Tag: Coffee

• Exploring Edinburgh

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on March 16, 2020

  Day three in Scotland was spent exploring Edinburgh. I visited some new to me places, as well as places I had been before. Pam and I started the day with a tour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, a new to me location where the Queen spends her time when she is in Scotland. The weather was nice while walking to Holyrood, and continued to stay nice with breaks of sun when we finished with our tour.

  

  

  

  From here I ventured off solo to climb up to Arthurs Seat, something I wanted to do last time I visited Edinburgh, but did not have time for. I gave myself a window of three hours, which turned out to be two hours too many. The sky was clear as I began heading up the hill, but the higher I got the sketchier the path became.

  There were spots of thick ice, so I literally grabbed onto bushes and climbed up the sides of the path. This seems to be a theme for me. 

  

  Then with the snap of a finger, the weather changed for the worse. I was more than halfway to the top and I’m too stubborn to quit, so I kept going. By the time I made it to the top the snow was so heavy I felt like I was in a small blizzard. Had I not been surrounded by handfuls of other idiots like me, I would have been more concerned.

  

  

  

  Needless to say, I didn’t have a summit view and I didn’t stay at the top longer than a minute. I snapped a photo of the summit marker and quickly scooted back down unsure if the weather would continue to get worse. When I say scooted, I literally mean scooted. I crab walked down the path sliding as I went and laughing to myself imagining how ridiculous I looked.

  

  Alas, in typical Scotland weather fashion the storm blew through in less than an hour, and the remainder of the day was dry with sun breaks. I was annoyed at first, but then I realized this just gave me yet another excuse to return to Scotland. As if I needed a reason to return, I’ll go back and climb this again in nicer weather.

  

  

  After this true Scottish adventure, I headed back towards the Royal Mile to find Pam. We (and by we I mean ME) needed Kaffee und Kuchen, aka a German afternoon tradition of coffee and cake. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, it was a place I had been once before.

  A place with delicious cake, hot espresso, and one of the birthplaces of a famous novel series you might have heard of. 

  

  The Elephant House is a fun cafe in Edinburgh, known for being one of the birthplaces of Harry Potter. I came for the history of the cafe, and stayed for the delicious cake. After filling our veins with sugar and caffeine we spent more time walking around the city.

  

  

  

  

  

  Around 1600 Pam and I split off again and I ventured towards Calton Hill to watch the sunset.

  

  

  For dinner, Pam and I had another grocery store picnic date in the hotel we were staying. My dinner included grilled chicken, veggies, and hummus, as well as a new to me food that Pam bought for me on our way to The Elephant House earlier in the day. I’d heard of Scotch Eggs before, but wasn’t sure what they were exactly.

  After being in the U.K for four days without consuming ANY black pudding, this was the perfect opportunity. 

  

  

  Basically this is a hard boiled egg, wrapped in black pudding, and fried. Wow. Just wow. This was literally one of the best things I have ever eaten. My tastebuds danced like sugar plum faeries. (I’ve been doing better lately eating any and everything and handling the repercussions without spiraling. I used to get extreme anxiety if I felt my autoimmune disease flare up from something I ate, but now I just let it pass. It always passes.)

  This was a great trip to Scotland with even better company, and a perfect way to welcome turning 31. I hope to continue the tradition of spending my third decade of life in Europe for my birthday. 

  

  I’m still just as in love with the U.K as I was the first time I visited in 2017. Something about this area of Europe makes me feel calm, and this trip was a long time coming for my friend Pam and I. Sometimes the universe brings people into your life you’d never expect, and Pam is that person for me. What started as a “business relationship” (I watch her adorable kitty) turned into a friendship I will cherish forever.

  Thank you to Pam for spending my birthday with me, and for coming all the way to Scotland. 

  Q: Do you have an unexpected friendship like Pam and I? 

