So, I’ve been debating on whether to do a post on our Hawaii vacation or not.  To be honest, it was disappointing.  We had gone to Maui for our honeymoon, and it was so amazing.  And that probably led to our unrealistic expectations that this vacation would be as amazing as the last…when in reality, nothing stays the same.  I mean, let’s be honest…it was still 12 days in Hawaii…how bad could it be?  But, there were a lot of disappointments, which was also frustrating.

It rained.  Every day.  And not just tiny rains…oh no…DOWNPOURS.  Like…flooding rains.  So…it rained out our luau one night, and prevented us from scuba diving as much as we would haved liked (the storms created some nasty swells, so scuba diving in that would have been a problem.  The surfers loved it, however.)  On top of the rain, it was also overcast every night…so the only clear night we were able to go up to the top of the volcano to do stargazing, was also the night of the full moon…so all the stars were practically obliterated by the light pollution from the moon.  Our second accommodations was sort of a hot mess…it was very secluded (which was fine), but it was a 2-hour drive from anything we wanted to do…so several days we spent entire days in the car, driving from one spot to another.  All this stuff (and several other things), taken separately would be no big deal.  But…when it’s one thing after another, it really sort of puts a damper on the relaxating part of the holiday.  So…yeah…it was disappointing.  But that’s ok!  Because it was still 12 uninterrupted days with my husband, and we still weren’t at work…and we had a good time together, which is all that really matters.

And now…I’m back at work.  In my new job.  Which is chock full of time sensitive projects and pressure cooker attitudes.  But I think I’m going to love it.  It is stressful, to be sure, but I feel really valued and needed in this position, and I really enjoy the people I work with.  Plus…I’m learning something new everyday, which is fantastic.

So…that’s been my life the past few weeks.  We have both the 4th and 5th of July off, so that will be our next vacation.  I’m not sure where we’re going yet, so if you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

XOXOXO,
K. 

#ShamrockLover did a post, referencing #TheTheologiansCafe post, asking readers to describe them in one word.  So…I’m curious!  What is one word you would use to describe me (based on my blog, or if you know me in real life)?

XOXOXO,
K.

A few of you asked some questions on my last post, so I wanted to be sure that I came back with some answers before we left for vacation!  That’s right…as of this time tomorrow, I will be on my way to sunny, beautiful Hawaii for 12 glorious days!  I am so excited I can barely think…I can’t wait to let all the stress from work and the move just float away.  It’s going to be awesome!

Vegetarian Lifestyle.  How are things going, you ask?  Surprisingly easy, surprisingly well.  At first, I really thought it would be difficult to not eat meat…especially considering that I really enjoy meat!  I love the taste…it’s delicious!  So yeah, I was actually expecting it to be quite difficult.  But, it hasn’t been.  At all, really.  I have had meat once in the three weeks I’ve moved to the vegetarian lifestyle, but that was only because there was literally NO other options there (it is a local joint we agreed to take friends from the UK to, prior to becoming a vegetarian, so I couldn’t back out).  But, other than that…it’s been super easy.  I eat a lot of beans, a LOT of vegetables, and some grains/rice (primarily quinoa, which is amazingly delicious).  Oh…and lentils.  Love me some lentils.  I also find myself cooking a lot of mexican, probably because it’s so easy to make meat-free and still make it tasty.  I need to venture into the Indian food realm…I used to cook lots of indian in Europe, but haven’t made any since we’ve gotten back.  That is also super easy to make meat-free.  As for how I feel, I feel a lot better.  I don’t get sluggish after meals, and I feel a lot less bloated.  Unfortunately, I haven’t really lost any weight or anything, but I also contribute that to the fact that I am basically unable to do any sort of working out other than walking (and some modified weight lifting).  So, the weight loss has, unfortunately, taken a back seat.  Right now, I’m just focused on eating healthier and making changes that way, and so far it seems to be working out well!  I would definitely recommend it for anyone considering it, as it’s much easier to do, compared to 10 years ago where there weren’t a whole lot of vegetarian options out there in restaurants and such).  Plus, the “fake meat” options out there are getting better by the day (I don’t eat a lot of fake meat, but it is good in a pinch). 

