Malibu Barbie Cafe NYC

May 25, 2023

Calling all Barbie girls! The Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up just opened in NYC last week and of course, I had to be on the scene to check it out.

So what is this? Located in the Seaport district right next to Pier 17 in NYC, a little Barbie slice of heaven has sprung up just in time for summer. It’s literally what the name entails; a cute little pop-up cafe all Malibu Barbie themed with cute little photo ops to boot for your Instagram dreams.

It starts at $22-30 for kids and $39-$49 for adults, pending date and time slots you choose. Children under 2 do not need a ticket. My recommendation? Go on a weekday and off-peak hours as weekend are expected to be mobbed, especially since Pier 17 is a popular hot spot for weekend traffic. The pop-up will be here til Sept 15, 2023 so you have some time to make your way there, but definitely don’t dawdle because this year is going by faster than we expected. The Barbie movie will be here soon in 8 weeks!

Tickets are for a 90 minute table reservation and include one entrée and side item, but of course, you can purchase additional items off the menu as well to complete your spread. Full disclosure though, I did not get a chance to try the food during my time there attending their press night because I was busy running around taking photos. I did ask other guests how they found the food and the number one recommendation was get the burger! My photographer was snacking on all the passed hors d'oeuvres in between shots, which were small bite sized versions of everything off the menu and he did say it was all delicious. All the bartenders were very friendly and sweet, making sure we were all attended to all night. I noticed all the drinks were really pretty and instagrammable and there was even one drink with straight up glitter swirling around in it.

Other key things to note from their website: 20% gratuity will be added in addition to your food purchase, on site.
Your 90-minute time period begins at the start of the reservation time you booked. It will not be extended for late arrivals, so make sure to arrive early. I would say try and get there 15 minutes early if you can, especially since there’s cute photo ops outside while you wait. Tables will only be held for 15 minutes past your reserved time and will be forfeited if you do not arrive within the 15-minute grace period. There are no refunds or exchanges or rescheduling. They are pretty strict since these are table reservations just like a restaurant and someone will be waiting for the next reservation so you have to be ready and done within your allotted 90 minute time slot. Parties with multiple tables purchased will not be guaranteed to be seated together so if you need a reservation for a big group, they highly suggest you reaching out to them directly for your event.

So. What’s the lowdown on this experience? If you’re a Barbie lover in want of some cute photo ops and all things Barbiecore, then this pop-up is calling your name. The space is smaller than your usual pop-up so I do think the price is a little steep but it does include food which is a nice bonus. But if you’re like me and just there for photos, I do wish there was a less pricey non-food option for those who just want to go for the cute pics. As for the photo ops, there’s a decent amount of cute spots but the Barbie girl in me does wish there was more. Maybe I just want a Barbie pop-up in general dedicated to all things Barbie, similar to the pop-up Mattel held in Soho a few years back pre-pandemic or the World of Barbie tour they have going on in LA right now. The only downside to the Soho popup was that it was so crowded, but that was also because it was free. So I do appreciate that the admission price helps with crowd control so that you don’t have to wait forever in a line just to snap a quick cute IG photo.

So what do you need to know to strategize your experience?

In terms of photo spots outside, there’s the archway in front of the cafe with a pink carpet rolled out to welcome you. There’s a hot pink lifeguard chair around the corner behind the cafe tables and chairs. There’s 2 cute little bikes and tons of balloon arches and columns, although I’m not sure if the balloons were only there for the preview night or if they’ll be around all through the months the event is running for. There was also a pink Barbie Jeep parked out front to help promote the Barbie x Swoon drink, but again, I’m not sure if this is a permanent fixture or just there for the press night. You were allowed to sit in and take photos in the vehicle, which was nice. I believe they were also giving away cans of Barbie x Swoon to try as well.

