Homecoming, senior year, showing our PENN pride.

Don't want to study? Have an extra pair of crutches lying around? Time to stage a fake brawl and have another roomie document the occasion!

Went to Chinese food with the roommates...and of course we had to take a photo with orange smiles.

I don't remember which party this was, but let me assure you: it was awesome.

With the roommates, decked out in our finery for the senior formal.

...and decked out in our most ridiculous to go as the Spice Girls for Halloween. (I was Posh--can you tell?)

Graduation! Kate & I made it!

Going through these pictures definitely got me even more excited to see everyone this weekend. Even though my college experience had some serious highs and lows, all in all, I remember it quite fondly. I learned a ton–about myself more than books, though I did some serious studying, too–and met some amazing people, many of whom are still in my life. Most of all, though, I think my school was a great fit for me. It allowed me to challenge myself academically when I felt like it, but didn’t make it impossible to have a life, too. The professors were (mostly) patient and generous with their time, and campus had (has!) some great bars and restaurants and arts organizations.

Plus, we have one of the greatest (in my totally unbiased opinion) college traditions of all time. At football games, we sing this song:

Drink a Highball at nightfall
Be good fellows while you may
For tomorrow may bring sorrow
So tonight, lets all be Gay!

Tell the story of Glory
Of Pennsylvania
Drink a highball And be jolly
Here’s a toast to dear old Penn!

Toast zamboni. I know I'm a nerd, but that's stinkin' awesome.

Did you/do you plan to go to your college reunion? Did you enjoy your college years?

My new husband, and my new expanded family.

A picture of my family at the beach three years ago.

The family I’ve grown up with.

This might be only picture from my bachelorette party I will ever release. Yup--singing karaoke with my mom and mom-in-law.

The amazing people around the world I share friendships with.

Farm Sanctuary does beautiful and important work.

Being pescatarian, and the amazing joy I now feel when I look at animals. (I’ve always loved animals, but it’s evolved since I quit eating meat. More on this another day.

Velma, the turkey we adopted in honor of the holiday. Please consider adopting a turkey or making a similar donation as we give thanks for our joy, our freedom, and our right to live.

My yoga practice, even if I’ve been neglecting it.

My passport, which ties me to this amazing country, and gives me the freedom to see the world.

Books, the beauty of words, and the fact that I was raised in a family–and country–that values education and literacy.

Bicycles, kayaks, and hiking shoes. Anything that gets me out into nature and doesn’t require a motor.

At Fenway with my friend (and officiant) Scott.

Lastly–the Red Sox, even if they blew it last season.

I have to ask just one more question for those of you who use RSS feeds to follow this blog. Mel’s been helping me iron out a few kinks; if you followed The View from There in an RSS feed, and it recently switched over to Green Junkie Living automatically, could you let me know? Trying to figure out if that worked.

[This is a picture of my sister's childhood friend (black shirt), who is now an awesome yoga instructor in Burlington, VT, with one of her friends and co-teachers.]

But what I really wanted to talk about today is motivation and encouragement, and the awesomeness that can happen when we open ourselves up. We’ve talked about this before, and even had a guest post on the issue, but I think it bears revisiting. As I enter this new phase of engaging my body (that would be the kick serious butt phase, for anyone wondering), I find myself gobbling up support and inspiration every chance I get. When I see a friend’s comment on my dailymile.com account, it gets me excited to lace up my sneaks again. When I read Angela’s training log over at Oh She Glows, I start dreaming of triathlons in my future.

Here’s the awesome thing, though: all this motivation feeds itself. Jen said she went for an “Olivia inspired run” when she headed out even though she had a sore knee. And that sort of tenacity helped me know I had to head to the river for a long walk yesterday even though I felt lousy.

So, folks, I’m giving you homework. (Sorry–I teach. Homework is what I do.)

1. Think of a goal you’ve wanted to achieve (cook a healthy meal, slash your sugar intake, head out for a hike), and find the motivation you need to make it happen. Read cookbooks, talk to a friend, scour some blogs.
2. Share what you’ve accomplished. You don’t have to brag (though you should feel free to do so in the comments!), but spread the word. Open yourself up to the possibility of motivating others. Blog it, tweet it, email it, dish it. Just get it out there.

I don’t know about you, but I have a heckuvalot of trouble being my best if I try to operate in a vacuum. If I open myself up to what I can offer to and accept from others, magic happens. So give it a shot: add yourself to the motivation loop.

Beatrix Kiddo, you're my hero.

