Arkansas {50 States of Yoga}

From the moment I stepped off the plane I knew Arkansas was going to be different. The air. The freshness of the air. I can't remember ever smelling air so clean and earthy. It was heavy with humidity and nature.

Illinois {50 States of Yoga}

Bright and early in the morning I head to my 11th state yoga class at Sun and Moon Yoga Studio in Park Ridge, IL.  I have been asked a few times how I find/choose the studios that I practice in on the road.  Google Maps.  Yeah, it's sort of that simple.  I go to Google Maps in the area I will be in, search YOGA and see what pops up on the map.  Then I browse through the websites, check the schedules and see which studios/classes speak to me.  There is no scientific method.  Of all the classes I have taken and/or have planned to date, just one will be a studio chosen on recommendation.  More about that when I get to that state!

Pour L'Amour de Paris!

Pour L'Amour de Paris!

For the Love of Paris!

What can I say?  PARIS!  Well..  I can say we earned this trip.  We fly standby because I work for an airline.  The non-stop flight from San Francisco to Paris was full.  But I knew this.  So we planned to travel to JFK first and catch one of 3 flights from there on Saturday night.  But... unbeknownst to us at the time, it was also the start of Fashion Week in Paris.  All the flights left full Saturday night.  And we weren't on any of them.  Exhausted from traveling and sitting in the airport all day (oh, and did I mention I worked 9 graveyard shifts leading up to and including the night before we left?), we found a last minute hotel in NYC and tried again Sunday.  This was the first time my husband had to deal with the "non-rev blues".  Most times it works out great and we get on the flights we're aiming for.... but sometimes.... sometimes you spend 24 hours sitting in a food court praying you can get on an 8 hour flight to Europe.  We survived... and eventually.... Paris!

Packing For A Parisian Holiday

 

Even though I have at least one more 50 States of Yoga trips before we head to Paris in March... it's, well... Paris!  And I can't stop daydreaming about it!

Louisiana {50 States of Yoga}

Even though we landed in Louisiana at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans a couple of days earlier, Courtney and I didn't really being our New Orleans experience until Tuesday evening.  We drove straight from Pensacola, Florida - through Alabama and Mississippi - back to where our trip began.  We checked in at a French Quarter hotel and proceeded to the Uptown area to Jacques Imo's on Oak Street.  If you only eat at one restaurant when you visit New Orleans - it must be Jacques Imo's.  There are no words for the foods and flavors we were about to experience, so I will just show you pictures and tell you what we had.

Florida {50 States of Yoga}

As Courtney and I coasted across the border from Alabama on I-10, we kept an eye out for an exit, any exit, that had fuel.  Our gas tank was running on fumes.  We laughed and sighed and prayed that we would find gas soon.  Our worse fear was running out and missing our morning yoga class in Pensacola - throwing our tight schedule off kilter.  Fortunately, we were able to coast into a gas station not too far into the state of Florida and replenish our supply.  We continued down the highway and, before we knew it, were in Pensacola.

Alabama {50 States of Yoga}

Alabama the beautiful...

Courtney and I rolled across the Alabama state line early afternoon on Monday.  We stopped to take a photo at the border crossing and comment on the homage to Jefferson Davis and the property of a ramshackled, abandoned bar it was on.  It was sort of a strange introduction to my first time in Alabama... and having had just heard Sweet Home Alabama miles earlier, I had a vision of something different in mind.  As we drove on into Alabama we stumbled upon a car - covered in beer cans - at a recycling center.  How could I not stop and take a picture of such a thing!

Mississippi {50 States of Yoga}

My trip really began on Sunday in New Orleans, Louisiana as I flew into MSY - Louis Armstrong International Airport.  After arriving I picked up my friend Courtney {who go there earlier in the day} from the French Quarter and crashed for the night at an airport hotel.  Monday morning we were up bright and early to start our road trip adventure.... first stop - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Trip 1 {Planning} California {50 States of Yoga}

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Tomorrow is my inaugural trip for my great adventure: 50 States of Yoga!  I feel like I am cheating a little, because my first state is California... and I live in California!  But I am trying to make it a true travel experience as I am flying from San Francisco to Palm Springs.  It is roughly 500 miles, or a 7 hour drive, between the two cities - so if will feel like I am in another state!  {Let's be honest... if I were back home in Boston and drove 500 miles in ANY direction, I'd be in another state... or another country! Haha.}

2015 Inspiration Board!

2015 Inspiration Board!

For the last several years I have made an Inspiration Board for the coming year.  A handful of girlfriends and I have gathered around the table, gotten out the magazines, glue, and scissors and talked about what we were excited to accomplish in the year to come.  This year, my schedule just didn't permit time for hosting such a gathering, but I couldn't imagine not having an inspiration board for the coming year - especially with the great big desire I have to visit all 50 states!