Blissfulbritt | Page 26

- Poo Poo Point – A Place to Purge your Thoughts
  
  Posted at 6:45 AM by Brittany, on March 3, 2017
  
  Last week I found myself on another solo hike. Over the last couple years my confidence in hiking alone has gone down, something my parents will surely appreciate. I’ve noticed that while I still very much enjoy going alone (as in without any personal friends), I enjoy having other people around.
  
  It makes me feel safer, it makes me feel less isolated, and it makes me feel connected.
  
  What I love most about hiking alone is that I don’t have to engage in conversations. In my day to day life I talk to people a lot, and this can be quite draining. I relish in the moments of silence. I’ve always been the one that friends come to when they need to vent, and I enjoy being that support for people, but sometimes it can be too much.
  
  I’m burned out on being the ear for people to blab at, and aside from my mom and hired professionals I don’t really know how to be the one venting to others. I have empathy for most situations I get myself into, but my meter of open mental space has been pushed past the full line.
  
  I’ve started to put in the work it takes to expand my circle of people. I want people in my life that ask me how I am doing, how I am feeling, and genuinely want to understand what I am experiencing. Relationships are so important to our existence, but only if they are of good quality. Think about the last time you had a conversation with a good friend that left you feeling warm inside.
  
  Those are what we need in life.
  
  I have no problem ditching people that suck more than they give, and I’ve gotten quite good at it over the years. My tolerance for this negativity is nearly nonexistent. There are a handful of people that have slipped through the cracks though, and it’s taken a myriad of health problems for me to realize who needs to stay and who needs to go.
  
  I simply do not have the extra energy it takes for these kinds of people.
  
  He can stay. I don’t know him, but if he can carry that parachute up a mountain he’s good people.
  
  When I opened my computer to write this hike recap I did not intend for it to go this way. I don’t often think about what I am going to write, I just go with whatever my fingers start typing. I think the bottom line for what I’m trying to say is that it’s easy to get sucked into black hole friendships. It’s not always clear, but I challenge you to become more aligned with your gut feelings.
  
  As for me, I won’t be feeling bad when I decline hiking with a friend and want to go alone. Not that I ever really do…
  
  I’ve hiked this trail a handful of times – it’s close (in relation to other places I go, but this one is still an hour and a half drive away) it’s short (4 miles RT and takes me about 2 hrs), and it’s a butt burner (just under 2k eleveation for just under 2 miles up.) Despite having been here multiple times I hadn’t seen the paragliders take off, until this trip.
  
  I don’t know if this is something I could do, but it was sure fun watching other people. The weather was great, bouncing between sun and clouds, with the perfect amount of wind for these brave souls. Some guys were going up multiple times carrying their packs on their back. Talk about motivation to get into shape.
  
  Although it would be terrifying to take that jump off the edge, I can only imagine the solitary feelings that comes with floating alone in the sky.
  
  Being alone in the woods gives me time to process my thoughts, and hot damn there can be a lot at times. I’ve recently discovered I have ADD, which makes a whole heap of sense for some of my tendencies and traits. I’m always working hard to quiet my mind, and solo hiking is one of my outlets for this. And meditation – a constant work in progress.
  
  In sum, it’s not necessarily personal if you want to be alone. Don’t feel bad about turning down invites, telling someone you’d rather be alone, or anything of this nature. When a roaring fire starts to die we casually add more fuel. This allows a steady balanced burn with minimal work. If the fire is complete burned out it takes a lot more energy to get it started again. People are the same. Don’t burn yourself out.
  
  Also, yes – the trail is seriously called Poo Poo Point. Imagine the irony if this were the trail I was on when this happened.
  
  Q: Would you paraglide?
  
  | 59 Comments Tagged Hike, Poo Poo Point, Solo Hike
- Coffee and Compadres
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 21, 2017
  
  Last Wednesday I celebrated another year of life. 365 more days of sunrises and sunsets, 365 more days of coffee sips and cupcake eats, 365 more days of snuggles with my cats, and 365 more days dreaming of the mountains.
  
  I’ve never been one to take off of work for my birthday, however I don’t work Wednesdays right now. I decided to spend “the day my mom blessed the earth with my presence” by combining three of my favorite things: coffee, cupcakes, and hiking.
  
  My hiking partner, who also happens to be my work partner, but most definitely not my life partner, took the day off of work to spend the day with me exploring. We left at 07:00 and we were stuck in traffic far longer than either of us would have hoped.
  
  As one of the many cars aggregated together on the road I found multiple reasons to smile, the most obvious being that I was not on my way to work like the majority of those around me. Another reason was the delirium that started to take over my brain from sitting too long. A pit stop at Starbucks nearby our destination was in order to fill up my tumbler.
  
  Waiting until we were close to our location ensured the coffee was still warm upon our arrival at the summit.
  
  The forecast called for rain, and despite the fact I never quite know if this is going to be true in Washington or not, it did indeed rain. In fact, it was somewhat of a downpour most of our hike. Thankfully it was warm enough outside that the rain wasn’t uncomfortable.
  
  Dare I say it was fun?
  
  My right hand man was kind enough to stow my cupcake in his pack because I carried the coffee in mine. In all my years hiking I’ve yet to drink coffee at the summit of a mountain. It was time for this to change, and a birthday seemed like the perfect day to change this.
  
  Hiking alone is great, and I often prefer it, but when I’m alone I don’t have anyone around to capture my true beauty as these candid outtakes showcase. The rain was a nice touch giving me a true drowned rat look.
  
  My name is Brittany, I am 28 years old, and I have zero shame.
  
  I chose an easy hike, only 4 miles RT taking two hours of our time. This time of year I tend to stay away from the snow packed peaks, I’m still traumatized from this adventure.
  
