The Journey Continues

I started this blog as a record of my trip to New York, to have it made into a book at the end so I would always remember the amazing time I had, the people I met and the experiences that changed me.


I didn't really expect anyone to read it.

Maybe a couple of my family and friends, sure, but certainly not people I don't even know.

The unexpectedly positive responses have encouraged me to keep writing; even if it is just for me this time.

So if you're interested, you can follow the continuing adventures of the Travelling Pants At Home in Australia.

Your life is an adventure too though, so get out there, live your own amazing story and thanks for reading.

xxx

What I've Learned

Who you are matters.

Sharing your Self and your gifts with the world and other people really does make a difference.

You can't always know the effect you willl have on other people you interect with.

Whether it's a chance meeting, a small kindness offered to a stranger or the belief in yourself to just get out there in the world and do what you love, don't let fear, doubt or your own thoughts stop you.

The most inspiring people I have met on this trip have shared themselves and their stories with me; just by being themselves and doing what they are passionate about, they have given me so many great ideas, far bigger than I had ever imagined possible for myself.

Making these ideas a reality is my job.

To quote Marinne Williamson, "your playing small does not serve the world", or yourself for that matter.

Live your life fully, it's the only one we get.

So get out there and be great.

xxx

Goodbye LA, Hello Melbourne via Bris-Vegas

It's been fun staying with Josh at Marina Del Ray, he is a very relaxed host and his dog Tavi is such a sweetheart.

We went out last night with his friends Daniel and Adele, the adorably kooky French lady, whose fluffy hat-like-thing I am wearing in this picture.

First stop a cute little wine bar where the Zinfandel blend was rockin' and the asparagus, cheese & prosciutto platters were the perfect accompaniment.

Next we went to the Santa Monica Pier, just because.

The amusement park was just closing and I'm not sure why people has babies in prams out at midnight on  Tuesday, but okay.

Last stop a cheesy bar around the corner from Josh's street.
Beers all round and much hat swapping made for the end of a fun night.

This morning I had to get a workout in, so three rounds of Tech Study and then off to buy a Flip cam to record and upload workouts. Thanks for the recommendation Terri, it's awesome and I got a great deal with a price match and the fact the Flips aren't being made anymore.

This afternoon Josh dropped me at the Getty Museum, amused himself while I wandered around and picked me up again. Cleaning his kitchen and cooking dinner was a small price to pay for having someone drive me around LA. This place is spread out and hard to navigate, so I couldn't have done it otherwise.

However, that kitchen was naaasty!

So this is my penultimate post from the US of A.

I get on a plane in just under four hours and spend about 20 hours traveling home.

LA has been okay but I heart you New York.

xxx

French Food & Formula

Although I could only arrange a flying overnight visit, I'm having a great time staying with my cousin Alan, his lovely wife Jeanette and their 9 month old twins Heidi  and Hamish.

Hamish is a smiling little bundle of cute and apparently likes blonds, so I'm in.
Heidi looked at me thoughtfully and took more time to warm up, but this morning we had a great time playing with her monkey and her fish and she was giggling like crazy.

I had almost forgotten the all-encompassing routine of caring for a Very Small Person who needs you for every single aspect of their lives, feeding, sleeping, playing, moving around and of course, the pooping.

How could I forget the pooping.

Alan & Jeanette do such an amazing job with both of them, and are such wonderful parents.
I can only imagine the strength & energy required to give two Small People all the love & attention they deserve.

So with babies fed and asleep, we headed out for dinner at a beautiful french restaurant in Carmel called Andre's Bouchee, where I ate and drank more delicious food & good red.

It's been a while.

At least three days since my last amazing meal at The Fat Radish
(Thank you once again to Ben and your amazing kitchen staff)

I ordered the Beef Carpaccio entree from the Specials menu and Jeanette kindly shared her favourite entree with me, Millefeuille de Foie Gras aux Pommes. She is a sainted woman.

Alan chose a couple of local Pinot's to go with the meal, a Miura 2007, and a Pizoni 2008, which were served to us by the Russian sommelier, Demitri, who is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about his wines, grapes & vines, may or may not have stolen root stock from a fancy-schmancy winery in France to replant in California, and is as mad as a hatter.

I enjoyed both the wines and Demitri, very much.

The Magret de Canard a la Framboise was just divine and the Profiteroles Au Chocolat were completely unnecessary.

I had them 'to go'.

