Nightmares.

As much as I love the Genius Bar at Apple (and am so grateful for the incredible service), I’m a bit bummed about the fact that I had to have my hard drive replaced. After seeing the ominous grey screen of death for hours, I knew that my Mac needed some special attention from the experts. Apparently my poor computer (barely a year old) had a fatal error on the HD that required the entire thing to be replaced. They were kind enough to do it on the spot and give me the old hard drive to attempt recovery, but still; photos, documents, music, applications… Poof!

Fortunately, I’ve uploaded lots of photos to facebook and to my blog so I haven’t lost all of my snapshots. Plus, thanks to Google docs and similar sharing sites, I’ve kept a lot of documents in a place that I can access from anywhere. (Note to readers: back up your drives now or keep documents on a shared site so you can access them if something like this happens to you!) Sadly, I had some amazing photos from a recent excursion that I won’t get to share (until I recover them from my old HD, that is). I still have a few fun photos to share that are from my iPhone, though. As luck would have it, apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram do a pretty good job of helping me stock up on iPhone shots. Stay tuned — I’ll be recapping this past weekend of pure gluttony. Due in part to the fact that the Super Bowl was on, and in part to the fact that we were just being fat kids for a weekend, our food intake involved a mix of tater tots, buffalo wings, a bacon cheeseburger between two (yes, two) donuts, frozen sangria, chips and dip. We threw in a veggie platter for good measure, of course. Needless to say, I’m going to be having a number of dates with Crunch this week.

xoxo from San Francisco,

After a conversation with my roommate earlier in the month, she told me about her resolution scheme this past year: monthly resolutions. Much more realistic to stick with, plus you get to try new things every month! And if a resolution seems like a viable lifestyle change at the end of that time period, you can integrate it into your life without giving up on a resolution entirely. It just makes sense to me — a lot more sense than a year-long commitment, plus it sounds much more fun.

So, I’m sure my list of resolutions will evolve as the months go on and new priorities come into play, but some things I’m wanting to put on my list:

1. Doing two gym classes a week. I’m a bit of a cardio slave at the moment and after speaking with a personal trainer, I’m pretty aware that I need to integrate more strength training into my routine. I try to do it on my own, but there’s nothing like a class to keep you pumping for 60 straight minutes. On my own, I can normally only crank out 20 – 30ish minutes of weight training. In a class environment, you’re much more motivated to stick with it. And now that I’m a Crunch member, I have some fun class options to choose from which will make it infinitely easier!

2. Vegan for a month. Boat Shoe Boy is not on board with this change which makes it a bit more difficult, but I think a month of a vegan lifestyle is relatively doable. Definitely a challenge, but also doable for four short weeks. For anyone in the Bay Area that’s also on board with this, check out Friends of Animals website for a bunch of vegan eateries in your area.

3. Not eating out on weekdays. I almost cringe to think at how much money we spend eating out. Sometimes I’m good about it and I remember to bring mid-day munchies, but I often find myself grabbing a wrap at Starbucks or grabbing a mid-morning coffee somewhere. Dinner is another beast entirely. I accredit our eating out to being in a new city and wanting to explore, but even casual dinners add up very quickly. For one month, I want to prep: breakfast, lunch and dinner at home during the week. Much healthier and much more cost-effective!

I’m still working on compiling a list of things I want to achieve this year, so I’m hoping I’ll think of a few more resolutions as the year unfolds. Other things I would like to put on my radar for 2012: enrolling in Arabic courses, attending more SF-based LSE events (& maybe becoming involved with the alumni group!), finding more time to read, planning more get-togethers with family, checking out local museums and making coffee at home on the regular.

What are your resolutions for 2012?

]]> http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/new-year-resolutions/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2011/12/farewell-2011/ http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2011/12/farewell-2011/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:15:54 +0000 ShannonElizabeth http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/?p=8915 Continue reading →]]> It’s a bit insane to me that we’re already saying goodbye to 2011. I’m currently in Tahoe preparing to ring in the new year; a perfect place to relax and think about the last twelve months. 2011 has certainly had some interesting ups and downs but mostly it’s been a year of incredible ups. I get made fun of from time to time for maintaining this blog long after my academic work and international travels have come to an end (at least within a formal setting) but at times like this I find that this forum serves its ultimate purpose: I’ve been able to chronicle some amazing experiences on the regular and can revisit those times whenever I’m feeling a bit nostalgic.

Some of my great memories and travels from this past year?

1. Visiting the East Coast for the first time ever and getting to catch up with my DC and NY-based LSE loves.

In NY!

Our view of the Chrysler Building

In DC.

