Almost Nomadic

Rediscovering my yoga journey: A Path to Strength and Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 23:58:00 +0000

Back in college, when many people I knew were into bodybuilding and lifting heavy weights, I felt intimidated by the idea of handling weights heavier than my own without risking injury. Looking back, I'm so glad I found a different path.

I discovered yoga through a workout program P90X Yoga my friends recommended. I still kept the video file after 10 plus years. It was an hour and half of vigorous yoga sequences with repeated vinyasa power flow and long balancing poses.

It was the first time I realized I could strengthen my entire body, muscles, bones and joints, simply through yoga practice.

Well, it was not so simple at the beginning. But with consistent practice and lots of patience, I slowly built up my strength and flexibility until I could complete a full yoga session without taking breaks.

I loved how my body felt afterward—the rush of energy from deep breathing, the openness in my chest and shoulders, and the sense of activation and empowerment in every part of my body.

Almost a decade after, I decided to fully embrace my passion for yoga and take it to a deeper level.

I started an exciting journey—a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program, which not only will help me take my yoga practice to another level, but also allow me to help others to practice and enjoy yoga in their own journeys.

I know the training will be challenging, especially with a little human brewing in my belly. I was in my second trimester when I started.

I used to think that I had to give up my own pursuing once motherhood kicked in (or at least that's what I did with my first pregnancy.) But now I know my body can handle more—It's all in the mindset of what I can do.

Just like in life, there'll never be a perfect time to start something new.

First month in, I've already gained tons of insights on modifying various poses for people who are in special conditions (pregnancy, back, knee or shoulder injuries, or people who have problem with flexibility, etc.)

I'm deeply grateful for my supportive family and friends, who have always been my greatest cheerleaders in every endeavor I've pursued.

I'm also thankful for my body and mind for doing all the hard work.

Here's a quote from Deepak Chopra that I'd like to share with you:

“When mind, body, and spirit are in harmony, happiness is the natural result.”

I hope you learn to fully embrace what you have in the present moment, and join me in rediscovering the deep connection between your mind and body.

Namaste,

Why Are We So Obssessed with Sugar?

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 20:21:00 +0000

Halloween is my least favorite day of the year. As children go door to door, filling their buckets with candy, I can’t help but feel a wave of anxiety. The thought of sugar crashes and potential tooth decay triggers my protective instincts as a mother committed to keeping my son on a healthy diet. I know how addictive those treats can be and how little control kids often have over their consumption.

This concern extends beyond Halloween. Every day, I strive to educate my son about the hidden sugars in everyday foods. We’ve cut out sugary breakfast cereals, chocolate milk, and white bread—once considered harmless staples. They’re no longer innocent choices; instead, they resemble sugar-laden traps that can lead children to develop unhealthy habits they might struggle to break later in life.

And don’t get me started on sodas and fast food. These items have long been on our family’s blacklist. I believe there should be stricter regulations on the production of these ultra-processed, nutrient-deficient foods. It’s appalling that they still occupy a place in our food system.

As a parent, my child’s health and nutrition are my top priorities. Yet, in a world where healthy eating is often overshadowed, how can children learn about nutrition outside the home—at school, summer camps, and eventually as they embark on independent living?

What Can Parents Do?

Let’s start having discussion with our children about healthy food choices, setting good examples ourselves, and encouraging them to explore a variety of nutrient foods early on.

What Can Schools Do?

Schools should consider provide healthy meal options, incooprate health and wellness education, and foster an environment where healthy choices are the norm.

What Can Society Do?

As a society, we can rally for better food regulations and promote initiatives that make healthy eating accessible. Build community events that centers health and wellness and encourage participation on a dailly basis. Build a long term habit that can truly benefits our generation and beyond.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to encourage children make better food choices.

How Job Hunting Is like Dating?

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:11:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot about job hunting lately: Why can't I keep most of my jobs for more than two or three years? What causes me to lose interest in a job I was once passionate about? Why is it increasingly difficult to find a job without an overwhelming list of requirements? Am I becoming pickier, or am I simply not cut out for this "job dating" game?

It’s surprising to see how many similarities that job hunting and dating share. Both involve putting your best self forward, dealing with rejection, and searching for the right fit.

A job interview is like a first date. You dress to impress, try to be on your best behavior, and hope for that spark of connection; Then, sometimes you don't hear back after submitting an application or going on a date, leaving you wondering what went wrong.

When you finally receive the good news—an offer letter—it's like entering a new relationship. Accepting a job offer Both require dedication, effort, and the hope that it will be a lasting relationship.

As scary, daunting and complicated as it sounds, in the end, it’s all about finding the right match—be it a job or a partner—takes time and patience.

Costa Rica: Embrace the Nature, Simplicity and Serenity

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 18:35:00 +0000

When you feel the need to getaway

After a year of working at home, my husband and I were itching to travel. We needed a long overseas, you know, an almost nomadic kinda getaway.

A lot of people asked me why Costa Rica:

It was a place that was new and foreign to us, but not too far that we had to adjust the time zone for working remotely.
It was also financially doable, or at least the place we stayed. We looked up places on Airbnb and the monthly rental was about the same as Houston, so it's not overkill for our budget.
Plus we LOVE nature and Costa Rica has a lot of outdoor adventures to offer!

Where We Stayed in Costa Rica

We flew into San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. I remember it was around 1am. Our Airbnb was in Atenas which was about 1.5 hours away from the airport. We finally got to our Grand Casa around 2:30 am. So sleepy but excited.

The Airbnb house we stayed at was on top of the mountain. We had to climb down some slippery hill every day in order to go to the town or get an Uber. The view outside was so amazing. I could never forget that infinite pool and mountaintop view. It really was the best getaway view we could ask for.

If you never lived in Costa Rica, here are some interesting and helpful things we found out during the first week:

You would need lots of bug sprays. We received "big welcome kisses" from the mosquitos ✅
Ants were our friendly roommates for the entire 50 days. (I've never seen these many ants in my life. They were harmless.) 😆
People in Costa Rica were super cautious about Covid. Water sinks for people to wash their hands before entering any stores. Sanitizer stations were found in all locations.
One thing I regretted was I didn't learn Spanish beforehand. We lived in a small village and not many locals speak English 😣 If you were like me, Google Translate would be your best friend.

