Whole30: Oh boy. What have I done?

Ugh. I feel pretty miserable as I type this. Not because I'm doing anything wrong, but because I'm trying to do something right and my body does. not. like. it.

I've never been good about disciplining myself with food. It's always been a reward for me. 

This Summer, let's just say I've rewarded myself in abundance. Between a cruise to the Bahamas, two trips to the Atlantic Coast and a trip to Detroit, I ate all the things. 

Between two doctors visits in May & July, I'd gained eight pounds. WHAT. 

So on August 1st, I began my first Whole30. No sugar, no grains, no dairy. No alcohol. Lots of no's to the things I love but I don't think love me back. 

Today is Day 5. I just feel yuck. Not getting much done at work, feeling antsy when I'm home reading a book. Definitely not enjoying walking past the bowl of candy at work. Definitely not enjoying the smell of pizza. 

From my little bit of research, here's what's happening: For a majority of the last 15 years, my body has run on sugar. My brain likes it when my body runs on sugar. Now, there's no sugar. My body think's there's no fuel. However, there is fat. Fat in the avocados, chicken, beef and plenty of protein to go around. I just have to wait for my body to realize that the fat is good and it's there to be used. 

In the meantime, I've made a lot of good meals. Last night was Carnitas with Guacamole and Cauliflower Rice. I'm enjoying Living Loving Paleo and the Whole30 emails. The first trip to the grocery store was overwhelming and over budget, but hey, think of all the money I'll save on restaurants this month. 

Luckily, Boyfriend is working the Whole30 with me. It definitely helps to have some accountability and support, especially from him. They say everything is easier after Day 10, but I know it will be a challenge every day of August. 

Here's to the next 25 days! 

eating my way through NYC

Walk, Eat, Drink, Sleep. Repeat. 

I feel like it goes without saying but New York City has the best food in the world. Any food in the world you could want, I would bet you can eat it in New York. When I was feeling touristy, I snapped some shots of the delicious meals I ate. It's nice to remember how yummy it was, considering the massive hit that my bank account took after the weekend. Yep. It was worth it.

Crispy Sushi at Mira Sushi. The rice was flash-fried and tasted different than any sushi I'd had before. Amazing. 

The Formaggi & Salumi Plate @ Eataly's La Piazza

List of the cheeses (formaggi) available @ Eataly. Think this made me miss Rome? 

Brunch at The Smith. I had poached eggs with potato pancakes and creamed spinach. It was... glorious. 

It was the greatest weekend. Those girls sitting at that brunch table make my heart happy. They're all living in New York and it's everything. Fun / exhausting / crazy / challenging / rewarding / frustrating... Everything. I was happy to catch a glimpse and get a taste. 

British Tour: York

Walking through The Shambles

I'll just start by saying: Lauren made an excellent choice by choosing The University of York for graduate school. I had an amazing time exploring York and learning its history. Lauren, being the incredible storyteller she is, was the perfect host. I arrived on Tuesday morning, still feeling jetlagged and met Lauren at the train station. It was so great to see her! 

The Yorkshire people are incredibly proud to be from York, and for good reason. There's a lot to be proud about. The place known today as York has been a home to different groups for several thousand years. During the Roman times, York was the seat of the Roman Empire in Britain. When the railway station opened, it was the largest in Europe at the time. Then, they have the Minster. The Yorkminster took 250 years to build, finished in the late 1400's. It's a massively beautiful building with immaculately detailed stained glass.

Even though Lauren had been in York about a month, she still knew so much and took me to some really cool places. Plus, having a guest gives you reason to go do the more touristy you may not normally do. So for that, you're welcome. The night I got in, the lead archaeologist on the King Richard III excavation gave a lecture at the University. Read the story here. It was just little moments like that, that made me shake my head and laugh. Life is pretty damn cool. One night, we went on a ghost tour through the city and heard tales of ghost soldiers walking though basements built on Roman roads, torturing in insane asylums, orphaned children in the Plague... you know, light stuff. While Lauren was in class, I went to the York Museum and explored.

King's College, the building where Lauren has classes

There was some great food in York. I had just started my 'gluten sensitive' diet the week before so I tried to stick to that as much as possible. Then Betty's Tea Room happened and whewwww those scones. Betty's Tea Room is an institution for baking, tea and all things British. While they serve food, the price tag (dollars to pounds makes me want to cry) suggested we opt for Afternoon Tea. We received a large kettle of tea, two scones each and plenty of jam and clotted cream.

Look at that presentation!

We also went to a cool gluten-free vegan restaurant called El Piano. Certainly not traditional British cuisine but awesome none the less. There was a warmth and quaintness to York that felt timeless. Even though I'd never been, it seemed familiar and that's pretty cool. I'm so glad that Lauren has plenty of time to explore Yorkshire and places in the UK. I wish I could have stayed longer! Especially now that the Christmas Markets are running. But alas, I got on another train bound for Kings Cross Station in London.

