Fifteen done ... 37 to go...

What: #2 Embark on a yoga retreat

Where: San Diego
When: May 2nd-4th

Steph and I on Day 2, planking on the boards!

Why: Over the years, I've done yoga off and on. I like the way I feel like I'm in therapy, the way everyone speaks so calmly and reminds you to love yourself and spread joy to the world. And often, I feel like I've had a massage, the way my muscles are warmed up and worked out. There is a yoga studio in Detroit I've tried to attend more regularly with my friend Steph, and she suggested going to a full-on yoga retreat together. This was an offer I couldn't refuse, so months ago, we booked this trip, and when it finally arrived, it was absolutely perfect timing! I was in need of some major readjustment of my attitude, my perspective, and my well-being, so with gusto, I prepared to embark on my first yoga retreat on the Pacific Coast.

The retreat was organized by Paddle Board Bliss, and included four of us, two from Michigan and two from Arizona. On our arrival, we were surprised by an upgrade to a suite at our resort, and admired the great location we had in proximity to restaurants, the beach, a running path, and a smoothie place! Within a few short hours of arrival, we were happily on the bay, paddling our cares away, and I had my first taste of paddle board yoga. 

Yoga relies heavily on balance, which I am pretty good at from climbing; it also relies on core strength, and mine has greatly diminished in the last year or so. To do yoga on a paddle board, holding steady while your board is ebbing and flowing with every wave that rolls by it, is an entirely new challenge, and one that I gladly enjoyed tackling. Especially on a hot weekend, it was wonderful to be able to feel the cool ocean water wash over your hands and feet in the midst of holding a particularly difficult pose. I did avoid the more difficult poses that I can do on land (tripod and wheel, for example), for fear of falling into the ocean. I know, it would be a much less harsh landing than falling onto the ground, but I still backed down from that particular challenge. And regret it; the intent of the retreat was to push my comfort level in my yoga practice, and so I should have attempted it. I realize, however, this just gives me something to aim for on my next retreat!

Water, hat, paddle, anchor, board...the tools of the weekend!

Blissed out after a meditation session on the beach

Fourteen done ... 38 to go...

What: #56 See a U of M lacrosse game

Where: Michigan Stadium

When: April 26^th

Why: Living so close to the University of Michigan, I’ve been privileged to experience a wide variety of sporting events on campus, and as more varsity sports were added, I realized that there were still many that I had not attended. Just this year, lacrosse was added, and lacrosse is a totally foreign sport to me. Many youth lacrosse leagues exist in the area, but to my recollection, this sport did not have any popularity when I was growing up, so I stuck to the traditional soccer and track and field.

Having made the decision to see a lacrosse game, and with the intention of seeing the Michigan women’s “Team One” play a game, an unexpected turn of events transpired. A couple of months ago, I was asked to work with a volunteer new to my place of work. It was immediately apparent this volunteer was an athlete for the Wolverines; his entire wardrobe consisted of nothing but maize and blue attire, adorned with block Ms, almost as if a required uniform. After a few weeks, we started talking about his sport, and he explained that he plays lacrosse! It ended up that JD was able to get tickets for me and friends to see him play his last home game at The Big House.

Arriving at the stadium on game day, it is quite a contrast to the typical football game day experience, but it was still a larger crowd than I had expected. There were many youth teams there to see the game, and I don’t think I quite understood the extent of the popularity. We came in during the first period and our first impression was how frequently they score; I had assumed it was much like hockey or soccer, with goals being a bit rare. Instead, the first half of the game saw nearly 20 points scored! Also, I had no vague idea of the rules, but there were video excerpts played on the video boards between periods (some starring JD!) explaining what was happening. This helped immensely!

The fast pace of the game, the speed of the players, the occasional outbursts of pummeling and checking with the lacrosse sticks, it made for a rather exciting afternoon! I preferred the second half when JD got his playing time as a defender and we could cheer for him; having a personal connection made it more fun. We all enjoyed it, and I’d love to go see a women’s game in the next season to see them play, too!

Fourteen done ... 38 to go...

What: #56 See a U of M lacrosse game

Where: Michigan Stadium

When: April 26^th

Why: Living so close to the University of Michigan, I’ve been privileged to experience a wide variety of sporting events on campus, and as more varsity sports were added, I realized that there were still many that I had not attended. Just this year, lacrosse was added, and lacrosse is a totally foreign sport to me. Many youth lacrosse leagues exist in the area, but to my recollection, this sport did not have any popularity when I was growing up, so I stuck to the traditional soccer and track and field.