  

  | 20 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Coffee, Edinburgh, Harry Potter, Hiking

• 24 Hours in London

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on December 2, 2019

  Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t love big cities. Give me a quiet backcountry with a rustic cabin and endless rolling hills and I am a peaceful, content lass. When my two friends and I decided to take a trip to England together, we all agreed we didn’t want to spend much time in London. Our goals were to split our time between two national parks (which we did) and only spend 24 hours in London (which we also did.)

  London is a big city, and we didn’t want to spend much time here because we thought it would be too hustle and bustle, too overwhelming, too many people, too this, too that…

  Boy were we wrong. 

  

  Buckingham Palace

  

  

  Backing up a bit, our journey getting to London was quite an adventure. We chose a 6am flight, and because the trains in Germany had been occasionally getting delayed, we decided to sleep at the airport the night/morning before our flight. We took an 11pm train to the airport, found a corner in the airport at 1 am, and “slept” until around 4am.

  I don’t think I ever actually fell asleep.

  

  Westminster Abbey

  

  Despite the lack of sleep, I don’t regret sleeping at the airport. We arrived in London around 11am, took the underground to our hostel, and set off to explore the city for the remainder of the day. I have never seen a more simple, easy to follow public transportation than the London Underground. From the airport to the city, and from each area of the city to another, it was foolproof.

  

  The London Eye

  

  

  Maybe it was because I was in the land of my first language, or maybe it was the ease of tapping my Oyster card onto the entry gates of the underground making me feel like a local, but I never once felt stressed navigating London, nor did I struggle to find the right train or location. 10/10 for the London Underground.

  Upon arrival in the city the three of us had one thing on our mind: find coffee. Our lack of sleep, and desire for exploration led us to Kaffeine, a coffee shop we visiting twice in the 24 hours we were in London. This was a cute little shop with delicious coffee. On our way to the coffee shop we spotted Ben’s Cookies, an English cookie chain with AMAZING COOKIES.

  

  

  

  I don’t typically gravitate towards food that comes from a chain like restaurant, but I wasn’t aware Ben’s was a chain until after I left London. I saw another Ben’s in another city later on during my trip. I didn’t even care though, because the cookie I bought was worth every splurged penny and bite. It paired perfectly with my americano from Kaffeine.

  

  

  

  Sugar and caffeine in our veins we walked the city, and found our way to Hyde park. This park is just a jump away from the city center shops, and has lovely trees that hug along the Serpentine lake. The weather held up most of the time we were in London, but while we wandered the park it began to rain. I find in these moments the rain almost makes the experience more memorable.

  So long as I have the right jacket on. 

  

  

  After the park, it started to get dark. We realized we needed real food, and in typical American fashion we ended up at Chipotle. It’s been a long 10 months away from Chipotle for us all, and while I NEVER feel well after I eat there, it was worth it. Before we found Chipotle, we made a last minute decision to watch one of the MANY shows playing in the city.

  London has show, after show, after show playing in multiple different locations across the city, and we chose the cheapest show playing. We walked up to the ticket counter at 6pm, discovered there was a showing of Waitress at 7pm, and the cost was around $50. We were sold, and after eating our meal we made our way to the theater.

  Low key wanted to see Phantom of the Opera, but I’ll see that one next time. 

  

  

  I’d heard of Waitress, but I had no idea what it was about. It ended up being an AMAZING show, and it was so much fun. I decided in that moment that London was not like the other cities I tried to avoid, London was a city I could, and will come to and spend a week eating cookies, drinking coffee, and watching a new show every night.

  

  After the show we made our way back to our hostel for the night. The next morning we got up early to explore some of the well known places in the city. Places like: Buckingham Palace, Platform 9 3/4, The London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Kaffeine…back to Kaffeine. Before we left the area of our hostel, we had breakfast at a cafe right around the corner. The cafe had a perfectly fitting name for its location…

  

  I have been obsessed with English/Irish/Scottish breakfasts since my first trip to the UK a few years ago, and I needed an English breakfast at least once on this trip. All of these breakfasts have similarities and differences, but what I get from each one of them is: eggs, bacon, black pudding, and potatoes of some kind.

