Tag Archive for: lunch date

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

This has unexpectedly been a summer of change you guys.

In June it became clear I needed to leave my budget-strapped nonprofit and I began a serious job search. To say the environment was toxic is an understatement and the last few months only became worse. And let me tell you! Job hunting takes so much time it’s a job in itself – while still working full-time, the relaxed and adventurous summer we had planned went up in flames.

Through the process and despite problems in the office, I realized how spoiled I’ve been. I worked a 20-minute walk from my house, my yoga studio is in the same building and my favorite local coffee shop is right there.

I’ll have to commute now? Join the rush-hour crush on public transit? My commute time quadruples?? I’ve managed to retain small-city work habits in DC. Remarkable, really.

The good news is I’m now a week into a new job! My commute isn’t the worst – I’m able to catch a limited-stop bus and avoid the metro trains all together. It’s a nice salary increase. The staff are spunky and friendly.

I’ll give a little more detail when I get my new office arranged and decorated and can also post photos.

In other summer news!

We went on vacation! Finally. And it coincided with our 3-year anniversary! We camped for 5 days in a Maryland State Park, turned off phones, didn’t check times, went exploring and generally just breathed. In perfect timing, I accepted my new position the night before we left, so we really were able to fully relax.

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com
Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

I ran a 10-mile trail race with some good friends:

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

I’ve been much more consistent with runs and workouts:

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

We’ve spent time around the city and had family visit:

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Cassie and I took advantage our last weeks working together (she started a new job too!):

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

I’ve enjoyed my home. A peaceful home space is so important when outside the doors is crazy:

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Life in pieces makes a whole | PilotingPaperAirplanes.com

Now I can settle into a new space and new routine. I can work with freelance clients again. And because I work in the city now, I can be cool and have lunch dates with fellow downtown employee friends.

Thanks for sticking with me!

*

Since I’ve been mostly absent, how have your summers been??
How do you handle transition periods?

The Ultimate Coffee Date, lunch date
This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com}

This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com}

This is me, friends. A woman who lives by a to-do list, but isn’t afraid to ignore it when needed. Even the blog calendar. I haven’t felt this happy to write a post in a long time as I do right now. It’s been a crazy few weeks and I’ve missed it! Getting up this morning, sitting down with my tea and signing in to PPA felt refreshing and oh-so-perfectly normal. Life is settling down again.

Fitness

Moving counts, right? There are 37 stairs round trip and a parking lot between old apartment and new apartment. I walked those 37 steps a lot. I counted the hours total we spent working, then averaged how much of that I was walking back and forth to be about 10 hours over moving weekend. Seeing as everything hurt for the next week, I’m counting those hours.

That equals about 37 hours of activity for the month of March. Only 15 days of actual workouts, as I took nearly a full week off post move. Best news is I am tracking my measurements and weight for monthly check-ins with my accountability partner – I’m consistently dropping inches and while the weight is slower, the number is moving.

What I learned this month: 

• Stairs are the enemy. I have never liked stair workouts and I hate them even more right now. So I need you to do me a favor:

Tell me that a good stair running workout works in less time. Tell me the heart rate and VO2 max training results are better than anything else. Tell me it’ll make my ass look amazing. Please and thanks for the motivation.

Fun

Um, we moved! But really. I found I was in the mood for something new and fresh. Call it spring cleaning or something. This move just felt really good. We purged some more stuff, reorganized and have a much prettier balcony view now.

Sure, I’m convinced my new building is built over a sinkhole given the dramatic waves in the floor. And btw, sinkholes are f*** terrifying, so I most definitely had a moment of freaking out and “hells NO Jon, I can’t live here!” It passed.

Now my brother Matthew is our new housemate. My kitchen is stocked with Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Pop Tarts. Jon and I are boring adults I think.

In other fun news, IT’S SPRING. I enjoyed morning tea on my balcony for the first time this weekend, I wore sandals last week, I painted my toe nails for the first time this season AND it’s Cherry Blossom season so we took Sky Squid out for the Blossom Kite Festival (even though it was actually not spring that day, but almost miserably cold). Now I have a few online shopping carts of spring and summer tops that I can’t buy right now but absolutely need. You understand.