I love that restaurants will package up anything you can't eat for you to take home, this doesn't happen so much in Australia and I'm not sure why.

After last night's indulgence, Alan and I will definitely be hitting this gym this morning.

The Travelling Pants Are in LA

I landed in Los Angeles just over an hour ago and am heading back to LAX airport soon for an hour long flight to Monterey, to stay with my cousin Alan and his family in Carmel.

Alan is my Dad's sister's eldest son and has been living in America for years. I have spoken to him on the phone the last time we were in Belfast, but never met him, and I can't wait to see his beautiful twin babies, Hamish & Heidi.

Thank you Hannah Yates for the gorgeous beach-side accommodation with Josh in Marina Del Ray, where I'll be staying tomorrow night when I return from Carmel.

I barely have an hour to recharge my phone, update the blog and get a taxi back to the airport, picking up a highly recommended In & Out Burger on the way.*

The flight from New York was suitably random and lovely, in keeping with the rest of this trip.

Apparently everyone's coming to LA to spend Passover with their families, as Alexandra, the gorgeous blond real estate agent/actor/model manager/fitness trainer, travelling with two adorable puppies in a bag, told me.

Terri, I'm sending her your way, she was very keen to hear about your work and lives in the West Village.

 I sat next to an Israeli geophysicist, and helped her with the acknowledgements for her Thesis on earthquakes.

As you do.

She was very grateful for the help, having already flown 15 hours from Israel before the 6 hour flight to LA, and was struggling with her english phrasing,

"My english is not so good" she says.

"Well it's better than my Hebrew!"
"I don't even know what modified velocity models are, but yes, that sentence makes sense in English"
and
"'guidness' is not a word. I think you mean 'guidance'"

That kind of thing.

Off I go again!
xxx

*UPDATE: no time for In & Out Burger, almost missed my flight to Carmel, as the airline changed it and somehow didn't email me. Thanks for that. My lovely host Josh will collect me from the airport tomorrow for the promise of In & Out Burgers. Bless.

Farewell New York

New York is so much more than department stores and nightclubs Lindsay Lohan has fallen out of.

With the exception of one particular post office lady, the people here have been incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful to this slightly mad Australian wandering around the city with a smile on her face.

I may not have done all of the usual touristy things, in fact some of them are my worst nightmare (yes, Times Square, I mean you).

I have met interesting, real people, eaten the most delicious food, seen some amazingly beautiful art and had experiences I never could have imagined on a more traditional New York holiday.

My life, my possibilities and my capabilities are so much bigger now.

Thank you to all the people I've met on this trip, some just for a drink and a fun  time, some I think will be lifelong friends.

In order of appearance...

Lawrence & Dante at the Bowery Ballroom, Robert the Bike Guy, The Wonderful Terri Walsh & Helen Orenchak, Keith Walter & The Happy Bootcampers, The Lovely Sue, Alyssa & Gabrielle for the SNL info (I think), Rob Clayman, his friends James & Dominic, Chrisinda my bartender friend, Groovy JD & The Gorgeous Hannah, Eugene my pedal-bike tour guide, Frank (aka Random Subway Guy), Michael & Miss T (from Final Cut), Robert, James & Daniel, Melch & Gretchen (Sue's great friends) and finally Ben, who has inspired me on to my next Big Dream.

Thank you all and see you on the next trip!

I'm off to LA tomorrow morning so a couple of updates still to come before my travelling pants make it back to Oz.

xxx

The Dream Is Real - Now For The Next One

This morning I finished my final training session and bootcamp at the ART Studio.

I am happy that I acheived something that started as a dream five months ago, I had no idea how I was going to get here, where I would stay, I knew no one and had no money for the trip.

This trip has been amazing for me in so many ways, I love this city and have made so many new friends.

Packing up the family to move to NYC is possibly not the most practical idea.

Plans for my next trip however, are already bubbling away in my mind and the plans for my business when I get home are completely off the hook.
I have so much work to do when I get home and I can't wait!

Thank you New York.

This Working Out Is Working Out

Tomorrow is my last training session. I have almost completed my mission, to come to New York and learn from someone I consider to be one of the best trainers on the planet.

When I became a fitness trainer three years ago, my classes were full of 20 year olds, the Young People as I like to call them, and I wondered how the hell they would deal with more life-experienced clients as they worked to gain experience in their careers.

I'm almost 40 and don't have time to spend 10 years getting that experience, so I want to learn from the best and for me that's Terri Walsh.

