Busy Planning for a Bright Future
I have to start with an apology. I’m so sorry for abandoning the blogging world! Too many things have been working against me, such as:
- a broken camera
- too much homework
- upcoming AP exams (arggghhhh!)
- planning for a trip that ultimately was cancelled
- making a decision on colleges!
The latter has taken up a huh-YOOJ amount of time, and is simultaneously incredibly nerve-wracking and ridiculously exciting. Basically, it boils down to money at this point. I got into Wellesley (woohooo!), which is where I want to go, but other schools like Mt. Holyoke gave me scholarships. Yikes. What’s a girl on a limited budget to do?
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My girl Hillary Clinton graduating from Wellesley!
I’ve visited Mt. Holyoke, and will be visiting Wellesley at the beginning of next week (after what is currently spring break)… Exciting! I am soooo curious to see how the two compare. Both women’s colleges, yeahhh….
People tend to have a weird reaction to that, and I don’t really know why. For anyone who’s ever seen Legally Blonde (and that better be everyone!), a women’s college is basically living in one big sorority for 4 years, where everyone paints each other’s nails and beds are lined with pink stuffed animals and sparkly throw pillows. People get all bent out of shape, saying that at women’s colleges (a) everyone is a lesbian, and (b) you are forced into 4 years of celibacy and never see a single male. Both are completely untrue! At both schools, which I have visited at least once, there is a vibrant sense of culture and community, and it is totally normal to see girls with their boyfriends, etc. That said, no one gets bent out of shape if you see a girl with her girlfriend, either, which I think is a very positive thing.
Me at Wellesley???
I firmly resolve to blog more regularly, and I will of course give updates on the college process. Once I get my new camera (I’ll go shopping ASAP!), I will also obviously give more foodie pics and sweet campus shots 
Laters, loves!
<3′s
Gabriella
Holy Happenings
Oh, my bloggies, how I have missed you!
It’s been a long, long time. Too long. We I have some serious catching up to do!
I’m afraid that, as I explained in my last post, available pictures might dwindle out as my camera is broken It was brand new at Christmas, gorgeous (and not cheap!) Nikon, lens decided to act funky. Ah, well. There’s always the warrantee, right?
AND the refrigerator broke! So I have been living off of the few things we can cram into a mini fridge (for when I run off to college, hehe), Amy’s soups, and brown rice. The freezer obviously died too, so I had to really quickly finish all the previously frozen edamame beans and Boca burgers. *Phew!* We’re in week numero dos. This is not OK– I want a freaking salad! But, hey, I’ll manage 
OK, now for the stuff you actually want to hear:
Israel? Incredible! What a wonderful experience to be able to have! I had never been to the Middle East before, and this was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the rich culture of this oft-dismissed part of the world.
My favorite things, Israeli edition? In no particular order:
1. Being able to ask and learn first-hand about the Arab-Israeli conflict
2. Seeing adorable little old Jewish men sitting on park benches
3. Falafel——-> I ate it at least every other day! It was nerve-racking, I admit, for it is a *gasp* fried food! but in the end I was proud of myself for sucking it up and going out and just living… Especially considering it was delicious!
My little brother (isn't he cute?) noshing on what was by far the best falafel we found!
Incidentally, the best falafel place in town also had the cutest falafel cook in town!
4. The genuine friendliness and openness of the people there. I went half-expecting to face some trouble as an American, but was completely proved wrong! People were so sweet and kind to us, even going as far to giving us free things, like…
5… Arabic coffee! Strong and so good (and this is coming from someone who doesn’t even drink coffee anymore for stomach problems– it made me want to start drinking it again!)!
How cute are the little shot glasses?
6. Hummus– I had it at least once a day! One day I even had it at every meal ;) I had been nervous about finding appropriate vegan food, but was very happy to find that many staples of Israeli cuisine are completely vegan! I traveled armed with a guide to vegan-friendly restaurants and even a sheet that said “I am vegan” in Arabic and Hebrew, but I did not once have to use it! Though it was incredibly scary at times, this forced me not only to try new, interesting foods from another culture but to really push against my own fears and force me out of my comfort zone. I tried wonderful new things like orange soup (yams and carrots) with homemade whole grain bread and quinoa salad with grilled eggplant, but I also was required to do something I haven’t done in at least 2 straight years and many times before then: trust my intuition. I had to go by what I thought was an appropriate serving size and by what actually satisfied me– which (seeing as I am completely out of practice!) was actually really difficult! Of course I fear overeating, but I also have to directly contradict the omnipresent desire to restrict, restrict, restrict.