2. Spending countless weekends in Tahoe with Boat Shoes, family and friends playing in the snow and soaking up the sun.

Sunrise - Lake Tahoe

Boating with Boat Shoe Boy

3. Heading to San Diego for my gorgeous cousin’s wedding!

The gorgeous bride :)

Boat Shoes & I with nana at the rehearsal dinner. :)

4. Heading to Anguilla for Carnival — my first ever Caribbean experience and 10 days at the Frangipani that I will never forget.

In Anguilla!

At Elvis' Beach Bar

Dune Preserve - Anguilla

 5. My first Vegas experience: an extended weekend at the Palazzo and my first Jimmy Buffett concert… quite the experience!

At the Palazzo!

Boat Shoes & I at the Margaritaville Casino!

6. My first trip to the South spending SMU’s homecoming weekend with Boat Shoes and meeting some of his amazing college friends.

SMU :)

At the homecoming game!

7. Moving to San Francisco! Though I had grappled with staying on the West Coast or venturing out to the East Coast to begin a career in DC, San Francisco has been such a great fit thus far and I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2012.

1st weekend living in SF!

At the symphony. :)

At the House of Prime Rib

With my LSE love in SF :)

Christmas in SF :)

Looking back, 2011 was truly an incredible year for traveling, for family and for relationships. With all of the amazing things that have taken place this year, I can honestly say that meeting Boat Shoe Boy (rather serendipitously) earlier this year was a game changer for me.

Our first picture together EVER!

Life is just infinitely better and experiences are so much richer with an awesome partner in crime. Being able to bring someone else into my family and being able to be a part of his has definitely changed my life for the better. I’m definitely looking forward to an awesome 2012! I’m not sure where the world is going to take us this year, but I’m ready.

Hope everyone has an amazing and safe New Year!
Cheers to 2012!

So I’m finally coming to grips with the reality that Boat Shoe Boy will be gone for two entire weeks beginning Saturday. He’s attending the Motivation Show in Chicago the first week in October and I can’t say I’m not a bit on the jealous side. Obviously, he’s there for work, but, as I’ve mentioned, the Windy City’s definitely on my must-see list. After that, he heads straight to the Florida Keys for a weekend of boating and bad decisions at one of his best friends’ bachelor parties (tough life, I know.) Then comes Las Vegas. Oh, Vegas.  Luckily I will be joining him there for the weekend (my first time ever!) but he’ll be there attending the IMEX Conference with his business partner during that week. On the topic of Vegas: does anyone know where we can find good Jimmy Buffett tickets on the cheap? We’re still on the prowl.

Take me with you!!!

That being said, I have to take a moment to congratulate Boat Shoes on his new venture! His new company, i-Myth, just recently launched and it’s brought with it a lot of excitement and grown-upness (I’m coining that word). i-Myth marks a new addition to the incentives industry. Admittedly, before meeting Boat Shoes, I had never heard of the incentives industry (I didn’t realize an entire industry is dedicated to this stuff), but as I have come to find out there’s quite a field focused on so-called ‘incentive management’ to motivate employees. Still a bit beyond me, but makes sense in a practical way.

While I’d never really thought about it before, our company uses these types of programs for sales reps, techs, etc. Trips to Hawaii, Mediterrean cruises, gift cards, etc… I suppose that all qualifies. Granted, our department doesn’t benefit from quite the same incentives, but I’d imagine sales reps are a little more inclined to push themselves to the brink when they know an Italian vacay for two could be waiting for them! It’s obviously beneficial for the bottom line, but I tend to think it helps boost employee morale, too. Never a bad thing, right?

The industry definitely took a bit of a hit after the AIG scandal (boo!), but Boat Shoe Boy’s company, i-Myth, is attempting to help with those misconceptions. They’ve created an unbiased channel to educate people (I tend to be a fan of all things educational) while providing resources to illustrate the true value of incentives in the workplace. Make sure to check out the website at www.i-myth.net. If you want to be included in their database and reach loads of buyers, contact them for more information. Bonus: their new software application, the i-Valuator, comes out next month! Lots of excitement. A big shout out and congrats to Boat Shoe Boy and i-Myth on the recent launch!

Anyone else going to be at the Motivation Show in Chicago or the IMEX Conference in Vegas?

Lots of love & happy travels,

Check out his sweet video:

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lFEitrZaYY]

You can vote for him here and help him win this thing! Shout out to Frank for highlighting such a great city in such a sweet vid.

Happy Voting,

Getting really excited about Sundays...

