Blissfulbritt
  • All About Brittany
  • Asia
  • Blogging For Dummies
  • Coffee
  • DIY
  • Europe
  • iHike
  • North America
  • Work With Me
  • Tag: Explore

    • Finding Inspiration

      Posted at 7:03 AM by Brittany, on April 6, 2015

      I really enjoy walking among tall, unique buildings.

      IMG_0962

      I was able to wander the University of Washington campus recently, and it reminded me of the time I visited the east coast and wandered the streets of Detroit.

      IMG_0965

      I find it fascinating to think about the time, efforts, and thoughts that go into designing a building. I don’t have the patience for something like that, but I sure appreciate those that do. Everyone has their niche.

      IMG_0963

      College campuses have a certain air about them, a calmness that comes only when you’re a visitor and not a student. I’m in another transition stage of my educational career, so I can enjoy being on a campus without the stress of actually rushing to class.

      There’s also a subtle sense of inspiration that makes me want to create something new. Perhaps it’s the fresh spring air, but either way I’m running with it.

      IMG_1016

      9/10 times my idea of creating something new comes in the form of food. What can I say, I love to eat. I stumbled upon these noodles while perusing the inner aisles of the grocery store, and I was immediately intrigued. I had to give them a try.

      What sold me was what I saw on the back…

      IMG_1017

      Fiber and protein ON POINT. The noodles were a bit chewy, but overall they were good. I threw together a random meal that turned out quite lovely.

      IMG_1018

      Despite the ugly color of that sauce, I assure you it was packed with power. I blended the innards of 8 tomatoes (I used the “outards” for pico de gallo and refuse to waste) around 15 beet leaves, roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, spices, and olive oil.

      I was extremely fascinated by the separation caused by the beet leaves phytonutrients.

      IMG_1015

      Red ring from the leaves, what a powerfully unique vegetable packed full of betanin!

      I imagine one thing that would have made this meal taste better would have been to enjoy it inside a unique building. Perhaps a tiny home, nestled into the woods.

      Daydreams and inspiration.

      Q: Where have you recently discovered a sense of inspiration?

      b

      | 42 Comments Tagged Explore, Food, New, Recipe, Vegan
    • Perseverance

      Posted at 6:20 AM by Brittany, on April 2, 2015

      Last spring I delved into the wide world of hiking. I wrote a post that highlighted some of the random thoughts I had about how hiking can relate to life, and would like to emphasize life lesson number five in this post, including the side note/story.

      IMG_0926

      If you chose not to read the post here’s the CliffsNotes version: I ventured to a mountain, and upon my arrival at the top I proudly stood tall while eating a sandwich. I was nearly knocked on my ass by a ballsy bird that tried to steal my food. STEAL.

      IMG_0925

      I ventured back to this very same mountain last week, and this time I decided I wanted to share my apple with the birds, but only on MY time – not on theirs. I was determined to have one land on my hand, so I ate my apple and I tried to share.

      I tried, and tried, and tried.

      IMG_0909

      Failing with the birds, and failing to see.

      Then I tried again.

      IMG_0924

      After standing with my arm extended for a solid 5 minutes, victory was mine.

      IMG_0923

      And then victory was his as he stole my apple and flew away.

      IMG_0941

      Rude.

      This hike was mentally brutal. The amount of snow that fell overnight was a shock. My day hike shoes are not equipped for snow, slush, and deep puddles of mud. Needless to say my feet were soaked, and my hands were numb.

      My face was so numb as I took this photo I had no idea my nose was leaking.

      My face was also numb, and as I took this photo I had no idea my nose was leaking.

      I never regret summiting a mountain, but sometimes I wish I had the ability to teleport once I’m done enjoying the view from the top. I’m convinced if it weren’t for some hiking poles I would have been crawling to the top. I had zero foot traction.

      IMG_0928

      My first time using hiking poles, and I now feel like a real hiker. Perhaps I will invest in some poles of my own, and I think it’s time I buy some waterproof boots if I want to ensure future sensation in my toes. 

      To piggy back off of my last post, this hike was an example of something I (briefly) wanted to quit simply because it was “hard.” I was uncomfortable, cold, and I had thoughts of hot springs and cinnamon rolls dancing in my head. My safety wasn’t threatened, so quitting was not an option. I persevered through the thoughts, just as I did with getting the bird to land on my apple.

      IMG_0994

      The lessons of life come in many shapes and sizes, and often present themselves when you least expect them to. I find keeping my mind open, my demeanor calm, and my perseverance strong sets me up to succeed with anything I set my mind to.