In terms of photo spots inside, there’s the big direction sign, the little gift shop stand, the giant Barbie boombox, the sand castle/sandbox area, the cute pink swing upstairs, the surfboard, and 2 California Dreaming walls. The staircase leading upstairs I found to be super cute and instagrammable as well but of course you can find hidden gems in little spaces inside the pop-up as well that are built into some of the walls.

All in all, I absolutely LOVE the color palette of the Malibu Barbie theme in this space. I went in to this experience with several outfit changes to maximize my experience and photo opportunities and I do not regret it. It was a lot of fun. Even the bathroom upstairs is absolutely adorable to visit when I was changing in between outfits. From the mirrors to the pink hand dryer, it was simply like stepping into Barbie world. I love it. I wish the World of Barbie Tour was coming to NYC, but until then, this little slice of Malibu Barbie heaven will do, especially being here in time for the upcoming movie. Don't forget to dress super cute and bring your best Barbie outfit(s). It's half the fun!

Thank you to Morgan and Bucketlisters for having me and the opportunity to experience this.

Goals for 2022 and 2023

January 1, 2023

GOALS FOR 2022

Work on finishing the house. Finish the bedroom, the spare room, get a real dining room table set.
- Well, we’re still working on this, but we did make more changes to the house since adopting Banh Mi this year. He’s also helping us be better at maintaining the house so that he can roam around. Maybe this is practice for if we ever have to baby-proof the house by learning to bunny proof the house.
Complete the Dopey challenge/my first full marathon.
- I still can’t believe I did this and that my first full marathon was along with a Dopey. I have no idea what I was thinking taking on this feat but I am so glad it’s over with and I can finally say that I did it. What’s worse, my friend Harrison talked me into the Brooklyn Half as part of his bigger scheme getting me to qualify for the NYC Marathon for 2023. This wasn’t an original goal when I started the year and somehow here we are. I have now successfully finished all my qualifiers. I honestly thought I’d never do it, but then again a few years ago, I also thought I’d never do a Dopey. I know some people are saying, “Why not? You got this after a Dopey,” but honestly, a full marathon on it’s own is still absolutely challenging and daunting to think about.
Workout goals: Reach a full split. Unassisted pull-up.
- I don’t want to talk about this.
LEARN MY DAMN CAMERA ALREADY.
- I don’t want to talk about this either.
Regular closet clean-outs.
- I said I’d try to do this 2x a year and I did! I listed and sold a lot of items too on my Poshmark/Depop, and donated a lot too. I would love to make this more regularly but making the time to do this is challenging when you’re a super procrastinator like me, as well as having a million things to always (want to) do.
Work on being more sustainable.
- I’ve been trying to cut down on my shopping. I don’t go to the mall as often and when I did this year, I often came back empty handed because there was just not a lot that piqued my interest. And when I did buy new items, I tried to make sure it was something I could style and wear with several different outfits, something I’d get a lot of wears out of. I’ve been trying to re-wear and restyle outfits for shoots as well.
Cut my hair.
- I haven’t cut off all the processed ends but I did get my haircut at the beginning and the end of this year to cut off all the dead ends and reshape my layers. It’s helped to make my hair feel so much healthier and fuller, cut down on breakage, and accelerate healthy hair growth. Hopefully I can get rid of all the processed ends in 2-3 years time as well as getting it to grow again beyond what seems like it’s current terminal length.
Work on my CEs.
- If I’m being honest, I did like 2. But next year I really have to do them, no excuses because it’s renewal year.
Get rid of backlog and post in real time again.
- I’m all caught up! I’m wondering if I want to continue posting in 3s again for the aesthetics or go back to posting whatever again. I also hate writing captions. Sometimes I just want to post pics and leave it be. Why does everything have to have value to be important or get views. Why can’t I just see my friends’ cute lives.
Go on a vacation with just hubby again.
- We went on a cruise this May and it was one of my favorite most intimate vacations. And I’m not talking about the $3x! We just were able to connect on a deeper level with no internet or other people in the way when left with just each other’s company. I would really love to do this again but I think it’ll be a little challenging with our financial status in trying to be more conservative and save next year after this December crushing us so hard.