  Hi my name is Brittany, and I’m a recovering vegan. 

  

  

  We visited all the above places I listed on our own time. We planned to join a free walking tour, but no one showed up so we made our own walking tour. All three of us are Harry Potter fans, and it was great seeing Platform 9 3/4. The train station (King’s Cross) is beautiful on its own, but this addition made it worth the trip.

  

  

  Buckingham Palace Gate

  

  St. James Park

  We stayed in the city until around 3pm before making our way back to the airport to pick up our rental car. We stopped by Kaffeine for one more beverage and snack before our drive, and it was just as tasty the second time as it was the first. Sometimes I like trying multiple new places, and sometimes I stick to one place that was good the first time.

  

  Almond milk latte, and a blueberry bread

  Just like that, our quick 24(ish) hours in London were up and it was time to move on to the next part of our trip. I was pleasantly surprised by London, and I can’t wait to return. I need to go back for the shows, and to see Big Ben when she’s not under construction. She was completely blocked by scaffolding while undergoing a 4yr renovation. We all need a little facelift from time to time. 

  Q: Do you prefer visiting a new restaurant every day, or will you return to one you fell in love with?

  

  | 16 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Coffee, England, London

• The Worlds Largest Pumpkin Festival

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on November 18, 2019

  Anyone who knows me, knows I have an immense love for all things fall. This includes, but is not limited to: colored leaves, cold crisp mornings, sunshine on the skyline and frost on the grass, apples, halloween, and of course PUMPKINS! The moment I see pumpkins I turn into a 6 yr old child seeing Santa at the mall.

  

  All that said, I didn’t expect to see many fall themed activities in Germany. The locals here don’t really celebrate Halloween, they don’t really have pumpkin patches like we do in the states, and corn mazes? Forget it. Then I heard about a pumpkin festival north of me in Ludwigsburg, that claimed to be the largest pumpkin festival…in the world! 

  

  This festival has a theme each year, and this years theme was fairy tales. There are creations made out of pumpkins littered all around the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace, which is a sight all on its own. The location is beautiful, and the pumpkin art was jaw dropping. After visiting the tower above the trees in the Black Forest, my friend and I drove about an hour to get to Ludwigsburg.

  We arrived just in time for lunch. 

  The pumpkin festival also has all things pumpkin like: pumpkin prosseco, pumpkin spaetzle, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pasta, fried pumpkin balls, pumpkin burgers, pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin strudel. I had my heart set on the strudel, and although it tasted more like apple than pumpkin, it was delicious!

  

  

  Here I was thinking Germans don’t get down with the pumpkin trends like we do in the states, but I was wrong. They just have a more isolated event. I can appreciate this, it makes it that much more special. Instead of pumpkin patches, a lot of farm areas here in Bavaria will have pumpkins for sale on the side of the road. Like most things here, they use the honor system when selling pumpkins.

  After enjoying a treat, we wandered around the festival admiring the many creations.

  

  

  

  I will never look at an acorn squash the same. We spent about three hours at the pumpkin festival, enough to get our pumpkin fix both visually and gastronomically. I didn’t buy any pumpkins, but I felt complete in my fall adventure. This pumpkin festival even had a corn maze, albeit quite small.

  

  

  The first snow has fallen where I live in Germany, and my bike rides have officially begun to freeze my fingers and toes. I was thankful to have this experience in order to savor fall before it is quickly taken over by winter. Fall in Germany is so grand I almost considered staying for another one…almost.

  

  Q: What’s your favorite season, and why?

  

  | 15 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Coffee, Fall, Germany, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Festival

• Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 28, 2019

  I’m slowly settling into my new home in Germany, and I already love the local town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The town was once two separate towns, Garmisch and Partenkirchen, but they were brought together by Adolf Hitler in 1935 with the anticipation of the 1936 winter Olympic games. The town is quiet, with an older demographic making the way of life perfect for an old soul like myself.