7. Looking out on a synagogue from a church in Nazareth while I could hear the call to prayer from the mosque. The beautiful cultural diversity is amazing and so refreshing!
The mosque of Jazza Pasha in the old city of Akko
Hair covered!
8. The incredible natural beauty of the land:
9. And the natural beauty of the local males ;)
And just to finish it all off, I must include one more foodie pic donated by the (really cute) waiter at a restaurant we went to one night. After agreeing to take a picture with me (I claimed I needed to prove to my Jewish friend back home that Jewish boys can be cute!), he brought out this beyond adorable arrangement:
Apparently it says “Enjoy!” in Hebrew (not that I can verify this!), which I think is a perfect note to end on :)
Goodnight my blogging beauties!
<3′s
Gabriella
I’m Not Dead!
Hello, my little blogaronies (rhymes with macaroni, don’t ask!)!
I offer my sincerest apologizes for my prolonged absence from the blogging world, and even though (a) I was in Israel and (b) my camera broke (argh!) that should not be an excuse for ditching my online lovelies!
So just popping in to say that I am not dead and that an update of my adventures in the Holy Land (and through its food!) will be posted shortly.
In the immortal words of Tigger,
Ta ta for now!
<3′s
Gabriella
Sweet Thangs
Hello, loves!
Sorry for the long gap, but I’ve been pretty busy and haven’t had much time for blogging :( That said, I did manage to take some pretty pictures!
I’ve been really distracted also because I’m leaving this February break for a 10-day trip to Israel! I am incredibly excited as I have never been to that part of the world and am eager to learn about this new and beautiful culture.
Though in the days before I’m scheduled to leave (this afternoon!), I’ve had some pretty sweet snacks…
Stare into that muffin vortex!
My mother was adorable and picked out some vegan muffins for me at Whole Foods from a local bakery (Zen Bakery, ahhh the cuteness!). Initially I was skeptical – I can’t remember the last time I had a muffin – but was pleased at the solid nutritional stats and the berry goodness of these lovely berry bran muffins. Best part? No sugar – just sweetened with dates, one of their teensy FIVE ingredients! Perfection with a glass of soymilk!
Blueberries and raspberries and cranberries, oh my!
And of course I enjoyed lots and lots of tea over the course of the last week or so. I have my green tea in the morning (hehe I’m such a dork!) and then graduate to other tea types (black, white, chai, etc.) later on in the day. I’ve already mentioned my infatuation with Yogi teas, but check out how cute my little tea tassel quotes are:
And to further satisfy my sweet tooth, I munched on these vegan lovelies that I found in the “health foods” section of Stop & Shop: 
They had a really nice, airy taste and were almost suspiciously delicious… But yet again, no dairy, no butter, no eggs, no weird un-pronouncable ingredients, no high fructose anything, and (even though I know I’m not supposed to count calories) I was pretty impressed with the low calorie content. These were just too good with a cup of either vanilla chai or rosebud tea.
Yet, sweet things were not limited to my taste buds: a savalicious friend of mine warmed my heartstrings by buying me a little impromptu gift when she went out shopping at Staples. Perhaps I’ll use it in Israel? College next year?
Are any of them AHL-mundz?
On that note, Fresh Fantastic, OUT!
<3′s
Gabriella
Reflections on a Not-So-Lazy Sunday
Happy hump day, blogging beauties! I have a little time on my hands (hooray!) so I decided to update on happenings since a jam-packed Sunday! What did I do? Oh, boy…
1. Finished a whopping FOUR scholarships (applications and essays) before noon. I am proud of myself for not gouging my own eyes out!
2. Took a lunch break and enjoyed fresh bagels from a local bagel shop with Tofutti, organic baby carrots, and red grapes (Mmmmm!).