GOALS FOR 2023

Connect more with my husband with more one on one time.
- I really enjoyed our cruise vacation where it was just us. Honestly, I don’t know if we’ll be able to take a vacation together at all next year with our financial situation so I want to find more/different opportunities for us to be together and disconnect, whether it be quick nearby road trips, date nights, etc.
House train Banh Mi so he can free roam better.
- Who had us becoming pet parents in 2022 on their bingo card? Cause I definitely didn’t. But I fell in love with this little mush and I’m hoping we can definitely better train him to responsibly roam around the house on his own because I really hate cooping him up in the hutch when I have to be gone all day. I can’t imagine being confined in a small space myself for too long with not much to do so I would like for him to be able to entertain himself around the house without making too much trouble.
Finish my CEs for this renewal period.
- I just need to sit down, sign up for all the classes and remember to do it. I have til August and I know I can speed through them when push comes to shove.
Learn to drive stick.
- I need to get rid of my car and get something that handles better in the snow. I hate feeling like I’m going to die in the winter when a bad storm hits and my car spins out. But I don’t want to buy a new car or even look at cars honestly. So the closest resolution would be for me to learn to drive stick so I can drive the hubby’s STI and he can buy whatever new car he wants. I’m terrified of learning to drive stick though. I’m worried I won’t pick it up and will suck at it but I guess we’ll never know until we try.
Complete a world major by running the NYC 2023 marathon.
- I actually never had this on my bingo card either but through having bad friends, here we are. Everyone keeps saying I already ran an marathon once, so what’s so hard about doing it again? Everything. A marathon is just hard in general. I wanted it to be a one and done accomplishment because I found it so hard. But here we are. I’m really nervous about running this distance again so fingers crossed I can get through it.
Take a cooking class or some type of fun class with the hubs.
- I’ve always wanted to do this. Just have no idea where I can sign up for them. I want to learn to make pasta or something fun and make a cute date night out of it.
Play video games more regularly with the hubs.
- This is more for hubs than it is for me. But I do want to make more effort since he does a lot for me and puts up with all the photos I want to take and all the dumb places I want to venture off to. I really do suck at video games but for some reason he still enjoys it when I play with him so I want to try and make some time for him more often doing things he enjoys.
Declutter my closet, my house, my photo albums/storage.
- It would just be really nice to really finish my house best we can by getting rid of all the clutter. And then hopefully we can build from there. So this is basically a baby step/stepping stone to finishing the house.
Work on my mental health and practice more gratitude.
- I want to work on my anxiety and also stop overthinking and creating paranoid scenarios in my head thinking my friends hate me and get out of my imposter syndrome. I need to work on reflecting more on what I do have, instead of what I don’t have. I also want my weight to stop controlling how I feel about myself on a day to day basis, especially when I look back in retrospect, I realize I looked fine when I thought I wasn’t. I need to stop letting these demons win.
Sign up for swimming lessons.
- One day when I head back to the tropics for a beautiful warm vacation, I would love to be able to just float in the water and relax. I would like to get in the water and not feel like I’m drowning. I have a fear or taking swimming lessons though because I don’t want to show up to a class full of kids and here my adult ass is, with my floaties on my arms, lol. But sooner or later, I would really love to be able to swim.

Year in review

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The other day I was feeling down thinking I had wasted my entire year doing absolutely nothing. And then when I actually reflected, I realized I was just an idiot. I did A LOT. So much I forgot about it all. I was jumping from one thing to the next, it ended being a blur.

