Tag Archives: outdoors

Kayaking in South Florida: A guide on what to pack and wear

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My lovely friend invited me to go kayaking with her in Jupiter over the weekend. Being up for any adventure I, of course, enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity! I’ve only been kayaking one other time and it was in a double kayak through shallow, brackish water at a nature preserve in Palm Beach. This was my first time in a single kayak, pushing through current and avoiding boats and their wakes in intracoastal waters.

I was intimidated at first, and a bit uncoordinated, but I got the hang of it rather quickly.  My Garmin watch logged 5 miles by the time we had finished. Not bad for a novice!

I felt I had packed and prepared pretty well for our adventure and learned a few things I’d do differently for next time. 

Here is a suggested packing list for a So Flo Kayaking adventure:

To take with you on the kayak:
* water proof bags to stick your wallet in.
* water proof phone case so that you can take photos
* Sports/ water resistant SPF 30 or higher
* Light snacks such as granola bars or nuts
* insulated water bottle

To leave in the car for when you get back:
* towel
* flip flops
* dry clothes to change into

Here is a suggested list of things to wear:

* A hat that will remain fixed on your head via ties, elastic, velcro etc. (Or else the wind will knock it right off and into the water)
* Sunglasses
* fingerless gloves (like the kind used for cycling, lifting weights, yoga etc.) to help prevent blisters.
* bathing suite
* dry-wick clothing
* water shoes

Please comment here on any other suggestions for things I may have forgotten! 

Here are some pics of our adventure:

Getting Centered

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Today it was difficult to get out there and run. I’m both exhausted and lazy… but these are the rewards I must remember when I find myself wanting to take a day off.

Firstly, I feel so much more energized.  True, I was exhausted when I came home from work and almost passed out on the couch.  True, the LAST thing in the universe I wanted to do was anything physical.  But it is ALSO true that once you force your body into motion, you begin to realize that most of our day to day exhaustion is emotional or mental and not physical.  I have more energy after having run 4 miles than if I had slept an hour.  Go figure!

Secondly, I got some outdoor time.  Most office jobs (or teaching jobs, for that matter) don’t allot for time outdoors.  We spend most of our time breathing in the same stale air under artificial lighting.  I’ve even had two jobs in which I worked in offices without windows!  Can you imagine not getting a glimpse of sunlight for 8 hours of every day?!?!

After my run, I walked across the street to the beach and enjoyed this view.  I saw a little girl chasing small water birds whose species I don’t know, a flock of prehistoric looking pelicans flying across the darkening sky and a sailboat with some very lucky passengers pass by close to shore.  What could be better than that?

Wine Crate Herb Garden

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herb garden

 

I’m a creature of habit.  I have little routines that I look forward to and that bring me joy. My favorite of these is sleeping in and drinking coffee in bed while watching FoodNetwork on Sunday mornings.
Charlie, Max and I have a grand old time just cuddling, napping and caffeinating.  My favorite shows are those that show the host in his or her home, preparing a fun meal for the friends that will be coming over to celebrate the event they’re supposedly planning. I sit and fantasize about all the parties I could host and serve this or that dish at or how I could make this dish better or what I would add or omit from the other.
Sometimes, I get ideas for things that have nothing to do with cooking at all, such as decorating, party themes or, as was the case a couple of weeks ago, gardening.  One host showed how she used a box frame as a shelf in which she placed her planted herbs.   I’ve been ruminating on that one for a while… then Saturday it hit me!  Here’s what I came up with 🙂
Materials:
  • I went to my local wine superstore and purchased some wooden wine crates for $5 each.  Most wine stores either give these away or sell them to patrons who want to use them as gift boxes, etc.  You may have to ask a store clerk where they’re located for purchase or if you can just have them for free!
  • Variety of potted herbs (I got mine on sale, 5 for $10!)
  • clear spray paint with matte or satin finish
  • ring hangers, 2 hangers for each planter box.

Here’s how I put it all together:

February 8th: Living on a Whim

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Me... enjoying

Me… enjoying

 

Today, I’ve had some awesome outdoor time.  It started with a lovely impromptu breakfast at a cafe overlooking the water in Deerfield Beach.  I have to admit that walking the beach afterwards in my jeans made me very jealous of the sunbathers.  All I wanted to do was go home, get changed and head back to the water.  Unfortunately I had a 2pm  follow-up appointment with my esthetician and thought I wouldn’t have time to fit it into my day.

I thought about it for a minute and then said to myself…  what are you thinking?!  What if its overcast tomorrow?  What if I miss my opportunity and can’t go for another few weeks?  Are you really going to miss out on a gorgeous day like this after spending a whole week in a window-less office?!

So, I called to reschedule my appointment, put on my bathing suite, drove to the beach and sat my happy self down on a towel for an hour and a half.  Simple as that.  Perfection…..

January 26th: Nature

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Or this gorgeous sunset :)

After being stuck in a window-less office 5 days a week, I actually look forward to waking up early weekend mornings for my runs.  Not for the exercise, but just to spend some time outdoors, breathing in fresh air, getting some vitamin D from the sun and enjoying the feel and smells of everything.

This Sunday, I spent the ENTIRE day outdoors and had a blast.  A friend and I hiked 6+ miles through Estero State Park on Florida’s western coast then enjoyed a lovely sunset on Sanibel Island.  Shameful to say but, I’ve lived in Florida almost my entire life and had never been to this location only 2 hours away from my home!  It was lovely and I got to see so many fun and interesting things.  Enjoying it with a kind soul is always a bonus 🙂

Check out just a few of the sites:

January 19th: Being Outside

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blue sky

I must say I had a pretty amazeballs day….  It started off with Max’s first trip to the dog beach with a friend and his dog, breakfast outdoors and a great little walk through an art festival.  THEN I made up for the run I missed yesterday right smack in the middle of the day!  When else in Florida can you run 9 miles at noon and not die of heat exhaustion?!  To be honest, it was so nice out I barely felt myself sweat!  The icing on the cake was an impromptu dinner-date with my dear childhood friend.

Gorgeous blue skies, great company, getting some mileage in, hanging out with your girlfriend, spicy Chinese food AND a frou-frou drink to top it all off?!  What else can a girl ask for?

January 12th: Give it More! (Dale Mas!)

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bicycle

The weather was gorgeous today so I’m really happy I got to spend most of my time outdoors supporting a friend who was participating in a mountain biking race at a local park.  There were lots of families there, playing with balls, riding bikes, barbecuing and just enjoying how amazing it was out, like I was.

At one point I stepped away from the event and walked through a small portion of the park to find a restroom.  On one of the paths on my way over there, I saw a mother pushing the back of her daughter’s bike.  The little girl was whining and crying, obviously freaked out that her mom would let go of the bike and she would fall.  Her mother got a little annoyed by how whiny she was being and snapped at her in Spanish “Dale! Dale mas.  La vida es como la bicicleta.  Cuando crees que vas a caer, le tienes que dar mas.” Translation:  “Come on!  Give it more.  (pedal harder)  Life is like a bicycle.  When you think you’re going to fall, you’ve got to give it more.”  

It obviously had no impact on the 6-7 year old kid but, I sure as hell liked it 🙂