Motivation Monday IV

Sweat. Smile. Repeat. 

That’s exactly what I did over a long 4 day weekend visiting my best friend Caroline in Pensacola. We stayed active (sweat), we told stories and created new memories (smile), and continued the shenanigans for 72 hours straight (repeat). I strongly encourage everyone to sweat, smile and repeat at least once this week.

This trip could not have come at a better time. I’ve been in a funk, a really bad funk, for about three weeks and there is no better medicine then your best friend. Caroline and I always say it doesn't matter how much time passes from when we see each other or chat on the phone because we pick right up like no time has passed at all. It’s pretty amazing how one person can warm your soul and be your other half. Some higher being had us come together and I can’t thank them enough! Maybe the God of Soccer?

Thank you Caroline for welcoming me into your home and showing me the ropes of Pensacola.Thank you for helping me get life off my mind. And most of all, thank you for being YOU!  I can’t wait to visit again. Stay tuned for a blog post talking about all of them fun Caroline and I had this weekend!

Last Week Recap
I'm happy to say I kept on marathon training track despite being on the road for four days. I crushed a 5-mile pace run on Wednesday at 4 a.m. and I was able to have a 3-mile training run while in Florida. I also did some cross training with CBB – she took me to Cross Fit. You’ll hear more about our fitness activities tomorrow.

This Week’s Goals
1. I wasn’t able to get my 8-mile weekend run in so I’m running it today. Since getting up at 4 a.m., running in the afternoon makes me mental. I psych myself out before I even hit the pavement and I’m losing the mental battle already. But I have no choice. I need to get out there, no matter how slow or fast I go – just gotta MOVE!
2. Remember that Kindle I was telling you about? I’m plugging away through my first book and I absolutely love it. Looking for a good read? It’s called “Plain Truth” by Jodi Picoult.  It might still only be $1.99 for my fellow Kindle lovers. Read it! I’m one chapter away from being finished. Can’t wait to be done this week and start my next book. #BookWormMandee
3. I’m shooting a riffle for the first time this week. Yes you heard me correctly…me + a gun = happening this weekend. Taylor and I will be joining my dad at the gun club this weekend. I’ll be honest, I’m terribly scared of the kickback but my dad keeps telling me I’m a big girl and I’ll be fine. Watch out Outdoor Games, I’m coming for ya!

GUEST BLOGGER: May Challenge - S is for Solo Travel

Meet Melissa Rohrbaugh!!!

Single Mom Survival Guide: Traveling Solo

My 2014 New Year's Resolution was to embrace my independence.  Basically, I wanted to get more comfortable with the idea of doing things on my own.  As a married person, there were a lot of things I had become accustomed to doing as a pair.  Some of them were as simple as going out to dinner or the movies, up to the big things like negotiating the purchase of a new sofa, new car, or a new house.  Honestly, making decisions on my own didn't come easy at first, even despite my bossy persona. Most of it has gotten easier with time and out of necessity.

My challenge for this year was taking a vacation on my own.  Just a long weekend away to explore a place I've never been that is on my "bucket list."  Now, I must confess, although I was adamant about accomplishing this, the whole premise terrified me.  I had a lot of anxiety about going alone.  Some of the anxiety stemmed from the idea of not really knowing my way around or how to navigate a new place.  And some of it was irrational - what if I don't have the guts to leave the hotel room and explore the city once I get there? What if I stumble into a crappy neighborhood and get mugged?  As a result, I booked and cancelled my getaway trip twice before I had the courage to finally go.

Following this last trip booking, I decided that I had to go and I couldn't make any more excuses.  So I booked a long weekend in Seattle.  Seattle was a city I always wanted to visit.  It always seemed like a fun and safe city, with an interesting history and a small footprint which makes it easy to see in just a couple of days.  After talking to a lot of other single mamas, I realize how lucky I am to have a long weekend to myself every other weekend.  It was time to take advantage of my time alone and do something adventurous.

The first thing I did as soon as I got on the plane was made friends and asked questions.  I was flying with lots of Seattleites, and they were all very proud of their city and the fun things it had to offer.  On the flight out, I sat next to a very nice guy - a lawyer originally from L.A. who moved to Seattle 10 years ago.  He put together a list of all of the best restaurants and live music venues.  He also told me which neighborhoods to avoid and drew me a map of the public transportation system. Once we landed, he took me to the light rail line and gave me a business card in case I ran into any trouble.

Once I got into downtown Seattle, I quickly found my bearings.  The concierge at my hotel provided me with a map of all of the touristy stops. I visited all of the essentials: the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the Great Ferris Wheel, and a lot of museums (I managed to find their shopping district too, inflicting some damage to my credit card).  At each stop, I asked locals where they liked to go to dinner and what they liked to do for fun.  I found a lot of good spots that way, and I also learned that although there are 2,000 of them in a 5 square mile radius, Starbucks is not well loved by the true Seattle coffee people.

