things to do, and now that I have Wifi back at home, to find a balance between being online, and discovering new things. Since I last posted here are a few updates on happenings with me:

1. Starting Spanish Classes with the university of Sevilla Language Institute in February

2. One of my friends from NYC came out to Sevilla to visit. I had a blast showing her Sevilla, and then we headed out to Barcelona for the weekend

3. Decided I would LOVE to Stay in Europe for my Master´s and have been looking into other Master´s in Public Health programs in Europe

4. Next Weekend Feb 17^th I will be heading to Cadíz with my roommates for Carnival

5. My mom and Sister are actively planning a Eurotrip to come visit me in April. I am extremely excited to see them in Europe.

6. Been establishing a workout routine in preparation for my Milan Marathon Relay in April

January has come and went, and now we are already on the second week of February. I plan to be back in action on here, and to post as often as I can.

2012 Dream Board Finally Finished

Until Next Time….

4 Week Work Out Plan

2012-01-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

I have successfully, ended my 7 Day Challenge Cleanse, and I must say I am feeling Good! My body feels lighter, and refreshed from all the different foods I had been getting used to these last couple months, and now I am ready to get full swing into my work outs. With any good workout regimen, it is good to have CONSISTENCY, BALANCE and VARIABILITY in the exercises you are doing. Since I am currently training for a race, I need to incorporate CARDIO, STRENGTH TRAINING, FLEXIBILITY, and CORE STRENGTH into my work outs. The hard thing for me has been, setting a schedule that I can realistically adhere to. Make sure you analyze the time you do have to set aside for your work out, and set a plan for the week. That way you can have something to aim for, and always modify it. I have come up with a Weekly Workout routine I am going to do over the next 4 weeks, and as things become easier I will add progressions and increase the difficulty.

Goals:

Maintain a regular workout schedule
Improve Core Strength
Focus on rehabilitation exercises to prevent injury of my knees and lower back

· Frequency: 4X a week ( Minimum of 2X a week Running, Cross Train remaining days)

· Duration: 30 minutes & up (depending on time constraints)

· Type: Throughout the week my workouts vary from Full Body, Cardio and Core

· Intensity: Varies for workouts, will gauge intensity with RPE scale ( Rate of Perceived Exertion)

These are my additional workouts outside of my RUNNING Days:

Cardio-Speed Work Out	Full Body Circuit	Core
Warm Up: 10 min Jog Workout: 10 X 50 Min Sprints - At the end of each sprint complete the following exercises: - Frog Jumps (20X) - Plank ( 30 sec hold) - Body Weight Squats (20X) - Walking Push Ups (5X) - Walking Lunges (20X) - Reverse Crunch (20X) - Skater Jumps ( 20X) - Single Leg Step Ups (10X each leg) - Side Twist (20X) - Standing Oblique Crunch (10X each side) - Kick Backs (15X each) - NOTE: This is a full body work out, that incorporates speed intervals as well as strength exercises	Workout- Complete the following exercises as a circuit. Rest: 15-30 sec Rest between Exercises Sets: 3-4 Repetitions -8-count Body builders (5X) -Side Lunges (10x) -Dumbbell T- Stabilization (10x) -Box Jumps ( 15x) -Push Up Row (10x) - Bridges (15x) This series = 1 Set	Warm Up: Yoga Sun Salutations -Plank Hold- 3x 30 sec -Back Extensions- 2 x 20 reps - Bridges w/ Leg Left- 2x 10 reps - Hip AbDuction/Adduction w/ Resistance Band(RB)- 2x 20 reps - Side Steps w/ RB- 2x 30 secs - Leg Lifts- 3x 10 Reps - Toe touchers- 2x 20 reps

COOL DOWN…. (Do any stretching at the end of the workout when the muscles are already warm, and prevents injury to the muscle)~Core exercises and stretching is added to the end of my running days. Also make sure you are drinking adequate amounts of water after workouts to replenish your system, and flush any toxins released after your workouts.

Carnival Celebrations in Europe | Travel Maestro

2012-01-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

Carnival Celebrations in Europe | Travel Maestro

Happy Martin Luther King Day

2012-01-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

Living in Spain, it feels weird that MLK day is not considered a holiday. I went to work as usual today, and used the liberty to teach about American culture, holidays, customs however and as much as I want. Last night I spent a lot of time for looking up activities I could use with my students, with adaptable language for them to understand, and share MLK´s story and the significance of why the holiday is celebrated in America. I created a Powerpoint presentation with pictures, and short phrases, that my students could understand to explain the story of Dr. Martin Luther King´s life.

