Are You Hungry For Some “LeftOvers?”

For some time now, I’ve been helping out another local blogger with some photography: http://drewchristianson.wordpress.com/

The end result is titled “LeftOvers” because it’s a lot of leftover footage that hasn’t been used yet from many days of filming. When the hard drive gets full on your computer, you have to do a big clean up to make space so this video was of a bunch of scraps thrown together, hence the name, “LeftOvers.” So in this video, I did a majority of the shooting but he did all the editing. It’s full of action and I’m sure there will be plenty more videos to come in the future. Maybe I will even be in one soon, who knows!

But here it is! All you need is less than 2 minutes to watch.

Also, if you are interested in trying the sport of kiteboarding or you already kiteboard, he’s a good one to ask any questions to about gear or anything kite related. He taught me, so I give him the thumbs up! He definitely is good at what he does. It’s fun, anyone can do it, and it’s a great workout. I recommend giving it a try!

Finding The Time to Blog… How Do People Do It!

Lately, blogging has not been fitting into my schedule, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like keeping busy. However, I follow some bloggers and they post ALL THE TIME! Like it’s crazy, how do they have so much time to write?! Doesn’t make sense. I’m sorry that blogging has been on the bottom of my list of things to do. But it’s summer! When I’m not working, which is rare, I want to go outside, not sit down on my computer. I work 7 days a week, 3 jobs to  be exact. I give tennis lessons, I intern at a news station and I’m a waitress at a country club, there’s not a whole lot of down time. Plus, I like hanging out with friends! So have to squeeze them in somewhere! Well, all I’m saying is if you find yourself blogging too much, get out! Or if your bored of your usually routine, here’s some stuff that I have been up to! Maybe it will spark some ideas!

Playing with a baby tiger!

Ok so this really did happen! A baby tiger came into my internship, BEST DAY EVER! But there are zoos that let you play/swim with baby tigers. Look into if your interested, cause seriously this was probably one of the coolest things ever.

 

His name was Tarzan

So cute!

Going to a wake boarding Competition and then actually trying to wakeboard!

Red Bull had one of their wake boarding competitions by my house, so why not go? They have events all the time, see if one is coming close to you. It’s a great social event and fun to watch! Also, go out and try it! I did and now, I’m addicted! haha. I’m ready to become a wake boarding pro just like these boys at the event! So much fun, great adrenaline rush.

Parks Bonifay and JD Webb were 2 professional wake boarders in the competition

GoPros don’t zoom but this is a pic of the Red Bull Event

Going to a BMX track… that was a first for me!

So I didn’t try the track… yet! But first time was to kind of just check it out, see if I could build the confidence to try it for myself and yup, I’m gonna do it! I talked myself into it, hopefully next week I get to give it a go! But anyways, watching is fun and free, some people are crazy so it’s a real good time to just watch if your not interested in actually testing the track yourself.

Golf!

I work on a golf course so might as well get good at golf! And best part about this sport is dressing up and looking cute. Love it! Makes it twice as much fun especially since I’m not that great at golfing. It’s different cause most sports you don’t really have to look nice for, so golf gets a good vote for that. Plus, I just got some great new clothes and shoes for the sport. The new Jackies from Ahnu are perfect for golf, or just the casual wear around the town, they come in different colors too! So they will never not go with the rest of your cute outfit. So no worries there. They are perfect for anyone that lives on-the-go and for anyone that likes comfort! I hope we all raised are hands for that! Check them out if you like style too!

It was a great day for the golf course

Woo! New Shoes! Jackies from Ahnu to be exact! Check’em out

Slacklining in Unique places!

It’s what I spent my first paycheck on! haha once you get it and can walk the line, you will never want to stop! I love the slack line, it’s like a trampoline, so much bounce! There are so many cool tricks too that you can learn to do on it! I put a few on my Facebook fan page if you want to see some!

Slackline for life!

YAY for Unique Places!!

Kayaking!