  I’m humbled when I embark on a hike that was once easy as slicing pie, and find that it winds me. Instead of letting this destroy my mental peace I use it as motivation to get back to a place of strength that I know I am capable of. This hike was doable, and I surely could have kept going, but there were moments I found myself out of breath.
  
  A few days prior I embarked on a local 9.5 mile RT hike, one that took 4 hours. This hike was tiring, but in different ways. Just as running challenges different muscles than swimming, hiking trails of differing elevations and distances challenges different areas of my body. My birthday hike challenged my heart rate more, and the longer local hike challenged my hip flexors more. I love variety.
  
  Local hike views.
  
  I bought myself a new pair of day hike shoes thanks to REI’s garage sale. They were worn maybe once, and returned because they were “too heavy.” Similar to my previous day hikers I snagged these hideous pink/red walkers for $100 less than what they would have been brand new. Sold. I tested them out on the 9.5 miler, because I like to test my pain threshold.
  
  I love birthdays because they remind me that life continues to fly by, even when we feel like it’s stagnant. It’s never too late to take control of what we want to do with our time, who we want to spend it with, and how we plan to achieve happiness.
  
  As each day passes for me I become more in tune with what I want my life to look like, but my favorite part is that I become more accepting of the inevitable changes life entails. The ups and downs are all necessary, the emotions and trials we experience are normal, and the gut feelings we have are usually right. They all work together to write the stories of our lives. Are you living yours in a way that others would want to read about?
  
  Q: What’d you do for your last birthday? Post hike I ate my body weight in Thai food, and regret nothing. Autoimmune diseases take a back seat on birthdays. HA.
  
  | 75 Comments Tagged Birthday, Coffee, Cupcake, Explore, Hiking, PNW, Rattlesnake Ridge, Vegan
- Banana Buckwheat “Hikecakes”
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 17, 2017
  So this happened last week.
  
  The thing is I used to really dislike when it snowed. Borderline despised it. The snow either put a damper on my plans, or caused me anxiety because I “had to drive in it.” Before my current HR job with Starbucks I’d worked in customer service. When you’re scheduled to work in a job like that, your team relies on you to be there. There were many times I drove to work in the snow when I should have stayed home.
  
  I had momentary thoughts that there wasn’t quite enough snow for me to call out. How often do we tell ourselves something isn’t enough, when really it has far surpassed any quantifiable amount? Or rather it’s not something that needs a defining amount at all?
  
  It’s not that my job now doesn’t need me, or that I enjoy abandoning my team, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized it’s OK to put your safety before anything else. My commute to Seattle would have made for a treacherous adventure in this, and despite the twinge of guilt I felt for staying home, I relished in the joy of this white blanket of death.
  
  I slowed down. I savored coffee. I reflected. I found the beauty in the snow. The above photo pointed out the multiple difference species of trees that surround my house. There are five showcased in this photo, but there are more in the surrounding panoramic view. I stared at these trees for many long minutes, thinking about how thankful I am to live in a place like this.
  
  The snow held strong the following few days, and by day three I was ready for it to go. For me snow is best kept in the mountains, where I have a choice to spend time with it or not. Regardless I enjoyed my extra day away from work, giving me a total of six days off. Oh how I love working part time.
  
  Slowing down and staying inside inspired me to test out a new pancake recipe. I don’t often create new recipes these days for a myriad of reasons, but I was determined to find one that my body would handle. I often have to trade presentation and texture for taste, or vice versa, but I found a combination of ingredients that made my soul sing.
  
  Living with an autoimmune disease is a constant adventure in determining what foods will work with me, and what foods won’t. I’m at a place now on this journey where I no longer work myself into a tizzy of stress over my new lifestyle, and instead I take each challenge as a test of character. The best part about the pancakes I’ve been making is that they’re vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free, yet they don’t taste like cardboard.
  
  They’re easy, they hold well, and they’re tasty. What they’re not is low calorie, but the beauty of using real food is that the calorie count doesn’t matter. These are my new go to hiking fuel, and for that I call these “hikecakes.” They won’t taste like pancake house cakes, but they do the job.
  
  All you’ll need are six ingredients, and a high speed blender (or food processor.) I wanted to find a combination of ingredients that allowed me to avoid adding sugar, and to avoid adding baking soda/powder. The sodium content of both baking soda and baking powder adds up quick and sodium is not something I handle well. A scoop of plant based pea protein provided enough sodium to give a good texture, without the added facial swelling.
  
  Banana Buckwheat Hikecakes
  
  Ingredients
  - 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can with NO added ingredients)
  - 1/3 cup + 1.5 tblsp H20
  - 1 medium overripe banana
  - 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
  - 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
  - 1 scoop pea protein (I use this brand because it’s one ingredient)
  - cinnamon (I don’t measure this, it’s dependent on preference IMO.)
  - coconut oil (for the pan)
  Directions
  
  Combine coconut milk, water, and banana in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients one at a time in the order listed above, blending each before adding the next. Add more water in half tablespoon increments if necessary. Depending on the size of your banana you may need more water. Be careful not to overdo it with the water though, your hikecake texture should be thick, but it should still move.
  
  Heat a non stick pan with a glob of coconut oil and pour batter into pan, batter makes around three circular cakes slightly larger than a sand dollar. Be sure not to overdo it with the oil in the pan, but put enough to ensure the cakes won’t stick.
  
  Tasting notes: because these are only sweetened with a banana I added some frozen berries to mine with a drizzle of pure maple syrup. The maple syrup is optional, but I find it necessary. If you’d like to sweeten the cake itself you can swap out the tablespoons of water for maple syrup. If you don’t want to use protein powder you can add a couple tablespoons more of flour, but I make no promises on texture.
  