What nature spots to explore with kids

Waterfall:

Costa Rica was definitely not short of waterfalls. There were many incredible parks with hidden trails to the most breathtaking waterfalls across the country. Some of the waterfalls like La Fortuna Waterfall could be reached by fairly steep stairs. They were surrounded by rainforests and might need to be reached through hanging bridges and treading waters. It was a bit challenging with young children, but the experience was super fun and rewarding exploring the cloud forests and spotting colorful tropical birds.

Hiking

No matter where we went, we would see lots of greens all around. The sky was blue and sunny most of the time in the morning. Be mindful that it rained a lot in the afternoons in Costa Rica, so we usually hiked in the morning when it was clear.

You can check out some of the highlighted hiking places in Costa Rica. If you like mountains, Monteverde Cloud Forest would be a fun one to explore due to its high altitude. If you like something near the ocean, make sure to check out the Manuel Antonio National Park, which sits right on the Pacific coast with some of the most beautiful beaches. For me, my favorite hiking view was just outside the place we stayed in Aetnas. Literally, you could hike anywhere while you were in Costa Rica.

Simplicity and Serenity

Remote working with a small child could be stressful. When that happened, I would take a look outside the window, and breathe fresh air from the trees, the clouds, and the water. I learned to appreciate Mother Nature and the authenticity it presented through unfiltered color and rawness.

Living in the city I did not remember a single time I look down at the pavement. While in Costa Rica, I saw an army of leafcutter ants walking down the street and moving leaves with their hands and heads. It was amazing to observe small creatures around us that were doing big things for their lives!

That moment when I saw the ants working tirelessly on their leaf-moving journey, I forgot about work stress. I was fully present at that moment, cheering for the little guys and enjoying the simple ways of living. Just like the famous saying in Costa Rica, "Pura Vida!" - That's life, great, and everything is cool!

Moved Again

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Mon, 09 May 2022 12:58:00 +0000

In the past two weeks, I have been busy with packing and moving to a new home in the suburb. Ironically, my blog's name is “almost nomadic”, but I’m moving further and further away from it, more like settling down begins along with a lifelong mortgage.

My family has been through the pack-and-go lifestyle and I guess this is for a change, but it doesn’t mean we will stop outdoor adventure and occasionally living in another country.

This is a new chapter living in the suburb and going through the daily commute. I'm trying to go to the office more often since I'm more focused without distraction. Moving to a suburb means having to drive at least 40 minutes a day, one way. I'm stuck in traffic most of the time. Thinking of ways to use those valuable commute time in the car, like listening to podcasts, or self-recording thoughts for blog ideas or journals.

Let me know your daily commute podcasts, cuz I could use some recommendations!

If you only have 30 days to live

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 00:49:00 +0000

Life is short.

Today I was reminded of this after reading the saddest news of a friend who passed away due to cancer. She was a young and positive person. I couldn’t believe she was taken away by cancer at such a young age.

I can’t stop thinking about life, and how fragile it is. It alerts me to live each day to the fullest.

No regrets.

Treasure each breathing moment dearly.

Nothing is a big deal.

I shall not stress over work or anything frivolous. Life is too short to be angry or to be sad.

If I only have 30 days left on earth, I want to spend every day and every second with my husband, and my son, visiting my family in China, and taking in every moment to heart.

-To live a fearless and full-hearted life.

52-Week Writing Challenge - Inspired by "Atomic Habits"

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 17:24:00 +0000

This marks my first day of implementing James Clear’s Atomic Habits. I want to use his method to establish a consistent habit of writing and blogging.

Storying telling and content creation are my creative core. It is who I am, and I want to make it a lifelong habit. I want to do it without even forcing myself to write, without getting carried away by life events or work stress.

How to Start

I will write for 10 minutes (whether it's a paragraph or a few thoughts) right after I wake up and brush my teeth.

I call it the Ultimate 52-Week Writing Challenge: I will reinforce this habit five times a week, for 52 weeks, and see how far I can go, and what content will turn out at the end of this year.

I also want to remind myself that I will focus more on showing up every day rather than overthinking the depth of the writing.

Let’s build a new habit together! For a creative and meaningful life ahead!

Struggling with the restless mind

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 06:25:00 +0000

How much sleep do you really need?

The older I got, the less sleep my body needs.

▪️Sometimes it functions ok with less than 5hr sleep.

▪️Sometimes my mind and thoughts will run hundred miles per sec and it resists to go to sleep.

▪️Herbal tea helps sometime but others not so much.

▪️ And you know what? Meditation is actually harder than it seems?

They say a true master is one who knows how to control and stop your own thoughts. I wonder when I will truly be able to master this powerful machine up in my head...

- Life Goals -

The Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur & Adventurous Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 20:21:00 +0000

I'm so excited to announce that Almost Nomadic has just launched its own podcast, produced by and for women adventurers! In the first episode of the podcast, Shanshan (Shanna) had a fun-filled conversation with Jennifer Tang, a Houston travel mom with two adorable kids, a professional dentist and a fearless entrepreneur. She shared inside stories of the struggles with being first-time mom, the highs and lows of traveling with kids, and how those experiences influenced and shaped relationships with family and friends.

EXCERPT FROM THE INTERVIEW:

S (Shanshan): First of all, would you tell the listeners how we met for the first time? I want to hear your side of the story.

J (Jennifer): Yes, so our kids go to the same school together, and when I go to the classroom, you will be like looking at me and smiling. You’re very shy. But then one day you finally said something to me: “your daughter looks like an Instagram star!” so instantly I laughed and we started talking and sharing life stories. You’re very sweet. Our kids bonded, and now they become close friends.

S: Now I kinda remember that I was such a creeper I would just stare at you and I didn’t know what to talk about first. In my mind I was like “okay, she’s wearing scrubs. She is a doctor. She must be a doctor. I need to make friends with her.” (laughing) That’s so Asian of me, and now you all know how “creepy” Shanshan makes friends.

So Jennifer, how often do you and your family travel?