Favorite Instagram photos:

This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com}
This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com}
This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} This is me March review {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com}

Food

Confession time. The no sugar thing continuing through Lent didn’t really happen. I gave up pretty quickly. I’d already done it for a month! I’d paid my sugar dues. What did happen was much more mindfulness of said sugar intake. I’m quite proud of myself actually. *pat on the back* My February sugar detox was successful in that it caused me to be more aware how much sweets I was consuming and change accordingly.

My other success is my water intake. I’m averaging 7-11 glass per day. My goal is at least 100 ounces, preferably closer to 150. And yes, I track it daily in my work planner. I feel amazing you guys! Funny how you don’t realize you felt bad until you feel great. I’m less fatigued, snack less (hunger vs. dehydration) and my skin feels a lot better.

Reminders:

• >sugar + <water = great!

• I power up in the sun. Man I feel so much better when it’s bright in the morning. Remind me of this when it’s 90° and sunny.

Happy April!

How was your March?
How was your Easter weekend?

{PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} Lunch Date, cafe, coffee

Let's go out {PilotingPaperAirplanes.com}
I need to know where this is. Meet me here. The bright colors and sunshine are killing me.

I am in serious need of a coffee date.

Not because I like coffee. Tea is more my style. But because I need some “friend” time.

It’s draining, this whole “new city” thing. Most of my conversations are with people I’m getting to know. And going to places I haven’t been. And trying to figure out where in the heck do I find this?? (Insert various random things from the last couple months).

I miss being around people who really know me, you know? (I will say making a cross-country move with a partner makes it 1000 times easier. At least Jon and I are lost together!)

This blog knows me pretty well by now. Maybe better than I want it to through some “never-to-be-published-but-need-to-write-my-thoughts-out” posts. And since you and I are pretty much internet BFF’s by now, I’m just going to pretend we’re out to lunch together.

I’d tell you how I’m probably going to run another 10k this spring instead of a half marathon. I’ve had trouble finding a half that I can still register for… and honestly the thought of more serious training right now doesn’t make me all that happy. In prepping for the 10k I can continue working hard on my speed but not worry about building mileage again. There seem to be more half’s scheduled in the fall, so I’m looking at May 10k and September half mary.

Maybe a couple more sprinkled in, but I think I’m immune to the “racing bug” so this seems perfect.

If you’re into blogging I might also bounce some re-branding ideas off you. Not a serious re-branding… in fact that’s maybe the wrong way to put it. More that this blog has evolved since I started it and I want to update my about sections to better represent what PPA is now. It’s all still a jumbled mess in my head so I’d try to define it more concretely by talking it out and getting your feedback.

I might tell you how much I really think I belong in London and should be best friends with Jenna Coleman, Matt Smith, Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch. Or how about this: probably I should just be pals with all the BBC peeps. If that doesn’t work out I’m positive JLaw and I would be serious BFFs or I could get a job as one of Brad and Angie’s army of nannies because I think they’re both class acts.

I can’t help it you guys! Movies are my favorite (plus the greatness on TV these days; anyone else excited for Vikings and Game of Thrones soon??) and I can’t just leave it at “oh! She’s that girl from that one thing!” I kind of need to know everything about an actor I like. Don’t check my search history. No but really. It’s embarrassing.

If things get serious I may venture into politics/faith/advocacy stuff. But probably not. It’s been a period of serious introspection and mulling and “good LORD, world, get your shit together!” and trying to get an idea where I fit and frankly, that’s exhausting. Except if you get me slightly started in this general area of conversation be prepared for an avalanche. Just saying, you’ve been warned.

Finally, since we’re at lunch in real life, I’d tell you how amazing it is to see you and that you should totally visit again. What’s the point of moving to a new city that happens to be a really cool one if friends don’t come visit and explore with you? Ok, there are lots of excellent reasons to move, I know, but new adventures with old friends might be one of the most fun. Consider yourself invited! We have two air mattresses and a metro card with your name on them. Waffle breakfast? Homemade pizza? Lot’s of free stuff to do? Anyone?

What would you tell me about if we went to lunch?


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