A Daring Heart

I do not have a daring heart. I am not naturally a risk-taker, adventure-seeker, or new-thing-trier. My first reaction is usually to say "no" to anything that requires any kind of courage.

If someone wants me to try something scary, they need to introduce the idea slowly, and preferably with a bribe. It took Matt 8 months to get me to try paddling, and the night before my first paddle I literally threw a tantrum, had a panic attack, and cried at the mere thought of getting on a paddleboard.

My first time ever paddleboarding.

The next morning, on the board itself, I cried with sheer terror...But the tears were cathartic, in a way. They broke down a barrier. Anyone who reads my blog now knows that we paddle weekly, and I even had my first (accidental) night paddle this last Friday.

For how much I hate water, it seems to be a major gateway to learning to have courage. Here I am snorkeling in the Bahamas.

If I can be successfully led into something that terrifies me, I'll usually love it. The person behind most of these new experiences is Matt, and for that I'm forever grateful. He was the one who encouraged me when I first wanted to learn to run, and I think becoming a runner has had everything to do with my willingness to, slowly but eventually, face what scares me.

My first-ever solo race, and the first time I ran a sub30 5k.

Looking back, I realize now that I've conquered a lot of my fears. Maybe I'm teaching my heart to be more daring, and with each new conquest and victory comes a little more bravery.

Matt was the one who prompted me to take my Birthright trip to Israel before I aged out of the program. (Come to think of it, he was also behind getting me to study abroad.) Here I am with my cohort excavating underground ruins.

Running has something to do with it too, I think. After all, every time I set a foot over the starting line of a race, I'm facing that evil little voice in my head that tells me I'll never be a runner. It was right for a long time, but it hasn't been right in years.

It may not seem as scary as traveling the world, but choosing to go to grad school was a major leap of faith...And for an introvert like me, teaching takes courage every day.

Running builds confidence like few other sports can. It forces me to look doubt in the eye and steamroll right over it. It has taught me that my mind is strong and that my body can accomplish great things.

Ziplining in the rainforests of Panama.

The greatest thing about conquering fear and teaching my heart to be more daring is that it's keeping me active. When we live in fear - of ourselves, what others will think, of the world at large, whatever - we tend to hide in safe spaces. Safe spaces rarely get us moving.

Hiking up Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

Climbing rock faces in Leo Carillo, California.

My initial response may still be "no", but at least now I know that "no" is often a lie. Slowly, "no" is becoming "maybe." I hope in the future, my first response to risks and adventures is a resounding and confident "YES!"

Learning to be daring has taught me that I'm not made of glass, that life can be bigger and more enjoyable than I'd ever thought possible, and that if you fake it 'til you feel it, eventually daring will come.

What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?
Are you a naturally daring person?
What has running given you the confidence to do?

ABK

California...The Rest of It

There's seriously nothing like a week's vacation and a five hour plane ride to make you appreciate coming home!

Matt and I are back safely from our trip to Los Angeles. After sleeping in way too late today, we're trying to get back into the usual grind. Today's post isn't about running or marathon training or prepping for back-to-school stuff. Today's post is about pictures.

Lots and lots of pictures.

When I last wrote, we had enjoyed two days of California sight-seeing. So let's pick up where we left off!

Day 3: Point Dume, Malibu Wine, Griffith Park, and Venice

Point Dume is a beautiful national reserve outside of LA. You may recognize the cliffs from the Iron Man movies; Tony Stark's house is superimposed on them! We hiked up to the top for a beautiful view, then hiked down to the beach to enjoy the crashing of the waves and watch the surfers.

Beaches in California are rocky and chilly; not at all the Florida beaches I'm used to! It's pretty cool that so many of the beaches require a little mountain climbing to see them.

Matt and Scott hiking up Point Dume

View from the top

Enjoying the view

Walking along the bottom of Point Dume...Yes, that is a rusted-out car transmission at my right.

After leaving Point Dume, we headed to a winery in Malibu and enjoyed a wine tasting. We each got a different flight and took detailed notes of which wines we liked. It was a great way to unwind after scaling those cliffs.

Yum!