J: We travel at least once a year for sure. We try to travel more because the kids love it a lot so we try to book trips whenever we can. I was telling you earlier that we did cancel the trip to New York last year because of the measles outbreak. So for cases like that, we booked the trip but we ended up canceling and actually lost money cuz they were not gonna refund us. But otherwise, we do try to book a lot of trips. I think I told you that we tried to book a trip to Hawaii last December but the tickets are skyrocket, like two thousand per person and we can’t afford it now with four people. So we ended up going to San Antonio with you. It turned out to be super fun. So it doesn't matter where you fly to or what you do, as long as the company is good, it will be fine. And I think it's probably much easier to do road trips with kids, so we probably would do that more often.

S: In terms of planning, would you say that you are the spontaneous type or you are planning-a-year-ahead kinda person?

J: Definite very spontaneous, like a day before, a week before or an hour before. I'm very random. I plan a little bit more now because of the children. We have to take a little more effort.
… …
I'm not a planner type and my husband doesn't really care where we go. We just enjoy going to places together. We do want to try a different place every time and I know my kids really like San Diego a lot so we try to plan a trip there again. But no, I don't think I ever tried to plan too far ahead.

S: I haven’t been to San Diego. Are there a lot of kid-friendly places in San Diego?

J: San Diego was actually one of our first places with Grace (flying wise). She was only 8 months old. She did really well. She didn't cry. She was behaving extremely well. We went to the market and the zoo. It was a very very kid-friendly place. There're a lot of things to do and next time we probably go back to Legoland. I definitely recommend that for kids.

(... ...)

S: Many parents are wondering: is it even worth it traveling with kids? Any benefits you can think of?

J: They don't remember the entire trip per se, but my daughter is 3 and she would ask me if we can fly to San Diego again. Just seeing her smile, we know we will just do it all over again even though we are lugging around our luggage and stuff. I would just feel like every minute just to be with them you can't put a price on memory or how exhausted you are.

S: I want to dive into the topic of being a working mom and how you balance work and life. So how long have you been working as a dentist?

J: I've been working as a dentist for almost 10 years and I'm looking to acquire an office, and currently in the process of it.

S: Did your job give you a decent amount of maternity leave?

J: I actually work for myself, so every time I take a leave or vacation, I don't get paid. My boss originally gave me 6 weeks' maternity leave and I agreed to that but I didn't know how I would feel. But I ended up actually taking 10 to 12 weeks because I basically had no help. It would just be me and my husband and two kids. At that time my husband was in the MBA program. It was very hard. It would just be basically me watching them 24/7, even night shift. I let my husband sleep because he was working and I wasn't. So I thought I could do this but by month three I broke down and I was like “I need to get a nanny. I need help.” So I told my husband I really need his help with the night shift and help me feed the baby. Everybody breaks down after having kids and watching them all day, and I tried to be Superwoman but at some point, you have to ask for help.

S: Thank you for sharing your postpartum journey with us. It is extremely hard without asking for any help. (... ...)
Did you have a hard time going back to work?

J: Going back to work actually feels more normal for me: doing work and going back home to my kids, so it’s more like, you know, having a schedule and having a routine for me. It was actually nice and refreshing after that.

(... ...)

S: So I want to go back to traveling. Have you heard about the term “momcation”? Have you ever done anything like that?

J: I have actually gone on a few trips with my girlfriends, I called it “girl trips”. I think I went on my first one when Grace was 6 months old, and my husband told me to go because he wanted me to take a break and get away. I canceled one trip to Nashville when I had my second baby because he was only 3 months old and I was still breastfeeding so I didn’t want to leave him and my husband at home with two small children. Since then, I’ve probably taken about six or seven girl trips already. I still feel guilty about trips even though it’s just a short one like going to Austin this past weekend. I felt bad and most of the time I just felt like sleep. I was so tired. I couldn’t stay up the way that I used to. I think most of us moms by 11 or 12 at night, we want to go to sleep and we want to go home and facetime our kids. Then in the morning, we still woke up super early even though we slept late. It was a lot of fun but it still had the mom guilt.

(... ...)

S: Yeah... the mom trips actually made me miss my son even more: Whenever I come back, I will be like I need to spend more quality time with my son and I want to do more for my baby. So it definitely makes me want to bond with him more after the vacation.

(… …)

S: What are you most looking forward to in 2020?
J: I was looking forward to acquiring a practice, so that'll be a big thing this year. I do have a trip booked to Arizona... If I do acquire business by the end of this month, I don't know how to balance that yet. So just have to figure that out. Maybe I will have to cancel the trip, not sure, but as of right now, I do still plan to go and try to become a business owner and wait for everything finalized. But the most important thing is my number one priority, my children. I don't want to take time away from them. I do want to have as many experiences as I can with them.

S: Thank you so much for sharing your stories and experience with us today. I had fun hanging out with you and listening to your life adventures. You inspired me in many aspects, not just being a loving and fun mom, but also working towards your goals and entrepreneurship. I wish you the best of luck with work, with life, and with everything!

Winter Trip in Colorado: Ski, Snowshoe and More

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 21:17:00 +0000

If you plan to go skiing in Colorado, check out Breckenridge Ski Resort. I just went there this past weekend. As a first-time skier, I enjoyed the group class a lot! Well, most of my friends are experienced skiers, they went up to the blue slope and even the highest black slope. Hopefully, I will be much better at skiing next time. My husband tried snowboarding, and to be honest, it was much difficult to get a hang of snowboarding during one day class.

Besides visiting the ski resort, we also got to experience other snow activities in town, such as snowshoe and cross-country ski at Gold Run Nordic Center. Both activities were a lot of fun and beginner-friendly. My whole legs were sore from the trip, but I was glad it was a great workout and a refreshing adventure in the snowy mountain.

