Into the Abyss

Every March, my family and I journey down to Moab to rock climb, hike, and to relax. This morning we hiked into a small canyon and repelled down two different rocks (using the word "rock" in a relaxed sense). Last year we just rock climbed, so canyoneering was a whole new ordeal. Skipping all the details, in summary we went with another couple (the husband was an ex-army repelling teacher) and a guide. 

The picture quality inside this first canyon was to be desired, so instead I am only posting the photo I have from above. In this photo you can see our guide, setting up the ropes to go down into what seems like a big, never ending, hole. It was also extremely windy, and I can still feel the sand in my hair as I write this post. Like many things, the worst part of repelling was getting into the mindset of relaxation and enjoyment. Another hard part was leaning back, into your harness, into a very unnatural position. Putting these things aside, looking back repelling was a very liberating experience. 

Here is a photo from inside the canyon (try to ignore the slight graininess). After it rains this whole thing turns into a huge waterfall, which would be amazing, yet frightening to see. The next repel was a short walking distance from this one, but looked a whole heck of a lot scarier. 

This photo does not do the repel, or the rock justice. The first kind of "bridge" is actually an arch (Morning Glory), and we repelled down the wall next to it. The following photos are from when my dad captured some of our descents down.

In this last photo you can see the arch in the background, surrounded by the many other rocks in the area. 

I hope you are enjoying/or enjoyed/ or are going to enjoy your spring break!!!! I am personally going to post this, take a shower, and then binge watch American Horror Story :)

As Always,

xoxo Em

Healthy Eating Habits

Recently I came across the fact that I have been feeling better. I am happier. I am less anxious about everything in general. I have more energy. Overall, I am just...better. This may seem cheesy, but it is truly because I have been eating healthier. No, I haven't made any drastic changes, but the small ones that I have made have made a huge difference.
1.) I drink loads of water

By Grant from Oslo, Norway (Sailing into the Trollfjord) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I think it was around December when I realized that I was drinking almost no water on a daily basis. I was really only getting my daily water intake from my glass or two of tea I had (as well as from my food). THAT IS REALLY BAD! I have now been drinking about 80 oz. a day, and obviously it has made a world of difference, because I was basically living on no water. Not only have I lost any water weight I was unknowingly carrying, but my skin looks lightyears better. So, if you just can't seem to lose those extra few pounds, chug some water. About 64 oz. each day should do it :)
2.) Yoga

By Earl J McGehee (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Every night I have made it part of my routine to do 15 min. of yoga. All I do is search "Yoga" into my YouTube search engine and find a video that suits my fancy. Yoga is so good for toning, and it relaxes me and prepares me for bed. I enjoy "Yoga with Adriene", because she does all types of yoga on YouTube. Some nights I am not in the mood for strength yoga, so I might do one of her flexibility videos. Plus, I now have a reason to buy super adorable yoga outfits and mats.
3.) Homemade bread

By Taken by fir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.au Canon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (Own work) [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

My mom has recently started to make homemade bread, and I could pretty easily say I am in heaven. Not only does it give us so much freedom as to what we put in it, but we actually know everything that goes into it. And I mean, nothing beats warm bread from right out of the oven. Homemade bread for me tends to be a lot more filling then regular bread, so if I have one slice a day it is plenty. If you don't have the time to make bread, try and buy bread from Whole Foods, or better yet, from a local bakery.

4.) Writing in a Journal
This change is not new to me, I have always had a journal. What is new is that I write down what I eat at each meal, how much I exercise, and how much water I drank for that specific day. You can also try the apps, there are many of them. I personally am more of a fan of the old fashioned way, mostly because I have a reason to buy a cute pocket journal. I like to glance at what I have eaten, to see if I need some more greens or fruit.


I am sorry that I have not been posting recently, time slipped away from me!!!! I hope you are all enjoying your Spring Break, mine is next week :)
As Always,
xoxo Em