New Years

Thinking back to 2015 I get sort of sad feeling like it just flew by - because you always remember the previous New Years like it was yesterday and think you didn't accomplish much that year.  Well I can't speak for everyone, but I could just be generalizing -ha. However, knowing all the awesome experiences I had on tour - plus traveling for 4 months to about 2-3 new cities a week, is something I'll always remember.  On top of that getting to do more travels with Chris once I returned home... Besides dancing and traveling, it's a year I tried my first entrepreneurial venture, then got my first corporate job. I don't know what 2016 holds but I feel pretty hopeful that it's going to have adventure, more trials and errors, then more growth in everything from relationships to career.  I have some goals for the new year - being more organized (or keep trying ha), choose the stairs over the elevator even if my legs are sore from yesterday's workout, pay of student loans, get closer to family, and travel out of the country.

2015 will always be cherished, though 2016 is now and it's PRETTY shiny and exciting!

Puerto Rico Weekend

It was about a 3 hour hike but we made it to the top of the El Yunque Rainforest!  The winds up there had to have easily been 20 MPH and the way the clouds would hit the cliff-face below us and bring a rushing gust up and over the peak - is utterly indescribable!!

When we had hit the beach it was lined with tons of vendors and food stands.  Claudia and I took the camera and went exploring - the guys hung back to watch a bodyboarding competition.

Camera // GoPro Hero3

Traveling from FL to PR is relatively cheap and I can't believe it took us as long as it did to finally go.    We gratefully were able to stay with a friend of a friend in downtown San Juan - Efron.  Efron took us all over the city, handling the driving and showing us all the yummy food spots.  

We didn't waste anytime once arriving.  Our 7am flight landed and we immediately went for a hike in the forest.  Hiking to the peak of the El Yunque Rainforest was filled with moist clouds and cool mist the higher we went.  The peak was very untouched still, and had NO railings or protection from falling.  Winds were easily 20+ mph up there in the clouds.  One second the clouds were there, then they rush away and we could see the landscape of San Juan for miles!  Hiking back down, the rainforest had amazing pools which of course we jumped into - Frigid surprisingly!

Day 2 back in the city, we toured the old El Morro fort, the Barcardi factory, went to the beach and saw a boogie-boarding competition, walked the street of age old cobblestone which was the same from when the settlers came over and laid it.  Vibrantly painted buildings just inches from each other made an awesome kaleidoscope effect peaking down the channels of each street

It was such a beautiful place filled with an uplifting energy from the combination of people, culture, food, and history.  These were all the things anyone could ask for from a vacation - to experience a place rather than just site see or tour around.

Niagara Falls: In One Day

Waiting to board the legendary Maid of the Mist that will take us up and close to the Horseshoe of Niagara Falls

"Hoo Hah Hoo Hah!" - haha, I couldn't resist - my excitement was on overload as we approached the drenching mist at the bottom of Horseshoe Falls

I love the raw astonishment on Dixon's face here.  The vast amount of water pouring over the Niagara Falls was absolutely breathtaking.

The Niagara Falls which were on the American side of the river.  Notice the small people lined up [on the right] in yellow ponchos compared to these giant waterfalls!

In our yellow ponchos hiking up the American Falls

While on tour - we got to stop in Eerie, PA - then realized that Niagara Falls was only a 2 hour drive along the northern border.  Road Trip!!  Ben, Dixon, Megan, Aaron and I all chipped in for a rental and hit the road early the next morning.  

2 hours later, we pulled in and the air was a cool brisk breeze and you could just smell the water in the air.  We were surrounded by ALL the tourist trap stores, but since we were tourists - we HAD to go at least check it out.  One of the stores gave us a group deal on the ferry ride to the iconic Horseshoe Falls, and we accepted - then - we got DRENCHED!

I learned some tips from visiting Niagara Falls:  

Get there early but not at the crack of dawn - shops won't be open yet, You can haggle the price of the tours with these shop owners [especially if you are in a group],  The American side has 2 attractions; you can bundle the Horseshoe Falls ferry ride plus get ponchos to walk up American Falls and go right up under gallons of water falling down.  

The bunch of us were wiped out by the end of the day, and then drove 2 hours back down to Eerie.  We did got to experience quite a bit in just the 1 day there, but I'd without a doubt love to visit again!

Three Lessons I've Learned From Traveling

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

Since our tour completed last week in Dallas, I am finally back in Florida. Wooh!  Looking back at the route we took all over the USA is AMAZING!!
If anyone has the chance to road trip the USA, definitely do it!  I had dreams to travel exotic and foreign places yet there is SO much to see still in this country.  Some places were more built up than others, yet some of my most memorable moments were in places that had a highway, some corn fields, and a local ice cream shop - so we had to get creative with our time. Ha!