The cabin that my friends rented was located at 37 Wagon road. There were many Airbnb cabins on that road. The facilities in the house were absolutely incredible. We got to relax in the hot tub after a whole day of adventure. The game room had pool table and plenty of board games. I made a highlight video of the entire trip. Check it out and let me know if you need any suggestions on where to eat, where to rent equipment, or what to do in Breckenridge. (Video Music Credit: Dance Monkey)

Camping with Small Children

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 01:11:00 +0000

If you have followed my blog, you probably notice that most of the places I have visited are major cities with nature sightseeing. Looking for comfortable accommodations is a big part of my family trip planning routine, whether it's hotels, B&B, or Airbnb. Growing up, I've actually never camped out or stayed overnight in the wild. The thought of inconvenience and unexpected wildlife worries me as an adult. So why did I even bother trying camping now as a grownup woman and mom of a little boy?

As the vulnerability researcher Brene Brown mentioned in her book, life is not about staying in a comfort zone without any fears. One of the reasons I wanted to go on the trip with my son is to face my fear of the unpredictables, whether it's my concern about safety, physical endurance, or if I can handle traveling with a toddler boy on my own without hubby around.
As I start to pay more attention to the growth and education of my child, I have been told that nature is a great place for young children to learn and make friends. I want to see how Oli explores nature and how he interacts with other kids. Plus, it's awesome to get away from the house. I get to challenge myself physically and emotionally through outdoor adventures, and in the meantime, I need to spend some quality time with my kid without distractions from screens and social media.

So here I am, partnering with another mama friend and her lovely son, off to our mini adventure. I will layout the itinerary briefly first, but most importantly, I want to share what I have learned throughout the journey, about parenting, motherhood, friendship and appreciation of life.

HIKING LOCATION: GARNER STATE PARK

Old Baldy Trail (Challenging) - Day 1

This was a quite fun and challenging trail for beginners, especially after rain when the trail got very slippery. I found it a bit struggling hiking this trail with a small kid. Some parts of the road were quite steep, and it was hard to climb when you had a little human on your back. Luckily, I had a teammate who was familiar with the road and lent me a hand when my legs were shaking. The highlight of the trail was that we got to climb up all the way to the summit and enjoying an amazing view of the Frio Canyon. We took a long break on the top of the mountain, juiced up, munching on snacks, taking pictures, and most importantly, let the kiddos have some fun playing with rocks and practicing climbing skills.

Blinn River Trail (Easy) - Day 2

I highly recommended this trail for families with small children. The whole trail extended along the beautiful river. It was very walkable even for kids. They had fun picking up branches and playing on the water. I was amazed by how crystal clear the water was. The scenery was stunning and the entire hiking experience was breezy. I could see myself coming back again during summertime. Both of the two trails were less than 1 mile, but neither was stroller friendly. So make sure you have a carrier or hiking backpack in case your children needed to rest or nap.

LODGING: SCREENED SHELTER

We decided on a campsite shelter that was located next to the Frio River and it was close to the restroom (easy for little children to go potty). It almost felt like we had a riverfront backyard. The kiddos LOVED it! They had fun throwing rocks, "fishing", and playing around the water. We came during winter time when the water was too cold to swim. But the scenery over the water was so peaceful that we couldn't help but just sitting nearby and embracing the beauty of tranquility. Keep in mind that the shelter was not windproof and the floor might get wet from the rain. (It could get very chilly and damp at night.) However, it was definitely an awesome option for visitors in Spring and Fall. My friend mentioned that the reservation of the campsite lodging might be very limited during holiday weekends. So book early if you can.

WHAT ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

Hiking: Toddlers were too young to hike long-distance by themselves. So we picked one short trail during the day and some light activities to do in the evening (like counting stars, preparing dinner, jumping on air mattresses, etc.)
Swimming: Not really applicable for wintertime, but it was the most popular activity to do the rest of the year.
Fishing: I didn't see lots of fish swimming around, but did notice a few campers were fishing in Frio River.
Boating/Surfing: Walking along the river, we saw boats docking on the side, but the rental place was closed in January.
BBQ and Cookout: No matter what time of the year, BBQ has been one of the must-do things in Texas. Kiddos enjoyed helping out with washing and preparing vegetables, and of course, the adults got to cook delicious food. However, this state park did not allow alcohol on site. It didn't really bother me and my friend as much since we both had to stay wide alert to watch two active boys.

Although not all activities were applicable in winter, I was amazed at how much fun little toddlers could have in Mother Nature. In these past two days of camping and hiking, I have observed so many interesting moments and relationship developments between the kids and moms.

Imagination & Self Entertainment

In a toddler's eyes, tree branches became fishing rods, pebbles were souvenirs and muddy dirt turned into playdough...I was so used to telling my kid to stop picking up stuff from the ground. Ironically, those things I considered as dirty, to them, were real treasures! They could spend hours "fishing" and picking rocks, no matter it was raining outside or extremely cold.

Differences & Similarities

It's hard not to compare when having two kids play together. I found it very interesting observing the different dynamics of two similar aged toddlers. They had different energy levels, temperaments, and interests of things. One was very into collecting rocks and the other couldn't stop playing with the door; One was more courageous during hikes and the other was more cautious every step of the way. One got upset about missing noodles after dinner, and the other cried for some bread right before bedtime... It's definitely a love-hate mixed feeling whenever the "terrible two" tantrums got triggered.

Caring & Bonding

Our kids really bonded over this camping trip. Though they spoke different languages, they managed to communicate through playing and doing activities together. Besides building friendship between two children, this trip also helped develop a strong mommy-and-me relationship. When I carried Oli on my back climbing a rocky trail, Oli would kindly remind me, "Mommy, be careful", over and over again. My friend told me how heartwarming she felt when her baby boy told her, "I will protect you, mommy!" Moments like this suddenly soothed all the pains, hard work and exhausts. Yes, toddlers were so active and energetic that my friend and I didn't have much time and energy to chat undisrupted throughout the hikes. The best talks actually happened on the road driving while both kids were napping. We shared motherhood experience, parenting concerns, relationship thoughts, and pretty much everything from work aspirations to personal struggles. It feels liberating to have open communications with a supportive attitude and zero judgment.

