best of 2013.

2013.  what a ride you were.  i can honestly say you held some of the best & worst moments.  you were challenging and frustrating and trying and honest.  and yet, at the same time, you were surprising, full of new experiences, love, magic and most of all, growth.

i didn't document much this year- and that's okay.  i lived.  i embraced.  i forgave.  i moved.  i learned.  sometimes without even knowing it, i did what i needed to do.  and in the end, it made this past year perfect.

so adios 2013.  i know this next year will hold much wonder and joy- and for that, i'm thrilled.

christmas 2013.

christmas this year was magic.  

a. and i picked up our tree on a random tuesday night.  

we decorated our home.  

we visited brightly lit neighborhoods and ventured to festive events throughout the month.

we received holiday cards from loved ones near and far.

we made homemade kielbasa and wrapped presents.  

we celebrated christmas eve with our annual fondue fest.

we bonfired often.

we basked in amazingly warm san diego weather.

we surrounded ourselves with family and friends.

we opened presents.

we laughed.

we loved.

we celebrated.

christmas, you're my favorite, one million times over.

tea time.

from left to right: tie kwan yin, glass mug, tea maker, cast iron teapot, tea spoon, countess of seville

i love tea.  generally, i drink a few cups a day- one or two in the morning, another around 3:00 in the afternoon and finally, an herbal tea before bed- assuming i don't choose an adult beverage instead.

but i have to be honest, while i've always loved tea, i never truly became obsessed until a. and i purchased this coffee/hot water maker.  it's awesome because water's always hot and ready- making it perfect for an impromptu cup of tea at anytime of the day or night.

as my interest in tea has grown, so has my desire for more specialized tea accessories.  i love loose leaf tea, so the tea maker and cast iron tea pots make using the loose stuff convenient, and since it's a bit more expensive, the tea spoon helps me gauge how much tea i'm using per cup.  win-win-win.

in addition to finding tea at our local farmers market, i also buy from teavana and david's tea.  there's a ton of flavors out there- so that can be a little overwhelming.  i recommend starting with what you like or making a purchase with a friend and split the loot.  i'm a bit of a purist...green, black and oolong are my go-to choices.  but i've also experimented with buying some fruity herbal teas and mix them with mate or another base flavor.  it's a fun way to find your fave combination.

if you're looking for a last-minute gift for the tea-lover in your life, i'd say start with anything listed above.  i guarantee they'll be happy campers.

13.1 miles.

on sunday, a. and i raced in our very first 1/2 marathon.  this race took place along the sliver strand, a strip of highway in san diego that connects coronado island and imperial beach.  i won't lie.  i was nervous.  like, am i going to be able to do this thing, nervous.  luckily i not only signed up with a. but also with my sister-in-law and a friend and his daughter (both of whom do races like this all the time and convinced me that if i stick to my training, i'll be fine).

early into my training, i decided this race wasn't about time.  it couldn't be.  this race, my very first 1/2 marathon, had to be about finishing.  so i adopted a motto to keep me focused: chug-a-lug.  i'm not sure when or where i first heard this, but i loved it immediately.

after a cloudy and cold couple of days, we woke up on sunday to the most beautiful, sun-soaked, southern california weather.  the morning was cool and refreshing and as we stretched and the sun rose, the day just got better and better.

the coolest part of this race is that in addition to the 1/2 marathon, they offer races for rollerbladers (this is what my sister-in-law did--actually, she's the one that peer pressured us into doing this in the first place), hand-powered equipment, a 10K and a 5K.  there is literally something for everyone.  plus, the entire race is flat...the perfect course for a bunch of novices or speed racers.

during the race i had a great time.  i ran solo and enjoyed listening to the various coaches and other people's conversations while taking in panoramic views of the pacific ocean and san diego bay.  it wasn't until mile 8 that i started getting hot spots on my feet and had to adjust my socks and shoes.  at this time, i also decided it was time for music.

during the race, i divided the course into four 5K races with 1 mile remaining at the end.  this helped me break down the race into manageable pieces and not get overwhelmed with miles and miles of road ahead of me.  while slow, i stayed really steady and finished strong.  so strong in fact, that i definitely could have ran longer if for some crazy reason i decided i wanted to.

as for 1/2 marathoning, i now have a time to beat and another goal to set my sights for.  i'll definitely do another one in the recent future and plan to continue to keep long runs as part of my overall training.  the entire process, while initially unnerving, was a lot of fun, totally gratifying, and made me so proud of our exciting accomplishment. 

ready or not.

after years of talking about this, months of training for this, weeks of not feeling ready for this, and days full of anxiousness about this...i'm finally doing this.  a half marathon.

my legs feel strong & i have great tunes.  i've also saved some podcasts and audio books for the long run as well.  more importantly, it looks like we're going to have some rare, cool weather in san diego...so i'm looking at that as an added blessing.

i'm excited and right now, my plan is just to finish the 13.1 miles on two feet.  but if i roll, crawl or scoot across the finish line, i'll definitely consider that a success as well.