  Optional pairing: A piping hot cup of coffee, preferable a Latin American blend with a full body and strong cocoa and nutty notes. I’ve been pairing my hikecakes with Starbucks Organic Yukon Blend and the balance of flavors work wonderfully together.
  
  That’s all I’ve got for today! Just helpin ya’ll out for the upcoming pancake Sunday.
  
  Q: What’s your go to pancake recipe?
  | 46 Comments Tagged Gluten Free, Pancakes, Plant Based, Recipe, Snow, Sugar Free, Vegan
- Green Wedding Cats
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 6, 2017
  I’ve been feeling pretty good lately, aside from the occasional fatigue (which is just a part of my life now) I’d say things are moving and groovin over here in BB land. This is no new discovery for me, but I find that often the cure for whatever ails me is always green.
  - Avocados have become my savior. Since announcing my current dietary changes I’ve been able to find a happy balance of intake. The only non plant based food I’m partaking in is fish because it has such powerful anti-inflammatory properties, but I only eat it here and there. Insert fats on fats on fats.
  - Outdoor activities always fuel my soul, and I live in a state that’s surrounded by trees. Praise. Even the green algae growing on abandoned sheds makes me smile.
  - My watch is green when I put it in workout mode. Coincidence? I think not. Spin class has been rocking my world lately. I keep the classes around two per week because my body ain’t what it used to be. Those endorphin’s though, can’t beat em’.
  - Coffee starts out green, so it’s only fair I include my love for the bean. Coffee caused a lot of extra stress on my system for quite some time, so adding it back into my life has been immensely rewarding. I must moderate it, and my system will flare up if I overdo it, but overall it’s been OK. The boost it gives me is an added bonus. I busted out the ROK espresso maker after I shamefully tucked it away a couple years ago.
  All I can say is wow. The flavor, ohh the flavor. The extraction with this maker is beyond words. The rich, full bodied flavor is so smooth it’s like drinking full fat coconut milk. I’m currently loving Starbucks Organic Yukon Blend. This multi region blend provides the Latin American beauty of cocoa and nuts, with a balance of Indonesian spice.
  
  C’est magnifique.
  
  In other news, I took my old man kitty to the vet last week. What initially seemed like a clean bill of health resulted in blood work determining he has severe kidney disease. Despite this diagnosis I am in awe of his thirst for life. He has so much love to give still, and we won’t be going out without a fight. He will be 20 this year!
  
  My other cat has been sneaking out at night to partake in nude modeling for picture books.
  
  He’s rebelling because I’ve been giving my love to others.
  
  Lastly, I was able to save a few photos from when I dressed up for Halloween as a girl. AKA when I put on some fancy digs and helped Gigi walk down the aisle. The below photo is my favorite, and all these girls are amazing. Four of us are bloggers, and became instant friends. Blogging has been one of the biggest blessings of my life because it has allowed me to meet so.many.amazing.people.
  
  Q: What’s your favorite color? Green
  | 62 Comments Tagged Autoimmune Disease, Cats, Explore, Plants, Spinning
- The Grand Forest – Making Friends with Ferns
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 2, 2017
  
  I arrived at the forest around 10 am. I would later discover this time was comparable to the third bowl of porridge that Goldilocks tasted-not too hot, and not too cold. This arrival time was not too early, and not too late.
  
  Arriving at 10am meant there were other cars in the lot, but still a few spaces left. The parking is minimal here, and although I wouldn’t mind parking on the street, I do enjoy securing a space within the confines of an area where fast moving cars cannot nick the side of my vehicle. Other cars in the lot meant there were other people exploring the woods, which is a comforting sign for a solo adventurer.
  
  Cars in the lot, but a space left for me. Not too hot, not too cold.
  
  I’d not yet explored this forest, but upon my arrival I was immediately overcome with feelings. Feelings of joy, feelings of excitement, feelings of energy, feelings of adventure. How had I lived so close to this forest, yet never stepped foot on its soil?
  
  These woods provided the illusion of being deep within the heart of a forest nestled below the mountains, but with a close proximity to the nearby roads. A common fear of solo adventurers is being so secluded that if something were to happen no one would know. These woods engulfed my being, but provided the comfort of safety should I need it.
  
  I arrived at the forest planning to walk, but the abundance of energy I received provoked me to run. Not hard, and not far, a simple thirty minutes which turned out to be one of the best runs I have had in a long time. The depths of the forest has a way of slowing down time. I didn’t focus on pace, I didn’t focus on distance, I simply focused on movement. What felt good, what didn’t? Time moved quickly and slowly all at the same time.
  
  The trails of dirt wove in and out of each other, reminding me of my childhood reading. I used to read books that allowed me to choose my own ending. “Go to pg. 167 for this kind of ending, or go to pg. 285 for this kind.” It allowed me to read and reread these books with a new story each time. The paths of this forest gave options that allowed me to cross similar paths from different angles, providing the continued illusion that this forest was larger than it really was.
  
  I crossed paths with a few people, but there was so much space between us all that it was easy to feel alone. My favorite. This came in handy for me when my run took a turn for the worse. Everything felt great, but I had consumed a beautifully balanced cup of coffee before arriving at the trail. I gave no extra thought to this decision as I allowed the full bodied notes of cocoa and nuts slide off my tongue. It was a harmony of flavor I tend to get lost in.
  
  It had been a while since coffee and running decided to scheme against me, but on this day they had.
  
  There I was in the heart of this forest, with nothing but my car keys and a sense of endearment for my surroundings when the stomach discomfort hit me like a ton of bricks. I had no where to go but deeper among the trees. I prayed that the corner of earth I chose to stake claim of would provide me with enough privacy to release the demon within my gut.
  