I started class by asking my students. What day is today? Answers varied from “Monday”, “ The 16^th of January”, to “ El dia de el hombre afuera en el pasillo” ( The day of the man outside the hallway?) They were referring to the MLK dispay we have hanging in the entry way of the school that we change for American holidays such as Christmas, Easter, etc. I explained to them today was indeed the 16^th of January, but it is also a holiday in America.! A few light bulbs went off, and I managed to get a few correct answers… “ Martin Luther King Day!”

I began the PowerPoint, and used a handout called MLK Jr. Story. Students were uninterested when I first started, because they saw they had to do reading, and actual try to use all the English language we have been learning. Once I started showing photos such as a Restaurant signs that had an arrow pointing one way for whites and another way for coloreds, they were a little perplexed. “ What does it mean”. I explained during this time “ Personas como mi color, no pueden comer en el mismo restaurante de personas blanco”. My student´s eyes lit up, and the questions started rolling in. “ Why Maya?” My student´s couldn´t really fathom why anything like this would ever exist. They began personalizing the stories, and asking if my parents or grandparents were alive during this time. They seemed innocently did not understand why there was segregation in schools, and why things weren´t equal.

I found this lesson to be a bit difficult for me. One because I really wanted to share MLK´s story with my students, but with their limited comprehension of English in stories such as this, it made it difficult for me to fully express myself in Spanish. It became easier to adapt the lesson to the main goals MLK fought for, which turned into a vocabulary lesson: Civil Rights, Equality, Tolerance, Peace, discrimination, dedication, leader, courage, wise, and etc. By the end of class we had a well developed list of descriptive words to describe MLK, vivid pictures that conveyed the climate of the times, and I was able to draw on some discussion with my kids about the presentation.

We discussed how they would you feel if they were unable to live freely? Create a list of 10 things you would like to improve in the world/ your country/ your community? I was a little worried that the lesson I hoped to teach, was over my student´s heads or they wouldn´t understand, but the activities we did in class were well adapted to their language level, and interactive for them to understand visually, orally, and written.

Today, made me reflect on the freedom I sometimes take for granted that leaders such as Martin Luther King worked so hard for. The numerous lessons I am able to witness through my travel with different cultures, communities, and be able to do so freely, makes me feel very grateful. I encourage everyone to continue to keep Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision, and dreams alive through their interactions with people from all backgrounds, religions, cultures, and countries.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!!!

Role of Sports

2012-01-15T09:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about the impact of sports in one´s life beyond the physical benefits? Not until recently, I have learned the multitude of effects sports has on a countries development, economics, politics and international relations.

I came across the organization called WomenWin, which promotes women´s empowerment through sports. It is a non- profit organization which invest in innovative sports programs for girls

and women around the world.

They believe sport is the most vital tool for female empowerment and untimely social change. WomenWin, most recetly had a 16 day campaign for International Human Rights day. Below is one of the link to one of the videos that demonstrates gender based violence that is prevalent in post-conflict areas around the world. Watch the following video below to gain some insight on the way sports in this case facilitate empowerment, promote social change, encourage women, and restores human dignity.

What are some of the reasons you participate in Sports? Can you see the potential impact it has on areas of economic development, skill building, women´s empowerment or any other factors you can think of?

Girls' Sport in Conflict Regions

http://vimeo.com/32495608

Girls and women in conflict and post-conflict regions around the world are faced with one of the greatest human rights violations: gender-based violence. In these same regions, girls and women are creating spaces to emotionally and physically cope with...

7 Day Challenge to Cleanse and Rejuvenate

2012-01-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

The New Year is in full swing, and there aren´t any more valid excuses for putting things off until the New Year. A good way to start fresh always mentally and physically is with a cleanse to rejuvenate your body, and help to get on track fitness wise for the New Year. The fitness industry makes a huge profit every year on cleanses and detoxes that potentially are harmful. The goal is to do a safe and easy detox, to get your body on the right track. I have had personal benefits from a 7 Day Challenge with Roots Nutrition. It is a natural cleanse, that does not negate eating, and has been very productive.

Roots Nutrition is a local nutrition business based in LA, that I have come to know when I lived in LA.

www.rootsnutrition.com

7 Day Challenge

The cleanse is set for 7 days, and the goal is to promote weight loss, rid the body of toxins, mucous and waste that cause you to be sluggish, overweight, or constipates. At the end of the cleanse, you will feel more energized, healthier, and motivated to jump start your fitness and nutrition goals!

