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Stefanie Van Aken

~ RSMLVTravel- Luxury Travel Design

Stefanie Van Aken

Tag Archives: thoughts on 39

Travel Bucket List

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Featured, Tips, Travel Inspiration

≈ 4 Comments

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Frolic, thoughts on 39

One of my first travel memories is from when I was 2 years old.  My mom took me on my first plane ride to visit my great-grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins in Rhode Island. Living in Las Vegas, that’s a cross country trip- probably about 5 to 6 hours direct at the time. Honestly, I don’t remember if it was non-stop or direct. I do, however, remember being on the plane. The sun was shining through the windows and casting an orangey glare across the seats. I remember standing up in my seat, binky in my mouth, and playing with the friendly gentleman sitting behind me, who had brown curly hair and a mustache. Once in Rhode Island, I remember playing in the grass. The weather was different there. It was warm and sunny, the perfect conditions to play outside, and actually enjoy being outside, unlike the excessive heat waves that keep desert dwellers locked inside with the A/C cranked up.

wanderlust

Though those memories are vague, but still prominent, the ones of the summers following that brought me back to Rhode Island, are the ones that stand out the most. Obviously, every year, I was getting older and able to experience more and, of course, remember more. Like how the houses were built, and the backyards all kind of ran into each other. There were forests and ponds in the middle of neighborhoods and my cousins and I would leave for the day and not come back until the sun went down. We would swim in the pond and try to catch turtles. Sometimes we would get to ride in the speedboat, or hang on to an inflatable tube while being dragged through the water. Dinners would consist of cook-outs and clam bakes. Everything happened outside. I wasn’t used to this. At home, we were not allowed to roam around the neighborhood on our own. It was too hot to go outside after 10am, so we had to get our outdoor playing done in the early hours of the morning, or once the sun went down in the evening. Sometimes, it was even too hot to swim in our pool. We would BBQ for sure, but dinner was eaten inside at the dining room table. Though I didn’t mind it, I also noticed there was a distinct difference in life in a city versus life anywhere else.

Travel_Bucket_List

School was another huge influence on my interest in life and other worlds outside of my bubble of Las Vegas. The more I learned about history and art, the more I couldn’t wait to see it all in real life. My French classes just made me itch more to get out and see as much as I could. In 6th grade, we started learning about Anne Frank and World War II. I couldn’t get enough about the conditions of war, how people lived, how this could truly happen and why. It wasn’t enough for me to just read about it, I needed to see it. I had to be there first hand to witness the historical remnants of what was left. I had to stand where Anne Frank hid, and look out the same window into the world that was no longer hers to explore. I needed to see that these Concentration Camps and Works Centers were real. I wanted to be where Hitler marched his troops through Berlin. I wanted to see the Berlin Wall! I was fascinated by the fact that a simple wall kept people out of the Western world and only 12″ from freedom. And, where was this magical palace of Versailles and the Place de la Revolution where Marie Antoinette was beheaded? This naked statue of David? The roots of my religion in Jerusalem, and the head of the church in the Vatican City? Greek and Roman mythology also intrigued me to the point that I was curious if Ulysses left anything behind that I could discover. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Mona Lisa’s smile, the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace? And, stop me with the museums! I wasn’t going to settle for pictures in books, I wanted to take my own.

Travel Quote

Because of this intense desire to see the world, I had to travel. Lucky for me, my parents had taken me to many places along the East coast at an early age: New York City, Boston, and Providence, and all over California, Arizona and Utah. In high school, I had opportunities to visit NYC and Washington, D.C.. At graduation time, when most of my friends were planning a Senior trip to Mexico, my parents quickly put the kabosh on that idea. So, I presented them with one offered through my school. A 17-day tour through the south of Europe. Starting in Madrid, Spain, and ending in Athens, Greece. I would miss some of my most desired destinations like Paris, London, Amsterdam and Germany, but I would be in Europe. Physically standing in Europe. One of our school counselors would chaperone the trip, and I would be exploring Spain, France, Italy and Greece with one of my best friends. It turned out to be one of the most amazing trips in my life, and the travel bug bit me even harder. I couldn’t wait to get back.

