Thyme 2 Travel Productions

It’s official! Sari and I have now started a Production Company that our film project will fall under. Due to the progression in our project and the possibilities we hope it brings we thought it was appropriate to make it more legit. Very exciting, yet a little scary at the same time. Still so much to do to get it off the ground but we are taking the steps for success. I have a strong belief in having to take risks to move forward toward what you believe you are meant to do and the only thing I can do now is be confident about it. Our website is currently pretty generic but up and running. Still working on getting a logo. As far as the project goes, we have some big days coming up in a couple weeks when we will shoot a big portion of the pilot. A little nervous and stressed about the prep work but it is gonna be a lot of fun.

Texas isn't quite India

Just found out yesterday I get to go to a Health Immersion program for some continuing ed in Austin, Texas next weekend for a week! It will be a week of healthy eating, exercising, spa-ing, and listening to nutrition lectures. Very exciting! The best part about it is that I am staying an extra night so that I can hang out with my dear from TESS! She is going to school at Texas A&M and is going to make the 5 hour drive up to Austin just for the 24hours we get to see each other. Tess is a great friend of mine that I worked with at the summer camp in California and we haven't seen each other since.....1 1/2 years ago! Looking forward to my time in warmer weather, cleansing my body, and visiting with a great friend.

India 2011?

So at work I have the opportunity to apply for a 30 day volunteer trip abroad. There are a few locations to choose from and one of them is India....a place I have wanted to go for a long time now. I am handing in my application essay today in hopes of getting selected but it goes through store level, regional level, and on to global level before selections are made. I will find out at the end of this month. If selected I still have to raise money for my plane ticket but I will cross that hurdle when I get there. Squeezing my thumbs and crossing my fingers for this wonderful opportunity. The following is the essay I am handing in today. In the essay, I had to explain why I want to go and what I would do when I return.....

“For it is in giving that we receive...” - St Francis of Assisi

This quote truly expresses much of the way that I have lived my life and it continues to guide me in my pursuit for a life of purpose. It is not describing giving as a way of receiving something back physically but it is about giving to others and receiving the reward of seeing them truly, positively impacted by what you have done. I see the option of volunteering with the Whole Planet Foundation in India as a wonderful opportunity to perform this kind of giving. As a Whole Foods Market Healthy Eating Specialist and Nutrition Educator, I have the privilege of helping guide and support others in making choices for a healthier lifestyle. Providing information and seeing the way that food can impact the lives of others is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.
In reading what The Miracle Foundation Organization is all about and what they are doing in India, I would feel extremely privileged to take part in this year’s pilot program. I have always had a strong interest in volunteering abroad and my heart yearns to share love and give hope to women and children in need. Not only do I want to give to others but I have a passion for travel, I love experiencing different cultures, and I believe in having the true authentic experience when visiting another country. My travel desire is not to visit tourist attractions, fancy restaurants, five star hotels, or to lie on the beach drinking cocktails; I want to travel with a purpose. This purpose is a purpose to help others, a purpose to experience other cultures , and a purpose to give of myself, whether that be through nutrition education, food, music, recreational activities, or just comforting words and touch.
Upon my return from a trip of this nature, I would love to share my experience with Team Members and the community through a presentation of pictures, words, and items I bring back with me. Just as it is a passion of mine to inspire and empower others to nourish their bodies with quality foods, I would love to inspire others to learn about, respect and give back to other communities and cultures. Another aspect of my presentation would most definitely have to include traditional Indian foods and cooking techniques. Food is such a huge part of my life and how I experience culture. It is extremely significant in the portrayal of culture and human experience, largely contributing to defining family traditions and rules, companionship and family roles, and sharing and community. What a better way to share a cultural experience than with the help of food.
In close, I would like to share a poem that I wrote last month as part of an assignment. I recently finished getting my TEFL certification to teach English as a foreign language. An activity in one of my lesson plans is for students to write a poem of their own called “I am.” With prompts for the beginning of each sentence such as: I am, I believe, I feel, I hope, etc., the following is the poem that I wrote so that they could see an example of a part of who “I am.”

