College Graduate, Now What?

Beloved Barcelona – Primera Parte

Kristen Leigh — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:22:58 +0000

I made it. No hassle, no worry, no anxiety. I arrived in Barcelona in one piece at 8:30 this morning after an hour and a half flight from Houston to Atlanta and a 9 hour flight from Atlanta to Barcelona. The 9 hour flight was basically empty, so I was able to have an entire row to myself. Unfortunately, I couldn’t utilize this entire row to myself for sleep because I was too excited. And, of course, I didn’t want to miss the great window shots as we flew over this magical city (below).

Getting off the plane, finding baggage claim, and locating my luggage was a piece of cake. But I will admit that I was a little nervous to take a cab to the hotel. I tend to second guess myself whenever I travel to a foreign country – Am I sure this is REALLY the correct hotel address?! – Can I trust this driver? What if I get taken?! Needless to say, everything turned out fine. My cab driver was super sweet and didn’t speak a lick of English. It was really fun trying to communicate with him, digging in my brain for some recognition of the words he was speaking. I mean, I did take 4 years of Spanish in high school. Come on. I was able to successfully ask him how long he had lived here and understood his response – 40 years. I’m guessing by his “pregnant” hand gesture that he was trying to tell me he’d lived here ever since he was born. While exiting the cab, I gave him a 10 euro tip for putting up with me and my broken Spanish. YOLO.

(That last sentence was a joke. I despise that acronym and everything it signifies )

I arrived at the hotel and a strapping young lad named Jacobo helped me get a room at 8:30AM… even though check-in wasn’t until 3. He even provided me with international plug adapters (since I forget to buy them EVERY time I travel) and offered to help me to my room. I graciously took the plug adapters. You know us crazy Americans, have to be plugged in constantly. Because one day without our iPhones, iPads, iPods, i-Anythings is absolutely barbaric and unbearable.

Although I wanted to go explore right then and there, I knew I needed to nap since I hadn’t slept on the flight. I want to enjoy Barcelona as my best self… and my best self is always well rested. I’ve been mapping out my weekend for the past hour or so, drawing circles on maps and writing all of the must-see sites in a notebook. You may think this is archaic, but I don’t care. Because the next time you’re traveling in a foreign country and your phone dies, you’ll wish you had my map and notebook!

It’s 8PM now and I am literally famished. I’m off to a restaurant called Cerveceria Catalana. It’s said to have amazing tapas, or small bites, and is recommended for a lively dinner which is just what I need after this long day of traveling. I have a full day planned tomorrow, so until then… Adiós!

My beloved Barcelona. Finally.

Flying over the coast.

Accommodations. I can dig it.

Mapping out my trip in Barcelona for the weekend.

Sipping on some San Miguel beer on the terrace.

Wishful Wednesdays

Kristen Leigh — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:08:19 +0000

Let me be the first to apologize for being totally and completely absent for 2 whole months. Not that it’s an excuse, but my work schedule blew up in my face. I’ve literally traveled three weeks out of the month for 2 months in a row, and by the end of it, I didn’t want to be anywhere near a computer. I didn’t even feel like talking to anyone. I just wanted to sit in silence, by myself, reflecting. And sleeping.

One thing I wish I had done during my two months of traveling was journal my experiences. This blog has been a means for me to capture my experiences and I now realize that without it, I’ve failed to capture two of the most exciting months of my life. In March, I was in North Carolina and Switzerland. In April, I was in North Carolina and California… and beginning tomorrow, I will be on a plane to SPAIN!

I’ve made a promise to myself to journal my upcoming experiences… Barcelona, Paris, Brazil. Because who wouldn’t want to be able to look back on reflections at each of these incredible destinations? I do take plenty of photos via instagram, but photos only do so much. I need to write as well. That way, I can look back at the entire shebang, both visually and emotionally.

So, here’s to me and my story. And here’s to YOU, my lovely readers, for taking the time to read about it!

Cheers!

Tasty Tuesdays

Kristen Leigh — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:47:12 +0000

_________________________________

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 4 apple wedges

Calories: 132

Fat: 4.8 g

Carbs: 23.9 g

Fiber: 2.6 g

Protein: 1.5 g

_______________________________________

Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1 large apple, cut into 16 wedges

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup low-fat granola (or cinnamon-apple flavored)

Begin by melting your chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until your chocolate is completely melted. Place your granola in another small bowl, set aside.

Slice your apple into 16 wedges. Dip your wedges, skin side up, into the chocolate and then dredge in the granola. Enjoy!

Mantra Mondays

Kristen Leigh — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:03:30 +0000

via pinterest

Fitness Fridays

Kristen Leigh — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:01:19 +0000

Travel Thursdays

Kristen Leigh — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:16:13 +0000

Wishful Wednesdays

Kristen Leigh — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:26:05 +0000

It appeared that the cold weather had left for good in Houston, but boy were we wrong. Rain, thunderstorms, and chilly breezes have swept this town faster than lightening itself. In an effort to preserve my heels, I’ve been opting for booties lately. Luckily, I’ll be out in the field in California for the next two weeks, so this attire is completely acceptable. Now if only I can find time in my busy schedule to get to Steve Madden…

Tasty Tuesdays

Kristen Leigh — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:58:33 +0000

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson
Preparation Time – 20 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes
Makes – 20

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

5 organic eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 whole meal bread slices, processed into breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mild paprika

sea salt flakes to taste

olive oil to pan fry

Method

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.Scoop some mixture in the palm of your hands to shape a patties approximately 5cm in diameter and 1cm thick. This size will yield approximately 20 patties with the mixture you have. (You can make them smaller and thicker or large and flatter as per your preference.)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Gently place 4-5 patties in the pan and shallow fry, cooking each side for 2 minutes before gently flipping over with a small spatula to cook the other side. Repeat till all patties are cooked. Use a tablespoon of oil each time you start cooking a new batch of patties.Serve hot or cold with ketchup and salad greens.

Notes

These are delicate patties and a tad tricky to shape as they may stick to your hands or fall apart in the pan. Gently handling will prevent them from falling apart. once one side is cooked, they become easier to manage and even flatten nicely for even browning.

If you find it impossible to work with them or shape them, try adding 1 tablespoon of plain flour to make them hold their shape.

Mantra Mondays

Kristen Leigh — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:57:38 +0000

Travel Thursdays

Kristen Leigh — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:57:03 +0000

I apologize for the lack of posts, but things have been insane at the office. I never thought booking work trips could be so tiring

It’s official. Between Q1 & Q2, I will be traveling to Switzerland and Brazil for work, with a potential few other countries on the backburner. I could not be more excited to start traveling the world. Do what you love, but more importantly, love what you do!

Muttenz, Switzerland

Sao Paulo, Brazil