      Q: What do you find yourself persevering through most in your daily life? Sometimes I have to work really hard in order to persevere through the time between my meals. 

      b

      | 75 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Life, Mount Si, Snow
    • Early Morning Confessions

      Posted at 7:13 AM by Brittany, on March 24, 2015

      1. I often struggle with the idea of being still. A day off from work usually means I must do something productive, find a mountain to climb, or even embark on an unplanned long run. Heaven forbid I actually use the day off to relax.

      IMG_0782

      IMG_0781

      2. Thanks to an overwhelming urge to bake, I took one of my days off last week and enjoyed the simplicity of a calm morning with good coffee and freshly baked muffins.

      3. Despite being sweetened with nothing but the natural goodness of dates, apples, and sweet potatoes, I ate half the batch for breakfast which left me maxed out for bread consumption. This meant getting creative with snacks.

      IMG_0799

      Bread-less PB&J. Mixing coconut oil into freshly ground peanut butter is a total game changer.

      4. My coworkers are seriously the best. I’ve never worked at a place where there is literally ZERO drama and it’s fantastic. When our bananas get “too brown to sell” they save me giant piles to take home because they know I love alllllll the bananas.

      5. For St. Patrick’s Day I ate all the greens. That’s actually a semi lie, I always eat all the greens, regardless of small men in green tights.

      IMG_0787

      IMG_0786

      6. As I write this post my cat is practicing his stair sprints. He’s fast, and I’m impressed.

      7. I was convinced there was a pine cone hanging from my tree by naturally occurring circumstances. When I got closer I realized it was hung by man. Dreams shattered.

      IMG_0765

      8. I didn’t run a half marathon I was registered for. I skipped it for a few reasons, one being that I didn’t want this to happen again. I got sick, stopped running, and despite training for two months I felt wildly unprepared. I had no regrets.

      9. I’ve been craving pizza so hard lately, and Pi day was THE day.

      IMG_0816

      My crust was a total random mash up of two zucchinis, gluten free flour, baking powder, olive oil, and salt. My sauce was blended edamame, kale, garlic, basil, olive oil, and pepper. Topped with none other than my favorite roasted root vegetables.

      Finished with sprinkles of rosemary from my garden.

      IMG_0817

      10. Thanks to a good ol’ fashioned random number generator (because I still write a blog created in the 18th century) the winner of the Ray-Ban Sunglasses give away is…IMG_0882

      Jessica! Email me at blissfulbritt@yahoo.com so I can get your deets.

      Q: What’s your confession?

      atterned-n

      | 46 Comments Tagged Confessions, Explore, Hiking, Run, Vegan
    • Unplugged

      Posted at 6:57 AM by Brittany, on January 5, 2015

      I’m back from my week long Arizonian adventure, and I was almost 100% absent from anything and everything blog related. I did read some posts each morning to accompany my coffee in order to make room for my breakfast, and I even posted one measly post, but the rest of my time was spent…away from my computer.

      ecardsblog

      In typical recap format, here’s a count up of a few things I did last week.

      One – trip to the theater. This show was FANTASTIC.

      IMG_0017

      Two – mountains climbed.

      photo 3 (6)

      photo 2 (4)

      photo 1 (6)

      Three – lovely bike rides. I rode a tandem bike for the first time. Scariest moment of the entire trip and I nearly lost my lunch out of fear, which could go two ways.

      I’ll let you use your imagination for that last sentence.

      IMG_0018

      IMG_0019

      Four – pots of coffee. I use a French press at home, but without this I brewed my morning coffee in a pot. I drank about four pots this trip which is 2x more than my normal coffee consumption. No regrets.

      IMG_0029

      This is not a pot of coffee, rather it is a coffee roaster I saw at the Phoenix airport. Random, and photo worthy.

      Five – days of running. Loved kicking off my half marathon training in the flat lands.

      20130629-032400

      Six – Marvel movies. Last year my family and I had a Harry Potter marathon and finished them all. This year we started watching Marvel movies. Not in order, so I still have more to watch, but I greatly enjoyed oogling Tom Hiddleston in Thor.

      tom-hiddleston-thor-screen-test-2

      Other honorable mentionsarrow

      • I ate the best $2 tacos I’ve ever had .

      IMG_0041IMG_0023

      • I was gifted 20 pounds of food for Christmas that took up two giant shopping bags. Including multiple grains and pastas. I got it all home.
      20130323-183542

      Kinda like this.