It was a bigger midday meal than I’m used to, and it kinda made me ED nervous, but I am trying hard not to listen! I knew I’d be cramming later so I wouldn’t have as much time to sit down and eat stuff, though I hope that’s not just an excuse to skimp later :(
PS: Check out this HUGE bag of baby carrots! I put in a highlighter for perspective:
Baby carrots = <3
3. Household chores, including putting away purchases from a very lucrative shopping trip with Father:
Got these flats for only $20... and I thought the boxes were cute too!
Ultra comfy and practical, these will be my go-to travel shoes!
4. HOT YOGA with my Savly friend. Fortunately I was able to sport my newly acquired yoga pants from the day before (2 for $20, we’re such shoppers, hahaha)! We noticed there is an extremely small pocket on them… any idea what on earth that could be for? Possible ideas so far are change, loose jewelry, or a safety pin.
Classic bloggie picture, yoga edition
It was a loooong day… not much of a relaxing break before Monday, but I’ve managed to cope ;)
I had me some detox tea to, well, detox before another school week. My favorite teas in this department are, hands down, Yogi brand!
Taste great, plus they're super pretty
“Healthy liver and kidney function”, woo hoo! Now that is a great start to one’s week.
<3′s
Gabriella
Salvaging my Sanity
Hello, lovelies!
If there was ever a time to blog to relieve stress, now is that time! I am encountering some major anxiety issues about (you guessed it) school and the mysterious haze called the future. Not fun stuff to think about.
I’m currently in my second semester of my senior year, but I still cannot let go and am basically panicking about what my future might or might not hold. I don’t even know exactly what I want to do with my life, but I am really anxious about going out there and accomplishing it somehow somewhere some way.
I’m also just plain terrified about college admissions. I found this really useful site to predict my chances of getting into the schools I applied. Some stats were more promising than I expected, others a little less. I guess I just feel stupid having applied to some top-tier schools without really, in my mind, possessing the appropriate credentials. Mother suggests mindfulness, but I’m not sure. Boy, could I use a yoga class about now!
Right now I’m just trying to let go and try to accept that ultimately, I cannot control everything.
On a cheerier note, I plan to try to lift myself out of this funk. First up on my list: foodie pics!
Some lovely whole wheat pasta with delightful Kalamata olive paste and cherry tomatoes. Trust me on this, whole wheat or spinach is so much better than starchy white pasta, which is basically empty, unsatisfying calories!
Yes, I'm very Italian.
And a lovely salad of fresh lettuce, mushrooms, sprouts, and roasted soy nuts for protein (to keep me big and strong!) with a dash of organic balsamic vinegar for taste.
Gotta love those veggies
And of course, when the going gets rough, the tough drink tea to get through it! I always have my morning green tea and choose different teas depending on how I’m feeling ;)
Like my pretty cup?
Tazo chai with a dash of soymilk for a study boost
Any tips on how to calm down the stress monsters? What do you do to combat stress? I’m thinking of taking it slow today (morning volunteer work canceled!) and then getting in some cardio before horseback riding to score some extra endorphins, plus I have hot yoga tomorrow ;) Or maybe I’ll buy this insanely cool book?
Enjoy the weekend! Hopefully you will be stress-free.
<3′s
Gabriella
Hello world!
Hola, cyberspace friends! It’s lovely to be here!
Even though I’m not exactly new to WordPress, I created this new blog as my other one was just not working out for me… updating became too much of a chore! I guess I figured new year, new blog, so here we are!
On the New Year’s (even though it’s late January, hush!)/getting to know you theme, I have created a list of things that I want to accomplish this year – a New Year’s list of resolutions of sorts:
- Get in more cardio (it gets difficult in the winter!)
- Make more time for art
- Learn at least 3 crazy hard new yoga poses… and be fully able to hold them!
- Take chances and challenge myself
- Remind myself that one tiny aspect of my being does not define me (i.e. weight, lack of math skills)
- Keep my New Year’s resolutions!
And just to get into the spirit, here’s my first ever food review!
Who says Brussels sprouts are gross?
Dinner consisted of Brussels sprouts lightly sauteed in olive oil and garlic, oven baked potatoes with rosemary and thyme, and a good ole vegan Boca burger topped with mango chutney from my home away from home, Whole Foods. Delicious! What did y’all have come dinnertime?
<3′s
Gabriella