One of Matt's groomsmen and his fiancee were in LA from Florida as well (small world!), so we headed over to Griffith Park to see them. It was getting dark, but we were able to hike up for some blurry pictures of the Hollywood sign. We also got to spend some time at the Griffith Observatory.

Shane, Mark, Matt and me...and the tiny Hollywood sign in the background

Scott, me, and Matt

View of LA from the Observatory. Talk about light pollution!

But wait, day three wasn't yet over! Some of our good friends from college had moved to LA a couple years ago, so we stopped by the Sunny Spot in Venice to have a couple drinks and catch up.

Stetson alum, reunited.

Day 4: San Diego and La Jolla

Remember how I mentioned that Matt really likes to go-go-go on vacation? Well, I was able to win a battle for once. We headed down to San Diego to check out of the zoo.

If you were keeping up with Instagram, you know I embarrassed myself in public by doing lunges throughout the zoo. We enjoyed the honor of seeing three of the 14 Giant Pandas in captivity in the US...we also saw red pandas, which I am in love with.

I'm actually really torn about zoos in general; I think animals should be left in their wild habitats. Throughout the day my mood fluctuated between giddy and melancholy. But still, I'm glad we were able to go.

Outside the zoo! It was very chilly and even drizzled while we were there.

Bai Yun chowing down on some bamboo.

Red pandas are basically bear-foxes. CUTEST THING EVER.

After the zoo, we opted to skip the Gaslamp District because ComiCon was going on and we didn't want to be trapped by the masses. Instead, we went to La Jolla to see the seals and eat dinner.

Seals are basically the sloths of the sea, and man do they stink!

Overlooking the cliffs.

I was surprised by how cold California is in July. Not exactly what I'm used to.

Day 5: Manhattan Beach Pier

We pretty much spent Sunday doing nothing. We had brunch at Manhattan Beach at a place called The Kettle, which was amazing. We walked the pier and checked out the aquarium, which was terrifying. After a day of wandering, we picked up food to cook at home with Mark and Shane. It was a nice, lowkey day.

For some reason I really enjoy scaring myself with sea life.

The starfish were really cool, and you were allowed to touch them!

Bffs.

Day 6: Museum of Natural History and the Angels Game

Our plan for day 6 was originally to rent a car, go for a run, travel to Santa Barbara, and see the Angels play the Twins. However, it took us over an hour to get our car. Dejected, I agreed to put off the run. Instead, we went to Rodeo Drive and the Museum of Natural History.

I will never stop being amazed by the sheer size of dinosaurs. The LA MNH has a nice array of original fossils and casts. I was in heaven. I miss learning things!

Yes, I am that tourist. Also: more Sprinkles!

How can you not be awed and intrigued by that T. Rex skull?! And the Triceratops skulls are even bigger!

We met Scott and Robby-with-a-Y at the Angels game. We sat in the nosebleed section. It was interesting to be at a game and to really not care about the outcome. Matt actually ran into another Rays fan there! It was pretty nice to be in an outdoor stadium.

Overlooking the field.

Outside the stadium.

Day 7: Leo Carillo, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica Food Trucks, the Standard LA

Finally, on our last day in LA, we were able to take our rental car and drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. The views were simply gorgeous. We stopped in Leo Carillo, a spot our friend Alan insisted we see. I'm so glad we did! The views from the cliffs were phenomenal. I couldn't resist climbing some of the rock faces.

Paths along the top of the cliffs give way to stairs down to secluded mini-beaches.

Climbing the rock walls that surrounded one of the many beaches.

We cruised our way up to Santa Barbara and enjoyed a beautiful run along the boardwalk. It was sunny but windy; I must say, California is perfect for runners. Even when it's warm out, the breeze off the water is downright chilly.

(The downside is that is rarely rains out there, so running in the rain is basically impossible.)

We stopped along the run to check out the beach below us. After rinsing in the frigid beach showers, we checked out the courthouse gardens. We drove through the historic area, then headed back to LA.

We ran 2.5 miles uphill, then 2.5 miles down. What an easy way to ensure negative splits!

In the gardens of the Santa Barbara Courthouse.

Matt and I both agreed that if we ever moved to California, Santa Barbara (or somewhere like it) would be our destination of choice.