There was a chill in the air, but the blue skies made for beautiful days in York. 

A Beary Fun Weekend in Athens

I can't lie, I was nervous. Four the last four years, Athens had been a place of happiness, excitement and energy for me. It was home. One my favorite quotes says, "There's nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways which you yourself have altered." I don't want Athens to alter but how selfish is that?

This weekend put all my nerves to rest and Athens didn't dissapoint. It started with dinner at Trappeze with my dear friend Chelsey. Thier Indian Summer cocktail is heavenly! On Saturday, Renato and I went to one of our favorite brunch spots, The Grit. Vegetarian or not, The Grit has some of the best food in Athens.

Tofu Scramble... and those biscuits!

Banana Pancakes

Four years and I'd never been to the Athens Zoo. It wasn't huge or spectacular but it was definitely worth the trip! Even better, it was free.

A Gator in Athens, GA...

Bobcat!

I couldn't help myself. 

They look so peaceful when they're sleeping, but look at those paws!

Later that day, we saw The Spectacular Now at Cine. The film deserves it's own post. So Athens, thanks for a great weekend! Go Dawgs.

Greek Grub

Did yall think I could write about Greece without mentioning the FOOD?

This kebab plate was a staple in almost every restaurant and eatery in Greece. This dish was one of our first meals in Santorini. Complete with tzatziki, potatoes, fresh pita and meat (either chicken, pork or lamb). 

 We had this snack at the beach bar in Perivolos. Feta, tomato and oregano. What could be better?

This was our welcome drink to Santorini: a fresh peach daiquiri! Perfect for the Georgia girls.   

The Greeks do a lot of things well. Running an economy? Not so much. Coffee? Not so much. Greek coffee is... unique. It's a cup of incredibly dark but sweet coffee with the entire bottom of the cup covered in thick coffee grounds, like a syrup. I was not a fan but it made me more than ready for an Italian cappuccino. 

For breakfast, Athens, Georgia has Mama's Boy. Fira, Santorini has Mama's House and Mama is awesome. She ran around that restaurant as a force to be reckoned with; calling guests "sweetheart" or "my kids". I felt like I'd known her forever and wish we would've gone before our last day in Santorini! Most of our breakfasts in Europe consisted of coffee and a light baked good. Not at Mama's House. My spinach, feta and tomato omelet with a side of hashbrowns was spectacular. 

We had more delicious meals, of course: Feta stuffed calamari, fish, seafood pastas and gyros. Looking back, I should've taken pictures of every bite. 

Athens Farmers Market

It's one of my favorite events of the week in Athens. On Wednesday afternoons, the Farmers Market sets up at City Hall and offers visitors of all walks of life a chance to buy some delicious, delicious food. I find it so much sweeter and more personal than a supermarket. I get to meet the guy that picked the blueberries and cut the flowers from the vine that morning. The things I bought were too pretty not to share.

"The Comerian" Sourdough Bread at the Market.

The sandwiches I've made with the bread are out of this world.

Cooked these at 400F for 35 minutes with EVOO, Rosemary, S&P.

I may never buy blueberries from the grocery store again.

The flowers were an impulse buy, definitely unnecessary but I sure love looking at them when I walk in the kitchen. My time in Athens is coming to an end and I've been holding on to every little moment, like the Market and the great bands at Athfest I saw this weekend. Taking the time to look around and smell the flowers isn't just an option, it's the only option in a town like Athens, Georgia.

Dove Dumplings!

I'm much more of a cook than a baker. Proceed. 

My family hosted a party over Thanksgiving Break, so my sister and I scouted Pinterest to find some simple recipes for the occassion. She found this photo from Picky Palate...

...but instead of clicking through to the recipe, we just bought some Dove chocolates and sugar cookies. The recipe actually called for a Pie Crust and Kisses, but Dove was on sale. We rolled out the sugar cookie dough (pre-made, duh), used a cookie cutter and placed a Dove chocolate in the middle.  I ended up having to roll the dough around the chocolate. Unfortunately, the shape of the chocolate turned the cookie into more of a... dumpling. The result was still great! After 10-12 minutes in the oven, the cookie had melted the chocolate with a thin layer throughout.

They were definitely a hit but next time I won't rely on one photo to give me a recipe. Live & learn.

Best of ATL: LT&C Edition

I started my Internship for the summer at Cobb Travel and Tourism. My main job is to help the county bring film & television productions to our area. I talked about it in article I wrote for my Feature Writing class in March and now, I'm actually working for the people who make it happen! I love it so far.

Now that I have a set schedule and I'm up at 7 AM, I'm finding my days to be a lot more productive. With all that time I'm not working, I really want to take the time to get know the city I've lived in for 21 years. Not really a bucket list, but just some fun things to do.