Benefits

· Supports healthy immune system

· Supports normal cholesterol levels

· Boosts energy and cellular health

· Supports healthy hair, skin, nails and bones

· Cleanses visceral organs

· Purifies and builds blood

· Balances your blood sugar

Steps to the 7 Day Challenge

STEP 1 - BREAKFAST. Mix 1 scoop of the Roots Nutrition Power Green in 16 oz of water, diluted fruit juice, vegetable juice or a smoothie. If you have a big appetite? Drink 24 oz with 2 scoops of the Roots Nutrition Power Green. IF YOU DON´T HAVE THE ROOTS NUTRITION SUPPLEMENTS YOU CAN STILL DO THE CLEANSE WITHOUT IT. You may also eat more raw fruits or vegetables prior to lunch.

STEP 2 - LUNCH. Eat a large leafy green salad before your cooked lunch and dinner meals. At least half of the salad must contain leafy greens such as romaine, red leaf, butter leaf, spinach, kale, etc. NO ICEBERG LETTUCE, there is slim to no nutritional value in Iceberg lettuce. Use any other salad ingredients that you like to liven up your salad!

STEP 3 -DINNER. The first evening of the challenge, take 2 Roots Nutrition Power Cleansers with dinner.

Thereafter, take 2 capsules with breakfast and 2 capsules with dinner. (NOTE: adjust dosage as necessary.)

For best results, reduce or avoid the intake of refined or processed foods (white flour, pasta, white bread, white rice, bologna, hot dogs, junk food, dairy products, etc.)

Drink enough distilled or purified water to keep you urine CLEAR!!!

Follow these simple steps, and you will be able to successfully complete the 7 Day challenge. I am going to start the challenge on Monday without the Roots Nutrition Supplements, because I left mine back in the US. If your in LA and want to buy it check out Roots Nutrition. Good Luck Cleansing!

XXX Cross Internacional de Itálica 2012

2012-01-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today I did my first race of the year with Los Lentos de Torreblanca (running club, I just joined Friday). Almost every weekend there are Carerras ( Races), and I decided to run in the 7KM race this morning, to jump start my training for other races this year. There were several race classifications for: youth, international competitive athletes, “carerras populares” (is for anyone who wants to run). The course was in a small town right outside Santiponce(Sevilla) called Itálica, known for its ancients Roman ruins.

XXX Cross Internacional de Itálica 2012 Route

Itálica Ruins

Itálica was a Roman City founded in 205 A.D. Many people come to visit the amphitheatre, the mosaics, the remains of thermal baths, and classical sculptures. The course was set in a very historically rich area and made for a very scenic route, however the climate this morning took away being able to enjoy it fully. It started pouring raining, and the course was a long dirt paths, which turned into mud. My team energized me to keep warm in the rain, and we trekked through the very wet and slippery path together. I spent a lot of time looking at the ground, to make sure I didn´t fall more than the scenery around me. Overall it was a good race, I look forward to upcoming races and training with Los Lentos de Torreblanca. It is a great team full of different athletes with different interest ranging from marathon runners, Triathletes, to runners who do 150KM races. Check out photos from today´s race. Today is the first of many races in my pursuit to see more of Europe through running!

Today I ran as Jose Antonio, I didn´t have time to register for the race in advance

Raining Day for a Run, pero Si se Puede

Los Lentos keeping warm before the run

Cold Feet, Literally

Some members of Los Lentos de Torreblanca Running Club

Competitive Athletes heat for women

You can see how icky it was outside

Las Ganadoras ( Top 3 Finishers) 1st place winner Linet Masai, from Kenya 2nd Place - Vivian Cheriuyot, from Kenya, 3rd place Wude Ayalew, from Ethopia

This race benefited one of UNICEF´s projects called Reto, which helps fight malnutrition of infants in Ethiopia

London by Night

2012-01-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

London is booming with happenings in the evening. I had a blast going out, touring the city by night. Here are a few of my evening highlights.

London by Night Highlights

Nutcracker Ballet- The English Ballet was wrapping up their holiday show of the Nutcraker Ballet. I love the arts so it was fun to get dressed up, go to dinner and head to the ballet. I hadn´t seen the Nutcracker since I was little, and was really impressed with the theatre, the dancers were really strong, the orchestra played very nicely, I was really happy to catch it before it ended on Dec 30^th.