NYC to Napa

One of the reasons for choosing the University of San Diego for my college experience, was for the strong study abroad program available to students in good academic standing their Junior year. Again, I couldn’t wait for my chance, and this time, with a minor in French, I was headed straight to France. What I thought was unfortunate at the time, Paris was not offered as an exchange program. I was forced to take my semester in Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France. This changed my world. The provencal life in Aix was exactly what I needed to cultivate my need to drink in all the culture of the French. A slower, personable, more laid back lifestyle awaited me. Lavender fields, followed by sunflower fields, lined with olive groves painted the most picturesque atmosphere you could imagine. The food was divine. The people were beautiful. Since we were so close to Marsaille, I found a travel buddy and took advantage of our long weekends to travel everywhere we possibly could. The next summer, we met up in Europe again, and conquered the rest of the map, including East Germany, The Czeck Republic, Austria and Hungary. I made it to London several times as well.

Europe Collage

Since I have been married, my husband and I travel as much as we can. Not as easy as it was now with the added burden of financial responsibilities and our growing brood of 4. He also understands the importance of travel in my life, and how I want it to be a necessary factor in my children’s lives as well. When we first met, he took me to Telluride, Colorado. I had never been, and didn’t think I was much of a mountain person until I spent time with him there. We also road tripped through Nevada, stopping along the way to photograph the unusual and rural life that I had never really seen or noticed before. We visited his great-aunt’s home in Lake Tahoe, another great aunt in Roswell, New Mexico followed by a quick overnight stay in Santa Fe. My parent’s purchased a second home in Dana Point, California, where we have spent many summers and off-season months exploring Laguna Beach, San Clemente and visiting friends in San Diego and Los Angeles. As a new couple we would visit Hawaii every Spring. Our honeymoon found us in Bali, Indonesia and throughout Thailand for three weeks. My 30th birthday was spent on Anguilla in the British West Indies. A few trips to Cabo San Lucas sprinkled in between. As you can see- we married the right people. Our kids have been to some pretty impressive US cities, and we have more planned for them. I love taking them as much as I can to as many places as possible. I want them to be bitten, too.

Bali_Indonesia

Anguilla_British_West_Indies

Now, I’m approaching 40, and though I have seen many places, I still have a pretty extensive Travel Bucket List. Some things, if I don’t make it there, I will still be able to reflect on my life and say, “You done good.”. Others, I will feel the regret. So, am finally putting my list out to the universe. I am making it even more real by giving it a place to live on my site. It is organized by “Need To Go” and “Would Like To See”. I figured I have another good 20 years to start crossing these places off my list where I can really enjoy and explore. OK, maybe 30. It’s my goal to see as many of these places as I can within the next 30 years. What’s on your Travel Bucket List? Do you have one?

Need to Travel List

One way that helps me dream and plan my next bucket list trip is to live vicariously through some of the world’s best travel writers and bloggers. Click below to see if any of the locations made your list.

Wednesdays Wish You Were Here : Savannah by Hines-Sight Blog
La Prince Maurice in Mauritius – Paradise for Kids- Constance Hotel Review by Luxury Travel Mom
Desert Safari in Dubai, Anyone? by Chamorrow Chica
Experiencing the Magic of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland by Skimbaco Lifestyle
The Amazing Taj Mahal :: Old Jerusalem :: Why I Hated My Trip To Egypt by Where’s Sharon
Hogmanay for Families with Young Kids by Travel Turtle 
Scottish Castles are a Dream Vacation for Families by Tips for Family Trips
Cuba from the Heart :: Tea and Geishas by Mira Travel Blog
Visiting the Heart of Burgandy’s Wineland by Wandering Educators
Walking Through the Streets of Philadelphia by Travelogged