Tour enabled me to learn a lot about myself, my outlook, what matters most to me, and the unknown after it ended sparked a drive in me again.

I can't say I've got it all figured out yet surely feel on the right track...

Before tour I was really fixated on the idea of just leaving Orlando and booking a tour dancing and doing what I love.  Besides the traveling, I fell in love with everything from aerial silks to snowboarding over the past 10 months. Now that I've done that, I know that I have quite the travel bug + really enjoy staying active beyond dance so this gives me some leads to what my next endeavor shall become.
For most of us we get comfortable in a job, even if it's something we love doing, because the flame dies down if we aren't challenged.  Dance is a creative activity, and making the same routine my daily routine became monotonous and boring both at the theme parks & on tour.  I know now that I need to make dance a creative avenue more often.

Life is better lived outside of your comfort zone.

Challenge is like the fire lit under our butt.

I had friends on tour, yet nothing fills the void like your significant other.  Long distance is hard I tell ya!  (Future post hopefully on long-distance success tips). Back in Orlando, FL with my boyfriend - Chris - and good friends really reminds me where home is now.  Chris and I have been dreaming up different plans for our future together, and slowly finding a path to take action.  My family still lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Thats a quick drive from Orlando, and I love them a lot yet planning a future with your significant other & sustaining a long distance relationship suddenly made wherever he was - my home.

It's not about the places you go but who you

are with that matters.

Having to pack for 10 months away from home, you quickly get an idea as to what you really need and can live without.  We could bring 2 suitcases - yeah, when I first heard that I couldn't imagine what I'd pack without feeling under-prepared for the changing climates.  I did it though, and ACTUALLY didn't wear it all.  I didn't purchase much while away from home either.  Eventually I saw that minimizing my wardrobe to basics that could go with a variety of outfits made things way easier.  It began with the wardrobe, then eventually moved to beauty products, and even food (since we had minimal cooking options).  This is now a way of life that I seek to continue - to live with minimal material possessions so as to reduce stress, be happier, and put more time towards things that really matter (ex: organizing all my luggage on the last night in a city vs. spending the last night with friends).

When we think more options & variety will make us happier,

it actually brings more anxiety and stress.

It'll free your attention to things that really matter.

Join a minimal movement - less is more

I already cleaned out my wardrobe, minimized the belongings, and keeping my performing at the parks occasional so as I don't get into my old routine.  Feeling a little stressed from not being so busy with a full-time job now - I slowly see this period of transition is a golden opportunity.  Chris told me this is a time I can do anything, and try something new - he's so right. We will see what happens...

have you ever transitioned careers?  what did you learn in the process?

did you ever travel then come home with some life lessons up your sleeve?

Chicago.

As our unit was in Rosemont, IL - what better place to visit than Chicago! We only had a day to visit though. Despite that, taking the 45 minute Blue Line into the city, then getting to see the Bean and SkyDeck was a blast! And Chicago deep dish pizza at Giordanos - OUTSTANDING and so filling! Of course when you order it they give you a warning it'll take 45 minutes to make.  So future Giordanos goers: don't go ready to chow down right away yet be ready to chow down... If that makes sense. 

Overall what a fun city with my fun besties! P.S. - Cheers to the last day trip we were able to have with Aaron !

Small Time Town: Nashville

Coffee Shop // Bongo Java

With being in multiple cities a week for this tour, the idea of featuring one of them in a weekly post with some snapshots of my short but meaningful time there sprung to mind. This being my first - Nashville! It might be 1 day or 1 hour, so how does "Small Time Town" sound? 

(leave your thoughts below) 

Nashville! I now know why it's known for it's country music scene: 10:30am you could hear live music already playing. It was Abby and I strolling around with some delicious miel lattes from Bongo Java.  They were on the first floor of a hotel right downtown, so it was super convenient and they had that wonderful contemporary yet rustic atmosphere. We then went sightseeing and walked a few blocks down to Broadway St. where it was so delightful taking in the folksy rock music in the air. We passed by the Country Music Hall of Fame & Symphony buildings which were so grand! Just knowing how much Elvis and Johnny Cash memorabilia was just on the other side of those walls drew me a little crazy. However, being strapped on time we couldn't go inside (darn!). After performing our shows, we went back out though. There was even more action on Broadway now & soon in my tummy was some tastey BBQ from Rippy's (the corncakes were everything to me!). 