I love the water, so kayaking is perfect. It is so relaxing especially when you are going through mangrove trails and it’s a beautiful day. Also, going with friends is a crazy fun time!

So much fun!

A Dive-in Movie!

We have all heard of the drive-in so what not change that up for a dive-in. Get the projector out and set that up outside by the pool or check around where you live, maybe its an upcoming event! Recently, I went to a dive-in and it was so much fun! Sitting on a pool float watching Dolphin Tale. Haha. Who would have ever thought of that one, such a great idea!

I hope the fun continues! Get out and enjoy every second, I know I do

People don’t believe me when I say I work. haha

Goals… Do you know yours?

Setting goals to help motivate yourself is something everyone should do. However, if your goals aren’t well thought out or defined how do you know when you reach them? Here are a few tips on setting goals.

1. Really define your goal.Don’t be vague. Say your goal is to lose weight. Well that’s great but how much weight?

This is a great way to show your success

In how much time? Is it reasonable? You have to take the time to answer these questions in order to know what you really want to do. Be very specific too, the more specific the better.

2. Write it down. Writing down your goal makes it a reality. Don’t just keep it in your head. You have to be able to see it. So then you can look at it and really start thinking about achieving that goal. Post it somewhere that you will see it everyday. Maybe your mirror or on your computer.

“Goals that are not written down are just wishes.” – Unknown

3. Mark your progress towards your goal. Show yourself that you are getting closer and not wasting your time. Take pictures, write down what you have accomplished, make it visible and tell people. It’s great to tell people because usually you tell someone you love and trust. They will be very happy and supportive to hear about your accomplishments. This will help you stay motivated to keep going.

4. You can alter your goals. If you start to realize your goal isn’t challenging enough then make it challenging. It’s no fun if it’s easy. Make yourself work! But not overwork, if you realize your goal is a little far-fetched then change it to something that is more reasonable. Or just extend the end date. But always set your goals high.

5. Have fun with it. Goals should be something that you really want. Make your goal relevant to you. It should be enjoyable seeing yourself progress towards something you are passionate about.

Goal in Life

I hope these help when you set your next goal. It’s never too late to make goals and you can never have too many goals. Keep shooting for the moon because even if you miss… you will land among the stars!

Kite Boarding in the Florida Keys

If you haven’t been to the Florida Keys yet, I suggest you go. It is so pretty, so nice, and so perfect for… Kite Boarding. For all of you who don’t know what kite boarding is… let me explain. It is a water sport were you have your feet strapped into a board… sort of like a wakeboard, if that helps… and then you have a harness around your waist that connects you to a kite. The size of the kites I used this past weekend were 10 and 12 meters big. Now that’s a big kite. It took me awhile to get past the stage of thinking I was going to die if I strapped that to myself. But it is very rare for someone to die. As long as you know all the safety features and don’t go out in a hurricane you should be fine.

The Keys are a perfect Vacation Destination!

This weekend was crazy. I went with my boyfriend, Drew, who has been doing the sport for a few years. He is a kite boarding instructor so he also brought along one of his students, Ian, who is around my level. The first day we got there, I was excited and not at all scared of what may happen. We started riding and were going to do a downwind 8 mile trek from one beach to another. Everything was going good. I’m riding, going left and right, and having no trouble. It was great! However, I see myself getting too far ahead of Ian so I stop so I can wait. He catches up and we continue. But as I was standing there I took a few steps and felt like I was walking through fire! My legs were burning! I look down to find a jellyfish wrapped around both of my legs right below my wetsuit. Figures that would happen. It was so painful. Then I rode over to where Drew and Ian were. Ian had just crashed his kite into a patch of bushes on a island. So once again I stood up to wait, while in agonizing pain next thing I know, my kite falls right out of the sky, tangling itself in its lines on the way down… Great. Just great. I hop on the island to help Ian out with untangling his lines while Drew fixes mine. Fun times.  