Celebrating 100 Things About Me

22 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ 1 Comment

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thoughts on 39

January is the month of cleansing for me. It seems to be the time where I remove, let go, wipe the slate clean so I can start over again for the New Year. Many people take the last few weeks of the year before to start contemplating their last year, how it all went down and plans for the new year, with written resolutions by the 1st to boot. Me- I can hardly find a time to breathe, let alone sleep and eat once Halloween makes it’s annual appearance. I do contemplate and consider, then my husband and I have our annual first of the year dinner where we chat about goals and stuff. This year was different. At first I couldn’t place it. I was feeling unfocused, had too many thoughts going through my head, and couldn’t understand why I wasn’t able to set some goals- any goals. Finally, it dawned on me, that beyond the abnormal amount of craziness during the holidays, we had moved our family of 6 for the 2nd time in 2 years, celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday, my cousin’s wedding, and New Year’s celebrations- I was exhausted. Distracted. My mind was fried. And, I was turning 39 this year.

photo credit Stefanie Van Aken

I needed to get back to me. In order to do that, there was a lot of work that needed to be done first. Most importantly, I needed to start cleansing. I had to let go of a lot of physical, mental and emotional things that were holding me back- keeping me stuck in my past. Some of these things were making me question my worth, my positioning, my importance in the world, to my family and friends, and to myself. Sometimes I forget who I really am, or who I was or what I stood for. Sometimes, being a mom of 4 and a wife, makes me forget about what I wanted out of life and what I had already accomplished. Driving one day, I started thinking to myself about all the positive things I have done. As I do, I was justifying all that I have done and all I have accomplished to that point. Not even so much what I had accomplished, but I was proud of. What I would want my children to know about me. It started to give me the courage and the confidence to know if I did these things, how could I not accomplish the rest of my life’s goals? Then I thought, if I can name off 20 things, can I name of 50? What about 100? I mean, I am 38 after all, which means I would only have to find 2.6 accomplishments or proud moments from every year of my life. OK, maybe a tad impossible, but even if I just went back to 18 years old, that’s 5 a year. I accepted my challenge.

This list is more like a stream of consciousness. It’s not necessarily in any order, just random thoughts I put down as they came to me. I’m also totally struggling with publishing this piece. Not only because it is all about me. But because it’s driving me nuts there are typos and grammatical errors. Understand, I had to create each section in a photo editing site. I really don’t want to go back and recreate all this text. I appreciate your blind eye to the errors, and here we go….

Words1001

created by Stefanie Van Aken

Words1002photo credit Stefanie Van Aken

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photo credit Stefanie Van Aken rockstarmomlv.com
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words10010.jpgcreated by Stefanie Van Aken

Thank you for joining me in this somewhat narcissistic post, if you made it this far. I wanted to do this as sort of an autobiography of me for my kids. As I was writing this, my son came over and started reading some of this and was impressed. He started asking me questions, and was intrigued. How could he possibly know his mother, like really know his mother, in the 9 years that we have known each other. I have to admit, it felt kind of nice to have him interested in me and some of things I had done. Mission Completion.

OK, now you. Take some time to jot down some of the stuff you are really proud of. Revisit the stuff you wince at when you go down memory lane. Embrace it. Then let it go. Hold on to the good stuff. Learn from the ugly. Move onto the next chapter of your life. What are your thoughts on 39?

 

Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by Stefanie Van Aken (RSMLVTravel) in Fun

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Food, health, thoughts on 39

Today’s Thoughts on 39 post is brought to you by Skinny Limits, a juicing company based out of Austin, Texas.

January is just as exciting a month to me as any. For me, it is a time of renewal, refresh, recharge, all the “re-” words work really well for me January. Amongst the to-do list: clean out the bedrooms, closets, and storage spaces, reorganize, donate and dump, make resolutions, and get my body back into a clear and clean mental and physical state. The holidays usually take the best of me. By the time New Year’s Day rolls around I am completely drained, and lucky if I’m not sick. This year especially was a doozy, and I was looking forward to taking my life back again during the month of January. I love to jump start my physical and mental being by doing a cleanse before I jump right back into the old work out routine. And, I’m always down for trying something new, even more so when it works with my daily life and my conscientious efforts of eating as clean as possible. Skinny Limits, a juicing company based out of Austin, Texas, invited me to try and review their 3-day juicing cleanse. I eagerly accepted the challenge.

Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse

Now, before you go jumping into a juicing cleanse of any kind, it is super important to think about some things:

  • Am I mentally in place where I can handle this challenge? You may think not eating solid foods for three days doesn’t sound too bad. But the reality really starts to kick in the end of that first 24-hours that your body is really craving solid substances. This can cause side affects like loss of cool (your temper), headaches, and fatigue, to just name a few. What I’m saying is, think about what your next 3, 5, 7 days are going to be like before you jump in- is your Significant Other out of town? Are you kids in school or out of school? Is there a life event coming up where you would want to eat, drink and be merry? Can you get enough sleep at night? Just prepping yourself for these situations can make or break your entire experience with a cleanse.
  • Am I physically in a place where I can accept this challenge? Juicing is super healthy and will fill me with energy and clean me out!! Yes and no. A juice cleanse is a great way to jump start your fitness regime and healthy eating habits, but again, I will caution that those first 24-hours can be grueling both mentally and physically. Hopefully, after the first day, you will start to feel a huge difference in your energy and can start working out again. Depending on what and were your body needs to detox, it could take longer than that, and cause some fatigue. Always consult with your doctor first to make sure your body can handle the big change in caloric consumption. Just because it sounds healthy doesn’t always mean it is right for you.
  • What are you looking to get out of a juice cleanse? Personally, I like to do a juice cleanse to regain lost energy, focus and detox my body a bit. Everyone has a different reason, just know your goal so you can measure your results in the end.
  • Just think about it: What are your next few days like? Can you bring the juice with you in a cooler if you have to be on the go? Will you have easy access to a restroom (because yes, you will need it, and yes, it will sneak up on you)? Can you handle mood swings over the next few days? Will you be able to handle your kids?? (that was a biggie for me) Is your mind clear of any thoughts that might distract, anger or upset you in anyway? Can you go without coffee, wine, carbs, etc. for the next few days? Where are you at in your menstrual cycle? (This is important to note for mood swings, cramps, and generally how your experience and deal with PMS.)

Skinny_Limits_Juice_Cleanse_Delivery

Alright, let’s talk Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse. This opportunity came knocking at the right time. As January was coming to an end, a juice cleanse was exactly what I needed to find my groove again. From my first communication with Skinny Limits, the entire process was quick and easy. I told them the date I wanted to start the cleanse, and the juice was delivered the day before. Since the juice is not pasteurized or processed, you have to drink the juice starting the very next day as it will turn. All juices were delivered at 10am by FedEx, in an insulated cardboard box, with a one page brochure listing all instructions and expectations, along with a number to call with any questions. Super simple. All my questions were answered in the brochure, but to be honest, I had done cleanses before, so I already knew what to expect. I really liked how there was a phone number available though, in case I had other concerns. Most importantly, the brochure instructs you to, “Ask for Joanie,” as in one of the founders of Skinny Limits. Not too many companies out there where you are invited to pick up the phone and speak with the owner themselves.

Skinny_Limits_Austin_TX

I was sent the 3-day Tropical Juice Cleanse, comprised of 5 bottles of fresh pressed, raw juice, and 1 bottle of a white concoction that was both juice and dairy free. I was to imbibe all 6 bottles every 2.5-3 hours each day. I was also allowed green tea or herbal tea, and plenty of purified water throughout the entire cleanse. It is suggested to abstain from eating any foods at all, but if you must, then a couple of stalks of celery, half a cucumber or 1/4 of an avocado can be mixed in, but best to not eat at all. Since January 2nd, I had already been reprogramming my morning rituals to include a glass of 1/2 fresh squeezed organic lemon, hot water and a dash of cayenne pepper. My evening ritual- 2 Tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar. Neither are delicious, let’s face it, but doing both really helped prep me for the cleanse. I had already started to notice a balance of my internal body temps (I’m usually either really cold or really hot), all of my kids have been sick, and I’ve managed to escape the icky coughs, colds and pick eye they have been sharing, and I’m hungry. The later being a positive because without the morning and evening rituals, I haven’t felt that boost to my metabolism in a long time. It was nice to actually feel hungry. My mind was clear and my body was ready, let’s go!