  Most people that visit this area during the winter come here to ski or snowboard on the surrounding alps. I don’t do either, but will probably try skiing at least once while I am here. I used to snowboard when I was in high school, but I haven’t been in over 12 years. Fun fact: I broke my collarbone snowboarding when I was 13 and to this day during certain activities it gets sensitive.

  

  I am living on a United States Army Base about a 25 minute walk from the center of town, and no matter where you go the surrounding mountains tower over everything. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is at the foothills of the alps, near Germanys tallest mountain Zugspitze. The views from the resort I am working and living at are enough to keep me wondering if this kind of landscape is real life.

  

  Front of hotel.

  

  View from my room.

  

  Side of hotel.

  This past weekend I ventured into town for a cup of coffee and a German treat after a rough day. I was feeling a bit homesick and needed some self medication in the form of exploration, caffeine, and sugar. Drastically changing my environment always has a bit of a shock on my system until I adjust and my mindset isn’t always in the right place, but after a good chat with my close friends (and engaging with some of the locals) I’m feeling better.

  I was struggling to connect with the people I’ve met here, but I tend to get in my head too much when I’m in a new setting, automatically closing myself off because of my lack of self esteem. I throw myself into these situations because I know if I don’t continue to challenge myself I will never grow. Thankfully my roommates (I have two, and we live in a loft so I have the entire downstairs to myself) are wonderful, and my coworkers are nice too. However I’ll always be somewhat of a lone wolf, so this solo town day was needed.

  

  

  

  

  

  It can be a bit intimidating to live in a country where you don’t speak the language, but I am making it a goal to learn a little bit each week, even if just the basics. I went into two cafe’s on my walk into town, one for coffee and one for a treat, and both of the women inside the shops began speaking German at me faster than a cheetah chasing a wildebeest. After a brief deer in headlights look, I replied with “Sprechen sie Englisch?” to which they both replied “yes.”

  

  

  While I don’t plan to become fluent in German, I want to respect the local culture as much as possible even if I’m only able to say the above phrase (do you speak English) and “Ich spreche kein Deutsch” (I don’t speak German.) The above German treat was a shortbread like cookie sandwich filled with a nougat and it was divine. I’m usually an all things chocolate gal, but I took the suggestion of the employee at the cafe and was not disappointed.

  

  I plan to explore more of the town as time goes by, it will be something easy to do after work or on a day off when I don’t want to go far. Currently there is a lot of snow here, with more coming every few days. I don’t usually enjoy snow, but I haven’t been too bothered by it yet. The temps are cold, but with my jacket and boots I’m usually ok. On the days where the temps were in the teens (Fahrenheit) I was in pain, but thankfully the forecast is mid to high 30’s for the next week.

  I never thought I’d be excited for temps in the 30’s. 

  One of the things I love most about this small Bavarian city is the art on the buildings. On the hotel building alone there are at leave five different murals, and more along the way into town. One of my favorites is the one of a woman clearly in distress about forgetting the jam for her picnic, next to two male elk about to battle for a female elk (with one of the males bugling his little heart out), all while the jam-less woman’s husband is rock climbing instead of eating with his wife (probably because she forgot the jam.) My second favorite is the one of Dwight Schrute doing a German jig with the locals.

  

  

  All that to say I’m enjoying the culture in Germany thus far, and look forward to more not only in the local town, but throughout the country as well. As for my job, I came here without knowing what I would be doing other than some kind of hotel work. I was placed in the food and beverage department and am currently working at one of two restaurants in the hotel. This restaurant is buffet style, which means no serving required and I’m 100% OK with that.

  Serving in a restaurant when working in Yellowstone just about broke me. 

  Once I am trained in this restaurant, I will train in the cafe next door and ideally I will bounce between these two places. Serving Starbucks coffee (back to my roots) and the myriad of tasks in the restaurant. The other restaurant is an “order off the menu” style restaurant and while the money would be better, I don’t want that stress.

  

  What I have to say about unwanted stress.