The highlight of my trip was going to a Seattle Sounders game.  As a Philadelphia Union fan, I was excited to see the best team in the league play, but I couldn't believe the fan base.  I bought a ticket 4 hours before the game on Ticketmaster for $40.  My seat was great - 8 rows back at mid-field among all of the season ticket holders.  After they made fun of me being from Philly and preparing for me to throw punches or the F-bomb after the first bad call of the game, they took me in as one of their own.  It was a neat thing to see 50,000 soccer fans in a sea of green that were so proud of their team and their city.

My last day there, I just wandered around town, revisiting my favorite coffee shop on my visit and taking time to enjoy the water view.  As I sat overlooking Puget Sound, missing my kids and finally realizing just how far from home I really was, I was overwhelmed with a sense of calm.  I made it.  I have evolved.  I'm not the victim I could have easily taken the role of; I am the exception, improving myself and my outlook on life.

Happiness doesn't find you.  You have to seek it out every day.  Adventure doesn't find you.  You have to step out of your comfort zone and seek out those things that excite, scare, and ultimately inspire you.  And sometimes, doing those things on your own gives you a greater sense of accomplishment. For a while, I was lonely waiting for someone to experience life with, but now I'm learning that you have to lead the charge on your own.  Explore the world - sometimes you will have the luxury of a travel companion but don't avoid travel if you don't.   Work and kids and bills and house cleaning will all be there when you get home, so make your free time worth living for.


Here are some of my favorites from my Seattle visit:

Favorite place to wander around aimlessly: Pike Place Market - this is definitely a foodie must.  There was amazing baked goods to try and a huge variety of amazing fresh seafood picked right out of the water.  The Hmong flower stalls were beautiful as well.  They have gorgeous huge bouquets of flowers for just $10, which is unheard of here.

Favorite Tourist Spot: Bill Speidel's Underground Tour (James St. & 1st Ave.) - a fun way to learn the history of the city at the expense of its founding fathers, complete with a 90 minute trek under the city streets.

Favorite Seafood: Ivar's Acres of Clams (1001 Alaskan Way) - the clam chowder and seafood cocktail were delicious and only a few bucks during happy hour.  They also encourage feeding the seagulls at their walk-up fish and chips shop outside.  Those birds were the happiest but most obese I've ever seen.

Favorite Coffee: Storyville Coffee (1st & Madison) - best latte of my life and they even make the foam on top look like a heart.  A far cry from my typical Dunkin Donuts fare.

Favorite Brunch: Sazerac (1101 4th Ave.) - I recommend the Diablo scramble - muy delicioso.

Favorite Museum: EMP Museum (325 5th Ave. N.) - a museum dedicated to all things pop culture.  I loved the Nirvana exhibit - brought me right back to high school and my alt rock CD collection of the day.

GUEST BLOGGER: May Challenge: I is for International Education

 Meet Jennifer Connor

As a child – a girly-girl for that matter – I dreamed of travel to such romanticized places like New York, Paris, London and Rome. I gravitated towards movies that took me to these places, from Disney’s The Lizzie Maguire Movie to my all-time favorite, repeat sleepover movie, The Parent Trip (sorry, the Lindsay Lohan version).

What started as fantasy, ended in adventure. I studied French in middle school and high school. Then, on a whim, decided to study Italian as a freshman at Penn State. I ran with this, taking three semesters of Italian and applying to study abroad in Florence, Italy. I had no idea that a trip that was a dream come true would be so life-changing and challenging.

Florence’s city scape – a photo I took during my
Spring 2009 semester studying there.

Though, Italy – a part of “old-Europe” and a very popular study abroad destination – would suggest an easy-breezy gourmet experience, I was surprised with how much I changed when I returned. Above all, I came back having shed my judgments about the way life should be lived. Prior to jet-setting, I’ll admit as a 19-year-old suburban Philadelphian, I placed certain career paths, lifestyles and possessions above others. What I learned in the “modern,” yet Renaissance-lingering city of Florence, is that there are many, many ways to live life – and NONE are better than another.

Today, I work at the Institute of International Education (IIE) in NYC across the street from the United Nations. Currently, we are running a campaign called, “Generation Study Abroad,” or #GenerationStudyAbroad. Currently, less than 10 percent of American students study abroad. This initiative aims to double the number of American students studying abroad by partnering with U.S. universities and encouraging undergraduates to take a semester abroad.

I took this photo from the roof of our IIE building.
To the left you’ll see the UN building and to the right,
numerous Fulbright advisers from universities around the United States.

Knowing that this blog is read more by the 20-something crew than undergraduates, your role in this is to encourage younger family members to pursue a study abroad opportunity, for one, and to at least get a passport. There’s a whole world out there of differing perspectives and I am a firm believer that if we can better understand our counterparts we have a much greater chance of achieving world peace. 

