Wednesday, March 4, 2015

One Hour of Sunshine

Sunshine. It wasn’t, perhaps, what most people associated this particular city with, but for me, it was. Laying there, stretched out on well-worn grass, my lumpy, packed tote bag pulling double duty as a pillow, I smiled. The sunshine filtered through the manicured trees, providing a bit more warmth than my thin trenchcoat gave. The coat was, after all, more about the look than about practicality. We were talking about 11 hours in the fashion capital of the world, not a lifetime.

But for now, I had one hour on my own. One hour to luxuriate there and bask in the summer sunlight. Or at least, that was what it was supposed to be.


I had an inkling that wasn’t going to be the case. From the moment my feet hit the ground in the city, my charges had left me shaking my head. I was supposed to be guiding two adults and their precocious, teenage daughter around all day, making them feel at ease in the city I had once called home. I’d taken up the charge with gusto, happily regaling them with my tales of drinking wine at monuments and parks (I left out the “entirely too much” part) and explaining how to tackle this particular tourist trap in an hour — a challenge, for sure, but brief enough to enjoy most of the scenery.

Instantly, I’d seen the familiar, camera-toting tourist look cross the dad’s face — I’m paying entirely too much for 11 hours in this place to spend a quarter of it scaling glorified metal scaffolding. So, I knew better than to wander off. And, anyways, there wasn’t much else to wander off to. Where was I supposed to go? The smelly banks of the river? The overcrowded shops lining the nearby neighborhood streets? The fast food joint down the way that I remembered hitting up on a very late evening out?

No, it was the grassy park flanking the monument that did it for me. I’d spent many a Sunday afternoon there, and I was more than happy to add yet another afternoon to that tally. If only I had the wine, cheese, bread and good company to go along with it like I had so many afternoons before…

The day started off excitingly enough. I was up before dawn, waiting for the early morning train. I’d splurged on a cab to get over there that morning — and when you’re getting paid U.S. minimum wages to work in one of the world’s most expensive overseas cities during one of the biggest tourist events in its history, it’s definitely a splurge. My charges had shown soon after I arrived, but they’d procured first class tickets for their train trip and quickly sequestered themselves in the first class lounge. I tried to hide my relief that I wouldn’t have to entertain them the entire train ride.

We connected once happily off the train in the city. But there was no “Hi, how are you?” waiting for me at the station. Instead, a phone was immediately thrust into my hands. “She speaks French!” he insisted to his wife, not bothering to actually speak to me directly or even inform me who I was supposed to be conversing with.

Parlez-vous anglais?” I asked the woman on the phone. “Absolutely,” she said, “How can I help you?”

Once I’d spoken with the woman (he had called up the ticketing office for the subway system…despite the fact that there was a box office a few feet away), we went to the box office to gather our tickets. A surge of excitement hit me as we made our way to the subway platform, the screech of the upcoming train hissing in the background. I excitedly began to share stories of my commute to school every day as my charges listened to patiently.

Regardless of the city we were tunneling through, I’m guessing my commuter tales weren’t exactly why they had requested a tour guide.

I did, however, know why they had. I’d built out a packed itinerary hitting all of the city’s major tourist stops. First, we were off to the art museum. I had it all planned. We’d depart the subway a few stops early, giving them the chance to talk through the fabulous garden pathways that provided the perfect build up to the world’s most famous art museum.

En route, we snapped a few photos — they had requested that I bring along my DSLR for their family photos, which I was happy to do. They even took a few for me. I gave them a few history lessons as we wandering through the area, sharing the details of one plaza’s bloody background alongside my own anecdotes of buying fresh cut flowers and sipping coffee on the same pathway.

When we hit the museum itself, it became very clear that they were not interested in paying my entrance fee. Having been to the same museum many times before, I quickly excused myself to a nearby bakery and promised to wait at a nearby Starbucks for them afterwards. Starbucks…the universal meeting place for Americans.

After their whirlwind tour of the museum, they were hungry. I mentioned a few places I knew nearby and the mention of “some of the fanciest pastries you’ll ever have” certain caught their ear. So, we were off to the pastry and tea shop. It’s a lovely place, but also perfectly touristy, surrounded by shops peddling postcards, scarves and cheap figurines — a far cry from the authentic, city experience they’d mentioned wanting. I told them as much, but they shrugged it off.