  I’m working for the Department of Defense which makes me feel much more official than I actually am. I’m within walking distance to local German grocery stores, as well as the military base commissary and exchange for home goods and food. I am shopping mostly in the local stores because they’re cheaper, and I prefer the European food quality over the shipped in American food at the commissary. I have been eating a bit more freely than I normally do, and am trying not to obsess or stress about it.

  One of these days my disordered eating brain will be a thing of the past, and I’m hoping my time here helps me conquer my mental health struggles. 

  For now that’s all I have. I’m hoping to visit Austria this week on my day off. The bus ride into Innsbruck is just a little over an hour, making it a perfect day trip. Ideally I would like to travel to a different country once a month while here, but we shall see what happens in time! I’m also hoping that the guy living a floor below me stops singing love songs at 2am, but I won’t get too excited about that one.

  Q: Do you ski, snowboard, or partake in any other winter sports?

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Coffee, Europe, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Travel Abroad

• 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

• The First Snow

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 12, 2016

  The crunch under my feet could only be described as that of fresh fallen snow. I saw the white blanket of death outside my window in the early morning hours, but felt confident enough to get into my car and start my commute to work. The sky was still dark, providing just enough light to reflect off the smooth, unscathed snow.

  I slowly backed my two wheel drive vehicle out of my driveway with vigilance, quietly praying that I didn’t glissade into a ditch. The first slip of the wheels should have been enough for me to turn around and crawl back into bed, surely it was still warm with two lazy felines laying atop the blankets.

  

  The first hill out of my driveway caused my wheels to spin, but my car couldn’t be bothered to project forward. Shit. I don’t dare quit yet, I haven’t made it to the main roads and surely they have more traction. Wrong. Out of the hood I come and the moment of truth is staring me in the face like a creature without eyelids. This blink-less stare off between me and the while icy roads lasts much longer than it should have.

  I grip my steering wheel with a potent force strong enough to crush steel with my bare hands. The fear building inside my soul can only be expressed properly though interpretive dance, where my arms flail in the air like one of those blow up tube men shown at car sales.

  

  My breaks don’t work the way they were designed to as I make my way down the hill, but I slowly pump them anyway in an attempt to defy the odds. As a child I would often defy the rules of life and this is something I’ve carried into my adulthood. I make it to the bottom of the hill, but not without my life flashing before my eyes in a horrifyingly detailed way.

  “I haven’t hit the summit of Machu Picchu yet, I haven’t had any cookies today, OH THE HORROR I haven’t met Tom Hiddleston!” Snow capped trees surround me as I try to find the beauty in the adventure of driving my “not made for snow” vehicle further and further from the safe confines of my house.

  

  Photo from a hike last week, not from my drive. My drive was 5x this much snow.

  Suddenly a thought pops into my head. “WHAT IF, I actually listen to my gut today. WHAT IF I go back home?” Will the world stop turning? Will I sink to the fiery depths of hell? Will I loose all my hair? Oh wait, that already happened.

  I fought against my “you can’t NOT go to work” mindset and made the second best decision of the morning. I turned around and went back home. The first best decision was to make a giant bowl of oatmeal with a side of delicious coffee. Enjoyed while gazing at the white world around me.

  

  The final test was getting up the large hill I managed to get down. A woman stands to my left shoveling her driveway and I yell at her to “STAND BACK” as if she can hear me through the walls of my car. Heaven forbid I loose control of my car and run into her going 5MPH. I make it. Back in my neighborhood my journey is almost over.

  I can almost hear the angels singing as they welcome me back home, but not before I try and fail three times to get into my driveway. My driveway with a mere 5 degree angle. The fourth time was the charm. I walk through the door, drop my jacket to the floor, declare my presence to my fur children and breath a sigh of relief. I made it.

  

  

  No work means lunch at home!

  In all reality I can be quite dramatic, but driving in the snow terrifies me almost more than the thought of what might lurk under my bed. I’ve now officially begun my search for an AWD vehicle, if only I can overcome the separation anxiety for my current car.

  Q: Do you like driving in the snow?