This trip has been amazing in so many ways, from the confirmation that I really am good at what I do, to the unexpected detours, random meetings and wonderful people I have encountered, I could not have asked for a more incredible New York experience.

My body shape has changed dramatically since doing the practice work Terri set me last year and as previously mentioned, no actual weight was lost, so when Terri measured me at the start of our training, I was slightly dubious that anything would change in the two weeks I was training, especially considering how much and what I have been eating.

So this morning when we did measurements again, the results shocked me... but in a good way.

I lost an inch (2.5cms) off my hips, a 1/4 inch (0.6cms) from my thighs, 3lbs (1.3kgs) and went from 13.6% body fat to 12%.

No change to my calves, upper and lower arm, which is good; I haven't got much to lose!

And given how much I've been enjoying New York food, the well-earned inch I added to my waist is no mystery.

I still heart you chopped liver.

So tonight I was out at a cute 'Irish Bar' called Lillie's, invited by a lovely English woman named Sue.

I met her while out to dinner at an Italian place in Ludlow street, with English Rob, and when she heard his accent, she sat down at our table.

Apparently they lived near each other in England, it was all very English and she invited us to her birthday party.

It was a lovely bunch of people, very chatty, lots of fun and a gaggle of gorgous gay boys.
I was restrained with the wine, obviously.

Best get to bed and rest up for my final session but for a Friday night on Delancey street, that's not easy.

I can't belive it's almost done and I have my final weekend in New York City.

Imagine that!

New York Food

Warning: this post may clog your arteries and leave you drooling.

For the most part, I have been eating really well while training, not wanting to waste my time, money & energy putting nutritionally defecient food in my body.

However, this is New York and there is an enormous range of interesting and delicious food here that I have never had before and just can't get at home, so this week I have been sampling some of the local cuisine.

Starting with my hot dog on Coney Island, an actual meat sausage wrapped in a white bread bun with ketchup & mustard, which was delicious.

I quickly moved on to the sweets, finding Eileen's Special Cheesecake at the end of my street, a wonderful little bakery that ships cheesecakes all over the country. Yes that is Eileen on the website and her mini Dulce de Leche is absolutely the best I've ever had.

I also needed to sample a burger and fries and this was ticked off the list at The Red Flame, a lovely midtown diner.

My friend Rob took me out to dinner at Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse, where I had a giant rib of veal, which lasted for days; if that was the veal, I'd hate to see the full sized cow.

Also, I am now in love with chopped liver.

I did sample some amazing pastrami, but in deference to my arteries and digestive tract, went with the corned beef sandwich, at Katz's Delicatessen, just down the street from where I'm staying, and made famous by When Harry Met Sally.

Yes I sat at That Table.

No I did not re-enact That Scene.

Next on the list is a sinful-looking, heart-attack-inducing, sugar-coated, custard-filled donut-looking confection at Dean & Deluca, which will be my treat when I finish training this Saturday.

Mostly though, I've been very health-conscious, making regular trips to the wonderful Wholefoods Market and discovering the better value fresh fruit, vegetables, meat & seafood of Chinatown and Little Italy, as I make my way to the Studio each day.

I've tried never to take the same route twice and have found some delightful little shops, cafes and food stores; the trick is finding my way back to them. My $1 take-away black coffee from the Landmark Coffee Shop has to be the best value in town.

So much food, so little time.

Bootcamp Is (Relatively) Easy

I am feeling so much stronger, physically, mentally & emotionally this week for a few reasons;

a) no stinking jet-lag
b) adjusted to being on my own in a new city
c) having people to talk to is important for an extrovert like me and
d) doing a program of this intensity every day you can't help but build up strength & stamina in a fairly short period of time.

This last point is important if you are one of my training clients back in Australia.

You've all heard me banging on about a little bit everyday will get you where you want to be, well it's true.

I hit the ground running here, with a few obstacles in my way and have still managed to cope with what's being thrown at me; more than that, this week, I really feel like I'm on top of my fitness game.

It feels fantastic.

Compared to the 2 hour individual sessions, a 1 hour Bootcamp, even at 7am, does not kick my butt the way a 1 hour session at home used to.

It is absolutely a great workout and we Bootcampers all work hard, but I don't "hit the wall" and I feel incredibly energised after these sessions.

Having the whole rest of the day & night to explore New York helps too.