Three-ish months in Atlanta this summer. 

That's a lot of time to discover a really awesome city...

... and even though I'm not in Europe anymore, I don't want to stop exploring. 

I've decided I want to visit Senoia (The Walking Dead is filming there now ahhh!), see a movie at the Fox Theatre, eat at the Atlanta Food Truck Lot, go on a Marietta Ghost Tour, visit the new World of Coke Museum and more.

A lot of you who read this blog live in Atlanta or have visited awesome places nearby. So I'm asking you for some suggestions about your favorite things. TELL ME!

Barcelona

Looking back on my four months, it's really hard to not have some regrets about the way I've spent my time. I've talked about my Brussels fiasco but mostly, I hate that I don't have enough TIME. I thought four months would be long enough, but there will always be a cafe left undiscovered and a beautiful museum I didn't see.

Then, I kick myself and realize I'm only 21.

I took that mindset to Barcelona last weekend and decided (I think our whole group decided) that we wouldn't leave a rock unturned. By that, I mean we slept very little... about 13 hours over three nights. I don't think I've ever spent a weekend with such a carefree attitude and I kinda loved it.

Spain is the best. Barcelona is insane. I had been before with my family when I was in high school but it was during Thanksgiving and everything was cold and wet. Definitely not the way Barcelona should be experienced.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and even the airport blew me away. Prapti and I had to make ourselves leave, which was a little bit easier to do after the free wi-fi expired. We got to the hostel, about a ten minute walk from Plaza Catalunya and waited for our other group members to arrive. Prapti and I passed the time with a lovely pitcher of sparkling sangria and some traditional Spanish cuisine, which I'm still unsure about.

Later that night was Opium. Incredible music, awesome environment and on the beach. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Friday: We rolled out of bed and headed to Sagrada Familia. I had seen the outside on a bus tour when I came to Barcelona before but never went inside. Gaudi took a little warming up to, for me. I've grown accustomed to the classical Roman styles but after stepping inside the church, it clicked for me. What a genius.

The church won't be completed for a new more decades. There's still some towers to be built and facades to construct, but still. It takes your breath away with the intricacies and color. I'm not an art person. I don't know how to correctly describe or critique art so I won't try. All I'm saying is that it's awesome.

We ate an amazing dinner at 4 Gats that night and my friend Madeline came with us! It was so awesome to get to spend time with her and her friends. Almost everyone in her program had left for the States, but we had a great time with the people still in Barcelona.

Razmatazz that night.

Saturday: We headed to the Boqueria market off of Las Ramblas for lunch. I had a calzone, some candy and two fruit juices. I could write a whole blog about this incredible culinary locale. Maybe I will, this summer when I'm home and going through Euro withdrawals.

Gummies at the Market

We spent the afternoon walking around Park Guell, another testament to Gaudi's brilliance. We walked around for a long time in awe. It felt more like a theme park without the rides... so whimsical.

That night for dinner, my friends Sarah came & met us at 7 Portes. It was the most delicious paella I've ever had and I loved catching up her. The rain put a little damper (ha) on things, but we still went back to the hostel and rallied for our last night in Barcelona. We went to this bar where you pay three euros and they give you the bottle to pour as much in as much liquor as you want. Dangerous. We ended the evening at Catwalk, another club near the beach. The rooftop patio was really awesome to see the city. I loved Barcelona, can you tell?

Rodney, Katie & I slept through our alarms a littleeeeee bit and had to hustle to get to the airport. By the time we landed in Rome, the exhaustion hit all three of us and I spent most of the day napping.

Maybe my whole 'young, wild, free' mantra isn't the best, but I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Instagrams of April

Ciao regazzi! I got back from Barcelona yesterday, and I'm still in shock over how much fun I had. You'll have to give me a few days to process it before I write about it.

Allora, I've been taking some pretty great pictures on my ole iPhone, especially when I'm too paranoid to take my nice camera out on ordinary days. Observation: days when you don't think you'll take great pictures, you'll find great things to shoot. The next few weeks, I think I'll be taking a lot my pictures, trying to remember as many small moments as possible. Man, am I going to miss Rome.

April 7th- The Pantheon. Paris.

April 8th- Paris.

April 8th- David Guetta Concert. Paris.

April 13th- My 21st Birthday. Sorrento, Italy

April 18th- Studying at AUR. Rome.

April 18th- My Street. Rome.

April 21st. View of St. Peters from St. Angelo. Rome.

April 22nd- Chocolate Shots. Rome.

April 24th- A little montage to Rome.

April 25th- Dream Villa in the Neighborhood. Rome.

April 25th- Prapti at the Dining Room Table. Rome

April 25th- My favorite study spot, across from the Trastevere Train Station. They even have Wi-Fi! Rome.