  

  | 71 Comments Tagged Camry, Cats, Coffee, Snow, Vegan

• Between a Rock and a Hard Place

  Posted at 5:55 PM by Brittany, on October 1, 2016

  I rounded out my Seattle house sitting adventures with one more adventure to the mountains, and two more adventures to local eateries. I’m settled back into my small town dwelling and it feels good to be home.

  

  It’s been a while since I got sappy on here, and because I typically blog what I know I’m feeling like an emotion purge right about now. When I started working in Seattle a couple months ago it was a nice shift in my life to distract me from the funk I was in.

  Fast forward to today and I’m feeling myself sliding back into that slump, and realizing it wasn’t just my job that was causing these feelings. It was a myriad of things, and they are all becoming more clear as time goes on.

  They say hindsight is 20/20, but I think hindsight is more like “perspective on steroids.” Your don’t need a perfect picture of it all, just a strong view into how you’ve evolved. 

  

  Food issues were at the top of that list, and I’ve been working closely with specialists to diagnose my health concerns, some of which are finally being solved. I think. I’m staying both positive and optimistic because I know everything works out eventually, and everything happens for a reason.

  School/stress was another issue and I’ve realized that I am an emotional eater. Like WHOA. Give me stress for one hand and you’d better have a dozen cookies for the other.

  

  School has been wicked stressful for me this semester, and I’ve wanted to quit 49385 times, but quitting is not an option. I’m only two semesters shy of finally graduating and you’d better believe when that moment comes I’ll be ugly crying tears of relief.

  Realizing stress is a huge trigger for me to emotionally eat has been a huge eye opener, and helpful for me to avoid binge episodes. For the most part. Constant work in progress. 🙂 Caffeine and coffee are another trigger for me, and I mentioned a while back that I was giving it up, and it was an odd time for me given that coffee was a large part of my platform and my passion.

  I’ve only recently come to a place where I no longer desire a cup. 

  

  It’s only slightly odd working in a building with over 30 kitchens filled with French presses, espresso machines, drip brewers etc and not partaking, but it’s becoming my new normal. That’s the thing with change – it takes time to get used to and in the beginning it can be hard. Really hard.

  It’s also been hard to find things to blog about lately. I get the desire to blog, to connect, and to write, but then when I think about what to talk about it all seems jumbled and chaotic. This used to be so cathartic for me and was such a large part of my life, but the last year has been full of posts like this rather than posts with baked goods and running.

   I am still sharing random cat shenanigans though. Some things never change.

  

  Was time for a new blog photo too. Featuring my main man.

  Long story short I think it’s completely normal when you know something is missing in your life, and things are confusing whether it be health related, job related, or personal, for everything else to feel slightly out of whack. Life is full of up’s and down’s, but we were born with ligaments for a reason. We can flex with these changes and adapt to each new situation to make them into something better.

  We do what we know, and change what we know we need to. Accepting the change, accepting the struggle, knowing it’s not forever, and doing it all with a smile. If you find yourself between a rock and a hard place use your inner Gumby to bend your way out of the middle.

  On that note it is officially October, and October is my happy place. I’m already swooning over the leaves changing and the rain.

  Q: Do you live in an area that showcases seasons? Washington is gorgeous in the fall! 

  

  | 66 Comments Tagged Cats, Coffee, Life, Starbucks

• When the “Other Plan” Comes to Fruition

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on July 18, 2016

  You know when things don’t go the way you might have initially hoped and you tell yourself (and others): “it’s OK, life must have another plan for me!” I’m big on this mindset, and truly believe that life works itself out the way it’s supposed to. The hard part is listening to the inner pulls that try to guide us.

  

  I also find that when you really, and I mean “deep in your soul really” let go of whatever kind of control you’re trying to take on life that isn’t working, things start to unfold like a blooming flower.

  

  For example: my meals lately have been very whole foods based. It should come as no surprise that “real food” works best, but once I stopped trying so hard to figure out what foods were bothering my system and really listened to my body, things slowly got better.