“I am...a nurturer”

I am… a nurturer
I wonder… what others need
I hear… soft whispers in the wind
I see… wounded hearts
I want… everyone to feel loved
I am… a nurturer

I pretend… that nothing hurts me
I feel… others pain
I touch… the lives of others
I worry… when I can’t give enough
I ask… for a guiding hand
I am… a nurturer

I understand… this world is a big place
I believe… I can make a difference
I dream… of touching the lives of many
I trust… in love
I hope… to give others what they need
I am… a nurturer

Blizzard, NYC, and Film Day 2011

Chicago Blizzard 2011

NYC

Sun bathing on the rooftop

ugggghhhhh.....my knees are about to give out just looking at this picture.

On the roof top where we were staying in Manhattan

Caro and I in front of a pastry shop....guess who needed a midnight cupcake ;)

Profile pic for filming

Sari and I and our traditional little sip before the days filming

Mic-ing up for the shoot

In the streets at the parade

Wow….I really haven’t written on here forever. This has been a CRAZY year thus far but great. Such a busy time…finished my online class to get my certificate to teach English but still have to do a little tutoring practicum, made it through the month of January with only a few full days of work off, lived through the Chicago Blizzard 2011, made a quick trip to NYC to see my dear friend Caro, and started filming some more of our pilot. This year is shaping up to be busy, productive, eventful and I would like to think, successful :) The blizzard was pretty big for Chicago but not much for this Montana girl. Pretty cool to see the lightning and the thunder though (new for me) in the midst of 20 inches of snow and 70 mile per hour winds. It almost prevented me from making it to NYC to see Caro though who was in the states for a few days and I would have been very upset to miss the trip. After a couple cancelled flights I made it there a day late but still had a great time. It was gorgeous weather with blue skies and in the low 30s with no breeze. Obviously still chilly but great for early February. Such great quality visit time in a short span and before I knew it I was back on a plane again to Chicago. Caro was there defending her dissertation to finish her doctorate in psychology. She did it! Congrats, Dr. Heindel!

I got back late last night and woke up early enough to meet with Sari and write a couple little script points for our filming session in Chinatown at noon. It couldn’t be missed as we were taking advantage of the Chinese New Year Parade taking place in the streets; a great time to get some good footage. After a few hours of filming in a couple shops and out on the snowy streets, I began to look like a wet dog and was chilled to the bone. Not really the image I was hoping for when I make it to the big screen but I think we got some good stuff. We packed up the gear and I immediately headed into to work for the remainder of the day and evening. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow and hopefully a few less things on my plate this month.

Happy New Year!

The New Year's Eve Paella and my personal chef

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all doing well and ready for a whole new year. I am! I think this year is going to shape up to be quite eventful. On New Years Eve, a friend of mine, Michael ,came over and cooked a yummy spanish seafood paella and we rung in the new year with some delicious food, bubbly champagne and a gorgeous view of Chicago sporting some fireworks. He is a chef so it was a litle strange to mostly watch the cooking being done cause usually it is me cooking. It was a nice rest :) I was very fortunate to have the next 3 days off of work so that I could mentally prepare for the month ahead. Lots of events going on at the store this month so I have an enormous amount of work to do. You know how it is...everyone wants to be healthier in January, right?! Still working on my certificate to teach English overseas and I'm getting ahead so I don't get stuck with lots to do in the end. Should be completed mid February. Also, still working on the filming project and we have had a few really good steps toward progressing that into something very promising. We now have a production company working with us and planning of a mini pilot show is in progress. Also have to do some filming for the store that you will be able to view online, probably in February. With all that said, I have had to fight some anxiety thus far in the new year but all for good reason. It's gonna be a good year!

Christmas in Chicago

Dad, me and mom at the Chicago Diner

All the gifts under my beautiful christmas tree (a pine tree branch door hanger set atop a candle holder n the middle of the dining table)

After church

White Christmas in Chicago

Handyman, Dad, keeping busy

Mom helpin prep Christmas dinner

Mom and I cooking

You know me....gotta take pictures of the food... Christmas Dinner

Cashew Cheeze Pesto with tomatoes and crackers

Awesomely colorful brussel sprouts and beets....so cool!