Overall, my first camping experience was a fun and successful experience. Many new discoveries, milestones, and life-long memories to celebrate and cherish. Many challenges and lessons learned:

Oli was almost too big for the hiking backpack. Big struggle carrying him around while walking on challenging trails. I was glad about going to the gym two weeks before the trip.
Sleeping in the wild during cold and windy nights can be very challenging and uncomfortable (Oli got sick and had a fever on the second day)
Last but not least, no social media and no Netflix can be torturing for this social momma (no shame admitting that lol)

Here's to more adventures ahead! Leave a comment of your favorite camping/hiking recommendations and I will try it out next.

Winter Family Travel: Germany and Austria

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 22:30:00 +0000

I'm an overthinker in terms of trip plannings, especially when it comes to bringing an active toddler for an international trip. The thought of extra planning plus safety cautions is enough to give me an initial panic attack. For this most recent family trip to Europe, I was worrying so much that I would wake up at 3am and couldn't fall back to sleep. If you are like me, who likes to go on trips but just exhausted by all the thoughts and "what ifs" that comes with it, this post might be a light holiday read for you. I want to list the things that initially concerned me, mistakes that we actually made, and how those struggles eventually turned out.

First of all, is it worth traveling overseas with toddlers? The answer is yes, well... mostly yes.

Toddlers are too young to remember everything from trips. If you ask my baby what he enjoyed the most about the trip, his first three words will be elevators, trains and lollipops! It is kinda sad that he didn't remember that first snow day, the tranquil lake or the Zugspitze Summit. But I think an easy way to fix that is to take as many pictures as possible and make a travel album to document every precious moment and read the travel book to the kids back home.
Toddlers are curious about everything, which makes traveling more fun and a lot more work than traveling without them. To be honest, it was more like a "parents workout retreat". We spent most of the time watching and chasing the kiddo so that he won't run away, fall, or break anything. But that's just like every weekend at the park or any public places. I have grown a very thick skin in terms of yelling at my kid in the public, which gives me some confidence to feel comfortable "managing" my kid during traveling. Even the worse scenario happens, people overseas probably won't ever see me or my kid again, right?

Family Travel in Europe

Sometimes overthinking is the way that pursuing perfection messes with the brain. It took me two weeks just to research and finalize the "perfect" itinerary for the trip. There are many places around Munich that are worth visiting. Here are some of my thought process: Possible cities to visit are Berlin, Austria, and Switzerland. I was reading travel forums ALL night to see what people recommended, and how many days to spend in each city. I was overwhelmed by the different itineraries. Each place has some amazing sceneries. I want to do it all!

However, it is just impossible to fit in everything in less than 10 days. I don't want to spend all the time in commuting between cities. I have to figure out what the goals are and what my family values the most:

The situation was: we had two huge luggage, which would be a pain to drag them every day from city to city. So I decided to only pick 3 cities, and stay in each city for 3 nights.
Which cities? Berlin is about 6-hour train ride (one way) from Munich, which would be a big waste of time on the road. So I took out Berlin. Switzerland has many beautiful mountain cities to offer, but most of the summit mountain trains and tours are not operating during late November. It's a bummer but we will have to visit it another time. Austria is only 2-3 hours away from Munich, and most of the spots that we want to visit are open!

So here's the final itinerary that's definitely not perfect but worked out for us in the end:

The first day was fully dedicated to travel: Flying in Munich, heading straight to Salzburg, Austria. Based in Salzburg for 3 nights. Many day trip options around Salzburg and walking tours inside the city.
The next three days were based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is about 2 hours south of Munich. It's a ski town that has many day trip options to the mountains, castles and royal palace.
The last two nights were spent in Munich. Munich has the biggest Christmas market during winter holiday seasons. We did all the shopping and beer drinkings. From there, we flew back to the State.

Most of the places that we visited were very kid-friendly. We pushed a stroller almost everywhere (buses, trains, cable cars), and it was the easiest way for my kid to nap on the road. Even though the weather might not be sunny and clear, we managed to take some great photos for our travel album. If you and your family plan to visit Germany and Austria, here are some of my top recommendations:

1. Hallstatt, Austria - the most picturesque town in Austria. You can watch my IG story here.

Lake view, Hallstatt, Austria

Skywalk, Hallstatt, Austria

2. Zugspitze Summit, Bavaria - the highest peak in Germany. More video and pictures on IG.

11 F degrees at Zugspitze Summit, Germany

Family photo at Zugspitze, Bayern, Germany

3. Lake Königssee, Berchtesgaden - an emerald-green lake in the Bavarian area

Playground by Lake Königssee

A restaurant near Lake Königssee

4. Christmas Market, Munich, Germany - the most popular place during winter

Shopping at Munich Christmas Market

The Marienplatz, Munich, Germany

5. Hohensalzburg Fortress, Salzburg - the biggest fully preserved castle in Central Europe

At the bottom of the Fortress, Salzburg, Germany

After a short hike, taking in the grand view of Salzburg city

Now behind the glamours and the IG perfect photos, some of the other highlights, or should I say, the laughable mistakes from the trip:

My kid rolled off the bed in the middle of the night even though he slept in between me and my husband. Screaming, tears and busted lips...
The stroller got stuck in the turnstile gate while the baby was napping inside. Scared me to death when I saw the turnstiles pressing against his body.
Poor baby had stomach flu and we had to cancel the day tour to the Neuschwanstein Castle.
He acted out when missed a nap, and couldn't stop crying on the train full of passengers.
We have missed our trains during the trip (some trains in small towns only run once in an hour). We've also done some other things like jumped on the wrong trains and bought wrong tickets...

But in the end, I guess it's all part of the traveling experience. We came home safely and happily, with tons of interesting stories to share. As I'm writing the blog post, I feel like I went through the journey all over again. If you have any questions about traveling to Europe, drop a comment below and I will try my best to answer your concerns.

How to run a successful business with your partner in life

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 15:44:00 +0000

You probably have heard of Chip and Joanna, the celebrity entrepreneur couple, who became nationally known for their home renovation show on HGTV, "Fixer Upper". However, their adventure didn't just stop at reality TV shows. The couple has now owned multiple businesses ranging from real estates, restaurants, to retail and book publishing: Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Realty, Magnolia Table, Market & Silo Baking Co. are just some of their business ventures. Their phenomenal success seems to re-define what couple entrepreneurs are in the modern business world. They are no longer just mom-and-pop shop owners, but influential entrepreneurs, real estate moguls, charity founders and motivational speakers, who are building a legacy rather than just a business.

