My last day at work - Pt. 2

After 2 years and 10 months of working here in the US, I am leaving my current company today. I owe this company a lot. I started working for them as an intern at their headquarters, which happen to be in the town where I went to university. I would have never guessed that I would still work for them 7 years later. That they would bring me here, to the US. Open so many doors for me, in Germany AND the United States. Enable me to meet my awesome husband!!! Teach me so much of what I know about the industry (automotive electronics). Let me meet so many kind and talented mentors, colleagues, customers. Etc etc etc.

7 years is a long time, especially when considering that I was still "green behind the ears" when I started working there. I'm an emotional person (you have probably guessed that by now). Change can be hard on me sometimes, all the goodbyes, all the flashbacks of memories in this place or that. But I really am excited too. I have a chance to work in a field I am really excited about and personally think that it's the coolest thing since... ummm... cars?

So there you have it. The circle is closing. I started this blog when I was about to move here to work for this company, and now I have grown -personally and professionally- and well, here we are. Having another Last Day at Work. Closing this chapter, and opening another (still here in the Metro Detroit area).

See you on the other side!

The wedding post

Aaaand....... it's a wrap!

On the weekend after Labor Day we had our big wedding by Lake Michigan. It was SO MUCH FUN!

My favorite part was seeing our friends and family all in the same place, getting to know each other and having fun! It made me so happy! I think the magnitude of this might be hard to understand unless you know that these are folks we have known at different times in our lives, living in different places/states/contexts/countries/continents, and most didn't know each other before our wedding day. It was truly magical!

And to think that during the planning process I was daydreaming about skipping the whole shebang and going with a courthouse wedding only. Boy are we glad we didn't!

Quick husband+wife stroll on the beach during sunset. One of my favorite shots from the day.

You might remember how enamored I am with Lake Michigan. We really wanted to get married there, so we found the perfect spot with a private beach, AND the weather played nice - perfect, actually! It enabled us to stay outside on the deck all day and all night, taking in the beautiful views of the sunset (and later the moon) over Lake Michigan. This was the plan all along, but I didn't dare wish for it in case I jinxed it. Thank you universe!

It was a truly wonderful day, and I am so grateful that so many people were able to make it out there, just to celebrate with us. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everybody who helped make it happen! Six brave souls even traveled all the way from Germany to Michigan, including my grandma who recently turned 80!

This post is getting long, so I will tell you about being married some other time. For now I will say it's AWESOME and leave it at that!

Two years ago today...

... I had a first date. We met in front of a movie theater at 6, went in to get tickets to the 6:30 show, got ice cream at Coldstone, had our ice cream while chatting on a bench in front of the theater, then went in when it was time for the movie.

We saw Hangover II. My pick. My friend said I shouldn't watch it while out on a first date as it's too raunchy. She also said I shouldn't wear what I ended up wearing (grey skirt, pink/orange/green shirt).

Anyway, when we first spotted each other, my heart dropped a little. In his pictures he looked good, but in real life he's an all-American hottie! (Sorry babe, it had to be said.) I didn't think it would be going anywhere, what with him being out of my league and all. (We later found out he had the same exact thoughts about me.)

Watching the movie was fun! We kept sneaking glances at each other and smiling, and also chatting quietly ("Oh, speaking of getting a Mike Tyson tattoo on your face, do you have any tattoos or piercings?"). It was really nice. After the movie, we went to our cars. He said, we should do this again some time. I said, yes we should.

So. After 700 more awesome dates, we have another date this evening. We are going to dinner and then seeing Hangover III. I'm ready! I'm wearing my pink/orange/green shirt, because it's his favorite. Really looking forward to tonight! I can't wait :)

Happy Anniversary!

Two years and counting

I missed my blog's second birthday! I missed Christmas! I missed New Years! I missed the second anniversary of my big move! Things have been pretty awesome around here, but busy busy busy. Of course December is a busy month for everybody, but this last one year really takes the cake! Within only a few weeks, there were several birthdays, holidays, and other major life events that required a good party.

Was that vague enough for you? ;)

Let's try again...




We got engaged!