Yummy plate of greens, brussels sprouts, beets, dressing, potatoes, squash and mushroom gravy

Chocolate Chestnut Tart with Coconut Whip Cream

View of the city at dinner

Christmas portrait

Todd, me and Kiley

View from my bedroom on christmas night...you can kinda see the red and green spears on the Sears Tower

On Thursday my parents arrived on the train to visit me for the weekend; a very pleasant comfort for a heartfelt holiday. Their train was 4 hours late but it worked out perfectly for me to go pick them up from the station right after I got off work. We immediately drove up to a cool vegetarian diner up north of downtown to eat dinner. After a great meal in a funky atmosphere we dropped by my store to pick up some last minute groceries and to tour mom around since she hadn’t seen my workplace yet. Friday, I had to work a crazy day at the store, although it was quite enjoyable because of all the holiday excitement and change in tasks. We ran around picking up holiday dinner orders and helped all the last minute shoppers. The lines were huge and the aisles were packed; quite a site. While I worked, mom and dad enjoyed a day of shopping on the Magnificent Mile, walking around downtown and dropping by the Christkindle Markt before meeting me at Lou Malnati’s for an early Christmas Eve dinner of famous Chicago style pizza. We enjoyed our meal in the somewhat quiet restaurant before heading home for an hour and then off to candlelight church service. After church, we attempted to drive around Chicago to see some scenery but the snow and fog made it a little difficult. When we arrived back home, we changed into some comfy jammies and opened our Christmas gifts. Quite a different Christmas than what we are all used to but so thankful to be able to spend it with some family. Christmas day began with a little trip to the gym by my mom and myself before we started the dinner preparations. After working out, we made some coffee, had a little breakfast, made some family phone calls and began the cooking. The kitchen was in full function between the oven, stove, crockpot, and toaster oven. Dad helped out with a few handy man tasks around the house while we took over the kitchen. In the afternoon, my cousin Todd and his daughter Kiley came in from the suburbs to join us for dinner. We enjoyed our dinner, had a great visit, and then finished the evening with a movie and a skype date with Levi and his family. Like every other event or holiday these days, it flew by, just like that. This morning we walked to a diner for breakfast, visited with Sari and then it was back to the train for mom and dad and off to Montana. So happy they were here, and, as usual, it never gets any easier to go our separate ways. I’m so appreciative and very thankful for the effort put forth by my parents to visit, especially knowing the holiday circumstances. I know it isn’t always easy to know where I am or where I’ll be next but I’m always gonna be somewhere accessible. Thank you Mom and Dad! Love ya! Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you many many blessings now and always.

ChristkindleMarkt Chicago

Me and friend Jamie

My Souvenir Gluehwein Mug

A couple nights ago I finally made it to the ChristkindleMarkt in downtown Chicago. It is an imitation of the WeinachtMarkt that originated in Germany and Alsace. They street markets associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent where they sell crafts or handmade items such as nativity scenes, nutcrackers, toys, books, and ornaments; treats such as lebkuchen, gingerbread, and candied nuts; and you can enjoy German food such as bratwurst, sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and curry fries while drinking Gluehwein (hot mulled wine) or Eierpunsch (an egg-based warm alcoholic drink). If you look back on my blog last December you will read about me experiencing this for the first time but in the originating country of Germany. LOVE IT! Jamie and I went in the below zero weather and drank a little hot wine while walking around a little bit but spent most of time huddled in the big warming hut. Really glad that I finally made it up there before Christmas but it was also a bit heartwrenching at the same time. Seeing all the familiar treats, drinking the wine, and hearing bits of German being spoken tugged at my heart-strings as it reminded me of Germany and how I miss being there. Maybe one day I will make it to German WeinachtMarkt again. I’d say it’s a pretty good possibility ;)