  Once I stopped listening to outside opinions and advice from doctors that didn’t align with my beliefs I started to feel better.

  

  Fun Fact: Did you know that if you leave the pit in the avocado, it stays green?

  

  

  I have an insatiable sweet tooth, so I like to make my own desserts.

  I was dealing with food intolerances for the last year, and it wasn’t until I simply let go of the control and the obsession (and stress) of “figuring it all out” that my mind, body, and spirit all started to work together.

  I’m over the moon about all that food stuff, but this post is more about something else. Some of you may remember this post, which was then followed up by this post.

  

  The CliffsNotes version of those two posts are this: I knew in my heart it was time for me to pursue something more with Starbucks. I felt that my current position had expired its purpose, and because this company is paying for my bachelors degree I couldn’t yet pursue outside options. With that said, I started looking into jobs at the corporate office.

  I had one fish bite my line back in April, but it wasn’t the right fit. Instead of sulking about it I stayed positive and knew life had another plan, and it did. Fish number two bit my line about a month ago and today I start my new role in Seattle. Oh, and this role is 10x better than the first bite and I am so thankful that didn’t work.

  

  Every aspect of our life has a purpose. Some things are only meant to last a short while before catalyzing us to our next adventure. I’m notorious for staying in my comfort zone, and while I’m thankful for everything that has come in my time working retail for Starbucks, I’m long overdue for my next chapter.

  I started with this company 3.2 years ago at a time in my life when I needed a place to heal after a tumultuous break up and an unclear life path. The store saved me in so many ways, and leaving there yesterday had me in tears.

  Like, ugly cry tears. 

  

  Yesterdays post work 3.2 miles to commemorate my time at the store. Oh and I got a new Garmin. Mad love – more on that later.

  I think staying in my comfort zone too long, and not accepting that this time of my life was meant to end sparked some of my health problems. I’m a believer of that “woo woo hippie dippie” mind/body/soul connection stuff and when one thing is out of whack the whole bus slows down.

  So what’s the moral to my story? If you quit on life, life will quit on you. When you feel like nothing is going your way, and that life is kicking you while your down, you MUST trust that your other plan will come. Sometimes it takes a month, sometimes it takes two years, sometimes it takes a decade. -OR- perhaps it’s time to take that leap without knowing quite where you will fall. 

  In my case I had to leap, I wouldn’t have made it the last year without some hard core faith. 

  

  This transition is going to be very bittersweet because the first part of my journey with Starbucks came at a time in my life when I felt very lost, and it gave me a purpose for a chunk of time. The store, my coworkers, and a handful of my customers became my family, and I have nothing but positive experiences there which is rare to find.

  It also sprouted a passion for coffee in my soul that I will never outgrown. I’ll no longer be making lattes the way I did, but I plan to bring my passion with me into my next adventure and see where it takes me. Look for me as the annoying corporate worker that forces coffee tastings on her coworkers.

  

  Corporate on the outside, 12yr old on the inside

  My new job requires me to be at a desk, which I don’t love, but my desk will be standing. I will be helping other Starbucks employees from the US and Canada with any inquiries they may have in regards to human resource policies and practices, benefits and pay information, manager questions, etc…another stepping stone onto something more.

  I have no idea what’s ahead with this new journey, but what I do know is that I am more in tune with myself now than I ever have been before. I’m sad to leave this chapter, but ready for a new one. We are wired with sensors that communicate effortlessly, and it’s only when we actively choose to ignore them that we max out our effort meter. Try listening to the signals next time, it’s a whole lot easier

  I promise. 

   No questions today 

  

  | 90 Comments Tagged Coffee, Life, Plant Based, Starbucks, Vegan, Whole Foods

• As We Go on

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on May 31, 2016

  I’ve been out of high school for nearly ten years. Looking back I would say I was neutral about my high school experience, but back then leaving those walls gave me similar feelings to having my chest stomped on by a 2 ton black bear.