I apologize for the long absence, and I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. Cheers to a fresh and new and awesome 2013!

Grandma's cooking: Stuffed Green Pepper with Orzo Noodle Rice and Yogurt

We got tons and tons of green peppers in our CSA this month and really didn't know what to do with them. Then came the bestest idea: try to make stuffed green peppers, just like my grandma makes. My mom and grandma were so lovely, skyped with me for a couple of hours and shared a few of her signature recipes. On Sunday we gave it our best and tried it for the first time:

HOLY MOLY! It turned out soooo good! We all know that normally, even if we use our grandmas' recipes, they never turn out quite as good as grandma's. This one turned out really well though! We were quite proud of ourselves :)

Thank you grandma! <3

Back on track

After a month of traveling and jet lag (6 hours plus, then 3 hours minus) I am working on getting back on track. My boyfriend and I have a few fun things planned, but none of them are multiple-days kind of plans. We're going to a Tigers game on Sunday, yay! We're hosting a Bavarian breakfast soon, (not healthy, but still) yay! We have a month-long CSA membership, so farm-fresh food to look forward to, yay!

Meanwhile, this is what is helping me feel good and healthy and not-jetlagged in my skin:

• eating raw! I'm not at 100%, but I am getting so much closer by including more and more 100% raw meals (for example Green Smoothies). Blog post to follow...
• getting back to yoga! The hot room is feeling goooood these days! It's challenging to get back to a regular practice in the humid summer months, but I am concentrating on breathing calmly and concentrating on my body only and it's working well :)
• cleaning, unpacking, making our home even more comfy!

I have noticed so many benefits from eating mostly raw already, even after just a few raw days in a row! It really is amazing. Combined with my Bikram yoga practice, the possibilities are endless! I feel like it is the fast-track to great health.

I thought this only happened in movies

This bouquet surprised me today at work! Upon questioning my boyfriend, he said the reason is "Just because" :)

Thank you so much, I feel so blessed ♥

Home Connection

It was hard to leave our new home for three weeks. Now that almost two weeks have passed, it's still hard... I'm ready to enjoy my last week in Germany a lot (no more work! lots of family time!) and get back home soon.

Meanwhile, I'll be snuggling with Lil' Turtle, while his momma Miss Turtle is hanging out at home with my boyfriend.

 

(Lil' Turtle is trying some good German food: Rahm-Schnitzel.)

You'll be united soon, my dear turtle friends! Promise!

What I miss: Currywurst Pommes Mayo

Hands down, my favorite German fast food item is Currywurst, a sliced up bratwurst (sometimes they use a different sausage) slathered in curried ketchup... LOVE! A side of french fries (Pommes), of course with lots of mayo... oh man... it's been tough to make do without this in the past year.

Currywurst with Pommes Mayo, also lovingly called Mantaplatte

(picture somewhere on flickr, couldn't find exact source)

BUT!!! Not for much longer will I have to long for it desperately. My flight to Germany is booked, and in less than two weeks I expect to indulge in this delicacy again :)

I will be in Germany for three weeks, two of which will be work-related travel and one will be vacation! I can't wait to see my family and friends! It also feels really funny that I will be away from home for three weeks... or will I? Where is home, anyway?

I'm just happy and excited and anxious and everything at once! Yay!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, dear friends and readers! I hope you get to spend the holidays with your family and loved ones.

We will have a family dinner (BF's family) and then unwrap our presents tonight, on Christmas Eve, just like in Germany. Here in the USA most families seem to unwrap presents on Christmas day morning (December 25), but my boyfriend suggested we unwrap tonight, just like I'm used to from home <3

Hugs to All! Enjoy the holidays!

A little peek (Puppie Love)

Here's a little peek at what I will be doing over the holidays:

Don't get too excited. We will only have them for 3 days. They are our friends' new puppies and they have to travel for three days, so my boyfriend and I will be watching them (and snuggling them until they are sick of us!)

When we visited them yesterday, our friends said: "Oh, thank you so much for watching them. We really appreciate it!" Are you kidding? "WE really appreciate it," I answered! Who wouldn't want to have these guys around for a few days? (OK, maybe non-dog-lovers, but we DO love us some doggies, especially puppies!)