On our recent travels, it became painfully aware that I am, how shall we say, woefully out of shape. I (mostly) eat well, and I’m somewhat flexible from the yoga, but when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, I pity my heart and lungs. And quite frankly, at 26 years old, that’s just sad. The good news is, all the hiking and biking we did, though it left me winded and with sore legs, reminded me that I actually enjoy working up a sweat outdoors. (Though I enjoy weight lifting and yoga inside, trying to power through cardio in a gym makes me miserable, so…I don’t.)

Halfway up Jirisan

I have spent so much time and energy in the past few years trying to figure out how to get healthy, how to get my body to work with me instead of against me. The phenomenal news is, I think I finally have figured it out. I know what fuels my body and what poisons it,* and I know just how important adequate sleep and regular yoga are to my well-being.

At the top of Jirisan. With a stone I can't read.

Then, on our vacation, I had what, to me, seemed like a radical thought: Now that my body works, I wonder what this puppy can do?! Could I do distance runs like Brigit and Jen? Could I finally tackle the pesky push-up goal? (For the record, my current push-up count brings me to a lifetime total of…zero. Yikes.) Could I bike a metric century? Could I do yoga every day for a hundred days a la Mel?

Wine in a can, handsome fiance, and the bikes we rode all over Gyeongju. I love the color of mine, but hated the seat.

The more I started thinking about the possibilities, the more excited I got. I reflected on what I know about myself and exercise, and started making a plan of attack. First: exercise for the sake of exercise or vanity=boring. Training=awesome. Second: I’m a competitive little bugger. (Please see any board game I have ever played for reference.) Third: research and metrics and knowledge get me pumped. Fourth: I’m not good at doing things half way.

All this led to the logical conclusion that I would 1) train for a 10k this fall, 2) train to bike a metric century before I leave Seoul at the end of August, and 3) train to do 25 push-ups in a row by September. If Mel (yogini and web genius) designs a 100 day yoga training, I’ll do that, too.

Clearly, the operative word here is training. I need goals. I need to know what I’ve accomplished so I can either stop contentedly or push on for more. If I’m training for something, I can’t miss a workout; it would screw up my entire training schedule, which would drive me nuts.

Loving the big sky at the top of the mountain

It’s also important to note that I’m not doing this in a vacuum. Michael’s training for the 10k with me, and I’m already loving running together. Friends are answering my endless questions about form and schedules. I even embraced my full inner dork/athlete and joined dailymile.com on the advice of the Holistic Health Junkie, and I’m mildly obsessed. By the way–if you’re on there, or you want to join and get started, go ahead and friend me so we can cheer each other on!

I know my goals are ambitious, and with the crazy summer schedule (13 hour days M-F, and another 9 or 10 hours on Sat, not counting prep work) coming up, I might fall short. But if nothing else, I think this training, coupled with what I know about giving my body the fuel it needs, will give me the stamina to get through the end of August, health intact. Stay tuned for details and updates, and goal revisions as I enter this latest phase of getting to know this body I’ve been given.

I leave you with this image of an absolutely glorious and enormous field of yellow flowers. I couldn't wait to go stand and revel in it.

*Nothing earth shattering here, folks. Good: plant-based protein, green smoothies, my magic enzyme powder, super foods. Poison: gluten, sugar, processed “foods”, animal products. This isn’t to say I never put the poison in, but it’s far less, and I understand the consequences.

Needless to say, this approach also has some serious drawbacks. Think: a series of panic attacks in college that led me to think about dropping out. Think: a racing mind I couldn’t stop, leading to many nights of insomnia. Think: many, many, many experiences of stress-related tummy troubles. Not good!

Which brings us to that ever sought after middle path. Yoga helps. Meditation helps. But honestly, what has helped me the most is spending time with people with a natural (or seemingly natural) Zen mindset. It’s no secret that we tend to adopt some of the behaviors of those we spend time around (have you and your best friend ever said the same thing at the same time? do you find yourself falling into similar eating patterns as your roommate?), so why not surround yourself with people whose behavior you want to emulate?

Many of you probably know by now that I lovingly refer to Michael as my Zen giant, and I have to admit, I have chilled out a lot since we first got together. (Or at least, I think I have.) This isn’t to say I’ve gotten careless or turned into a slacker. But when I start to freak out about something, I ask myself if this is something that would send him into a tailspin, too. And guess what? Nine times out of ten (or more), I can imagine Michael very coolly working towards a logical solution for something–or letting it go. I’m not going to lie. This doesn’t mean I can always instantly chill out, but it has certainly helped me double check my perspective.

So, I’m working on it. I’m working on being more patient with myself, and with others. I’m working on making freaking out a choice rather than a knee-jerk reaction. And really, who would choose that? Not me! Since I first started developing calming strategies in college, I’ve developed quite the collection of tools: deep breathing, lavender scented candles, yoga, meditation, and a brilliant homeopathic remedy known as Calms Forte. But my loved ones have helped me incorporate a big dose of calming the heck down into my life.