This level of intensity is not for everyone, certainly not for any sane person, but the principle of doing enough everyday to stay fit & healthy and challenging yourself with what is acheivable certainly holds true.

If walking everyday is what you can do every day, then do it, with a strength session or two a week, you will notice day by day, week by week, the changes in your body, your energy levels and your attitude.

You CAN do more than you think, so Get It Done!

xxx

Halfway Point

The start of my second week of training couldn't be more different from the first.

Training in a two hour block is not the normal way this program works, but given my limited time, I'm basically doing double sessions. Not surprising it's hard.

I hit the wall in yesterday's session at about the 1 hour 20 minute mark, a good 20 minute improvement on last week and I had a protein bar on hand for just this purpose; a quick couple of bites, water and a short rest were enough to get me back to a good head-space and finish the session well.

I also picked up some coconut water the other day in a street product promotion and it was recommended for working out, "drink this after a workout and you won't even feel like you've worked out" - really? you have no idea of my schedule, buddy.

But it seemed to do the trick, along with the rest of the protein bar.
After a quick shower at home (I love that it feels like I live in this city) I was good to go out for the afternoon, and New York turned on a freakishly warm day of around 21C, much warmer than the same temperature at home.

I couldn't waste the most perfect day, my energy was great and I needed groceries, so I found a Trader Joe's on West 72nd street, with the intention of shopping, walking back through Central Park and coming back to cook before heading out for a quiet beer.

That is not what happened.

Groceries were purchased and I was walking through Central Park, all according to the plan when I saw the bicycle rickshaw guys who take tourists around the park, pointing out various "interesting facts", mostly involving which celebrities live where.

I haven't done many 'touristy' things and my legs were getting tired so I talked him down to half the price (I'm sure I didn't, it was likely inflated to begin with) and had a lovely ride around the lower half of the park, while sending texts to Kimi & Marcus to see if they wanted to catch up for a drink.

They were heading out to the Top Of The Rock, where I arranged to meet them just after 6pm for a 7pm admission. So there's me, riding around Central Park with my dinner ingredients in a bag, putting said ingredients through the airport-style security screening at the Rockefeller Centre.

Eventually hunger got the better of me and about 8pm I said goodbye to the lovely Young People (they are far more capable than I of going out drinking and clubbing every night in this town) and caught the subway home to make a late start on dinner.

"You look lost, can I help you" says a random guy at the subway station.
That would be Frank. He's a lawyer who works in the Rockefeller building and if I'd met him yesterday, would have saved myself a $22 evelator ride.

Long story short, he is the first New Yorker who has asked unsolicited if I needed help... and yes I am aware of the implications of that word.

I asked for his card, got it, emailed him and we're meeting for a drink tonight or tomorrow uptown somewhere.

I know what you're thinking and it will be fine.
My only intention is to have a drink with a friendly person and if he has other ideas well good luck to him.

He assures me he's not a serial killer and frankly I believe him. (you see what I did there? ;)

Out for beers last night I also met a lovely lady named Cid who is singing on Avenue C tonight around 11pm so if I'm remotely awake, and chances are not good, I may pop over to see her as well.

Right-o, Frick Collection awaits!

UPDATE:
I did meet Random Subway Guy for a drink at the Bull & Bear on Wednesday night.
Needless to say he was as good as his word on not being a serial killer and for all his self-depricating talk, really was nice guy. Thanks Frank!

Also saw a great play on Broadway called Jerusalem.
Another one ticked off the list!

Lovely People + Amazing Food = Great Weekend

I finished training for this week on Saturday morning.

My energy levels were quite low so in the spirit of taking care of myself, I gave Bootcamp a miss and went home for a snooze.

This turned out to be a very wise thing to do as the rest of the weekend was packed full of Fun and a little bit of The Crazy.

After my refreshing nap I headed uptown to meet my friend Rob at the Hilton where he has scammed a free room (to be fair, he is writing a review of the place) and we wandered about in that area of town, stopping at the Algonquin Hotel for some cheesy pics of us sitting at the Round Table.

I do love Dorothy Parker.
"If you've got nothing nice to say come sit by me".

Then we caught the train out to Coney Island for the sea air and a hot dog; the amusements were closed and the wind was cold but I did get to touch the Atlantic ocean. I know, not exactly a touristy thing, but I'm from an island surrounded by the Pacific and Indian oceans, and I'm strange that way.