  Runners trots are no joke my friends, there is no shame in this game.
  
  I grew a new appreciation for ferns this day, we bonded on a level I hope never to bond with them on again. I can still feel the spores on my skin. I left a piece of me in the forest that day, and we are tied together in a way I’ll remember forever. Thankfully for the forest, ferns have the ability to absorb pollution. I love plants.
  
  Post expulsion I wandered the woods for another hour before calling it quits. I came upon abandoned sheds, the above tiny house nestled in the bushes, trails I didn’t get time to step foot on yet, and the below viewpoint. As I approached my car, others were waiting to claim my spot. Others had arrived to partake on their own adventure, I wondered if theirs would be similar to mine.
  
  I look forward to my next adventure in the Grand Forest, the trees and winding paths quickly became a local favorite, but next time I think I’ll finish my coffee before I leave.
  
  Q: Have you ever become one with the forest this way? Insert the *laughing with tears* emoji.
  
  | 33 Comments Tagged Adventure, Explore, Hike, PNW, Running
- Why I’m No Longer Vegan
  
  Posted at 6:00 AM by Brittany, on January 26, 2017
  
  Alternatively titled why I’ve chosen to no longer feel like a bag of ass everyday.
  
  This post was hard to write. I’ve been in denial for over a year now, and the only benefit of resisting the change that I knew I needed in order to heal my body is that I can honestly say I’ve tried it all. I tried with every fiber of my body to make a plant based diet work despite the growing list of health problems I have. With this, I have confidence in my decision should anyone try to argue with me about my dietary choices. Not that this should matter, it’s my personal choice just like any diet, lifestyle, hair color, or political position – we’re entitled to our own choice. BUT, I tried it all. Literally all of it. Perhaps it’s more for my own peace of mind knowing I gave it all I had.
  
  I’m going to include photos from a hike I went on yesterday in this post because the mountains are the only place that has brought me complete clarity this past year.
  
  I didn’t struggle to write this post because I cared what other people thought, but rather because it meant I had accepted the change. Writing this post means I’m ready for the change, but getting to this point was a long and bumpy process. Change is hard, especially when you’re changing something you never thought you’d have to.
  
  Before I continue I want to make one thing clear. I do not by any means think a plant based diet is unhealthy, nor do I think there is a one size fits all way of eating. This post is based around my experience, my health issues, and my decisions to add animal products back into my diet. Albeit as I mentioned above, this was not easy. I’m writing this post because I want to be honest with my choices, and because reading articles about others that have had similar experiences has been immensely helpful for me.
  
  Let’s start at the beginning shall we? When I was 17 I went vegetarian. I watched 20 seconds of one factory farming video and that was it for me. I plunged into meat free life with ease and never looked back. I never felt a strong pull towards meat anyway, so the change wasn’t hard. I enjoyed this meat free diet for a handful of years before experimenting with veganism at age 23, a diet I thought I’d continue for life.
  
  My first year on a fully plant based diet was amazing. I thrived. I was enjoying foods in a way I never had before and I felt truly at peace with the way I was eating. I thank this time of my life for showing me a side of vegetables I hadn’t seen before. I am now beyond obsessed with these earthly foods and cannot imagine a world without leafy greens and broccoli. My diet became my lifestyle, and my lifestyle became my identity.
  
  Beet still my heart.
  
  I’m not exactly sure where shit started to hit the fan for me, but despite the abundance of greens my diet was very grain heavy. I also consumed a good amount of sugar, which only progressed as time went on. My favorite way to celebrate after running a race was with a fat donut. Ohh the memories. I briefly talked about the beginning of some of my health issues in this post about stress, and after about two years on a plant based diet my health took a turn for the worse.
  
  I will never know if it was completely my dietary intake, or the outside factors such as chronic stress that affected me so poorly, but the end result remains the same. I have an autoimmune disease that has forced me to change my eating habits. I physically cannot eat a plant based diet successfully anymore unless I want to survive on leafy greens and broccoli. Most everything else sends me into a state of blood sugar crashes (including fruit) that leaves me foggy, tired, inflamed, bloated, and moody. Grains, fruits, even my beloved potatoes give me a headache, dry eyes, and such intense sugar cravings I’d sell my kidneys for a box of cookies.
  
  It’s truly both a blessing and a curse to be so in tune with my physical body.
  
  As I mentioned above I’ve been in denial. That means I’ve continued to try to make this square lifestyle fit into a circle shaped hole for over a year. That means I’ve been feeling God awful most days for over a year. I am what I eat, and I’ve reached the point where I can no longer bear the physical discomfort that has come with my denial. I’ve been living in the past thinking, “I used to feel so great eating this way, there has to be a way to make it work,” but as with all things in life this too has changed.
  
  So why has this been so hard for me? It should be easy eating a way that makes me feel good. It’s true, adding animal protein back into my diet (while also avoiding grains, basically paleo style eating) eases my symptoms and leaves my body praising with relief, like a cold damp cloth over an internal fire, but mentally I’ve struggled to get over the personal decisions to avoid meat which stem back to 17 year old Brittany watching those factory farming videos for the first time. I felt so passionately about my lifestyle that it became part of me, and I have mourned the loss of this part of me.
  
  I’ve mainly stuck to fish, but last week I bought a chicken. I’d eaten chicken before this last year, but this time I bought the entire body. I decided if I’m going to eat this “once living being” I need to be more connected to the source of it.
  
  As I was removing the meat from the bones I began sobbing. I cried such ugly tears as I verbally thanked the chicken for its meat (I didn’t know what else to do), and I later prayed that there has to be another way. This was an emotionally draining experience that haunted me the remainder of the week. To some this might seem silly, but think about something you feel a strong ethical pull towards and try to understand when you fight against this pull it’s no easy feat for the mind.
  