      • I got a new iPhone. Somuchfaster. I used it to snap multiple photos of the mountains on my flight home.

      FullSizeRender (3)

      FullSizeRender (2)

      Unplugging was great, and I’d like to give a shout out to my Arizona family for handling my “hanger” when it reared it’s ugly head. Similar to the Hulk in all those Marvel movies, I’m a different person when I get hungry.

      They handled me like a champ. Thanks guys.

      …and just like that, it’s back to school and work today. Happy Monday.

      Q: Favorite Marvel movie?

      brittany

      | 67 Comments Tagged Arizona, Coffee, Explore, Running, Vacation, Vegan
    • Empty Mind, Filled Soul

      Posted at 4:40 AM by Brittany, on December 15, 2014

      I have a tendency to wander. Wander in life, wander in my mind, and wander with decisions. I often end up with three cupcakes instead of one because life is too short to settle on one thing. I adore this mindset, but sometimes it backfires. I don’t necessarily feel lost, just a bit ADD at times. Tolkien said it best after all. picstitch

      As I mentioned in my last post, I’m <finally> on a break from school for the remainder of the month. Despite the fact that my final was last Wednesday, I skipped out on studying last Monday and headed to the mountains instead. I needed to wander.

      photo 3

      It had been two months since I last hiked, and three months since I had been to the area where I spent most of my summer exploring.

      photo 4

      What was once a simple 4 mile hike that I could do with my eyes shut, quickly became a moderately difficult hike that caused me to loose my breath a handful of times.

      It was never “I need to stop I’m going to die” difficult, but it wasn’t a cake walk like it used to be. This made the view from the top very rewarding.

      photo 1 (3)

      I can’t put into words the feeling I got when I stepped foot on those rocks. I almost wanted to cry. After struggling to find my footing with a school/life balance the last few months this solo hike was beyond necessary. I was the only person at the top and I took full advantage of it because this hike is typically PACKED with people.

      No people means you have to take your own photo at the top. I hate selfies, but I tried.

      photo 1

      No adventure to the mountains would be complete without a solid refuel. I needed a foodie adventure because as I previously mentioned, my eats have been rather boring.

      I drove all around Seattle for some good eats <—true story.

      I didn't plan on a slice of pizza, but once I saw it I had to have it.

      I didn’t plan on a slice of pizza, but once I saw it I had to have it.

      I found my way to a local vegan bakery that I had been wanting to try for a while.

      Lemon blueberry cupcake.

      Lemon blueberry cupcake.

      Chocolate mousse filled cupcake.

      Chocolate mousse filled cupcake.

      I also snagged a mini pumpkin bread, which didn’t stand a chance for a photo. I tornado inhaled that the second I got back to my car. I got concerned stares.

      ..but when treats taste this good, all cares go out the window.

      photo 3

      They say to do what you love and the money will follow, but what if you’re not concerned about money? Sure I want to be able to survive, but I’m a minimalist and I’m OK with a minimal lifestyle. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that today my soul is filled, and my life is balanced once again.

      Q(s): 

      • Thoughts? 
      • Cookies or cupcakes?
      • Did you settle on one thing you wanted to do for a living? I suspect I’m going to be a personal chef/mountain tour guide/novice blogger/treat baker/coffee guru/cat wrangler for many years to come – – – for now I’m OK with that. 

      b

      | 80 Comments Tagged Explore, Hiking, Rattlesnake Ridge, Vegan
    • Random Things

      Posted at 9:40 AM by Brittany, on September 5, 2014

      What happens when I have random pictures/things to talk about, but haven’t blogged in a week? You get random pictures tied to random things to talk about. What can I say, I’m living life. I’m also going to Disneyland with this babe in less than a week and about split my pants I’m so excited. Or maybe that’s from the cookies…but I digress.

      — Anniversary Blend has officially been released at Starbucks. Fall is coming, & I am so ready.

      All you haters can just stuff it because summer is done in my book, DONE! Bring on the crunchy leaves, apple pies, Halloween Joe-Joe’s, pumpkin patches, windy runs, and enough squash to fill a dump truck. Which is what I assume my backside will look like from all the Joe-Joe’s and pie I plan to consume. Winter hibernation starts now.

      I'm legit obsessed with this blend. Buy some NOW.

      I’m legit obsessed with this blend. Buy some NOW.

      — Remember that summer biology class I took?

      It left me with a bizarre obsession for any and all species of lichen. Now whenever I spot some on a hike I become entranced as if they have some kind of mind altering properties.