After stuffing my face with a hot dog (yet to try some fries) and beer on the boardwalk, we caught the train back into the city and I had my second nap of the day to prepare for the Saturday Night Live "afterparty" I had been invited to. I received the text message of location and password to get in, all very secretive, and the starting time of 3:30 AM!!!

I am old, for me this is not a time to start a party, it is a time to be fast asleep.

Anyway, I set my alarm for 1am and met Rob and his hilarious friends James & Dominic at a bar near where I'm staying, with the intention of going on to the Very Secret Location. which we did.... along with about a zillion other people, all of them in their 20's and looking very fresh-faced for that time of the morning; chemicals may have been involved but I think they were mostly just high on youth. Ugh.

At this point I realised this was not an afterparty at all, just some publicity thing that pretty much anyone could get an invite to.
When the door guy said the club wouldn't be open to 4AM!!!! I was completely over it.

I did not feel special.

So I jumped back in a cab and went home for about 5 hours sleep.
The plan for Sunday was to catch a train to visit Rob's friends JD & Hannah, the hour-long journey was good althought slightly surreal having had limited sleep the night before.

What a great way to top off the weekend!
I met Hannah, a gorgeous american who is just so much fun and her partner JD, who is British, also very funny and made sure my wine glass was never empty; for that he may be my new BFF.

They were so kind and welcoming, it was an absolute pleasure staying with them.
We had a great dinner (thank you Rob) and talked like we'd known each other forever.
Well they had, I was just the random friend of a friend from Australia and I couldn't have felt more at home.

Really good people.

Thank you both so much for your kindness & hospitality.

So here I am, back in the city this morning and ready for my second week of training.

Game on.


xxx

Toys For My Boy

One of the funnest things I've been up to on this trip has been looking for cool things to bring back for my son Max. He's almost six.

Before I left, he would get slightly complainey about me going, ususally at bedtime or when other things weren't going the way he would like them to and he has said in the past that I'm alright but that Daddy really is his favourite and he loves him more; I'm completely fine with this as I'm not precious about being a favourite parent, but in a moment of weakness, I did promise him a present for every week I'd be away... 3 in total.

He brightened up after this and I knew that if the prospect of presents cheered him up, he would be completely fine while I was away.

He did actually ask me to be away longer at one point, so his present quota would increase. Smart boy.

So I've been slowly going through my list of places where I might find fun and interesting things for a boy.

Evolution, a weird science shop, is quite close to where I'm staying and has the most amazing collection of bugs, fossils, stuffed animals, anatomical models and other fascinating objects. So dinosaur tooth it is.

The MoMA Design Store is on the same street and has some really interesting kids books, games and bits 'n' bobs, so Dinosaur Coloring book and Weird Facts book are also ticked off the list.

Yesterday after training, I caught the subway uptown to FAO Schwartz, thinking it would be the most magical place full of the best toys and was slightly disappointed. It certainly was full of toys, and if you're a kid, I'm guessing the layout would be quite impressive, but the toys were all things I could find elsewhere and the experience of walking through just didn't compare to Hamleys, which is our first stop every time we're in London.

I did get him a little Lego Something from there though... wait, I've exceeded my limit of three presents haven't I? Whoops!

Well more training this morning, only an hour though, followed by Bootcamp and then my weekend is free.
Possibly going to Coney Island today (thank goodness for my friend Rob who is over from London and knows his way around) and I'm really hoping the SNL afterparty info comes through.

PS Rik, please don't read this to Max, so he gets a surprise :)
xxx

What A Difference A Day Makes

My first serious training session with Helen at the studio was great and very challenging.
She's a great trainer and we get on really well.

Monday's session was Technique Study*, the exercises I've been doing daily in preparation for this trip, and although it was a lot, nothing I hadn't already done.

Yesterday was a little different and I really got a taste of what it's like to be a newbie again and put myself in my clients shoes.

Helen really worked me hard for two hours and although I had a banana during the workout (yes, I really did need to re-energise, thank you Terri for having healthy snacks on hand), I was completely drained at the end; somehow I thought going food shopping on the way home was a great idea and came home quite tired and emotional, needing to eat, rest and cry a little... okay a lot, which I did.

Note to self: take snacks to training, come straight home after training & eat quality protein immediately.
Do not deviate from this plan. For any reason at all.

After a snooze at the apartment I took myself out for dinner down one of the little streets across from the apartment and went for a drink on my way home just to be out and about with people.

