Exploring the Melbourne Suburbs

Well, we've almost been out of the States a week now and are getting a pretty good idea of life here and the layout of the city. I left off on Friday evening, where we met up with Korie's friend for drinks. Our walking tour guide suggested a neighborhood a bit north of the city called Fitzroy, so we got ready and walked about 15 minutes there (there is a bunch of public transportation, but we still haven't been brave enough to try and figure it out...I'm sure it's easier than it seems. Getting familiar with it is on our list to do this week). Since we had a few appetizers earlier in the evening, we weren't too hungry for dinner but felt like a snack was needed. We stumbled across a restaurant called Smith & Daughters. After quickly browsing the menu, we learned we were in a Spanish-style vegan restaurant. Not initially what we planned, but we ordered some mushrooms and were pleasantly surprised. The tour guide suggested a bar called Naked for Satan, which is supposed to have some of the best views of the Melbourne skyline. It was definitely an interesting crowd to say the least. Picture the biggest hipster you've seen in Austin and multiply that by a lot. I definitely stood out in my cowboy boots! We went upstairs to check out the skyline and quickly decided that it wasn't really our scene. We then took a cab back to the CBD and checked out a bar called E55. That was an interesting crowd as well. Completely opposite and mainly college-aged kids. At the end of it all, we just decided to call it a night and ended up talking to our new hostel roommate from Dublin before going to bed. 

The next morning, we walked a block over to the Queen Victoria Market. It's a huge farmers market with tons of fresh produce at really great prices. I guess what we spend in alcohol, we can make up for in buying cheap fruit and veggies. Once we grabbed breakfast, we called an Uber to take us down to St. Kilda for the next 10 days. The Melbourne Cup starts this week (similar to our Kentucky Derby...but a bigger deal) so prices at the hostel went up to about $50/person a night. We figured, if we are going to pay that much, we might as well find a room on AirBnB so we can have a private space with our own bathroom. We are now in St. Kilda (about 5 miles south of the CBD), right on the beach, and paying less than the hostel. 

Luna Park

After our less than spectacular experiences with the bar options the night before, we set out on Acland Street near our apartment, in hopes that it would be more our crowd. Thankfully, we were right and pleasantly surprised! We fit in much better and it felt more like a Cali/beachy vibe. While the drinks were still somewhat expensive, it was a tad more affordable ($16 for a glass of wine and a Fireball shot...great combo) and we decided that since it was a more enjoyable crowd, to let lose and have a great Saturday night. We did and it ended up with some late night McDonalds (and no, they do not have a dollar menu). 

Even though the weather was amazing, Sunday was a very lazy day. I think the mix of jet lag finally catching up with us, not sleeping well in the hostel, and drinking quite a bit the night before were the culprit in us sleeping until 2pm. We eventually got up and went for a run on the beach with an early sushi dinner. We opted for a Netflix and chill night and were asleep by 10pm. 

A nice restaurant on the beach

Sunset after sushi

That brings us to today! We woke up around 9 to a cool 55 degrees, Facetimed with some family and friends, grabbed some groceries and went on a 5 mile run around the area. It's a very weird feeling not having a job and not technically being on vacation. I'm used to taking one to two week trips and trying to squeeze in as much as possible in that time period. But adjusting to the idea of living here is a whole other mindset that will take some getting used to. We will be in St. Kilda until Nov. 3rd...then it's off to New Zealand and Fiji! 

Our First Few Days in Australia

We made it! We are alive and well and loving Melbourne so far. Since we've had quite a few people asking, I figured we should check in and share our experience over the past few days. 

Before we flew over to Melbourne, we spent a day and night in LA. We rented a cute bedroom off AirBnB and went out to dinner in West Hollywood. The next morning, we took a cycling class and then Korie's boyfriend gave us a little tour of LA until it was time to head to the airport. Our flight didn't leave until 10:30pm, so we got there with plenty of time. 

