The end of the year holidays always means one thing: traveling to see family.
Lorena and I recently returned from visiting Connecticut for a couple of weeks to spend Thanksgiving with her sister, parents, and cousins who flew in from Chicago. As always, it was great to see everyone and of course to spend time with our nephew and godchild.
We get a short break in California before hitting the road again to Cincinnati to see my grandfather (who, at 88 years old, isn’t doing so well after his recent hip surgery). We then drive up to Michigan to spend time with my parents for Christmas.
Afterward, we then close out the year by hosting Lorena’s parents and sisters at our place in California for the New Year.
Something that is a bit challenging is that our family is located across two countries and various states. California, Illinois, Michigan, Connecticut, and Mexico. There are times when I wish we all lived closer. It would certainly make the holiday planning easier and less stressful for all involved.
For whatever reason, Choice Juicery Nutrition information for their smoothies is nowhere to be found on their website. Normally, I wouldn’t care. However, I am tracking my macros, so I needed it.
I couldn’t find it when I googled it. I searched in my app (MacroFactor) and there was nothing listed.
So, I asked the staff.
The employee who took my order was really kind, and even let me take a picture of the smoothie nutritional info.
I am including it below in case anyone else out there needs the nutritional information for Choice Juicery’s smoothies. Hopefully this helps!
As someone who grew up in Michigan, my favorite thing about living in Southern California is the year-round perfect weather.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the seasons, especially Fall, but there is something about the sunshine and ocean that just can’t be beat — especially in November!
Lorena and I will soon be spending holiday time with family. It will be a busy mix of traveling and having visitors. With this in mind, we wanted to get at least one more beach day in before the end of the year.
Fortunately for us, the weather cooperated!
The sun was out, and the temperature was in the mid to high 70s. We enjoyed the sun (something I very much need considering how pale I am) and appreciated how lucky we were to have casual Sundays on the beach in mid-November.
Lorena and I just spent a few days in a cabin in the mountains. The mountain town, Idyllwild, is quite a charming town. Best of all, it’s just a little over two-hours away from home, making it an easy trip to make.
Just like we did when we went to Lake Arrowhead, we spent some time hiking and just being outdoors in the fresh air, walking around the downtown (which has a really great vibe), and relaxing in our cabin with an absolute incredible view of the treetops on the mountain.
We are doing these little long-weekend trips more often now as we make a conscious effort to integrate with nature, and to add a little variety to our daily lives — which is incredibly important when you work from home.
Our remaining trips this year include Connecticut, and then Michigan again. Both trips to see family. At the New Year, we’ll be having Lorena’s family in town.
2023 has been an eventful year. Some highs, some lows. I look forward to writing the recap! Until then, below are some photos from our trip.
For most of 2021 and a big part of 2022, Lorena and I would go to the gym in Austin nearly every day. We lived five minutes away from a Life Time Fitness, and during the pandemic, it became the main event that got us out of our home.
We went to the gym in part to work out, and also to record for Lorena’s fitness IG account, which worked its way up to over 100K followers. However, injuries, among other things, got us out of the gym rhythm.
Our bodies needed a change from the rigorous weight lifting we had been doing for practically a year straight. We remained active in different ways since fizzling out of the gym life. I continued to run and do a lot of body weight exercises along with BJJ. Lorena got into Pilates and does it pretty much daily.
We’ve decided to return to the gym.
After the long break, we’ve decided that we’re feeling well enough (no nagging injuries) to go to the gym again to get back into lifting. We won’t go as much as we did before, or lift as heavy, to avoid injuries.
The point is to just add a bit of variety to our weekly routine. I am looking forward to the change, and to getting back into the “gym life” that we enjoyed for so long while we were in Austin.
If I’ve learned one thing in my life about exercise, it’s that you go in and out of activities — and that’s normal. I’m glad we’re circling back to the gym again.
Lorena and I just returned from a 10-day trip visiting my family in Ohio and Michigan. First, we stopped by Cincinnati to visit my grandpa. He is 88 years old and living in an assisted living facility.