Running

I started off the year crazy stupid ambitious. I remember a year ago around this time, I was so stressed and anxious about Dopey. A big storm was about to pass through and I left work early to get a day head start on driving down to Florida. And it was a really good thing we did because had we left even half a day later, we would have been stuck in a huge traffic mess. The major highway leading down to Virginia was a standstill for over a day, if I remember. People were stuck in their cars overnight due to all the accidents from the snow. It was crazy. We had drove right through it before it got impassable. I was so relieved. And then the entire week at Disney felt like chaos. As much fun as I had in the parks during the day, it was a lot of stress getting enough sleep, waking up and getting to the races on time and completing them all. It was quite a journey. So much happened. But in the end, I successfully completed it. I still can’t believe it to this day I did it. It still feels unreal. I want to say it’s probably one of my craziest and proudest achievements of my life. Those 6 months of training was a roller coaster and I’m glad I got through it. I’m proud of how far I’ve come because completing this challenge was proof to me that if I worked hard, dedicated the time and energy to it, I can honestly do anything if I set my mind to it. Cause a few years ago, I would’ve told you you were crazy if I was ever going to be able to run a full marathon, let alone a Dopey 48.6 miles.

And then batshit crazy me ran all the way back to Disney in February to do the Princess Challenge AGAIN. I completed my 2nd in person Princess challenge and 3rd Princess weekend (first year I only did the half, not the challenge). I had one of the best experiences on this trip too having developed more friendships within the running community over the years and it was so nice finally getting to meet everyone in person!

I was also hoping to do a faster time than my previous half marathon PR on this trip but fell short. Looking back, all my runs since Dopey have been a little off and I'm realizing now it's because I was pushing my body to do so many long runs and so many races without properly recovering and resting. And then I took this summer off and realized I had to build myself back up again to where I last left off with my speed, stamina and endurance. I need to find a happy medium of maintenance training so I can avoid going too hard and risking injury, and not resting too long in between that it feels so strenuous starting up again. I need to work on that for 2023, to avoid the burnout, because I definitely pushed myself more than I had intended. In January, I only had WDW Dopey, Princess Half weekend and the DC Cherry Blossom 10 miler for my race season. Then it expanded to the Brooklyn Half, which then snowballed into the 9 + 1 qualifier for the NYC 2023 Marathon. Now that I’m sitting here thinking about it, I realized I ran 17 races this year! Holy hell. I only intended for 8, which I felt was overwhelming enough so it’s crazy how I went way over that. No wonder I felt burnt out. All those early mornings traveling to the city to get them done was tough. All in all, this was a very busy race season for me and I learned a lot about myself and what my body can endure. I learned a lot about running too and the work that goes into training for a full and how different it is from a half. I learned about how important hydration, fueling, stretching, proper training, sleep, nutrition and recovery are all key to a successful race experience. The most important too is your mental health. This is important to help get you through the hardest parts of training because those walls are real.

Fitness Journey

I should be more proud of myself for my non-scale victories and stop allowing myself to be disappointed by the number on a scale. Although! The number on the scale, when broken down, shows my fat percentage to be on a low end, and my protein/muscle composition to be high so I should be proud of the work I’ve been putting in. The weight gain, while discouraging at times, is actually very healthy and something other people strive really hard for so I should practice gratitude for what my body is able to achieve.

My non-scale victories I want to commend, is how hard I’ve worked over the years to maintain my active lifestyle. Because that’s truly what it is now, a big part of my daily routine so much that I don’t feel good unless I get some movement in. And I’m proud of how much I’ve done in trying different things to cross-train to switch things up and keep it interesting and fun. I go to the gym, lift weights, run, walk with my husband, practice Blogilates, hell I even did another round of Insanity this summer! I try to get in my steps everyday. I tell myself to be active for at least 30 minutes when I’m strapped for time but for the most part I try to work out for an average of 1-2 hours a day. I’m really proud of myself for making this a healthy habit.

I also was given the opportunity to work with Popflex and Crowned Athletics on several projects this year which I’m definitely very proud of to be considered for. I always get imposter syndrome about it, but I really appreciate when a brand genuinely reaches out because I align with their brand. This was a big milestone for me.

travel

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel and go on several vacations this year. I went to Disney World twice and participated in 2 race weekends, Disneyland, Bermuda and DC. Sometimes I get sad about not being able to afford Europe and Asia travels to explore new destinations but I’ve still been very fortunate.