I wish this was the city we stayed in all week, though it's sure not the last time I'll be visiting this spunky little southern city! Until next time Nashville (when I have at least 24 hours with you).

Blog To A New Day

?Location / Reno, NV

This post is way overdue in that it's the last sunset of 2014.  I was lucky enough to catch this on New Years Eve before getting ready for all the festivities.

I have some New Year's Resolutions and I'm kind of glad that I waited a bit to put them out there, because I wanted to make sure I really followed through.  Some of these include: stop thinking - start DOING , keep in touch with loved ones more (since there are all long distance now) , start investing (besides paying off student loans - I've learned from Rich Dad, Poor Dad that's about the smartest thing to start doing with my extra income) , and the hardest of all -- drink just 1 cup of coffee a day.  My coffee intake has grown so much, and my love for it is strong - so this is taking a lot of control!

I'm going to focus on these resolutions, yet I like the idea of little monthly goals.  These will allow me to get the ball rolling and "start doing!".  Sometimes laziness can get the best of us, so finding those small goals to look forward to really make a difference.  I suggest everyone to give it a shot, and best of luck to everyone on kicking butt with those resolutions!

A Healthy Morning Made Easy

I haven't written a post in a long time - well over a month now. Tour life sure does keep us busy. Whether we are in a small town with not much to do, or a larger city containing a plethora of activities.. I don't know why, but I still find myself out socializing and unaware of my lacking blog that I (kinda) recently decided to start while on the tour.

So after a month+ of silence.. I'm sitting on the bus in Biloxi, MS and then suddenly I got some inspiration to write. I made a super yummy breakfast on our tour bus and I just had to share it. This isn't my first time making it... But I finally was thinking, "Rachel, this is the best thing ever and you should tell others out there to try it".  Now let me remind you, our tour bus has NO stove and NO oven (we do have a microwave but I chose not to use that because it only sometimes decides to heat your food). So no cooking is required (you could make it a warm breakfast with a microwave. I'll explain below*)
This breakfast is also Vegetarian. It's not Vegan because it has dairy, but I can also give a Vegan option below**.

So here is my idea of the Easiest, Yummiest, Healthiest, Nutrient-Packed, No-Cooking-Required Breakfast:

Recipe:
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
2 Tbs chia seeds
1 kiwi (chopped)
1 banana (chopped)
1 pomegranate (seeds only of course)
1 Tbs agave nectar or honey

And that's it! I combine them in that order and prep time is no more than 5 minutes - cook time: 0 minutes! 

* To make it warm, just combine the chia seeds & yogurt, cover loosely with a paper towel, then microwave for 1:30 minutes. Proceed with adding the fruit & agave nectar. 

** To make it vegan: substitute the yogurt for almond milk, double the chia seed portion, and let it sit overnight. OR if you didn't have time to prep it the night before, you can add a 1/4 cup of plain instant oatmeal during the morning prep, and it will thicken it up quickly.

Let me explain the nutrients packed into this little guy... 

The Greek yogurt & chia seeds offer 28g of protein combined! I once heard it's important to get at least 13g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up.. It keeps you full longer, kick-starts your metabolism, and reduces your junk food and sugar cravings for the day. I'm no Doctor, but when I heard this it just stuck in my mind and I always like to continue this protein-ASAP in the morning and it seems to curb my appetite for junk throughout the day. 

I'M A BELIEVER. 

Also, it contains 43% of your daily Calcium from the yogurt and chia seeds alone.
With powerhouse fruits such as pomegranate, kiwi, and banana it offers significant amounts of potassium (which I love for cramping muscles being so active), vitamins (especially vitamin C) for energy throughout the day, and antioxidants to keep you healthy. 

Since cancer runs in my family, I am committed to eating antioxidant rich foods to be proactive about fighting any cancer causing substances or developing cancerous cells in my system.  I don't know how much it helps, but I am aware that they are proven to help fight cancer to some extent.

I'm so excited to have shared this recipe with you all and I really hope you try it out.

I can't provide more nutritional information - I'm not a certified nutritionist or Doctor, however I am very aware when my body feels fueled with good-for-you food. This little recipe definitely fuels me with energy to dance 3 shows a day, walk everywhere around the towns we visit, and make me feel comfortably full while curbing my appetite and cravings for sugary junk food. 

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Let me know if you try this out and what you think:

Did you happen to find another variation in the recipe? 

How does it taste to you? 

Did it have the same health effects on you as well?

Thanks for reading everyone - Happy travels and happy eats!