I recently talked about my upcoming excursions in Vegas, Texas and potentially, New York, in my attempt to immerse myself in all things American. In that vein, I have also hopped on the Fantasy Football bandwagon! I honestly never thought this day would come. Shannon and Fantasy Football are two things that would never normally be used in the same sentence, but it seems that the testosterone in Boat Shoe Boy’s house got to me — I wanted to be part of the excitement that is football season! When I heard Boat Shoes and his brother discussing their fantasy leagues, I realized how much more excited I would get about Sundays if I actually had people to cheer on. Thus, on Sunday at 7:30P we all jumped on our individual laptops, hopped onto ESPN.com and drafted our teams. We have ten teams — all family — so there’s room to learn without embarrassing myself! I had fifth pick (which I was pretty happy about) and am now the proud owner of the following team:

Tony Romo, Dal QB
Joe Flacco, Bal QB
Donovan McNabb, Min QB

Ray Rice, Bal RB
Matt Forte, Chi RB
Jonathan Stewart, Car RB
C.J. Spiller, Buf RB
Darren Sproles, NO RB

Miles Austin, Dal WR
Brandon Lloyd, Den WR
Kellen Winslow, TB TE
Sidney Rice, Sea WR
Santana Moss, Wsh WR
Dustin Keller, NYJ TE
Jerome Simpson, Cin WR

Packers D/ST D/ST

Rob Bironas, Ten K

Mind you, I didn’t really understand the true significance of a team’s bye week until this draft. Many of my top players have the same bye week which is definitely going to prove problematic during fateful week five…

Also, I am soliciting opinions on the following matter: I had pick number five and had the choice of any running back in the league aside from Adrian Peterson. I could have picked fantasy favourite, Arian Foster, but instead went with Ray Rice as my top choice. I saw that Foster had an injury and not really knowing how significant — or insignificant — it was, I decided to pass him up. After hearing it was a hamstring injury, I was extraordinarily upset that I passed him up. Now that I have been (voluntarily) reading ESPN blogs though, I’m a bit happier with Rice being my choice… I don’t know that any other hamstring is as famous as Foster’s right now!  So, if you had your pick at this moment, would you go with Arian Foster or Ray Rice? I’m hoping this will help me feel a bit better about my choice! :)

Any other ladies out there part of a fantasy league? 

Happy Drafting!

Is it Thursday yet?

As I mentioned a few weeks back, Boat Shoe Boy got three rounds of Music Circus tickets for my birthday and we’re kicking off the madness with The Producers this Thursday. As you know, I’m obsessed with musicals (with all live productions for that matter) and I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about The Producers! While there were an endless numbers of musicals to check out in London, they’re a bit more difficult to find out here on the West Coast. Vegas has a few shows and San Francisco has a couple of choose from at any given time, but nothing like the theatre-friendly New York/London scenes. I’m definitely excited to get my theatre fix in the coming weeks!

Anyone else going to see The Producers? Has anyone already seen it? Thoughts?

xoxo,

Bonus for others planning on attending: Ten22 in Old Sacramento is a huge supporter of the arts and offers 25% off the food bill when you show your Music Circus ticket.

Celebrations in 1988!

Yes, yes, I finally had to come to terms with turning 25 this past weekend. While I think I’ve experienced a decent amount in 25 (short-ish) years of life, there’s still something weird about facing the quarter-century mark. This year was entirely different than last (click here to read about my 24th birthday celebrations), a bit more low-key but all-around awesome!

Boat Shoe Boy & I kicked off the festivities on Friday night with a trip to Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar in Folsom. Despite the fact that I’ve been a number of times (to two different locations), I always seem to forget how much I like it! Great food, service and ambiance; all around winner. After our seafood extravaganza, we headed to The Cellar, our go-to Tuesday evening trivia joint, for some off-hours, post-dinner birthday drinks.

The Cellar

At Tower with Grandma :)

With my actual birthday falling on Sunday, the entire crew headed to Tower Cafe for a celebratory brunch. I’ve heard amazing things about Tower since the womb and thought this would be the perfect occasion to give it a go. I think it was perhaps a bit too hyped, but definitely delish! Now, normally I enjoy being outside on my birthday — a BBQ, a beach outing, some poolside relaxation, etc. I have never ever celebrated a birthday with rain and 65 degree weather (no, not even in London). Being that it was a bit chilly and overcast, I got the rest of the day to hang out indoors with some of my favourite people. Low-key but lots of laughs and lots of fun! Check back tomorrow to catch a glimpse of the birthday sushi-making extravaganza that took place on Monday. I’ve been wanting to make sushi for the longest time and I finally got to put my skills to the test!

Sneak peek:

Let the sushi-making begin!

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday so much fun!

Check out my Celebrity Transformation here!

Lots of love,

Excited for a mini reunion! <3

After the San Diego excursion in June, I’ll be mentally (& physically!) prepping for some serious beach time in July/August. I am headed to the Caribbean for the very first time and so incredibly excited to spend a week in the sand & sun in Anguilla! In addition to the amazing beaches, the island is apparently known for its awesome dining (nearly 70 restaurants on an island that’s 35 square miles) and their music scene. We’ll be there for their cool summer festival and after having heard so many amazing things (and seeing so many fun pictures) I’m definitely pumped to experience it!

The Frangipani Resort, Anguilla

Does anyone else have fun summer adventures planned?

Cheers to summertime fun!