Secondly, if you feel you missed out on an international experience during your undergraduate degree OR still have a bug for travel ignited by a semester abroad, I have an opportunity for you. Specifically I work on the outreach team for the storied Fulbright Program, a program funded by the U.S. State Department and established in 1946 by Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. Fulbright introduced a bill in the United States Congress that called for the use of surplus war property from WWII to fund the “promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the field of education, culture, and science.” Imagine that – the creation of positive, bi-national relationships steeped in intellectual exchange FUNDED by things we were using to destroy each other.

There are two opportunities for you to apply for – a year of study/research abroad OR a year teaching English abroad. I’m going to plant the seed, and let your imagination begin to run wild. Check out our website, follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook, and watch this introductory webinar introducing the new grant year.

Then, let me know if you have any questions! Via e-mail (jconnor@iie.org), Facebook or Twitter (@Journalist_Jen).

Guest Blog Post: Steve Lee takes over the Middle East

Dinner cruise on the Nile.

As many of you know, I am always looking for guest bloggers to be on my blog. Just the other week I reached out to Steve Lee -- a friend since elementary school -- who I know is currently taking over the Middle East and Asia. He is on an amazing journey right now and I wanted him to share with both myself AND my readers. Thanks so much, Steve, and best of luck!!!!

4:40 A.M., I hear the horns blare Arabic chants across the city, as the first of six prayers commences. I generally snooze till the next prayer, which begins around 6 a.m., and begin my day.

Coloseumm, Rome

Late last year, I accepted a job as a management consultant specializing in restructuring financial institutions in emerging markets. This means I work with banks in high-level strategy to increase growth and productivity while maintaining or lowering costs. Emerging markets would constitute fast growth countries in regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America. People often ask me, “Where are you now Steve”. For those who do not know, I am most likely in Riyadh, the ultra-conservative capital of Saudi Arabia. On my off weeks, I live in London and like to vacation within Europe. My first project is with one of the largest banks in the Middle East. I won’t bore you with the details of my job but further explore my experiences working and living in Saudi Arabia.

Exploring the old country #saudiarabia #ruins 

Like most Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. It hosts the two holiest sites of the Islamic religion, Mecca and Medina. Due to the countries religious nature, their laws are based on the holy book Quran, known as Sharia law. Some of the well-known laws of Sharia law include the ban of alcohol, pork, public dancing, cinemas, and gambling. These rules are enforced by the Mutawa aka the Religious Police. Also, there are public beheadings every Friday…yikes. This was a huge culture shock for me! Anyone who knows me, no bacon or beer for long periods of time can be dangerous!

230km into the desert northwest of riyadh we searched and found camels and camped in an oasis

Roma

The biggest culture shock for me was the limited rights for women in this country. Women in Saudi must always be accompanied by a male guardian in public, designated entrances for restaurants and stores, are not allowed to vote, and is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. As my Saudi colleagues put it, “it’s a system created for women to always rely on men”. From most of the men I talked to (I am forbidden to talk to women-- sigh) they feel progress needs to be made, yet they are very protective of their wife and sisters. They feel the guardianship is the best way to make sure the women in their life is safe. But issues such as not being able to vote or drive are something many would like to see changed. It was 30 days until my first interaction with a woman, and that was on the plane heading to London! Only if you saw that interaction, it was a total disaster .

Giza Pyramids

The people in this country are very open and generous people. They love engaging in geopolitical, cultural, and even religious conversations. These conversations are always done with the upmost respect and which is something I admire. I have been invited to many homes and enjoy the cultural experiences Saudi has to offer. It maybe they were just as curious about me. Either way, the perception the media created about the region as a whole couldn’t be further from the truth.

My journey and story does not end there. When I took the job as a management consultant I also joined Bankers without Borders. I wanted to leverage my current location and experience in banking to begin making a small footprint in this world. This is where my true passion lies. Passion is the engine that keeps us going no matter the circumstance. 

Saudi

Bankers without Borders is a Grameen Foundation Initiative which helps the world’s poorest, especially women, improve their lives and escape poverty by helping to provide access to appropriate financial services (small loans and accounts) and new ways to generate income. My role is in the development, deployment, and teaching of financial projections modeling to microfinance institutions that service the poor. What I do for this organization is a very small fraction of the impact it makes in some of the worlds poorest regions. I had the privilege of meeting with a MFI in Egypt to educate them on tools to better run their bank. Egypt is a very poor country with 16 million people living on less than 2 USD a day. Don’t let my beautiful pics of the pyramid fool you! It was a high dosage of reality to walk through the city and see the rapidly worsening conditions in the cramp capital of Egypt. I will continue to work with MFI’s in many countries including a slated visit to Tunisia and Pakistan as long as it remains safe.

London

When I found out my project was in the Middle East, I had no roadmap plan nor do I know where I will end up next. The possibilities are endless and it’s the uncertainty that makes it an enjoyable experience. As the great Joe Dirt once said, “ Life’s a garden, dig it!” I plan to continue to learn new cultures & experiences and grow in many aspects.

To my family and friends back home much love and cant wait to grab a pint and catch up with you all! Cheers and hope to see some of you in Greece or Turkey next month!