3…2…1…

One week until take-off!  The summer has flown by, and I’ve reached the one week mark for my departure to Portland, OR.  I have enjoyed my time at home this past month, but am ready to get the ball rolling on this next chapter.

Some highlights from the past few weeks include a whirlwind road trip to Oregon, a new recipe, and a local cross country race. 

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend from high school and I pulled out of my driveway at 9:00 am: Prius packed full of snacks, mixed CDs from our middle school days, and a tub filled with miscellaneous items.  We were set to tackle this nine hour drive to Portland.  Fortunately, with good company and beautiful scenery, the drive went smoothly and swiftly (minus the necessary potty stops every two hours) and we arrived to Lake Oswego just in time for a quick shakeout run in the trails of Tryon Creek State Park and a Chipotle dinner.  

The next day I had an opportunity to visit the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton.  Blown. Away. For the return trip to California, I had arranged to stay the night in a high-tech, bougie tent, a.k.a. “glamping.”  Although we were happy to go on an adventure, I think we both were hoping for a little more “glam” and a little less “camping.” 

Back home in Sacramento, I stumbled upon one of my mom’s Bon Appétit magazines.  I always enjoy looking at the pictures, deciding what looks yummy, and then placing my requests with the queen chef of the house, my mom.  However, I felt like this time I was going to take charge.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, I feel like I should put more effort into the cooking and not just the enjoying.  So, I picked this rather basic black rice recipe.  Black rice doesn’t sound super jazzy but, when you add pistachios, dried cranberries, scallions, sweet potato, a dash of honey vinaigrette, and top it off with a fried egg and microgreens, you get gourmet.  Success!  Even my brother gobbled it up. 

This past weekend, my dad suggested I jump into the local cross country race where he and his team were competing. He said it would be a great opportunity to get in a hard effort and to practice my racing mentality. Warming up on race day, I thought: my legs are tired…I didn’t taper for this at all…my left glute feels slightly tight…better take it easy. Watch removed and trainers on, I approached the starting line. Here, my mind shifted. I had a number on my chest. I was here to compete. The race ended up being a ton of fun, although not nearly as entertaining as the video my father took of the finish.  My brother dubbed it “very cinéma vérité.” Dad accepted his Emmy last night.