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Short Story: The Empty Speech Bubble

November 16, 2015 Leave a Comment

She scratched her nose. The movement irritated her newly healing tattoo located on her finger.

Evelyn surveyed the underground train with its ever-changing occupants, Chanel bags next to trash bags stuffed with a conglomeration of items, families crammed next to singles, old fashioned next to high fashion. A swirl of scents, colors, movements.

Five stops to go.

A woman who looked like she’d just walked out of a magazine rushed to another train car just as the doors were closing. Hopefully, the woman had made it.

Evelyn’s nose itched, right near the tip, where a good rub just might do the trick. She tried to wiggle the itch away. Midway through the wiggle, Evelyn relaxed her hands cautious of her tattoo and decided the itch was just in her head. She would ignore it.

The train ground to a stop and the doors eased open, releasing passengers and accepting new ones. The magazine model woman glided in among the new passengers and dropped into the seat across from Evelyn. The woman released a long breath and gazed out the window.

At three stops from Evelyn’s, a man slid into the seat next to magazine model.

“Come on. You’re beautiful.” The man leaned in. “Let’s go on a date.”

Magazine model pursed her pink lips and shook her head while staring hard at the window. The sigh from a moment ago replaced with tenseness.

Evelyn wanted to believe that the odd couple across from her were some type of acquaintance. But she couldn’t be sure. She shifted her eyes towards them, accidentally catching the woman’s eye and so Evelyn winced her commiseration at the man’s pushy behavior.

The itch at the tip of her nose persisted. She wouldn’t scratch it. Must ignore.

The man spoke again. “Just a coffee?”

“No, thank you.” The woman turned her body further from the man.

The train slowed for another stop, and a passenger across the aisle stood up, nodded at the date-desperate man. “Good luck, man.” His voice smooth friendliness and encouragement. They grinned at each other.

“Can I have your number then?” The man returned to his date quest.

She shook her head.

The itch on Evelyn’s nose was too much. She reached up and rubbed her nose with the palm of hand. Right in front of her eyes, the tiny circle with a tale tattoo on the inside of her pointer finger seemed to point at her. An empty speech bubble. A time to speak and a time to be silent…

One more stop.

The man put his arm across the back of the woman’s seat, scooting closer. The woman’s jaw line stood out, but she focused out the window.

As the train squealed to a halt at Evelyn’s stop, she hoped that the woman across from her would exit the train too. She didn’t stir. Evelyn stood and swung out of the train. Her hand slammed into the train’s door, and the pain of the impact made her gasp.

Turning back towards the train, Evelyn glimpsed the woman in the window with the man still pressing her.

The pulsing in her hand slowed. Why hadn’t she stood up for the woman? Evelyn gazed at her tattoo, feeling the accusation of the empty speech bubble.

Barbara Accidentally Gets Strong in Austria

November 12, 2015 2 Comments

If you’ve sat with me for about 15 minutes recently, you’ll discover that all I want to talk about is fitness and nutrition. My GOSH. When. Did. I. Become. That. Girl?

You see, I’ve never been the strong one. That’s my sister. Picture Audrey Hepburn and you have her; picture Marilyn Monroe and you have me. I’ve been the one most like to climb a tree and read. I’ve been round-ish. I’ve been curvy. But I’ve never been fit or athletic. Thanks, but no thanks, I’d rather read. Serious.

But, guys, things are changing. My sister and I are going to meet somewhere in between these two famous actress body types.

It started with me moving to Austria. When your life is flipped upside down by an across-an-ocean move, it gives you a chance to reinvent in some big ways because your pattern of living is completely interrupted. I needed happy endorphins, and I knew a quick way to find those was to workout. I already ran 2-3 times a week while in the USA, but when I arrived in Austria, I was invited to a church workout group. Young people. Weight training. German. Jesus-lovers. All in one place? So I started going.

One of the first times I dead-lifted. Let's just say I'm hooked. — One of the first times I dead-lifted. Let’s just say I’m hooked.

But goodness, let’s just say I was the runt of the bunch. These kids are strong.

With that said, I realized that I might not become the strongest of the group, but I could become most improved. Begin Google Search.

For a couple of weeks, I researched online workout programs. I read reviews, and I followed Instagram accounts. I scrolled through so many #fitness pictures I’m surprised I didn’t grow more muscle and become leaner just by association. And for some strange reason, instead of feeling worse about my body, I found myself inspired by the discipline of all the people and their honest (“So craving pizza. All I can think about, but I will crush this plan.”). These self-peptalks encouraged me, too. Oh, no, I’m not cutting out pizza anytime soon.

my two favorite instagram fitness accounts:

@marie.wold

@cutekatiebug

While I researched all the different programs available to me, I used Pinterest to find workouts to target different muscle groups. You can see my Pinterest board here, but I want to warn you that it’s nothing fancy. Just a conglomeration of things I’m finding.

Finally, I was down to two different programs: Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide or Jen Ferruggia’s Bikini Body Workouts.

Kayla’s guides: These are just dang popular, and Kayla is super active on Instagram so she starts to feel like family (I know, weird). But the biggest drawback for me was the price. I wanted to be a part of her inspiring community, but $119 for 3 months of workouts? I just couldn’t fathom it (and now, I know coaches cost much more than that!).

Jen’s workouts: These are less glitzy honestly. They get the job done. There’s a Facebook group community but it’s not as pumped through of enthusiasm. The clincher for me, though, was the price of $30 for 2 months of workouts. It also offered a specific plan for working out at home with limited equipment. Financially, I could take the plunge.

I chose Jen Ferruggia’s plan, and I stuck with it for 8 weeks.