If you don’t have a naturally serene person in your life already (and look again–maybe you just haven’t noticed), think about joining a meditation group or maybe talking to a holistic practitioner. My dear friend and former roommate in Rome has become a picture of peacefulness since she joined a meditation group a few years ago, and even talking to her online always helps me feel centered.

Do you have any other tips for finding the Zen? What has (or hasn’t) worked for you in the past? Are you one of those lucky naturally serene people? How did you get that way?

• visited four different branches of family (Mike’s mom and dad, my parents, and my sister’s family) and a solid handful of friends across four states
• welcomed the most perfect nephew ever born, the ever-handsome Ronan
• celebrated my brother’s 28th, my 26th, and my very, very dear friend’s 60th
• gotten engaged to my best friend in the world!

As you can see, it’s been quite a busy–though wonderful–couple of weeks, which should help explain why it’s been so quiet on here. I have lots of updates to post (including the full, perfect engagement story, as well as plenty of health related thoughts), which I will soon. Please be patient as I’m planning a wedding a six months from 7,000 miles away. If you’re curious about that whole process, by the way, I’ve just started a wedding blog for guests and curious netizens over at We’re Gettin’ Hitched.

Stay tuned for all the latest, and I hope everyone’s had a wonderful month!

So what do you do? For starters, explain to the people you care about what changes you’re making; they can’t support you if they don’t know what you’re up to. Try to surround yourself with people who share similar values. Starting a yoga practice? Talk to people in class. Going veg? Join an online community or a local cooking class. I’m pretty darn lucky in that I come from a fairly health-conscious family, live with a man who loves his veggies and has thought about becoming a yoga teacher himself, and have friends at home and abroad who value healthy choices. Really lucky.

Looking cheesy with one of my granola co-chefs

Even with that to die for support network, I still find myself questioning my decisions or abilities. In addition to trying to tap into my purest self, I’ve learned to share my insecurities with loved ones. They haven’t let me down yet. (Which isn’t to say I’ve never had people in my life who told me I couldn’t do it, whatever it is. Over time, they’ve all gotten the boot. It wasn’t always easy to end a friendship or relationship, but why invest time and energy in people who try to break you down? Don’t!)

It’s also important to learn your audience. Don’t prepare your first vegan meal for your burger-obsessed best friend. No matter how tasty the dish is, it just might not be for her. Don’t look to your couch-potato coworker for encouragement when your new fitness program is lacking. It’s not that these people definitely won’t support you, but when you feel your own enthusiasm or confidence lagging, play it safe and call on people who already live the values you’re trying to adopt. Record them saying positive things if you have to. (I often joke about recording my friends Paloma and Amanda, who might be the queens of positive sound bites.) Here’s one of my favorite quotes to get you started:

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” — Chinese Proverb

Lastly, be patient with the people in your life who might not be so enthusiastic at the beginning. (Just don’t let them actively sabotage you.) These positive changes, as important as they are, can be scary for people who aren’t there yet. Once they see how healthy and vibrant you are, though, they’ll likely come around. Then you get the privilege and honor of paying it forward and being in their cheering section as they make their way down their own journey.

Have people in your life been supportive? Has fear of others’ reactions held you back from changes you knew in your gut you wanted to make? How did you move forward?

I spend a lot of time thinking about motivation. If I’m not trying to come up with a way to bribe myself into healthy habits, I’m looking for a magic spell that will cause all my students to do their homework—on time and with enthusiasm. Needless to say, this not an easy feat. Last week, I implemented a new “leveling  up” system with my students, and was trying to think of how I could use points to motivate myself. I started talking about this with friends Paloma and Amanda on Sunday night, and they offered a brilliant solution: disincentives.

Last year, Paloma heard a story heard on NPR (which I couldn’t find, but this WSJ piece approximates the idea) about two professors who made a weight loss bet. The idea is that negative incentives work so much better than positive ones because the former actually changes your life, while the latter doesn’t. Along with a friend, the ladies tested the program by setting month-long goals and picking penalties. (Theirs included a conspicuous and tacky henna tattoo or wearing “whore makeup” for a week. To work.) The result? It worked.

Given this rave review, I’m getting on board. For the next month, the three of us are working to meet a new round of goals. Because I’ll be crazy busy in the States visiting friends and family, I wanted my goals to help keep me on track with my success from the Spent program, but to be realistic, too. I decided on a minimum of 15 minutes of yoga, five days a week, and a green smoothie three days a week. These goals are meant to be a gentle push, with the understanding that I can ramp it up when I’m back in Korea with time to kill.