We had dinner in Santa Monica. On Tuesdays, the food trucks in the area park on Main Street. We enjoyed the atmosphere while eating dinner in the grass.

Freshly grilled shrimp tacos.

Food truck craziness!

Scott, Robby, Scott's roommate Leighanne, and her boyfriend Gareth met us at the food trucks and we drove over to the Standard, a rooftop bar in LA. Alan and Doug met us out again, and we enjoyed the perfect weather and gorgeous views.

True heroes: going out and drinking on a Tuesday night.

10 points to anyone who recognizes the building directly behind us. Hint: think aliens...

As we left the Standard, a lovely stranger offered us homemade cake! Turns out she's the blogger behind Sitting in Bars with Cake. Her experiment - to bring cake to bars to meet men - is hilarious and tasty! She was super friendly and the cake was a divine way to end the night. (I'm hoping we get a little shout-out on her post for cake #22!)

We drove through WeHo but were too late to enjoy the drag show at Rage. Instead, we headed home. It was a good way to end our trip.

I can see why so many people love Cali! If we go again, we need to see San Fransisco, Yosemite, and a few other places Alan mentioned for white water rafting and the like. We had a great time...But I am 100% happy to be home!

When was your last big vacation?
What have you been up to while I've been away?
Link me to a blog post you wrote while I was gone that I really shouldn't miss!

ABK

California...So Far

If I waited to do an update upon returning, I know the post would be novel-length and photo-heavy. So instead, I'm popping in after a very full day to update you all on the beginning of our trip!

We're staying with my brother-in-law, Scott, while we're here. While he was at work on Wednesday, Matt and I stopped in a park to get a run in. This was supposed to be a 5-miler for me, but these Florida legs are not accustomed to hills of any kind!

Cresting one of many hills...It was way steeper than it looks!

We called the run after three miles at a pretty pathetically slow pace. I would have been disappointed, but today I was able to do the five miles as planned, so I redeemed myself.

I took a short break to climb a tree and chase a squirrel.

After the run, we went to Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier and walked around. There's a ton to see! I love that the beaches have areas filled with vertical ropes and parallel bars - Californians seem to really love working out on the beach.

Mountains right beside the beach? Yes, please!

Self-serve yogurt...I got lemon and the original tart flavor. Matt got salted caramel popcorn yogurt!

Enjoying the beach together.

Finally, we walked along the Santa Monica promenade and watched some entertaining buskers. The best was a six year old Korean boy playing drums like a pro. I was super impressed.

We literally walked five hours straight yesterday. I'm shocked I was able to run today. (I wore my compression socks to bed.)

Sunset at Santa Monica Pier.

Rivaling Florida for gorgeous-points.

(Videos and pictures of the day are on Instagram!)

Today was super full. We got to Hermosa Beach early and rented Matt a longboard. He skated behind me while I tackled my five mile run.

What a good husband! He doesn't like to run two days in a row, but didn't want me to run alone in an unknown place!

The boardwalk that spans these beaches is 22 miles long; I ran into Manhattan Beach, then turned back.

Gorgeous beach on one side...

The run was much flatter (but not flat) and breezier, and the run felt perfect.

...Gorgeous houses on the other! (I am super excited about my new running shorts.)

We hung out on the beach for awhile and watched the volleyball tournament that was going on.

Stretching on the sand was great...doing planks on the sand was BRUTAL.

This photo makes me happy.

After the beach, we went to LACMA, the LA County Museum of Art. You may have seen the outdoor display in No Strings Attached. 

This is art, apparently.

I love getting to see original art by my favorite artists, especially Chagall, Matisse, Magritte, Pollock, Warhol, and Degas.

I look terrible, but I couldn't resist posting a pic of me beside a genuine Degas...We don't have a lot of art in Florida.

We also saw lots of contemporary art, like this awesome installment by Chris Burden:

My feet are absolutely exhausted! I'm glad my runs for the week are over for awhile!

Have you ever been to CA?
Do you like to rest on vacation, or go-go-go? I like to rest, but Matt loves sight-seeing and being active.
What style/time period of art do you like best?

ABK