Initially, we were dreading the 16 hour flight from LA to Melbourne. However, it actually wasn't as bad as we thought. Since it was nighttime, it was easy for us to fall asleep right away on the plane. Next thing we knew, 8 hours had already passed. We spent the rest of the flight watching inflight movies & TV shows. I believe the pilot actually took off an hour or two, because I was surprised to find that we landed almost an hour earlier than scheduled. 

Our first Aussie sunrise

We arrived at the airport around 8am on Thursday, easily went through customs and quickly found our driver to take us to our hostel. Since it was too early to check in, we dropped off our luggage, freshened up, grabbed coffee and set out to walk around the CBD (central business district...what we would call "downtown"). We came across a river tour and decided to hop on that to get a lay of the land and learn a bit about the area. It was about an hour long and very informative. 

After the river tour, we walked around the Southbank and docks area where we sat down to enjoy some much needed lunch. A lot of the prices around the area seemed high, but considering the location and the fact that they don't add tax or tip, it's really not that much different than a nice lunch back home. Plus, it seems like many places add a beer or glass of wine with a meal for their lunch specials. We both ordered a lunch dish (which were very big portions) with a glass of wine and paid $20 AUD each (approx. $15 USD). Not bad after doing the math and comparisons, but at first glance, it can seem a bit daunting. 

Lunch view on the Southbank

Once lunch was finished, it was close to 2pm and we were able to check into our hostel. We walked into our 6-bed dorm room and were greeted by the sound of sweet sweet country music! Our roommate, Brian, was from Seattle and we immediately hit it off. Soon after our introductions, his friend Sam from Manchester, England came by. They played some card games while Korie and I took an amazing 3 hour nap.

Once we woke up and showered, Rob from Germany joined in and we all played a few drinking games in our room before heading out. While most meals are similar in price to the U.S., the one thing that is NOT is their alcohol! They charge about $10-12 AUD for one beer, $12-18 AUD for a mixed drink and around $7-9 AUD for a glass of wine. Obviously, we've already decided that wine will 100% be our drink of choice. Brian introduced us to what they like to call "Goon" (think Franzia/boxed wine). It's really cheap and tastes like it, but it's better than paying those high prices when going out. After a few games, we walked 2 blocks to a local bar. Since it was Thursday, it wasn't too busy, so we grabbed a table and had great conversation. We were in bed by 1:30 and woke up around 9:30 the next morning, so all in all jet lag hasn't been too terrible.

Friday morning, we woke up to have an orientation with the Australian Backpackers Agency we hired to help us set up our bank accounts, tax numbers, cell phones, etc. It was very helpful and left us feeling much less stressed about all of it (I highly suggest getting an organization like them to help if you ever find yourself in a similar situation). After we finished being productive, Korie came across a free walking tour. The guide was great and really filled us in on some basic Australian history. Around 4pm, we met up with an Australian lady that Korie had on one of her tours in the U.S. this past summer. Her daughter joined us and we grilled them for more information about the city over wine and appetizers. 

Since I don't want this post to go on for too long, I'll end here and continue with Friday night and where we are now next time. It's a little more exciting, I promise! 

FYI - everyone loves my cowboy boots! 

What I'm Taking to Australia

It's almost here! In 4 short days, I will be leaving the good ol' U.S of A. and starting off on our Australian adventure. If you missed my initial post regarding our trip, you can check out the Q&A here.

I covered most of the basic questions in that post, but one of the newer questions I've been getting is, "What are you taking?"

The short answer: One large checked bag. One carry-on size bag. A backpack.

The long answer....

Since their seasons are opposite of ours, when we arrive, it will be the beginning of summer. That means I don't have to deal with packing bulky winter clothes & boots (for now) and can fit more summery, light clothes in my bags. If I do decide to stay over there when their winter begins in June, I will either buy some clothes there or have my mom bring a few winter pieces over with her when she comes to visit around that time.