Having made the decision to see a lacrosse game, and with the intention of seeing the Michigan women’s “Team One” play a game, an unexpected turn of events transpired. A couple of months ago, I was asked to work with a volunteer new to my place of work. It was immediately apparent this volunteer was an athlete for the Wolverines; his entire wardrobe consisted of nothing but maize and blue attire, adorned with block Ms, almost as if a required uniform. After a few weeks, we started talking about his sport, and he explained that he plays lacrosse! It ended up that JD was able to get tickets for me and friends to see him play his last home game at The Big House.

Arriving at the stadium on game day, it is quite a contrast to the typical football game day experience, but it was still a larger crowd than I had expected. There were many youth teams there to see the game, and I don’t think I quite understood the extent of the popularity. We came in during the first period and our first impression was how frequently they score; I had assumed it was much like hockey or soccer, with goals being a bit rare. Instead, the first half of the game saw nearly 20 points scored! Also, I had no vague idea of the rules, but there were video excerpts played on the video boards between periods (some starring JD!) explaining what was happening. This helped immensely!

The fast pace of the game, the speed of the players, the occasional outbursts of pummeling and checking with the lacrosse sticks, it made for a rather exciting afternoon! I preferred the second half when JD got his playing time as a defender and we could cheer for him; having a personal connection made it more fun. We all enjoyed it, and I’d love to go see a women’s game in the next season to see them play, too!

Thirteen done ... 39 to go...

What: #33 Eat at Fleetwood Diner in A2

When: April 13th
Where: Ashley Street
Why: This is one of those college experiences that I missed out on for an unknown reason. Actually, I recall people in high school heading out here, too, probably because it was one of the only places open all night (other than Meijer Thrifty Acres...) and that instantly made it cool. In recent years, as I started to over-think it, I had an irrational fear of going here because it seemed so greasy that I was legitimately afraid that I'd walk in, slip on the floor, and fall down into leftover diner crumbs and whatnot. This did not seem appealing, and thus I passed by the Fleetwood Diner on many occasions, heading for higher ground and cleaner floors. Still, it seemed such a part of local culture to eat here that I have felt that I was truly missing out on something that I could only understand if I partook of a meal here. And so this morning, hungry for a hearty breakfast, I headed to the Fleetwood. I procured a fine table outside under the awning, ordered quickly, and enjoyed the people watching. For food, I sampled the Hippie Hash, and dove into my french toast (which was actually VERY good). The vibe from the waitstaff was a bit brash, which is not what I expected, especially on a warm spring morning that should have put everyone in this city in a good mood. Dour waitresses aside, as I sat surrounded by college students and their dogs, loud-talkers, and someone on their laptop (there is no way I'd take my laptop here!), I definitely enjoyed my first experience at Fleetwood and would happily return for another morning brunch.

Twelve done ... 40 to go...

What: #31 See the Cherry Blossoms in DC

When: April 9th
Where: Washington, D.C.
Why: A lot can change in a year. A LOT. One year ago, I saw a small grove of cherry trees in the state of Washington, hidden in a small city park outside of Seattle. I went to this park alone, altho I was on this particular trip with a person that is no longer in my life, something I could hardly fathom at the time and which still sends me reeling if I think about it too much. And yet, just as the days move through the seasons, life keeps happening, reminding us that there is always something to come after a relentlessly wicked winter. So, armed with the reminder of those beautiful cherry trees and the enchantment of their falling petals, I headed to Washington DC (a place I hadn't been in about twenty years) to surrounded myself with cherry tree blossoms. The trick was to plan a visit around nature's schedule, which was a bit off this year due to the aforementioned wicked winter. Luckily, the National Park Service maintains a handy chart to help, so I managed to plan the trip to coincide nearly perfect with this year's peak bloom. The weather was lovely, the grass was green, flowers of all varieties were blooming...basically, it was a great chance to get an early jump on spring; at home, those tell-tale signs won't be around for another couple of weeks.

The history behind the cherry blossoms was really interesting. I learned that First Lady Taft had a lot to do with it, and that the current trees we see are actually the second batch "gifted" to us from Japan. The park ranger we had a tour with one afternoon explained even more history, including the three people behind the whole process. Another surprising aspect of the cherry blossoms to me was that they are actually found all over the city, not just around the tidal basin. This makes for lovely photo opportunities at every iconic structure...the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the White House!