Tea was followed by a walk down the beautiful, tree-lined avenue nearby. It was littered with magnificent storefronts and incredible views from every angle, but I could tell les americains were quickly growing tired of this walking thing. I distracted them with stories — the time I lugged my heavy laptop to this McDonalds because it was the only place that had wifi near the house I was staying and how I once gave a presentation about a famous monument while standing next to the actual monument. By the time we reached the end of the street and snapped the photos to prove it, the harried dad announced he was thinking McDonalds sounded like a good idea. Concerned that I’d be returning to the UK without an ounce of local food in my belly, I quickly suggested we eat after the next stop on our list ­ — conveniently, there were no McDonald’s locations near that.


Back on the subway for a quick journey to la cathédrale. I informed them that my favorite cheap tourist shop was right around the corner, so we stopped there for souvenirs (and perhaps spent more time in the shop than we did at the actual church). And despite my insistence that we needed to take a long, walking route to a more distant subway station to check out some of the city’s bridges, I was overruled. Bridges were not a priority — we had other, more famous stops to check off before jumping on the train home.

Which brings us back to the park and the sunshine.

I’d barely hit the point of feeling drowsy before they returned from what was supposed to be a trip to the top of the monument and back. They’d been part of the way up and down again, somehow finding time to grab a snack from the numerous food carts set up nearby before tracking me down.

They were done.

And they weren’t having any of this “subway” nonsense on the way back to the station. No, they wanted a glass of wine at an authentic, local café (within walking distance of where we were, of course) and a cab to the train station.

One conveniently packaged white lie about my favorite café that happened to be right by the subway station and an interesting cabbie later, we were back on the train. We bid each other farewell and separated, me heading back to the standard car as they returned to first class.

As I stood in line in the dining car to buy an overpriced ham and cheese sandwich, I smiled inwardly.

They didn’t get it.

As much as I tried to give them my city over the course of 11 hours, they never quite picked it up. They didn’t want to. They didn’t want to absorb the beauty of the city or understand it. They wanted to check boxes off of a list. They wanted to go home and tell their friends about how they went to both the world’s biggest sporting event and the City of Lights all within a day of one another.

They were collecting trophies.

My city isn’t a trophy. My city is the sunshine-soaked Sundays on that well-worn grass, downing cheap wine and making friends with the vagabonds roaming trying to rip off tourists. My city is setting out to find that one café I read about online and ending up in a museum dedicated to perfume I didn’t know existed. It’s taking a wrong turn and discovering a new favorite neighborhood. It’s pointing haphazardly at a menu and finding an unexpected flavor. It’s coffees and pastries and cobblestones and red shoes and white dresses and skinny jeans. It’s the 4th of July and subway faces. It’s baby bottles and faux leather jackets and underground photo shoots and Vietnamese food.

But most of all, it’s sunshine.

Those 11 hours may not have been the best I’ve ever spent in my city, but at least one of them was one of my favorite. Because, even if just for a moment, I had that warmth — that Paris sunshine — back.

And when I closed my eyes, I was home.


Saturday, February 14, 2015

Introducing Riley on the Run

Hello everyone!

For those of you who have been reading Midwestern Nomad for awhile, you know that, over the past years, it has primarily documented my life as I've moved around the country. Over the last several months, that has changed a bit. I've gotten more into fitness and running, and I've discovered a love of writing about that and experimenting with running photos. I've dabbled in some healthier eating and have started sharing some recipes from that. All things considered, I've been taking a step away from documenting my life in the big picture and moving towards documenting my health-related journey.

So, I've decided to transition those topics over to a new blog. If you're interested in continuing to hear about my runs, read my latest recipes and hear my thoughts on health/beauty/fitness topics, check out Riley on the Run.

I'll still be writing here, but you'll see more of the things I used to post — essays about my experiences while traveling, photo updates on life outside of running, random musings. There will be some cross-posting, of course :)

So thanks for reading, and please check out Riley on the Run!


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Spaghetti Squash Mac & Cheese

When I got home tonight, I was pretty tired...and, unfortunately, fatigue usually leads me to make poor decisions in the food department. I opened the refrigerator and immediately honed in on the large bag of shredded cheddar cheese that I bought at the grocery store recently. There was absolutely nothing special about this stuff — just your standard shredded cheese — but I immediately started craving something cheesy for dinner. When my eyes moved just slightly to the spaghetti squash that I knew I needed to use in the next day or two, I had an idea. Why not make macaroni and cheese with spaghetti squash?


