Virtual Coffee Date – August 2017

*insert obligatory comment about how summer is going by WAY too fast*

But seriously. I’m long overdue for a life update, shoot-the-shit, not SEO driven blog post. What the f*ck is going on with my life? How has summer been? What do I do all day?

These are questions I get asked on a daily basis by my friends. And maybe you’re a bit curious too.

Let’s dive on in and catch up…

Virtual Coffee Date – August 2017

If we were having coffee today… we’d talk about what I’ve been up to this summer.

In many ways I’ve embraced the crap outta summer — multiple impromptu beach trips. And the inevitable sunburns that follow.

But I swear it’s not all beach days and tanning. Contrary to popular belief, I am taking a course for grad school. And spending your summer writing a huge ass research paper in less than 6-weeks is… uh not-so-fun [more on that below]

Also, I haven’t talked about this here yet — and only hinted to it on instagram — but I’ve been spending this summer auditioning as a yoga teacher [also more on that below]

I had mentioned in our last coffee date that I accepted a freelance marketing opportunity with a health coach. It ended up not being the best fit for me right now financially. It’s something I’ve seen across the board in social media + marketing. People want to pay you like an intern for a job that requires legit experience and knowledge. I’m sure other freelancers and those with non-traditional-careers can relate. And it’s something I’m sure I’ll continue to navigate.

I’ve been able to instead focus my energy elsewhere — building out some things for this blog, yoga auditions, and freelance writing opportunities that are a better fit.

▼▲▼

If we were having coffee today… we’d talk about summer guilt.

I’ve been carrying a lot of guilt this summer and am just starting to shake off the feeling. My schedule and life is not very “traditional” right now.

I won’t pretend my life is harder or easier than someone working a typical 9-5 job. I am fortunate that I can afford [literally] to have the freedom I do at this very second.

But it’s left me feeling guilty about my life. While I have the right to take a Monday “off” and head to the beach, something about it feels very privileged. And I also don’t always feel like I deserve that day off.

Some days I don’t work. Other days I sit at my computer for 12-hours doing school work or blog work. That’s why my life looks like these days. The ebbs and flows, my friends.

▼▲▼

If we were having coffee today… we’d talk about grad school. Yes, I’m still trudging along and bitching about grad school every step of the way. So it goes.

This summer I’m taking one course — Consumer and Buying Behavior. I won’t bore you to tears with the nitty gritty details of the course, but I will say taking a full course in 6-weeks is no freaking joke. It’s A LOT. And it’s all based around a group project. I’m sure I’m not alone in hating on group projects.

On the bright side, only one week left to go. And then I’m one step closer to being a literal master of social media. Woohoo!

▼▲▼

If we were having coffee today… we’d talk about teaching yoga! I have some exciting news on the teaching front to share soon — but I’m not ready to spill the beans just yet.

What I will say is one of my goals this summer was to spruce up my yoga resume and apply for teaching positions. Now that I’ve been teaching for a year (holy moly!) I felt ready to tackle some yoga auditions.

You’d think I was studying for the GMAT again…..

I got some big news coming your way [soon!] but in the meantime I’ll tell ya this:

I’ve spent most of my weekends have attending 20+ hour yoga training intensives. These intensives culminated in two rounds of auditions. The process was INCREDIBLE. Like, holy crap I wish I would’ve had some of this feedback a year ago when I started to teach. And I’m SO excited for what’s to come. But dudes, I was also SO excited to have this weekend off to veg the f*ck out.

▼▲▼

If we were having coffee today… we’d talk about SUMMER STREETS.  I can’t not mention it because taking advantage of Summer Streets this Saturday was easily one of my highlights of summer.

So, what are Summer Streets? For three Saturday’s in August, 7 miles of NYC streets get shut down so people can run, walk and bike. It’s incredible.

My mom and I made a plan to rent CitiBikes and bike ride around the city.

Don’t worry, grandma, we wore helmets and everything! 

We both LOVED it. I don’t get to bike ride all that often — and spin classes are NOT the same. There’s something so freeing and relaxing about it. My mom and I already have a date to do it again this Saturday.