Evening Stroll- One of the evenings I started at the Westminster Abby and walked all the way to the Tower Bridge. I had done the Thames river cruise the day before during the day, so it was cool to see everything all lit up at night, I managed to capture some great night shots.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben

London Eye

Trying out different settings on the camera, another shot of the Big Ben

View of the city from one of the many bridges along the Thames River

Tower Bridge

Trafalgar Square- is one of London´s many famous tourist attractions. INTERESTING FACT:Trafalgar square was once famous for its pigeons, and feeding them was once a must do activity when you visit London. The pigeons are no longer in the square because their droppings began ruining some of the stonework, and the large flocks of pigeons that summed around 35,000 was considered a health hazard. I am not a fan of Pigeons, so it was nice to visit Trafalgar square without the pigeons.

Piccadilly Circus- London´s version of Time Square, lots of lights, street performers, restaurants , theater shows, and so on.

Big Chill Bar- Met up with a few members to the Nomad.Ness Travel Tribe for a fellow member’s birthday. The Big Chill Bar developed from the Big Chill Festival which first took place in 1994. The Big Chill Festival is a multimedia festival which includes music, art, comedy, dance and film. With the increasing success of the festival, it was decided that a bar should be opened to follow the tradition. The bar was converted from a car park and opened in 2004. It is situated off Brick Lane, which is now a very trendy part of London, and is full of friendly people, comfy sofas, long wooden tables, art and music.

Happy New Year- Tamarai Lounge hosted a Masquerade Ball, where you were supposed to wear a mask, and unveil yourself at midnight. My friends and I were having a bit too much fun, and managed to miss the NYE countdown, and brought in the New Year on the street before entering the club. None the less it still ended up being a great night.

London by Day

2012-01-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Since I have been in London, I have felt like a kid in a candy store. Oooing and Awing over every little thing from the old school taxis, Double Decker transit busses, to key sights of London I have only seen in movies and online. The only thing that has been a little depressing has been the weather. I guess I forgot London is known for its gloomy weather. It has rained many days, and the daylight diminishes around 4pm so it feels a lot later than it actually is. Accordingly to my LONDON TO DO LIST, I had a lot to check off, and tried to take advantage of the days it was nice to do the outdoor activities.

Here is a Re-Cap of my London Trip By Day… The London Nightlife will be covered on its own.

Transportation

- Public Transportation is very convenient , you can get pretty much everywhere with the Tube or busses without hopping in a cab. The only downside is, London transportation is a tad expensive.

I would recommend getting a 7 day pass Oyster card which is 27 pounds and includes unlimited rides in the selected zones you choose. You can see a lot of London getting an Oyster card that covers Zones 1 and 2. It ends up being more cost effective than trying to pay for single ride tickets, even if you are there for less than 7 days and plan to see a lot of the city

Sight Seeing

Thames River Cruise: The Thames River Cruise, was purchased on Viator (Offers good deals on attractions in various cities throughout the world). Since the Rome Bike City Tour in Rome I booked through Viator, I like to do at least one tour, that is a little unique. This time I chose the Hop on Hop off Thames River tour, which takes you along the Thames river, and you can see a lot of the main attractions off the water, with commentary, and you can hop on and off when you like.

Big Ben- This was one of my favorite sights

London Eye- When I first saw the London Eye I didn´t even think it was moving, it turns really slow, a complete ride of the London Eye takes about 30 mins.

London Bridge- I was a little disappointed when I visited the London Bridge. Growing up and singing London Bridges Falling down, or watching the Spice Girls movie, the London Bridge has been Glamorized in my imagination. Along the Thames River there are tons of bridges, theelaborate Tower Bridge was what I thought was the London Bridge from a distance. Although it wasn´t as beautiful as I expected to be, it was cool to actually see the London Bridge.

Tower Bridge- This is the Tower Bridge which I mistaked for the London Bridge

Outdoor Markets- Borough Market was recommended as a great place to go for eats. Unfortunately when I went to check it out, it was closed! On the list for next time.

University of London School of Hygiene and Tropic Medicine- In the midst of all the fun I was having in London, I got to do a little work, and visit a potential grad school program that I am applying for.

British Museum- The British Museum had a variety of interesting exhibits. My favorite was the 2012 Olympic Medal Design Exhibit.

Tate Modern Museum- I enjoyed the Guerilla Girls exhibit, which displayed statics on discrimination of women artist and artist of color in museum galleries.

Buckingham Palace- Changing of the guards ceremony. Daily 11:30am. The best place to stand to see the actual ceremony is close to the gates. I thought I was in a good place from the center island, but you couldn´t see much through the gate.

That´s all for now...