  Truth be told there is no other way. I go back and forth between a week of eating paleo and then I feel better, get ambitious and start eating vegan again and spiral right back to feeling like hell. I’m not talking cakes and cookies vegan, I’m talking basic whole grains and even fruits.
  
  I’ve been in a state of limbo for so long I’m exhausted. I still stand by my ethical beliefs, but eating a plant based diet is simply no longer an option for me and my health. However this doesn’t mean I have to support factory farming. I’ve begun searching for local vendors that sell locally raised meats and fish. If I’m going to eat it I must do it right, the way God intended us to eat meat. None of this processed bull shit that we call food today, and none of the horror that comes from the torture of factory farming.
  
  It’s been hard, but as with all things in life it will get easier. I’ve tried to keep this post basic and straight to the point, but I assure you there have been so many more emotions and thoughts associated with this. I’ve been leaning heavily on my faith as I do in most times of struggle, and I verbally thank the animals (yes fish is meat, and an animal just like a chicken) I consume. If any of you have specific questions or concerns that you’d like to discuss please feel free to email me and I’m happy to elaborate.
  
  I’m still finding my footing on eating habits, and I’m aware this journey will forever be a learning process. My goal is to continue to fine tune my body and fuel it with whatever makes me feel best. I’m mostly consuming fish, as it’s the one animal product that makes me feel best. I’ll probably slip here and there, but my footing is already more sturdy today than it was yesterday.
  
  To end this post I just want to say I’m good. I’m writing this from a place of peace, trusting that my body knows best (spoiler: it does know best.) To all my plant based readers I hope you’ll stick with me for my mountain adventures, but if you choose to no longer read I completely understand. I won’t be blogging about meat, and the only food photos I’ll share if any will continue to be of plants, but just know for complete transparency I will be eating animal proteins. I’ll do an update post as time goes on.
  
  Mad love to all of you that have stuck with me on my journey the past while. And to my real life friends, thank you for dealing with my wishy washy back and forth decisions, and for putting up with my crazy. I realize how privileged I am to have this kind of decision in the world we live in and I assure you I don’t take it for granted.
  
  You do you, and I’ll do me. 🙂
  
  Q: What was a tough decisions you had to make?
  
  | 103 Comments Tagged Life, Vegan
- Early Morning Confessions
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 20, 2017
  
  1. My skin has been an absolute troll this winter, but I cannot blame my largest organ alone for it’s rebellious ways. By avoiding sugar and grains I’ve been able to begin balancing out the dryness, along with some help from a superlative skin balm.
  
  I’ve also been doing weird things like blending carrots and broccoli and lathering it all over my face. Ain’t nobody got time for chemical laden face masks.
  
  2. Two of my bathrooms are currently being renovated, leaving the showers in both of them inaccessible. I dabbled in the idea of not showering for a few days, but decided this was not the best approach for making friends. I’ve had to shower at the gym, which is fine, but I was not aware that they do not provide regular towels (they charge $2 – hard pass).
  
  Instead I gathered multiple mini towels to dry myself off because, free.
  
  3. My hair has reached a length I quite enjoy. Showering at the gym is easy because I wash it maybe once a week and feel like I’m winning at life being able to do this. Also, I find my lazy eye to be prominent when I make the below face. No shame.
  
  4. In my last post I mentioned how I was in my second to last semester of school. Well, things changed and I decided to adjust my schedule from full time to part time this semester. To help balance my stress out this was the right move. I have seven classes left, but I’m in no rush.
  
  5. I report with a heavy heart that my dear friend Gizmo is peacefully being sent onto his next adventure today. He has reached a time in his life where he is having multiple health issues and due to his age and suffering, his dad decided it was time to bring him to peace. I spent one final weekend with him last week, and am so thankful I was able to go on one more walk with him.
  
  We were still matching. Rest in peace my friend, you’ve brought much joy to my life even when you were too needy. What can I say, dogs love me.
  
  6. Despite the above loss, I’ve been having the best week. This has been the kind of week where you spew happiness and positive vibes onto every one around you. Shout out to yoga, meditation, and avoiding grains and sugar.
  
  Ohh to have an autoimmune disorder. 🙂
  
  7. I’ve been fascinated by frosted plants lately. The way the frost accentuates the life lines of leaves is like natures x-ray, helping the human eye get a glimpse of such a complex food making machine.
  
  From my Instagram on the above photo: Today feels like an intensified October morning. The sun is shining bright, but frost cloaks over the land like a tight squeeze from your grandma. The cold air bites my face with a sharpness similar to well aged cheese, but without the fear of what’s to come in winter because winter is already here. The cold air today brings no angst like it might in October, just excitement for what’s to come in the spring. I can’t imagine living somewhere without all four seasons, I love it here.
  
  8. I did some more planning for my Ireland trip this week. Aside from Clifs of Moher another outdoor highlight will be stepping foot onto Skellig Michael, an island off the southwest end of the country. Aka where Luke and Rey are in the final scene of The Force Awakens. I can’t, I just can’t.
  
  9. I got a new phone, which meant I needed a new phone case. This is in no way sponsored by Caseapp, I just legit love that I can take one of my own photos and put it on a case. I took a photo from this adventure and now whenever I look at my phone I am reminded of this weekend getaway.
  
  10. Speaking of the above camping trip, the girl that convinced me to go that weekend, my tried and true hiking partner, has started a blog! I could not be more thrilled. Her first post chronicles an attempted camping trip to the Brothers, a twin peaked mountain in the Olympics.
  