This is also probably why I’m depressed about my financial situation. Had I not been so reckless with all these trips trying to chase a molecule of serotonin, this December might not have hurt as much with all the financial curveballs thrown at me this month. We just had to replace our washer and dryer since ours broke and it would cost more to fix than replace. And then I was due for my car inspection but interestingly enough, my check engine light went off and a month later, here I am, $4k in the hole to fix the issue. On top of our heating bill, regular bills and of course, the added costs and stress of Christmas. It’s been a little rough and overwhelming because it was a lot of financial hits all at once, especially in December. Although I shouldn’t complain. As financially stressful as it’s been, I am still very fortunate. I have my health, my family, and my absolutely amazing husband by my side helping me navigate all these issues. I sat there at Christmas reflecting and realized I need to practice more gratitude. I have not one but several places to go to for the holidays because I am fortunate enough to have healthy family connections. And at each gathering I attended, we were blessed with such an abundance of good food to eat at each.

We aren’t rich or anything, but we are happy, healthy, and honestly want for nothing. I am showered with love by friends, family and my amazing husband. I can’t stress this enough because I really need to get it through my head when my demons come to play and make me think otherwise.

Photoshoots

I got to continue building my portfolio and work with a lot of new people who have become very good friends of mine in a short amount of time! I cut down on pop-ups this year, opting instead to work more on my portrait micro posing skills, as well as re-do old shoots with my current hair. I also got to finally complete a video/shoot project I’ve been wanting to do for a long time but we couldn’t find a good location till this summer and it was definitely worth the wait because when it all finally came together, it turned out absolutely epic. Sometimes you don’t need a busy pop-up with a million things going on in the background all the time. You just need good lighting, a simple outfit, your best angles and poses and you can make anything work. I love everything I got to create this year and everyone I had the opportunity to work with, both old and new friends.

Banh Mi

Halfway through the year, somehow we became pet parents adopting a baby bunny after the hubby fell in love with them at a petting zoo. We’ve always talked about a pet but could never agree on anything nor have the time for one but somehow this worked out. Now it’s been 5 months since we had this little stinker and as mischievous as he’s been, just like a little child, we still are absolutely head over heels in love with him at the end of the day. It’s so funny how he has his own little personality and is temperamental sometimes but also lovable. Is this what having a child is like? No matter how much of a shithead he is, at the end of the day when I look over at his cute face I can’t help but want to kiss his stupid face. I’m glad bunnies have a life expectancy of 8-10 years but oh are we in for the biggest heartbreak when it happens. And to think, it’s only been 5 months with this baby boy.

Reflection

Did I peak in 2018? I mean, how much more can I do in 2019 to step up my game in everything? But you don’t know if you don’t go. I’m ready to jump into 2019 and see what great things lay ahead. Cheers to 2018 and it’s great gifts, and here’s to what the new year will bring us!

You know, I wrote this in 2018 at the first year of my blog and it’s funny because even sitting now, I’m like what can I possibly do in 2023 that will surpass 2022 because 2022 was a pretty big year, especially when it came to ambitious running goals. But life has a funny way of still surprising us as time goes on. At the beginning of 2022, Dopey was the farthest I dreamed. I definitely did not see me running 17 races this year and qualifying for the NYC marathon. I never had any ambitions of completing that but here we are. I’m actually nervous for what’s to come in 2023 because I feel like some of it is uncharted waters. I don’t have any other crazy goals of mountains to climb, but I am looking for a bit more stability. Before December threw me for a financial curveball, I was actually really proud because I had cleared myself of all my credit card debt and ready to tackle on my student loans debt when they were supposed to resume in the new year. And then all the shit hit the fan and I’m back at square one as I pay off these financial messes. Luckily the student loan pause has been further extended to the summer, so fingers crossed I can clean this mess again before then and hopefully stay that way. I want to be able to start saving again and plan for the future. This is probably why I’m walking into 2023 with a bit of caution. Usually I’m ready to jump in headfirst but this year feels more like uncertainty for me. I have no idea what this year holds and honestly it makes me nervous. I know it holds growth and growth always forces us outside our comfort zone, which explains why I’ve been feeling very uncomfortable in my life lately. I know it’s necessary for the bigger picture but is it wrong to want to stay in your comfort zone a little longer? Le sigh. 2023, please be good to me.