2012-01-09T05:06:00.000-08:00

Yours truly will be running in her 1^ST Sponsored Running Race in the Milan City Marathon, April 15, 2012. I will be running the Marathon relay through a running team called Team Mo Travels. This team is comprised of 3 other runners who are all living in Europe, and have unique stories behind why they run. Feel free to check out each of their blogs to read their stories, and follow their running journeys throughout Europe.

Team Mo Travels

Monique - Mo Travels - http://www.motravels.com

Renee - Run Laugh Eat Pie - http://www.lowfatpie.com/blog/

Maya - LiviN Life DailY - http://www.livinglifedaily247.blogspot.com

Hanna - Hania Runs - http://haniaruns.tumblr.com

Let me rewind a bit. Why the Milan City Marathon? And what is Team Mo Travels? Well first let me start with Team Mo Travels. I came in contact with the creator of Mo Travels through a social media group on Facebook called Nomad.ness Travel Tribe. There I have found an incredible network of travels throughout the world who share their stories, resources, and events through this group. I had began researching races in Europe and was looking to find others interested in races in the upcoming year. I saw a post from Mo Travels about her Running teams participation in the Milan City Marathon. I reached out to her, and everything fell into place. Since I ran my first half marathon last year, I knew I wanted to continue choosing races to train for, and thought it would be a great opportunity to travel through running while in Europe.

This brings me to the Milan City Marathon. First off who doesn´t want to go to Milan, Italy? And why not do it from a different perspective by running! The route of the race has been inaugurated in 2010 and starts at the Fiera di Rho/Pero, crossing the most characteristic parts of the city to end in Piazza Castello. The race is now 96 days away and I am looking forward to it.

Check out the website for the race: http://milanocitymarathon.gazzetta.it/?lang=en

Kick Starting the Day

2012-01-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

This morning, I had to remind myself of my fitness goals for 2012. Today is the first day back from 2 weeks of traveling over the holidays, and sleeping in was high on my priority list for today. I purposefully left my window open so the sun would wake me up to jump start my day. I got off to a slow start by getting out of bed at 11am, however I still managed to get my butt out of bed and out for a run.

The weather in Sevilla is such a treat in comparison to the weather in France and London, I had just been enduring. This morning I did what I like to call a 30 min CHECK POINT RUN.

WORKOUT

Goal: Test my endurance and see how long I could run from. I usually can do a 3 mile with ease when I am in shape in. I ran for time more than distance today, because I still haven´t figured our conversions for Kilometers used here in Europe in comparison to miles

Workout: Ran 15 minutes out, at an easy pace. At 15 minutes I looped and turned back around to do another 15 minutes return, which totaled 30 minutes.

This week, my goal is to work out about 4 times this week minimum, and establish a training schedule for my first race of the year. April 15, 2012: Milan City Marathon.

Check out the following post with more details about the race!

What are some of your personal fitness goals for 2012! Please Share by leaving a comment below!

Looking back to Move Forward

2012-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Looking back on 2011, I would characterize my year as great CHANGE in every sense of the word. I brought in 2011 with travel goals that only included Brazil, and Rome. I somehow managed to visit 7 different countries: France, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Brazil, Columbia, and the United Kingdom. I think my first international trip this year, to Brazil, kick started a huge desire to figure out how I can manage to visit other countries, with my limited 2 weeks allotted vacation through my job, and the expenses of travel. Once I got back from Brazil, I began questioning what was keeping me from traveling, or living abroad. The answer at that point was fear. Fear, of taking the risk to do what I really wanted versus society´s idea of post graduate lifestyles. Graduate, get a job, and begin advancing in your career. I realized I did not have to be geographically confined to one place. As a result I moved to Sevilla, Spain this year, in the interim of starting Grad school in the fall of 2012. From living in Spain the last 3 months of the year, I have learned of graduate school opportunities in Europe that I plan to explore, so that I can extended my experiences abroad in Europe. I look forward to taking advantage of the vicinity other countries in Europe to travel to before I finish my contract in Spain.

2011 Travel Flashback

Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Cartagena, Baranquilla, Santa Marta, Colombia

Paris, Annecy, Lyon, France

Rome, Italy

Marrakech, Morocco

London, United Kingdom

Sevilla, Madrid, Barcelona, Spain

2012 Flash Forward

I look forward to visiting:

. Amsterdam, Netherlands

. Milan, Italy

Frankfurt, and Munich, Germany

. Gran Canary Islands, Spain

. Malta, Spain

. Prague, Czech Republic

. Salamanca, Spain

. Wherever else the wind blows me...

What are places on the map you wish to visit in 2012?