Hello world! Glad to see you here again 🙂

This past week was action packed and relaxing all at the same time. I took a few days off of work to basically watch TV. It felt so good to disconnect and was very needed. On Friday and Saturday I took a road trip with my BF across the state. His band played a show and I got to be the band groupie/photographer. Then on Saturday instead of sitting on the couch playing with our phones in silence like normal, we spent the day hiking at Devil’s Lake State Park. It was rejuvenating to say the least. The weather was gorgeous and the views of the lake were perfect. I hope to get in a few more hikes like this before summer ends and I fly off to Nepal.

Since today is the first day of August (AHH!) let’s get to my weekly updates to close out the month of July. But first, I must say I’m rather proud I’ve been making these updates for 6 weeks straight!! Yes, I’m clapping for myself. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten bored or quit (haha) and if you’ve read a few of these, I hope you’ve found them slightly interesting or at least slightly funny.

On to the updates…

 

Fitness

Sun 7/22 – Taught RPM
Mon 7/23 – Taught RPM
Tues 7/24 – Lifted shoulders/back/chest
Wed 7/25 – Taught RPM
Thurs 7/26 – Rest
Fri 7/27 – Rest
Sat 7/28 – 3 hour hike

If you’ve been following my weekly updates, you know this past week looks rather different from my normal routine. I taught my normal RPM classes Sunday and Monday, and then subbed for another instructor on Wednesday. I only fit in one strength training session this week, missing my goal of 3 strength days for the week. A bit of a fail, but seriously, OH WELL!

My body and my mind needed a break this past week, so I gave myself two rest days to recharge. I binged a new Netflix show instead. (Have you seen The Staircase?!) Sometimes, you just need to watch TV and disconnect from everything, right?

On Saturday we had the opportunity to hike through a new state park. Since the boyfriend’s band had a show on the other side of the state, I followed along so we could adventure through Devil’s Lake State Park near Baraboo, WI. I had never been to this park and it was fantastic. The highlight of this park is the view of the lake from the trails that lead up the bluffs on either side.

We got a little lost on the trails and ended up hiking for about 3 hours, overshooting the goal of 1.5 hours. Oops. We chose the trails that led straight up the bluffs and carrying 3 liters of water in my camelback was more difficult than expected as we walked up hill. I’m so curious to know how this compares to what we’ll experience in Nepal.

If your in Wisconsin or even Northern Illinois, I recommend checking out Devil’s Lake for camping, swimming, hiking, and the serene views from the bluffs.

Gear

My living room is currently covered in Amazon boxes. It looks like I’m moving! In between the boxes is my duffle and various odds and ends that will be packed in my duffle for the trip. Basically, at the moment it looks like REI exploded in my living room.

Needless to say, I’ve made some fun purchases in the past week!

BUFF! – Also known as a balaclava, but don’t ask me how to pronounce that. I found this merino wool buff on Amazon. Worn around the head and neck, this will help keep me warm in the higher elevations, and maybe help with the shady air quality in Katmandu. Honestly, I don’t fully understand the purpose of these yet…

Travel wallet – Apparently these are good to have when traveling. I also don’t fully understand the purpose of these either. They’re supposed to hide your valuables when you’re obviously a tourist. However, I’ve successfully wandered New York City, L.A., and several U.S. international airports as a pretty obvious tourist, and I’ve never had an issue. But we’re going all in for this trip, so travel wallet it is!

ExOfficio Underwear – Have I posted about these before? I’m not sure… I bought one pair to try several weeks ago and just recently bought more. I LOVE THESE! They are mostly made of nylon, they wick moisture, and are quick-drying. They are made for hiking and/or generally active people, but I’ve incorporated them into my every day rotation. They are rather pricey for panties but since I’m bringing about 6 pairs for a 17ish day trip, I’m definitely splurging on fancy/comfortable undies. BONUS: They come in that flashy nude color your grandma would be jealous of. 😉

I have a few other things on the way and I’m still figuring out my camera situation. If you have recommendations on cameras please let me know! I’m wanting something better than just my iPhone for both video and still images.

Thoughts & Emotions

HOLY CRAP ITS AUGUST

The countdown is getting low! Less than 2 months til “go time”. I thought I’d be more anxious at this point than I actually am. I suppose that is a good thing. I’m being proactive with as much as I can which, I think, will help me remain relatively calm as the trip gets nearer.

My biggest area of concern is the international flight. I’ve never flown across an ocean and the general idea is terrifying. I know I’ll need to pack my carry-on strategically so that I can focus my mind on something other than the plan nose-diving into a circle of hungry sharks. 🙂

Other than the possibility of an ocean death, I’m feeling pretty good about the trip!

I leave you with a few images of my boyfriend’s band. I think I have a new hobby as a band photographer, with a specialty in iPhone photography of course.

Catch up with previous updates here and here and here!!