Oh what a difference a year makes...

 

 

I can't believe that this time last year I was packing my bags and getting ready to say good-bye to this guy for 3 months. I was busy training for 9 weeks at Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles, riding my bike into Geneva just about everyday, and hiking every chance we could. We were also getting ready to go on a pre-Bikram-teacher-training-moon, where we spent a day hiking on Mont Blanc in Chamonix, followed by a few days relaxing on the Italian Riviera in Varazze, Italy. (And I just realized I never shared that adventure on the blog, with all the hubbub of memorizing dialogue and whatnot, so look for those posts coming up!) And here we are one year later...

 

 

...and I'm 30 weeks and a few days pregnant.

 

 

We knew that this was our next step, but it's so weird to actually be where we planned, a year later.

 

 

And we couldn't be happier.

 

 

It really is cool the things you can accomplish in a year, when you start today. 

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



Drinkin' the Juice.

 

We got a new kitchen toy over the holidays, an anniversary present from my parents: a juicer!

 

I'm not really into the whole juice cleansing thing, but I do like adding juice to our already healthy diet. When I was at Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in the fall, my roomate made us green juice most weeks, and it was great before our morning bikram class - not too heavy to make me feel nauseaus during class, but still packed with nutrients to get me through and hold me over until being able to eat a real meal after class.

 

Do any of you make juice? I'd love to hear your favorite recipes! So far our favorite is a green juice, it's so refreshing before or after practicing yoga. Here's the recipe if you're interested!

 

Green Juice:

(As adapted from my BYTT roomie!)

(Makes about 2 liters)

 

5 cucumbers

4 granny smith apples

1 inch sized piece of ginger

Juice of 1 lemon

If you try it, let me know what you think!

FYI: It's also super fun to drink it out of a wine glass. :)

Happy juicing tout le monde!

A la prochaine friends...

Honey



California

As I've mentioned a few times, I spent 9 weeks in Los Angeles this fall becoming a certified Bikram Yoga teacher.

 

I wasn't blogging during that period because frankly, I didn't have the time. We were so incredibly busy at training that I was lucky if I got a whole 30 minutes to talk to Doc, who sweetly woke up at 4 am most mornings to call me (thank you 9 hour time difference).

 

Going to training was by far the most difficult thing I've ever done.

{Home.}
 

Two 90-minute Bikram classes a day in 120 degree heat (they make it hotter for training, a typical class for the public falls somewhere between 105 and 108 degrees F), living in a hotel, lectures, postures clincs and mandatory Bollywood movies that often went past 2 am...it was grueling...

{Kitchen.}
 

...and worth every moment.

{Backbending in Week 2}
 

I was also incredibly fortunate to have the most amazing roomate - we really stuck together through the nine weeks of physical and mental tests. I'm lucky enough to call her a very great friend now as well.

 

We also ate a lot of In 'N Out Burger...a lot of In 'N Out Burger...

 

I mean seriously, a LOT of In 'N Out Burger...

{And for those of you who don't know, the protein-style-animal-style-cheeseburger (not pictured) is where it's at!}
 

I met a lot of amazing people at training, both trainees and veteran teachers alike. Some of the Philly teachers also made their way out to support us as well, and that meant so much to me.

 

Being out in LA meant that once we were done memorizing dialogue for posture clinics, we were able to venture out and explore a little of Manhattan beach, which is something I also did when Doc and I were finally reunited after a total of 12 weeks apart.

Doc was able to take our last class with us, class 95 in 9 weeks, after flying in from Japan and carrying 17 hours of jet lag with him!

{Out in front of the LAX Radisson, our home for 9 weeks...}

{Celebratory beverages post graduation}

{Manhattan Beach BrewCo.}

 

 

If anyone out there in the blogosphere is aspiring to go to training in the future, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend finding your roomate before going, it can make all the difference in the world!

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



Celebrating.

 

Before I went to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, Doc and I had decided that we needed to do something special to celebrate once I came back. Rewind to the Thoiry Salon du Vins in 2011 where we bought this bottle of 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a steal at 20 euro and said to ourselves, "We need to make sure we do something special with this."

 

 

Cut back to tonight.

 

 

Looks like its time to celebrate me graduating from Bikram Yoga Teacher Training!

 

 

And PS, it's still snowing. Looks like our prospects for snowshoeing this weekend are looking pretty good!

 

{Cue fingers still crossed!}

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



Why hello there!

 

 

Bonsoir my friends!

I'm back, after 9 weeks in LA at Bikram Yoga Teacher Training!

Lots to catch up on after a total of 3 months in the US, but for now I just wanted to say hi and that I'll be back to regular posting on the blog this week!

 

(PS - I missed you guys!)

 

Until then, Happy Friday and bon weekend tout le monde!

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey

God Bless 'Merica Moment of the Day: Bulk

Yes, I was the "foreigner" in the Sam's Club taking pictures because I was amazed by the obese sized shopping carts, lines, and bulk containers of toilet paper, halloween candy (I was tempted), and slim fast bars (Soap box moment alert: Just eat real food people! End Soap Box moment). Shopping for Bikram Yoga Teacher Training is feeling a lot like leaving for Penn State 12 *cough* years ago, with things like a Brita Water Pitcher and a laundry hanging rack on my shopping list. Things not on my shopping list when I was 18? Electrolyte supplements, chia seeds, coconut water, cranberry caffeine free tea bags...

 

I think I'm getting old.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey

Jersey.

 

Happy Labor Day weekend friends! I'm back aux etas unis until Thanksgiving, and even though I'm missing the hell outta Doc, SwitzerFrance, my fig trees and all our cheese, I'm very excited for the opportunity I've got coming up in the next few weeks. Remember that post long ago where I was completely ambiguous about great things happening? Well, those things are right now. I leave for Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2 weeks, and will therefore be living in Los Angeles for 9 weeks. I've never been to California before, and even though we'll be busy 99% of the time and exhausted, I'm hoping to get to see a little bit of LA. Any suggestions for the 1% free time that I'll have?

 

To my friends on American soil and abroad, hope you're having some good Labor Day Fun, and happy first day of College Football!

A la prochaine friends...

Honey