  Her story telling is great, and I felt like I was with her on the adventure. My favorite line from her story is, “At 5:30pm, I rolled back over to face my dad. It was still raining and he was passing the time by sitting there with his reading glasses on, reading his bible. I began laughing hysterically. I had known his pack was heavy but now visible saw why. He had packed his whole room…”
  
  Go check it out, and give her some blogland love!
  
  Q: What’s your confession?
  
  | 43 Comments Tagged Adventure, Early Morning Confessions, Gizmo, Hike, Ireland, Winter
- Seattle Staycation
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 9, 2017
  
  Anytime I find myself in Seattle for an extended period of time I consider it a mini stay-cation. It’s not quite a vacation because I’m only hopping, skipping, and jumping across a small body of water, but it’s time away from my home making it an adventure nonetheless.
  
  I spent the last eight days house sitting in Seattle, and my days looked something like this: work (three of the days), eat (all of the days), and explore (most of the days.) Despite the fact that I do get paid for these house sitting gigs, I typically end up spending more than half of what I make on food. I consider it bonus cash. 🙂
  
  I spent a lot of time at Whole Foods hot bar spending my life savings on all things vegetables.
  
  I’ve made a conscious effort to use Whole Foods for here bowls instead of putting my meal into a to go box. Let’s be honest, I eat it all while I’m in store anyway, might as well save a bit of the planet while I’m at it.
  
  I had a few more bowls from different days, I just couldn’t deny the convenience of this Whole Foods being so close to Green Lake, another place I spent a few hours of my time. Here I found my soul mate in bird form, all black body (like my soul) with giant odd looking feet. I was also a witness to a love triangle. Female ducks know how to work their bodies despite being less flashy looking than the males.
  
  We can all take a note from the female Mallard. Confidence on point.
  
  I gave my first unborn child to eat an acai bowl, little did they know I don’t plan to have kids. So expensive, but so good. I’m excited to be reunited with my blender. Perhaps next time I just bring it with me. Yes, that sounds like a good plan.
  
  I kept my sugar beast in check most of the days despite being surrounded by copious amounts of amazing vegan treats, except for one solid choice. A new ice cream shop opened in November showcasing plant based goodness with a base of raw sprouted cashews and coconut milk (no fillers or gums), somewhat sweetened by dates and maple syrup, and with amazingly unique flavor profiles.
  
  The cone is made from maple syrup and oats. Das it.
  
  Be still my plant based heart. Top scoop is salty caramel ash infused with activated charcoal, bottom is California cabin infused with pine needles, black pepper, cardamom, and smoked sea salt. If you’re ever planning to visit Seattle, Frankie and Jo’s is a must. Did I mention pine needles? So much yes
  
  I tend to enjoy eating ice cream mostly in the winter months, I’m not sure why. I don’t really eat a lot of ice cream and in the summer with the heat it makes me feel heavy. I happily ate these scoops despite the frozen tundra that hit Seattle last week. So cold it froze parts of the lake.
  
  I spent a solid five hours with a friend from work over the weekend. It was nice to chat with a like minded individual, those are hard for me to find these days. She’s the bee’s knees.
  
  The only other honorable mention from my week in the city was the sleeping cat I found at the park by the gym I went to. What I want to know is WHERE these statues were when I was a child? Kids these days have it so good.
  
  I’d have climbed on his back like he were Falcor from The Neverending Story. Or maybe the dragon would have been better suited for that, although his spikes look painful.
  
  Back home, and back to school today. I had a glorious month long break making it equal parts hard and easy to go back. This will be my last full semester, with a partial semester over the summer to finish things off. I.Am.So.Ready.
  
  Q: What kind of entertainment did you have in the parks as a child? I was early teens when I first saw a t-rex dino you could ride forward and back. It was purple, and it was the coolest.
  
  | 46 Comments Tagged Explore, Green Lake, Ice Cream, Seattle, Vegan, Whole Foods
- 2017: Setting a Stress Free Tone
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 6, 2017
  
  Let’s talk about stress baby, let’s talk about you and me, let’s talk about all the chaos and mass destruction that can be!
  
  Stress – what a fickle beast. An unwanted wave of tension that stakes claim over our entire being if we let it. But what’s the big deal? Our bodies were built to endure stress as a survival method right? As with all things in life, our bodies can only handle stress in limited quantities, like when we’re being chased by a bear or waiting in line for sold out Justin Beiber tickets.
  
  It’s only when this tension builds to a point of chronic daily disruption that things go awry, the scary part is most of us don’t even know we’re stressed until it’s too late. Stress is a silent killer if left unnoticed, and I encourage each of you reading this to evaluate your stress levels. If you’re unsure of what this might feel like do some reading. It took me over three years to realize I was living in a hyper-stressed state.
  
  Brace yourselves, things are about to get slightly personal.
  
  In Jan 2014 I lost my period. In all honesty I didn’t think much of it and I felt fine. After months of ignoring it, I went to a doctor. One doctor led to five, all of them trying to give me a magic pill to jump start the red sea of life. “Nahh man I want to know why I lost this, not put a bandaid on the problem.” I hopped from doctor to doctor trying to get an answer. All the while the underlying stress was building.
  
  After all these doctors, zero answers, and a change in position at work (that I never really wanted) my stress levels were so high that I was having physical reactions. Rashes on my skin, inflammation, anxiety, food intolerance’s, all of which I thought were solely related to what I was eating. To an extent this was true, but in hindsight I now know it was stress that started it. I then went to see a naturopath hoping his naturalistic mindset would align with mine, but when he prescribed me a “seed rotation” (where he had me eating specific seeds to follow the moon) I pulled the plug.
  