His health is pretty good, but he does have Alzheimer’s, which has become a bit more noticeable. He has 10 or so topics that he loops through in a conversation, but regardless, he is in good spirits and probably the best I have seen him in years (especially since my grandma passed away).
The highlight of that visit was the cookout, where my aunt, uncle, and two of my cousins attended, along with their children. One of my cousins had COVID, so she (and her family) couldn't come, which was a bummer. My brother and his family made the trip from Chicago as well, which gave us an opportunity to all be reunited like when we were kids.
After that long weekend, Lorena and I drove up to Michigan with my parents. We spent the week visiting some friends, enjoying the end-of-summer season in Michigan, and spending some quality time with my parents. After a week there, we came back to California.
I'm back at the grind today, growing my coaching business (which has taken off since recently announcing it). Our next planned trip isn't until Thanksgiving, but that could change!
This summer I have been chugging along with my Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and this week that consistency has paid off again as I earned my second stripe!
Just a couple of months ago, I got my first stripe, and that felt amazing. This too feels good, but perhaps I’m a little less excited. Not because I’m bored with BJJ, but because I feel like I could have pushed myself to get it sooner.
Life stuff happens, though. And you know, the pace was still pretty good. I can be prone to burning out with this kind of thing, so going slow is better for me.
I’ll be taking a bit of a break again as Lorena and I will be traveling to visit my grandpa who now lives in Cincinnati. Following that, it’s off to Michigan for a week to spend time with my parents (and a few friends), before returning home. At which point, I’ll pick training back up.
Lorena and I needed a changed of scenery. We have been in our home in southern California for a few months, hosting friends and family. While it has been enjoyable, we started to feel the need to get out for a change of pace.
We landed on Lake Arrowhead. We have been there before, but life was a lot different at that time. It was in the very beginning of the pandemic, and we weren’t even engaged yet!
We returned as husband and wife, and with a deeper connection. It’s funny how a few years can really change your perspective on just about everything.
Mountains, trees, and a lake.
Lake Arrowhead is really worth a visit if you’re in California. You have to drive up a winding road for 30 or so minutes, scaling the mountain from one side. As you slip over the edge to the other side, you enter an entirely different world. In many ways, it reminds me of the forest in northern Michigan (although less flat).
Lorena and I relaxed for a few days in a stunning Airbnb. It was an A-frame cottage that had been completely redone. Honestly, it was probably the best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in.
During our time there, we went on a few hikes, cooked food, and enjoyed the view from our place (positioned on the side of the mountain, looking out at the tall trees).
The trip itself has given us an itch for more mountain stays across California. Fortunately, we have quite a few to choose from that are all within two to three hours from our home.
Below are just a few photos, including the view from our place.
You know, it’s not often that I get together with a group of people anymore. There are a few reasons, but mainly because we live in California, and all of our friends and family live in other states. That, and making new friends is hard as an adult!
Recently, that changed when two of my childhood friends (and their wives) visited us for a week.
I’ve known Avis and Mike since elementary school. We played soccer together growing up, and even though we didn’t go to the same college, we always hung out when back to our hometown during breaks.
As life went on, we always kept in contact. I’d see them when possible, but all three of us live in different states now between California, Michigan, and Maryland.
So, this made the trip all that more memorable. As it always is, we laughed a lot. It’s easy with them. They are, in many ways, like family at this point. I love to hear about what they are up to in life, and it’s great to see them successful.
People come and go in your life, but there are always a few that are constant. For me, that’s Avis and Mike.
It took me a little longer than anticipated, but this week I finally got my first stripe in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu!
In April, I started taking lessons and was up to three or four classes per week, depending. However, trips like going to Big Sur and heading down to Mexico prevented me from having a regular schedule.
I still have a long way to go, and so much to learn. This martial art is so rich and deep in its nuances, the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.
Still, it’s fun, and I have good comradery with the other guys who are in the class. It’s a very positive, helpful environment.
My ultimate goal is to become a blue belt, but I think that’ll take ~18 months if I consider how my schedule can fluctuate, and how much I need to learn to get to that level. So, I’m just enjoying the journey.
