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Do As I Say, Not As I Do

So, on Monday, I was still in “welcome to New York” bliss when I wrote the post A Weekend in Three Cities.

Now, three days later, I’m dealing severely with the consequences of my weekend choices. Just in case any of you thought I wasn’t human and never hit that place of utter exhaustion or dealt with jet lag, this post is for you!

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Things didn’t start to get rough until Tuesday afternoon when suddenly I felt as if I was walking around in a daze. I went to a happy hour with my old office and barely had energy. I snuck out early because I just couldn’t handle catching up with people. My eyelids kept closing and I caught myself constantly yawning, even though it was only 8 pm.

I went to bed an hour later, sleeping until 7:30 yesterday. I woke up feeling good but emotionally I was a wreck. I blew up at Bo about something so insignificant I can’t remember it now. The entire day, I was an emotional roller coaster. I headed downstairs to run, hoping that releasing some endorphins would help make me feel better. For thirty minutes, I felt incredible.

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But then, as if the run used the last of my energy, I went back the zombie-like lethargic stage. I had a few errands I had to run yesterday including seeing an apartment in Brooklyn and sorting through some issues with our bank. Two separate people told me I looked ill and faint while I sat in their offices. In fact, I found myself briefly snoozing in one office, while the kind lady processed our paperwork. I owe her a cupcake and thank you note for her kindness.

I came home, donned my eye mask, and did my best to sleep from 4-7pm. In the middle of Times Square, this isn’t an easy feat due to the traffic and construction noise. Yesterday, this didn’t phase me a bit and instead I found myself just waking up when Bo walked through the door.

I tried to rally, going out to dinner at a neighborhood spot, but couldn’t bring myself to eat as my stomach wasn’t having it.

Up four times during the night, and still in bed this morning, I’ve learned the hard way that jet lag is far more than just exhaustion.

Jet Lag Isn't Just Exhaustion

In the future, do as I say, not as I do. Don’t think that you’re invincible and that “powering through” will mean that you can do it all without feeling the affects of jet lag.  After a stressful week and long flight, make sure to be kind to your body, so it doesn’t rebel. Unfortunately, there aren’t many recommendations on what to do at this point in the game other than rest, warm bubble bath, and sunshine.

So with this revelation, that stomach issues and even PMS symptoms can be a symptom of jet lag, I’m going back to sleep. My only goal for today, other than packing for our long weekend away in the Catskills, is to sip NUUN and sleep as much as possible. Hopefully, I’ll wake up feeling better and excited for the relaxing long weekend with family!

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A Weekend in Three Cities

It was a whirlwind weekend but yesterday, around 5 pm, I found myself overlooking my favorite city in the world from the roof of our temporary housing.

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It’s hard to believe that between Friday and Sunday evening, we went from Geneva, Switzerland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to New York, New York!

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We ended our time in Geneva with one final barbecue along the lake. We spent the evening, perched on the rocks, talking and enjoying lots of wine and food. Like many of our Geneva nights, the barbecue evolved into a night of sipping rose wine and dancing at Les Voiles.

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Needless to say, after only 2.5 hours of sleep, we were both utterly exhausted. I was so exhausted that I forgot to wash the conditioner out of my hair during my quick pre-airport shower. The early morning sunrise was far prettier than the way we felt as we loaded our suitcases into the cab and bid farewell to Geneva.

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These are our “how quickly can we fall asleep now that we’re safely on the plane” faces.

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Two flights and one layover later we landed at JFK Airport perfectly on-time with all our baggage. Within an hour of landing, we found ourselves en route to Philadelphia for our good friend’s engagement party. Bo deserves an award for letting me play this song on repeat the first ten or so minutes of our drive.   IMG_1493

While Bo drove, I managed to do a quick wardrobe change, swapping out my leggings and t-shirt for my new favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress. Paired with makeup and some hair spray I was able to go from jet-lagged to somewhat presentable.

IMG_1496The engagement party was the perfect way to reunite with some of our close friends and get to know the rest of the wedding party. Sean and Kelly were beaming the entire evening, so excited for the big day and to be surrounded by so many friends and family members.