I've never made spaghetti squash before tonight. I've watched many a friend make it, but never really paid close enough attention to replicate it myself. So, after some quick Googling, I had my squash in the microwave and was on my way!

Spaghetti Squash Mac & Cheese
Adapted from POPSugar

1 small spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or regular milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup asiago and parmesan blend
Salt and pepper


Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds inside. Place the squash down with the skin facing outward in a microwave-safe baking dish. Add about 1 inch of water to the dish. Microwave the squash on high for 8-12 minutes. When poked by a fork, the squash should be tender. Cool for 10-20 minutes.

While the squash cools, melt butter in a saucepan. When melted, add flour and mix together. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and whisk in cheeses until melted.  Add salt and pepper as desired for taste. Set aside.

Using a fork, scrape out the insides of the spaghetti squash into a bowl. Once finished, pour the cheese sauce over the squash and mix together.

If desired, sprinkle additional cheese over top. Enjoy!


Visually, it isn't necessarily the most appealing of meals. However, it's a great, lower calorie substitute when those mac and cheese cravings hit. A few things to note: the texture will not be what you would expect from a pasta dish. Spaghetti squash has a bit more of a crunch to it than pasta will. Also, if you opt for almond milk over regular milk (like I did), the sauce won't be quite as creamy. But that's the sacrifice we make for healthy alternatives :)

Friday, February 6, 2015

A Dose of San Diego Sunshine

Greetings from San Diego!

One of my good friends from when I used to live down here is having a baby very, very soon, so I decided to make a trip down south for her baby shower. Crystal is also along for the ride (she and I met when we both lived down here). Today, we took advantage of the hot, sunny weather and went from a run along one of my old favorite routes, a 5k loop from Little Italy down to the Embarcadero and back.


Tank: Under Armour [similar]
Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]
Pants: GapFit [similar]
Shoes: Newton Running [exact]
Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

Since I'm used to running in San Francisco's permanent spring/fall weather, the heat took its toll today! It was not a very fast run for me, and I was sweating quite a bit by the end. Fortunately, this tank top is vented in the back, so it was a great choice for a warm day. I think shorts would've been a better option for the bottom half of my outfit, though. 

Crystal and me mid-run at Seaport Village

Here's hoping that the rest of the weekend has equally beautiful weather!


Sunday, February 1, 2015

Let's Skip the Super Bowl and Go Running

Let me admit something to you all — despite being a girl who loves sports, the prospect of watching the Super Bowl this year was not appealing at all. I'm far from being a fan of either team involved. In fact, I dislike both. So, instead of watching, I took advantage of the fact that everyone else was inside by their TVs (and that it was yet another beautiful day) to go on a nice run and run some errands!


Shirt: C9 [exact]
Pants: American Eagle [similar]
Shoes: Newton Running [exact]
Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

I received this shirt as a gift for Christmas but haven't tested it out yet. It was great! I loved that it was a bit longer than most of my running T-shirts. It's also fitted, but not skintight. All around, it was a good one! It appears that these shirts are on clearance at the moment, so I may have to snag a few more. Target was one of the places I went during my Super Bowl errands, but I didn't spot any there.

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend!

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Giving Barre a Shot

My friend Crystal has been talking to me about her barre classes for months now. Any time I mentioned feeling out of shape, she's quick to suggest joining her at her Dailey Method classes. Since I run a few times a week, I always felt like I was fine. However, I've started noticing my lack of core and upper body strength lately. I know core strength is important for runners, but because I don't particularly enjoy doing crunches in a gym, I neglect it.

So, I gave in. I finally agreed to give The Dailey Method's barre class a shot tonight.


Tank: Forever 21 [similar]
Pants: Yogasmoga [exact]
Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]

First thing's first: this is definitely a good workout. I discovered muscles that I didn't know existed several times over the course of an hour. However, I also had a few moments that I had absolutely no clue what we were even supposed to be doing in the class. I'm not sure if that was a reflection of the teacher or the way the classes work in general, but it was a bit frustrating. But, regardless of what I was doing, I was sweating quite a bit by the time I left. Only a few hours later, I'm already super sore and somewhat scared about what I'll feel like tomorrow! I can't say I'm sold on The Dailey Method yet, but I'll definitely give it another shot.