Following the eating plan proved to be a difficult for various reasons, and I eventually just opted to eat healthfully and mindfully. (Look. There’s some ice cream. I am mindfully choosing to eat this delectable dairy product.) Despite not sticking to the meal plan, I can feel and see in my body a strength difference.

I’m still the runt of my workout group; however, I can now do a 12kg kettlebell snatch (BAM), hold a free handstand for 3-5 seconds, and balance a yoga crow pose for a few moments (before I get so excited I fall over). I know. I know. I should have picture evidence. But here’s the thing, I am such a sweaty mess during these workouts that the last thing I’m thinking is “Oh, can you take my picture?”

Now I’m at the end of my 8-week workout program.

This is yoga week while I figure out what’s next (Shout out to Yoga With Adriene, my favorite online instructor!).

I did this video this morning:

BUT ANYWAY. At first, I wanted to hire my own nutrition and fitness coach, but once again, when faced with the prices, I realized that I wanted to prioritize my money in other directions. I know that I would improve greatly if I used the expertise of a coach, but I’m also a self-starting, self-learning researcher.

Look at that baby bicep. Yes, I used a filter. I wanted you to see the line!

So BRING it.

My plan is it to read up on as much nutrition and workout knowledge as possible and develop my own sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, my workout group’s trainer has agreed to be my human reference point, and he’ll look over my plans as I brainstorm them together.

After 6 months of somewhat accidental results, I’m ready to achieve my goals of a walking handstand and chin-ups.

A Weekend in Prague

November 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

Well, I’ve been to Prague now, the very real and exciting city to an over-exuberant friend who has never been. And you know, I think he was right. It is a pretty neat city. It’s size makes navigation simple, and the exchange rate is not bad at all. I withdrew 100 euros (roughly 3000 Czech Crowns) for the weekend, and I came back with about 30 euros worth of Czech Crowns.

Guess I’ll have to go back to Czech Republic for dinner or shopping.

In traveling to Prague, there were a couple of different public transportation options open to me and my friends. We could train, bus, or plane. The contributing factors to our planning were the following: time, cost, and comfort.

We actually didn’t even consider going by plane.

Train was a first vote. Upon further research, we discovered that train and bus took about the same amount of time but the cost of a round trip ticket by bus was only 28 euros rather than 70-80 euros for a train ticket. So we bussed ourselves to Prague for a weekend (Saturday to Monday).

One other practical point before we gallivant through some more of the fun stuff. We stayed at Sir Toby’s hostel for both nights in Prague. They offered reasonable prices plus a great breakfast spread and you could rent public transportation passes from the front desk. The other guests I saw were fairly youthful but super fun and friendly.

Sunday morning, my friend Erin wanted to go in seek of delicious breakfast outside of our hostel, but our other two travel companions had no desire to stir earlier than they had to. Erin and I went in search of Cafe Savoy (which Erin did find), but it was reserved probably for all of forever.

We backtracked for a while to a couple of cute looking places I had eyed as we beelined (which in reality and for us as well was not very straight). It took us a few tries before we settled on Vescovi Caffe. The outside was super quaint (man, do I wish I’d taken a photo), and the inside just warmed my heart. Jazz music. Calming decor. Unique plants. And the food…!

People keep asking me what my favorite part of Prague was, and I unashamedly admit the sandwich that I mmmm-ed my way through from Vescovi Caffe. They’re on Trip Advisor, too.

This sandwich. It was a shot in the dark since I don’t read Czech. But my taste buds tell me it was goat cheese, jam, lettuce, and a fabulously dense and nutty bread. My gosh. Even thinking about that deliciousness, I want to jump on the first bus back to Prague. (Oh, the pie was good, too!)

Anyone want to tell me what that label says in English?

Okay. Okay! I’ll stop fangirling over a sandwich.

The rest of the day in Prague, we meandered through the various sights and historical monuments. We climbed high over the city to get some snapshots of the view! We also found some beautiful nature and a Deer Moat tunnel that connects two different fields.

We also wandered through a beautiful space of castle, and from that view, we saw this wall, which looked very much like dried lava. To me, it also could have been a holocaust memorial with humans piling or climbing over each other frozen in time. Trying to find that wall through the curving streets of Prague without GPS proved impossible. So we circled to a McCafe, and then we tried again.

We found the Wall of Sculls in a pretty little garden that was lit up with fall colors. Wallenstein Garden.

Midway through the adventure, I was unsure if I’d find a lion statue to teach how to roar. My sister and I have this thing of teaching stone lions about roaring. But I had yet to see one, so I opted to have this back-up picture with a fish fountain statue. Naturally, making a fish face turned out more difficult than I thought.

You can see more of the fun on Instagram!

Happily, while waiting for a tram, I looked up and saw a ferocious lion with wings across the street. I grabbed one of my photographer friends and dragged her across the street to capture an image of me facing off with a lion who actually already knew how to roar.

When we were researching places to see in Prague, the John Lennon Wall was mentioned a few times over. It’s a place where you can graffiti Beatles song lyrics, and other inspiring thoughts or pictures. But if you’re like most tourists, you just show up for some pictures in front this public art.

Grabbing some wall space for your photo is pretty difficult, though.

Best story of the trip goes to Erin, though, because as she stood in front of the wall, saying she wanted to have someone in the photo with her, a group of American guys jumped into her photo. It was such a fun and funny moment. The best was the audacious dude that decided this photo should include his butt, front and center.

The dude was probably inspired by this cheeky statue. But you can never be sure…

That’s the thing about traveling. You never can totally be sure what will happen. I mean, there are about a trillion other little moments I could tell you about from this trip. This is just the highlight reel!

Prague brushes modern and historical together into a manageable heap of entertainment, good food, and beauty. And it’s all quite affordable, too.

So go!