      IMG_2521

      Usnea – used for antibiotic and anti-fungal treatments.

      IMG_2484IMG_2511

      — I’m ready for fall, but still soaking up tank top hikes.

      IMG_2507

      Marmot Pass – 10.6 round trip miles, 6000ft elevation.

      IMG_2510

      "Does this look as awkward as if feel?" "yes."

      “Does this look as awkward as if feels?”
      “yes.”

      — I don’t know who Levi is, but he’s got some pretty sweet wheels. I want to go for a ride.

      20140803-171652-62212156

      — I’ve been sitting on a secret for about 7 weeks now.

      More on this later...

      More on this later…

      — I made this bread, and it basically ruined my life. So good.

      Not my photo, I was much too busy stuffing my suck to take my own.

      Not my photo, I was much too busy stuffing my suck to take my own.

      I apparently didn’t have as much to share as I thought. On that note I’m off to run/eat more bread.

      Q: Who wants to sit on top of a mountain eating chocolate bread and drinking Anniversary Blend with me? Bueller….Bueller…

      atterned-n

      | 57 Comments Tagged Coffee, Explore, Hike, Marmot Pass, Olympic Mountains, Random, Run, Starbucks, Vegan
    • Walk the Katwalk

      Posted at 7:46 AM by Brittany, on August 29, 2014

      On Wednesday I walked the Katwalk, not to be confused with the catwalk, you won’t find me strutting my stuff on one of those anytime soon. The Kendall Katwalk is a man made narrow pathway that was blasted out of a steep sloped rock face. Sounds pretty wild right?

      I strut my stuff on the katwalk, katwalk.

      I strut my stuff on the katwalk, katwalk.

      Fellow hikers on the katwalk to the right.

      Fellow hikers on the katwalk to the right.

      The blasted path was meant to allow the Pacific Crest Trail to continue north towards Canada (it starts down at the border of Mexico.) I long to thru-hike this trail someday, but in the meantime it was fun to bite off a chunk of it. I managed 15 miles round trip, which is like a penny into a dollar for the overall trail. Not much, but it’s a start!

      IMG_2346-0

      The trail leading to the Katwalk was lovely, as all Washington trails are.

      IMG_2357

      IMG_2354-0

      img_2358

      I took note of a cluster of berries, determined to discover what they were.

      img_2361

      These tiny plumcot looking berries are called “False Lily of the Valley Berries.” Interesting.

      While the trail itself was nice, the Alpine Lakes I discovered stole my heart once again.

      IMG_2356

      IMG_2344

      IMG_2347-0

      IMG_2355

      Be still my heart.

      It’s a good thing I had to open at work the next morning, because every fiber in my body told me to keep going. I hope to soon return to this section of the PCT and hike the 75 miles from Snoqualmie pass to Stevens pass. At 15 miles a day it could be done in 5 days.

      Ohhh how I wanderlust for backpacking. If anyone wants to join me I’m accepting applications.

      Q: Would you ever hike for multiple weeks (or days) at a time? 

      atterned-n

      | 52 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Kendall Katwalk, PNW
    • Quality Over Quantity

      Posted at 3:56 PM by Brittany, on August 13, 2014

      Over the last couple years I’ve become very content spending a lot of my time alone. This is nothing new, as I have been blogging about my solo adventures for quite some time now. To put it bluntly, I’ve found there are very few people I actually want to spend my time with.

      img_19511 (1)

      With that said, the rare times I do spend with other people I am very picky about who those people are. My time is valuable to me, and I don’t have the energy to spend time with people that don’t add anything beneficial to my life. We all deserve quality connections.

      I don’t say this to be harsh, I say it to be real.

      img_1964 (1)

      After visiting the Starbucks corporate office, my two gal pals and I headed North to hike Rattlesnake Ridge, a hike I’ve done multiple times now. Leave it to me to suggest a hike as part of our activities.

      img_1961

      I adore these girls to pieces, but they are both leaving me very soon. One is moving to another Starbucks about 15 miles away, and  the other is moving to another Starbucks (and school) in IDAHO! 😦

      img_1974-1

      img_1962

      I don’t have a lot of friends, but I have quality friends and that’s what matters most to me. The kind of friends that you can go months without seeing, and pick up right where you left off.