Are they the cutest little things on earth, or what?!

Green smoothies

Hi Everybody!

My boyfriend and I have a new thing... green smoothies! We all know that in our modern lives, many of us eat too much processed food. There are many people who try to turn this around by eating vegetarian, vegan, raw, or who knows what else. The idea behind the green smoothies is that not only are they raw, they also contain a lot of leafy greens of which we usually eat too little of.

Anyway, after a couple of months playing with the smoothies, here is an update!


Literature: My BF and I loooove this book Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko. It contains a lot of information, some scientific insight, years and years of personal experiences from her and her family, and a ton of recipes. Great mix for when you're starting out with smoothies! My BF and I now refer to the author as "our friend Victoria", as in "No, don't put broccoli in it. Remember, our dear friend Victoria says is not good in smoothies because of the starch!" Love this book. It's an easy read and it really made us enjoy more and drink more smoothies!

Recipes: We pretty much stick to Victorias principles - keep it easy, limit the number of ingredients to 3-4. Use 2 different fruits (ex: bananas, frozen berries, avocado, pineapple, mango, etc), 1 green (ex: spinach, kale, chard, wheatgrass, etc), and water. Try to use more green and less fruit as you get more experienced.
 ☆ My favorite: raspberries/strawberries, avocado, spinach, water.
 ☆ His favorite (he likes it sweeter): mango/pineapple, banana, wheatgrass, water.

Frequency: Our goal has been to drink at least 1-2 smoothies per day. Some weeks we do well, some we fail miserably haha. It all depends on how busy we are and how much time we spend at home vs. out and about (eating out, traveling). My BF has tried an "all-smoothie diet" for 3 days or so and really loved it (see Benefits below.)
We drink the smoothies as snacks, not as meal replacements. Although sometimes we will replace a meal with a smoothie. We don't have strict rules. A smoothie will keep you full for a while, so it is definitely possible to replace a meal with a smoothie.

Equipment: At first, we didn't want to spend money on a blender in case we end up not liking smoothies. We tried using a food processor. It was kind of messy and the smoothies didn't get very "smooth". It was OK, but not ideal. We liked the smoothies though, so we started researching blenders. The best of the best cost 400 US$ and up (Vitamix, Blendtec). We decided on a much cheaper one (40 US$) that got very good ratings by consumer reports. We are very happy with it. The smoothies get super smooth and the motor shows no signs of burning out. (We try not to run it for longer than 30-60 seconds at a time. Also, always use enough liquid to prevent motor burnout.)

Benefits: Now, for the most interesting aspect. What benefits did we experience? I definitely feel a difference, even when I just drink one large glass of smoothie per day. I feel lighter, happier, just plain better! It also meshes really well with my yoga practice and his workout routine, fueling us with all the nutrients we need.
When my BF did the "all-smoothie diet" for a few days, he felt so amazing! He said it just made him so energetic and he realized that "regular" food makes him fatigued. It made such a difference for him that his colleagues (who didn't know he was doing any special diet) asked him what was going on with him, because he came across as so energetic and happy! Amazing, isn't it?
We definitely feel it, when we skip our smoothies. For example, last week we moved, and between our three households, there hasn't been any time to make smoothies. My BF and I have both noticed that we feel grumpy, our bodies are not happy with the food we put in them, and we just feel tired and blah. We both can't wait to get back to a more regular smoothie routine! :)

Thank you, Victoria! Cheers!

Snow

Right on time, on the last day of November, we got our first real snow.



Hrml, not a fan :-/



The cool thing is, my baby car gets to stay in a garage now, so no more scraping or digging out in the mornings :)

Thanksgiving

Better late than never, right? :)

Last week I celebrated Thanksgiving, not for the first time, but for the first time in a while and for the first time with my boyfriend and his family. We kept it small, but sweet, and everybody worked together to prepare the wonderful foods... and they were fantastic!

Cutting the birdie (which was huuuuge)!

All the other goodies including my favorite: stuffing!