I'm so glad I did because I met two lovely girls, Alyssa & Gabrielle; they are The Young People ie: 20-something, we started chatting, I asked what is interesting to do in the area, and Alyssa tells me she works for Saturday Night Live, one of my favourite shows and would I like to come to the after-party this weekend!

Bless her heart.

When I booked this trip in November, I was disappointed to learn that SNL tickets are on sale via email in August. That's it for the entire year's worth of shows, August.
But this is way better! :)

Hopefully it pans out and I'll definitely need a super-early night and a nanna-nap to get there as it's a live show that finishes about 1:30am; so I'll need to wake up around midnight just to make it.

Bootcamp was this morning so I spent the rest of the day travelling uptown to the Natural History Museum (where my camera broke) and wandered through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum.

Now that jet-lag has finally been defeated, I have a better sense of what I'm doing with training and how my energy levels will be, this week is just getting better and there will defintely be more exploring this amazing city.

Hopefully I can get a new camera tomorrow and post more pics.

xxx

*Tech Study: Do This Everyday
10 Push ups then Straight Arm Plank x 3
Squats (elbows to knees) x 40
Lunges x 20 each leg
Squat Balance x 20
Plank, Lunge, Balance x 20
Kneeling Supermans x 20
Crunches x 20
Side Crunches x 20
Butt Lift Crunches x 20

You're welcome!

And It Was Great!

So I've done my first session at the ART Studio, met the wonderful Ms Terri Walsh in person, was trained by her excellent Apprentice Helen.

I got it done and felt wonderful at the end.

Walking to the studio, I felt quite overwhelmed and wondered if, now that I was really here, I could really do this, but walking up the 111 stairs to the Studio Of Awesomeness, I knew I was prepared and that I would get through whatever she had planned for me.

We did a fitness assessment and took measurements and Terri gave me the low down on what to eat while in training.

You guessed it, no bread & pasta people... happily chocolate is quite alright. In moderation of course.

It was a great session going through the Technique Study, the program she had given me to do every day, with just a little extra cardio thrown in, okay, quite a lot of extra cardio.

As I've learned from running and triathlons, as long as you keep breathing you can keep going with cardio.
After 2 hours, I left feeling great and looking forward to Bootcamp in the morning.

Some observations of food here in America:

• Nutritional panels don't give me the information I'm used to getting at home.
  All of the details here are based on serving size which, as we know varies between products.
  Australian panels have a 'per 100g' column allowing for like by like comparison between different products.
• All the fat-free dairy here is strange to me. Our full-fat yoghurt doesn't have massive amounts of fat per 100g and the fat-free versions, which were mostly all I could find, looks & tastes weird and just confuses me; yoghurt shouldn't be confusing!
• Having donuts and pastries delivered is not a service we have at home. Or really a service that helps anyone. Just sayin'.

Just Eat Real Food!

Today's The Day

This image belongs to Terri Walsh.

Well this is it.

The reason for my travelling to the other side of the world, the day I have been thinking about, planning for, and imagining for five months, has finally arrived.

In about an hour I'll be at the ART Studio in NYC, meeting the amazing Terri Walsh and having the first workout of the trip.

It'll also be my first workout in almost two weeks and I must confess to several chocolate indulgences to manage my stress levels (thank you Suzannah!) where only quality chocolate was consumed.

I know Terri loves 'before & after' pics and measures, so I wanted to give her something to work with.

Oh I did a mini-triathlon the weekend before I came, so I haven't been completely slothful.

Doing her training over the summer in preparation for this trip has seen me improve muscle mass without getting bigger, dropping a jean-size and a couple of dress sizes by just losing body fat with the results being fantastic tone and definition.

All this without losing any weight on the scales, and at 60kg, getting smaller would leave me scrawny.
I'm pretty happy where I'm at.

Have I mentioned how much I love the shape of my arms? and my legs? and the changes in body shape? and getting stronger at the same time?

She does good work people.
Details to come with post-workout-high update.

Lost In Space

What started as a short walk to the studio, to see where I'll be training for the next two weeks, turned into an epic walk, where I got lost not once, not twice, but thrice!
Who does that?

To be fair, I did keep getting distracted by interesting streets and a grid system* is all very well if you think you're heading the way you're supposed to be, about to arrive somewhere near home, not walking in the completely opposite direction.

I headed south down Broadway to find the studio, which I did and then continued down the street, cutting through a park which led to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a nice walk and with lots of interesting buildings to see, I found myself on Lafayette street in Soho, where I stopped for a nice coffee and read my book.