      It’s also necessary for me to spend my time with people that understand/accept my personality, and that share similar interests. Friendship is like dating – the ones that don’t mesh well, don’t evolve and end up in a split. It also helps when they’re equally as quirky.

      img_19531 (1)

      The point of this post was not to allow me to ramble, but simply to highlight the fact that like most things in life: quality over quantity.

      img_1963

      I am quite content with my balance between alone time and time spent with others. I wouldn’t change anything about where I’m at!

      img_1968

      You should totally click this to enlarge it.

      Q: Do you prefer spending your time in large groups with a lot of people, or being more selective on time spent with others? I don’t mean like a party, because that’s a different situation. Just in general everyday friendships.

      atterned-n

      | 48 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Nature, Rattlesnake Ridge, Starbucks
    • Rattlesnake Ridge – First Attempt

      Posted at 8:11 AM by Brittany, on July 25, 2014

      I took myself on a date last weekend. I really enjoy dating myself and doing things that most people do with others, all alone. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy spending time with people (sometimes) but lately I prefer to be alone. Just because I’m solo doesn’t mean I can’t explore!

      20140720-194331-71011038.jpg

      My date started with my first attempt at solo hiking. I have been wanting to build my confidence and become more comfortable hiking alone, so I went to a popular trail…on a Sunday.20140720-202716-73636118.jpg

      Needless to say my first attempt at hiking “alone” didn’t go as I had planned. I wasn’t really alone because there were SO many people on this mountain, and at times I had to weasel my way around them. Sure I came alone, but I didn’t feel alone.

      I did feel safe though, perhaps this is a start?

      20140720-202715-73635262.jpg

      20140720-194334-71014004.jpg

      In order to ditch the crowds I continued climbing past the main vantage point. I brought some homework with me and was pleased to see that the spot I wanted was completely empty. Just me & nature.

      …and biology.

      20140720-194332-71012517

      20140720-194335-71015814.jpg

      I could get used to doing homework above the trees.

      20140720-202715-73635698.jpg

      Post hike I took myself to PCC for a vegan brownie, and then made my way to Whole Foods to balance my brownie out with greens.

      I have no words...I need ten more.

      I have no words…I need ten more.

      20140720-194344-71024864

      Despite the crowds, I found being alone on this hike to be serene. It’s funny to look back and remember a time when I was so dependent on other people for a lot of things in my life. These days I couldn’t be more independent, it’s such a beneficial quality for me to have.20140720-194346-71026049.jpg

      I’ll attempt another solo hike this weekend (I hope.) With my knife, my mace, lots of food, a lighter, and a trail I am familiar with! Any tips?

      For more photos of Rattlesnake Ridge click here.

      Q: Do you depend on other people a lot, or do you take your adventures into your own hands at times?

      b

      | 53 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge
    • Fancy That

      Posted at 9:15 AM by Brittany, on July 14, 2014

      I find it quite comical how my mind/mood works.  It’s not uncommon for me to feel a certain way inside, and the moment I express those feelings to the outside world they change. Indecisive much!?

      021

      Case in point – anytime I feel like I’m in a running funk and I express it on the blog, I get the urge to run. So I’ve been running lately, not far, but I’ve been running. Partially to balance out the treats I’m enjoying.

      018

      An abundance of raspberries means a crumble cake is in order.

      017

      I find that when I remove the stress, or feelings of pressure from something, everything else just falls into place. Once I switched from the half marathon to the 5K for a race I ran yesterday, I was no longer dreading the idea of running and it became rejuvenating again.

      Fancy that.

      Pre race snacks, because even a 5K warrants a trip to Whole Foods.

      Even a 5K warrants a trip to Whole Foods.

      I’ll have a post dedicated to the race,  because it was too good of a run not to talk about. My entire weekend was good actually. The day before the race I went to spend time with a friend and explore.

      10530518_294230937415822_6639536254129366933_o

      10536810_294230810749168_9020034356942880907_o

      10521793_294230200749229_911623820235884001_n

      It was a fantastic day. Today I’m back to exploring the mountains, it’s been 11 days since my last climb!! Thank you 4 day weekend! 🙂

      Q: Do you ever feel emotionally indecisive when you make a choice one way or another? I’m even worse when it comes to purchasing things. 

      atterned-n

      | 39 Comments Tagged Adventure, Baking, Explore, Running, Vegan, Whole Foods
    ← Older posts
    Newer posts →
    • Unknown's avatar

    • 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
    • Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
      e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!

      Join 4,725 other subscribers
  • Looking for Something Specific?

  • Stalk My Past

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Blissfulbritt
    • Join 4,725 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Blissfulbritt
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...