Jamie and our relationship.  It’s fitting that this was asked on the last post, as we’re gearing up for our 5th year anniversary.  Our anniversary is the 16th, so we’ll be in Hawaii for it (the reason for our trip).  Things are good!  I mean…like any relationship, we have our arguments (i.e. last night while packing for our trip…sigh…the stress of travel always causes an argument with us, without fail), but overall, 95% of the time we are incredibly happy with our relationship.  Sure, there are always things to work on (we could have sex more, but then again, who couldn’t!), and there are times when we have communication failures, but we are usually able to really talk them through.  I don’t really know what else to say, which seems weird.  We’ve been together 7 years total, and I honestly can’t imagine my life without him!  If you have specific questions though, feel free to ask!

Sports Fasting.  I never really did a follow-up post on the Sports Fasting.  Overall, I was quite pleased.  I lost 11 pounds total, and probably would have continued to lose more, had we not moved right after.  Unfortunately, with all the stress of the move, the lack of exercise, and the eating out…I probably lost the majority of the benefits.  Plus, it wasn’t really tailored for vegetarianism, which I would have had to talk to my “coach” about, since it talked about eating lots of meat proteins.  I think it’s really great though, for anyone who wants to try it, but I also think you could probably get similar results from a cleanse or juicing.  I think, overall, I’m weary of anything promising a “miracle” and while this didn’t promise you that, I did feel that some of the benefits weren’t realistic to maintain (but, I can’t really say that definitively, since I didn’t follow the plan after the 10 day program).  I would totally do it again though, and report back, because overall it wasn’t bad at all!  That said…if you hate fruit juice, you will hate this program, because good lord, you drink a LOT of it!

So, I think that’s all!  We’re leaving for a hotel near the airport tonight after work, because our flight out is early tomorrow morning.  I’ll try to update at least once while I’m in Hawaii, but if I don’t, I hope you all have a wonderful few weeks!

XOXOXO,
K.

Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s because I’m lazy, or maybe it’s because my every waking moment has been consumed by either a) work, or b) vacation.  (And let’s be honest here, it’s not like it’s a 50/50 split.  More like 80/20 in favor of work, which sucks.)  But basically, I have had nothing really to blog about, which makes me feel bad for the 2.7 people out there that actually read my blog and care.  So…sorry guys…I suck.

I am excited for vacation, tremendously so.  I’m also consumed by work right now, namely because I’m still in new hire orientation (even though I’m not technically a “new hire”…but that’s another issue altogether) and I’m still trying to keep up with my other work and not fall completely behind. 

Otherwise, just muddling through.  I’m super tired, and trying to make it to Friday.  I’ll try to post more, but if anyone has any sort of ideas about what you want to hear about, shoot me some ideas!  I’d love to post on something new, and I’m seriously coming up empty.

XOXOXO,
K.

I realized I haven’t posted in awhile…my bad!  Totally wasn’t planned, but just haven’t really had a whole lot to talk about.  Last week, I somehow managed to interview for a position I hadn’t sent in a resume for, then was offered the position, all on the same day I received an offer for ANOTHER position that I interviewed for.  So, at that point, I was in the very advantageous position of getting to choose which job I’d like to take.  Talk about an ego boost! 

So, I had the weekend to think it over.  I talked to some people on both sides on Friday, tried to figure out which would be the best fit for me.  By the time the day was over on Friday, I had pretty much made up my mind, but decided to wait until Monday so I could tell both bosses in person (email just felt really impersonal).  This morning, I’ve spoken with the guy who’s job I declined, I spoke with HR, and I just now got back from speaking with the guy who will be my new boss.  I’m very excited for this new job and really can’t wait to start!  My new position is “Program Manager” and basically, I’ll be doing exactly what it sounds like…managing a program.  Basically, we have development cycles where we develop new technology.  These individual technologies are called “programs”…so I’ll be managing that.  From the very conception through to the launch of the product.  It’s really intensive work, and somewhat high stress, but I’m ready!  I’m so excited ot be starting something new!

In other news…9 days until Hawaii!!  I have booked a hotel for the night before we fly out, and another for our trip back (we have an overnight layover in LAX), and I really cannot wait to just hang out on the beach and celebrate our anniversary!  It’s going to be awesome, I’ll be sure to take plenty of photos!  Just need to get through the rest of this week, and then Monday/Tuesday of next, and it’s smooth sailing for 12 glorious days!

XOXOXO,
K.