BTW, I think I'm in love with Bob Ellis... see, there's me getting distracted again.

So far, so good and I even accidentally found the thrift shop I was keen to visit, Housing Works, an AIDS charity that helps homeless New Yorkers living with HIV & AIDS, and I was advised by a fellow op-shopper that the Soho shop was apparently the best of the lot.

Um, yes I was going to stop shopping wasn't I.
About that... you'll be pleased to know that I have NOW stopped shopping.

I also made good on my threat promise to Rik to bring home another hat; he was hoping I'd lose the one I brought with me. He doesn't get hats.

So feeling quite proud of myself for ticking what I considered a major shopping destination, off my list and thinking I knew exactly where I was, I continued on my way up Lafayette street.

All the way up Lafayette street and that's where things got a little sketchy.

Now I was heading north without realising and I somehow got from the East Village to the Flatiron District & Gramercy Park, possibly walking the wrong way up 6th avenue (who can say), and may have walked in circles a couple of times, took a couple of wrong turns at Astor place but I definitely had to ask for help three times.

I now realise with the benefit of a map, that the first people I asked gave me the wrong directions.

Eventually I made it back down 3rd avenue to the top of Bowery, kept calm and carried on and finally made it home, coming from the opposite direction I had started out this morning.

I did find a cinema I may go to this week and walked through some lovely neighbourhoods but my feet & legs are starting to hurt and the whole reason I came on this trip hasn't even started yet!

Wish me luck for tomorrow.

xxx

*found out later that Dowtown is not a grid system. No wonder I got lost.

Day One

I get the feeling each of my future posts is going to start with "Wow, this was the best day EVER!"

After only 6 hours sleep I was up at 7am and excited to start exploring so first stop was Wholefoods Market for coffee. If they had rooms, I'd be staying there, it is just awesome and yes, I am ridiculous for well-stocked shops with things we don't have at home (it's the same when I go to Tesco in the UK... and please stop laughing at me Mr Chidlow)

So with sufficient caffeination and a whole day ahead of me I started off for Hells Kitchen Flea Market. Having left my carefully written intstructions at the apartment I decided I could work it out and get there on my own; I knew I needed to walk up Broadway for ages and eventually I'd reach W 39th street.

Walking around New York smiling like a crazy person certainly pays off and most people actually smile back, which is not what I expected at all.

I was waiting to cross the road at Union Square, because I seem to be the only person who pays attention to the walk/don't walk signs, to avoid being hit by cars as I keep looking the wrong way, and a random bike-riding guy goes past.

He sees me smiling and smiles back AND THEN turns around and comes back to me and says "please will you come to my show?", which of course I will, and "if you'd like to have coffee, here's my number".

I'm not really sure what "have coffee" means. But I do drink coffee and I will go and see his show.

So I eventually make it to the flea market and it is great, full of great clothes & shoes, other people's stuff which I love. I bought a cute cashmere jumper and a trench coat, coincidentally both bright pink, for $40 and then wouldn't buy anything else because the heels of the very cute black Manolos (in my size!) were too high and it's my first day and I can't spend ALL of my money!

I also wandered into a shot of some TV show that was being filmed there so had to sign something saying I was okay about that. Which of course I did.

I came back via 8th avenue, E 23rd street and some other random streets that looked interesting, wandering through Washington Square Park and NYU and took the smaller streets through NoLita until I was back at Delancey street. I do love a grid system and a good sense of direction.

So a quick lunch (ginger-honey chicken with sugar peas & mushrooms, yum!) and off again to find The Market on Mulberry street.

This turned out not to be a flea market, but a craft & designers market, full of gorgeous jewellery & clothes, most of it completely out of my price range, even the stunning silk dress that was "only $200 because it's an old sample" and really would have worked with the Manolos. Good thing I didn't buy them.

I did get a really cute silk knit top that fits me and my budget perfectly.

I'm going to stop shopping now.

I still don't feel like I'm completely in my body yet, and waiting for tiredness to catch up to me, so it's a quiet, early night tonight, in preparation for the training which starts on Monday...  you know, the whole reason I'm here?

xxx

Flight of the Honey Badger

Well I made it to New York intact, mostly..  having travelled for about 20 hours, there was a small period of delirium on the flight from LA but I managed to sleep some more and it passed, so here I sit at 11pm local time, eating dinner in my teeny tiny apartment.