As we were untangling, a man came up to us on a boat, yelling that we were on private property and he was going to call the cops… what a jerk. We had nowhere to go, our kites were a mess, and we were on an island! It’s people like that that I can’t stand. Thankfully, we got the kites back up in the sky and were up and riding before anything happened. As we continued on, the wind slowly started to die… NOT GOOD! Makes riding very difficult, especially for beginners, like myself and Ian. As I was riding, I was looking for Ian’s kite and didn’t see it in the sky, which worried me. I forgot what I was doing and crashed. I crashed in the one spot that I couldn’t stand! I was being dragged and when I fell I lost my board. I was panicking. Thankfully, Drew helped me get the kite up and he also found my board. Thank goodness. He also told me Ian broke a line so he was stuck further up on land. I get up to try and ride again to get to the beach we were so close to reaching, however, I repeated the last scenario… being dragged and lost my board. But this time Drew couldn’t find it. I finally make my way to shore in a panic. Drew then has to go to the end point where our cars were parked. Ian, Drew and I were spread out all over. And it was getting dark. As I was on shore, I look out and see my board floating its way to shore right by me! Thankfully someone gave Ian a ride to the beach and Drew came to get me. We all were back together at last!

This trip was quite the experience. So much action and that was only one day! The next day was action packed too but nothing like what happened the day before. It was pretty crazy. Check out the video I made from the trip. And if you are interested in kite boarding check out: Drew’s Blog.

How to get your Body HOT… and Sweaty

Feel the heat and feel the burn! I sure did! HOT YOGA kicked my butt today. It was my first time experiencing all that hot yoga had to offer and it only cost me 5 dollars, which is a phenomenal price. By the end of the 90 minute session in up to 100 degree Fahrenheit heat, my towel, clothes, and headband could be wrung out. I sweat a lot usually, but no complaining… I love it! It makes me feel like I’m making my body really work, which is what I want. 

At the Pure Yoga & Fitness class, I was the only newbie out of roughly 20 people. It was a little intimidating at first but once I got passed the warm-up, the moves got a lot more complicated so no one was focusing on me. The focus was on themselves. The class had everything you could ask for in a workout session: sweat, increased heart rate, shaking, relaxing, stretching, challenges, rest, and a great after feeling!

10 minutes into class I already had my heart rate up, the sweat was starting to rapidly roll down my body, and I was facing challenging poses. I have done some yoga before but nothing like this. My body was not used to bending or staying in some positions for very long. But if I happen to not me able to perform a move… there was always a modification I could do. Some poses we had to hold for what seemed like an eternity because my body was shaking so much. But that’s good! That means my body was working hard so all my muscles were getting worked out, which is how the body tones itself. I want those tone arms! Also, I hear you can burn roughly 600 calories a class. That would take over an hour and fifteen minutes running at around a 6.0 pace! Hot yoga gets it all done! It’s a cardio workout, a stretch workout, a challenging workout and a breathing workout. All at the same time.

 

Shine like a star

The first class was tough for me. But challenging your body and seeing what you can do and how much you can improve is one of the greatest feelings. I’m so excited to go again. After class, my body felt so relaxed. I definitely drank my fair share of water during and after. I recommend hot yoga for everyone, both men and women. The class also had a very large age group, ages ranged from teenagers to people in their 60′s. It was great motivation to see some of the older participants in class because they were really good at it! If you have done hot yoga before, share your experiences! I would love to know more about it and I highly recommend it for people who have never done it.

Finding time to do everything

The past two days have been awesome! I played golf, went kiteboarding, and completed a high ropes course! So sick. I woke up and my legs were like noooo… so tired! My arms are so sore too! It’s great! So at golf… there wasn’t too much intensity. But I hit well considering I don’t play. I got par on a few holes! Haha. What made it more fun was bringing a GoPro out there so I made an edit of our time at the golf course. I was trying to make golf look exciting in the video but its hard. The intensity just isn’t there. But I got to work on my editing skills so take a look. It’s only 2 minutes long and the song is awesome!