Looking back at my career path, I noticed that most of the companies that I have worked for (not planned, just coincidentally happened that way) are owned and run by couples in business, or what Forbes called it, "couple-preneurs". Personally, my husband and I can hardly agree on a decision in life without an argument. But seeing more and more successful couples who have made the professional partnership work for them, I can't help but wonder: what are the secrets of their "couple-preneurship" and how do they overcome the challenges of running a business together.

Clearly Defined Responsibilities

I noticed that couple-preneurs have a very clear idea of their responsibilities and what roles they play within the company. For example, I have worked for a law firm briefly, and like how the bosses divide duties based on their career passion and specializations: the attorney takes care of the legal side and operations, and the creative one works on branding and strategies. Similar to this construction company that I visited, where one of the owners is in charge of the construction process and the other takes responsibilities in marketing outreach. The key is: even though the business couples have clearly defined responsibilities, they both have to share the same value and vision of their company, which is crucial for the business to thrive in the long run. Both have to be on the same page especially when it comes to what team culture they want to build and which direction the company will go next.

Stress Management Support

The pressure that comes with starting and running a business is extremely high. According to Inc.com, long hours of managing business and family life have caused tremendous stress to couple entrepreneurs. If couple-preneurs are building a business together, challenges and tough times are inevitable in any sort of business and relationships. Having a stress relief support system that works for both is absolutely much needed. One of the power couple, who owns the Keller Williams the Woodlands branch, shared one of their secrets to staying energetic and less stressful, which is actually spending some quality time together and NOT doing anything. Unplug from your phones, social media, and emails. Instead, dedicate 10-30 mins a day for meditation and doing NOTHING else! I was shocked when I first heard about this 3 years ago. But after I have conversations with many seasoned and young professionals, it seems that more and more people use meditation to help them to stay focused and achieve productivity at work. Human brains are not iron machines, and lifestyle doesn't have to be all about hustling and making phone calls. So make sure to give some time for your mind and body to connect and recharge without any distractions from the world.

Family and Work, You Can Have Both

If both parents are busy with work, then who will take care of kids? Many couple-owned companies start to blur the lines of family and work. "Bring kids to work Fridays", for example, has become a popular initiative at the workplace. One of the couple entrepreneurs who successfully managed both is the founder of IDEA Lab Kids. They create a business with their family in mind. They know if they are too caught up in business without caring for their kids, then there's no point in pursuing the business. So they create a franchise that actually allows parents to run a business that is family-oriented, where couples can work without cutting down time spent with their children. Not all businesses have the luxury to do the same, but if the entrepreneurs keep an open mind and are considerate about their family and their employees' family, it will only strengthen the team building and company culture as a whole. After all, the workplace is the second home for full-time employees, so why not actually make them feel that way?

There are many other noticeable traits that I have learned from power couples, such as showing mutual respects, and not taking each other for granted, which goes the same at work and home. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on couple-preneurship.

“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” – Epicurus

How to Battle with the Biggest Distraction in Life

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 02:07:00 +0000

I have been listening to this motivational audio book by Rachel Hollis "Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are." One chapter in the book really inspires me, the one when she tells her journey about how she managed to get rid of Diet Coke from her life. She said all she needed was to have this one-time successful experience to prove that she could do it: making the right choices in her life and sticking to it. That mindset totally ignites my determination and pushes me to think deeply about how to get rid of the biggest distraction in my life (or should I say "addiction"), which is: Binge Watching.

How did it all start?

I got into this binge-watching rabbit hole: every night after I put my kid to sleep, I will indulge myself with some TV time-watching shows on Netflix or Hulu. I'm that kinda person who is so easily drawn to other people's stories (most of them are fictional but somewhat relatable) and I just couldn't stop watching once I started a show. What makes it worse is that I HAVE to eat something, snacks, fruits, nuts, or anything sugary that's absolutely against my doctor's recommendation.

This binge watching and snacking habit is not a new "addiction" to me. It goes way back to those college years when I was studying in Beijing China, where almost any TV show could be found online for FREE and you can stream as many episodes as you like. (I mean you love it, but you also hate it!) I've done this so many times finishing a whole season of prime time TV shows simply over a weekend. It's crazy when I look back at those days when so much time was wasted on screen, whereas I could use those hours to focus on personal growth or at least figure out what to do with my life after college.

"I could have made more friends and built connections, or devoted those precious time in blogging and performing arts..."

So many things I could have done. I keep finding excuses for my bad habit. But now I'm a grown woman with a career, family, and kid. Binge watching is not only affecting my productivity and creatively thinking, but also decreases my physical health conditions. I'm basically sitting ALL DAY from work till bedtime, which directly results in bad blood circulation with low energy issues. My body posture was not straight which has caused my rib cage hurts, and doctor warns me about my late night snacking habit that endangers my digestion and might trigger gallstone problems. Yup, things are getting REAL bad...

"I have to do something about it before it's too late."

The Change...

So I'm trying to use Rachel Hollis' method to change my lifestyle and mindset about binge watching. First off, I have to think about if I have ever had an experience when I successfully get rid of a bad habit in my life that I can refer to... The only example I can think of was when I tried P90X, a trendy workout routine very popular back then, for 90 days with my boyfriend (mostly to impress him since he believes that "working-out brings out the best of a person"). Did I lose a whole lot of weight or score a sexy six-pack? Nah, you can barely tell any difference except my body felt a little more energetic than before. To me, it was more about the journey that my bf and I got to work on something together and it mattered a lot to our relationship at that time. I did gain something from this workout experiment: I discovered yoga and pilates, which showed me that workout didn't have to be pumping iron, and I fell in love with both.

Ok, now that I found my "achieving" moment, how can I channel that experience to help me get rid of the binge watching/snacking habit? --the Mindset Switch! Every time when I start to think about watching one more episode, I will resort to that one time when I successfully controlled my impulse and stick to the workout schedule (memorizing how proud I felt by sticking to the healthy routine of that day.) I know I did it back then, and I just need to do it again today and my body will thank me later for sticking to the plan!