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

April 5, 2022

I discovered this race back in 2019 serendipitously while shooting cherry blossoms with a friend when I was visiting DC. We were shooting at the Tidal Basin early to avoid crowds when I heard a lot of cheering. Then I saw a throng of people stampeding through the roads and I realized that’s why the roads were closed that morning and why my Uber driver had a hard time trying to find a spot to drop me off. I Googled it and found out that it was an annual run held in DC where you literally run through all the cherry blossom blooms along the trail of the Tidal Basin. I was intrigued. I immediately texted my girl Kerri who always does all the runDisney Princess runs with me and we agreed to sign up the next year. We got in the lottery that December and were all set to run it Spring 2020.

DUN DUN DUN.

And then Covid happened. The race was cancelled pretty much the week after everything shut down around the world that fateful week in March 2020. It was literally 3 weeks til the race and I was pretty sad about it because I was looking forward to it all year after witnessing this phenomenon that spring before.

Fast forward to today. It would be 3 years from when I first stumbled upon and discovered the existence of the cherry blossom before it would return.

But alas! I finally got to run this race, this past Sunday and it was a great experience!

It was definitely different from running a Disney race that’s for sure. It was a different atmosphere, with much more serious runners than I’m used to in the Disney crowd. I’m not exactly sure yet if I enjoyed it or felt too intimidated by it. I definitely felt like I had to push harder and felt compelled to never stop at all during the course, except one time for a much needed sugar pick-me-up when I spotted a free beer and Oreos stand. I grabbed three, scarfed them down and felt so much better. I’ve never experimented with cookies before as one of my race fuels but it really made me feel better and helped recharge me to finish out the last leg of the course.

The sad part is the bloom was very early this year and a few days before this race, a tornado came through and wiped out a bunch of the blossoms so a lot of the trees in the area were looking rather sparse. Most of the course wasn’t very scenic to run through, considering the whole race is themed around literally that; running through cherry blossom blooms. Luckily though, the last 4 miles of the course running through the East Potomac park had a decent amount of trees still in bloom which made for a beautiful trail to run through, especially for the home stretch leg of the race.

Those last miles definitely were eventful though. Between mile 7 and 8 was where everyone’s favorite stop was, the free beer and Oreos stand, which literally had pre-poured cups of beer for everyone and literally trays upon trays of free Oreos in different flavors and everything. These were provided courtesy of a local brewery, which was pretty cool of them to do.

A little after mile 8, though, I witnessed something pretty crazy. I saw a little red medic looking golf cart with the curtains down and saw there was someone in a stretcher inside through the curtain panels. And then a few feet in front of the cart, I realized there was a girl on the ground, her face eggplant purple and medics doing chest compressions (And sadly, this wasn’t the first time I was witnessing this happening. The day before in Capitol Hill, after dinner on our way to the metro to head back for the night, we saw a man on the ground surrounded by EMTs and police with a device administering chest compressions. We found out later the man did not make it when we looked it up later that evening.) The girl looked fairly young too. I was in a bit of shock after seeing that but I had to keep going. There was enough people already around her helping and this didn’t seem like a race you could really stop in without getting trampled because it’s literally full of serious runners compared to my past races. Although I worry that might have been what caused this young girl’s unfortunate situation-being a serious runner and pushing too hard. I hear it all the time.

“Listen to your body.”

“Rest when needed.”

“Slow down.”