Then, I went Kiteboarding the next day! I have done it before. The last time I think was in May though and I’ve only done it a few times before that. Haha so it was almost like starting new. My boyfriend, Drew, is really big into the sport and he has a great blog so if you want to know more on kiteboarding, CHECK IT OUT!

I want to get to his level!

He taught me all I know. I used to be scared when he took me out but all that changed! I went out and did so good! I was riding back and forth, going upwind and even tried to jump! It was such a rush. It was so windy too. Usually, if it would get too windy I would go in, but not today! Someone was taking pics so hopefully I get to see those soon! I had the best time out there.

Right after that, we had to rush to the ropes course! It was so much fun.

After zip lining… 2 thumbs up!

If you are afraid of heights this is a good way to get rid of that. And when you get to the top you get to zipline down, which is so cool, if you have never done it. I love being so active like this. My body is tired but it’s great to feel like you’ve worked hard and accomplished something. I love living in Florida and being able to be in the water and outside in January and not be cold but hot and sweating.

I like Running

Today is the day I used to look forward to… my birthday. I don’t know why but turning 20 isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be. I’m leaving my teen years for good Having my birthday is just reminding me that it is almost time for me to go out and get a career and start my life on my own (thankfully my parents didn’t kick me out at 18).

haha this is exactly what I feel like

I just have so much on my mind. I think I’m going to go running to help clear my head and I need to burn some calories so I can eat lots of cake today! Running really helps me get through any problems I’m having. I go alone, at my own pace, no pressure, and just think. But not stress think, just think of all the possibilities I have and how much I have accomplished. It’s nice. Exercising… I don’t know what I would do without it.

So after my run, I have class but I’m only going to one today! Hopefully! Then, I think my boyfriend is taking my on a sunset dinner cruise. So that should be really nice. I’m excited. We still have to make reservations but I’m sure they have an opening!

And I really hope I get a camera for my bday. I have nothing to take photos with which makes it hard to blog about. I hate relying on other people and having to ask to borrow their cameras. So my fingers are crossed for a new GoPro Hero 2!

Horseback riding on the beach

The water is incredible

I was so glad I had the opportunity to do this. I am not a huge horse fan but this was awesome! I highly recommend it. It was a rush, just so exhilarating and I’m not sure how but it opened my eyes. When I was on the horse, I forgot about life and any problems, any stress that I had going on.

Enjoying life

I just remember laughing and being calm not thinking about anything other then the beauty that surrounds us everyday. The water, the weather, the horse, everything was perfect. Also, this was in the Caribbean, incase you were wondering. I bet there are many locations around the world with these same characteristics.

I just look at these pictures and I can’t believe how blue the water looks. Its incredible. I feel so spoiled. Next time you want to spoil yourself… spend money on horseback riding in the water, it’s a memory that you will have forever!

A wave hitting us, so the horse was swimming. So cool!

Leave your comfort zone

85 pounds of snake around my neck! Now that's something new.

I think one of the main things that keeps us from reaching our goals is being scared. Scared of what people will say, scared of failing, scared of not knowing what is going to happen next… this characteristic of being “scared” is a giant obstacle. Lately, I have been trying to live out of my comfort zone and it is amazing. Now looking back on the past, I’ve realized that I have had many lost opportunities. I regret not challenging myself. From now on, I am changing this. You can start small and work big. I’m starting small. I play tennis and I need to stop being scared to speak up. Speak up to my coach, speak up to my team and most importantly, speaking up to myself. Telling myself I am going to fight for what I have worked for. Not speaking up can really limit your success. Have a voice. This will have life long results. Also, just the other day, I had the chance to hold a 12-foot long python. This is definitely out of my comfort zone but you know what? I did it! And I am so glad I did. I don’t know when I will have that opportunity again, so when the opportunity arises, go for it! Furthermore, I have had many lost opportunities that are channelling my thoughts towards expanding my horizons. Now, I hate waiting for those chances to come again. Start today because it will change your life.