The table before the eating extravaganza started ;)

It's time...

... to pack some boxes! Right on time, before the one year anniversary of my big move, I put in notice to vacate my apartment. I'm moving again :)

I am taking another step forward and moving in with my wonderful boyfriend, into a sweet house in a lovely town & neighborhood. I'm so excited!

Plymouth Segway Rental :)

I did something really cool last Saturday. I finally got to ride a Segway and oh man, was it fun! I am totally going to do this again!!

The place we rented the Segways, Plymouth Segway Rental, offers 1-hour tours of the park by Plymouth. Our guide was fantastic and the area is really nice. We got lucky with the weather: it was cold, but sunny. Did you know you can ride through shallow puddles, gravel, grass, and uneven terrain? I didn't! I thought we'd be staying on paved roads, but these Segways can definitely handle rougher ground. Fun! Try it when you get a chance!

My Bikram Birthday (and a new Challenge)

The end of August marked the "One-Year Anniversary" of my Bikram yoga practice. In this one year, I've done a 30 Day Challenge (but mostly had a 3-4 times per week schedule), I have taken a couple of brakes, I have practiced at three different studios (on two different continents), I have practiced at home a couple of times... all in all I have practiced 150 times.

I am happy with my practice: my postures are decent enough and always evolving, but more importantly, I see tons of benefits from my practice both physically and emotionally. Life sure has been interesting in the past 12 months... what with moving across the Atlantic ocean and stuff... a lot of things have happened underneath the surface, too: I have found new direction and purpose in my life, I have found a deeper awareness and kindness and happiness and ♥ and lots of other big words, and I'm sure 90% percent of that has come directly or indirectly from my yoga practice. It is safe to say, this yoga has transformed my life... or maybe I should say: I have transformed my life with this yoga.

In the last couple of months, especially during the summer months, it has been hard to keep up a regular practice. It is still a struggle to make it to the studio some days. What do you expect? This yoga is freaking HARD and it's freaking 105 degF in the room (that would be 40.5 degC)! In some weird way, it was easier to get my butt to the studio during my 30 day challenge in March than it is now. Reason being that now I have a choice... do I go and challenge myself in class or do I sit on my butt, eat a pizza, and cuddle on the sofa? Take a wild guess what I often picked... if you need another clue: I currently only fit into 2 pairs of the 8 jeans that I own.

So it's time for another challenge! I'm doing my own little 30 Day Challenge in September. It's going to be very different from my first challenge in March... the weather is still nice and summer-y now... I have more of a social life now than when I had just moved here... I'll be the only person (that I know of) doing a challenge at my studio (in March there were about 40 of us)... I'm actually practicing at two different studios right now, so at times I'm out of my normal environment, without my usual yoga friends... but yeah, my body really needs this now and my practice always improves so much when I practice on consecutive days.

Either way, I have started a 30 Day Challenge on September 1st... let's see what happens :)

Take me out to the Ball Game! --- No, really!

Yay, I made it to a baseball game! My first ever! If you remember, I've attempted to go before, but the game was cancelled due to bad weather.

I've come to appreciate baseball in the last couple of weeks, so I was pretty stoked :) It helps that the Detroit Tigers are a pretty good team too!

Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals

Scoreboard at Comerica Park (Believe it or not, but I even know what all the numbers mean!)

Me with the hot dog... hey, it's a tradition :)

Love this App!

Just a quick shout out to one of my favorite apps on my iphone... Tracker Lite!

I use it to mark off the days on which I've taken a Bikram Yoga class. It was especially useful/uplifting during my first 30 Day Challenge in March. Actually, even now during non-challenge time, I just LOVE ticking off another day in my calender after I've dragged my butt to gracefully finished a yoga class, YAY :)

Here's the screenshot from this past month... I'm happy with how often I've made it into the hot room, considering I'm busy busy enjoying summer and all that it entails this year :)

Namaste.

PS: Total number of  Bikram classes attended since starting eleven months ago... 141... yeaaaah :)

Picnic.

Hmmm, sushi, fruit, amazing location, good company on an amazing summer night... I love! :))