The big theme around this trip is "downsizing" and hopefully living a simpler life. I'm taking a handful of shirts & tanks, 3 pairs of jeans, 4 pairs of shorts, a couple of summery dresses, 3 light jackets, lots of bathing suits, workout clothes, PJs, and only 6 pairs of shoes. That doesn't sound like a whole lot, but when you throw in toiletries, hair supplies, make-up, a laptop, and other random little things, it doesn't leave a ton of space. I'm thinking I may actually need to re-pack a bit and make a few cuts or invest in a vacuum-sealed space saver bag.

I think that covers the bulk of what's going with me. If anyone has must-haves or suggestions from taking similar trips, please share!

Moving to Australia Q&A

G'Day Mates! 

Ever since I posted that I was moving to Australia with my friend Korie next month, I've had quite a few questions come my way from people just curious as to why I'm going there, what I'll be doing, how long I'll be away, etc. So I figured I might as well type up a blog post to address everyone's questions in one place! 

So the main question...

Q: Why are you moving to Australia?

A: I actually looked into doing this shortly after graduating college when I was living in Dallas. I was interested in the idea but never really followed through. I was working an entry level job and wasn't making enough money for the idea to really happen as I would have liked it to. So I put it in the back of my mind for a few years and right around the first of this year, my friend Korie and I started discussing it. We figured now is the best time to go... not married, no kids, not working a dream job, etc. I would probably always regret it if I didn't do it while I could. Not studying abroad in college is one (small) regret I have, so now is the time to make up for that!

Q: Why Australia?

A: First off, why NOT Australia? :) Hello, it's beautiful! But in all seriousness, we wanted to go somewhere that was safe, where English was the main language, and the customs/visa application was easy. It doesn't hurt that our dollar is fairly strong there right now too. 

Q: Where in Australia will you be living?

A: After doing some extensive research, Korie and I decided on Melbourne. For the past few years, Melbourne has actually been rated the #1 city in the World to live in. Sydney was another top contender, as we've both heard great things, but the cost of living in Sydney is a bit higher than in Melbourne. We also considered Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. 

Q: What was the Visa application like?

A: Surprisingly quick and painless! After both saying we were 110% in for this journey, we filled out our visa applications online, paid $300, and within SIX hours, I received an email stating I was approved. Korie received hers a few days later. We applied for the Subclass 462 Work & Holiday Visa, which is good for 12 months from the time you arrive and only applicable for people under the age of 30 (another reason to go now...I'm not getting any younger)! I think Australia really wants young, educated Americans to come over for a period of time and contribute to their culture and economy. 

Q: When are you leaving?

A: Our flight leaves Oct. 19th. We are going to spend one night in LA and then tackle the 16 hour flight from LA to Melbourne on the 20th. With the crazy 15 hour time difference, we won't be arriving there until the 22nd. 

Q: How long will you be there?

A: The Visa is good for up to 12 months (so I have to return by Oct. 22nd, 2016). Since Korie is a tour guide and only works 6 months out of the year (she has October - May off), she plans to return to the US in May so she doesn't have to give up her job. As for me, 6 months is my minimum. I want to get as much out of the experience as possible and since I am giving up my job here, I want to make it worth the trip and money. 

Q: What kind of job will you have?

A: This one is a big TBD. A better answer would be, I know what kind of job I do not want to have. Ever since graduating college in 2010, I've worked a typical 9-5 desk job. I want to try and steer clear from that as much as possible. Thankfully, my parents have been gracious enough to let me live at home the past few months (rent free). This has allowed me to save a bit of money so I won't need to get a job right away and can maybe swing a part-time job during my time there. Ideally, I would love to work at a gym, surf shop, or possibly one of their professional sports teams. Something active!

Q: Any travels plans around the area?

A: Yes! We decided to spend the first month or so traveling around the area before settling down and getting a job. We will be in Melbourne for about 10 days and then take off to Christchurch, NZ, Auckland, NZ, and Fiji. We will be back towards the end of November, when we can move into our apartment we found on AirBnb and will begin the job search at that time. 

Q: Will you be running & blogging while you're there?

A: I really want to! I know with the time change, it'll be a bit harder to communicate with my friends and family back home. I know the blog would be a great way to document my time over there and share our experiences with loved ones. I do plan to keep up with running while there and can't wait to explore all of the new sights on my routes. I plan to post lots of pictures and keep everyone updated via social media and the blog! 

