I’ve never been an especially outdoorsy person. I like the idea of fresh air and sunshine, but aside from the occasional hike or walk in the park, I tend to stay indoors. I’m a homebody, and I’ve become accustomed to my comfy bed, climate-controlled house, luxurious bathroom, etc. I’m just not the type for roughing it.

However, I’m really making an effort to become an outdoor enthusiast. It’s good for the body, good for the mind, good for the spirit, and if I can get my husband to join me, I think it will be good for our relationship. I’d like to amp up the frequency of our hikes, as well as go canoeing, white-water rafting (I did this in Bali and it was one of the most fun experiences of my life), biking and more. I already have an SUV and a bike rack, so it’s simply a matter of finding the time when the weather is good. I even recently agreed to go camping, something that I’ve never been interested in doing. Roughing it overnight in the great outdoors doesn’t seem like it would be fun, but I’m willing to give it a shot — as long as we can stop by REI first and stock up on lots of cushy gear.

Number one on my shopping list: a pair of good trail shoes, like the Adidas Kanadia. They’re cute, rugged and my favorite sports apparel brand!

I’m a size 9 if anyone wants to send a pair my way!

This morning I saw a link on Twitter – Lonely Planet had retweeted this article about how to travel the world for free. And while I don’t think it’s as easy as the author makes it sound, it did get me thinking. I love to travel. My family was fairly nomadic when I was growing up, and although most of our journeys were confined to the United States (with one brief foray to Mexico) I caught the travel bug at a young age. By the time I was 20 I had lived in five states (Louisiana, Washington, Texas, Kansas and Florida), and had visited many of the others.

After I got married, the travel trend continued. My husband also loves to explore new places, and because we have a lot of far-flung family and friends, we have had ample opportunities to see new places, even if it’s just for a weekend (among the places we’ve stopped, however briefly: Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington D.C., San Antonio, Austin, St. Augustine, San Diego and Los Angeles).

In 2007, my parents moved overseas for job purposes. The expat lifestyle afforded them the opportunity to experience many new places and cultures, and they extended the opportunity to us. Since 2008, I have been to Singapore (twice); Bali, Indonesia (twice); Phuket, Thailand; Oahu, Hawaii; and Paris, France.

Among the places I still want to visit? Argentina, Costa Rica, Belize, Spain (particularly Barcelona), Vancouver and Toronto, NYC and more! Where would you like to go on your next vacation (domestic or international)? Any recommendations for places I need to see?

Here are some of my favorite shots from around the world (the hovertext contains caption info; click for full size image):

I have two: Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose or Cobbler’s Pose) and Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose).

In this yoga memoir, author Jessica Berger Gross details how she “lost 40 pounds with a yoga mat, fresh pineapples, and a Beagle-Pointer.” With a subtitle like that, I had to read this book.

It’s a very relatable tale. After a challenging childhood (including an abusive father and an exhausted, cowed mother), college-age Jessica finds herself an overweight, chain-smoking wallflower. Envious of her slimmer, more energetic friends, Berger Gross assumes it’s her destiny to be heavy and sluggish. However, after spending a year in Nepal, finding her true love, connecting with her yoga practice and moving to a house in the mountains, she begins to realize that she can change herself, although she has a few false starts before she finds her path.

She begins writing for yoga magazines, deepens her home practice and starts teaching classes. She attends a yoga retreat with Baron Baptiste. She gets a dog and starts walking her regularly. And she revamps her diet, starting off every day with fresh pineapple (and ending it with a lot of black bean chili).

By taking the advice of her healthier friends, severing ties with her parents and taking control of her destiny, Berger Gross eventually loses the weight and finds her happiness, though not without some struggle and a lot of hard work, proving that none of us is a slave to our past. An inspiring tale, indeed.

Ani Phyo has a new raw food recipe book coming out at the end of the month. I can’t wait!

Ani’s Raw Food Essentials will feature “simple, fresh recipes using what you’ve already got in your kitchen while also offering tips on dehyrating and more sophisticated techniques. Phyo offers everything from classic comfort foods like nachos and burgers to Reuben sandwiches and bacon, along with more gourmet dishes like risotto, angel hair pasta, and her ‘you-won’t-believe-they’re-raw’ desserts.”