And you know for the most part, I’m pretty bad at all that. I worry a lot about overexerting myself. I do try to slow down when I feel like my heart is racing too fast, which happens from time to time, but less frequently ever since I started being more active. I’m always conscious of my cardio health because my mom has a heart condition. One of my friends, who is also a runner, went into tachycardia after finishing his race a few years back, collapsing right next to the medic tent luckily enough and was rushed to the hospital. They did emergency surgery on him and now he has forever has a device implanted in him that will shock his heart back to life if it happens again. To me, these things are very scary and very real especially witnessing what was happening to that girl with my own eyes. It’s a grim reminder I need to take care of myself. I need to listen to my body and its needs. I need to slow down. I need to rest. I need to stop overdoing it and wanting to get too many miles in and causing myself to be prone to injury and then not letting that injury heal before my next big run. I need to stop taking my health for granted. I need to practice more gratitude for what my body can do, for what it allows me to do. For allowing me to move everyday and carry me through so much. As much as I worked on my physical health in the past few years, I need to also work on my mental health and stop thinking negative thoughts about myself. There is still a lot I have to work on, on myself.

But I digress. This race was a rollercoaster of events and emotions. After mile 9, I reached the bend where I had discovered this race all those years ago. There was a HUGE crowd of spectators at this bend, cheering everyone one, firing off confetti sticks, blasting music and pushing us to finish the last mile. It was the push I needed after witnessing mile 8’s incident. I raced through to the finish line and was so happy I finished this. Although I do have to say, this finish line was not as exciting and cool as a runDisney finish line, by far, lol. And the reunion area was much more chaotic. The medals were in an area far from the finish line and it was very odd that you had to pretty much go chase them down. I’m used to Disney where they just hand them to you as soon as you cross that finish line. I swear, I’ve been spoiled by the mouse. It’s true what they say and I can finally attest to it. There’s no race like a runDisney race and now I know why those races cost more and why people keep coming back.

Make no mistake, I still had a great time and would love to come back and run this race again, especially when the blossoms are in peak bloom. Plus DC is just beautiful in general so I enjoy coming back to visit and enjoy the views. There’s still so much I want to see and do in this city, but also still waiting for it to open up so I can do them, like the White House tours, tour of Congress, the many, many great museums and visiting embassies and trying their food. And food, let’s not forget food. I had a great time this weekend trying different restaurants and dessert spots! I walked alongside the Tidal Basin for a photoshoot, then walked from Georgetown to Capitol Hill, on top of the 10 mile run the next day, then limped all over the National Mall for vain medal pics, and then continously tortured my poor legs dragging them all the way to brunch and then the White House, getting in a total of 28.7 miles and 57,324 steps this weekend.

I’m not the fastest runner by far, but I still enjoy getting out there and seeing what I can do, while my body still allows me to do it. Despite feeling intimidated by all the ‘real’ runners this weekend, I still want to continue doing this. It pushes me to keep going and to have fun with it.

I realized how fitting that the race was a cherry blossom run, given this weekend and all I witnessed and experienced. Cherry blossoms are symbolic of spring - a time of renewal and rebirth of everything. But they also represent the fleeting nature of life, and how everything can quickly change, especially since their bloom is so short lived. The race, just like cherry blossoms was eventful with all the things I ran past, symbolic of how life goes up and down so fast you can’t keep up sometimes. But you just have to keep going. It reminds me of the lesson of the cherry blossom in Memoirs of a Geisha.

We must not expect happiness…
it is not something we deserve.
When life goes well, it’s a sudden gift, it cannot last forever.

I learned this weekend that we have to keep moving on, moving forward, but we also have to remember to enjoy life in the present. Don’t live life so fast that you forget to have fun and just enjoy things. Allow yourself to be happy when it does happen.

And as cheesy as it sounds, like my girl Cassey says, find the joy in fitness! My husband has started running with me again for the spring and I can’t even begin to tell you how much joy it brings me. It’s the little things in life, truly.

Up next, two race events in Central Park and then our Bermuda trip at the end of this month!