Daily_Rituals_Skinny_Limits

Day 1: Surprisingly difficult for me. One of my twins was home sick, so I thought my day would actually go quick since I would be distracted with taking care of him, maybe napping when he did, and trying to get in some writing. Wrong. He was very needy. This was very challenging and definitely played with my emotions a bit. I was counting down the minutes to my next juice. As the day went on, I got a grip how I was feeling. Things were looking up again until my older two children came home from school. Obviously, I did not drink enough water throughout the day, as I started to feel a major migraine coming on. But it was too late. My husband was out of town. The nanny put the kids to bed, but at 9:30pm, all 4 of them were in my room trying to get into my bed. I needed sleep, and for my pounding headache to go away. My emotions got the best of me, and we all went to bed crying.

Day 2: I woke up with a slight headache, but I was determined to have a better day. I committed to drinking a glass of water after every juice, and this seemed to help a bit. By the afternoon I was actually feeling really good. I incorporated a cup of hot green tea, and it was fabulous. I’m a coffee drinker, so I really needed that caffeine to get me through the morning. The green tea hit the spot. Instead of counting down the minutes to the next juice, I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to drink the next juice, as I was still full. By the end of the day, I was feeling great. Wasn’t missing food, wine, or coffee. Feeling positive and excited to start my next day.

Day 3: Wow. I seriously felt like a whole new woman. I woke up with energy. There was no desire to want to hit the snooze button one more time. I was nice to my kids. I was nice to my husband and I had this crazy energy all. day. long. Not even the kind of energy you get when you drink coffee or a red bull (yuck), but real energy. I felt human again, not like a tired mom of four.

skinny limits juice cleanse

Review of the juices: The juices were terrific. Really. They had great flavor, great taste- they really tasted like I had just juiced them myself. Even my kids liked them. Every time I opened a bottle they were right next to me with their sippy cups wanting some of their own. Here is a quote about their product from the SkinnyLimits.com site:

Here at Skinny Limits, we provide cold pressed, raw juices for people interested in looking and feeling great. Skinny Limits was founded in Austin, Texas by Cary and Joanie Frieden.

…what makes Skinny Limits different? For starters, our juice is completely raw. Most mainstream juice cleanse companies aim to stock their product in grocery stores. However, they have to maintain a longer shelf life to do so. Because of this, they put their juice through a process called HP Processing. This doesn’t use any heat, but it kills all the living cells in the juice. You can literally taste the difference.

Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse

I absolutely agree with the statements above. I really could taste the difference, and the fact that the juices need to be drunk within the magic time frame, confirms that they are in an unstable state of staying fresh. Also, there was no red tape in getting the review done. I felt like I was communicating with one of the employees who was probably in the kitchen behind the counter, chatting with Cary or Joanie about the review. Truly quick, easy and simple. Very homegrown. I love that about small companies like Skinny Limits.

Would I do the Skinny Limits Juice Cleanse? And, how often? Yes! I would do it again. In fact, I’m planing my next one now. I’m thinking quarterly would be a good thing for me. Doing the cleanse really helped me realize a few things:

  • What true, good energy really feels like.
  • How other foods I normally put into my diet make me feel.
  • Knowing all the above really affects my personality and mood. I want to be that energized happy person around my husband and kids all the time.

So, how are you feeling with all that knowledge? Have you done a juice cleanse before? Would love to know which ones and how they worked for you.

This post was sponsored by Skinny Limits. I received free product in order to write the review. All opinions, thoughts and words are all my own. 

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