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After the engagement party ended our group headed into Wayne, a small town along the Main Line. I lived in Wayne for two years, from 2007-2009, and always love returning the area. We took over the back booth at our favorite gastro pub, Teresa’s Next Door and laughed into the wee hours with everyone. By the time we called it a night, we’d been up for 26 hours!

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Unfortunately jet-lag didn’t let me sleep past 6:30 even though I was still so exhausted and wanted nothing more than twelve hours of deep sleep. I went for a walk, grabbed a coffee and spent the next few hours reading on our hotel’s front porch while the others slept until a normal hour. After breakfast and another coffee stop, we headed back to New York City, making it back to Time Square area in less than 2.5 hours!

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Once back in the city we spent our afternoon moving into our temporary housing, located in the heart of Times Square.  While the location isn’t necessarily ideal, the apartment is very nice and conveniently located just a few blocks from Bo’s office. We are so thankful to be once again together and have a furnished place to live while we search for an apartment.

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After making a last-minute trip out to Brooklyn to see an apartment that hit the market on Saturday we collapsed on the couch with dinner and a large, much- deserved glass of red wine. That, along with the first two episodes of Orange Is the New Black made for quite the relaxing evening.

What a weekend it was! Luckily there are only three more days in this week before we enjoy a relaxing weekend in the Hudson Valley with Bo’s family!

Your turn: If you’re familiar with New York, what is your favorite restaurant, bar or coffee shop I need to add to my “must visit” list now that I’m back in the city?

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The Weekly Sweats – Sweats & Eats

Happy Thursday!

This week’s post is going to be a little shorter than normal as I’m in the midst of counting boxes and helping the movers ensure they are each labeled correctly! It’s crazy to see our apartment empty!

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Once again, this accountability challenge really helped me stay on track this past week and even motivated me to eat healthier than planned while in London. While wine has definitely been more present in my diet than normal, I’m proud of the fact that I’m down another pound and feeling pretty good overall.

What Did I Add This Week?

Instead of squeezing as much in as possible while in London, both Margaret and  Charlie had the great suggestion that we relax more than normal. The time spent with them was quiet and included lots of long conversations, home cooked meals and sleep. Considering the amount of stress I had coming this week with the move, I can’t thank them enough for keeping me sane and ensuring I started the week rested and refreshed versus exhausted from nights out at London bars.

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SWEATS

  • Monday- I took this day as a rest day as I was exhausted after multiple delays on the redeye flight  from New York City.
  • Tuesday – I made sure to squeeze in one last lunchtime BodyPump class before the move! This class was a killer as the instructor asked us to challenge ourselves by adding more weight during tracks!
  • Wednesday – I only had 30 minutes for my morning run which meant that speed was the best way to use the time. I was drenched in sweat when I finished my 3 mile run in 25:45!
  • Thursday – My final CXWORX class was a tough one but I am so proud of the progress I’ve made over the past two months. I found this CxWorx video on YouTube which will be a perfect way to keep up my ab strength once back in NYC.
  • Friday – Early morning 3.72 mile run with Margaret through Victoria Park and Olympic park. 
  • Saturday – Charlie and I did ALL THE YOGA together on Saturday including 60 minutes of Yoga at the Shard followed by 60 minutes of restorative yoga with Jasyoga. A full recap of the relaxing and restorative Jasyoga class is coming soon!
  • Sunday – Nike Women’s London 10km race (6.2 miles in 53:05 minutes)

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EATS

I don’t have a full recap of last week’s meals though the biggest things that I feel helped me were SHARING and EATING IN. Due to the festivities, I ate dinner out five nights last week which can easily add unwanted calories and pounds. My girlfriends and I shared meals most nights versus ordering our own dishes. In addition, as I mentioned, Charlie and Margaret both proposed cooking in one night which worked out perfectly! Sometimes nothing sounds better than a huge salad with all the toppings included my new favorite, roasted broccoli!

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