  I confess I followed his moon dance ritual for two weeks before calling it quits. I believe in the pulls of the moon, and the universe, but this was where I drew the line. He also told me to start eating animal products and run less. I was desperate to know what was going on, so I obliged. Then shit really hit the fan. The mental stress of eating a way I didn’t feel right about sent me into a spiral that resulted in a year and half long eating disorder, something I’ve only recently gained a grasp on.
  
  I don’t feel any shame about this, it’s life and it opened my eyes to some destructive thoughts and behaviors.
  
  The final straw this past October after seeing both a GI doctor and a Rheumatologist (putting my doctor tally at seven) was the diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder – one year and a handful of months after obsessing about what was wrong with me. I went from healthy and vibrant, to mentally and physically broken. Despite the wild ride I know this was a valuable time in my life. Without these moments of darkness we cannot truly know the light. Each dark path looks different for all, and this just happened to be mine.
  
  Protip: Eating a whole foods, plant based diet almost always prevents whatever ails you.
  
  Truth be told, if I follow this complex line all the way back to the beginning it tells me a story. A story of a girl that was letting small things get to her. The stress of running, the stress of being a perfectionist, the stress of “what am I going to do with my life,” the stress of an educational path I didn’t truly want, and ultimately the residual stress of a tumultuous relationship. The universe has a powerful way of slapping us in the face until we get it. Keep playing a broken record time and time again and you’ll get the same annoying loop, but change the record for a new one and you’ll hear a new song.
  
  Change your path and you’ll get a new result.
  
  It’s my three year anniversary of losing my period, and I’m back where I started. I’m back in a state of calm, and trusting that my body will balance itself out with a little help from me. (I had two normal slaps from aunt flo last year, one in September and one in December. So..things are happening.) The outside voices only caused more chaos in my body. Do I think that this kind of hormonal imbalance is normal? No. What I do think is that our bodies are amazing and will tell us when something is wrong. For me, stress has caused a whole heap of trouble and it’s time I focus on fixing this, my way. No magic pills.
  
  Disclaimer: I’ve had many, MANY tests run to ensure I’m not dying or void of any vital nutrients. My body is 100% healthy on paper, which made this all the more of a mystery, and all the more obvious that my body was trying to tell me something. I also tried it their way – I gained the weight, I ate the meat, I quit the running, but still no resolution. It wasn’t my diet or my running, but rather my attitude towards them and life in general. #stresslife.
  
  Along with adding more stress relieving activities to my life (yoga, walking, sitting in a coffee shop typing on my compute as I am now, making meals in the kitchen) the most important activities are the ones I need to remove. I’ve decided it’s time for me to stop running. Not completely, and not forever, but until I no longer dread the idea of it. A few posts ago I declared I was going to be training for my seventh half marathon. This was yet another attempt for me to get on track with exercise when in reality I don’t enjoy running anymore (unless it’s under 4 miles.) A 5k is still an accomplishment, it’s taken me years to accept this.
  
  Protip: Take a piece of wood, paint it, add hooks and you’ve got a cheap way to showcase your medals.
  
  There are so many other activities I would rather do, and I let running dictate my life for a long time, to the point of skipping out on these other activities because I “had to run.” Eventually I skipped out on exercise all together because I let my mind takeover. When you no longer want to do something and feel as though you have to do it, eventually everything will crumble. I’m so proud of my running accomplishments, and a solid 2-3 mile run still brings me joy, but anything more causes more stress than relief.
  
  Exercise is supposed to be an outlet for stress, not a cause.
  
  Self sabotage and overthinking what I’m doing with my life has been a struggle of mine for years. Self acceptance and confidence is my biggest point of focus right now. Confidence in my choices, and in how I present myself. I preach about doing what you love, yet haven’t followed my own advice. I’ve had a lot of revelations the past year, and plan to make some solid changes this year. Finishing college is my main focus, and once that’s done I’ll do whatever I want. I live a minimalist life already and I don’t need a lot to get by.
  
  Protip: “Need” less things. This…is my wallet. A few months ago my wallet was stolen and I never bought a new one. I love how simple this rubber band cluster of cards fits into a small cloth bag.
  
  Surrounding myself with people that support my choices in life, lift me up, and encourage me to be myself are key. I will come in contact with people that try to make me feel like less than them because of what I do for work, or how I choose to spend my time, but the beauty of being happy with your life is that these people don’t affect you. The truth is these people are the ones that are suffering on the inside.
  
  The stress in my life helped catalyze a very negative mind space for longer than I would like to admit. This led to a poor attitude, of which I’m not proud, but I’m also not ashamed. I suppose you could say in this time I went full blown human, faults and all. If my attitude and negative head space could have taken on a physical persona I would say it looked an awful lot like Charlize Theron in the movie “Monster.” Not cute.
  
  I’m not one for new years resolutions, and I didn’t want this post to be like one, but this has been on my mind and on my heart for months. Having these thoughts is one thing, but allowing yourself to submit to them is harder than it seems sometimes. It’s taken me a while to form my thoughts into coherent words, and the words can’t hold a flame to the magnitude of how I feel on the inside. This is a brief view into my world and putting fingers to keyboard means I’ve found my way out of the murky waters and am ready to talk about it.
  
  I am thankful for the clarity, and living my truth is my resolution. My resolution for life.
  
  Protip: Ride your bike. It’s an excellent stress relief.
  
  I’m still experiencing umbrella symptoms that accompany an autoimmune disorder. The top offenders for me are chronic fatigue, inflammation, painfully dry eyes, an overall feeling of “unwell” (some days), and I struggle eating grains, sugars and drinking coffee in certain amounts. I have to be diligent with the intake of some of my favorite foods (as we all should.) My focus is putting these symptoms into remission and I’m already heaps and bounds better than I was in October. Baby steps will help me find my way back to where I was. I’m thankful my condition isn’t nearly as severe as others, but an eyeopener nonetheless.
  