In case you haven’t figured it out from the blog title, Sarah Palin is my disincentive. More specifically, if I don’t meet all my goals, I have to write a $100 check to her campaign fund. I can think of few things I would less like to give my money to. As if that isn’t bad enough, it would also grant Michael a lifetime of mocking rights. Lemme tell you—so far, this is working like a charm. It’s day three, and I’m 3 for 3 on smoothies, and am doing my second yoga session as soon as I post this. To make myself extra accountable, I’ll also post the weekly spreadsheet detailing my progress.

So how about you? Do you think this disincentive idea would work for you? Feel free to post your goals and disincentives in the comments!

1. Sunitha Krishnan Fights Against Sex Slavery

2. Mallika Sarabhai: Dance to Change the World

3. Shashi Tharoor: Why Nations Should Pursue “Soft” Power

4. Kiran Bir Sethi Teaches Kids to Take Charge

As is to be expected, some of these talks spoke to me more than others. We had some really interesting discussions about the usefulness and practicality of the ideas presented in the first two videos, and all seemed to enjoy (to varying degrees) the latter two.

If I had to choose, I think the message in the final video resonated the most with me–on both philosophical and practical levels. We wound up having great talks about the essential value of play in education. This is something my sister explores in her inspiring blog, Grow Me a Playground. (She’s a super busy momma and grad student, so it isn’t updated often, but well-worth a spot on your Google Reader so you don’t miss any posts.) It also reminded me of this NYT article about an amazing Forest Kindergarten, which is precisely the type of school the man and I would like to send our little ones to…far far far far in the future when we decide it’s time to enter that phase. (FAR in the future.) And, finally, this great op-ed piece by Susan Engel, director of the teaching program at Williams College, entitled “Playing to Learn“.

Which is what I’m off to do–it’s time for me to sit down for a few hours and play with my poetry homework, which I might finally post about this week. Maybe.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you think about the videos above, the articles I’ve linked to, the importance of play in education, and, of course, any gluten-free vegan Indian recipes you care to share.

The whole night was a wonderful affirmation for me. To start, the ladies so positive that I asked if I could record them for whenever I need a little added encouragement. (Seriously–not only did they want to look at Spent so they could think of doing it, too, but when they tried my green smoothie, it was followed with, “That’s really good!” and “I would drink that every day!”) It was also nice for me to be reminded that I could go out for dinner and drinks with friends and not just sit there feeling deprived. Did I want some sangria and to nibble the fries or try the gratis creme caramel? Heck yes I did! But I also got to split a delicious salad with my fella, snack on some yummy cheese with the girls, and drink two pots of tea–rose and thyme–out of super cute glasses. And yes, the fact that the teapot and glasses were adorable definitely helped things.

On Sunday, I went to my favorite street in Seoul (post coming soon) to get some work done and enjoy some peace and quiet. The Spent part of the outing came when I was at a great little coffee shop and ordered a wasabi latte. I figured that wouldn’t be laden with sugar, right? I was wrong. Unfortunately my Korean is awful so I couldn’t go back and explain, or ask what drinks aren’t sugary. While I do know how to say “No sugar,” most of the options looked naturally sugary or processed, which is a no-go. So I sat at my table, overpriced wasabi latte by my side, and instead drank all the free water I wanted while I edited a friend’s (really good) grad school essay and looked over my new poetry homework. (I’ll post about that soon, too.)  The point is, I was victorious. Lindquist: 1, Sugar: 0.

The rest of the day was spent watching Full Metal Jacket, which I decided was just a little too much for my sensitive self, and No Impact Man, which was awesome. This was one of the recommended documentaries, and I’d been wanting to see it for a while now. If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to watch the movie and check out Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man website. We talked a bit about what more we could do to green our lives, and, to be honest, decided that given how many comforts we’re doing without while living in Korea, decided to delay any major overhauls until we’re Stateside. But we already made the switch to fewer animal products, we recycle and compost far more than we throw away, and most of transport is on foot or using buses and subways (though we do indulge in the oh-so-cheap Seoul cab rides when the situation calls for it).

One change we did talk about–and hurray for my awesome man for suggesting it–is instituting screenless nights a few evenings a week. We used to play cards (M kicks my butt) and board games (see previous parenthetical) and do crosswords (solid team effort) all the time, but with crazy work schedules, laziness got the better of us. Seeing as time in front of screens interferes with melatonin production, not to mention isn’t real quality time, I’m pretty excited about this change.

What are your favorite activities that reduce your carbon footprint and allow you to better connect with others?

(This is post #98, so we are getting awfully close to the Post #100 Giveaway–be sure to check back this week for details!)