Besides channeling that inner motivation, I also find something alternative to substitute my needs for watching TV. I realize I can find similar things that fulfills my needs for fascinating stories. I tune into audio books for inspirational and relatable stories, start journaling to feed my creative thinking, read scripts to practice acting, and do yoga to keep my mind off the chaos of a hard day...Anything that can occupy my mind from clicking the remote control would work for me! And if I managed to control the urge today, I will use that positivity and momentum to make it work tomorrow.

"I set myself a mini goal as a starter: no binge watching and snacking for 30 days straight."

The first couple of days are the hardest, but after a week, it's getting much easier. Right now I'm in the last week of this 30-day goal and I'm positive that I have no problem knocking this one out of the park. I highly recommend anyone who has a bad habit/addiction to try this method. It's not only a short-term experiment, but it actually sets a milestone for your brain that motivates you to push for a long-term target. If you decide to give it a try, I would love to hear your experience and feedbacks. Meanwhile if you need a "get-motivated" buddy, I'll be right here with you.

You Can Do It!

Smash Therapy-Release Your Inner Beast

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 21:22:00 +0000

My toddler is going through this "terrible two" phase recently, and his tantrum will just suddenly lease out over something very small. When he feels mad, he throws away food, knocks over toys and smashes with those little fists. My pediatrician explains to me that this is just how he expresses his anger. As a parent, I try to be as patient as I can to understand why he's mad and why he behaves like a "savage" from time to time.

Toddlers are still learning skills by pushing buttons and navigating toddler life without knowing how to control their emotions. As adults, we are so used to controlling negative behaviors and feelings so that we won't throw a tantrum like little children. But what should we do about those "bad" emotions? Hide them in a secret box and lock it up? Wouldn't it be nice to release some of those anger, stress or frustration out of our body once in a while?

I had a very interesting audition the other day: I was instructed to hold this baseball bat, and when the casting director yelled "Action", I should start smashing hard at bean bags right in front of the camera. As odd as it sounds, the idea behind this commercial is actually based on real psychological experiment called "Smash Therapy"--to release stress and anger by smashing or breaking things.

During the audition, the casting director encouraged every actor to bring out full force swinging and really use it to relieve any negative emotions that we want to get rid of. Till the end of 2 minute of smashing, I was screaming and roaring, and my body sweat as crazy. I was totally surprised by how wild the whole swinging went. Gosh, my body felt so relieved and exhausted at the same time, like an intensive cardio workout that pumped up every inches of my blood vessel.

If you do a good search, there are legit places that provide a safe "smash room/anger room" for people to smash without worrying about the damage and mess. I actually found a couple of them in Houston area, like this one Smash Therapy LLC. I'm saving the link for now. I know I will need it for over-stressed days in the future. Maybe it only helps release emotions temporarily, but it's great to get those negativity out and keep it in the "anger room", so I can go back to our life with all positive moods.

What are your thoughts on the smash therapy?

(p.s. If you have serious issues of anger or depression, I don't think smashing will solve the problem. It's highly advisable to seek medical help from the professionals.)

Is work life balance a joke for modern mom?

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 21:14:00 +0000

Working mom and "having it all?"

In the first year of being a mom. I was struggling between making three meals a day for my baby, taking him to doctor visits, planning playdates and story times, while also trying to squeeze some time for writing and acting career. My friend once told me, "There's no real balance between work and new mom life." No matter how hard I try, there's always guilt whenever I'm not there with my baby, and there's always some disappointment whenever I have to miss an acting opportunity. I can't help but thinking: is work/life balance a real joke for modern mom? Is having a baby a big setback for a woman's career and professional growth?

Work Life Balance on Social Media

Let's be honest, social media doesn't help new moms in terms of what reality is and how professional life changes after having a baby. In the first year of motherhood, I remember that I couldn't help comparing my life with the glamorous mom's on Instagram. I even try to create a "perfect style" on my Instagram profile. I choose to post pictures that make me feel pretty like living in a fantasy world. To be honest, I'm not opposed to making efforts and record a fulfilled life, but the pitfall here is: if I confuse my own goals with other influencer's lifestyle, I will blur my vision and eventually get sucked in disappointment from chasing other people's expectations.

Expectations, Expectations

I have to be real with myself, and plan goals based on my current situation. Different family have different situation. As for me, I have to acknowledge the fact that there won't be a true work/life balance, at least not the first couple of years. Probably a 30/70 ratio with main focus on family and child. With this adjusted expectation, I can be more practical and won't feel beaten up by unrealistic goals. Somehow, the realization of "I can't have it all or do it all, and it's totally OK" makes me feel so relieved and actually gives me extra courage to face any setbacks in this new life. Because perfection is such an impractical goal, and the only way to be better is through trials and errors. Perseverance is the key.

Stay Positive and Creative as a Working Mom

I am an actor who loves storytelling and creative projects. In order to be active in the industry, I constantly running between auditions, commercial sets and acting trainings. So what to do to help a working mom better engaged in both professional and personal life. An interesting thing I find out is to stay creative and start shifting knowledge and skills between these two fields. You will be surprised how skills in one field can be so beneficial to the other.

I started to journal my life with a toddler, and record my feelings and emotions, whether they are joys, tears, excitements or disappointments. These moments and reflections are so personal and important that not only help me to become a better parent, but also enrich my emotional experience as an actor. I am so grateful for all the highs and lows (especially the lows) of being a mother, because those moments are the essences of natural acting. Thanks to those special moments, I know how to portray a woman who feels happy, tired, angry or even depressed. Now I'm more open to play a character with a wide range of emotions. The hardship and rollercoaster experience of motherhood turn out to be the goldmine of my acting career.

Vice versa. My passion for acting and performance lighten up the life of being a FUN mom. I like to tell stories to my child with lots of gestures, singings and funny faces. Being able to act out the scenes of a story book helps me enjoy bonding time with the little one. Another funny thing to do with acting is: I like talking to toys as if they are my little friends. And my baby totally loves it! He wants to be friends with them too. I once learned a trick from a veteran actor, who told me an effective way to handle toddler's tantrum is to act even more dramatic than your crying child! Apparently young child is usually curious about parents' behavior, especially when their behaviors are more dramatic than normal. My kid will stall and just stare whenever I start acting "weird". I will pretend to be like him throwing a tantrum, and he will just stand there and watch. Who would've thought this little guy will become my biggest fan in the whole wild world!