  If you’ve stuck with me through this post I commend you. It’s been a doozie to write and I’ve breached the 2050 word mark. It took me many months and even more drafts to finally hit publish, not because I was embarrassed, shameful, or worried what others thought, but simply because I didn’t quite have the right formation of thoughts. Sharing my thoughts is a therapeutic purge for me, and emphasizes my progress in life. The best part of this entire journey is that the solution can be simple, it just took a change in perspective, and some time for me to realize it.
  
  I want to end this post by challenging you to take a look at your life. Are you living your truth? Do you do things based on how others think and feel, or are you unapologetically living in a way that makes you happy? These are hard questions to answer and even harder to ask ourselves. We only get one shot on this earth and too many of us make it to the end of life with a bucket of regret. I want my bucket to be filled with joy, adventures, and more importantly with pride. Pride in anything that I do (except things that are immoral or illegal of course), regardless of how I am perceived.
  
  Protip: Care less what others think.
  
  There’s so much more I want to say, but I’ll end it here. I’ve written a handful of similar posts this last year, but I plan for this to be the last “ah-ha moment” post for quite some time. Gaining control of my thoughts means more adventure and upbeat posts to come. Control your thoughts, control your life. Happy 2017 to all of us that have made it this far, new year resolutions aside it’s time to start living your truth. What are you waiting for?
  
  How do you manage stress? I ask that you honor my thoughts and opinions should you choose to share your own. My approach and views may be different from yours when it comes to what is and is not healthy, but that’s what makes us each unique. 🙂 Thanks for reading. ❤
  
  | 85 Comments Tagged Life
- The Last Post
  
  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 30, 2016
  …..of 2016
  
  Another holiday down, with one more to wrap up 2016. I don’t know why, but it really grinds my gears when people complain every.single NYE about how terrible the past year was. Were you alive? Were you breathing? Were you employed? Unless you were literally struggling to survive (in which I will pray for you) then I don’t want to hear it.
  
  Be thankful, and quit whining about it. #saltyoldwoman
  
  Christmas in my house was magical, per usual. Calm, quiet, and casual. I went for a nice run, made some pancakes, and added a few more items to my collection of things.
  
  Seen on my run.
  
  In a previous post I discussed how I don’t really like receiving items for Christmas, but because I’m blessed with gracious family members the items come regardless. So I make things easy and list out what I could use. Let’s see if my list made a difference.
  - #1 REI Gift Card – Success, thanks mom.
  - #2 Mountain Ring – No success. Womp
  - #3 Wood iWatch Band – Success, patiently waiting for its arrival
  - #4 Glamping – SUCCESS
  - #5 Whole Foods Gift Card – No success. I will starve.
  - #6 Subaru Outback – No success. Toyota Camry prevails!
  - #7 New Birkenstocks – No success, I was hopeful for this one.
  - #8 A new iPhone – Success…almost. Working on this one.
  - #9 Mountain Earrings – Success.
  - #10 Trip to Ireland – SUCCESS!!!!
  I was totally blowing smoke into the air when I wrote Ireland as a wish list item, and then decided it was time to stop talking about it and just DO it. So I bought myself a trip to Ireland. Santa ain’t got shit on me. May 2017 my friend and I will embark on a 10 day Irish road trip (pray for us, opposite side of the road driving) starting in Dublin, and driving a makeshift circle throughout the country.
  
  I can’t contain myself.
  
  Me.
  
  2016 was the year I discovered life is much too short to settle for what you don’t enjoy. I haven’t been living my “truth” (you know, those times when your gut tells you it doesn’t want to do something and you ignore it and do it anyway) and the universe has a way of slapping you in the face as many times as possible until you wake up and realize it.
  
  2017 will be the year where my gut, my head, and my heart all become very close. No more ignoring the inner voice, no more doing what others think is right, and no more waiting for the perfect moment. The perfect moment is now. So do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. Eat the damn cookie already.
  
  I don’t know what 2017 holds, but that’s the beauty of life. Instead of trying to figure it all out I’ve become comfortable sitting back and letting the universe take me where it wants to. Apparently that means a trip to Ireland, and I’m OK with that. Maybe it means a new job, maybe it means more travel, maybe it means meeting new friends.
  
  I’m open, and trusting.
  
  I need more exploring in 2017 than I had in 2016. More mountains, more cities, more life. The highest peak I’ve hit the last month was a mere 520′ atop the Space Needle. Starbucks gifted me a free trip to the top, but nothing compares to the top of a mountain.
  
  I’m ready to say goodbye to 2016, but I don’t dare talk ill of it. Every single moment we are given is an opportunity to learn and to grow. Without the hard times we would have no contrast for all the good times. Without the pain we would not know pleasure. Without the failures we would not have success, and without 2016 we would not have another year of life.
  
  Each NYE for the last few years I’ve made it a point to volunteer somewhere. Typically my Arizona family and I help package meals for children in other countries, but I didn’t make it to Arizona this year. Instead I’ll be hanging out with some of my Starbucks family members making meals at a local food bank. It doesn’t matter what you do, big or small, but I find doing something for someone else is a great way to ring in the new year.
  
  I’m too old for that disco ball drunken dancing nonsense kids do at midnight.
  
  See you all in 2017. Go do something nice for someone else.
  
  Q: What was the best part of your holiday?
  | 68 Comments Tagged Christmas, New Year, NYE, Running
← Older posts

Newer posts →
- Search for:
- BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.
- If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.
- Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
- ¿Quieres Más?
  
  Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
  e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!
  
  Email Address:
  
  Join 4,725 other subscribers

Looking for Something Specific?

Search for:
Stalk My Past
Stalk My Past

Blog at WordPress.com.