Yesterday, I went for my Wednesday running club yet, but neglected to take any photos. I promise good photos this weekend to compensate for it!

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Running and Rock Climbing

Despite the cold weather this week, today was much nicer! So, I decided to head down to the water for a run in the sunshine. I even busted out a tank top for it! Before I headed out, though, my friends Kim and Brent texted, asking if I wanted to join them at a climbing gym nearby. I hardly ever get in upper body workouts and had been wanting to try climbing for awhile, so I figured why not?


Tank top: Under Armour [exact]
Sports bra: GapFit [similar]
Pants: Under Armour [exact]
Running Shoes: Newton Running [exact]
Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

I found this sports bra at the Gap Factory Outlet last weekend, and I love it! It is reminiscent of Lululemon's Energy bra, but at about a fifth of the price. I particularly loved how it looked with the backless tank top I wore. These pants are also part of my latest Under Armour haul. The fit was fantastic! They're very compressive and completely opaque. Even when I was crawling up these walls with my legs all over the place, they stretched well and I didn't have to worry about anyone seeing anything I didn't want them to see. Between these and the C9 pants I shared the other day, I think I've found my new go-to running styles.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

This morning was an early one for me — and I am not a morning person! One of my clients at work had a launch, which meant I started working at 5am to ensure everything was ready to go. So, I was in bed chipping away at launch-related work until about 9am.

At that point, I decided it was time for breakfast. I had already decided to work from home since I knew I wasn't likely to get a long enough break in my work to physically make the trip into the office, so I got ambitious. Also, my two weeks of no gluten recently ended, so it was a perfect opportunity to throw gluten back into the mix. My housemates and I get weekly produce from a local farm, and this week's items included a few Meyer lemons. So, I decided to whip up a Meyer lemon pound cake!


Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Cake
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 1/4 cups sugar 
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon

Glaze
Juice from 1 Meyer lemon
Powdered sugar
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease one standard-sized loaf pan. 

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. With mixer at a very low speed, add flour, baking powder and salt. While the dry ingredients are being incorporated, slowly add in the milk and vanilla. Add in lemon zest.

Pour the cake batter into your greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, checking at regular intervals. Test the cake's doneness with a fork or cake tester — it should come out clean. 

While the cake is cooling, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl and whisk together. Use as much or as little powdered sugar as you'd like for consistency (I used about a cup and a half). Pour the glaze over the still-warm cake. 

Enjoy!


For those of you looking for a cake recipe that isn't overpoweringly sweet, this is for you. The glaze is nice and tart, which offsets the mellow, vanilla flavor of the cake itself. It's great as a breakfast bread or a dessert. This recipe is definitely a keeper for me. I'm looking forward to seeing how the leftovers go over at the office tomorrow!

Monday, January 19, 2015

Skiing Northstar

Reunited and it feels so good :)

I was back on snow this weekend for the first time this season! My friend Julia (who I worked with at the USSA and skied with all the time over the last two years) recently moved to South Lake Tahoe to work for Heavenly Mountain Resort, one of the resorts Vail owns in the Tahoe area. I've already been up to visit her once since she moved, but we weren't able to go skiing that time. This weekend, though, we went up to the north side of Lake Tahoe and spent a day on the slopes at Northstar!


It was an absolutely beautiful day! Unfortunately, there hasn't been a ton of snow in the Tahoe area yet this season so the conditions weren't perfect, but it was still a lot of fun. As the odd skier who enjoy groomers, it was great for me. I did have the challenge of skiing in skis that were in desperate need of a tune up (the edges were pretty much nonexistent), but that was fine! My legs were another story, though. Running clearly does not work the same muscles as skiing because I was hurting by the middle of the day.

Northstar itself was a great resort. It definitely had some Deer Valley vibes to it (in a good way). The groomed runs were very well done, the lake views were stunning and the on-hill staff were incredibly positive and friendly. Even with it being a busy holiday weekend, we were still able to find plenty of runs to ski that weren't crowded or chewed up. Both my morning coffee and afternoon Mexican food were delicious (although, as with every ski resort, they were overpriced). I love the fact that all of the Vail-owned resorts give you your on-hill photos for free, too! It's a nice touch.


It was an awesome day and I can't wait to get back up to Tahoe for another day on the snow! There's no such thing as a bad day when it involves skiing :)