I am going to miss everyone so much (especially around the holidays...no Thanksgiving?!). But everyone has been so supportive and reassuring in telling me that this will be an amazing adventure and worth giving up so much back home. 

In summary: #YOLO

Ambronite Supermeal Review

A few weeks ago, a rep from Ambronite reached out to me to sample their new product, a drinkable supermeal powder. I had never heard of Ambronite before, but was curious to research it and see what it was all about. 

Ambronite is an organic drinkable powder that packs in a similar amount of nutrients you'd get from a well-balanced meal. It is 100% real foods with optimal amounts of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that our body needs to function daily. 

Their mission at Ambronite is to help busy people live life to the fullest with healthy meals made out of the most nutrient dense ingredients available. The powder is vegan, GMO-free, contains no added sugar, artificial flavorings or preservatives. 

Sometimes in our busy lives, we don't have a ton of time to make healthy meals at home and eating out can often leave calories and ingredients up to the imagination (as well as a nice dent in our wallets). Ambronite takes 2 minutes to prepare and each meal contains 500 calories (32% fat, 44% carbs and 24% protein). 

Here's a breakdown:

The first time I tried the powder, I shook it up with ice and water. It tasted pretty good (think oats and mixed nuts...very earthy), but the mix didn't stay combined very well and everything kept sinking to the bottom of my shaker. The next day I decided to go a different route and added water, ice and the powder to my Magic Bullet and blended it up...much better! Day 3 I played around a bit and added half of an apple and a handful of blueberries to add a punch of sweetness. It tastes good on its own, but the fruit really kicked it up a notch for my taste buds. I plan to continue mixing it up (no pun intended) and try out different recipes and combinations. 

Side note: each individual packet contains quite a bit of powder...almost too much for me. So when making my drinks, I only end up using a little over half of the packet, which really makes them go a long way. 10 packets could easily translate to around 15 meals for me (but that's just according to my preference). 

Ambornite is offering y'all 10% off your purchase when you use the code ATHOUSANDMILES10 at checkout (as well as a free shaker bottle for first timers). Let me know if you try it and what you think! 

Click Here to Buy

Here's a full list of the ingredients:
Organic oats, organic coconut, organic lucuma, organic chlorella, wild bilberry, wild sea-buckthorn, organic brown rice protein, organic stinging nettle, organic rice bran, nutritional yeast, organic spinach, organic spirulina, organic almond, organic flax-seed, organic apple, mineral salt, organic brazil nut, organic blackcurrant

Liverpool Half Marathon Recap

A little over a month ago, I went across the pond to Dublin, Ireland and Liverpool, England with two of my best friends, Kristen and Korie. Kristen and I originally planned the trip in order to check an item off our bucket list and do our first international run. We wanted to go somewhere full of history, where the weather would be great and English was the main language. We found the Liverpool Rock 'n Roll Half and Full Marathon, saved up and booked our trip well over a year in advance. We encouraged Korie to join as well and things quickly fell into place. Since it's a smaller airport, flights to Liverpool were pretty expensive. We opted to fly into a larger city and spend a good portion of our time in Dublin, while then taking a cheap flight over to Liverpool from there. 

We really only had about 48 hours in England, so the majority of this portion of our trip was mainly centered around the race. We got in late Friday night and headed to our hotel. Saturday morning we walked over to the convention center to pick up our race packets and explore the docks around town that afternoon. The city isn't very big, so it was easy to get around on foot. We made sure to stop by The Beatles Museum and soak in all of their history. 

We called it an early night on Saturday and got some rest before race day. Lucky for us, the half marathon didn't start until 9am (10am for Kristen with the full 26.2, which we all thought was kind of odd), so we were able to sleep in a bit later than most race days. We grabbed breakfast at the hotel and walked about a mile to the start line. Even though we were there in June, it was pretty cold that morning. With the start line near the water, the wind was strong and temps were in the 50s. 

