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Unemployed Life – Pancakes and Packing
Good morning! I’m coming to the end of my SECOND week of being “unemployed.” I had been interning with a company during my last two years of school at Northern Arizona University, and after I graduated they offered me a full time job. I became an associate buyer at the corporate headquarters of a national food manufacturing company in Southern California – a desk job with lots of spreadsheets, emails and computer functions that was not related to my major {marketing} and didn’t include a lot of interaction with anyone else. Feeling like I was in the wrong job for me was a huge motivator to follow through with relocating….which I’m doing in a few short days{!!} Quitting my job was the first step to starting new in Boise. But I had two full weeks between my last day of work and driving to Boise to enjoy #unemployedlife.
Like I said yesterday, packing up my room uncovered some real treasures including $13 worth of change which I immediately cashed in for a Starbucks gift card. I bribed myself (or maybe I was just stalling?) to clean my car before her big road trip with a jolt of caffeine. Iced Americano with sugar-free cinnamon, always.
I’m constantly reminding myself that my days in Southern California are numbered (not sad about it). Of course I’m trying to be as productive as possible but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take total advantage of eating my lunches outside picnic-style, drinking my first cup of coffee in bed, and being a little more elaborate with my snack creations.
Prime example: this morning I decided to attempt my very first PROTEIN PANCAKES. We have two full containers of chocolate and vanilla protein powders and I’m trying to use up what’s left in cupboards. The recipes on Pinterest seem easy enough, and I just stocked up on fresh berries yesterday sooo I took my iced Starbucks treat to the kitchen and I totally would have worn my apron if it weren’t already packed in my stack of boxes ;)
I rarely ever use protein powder these days, since my workouts have cut down drastically since last November. I’m slowly easing back into running and strength training now that my medical situation and hectic schedule have calmed down, but I don’t feel like I need to supplement my protein intake with a powder – I get plenty of it from real food! (I tried adding some to hot oats the other day and it was terrible!)
I have to get used to photographing all of my dishes again before devouring them, now that the blog is back full force :)
My reading material with breakfast: blog posts about moving out-of-state and tips for relocating. I learned a few tips and tricks, although my move is a little easier since my parents are also relocating to Idaho and have taken care of all of the furniture and apartment details. I’m actually already registered at the nearest gym and signed up for the local weekly running club! Mostly I am just filled with excitement and anticipation for what the future holds. Something about the uncertainty of my life in Idaho is THRILLING. There is literally nothing but opportunity to create whatever life I want for myself (with a lot of hard work). Boise is one of the fittest communities in the country and I know that I will feel at home very soon :)
Enjoy your weekends! And please feel free to share any of your relocating/moving tips in the comments section!
Starting New in Boise!
I was hoping to just casually slip back in and start posting about running and smoothies again, but I’m pretty sure some sort of explanation is necessary after a 6-month hiatus ;)
Six months ago I wrote the post “One Last Note” {scroll down} because I needed to take some things off of my plate. Finding balance between working a full-time job that involved 2 hours of commuting each day, studying for my NASM personal training certification, training for a marathon, getting enough sleep, trying to keep a social life, and continually coming up with new blogging material all at the same time was a struggle. Eventually I realized that I couldn’t handle it all, and since I wasn’t able to give Strong Like My Coffee the 100% effort I would have liked, I removed it from the equation.
Fast-forward to today – a lot has changed! And in this case, change is good :) I’ve finished up my NASM course and earned my personal training certification. I’m no longer training for a marathon. I’ve quit my full-time job and freed up 2 hours a day from the commute alone. But the most DRASTIC change of all – I am moving to Boise, Idaho in 5 DAYS.
I’ve lived in the same cute little blue corner house my entire life. (Except for 4 years of college in Flagstaff, AZ). Over the past three years, I’ve had more than my fair share of challenges which affected my mood and outlook. One quote that I’ve always LOVED: “If you don’t like where you are, move. You’re not a tree.” Starting somewhere new has been a dream of mine, and I’m finally ready to take the jump! New city, new apartment, new job, new friends. Boise is such a gorgeous scenic vibrant city that I cannot wait to explore.
All in all, I’m just happier with where my life stands and I realized that my plate isn’t too full anymore. And that I miss blogging.
I love creating new recipes, taking pictures, writing, designing, and interacting with others. I love reading blogs and gaining new perspectives on fitness, nutrition, balance, and general life stuff. And I have so many fun ideas to share, so many fitness topics to discuss, so many conversations related to finding balance in our crazy, busy, stressful, wonderful lives.
It’s taken me two full weeks to figure out how to revive Strong Like My Coffee though. Ever since Strong Like My Coffee was created, it was a “Healthy College Girl” blog. Where does that leave me, as a graduate out in the real world? Well as my dad reminded me, everything in life evolves. Just because one phase is over doesn’t mean that we can’t blend into something new. Is “Healthy Post-grad Girl” a thing? ;) Maybe not. But I am right in the thick of handling job applications, interviews, moving into an apartment, having to make new friends, starting a brand new job and living my very first year without homework. And managing stress, finding new fitness goals after my collegiate athletic career ended, and transitioning from student to full-time adult takes some time. You may have noticed I’ve thrown out the word balance quite a few times in this post already, and I think that’s the direction this whole blog is headed.
SO – now that the whole “hey, hello, what’s up, I’m back, miss me?” explanation is over, we can get back into the fun stuff! I’ve updated my “About” page & lined up new interesting posts to kick off next week! :)
Today I’m working on packing up my entire life into Home Depot boxes while listening to Sam Hunt on repeat and sipping an iced vanilla Americano. While going through my entire closet, I found so many coins in random pockets and bags, so I cashed them in for a $13 Starbucks gift card – score! Hey, I told you I’m recently unemployed ;) It almost makes the multiple hours of packing bearable.
Creating a brand new fresh start in a new city, new apartment, new job, and new friends sounds so glamorous – and trust me, I’ve been dreaming about it for 2 years now. But there are some really un-sexy parts of relocating too, and I want to keep it real here! Like the 14 drive, climbing three flights of stairs with heavy furniture, having to register at the DMV and getting lost on new running routes. Thank goodness for smart phones, I don’t know how people relocated before them. Can’t wait to share all of the ups and downs of this new adventure!
P.S. Thanks for sticking around while I was on a little break, you guys are the best :)
XOXO Kenz.