  Hearing the song “graduation” by Vitamin C made me cry like a big ol’ baby when I was 18. Ohh to be young. I’m not even sure why I was sad, perhaps because the idea of “being a grown up” was frightening, but as I’ve learned in my 27 years on this earth we never really grow up. We just evolve and hopefully become better people.

  

  My beautiful younger sister Renae just graduated from high school, and I was fortunate enough to fly down to Arizona and attend the party. As with any trip to Arizona there are a handful of highlights I’d like to share.
  

  I left the lush green trees of Washington and attempted to trail run at 12pm during Arizona spring time. Not nearly as bad as Arizona summer time, but I made it a whopping 3.5 miles in the 90 degree weather before calling for back up.

  

  

  DAAADD save me, I’m covered in tiny spiky balls.

  The remainder of my runs were done before 8 am. I didn’t dare repeat this rookie mistake and melt to the side of a cactus. In fact every type of physical activity was done before 8 am. This included a handful of 7 am runs, a 5:45 am kayak adventure, and a 6:30 am hike.

  

  I made a friend in the mountains, I called him Frank.

  

  No. not him. He looked more like a Bill. 

  

  FRANK THE TANK!

  

  For our kayak adventure we used inflatable kayaks and practiced in the pool first. Heaven forbid we sink like the Titanic if one had a hole in it.

  

  

  

  I searched high and lo (aka Googled) for places that served nitrogen infused cold brew iced coffee, and I found one place close to where we hiked. Got some goodness at Songbird Coffee and Tea house in Phoenix.

  

  

  I fulfilled my dream of wearing a hair net once again by volunteering at Feed My Starving Children, an Arizona tradition.
  

  

  

  Visited a vegan restaurant per my dads suggestion. Those words he uttered were like glitter covered unicorns, I think I’ll keep him. We ate at Green Vegetarian Restaurant in Phoenix and gave a universal verdict of: OHMYGAHYESYESYES.

  

  

  Chili fries, fried brussels sprouts, and “buffalo wings”

  Best part of this meal: the owners also own a dessert shop called Nami just a hop, skip, OR, a jump away. Literally 10 ft from each other.

  

  I ordered a vanilla soft serve “tsoynami” with pretzels, chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and coco cereal. I then proceeded to understand the meaning of life. So.Good.

  

  Just in case anyone was curious where I get my dashing good looks from… 

  

  

  Time with family is always a great recharge for me. I came home full of love, and with eighteen mosquito bites – a good prep for summers in the mountains.

  Q: What were your final days of high school like?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Arizona, Coffee, Hike, Ice Cream, Run, Vacation, Vegan

• Manifest So Hard

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on May 12, 2016

  I spent my Tuesday afternoon in Seattle, but this adventure was different than my usual Seattle trips. This adventure wasn’t based around coffee, food, or hiking (despite some of these activities finding their way into the mix later in the day), this adventure was based around business.

  

  There is something in the works right now that I have been manifesting SO hard, but I won’t share it until it comes true. Because it will. It will come true.

  

  My manifestations have been keeping me up at night, and have taken over my thoughts. If I haven’t put enough brain waves into the universe with all this positive talk, then it simply wasn’t meant to be. But it will..it will be. HAaa.

  Manifest so hard.

  

  After the necessary tasks were taken care of, it was time to play tourist – per usual.

  First stop: Pike Place. Also per usual. 

  

  

  

  Next stop: Starbucks roastery.

  If you can get your hands on a cup of nitro cold brew, which is just how it sounds (nitrogen infused cold brew coffee) do it. This was life changing.

  Post refreshments my lovely copilots and I decided to partake in the ultimate tourist trap, we rode the duck. Half on land, half in water this tour takes you around some iconic Seattle locations.

  

  

  

  The weather was perfect, the positive energy was on point, and I found my future tiny home when the duck went in the water.

  

  Another Seattle adventure in the books, and I’m heading back today to see if all my manifesting payed off. Wish me luck!

  Q: What was something you wanted sososo bad that you couldn’t stop thinking about until you got it?

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Coffee, Explore, Seattle

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