I love running in new places! It makes everything go by so much faster when you have new scenery. I have to say, I never thought "Running down Penny Lane" would be on my bucket list, but after we did it, I added it to it and then quickly checked it off! They were playing the song, "Penny Lane", on the loud speakers once we got to that part of the course and it gave me goosebumps! The course was surreal...it was so beautiful and tons of history surrounds the city. 

Neither Korie or I trained for the race, so we took it nice and easy in order to soak everything in and not hurt too bad over the final few days of our trip. We finished in just under 2:30 and walked a mile back to our hotel to wait for Kristen (ouch). We showered up and met Kristen after she finished the full marathon at what has to be the most awesome place I've ever been...

Anyone who knows me, knows Friends is by far my favorite show (Korie's too), so when we stumbled upon this gem, we had to check it out! It was one of my top 5 favorite parts of our trip. It was set up exactly like the show's coffee house and had reruns of Friends playing nonstop...perfect place to relax with some wine while we rested our legs and waited for Kristen. Once she met up with us, we headed back to the Liverpool airport to return to Dublin for a few more days of adventure. 

This ended up being my 10th half marathon in the past two years and I couldn't have picked a better location for the milestone. While it was by no means my best time, it was easily my favorite course. And running it with some of my best friends made it even better! I definitely want to do another international race...possibly a full? I still can't make up my mind on that one...

Cyc Trainee Program

After recently having another birthday and turning the ripe old age of 27, I've come to the conclusion that my body can't quite continue taking on the toll of long distance running. While running will always be my first love, I've started exploring other cardio options that will keep up with my aging body (okay...there's a hint of sarcasm here, but I'm still getting older)! 

A few months ago, a friend and I came across a new member deal at a nearby cycling studio. We bought the 3 ride package and I instantly became intrigued by indoor cycling...specifically, this studio called Cyc. I loved the atmosphere, the music, the lights, the workouts, the instructors, and everything else about it. Overall, it had a different feeling than other gyms I had been to before. It wasn't intimidating and I instantly felt connected and welcomed.

The Cyc Method:

"Cyc offers an exhilarating, beat-based, 45 minute ride that activates the whole body, the whole time. Weights are incorporated into sectors inspired by more than 20 different sport movements such as boxing, volleyball and swimming."

After a few weeks, I kept wanting more and knew that this workout was a great fit for me. I wanted to be part of the Cyc family and quickly figured out who to talk to in order to make that happen. I emailed the manager and found out that they'd be having "auditions" within the next month for those interested in potentially becoming a Cyc instructor. 

For the audition, I had to prepare 4 sectors (i.e. songs) to perform for the lead cycologists there (I just love how they call their instructors "cycologists" - it fits perfectly with the name and working out is definitely a form of therapy for me...who needs a real psychologist when you can sweat out your problems?). These 4 sectors included a warm-up, jumps, swimming, and boxing. The Cyc method is much different than your typical spinning class. Their method incorporates weights during certain tracks and works the entire body (as opposed to Spinning, which is similar to simply riding an outdoor road bike). 

Once the audition date arrived, I had picked my music, created and memorized my routine, and worked on my stage presence and confidence. The latter really got me out of my comfort zone. Physically and mentally, I can create a routine, memorize it, and perform it without any problems. Where it gets tough for me is having to lead a class and keep them motivated at the same time! I was able to let my personality shine through during my audition (even though it is still something I will have to continue working on) and was notified the next day that I made it into the next round and would be included in their training program to become an instructor! 

The training program starts on May 4th. It's going to be one of the most intense, yet exhilarating, challenges I've ever done. We will be training at the studio Monday-Friday from 7pm-11pm for 8 weeks! I am so excited to meet everyone and see what training has in store for me. However, even though I have been accepted into the program, it does not guarantee an official Cycologist position. There will be on-going evaluations throughout the process and an exit audition must be passed before you can become an official instructor. 

I will make sure to document this journey on the blog! Here's a short video showing a glimpse into what a Cyc workout looks like.