I got to Melbourne airport at 7am Friday 1st of April and by an amazing time-travelling coincidence, landed at LAX at 7am Friday 1st of April.

Thanks to my Bestie Shaz and her detailed knowledge of The Honey Badger*, we were laughing hysterically until we cried before I boarded and she's pretty much kept me smiling and quietly giggling to myself, like a crazy person, the whole way here.

Everyone I've met has been wonderfully kind and helpful, especially when I was wandering around strange airports looking lost and obviously in the wrong place.

From the massive Maori security guard at Sydney who smiled sweetly at me and wished me a pleasant flight after grumping at the other passengers, (I was the only one who put their 100mls of liquid into the correct bag and the dozen or so before me seemed oblivious to requirements), to the Immigration official at LAX who seemed quite personally offended I was chosing New York over Los Angeles, (is that an east coast/west coast thang?), I have been so fortunate to meet lovely people.

So I'm here on Delancey street, which is noisier than expected, especially as seven police cars in a row just went howling by, but it's the city and it's great.

I shared a cab from JFK into town with my random LA airport friend Simone, also from Melbourne and going on to New York, and when I told her I'm probably going to see Mary Poppins on Broadway she was horrified... "I just don't know who you are anymore"... Hilarious!

I've been food shopping at the Wholefoods Market around the corner, where I spent far too much time wandering around but not nearly as much money as I thought, and came out with great food for a week.
OMG I love that place!

I still can't belive I'm here.

I'm going exploring tomorrow to find Terri's studio because I do like to be prepared, and will possibly see some sights if I'm not a drowsy mess.

xxx

* Honey Badger clip is NSFW or Children

The Day Before Tomorrow

I woke up feeling very excited this morning and as I thought about the next thirty-odd hours I noticed my anxiety levels ramping up.

Have I mentioned I hate flying?

Naturally a morning of cooking was in order.
There's something about chopping, stirring & simmering a big pot of pasta sauce that relaxes me.

No, I don't think that's strange, not at all...

So my freezer can't hold any more food, I'm feeling good and ready for the adventure to begin.

More updates soon from the other side of the world!

xxx

Good To Go

All of the boring travel paperwork was completed a while ago, passport renewed, apartment booked, travel insurance covered... no surprises on arrival please!

My suitcase is practically packed, tech to take (camera, web-cam, laptop, iStuff) along with various chargers & cables is sorted and I was feeling pretty relaxed about the next two weeks before I leave.

Until yesterday.

The one piece of information I have been waiting for, my training schedule, finally arrived from Terri.

I found out I'll be training two hours most days, with 7am boot-camp classes Tuesday & Thursday and it will certainly be challenging since I don't usually train for that long in one session.

I did panic slightly and wonder why the hell I am doing this again? but a quick phone call to my Bestie served to remind me that I CAN do this, it IS about the challenge and I won't somehow expire during one of these sessions.

Now that I know when I'll be training, I can organise Sleeping, Eating & Sightseeing around my time in her studio.... yes, my priorities are in that order or I won't make it through the trip in very good shape at all.


This time in two weeks I'll be there, and whatever happens, it will be amazing.

So I guess I'm good to go.

Dream BIG!

I'm off to NYC in a couple of weeks, on amazing trip to train with the wonderful Terri Walsh.

I know, normal people don't go on holiday to New York to exercise six days a week, but I do.

I emailed Terri about an article she wrote (years ago) that really did "tell it like it is", we started emailing, became Facebook friends and she has been so kind and generous with her time & her talents that she has become a bit of a mentor for me.

So naturally I'm going to train with her, right?

Not exactly.

When she developed her Apprentice Program, I desperately wished that I lived in NYC, so I could do the program, work in her studio & learn from her 30 years experience as a trainer, or at least learn more about her amazing ART Method, but I'm a part-time trainer in Melbourne, have never been overseas by myself before and I'm somebody's Mummy... I couldn't possibly go to New York for two weeks, could I?

Something in my brain went "why not? why couldn't I? I can plan a trip, I can save money, I can do what I need to do to get there, why not? There's nothing stopping me but me."

In making that decision, my "New York Moment", so many fortuitous and unexpected benefits have flowed into my life. Working towards making my dream come true has been the greatest gift, giving me a sharpened focus on my business and my own training, and had me questioning why I don't do more of what I love in life.

It's taken five months, a shed-load of planning, saving & working out but my dream is about to become a reality.

What's your "New York Moment"?