To sum up, being a working mom is not easy at all. There's no reason to copy other mom's lifestyle. Sometimes, being a bit messy is totally normal. Just keep breathing and stay positive. No magic of balancing all at once. It's a lot of trials and errors. But remember, there's always a creative perspective to look at both worlds, relatable or not. We're constantly learning from work and life, so why not start utilizing those experience to help us better enjoy both world?

"It's ok to be a bit messy in life. Perfection only exists in social media."--Almost Nomadic

Couples Journal for A Long Lasting Relationship

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 19:00:00 +0000

"Keep a couples journal for better communications"

Marriage is a long journey that needs two people to nurture it in order to make it work. Before you know it, three years has passed, and then five years, ten years... Most of the couple's time is spent on making a living, sending kids to school, running errands, events and holidays, you know, the normal family stuff. My marriage is nothing too different from the normal path. At the moment when I wrote this post, I've been married for over four years, and many major life events have happened in those four years: career changes (for both hubby and me), purchase of our first home, arrival of our first baby... We experienced many many highs but also went through some lows in our relationship.

One day during a movie night (a weekly thing for us), my husband and I were watching this comedy called Happy Anniversary. One scene in the movie was about this quirky couple sharing top 3 moments in their 3 years of dating life. It was a very candid and meaningful scene, and I was laughing how different their answers are in terms of which moment should be the No.1. So I asked my husband, "what are the top threes for us in our relationship?" He was very intrigued by the question and took a deep breath thinking about it. Then he came up with one very quickly, "having our first baby is definitely one of the biggest!", which I totally agree. However, we were stuck at trying to pick other top 2 worthy moments that we could both agree on. You know that feeling when all the memories start surfacing out at the same time, and your brain suddenly overloaded with lots of not so well-organized moments?

That really hits me! We try very hard to fill our marriage life with events, gathering, family stuff so it doesn't have to be about work and errands all the time. We plan things to do for next week, and really just focus on the future, but rarely actually look back at what happened or reflect on our thoughts/emotions in those major moments. It is kinda sad that sometimes we need Facebook to remind us what major moments happened last year. It was that moment I proposed the idea to my husband: we should record our journey of marriage, journal our thoughts and ideas to help us better organize memories in our relationship.

I'm not totally new to journaling. I have been writing about my personal growth and life experience ever since my career coach recommended it to me. It helped me a lot with self-reflection and confidence and I can't believe it took me so long to use the journaling idea for my marriage! Anyhow, my husband and I finally started this new routine at the end of 2018: we write something together every week, look over what we have achieved (top 3 moments), then list new things that we tried together, and sum it up with appreciations of each other. Though it's only been a month, we have seen some improvement to our relationship, especially in bonding and communications.

I highly recommend you to try the journaling experience with your other half. There are so many ways to journal your own couple's stories: you can share something that you are grateful of each other, jog down a bucket list for next month, think of a challenge for both of you to work on, or just use it as a dairy recording events and experience. It doesn't matter which journaling style you choose. You can even mix them up a bit for different weeks, as long as it keeps the communication going between you and your partner. So if you are intrigued by this couple's journaling idea and want to take your relationship to another level, how about starting by picking up a notebook, and get ready to share journaling with the person you love!

"No matter what journey it is, I'm glad that I shared with you" -- Almost Nomadic

A Personal Story about Courage

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 04:56:00 +0000

When it comes to relationships, I am that kind of person who easily worries too much, for things like: if the other person might be too busy, if s/he thinks I'm not cool enough to hang out with, or what if I don't have any fun ideas on what to do... and the list just goes on.

If you are like me, who often stuck at these loops of self-doubting and overthinking, I would like to share with you a personal story about how I met my first American boyfriend (who later became my husband) and show you how relationship changed when I stopped overthinking.

My husband and I first started dating back in our college years (yup, it was that long long time ago.) However, the place where we first met was not on campus but at this Chinese restaurant where we both worked as part-time. I remember that we tried to get to know each other as much as we could while working on the shift. It was like you met someone at a social event and found out you two have so much in common, but there were other people who you needed to greet and mingle as well. And when you had interesting people to talk to, time went by so fast. For some reason, maybe both of us were very shy back then, we didn't ask for each other's phone number by the end of the shift.

Here, I have to mention a little background about me ten years ago: I had just moved to Austin from China for a few weeks and I didn't know a lot of people in town, except a few classmates at school. With no budget for a smart phone, I ended up with this super old T-mobile phone that didn't have free message service or a voicemail set up. What even worse was that I didn't have a Facebook account either. You are probably like "wait, what? seriously?" Yea... I was that "fresh off the boat". There was no way for me to do a quick search of this guy I just met (not as easy as searching on social media nowadays). I thought I would have to wait until next time when we both worked at the same shift.

However, before I got the chance to see him for a second time, I checked my phone one day after class and saw a missed call from a local number. Who would call me since I barely knew anyone besides my classmates? Believe it or not, strangely, I had this hunch that it might be from him. I couldn't explain why I had that hunch especially knowing that he didn't ask for my number the other day. Part of me was very hesitated about returning the phone call, for one because of my shyness, and for two because of my "overthinking-ness".

Right before that anxious side of me started to take control, I couldn't help but wondering what if it was from him, and what if he wanted to know more about me and found out my number somehow. All the possibilities that mixed with excitement as well as uncertainties suddenly filled my body with this courage and boldness. I decided to put all my worries aside and pressed the "call back" button on my phone. "Ding!" a simple tap on the screen just like that, followed by me waiting restlessly for someone to pick up. Oh gosh, who could imagine those seconds of waiting felt like FOREVER? Luckily someone answered the phone after three ringings, and it turned out that my hunch was actually right! It was the guy who I met at the part-time job, and he was trying to call me and invite me to his Halloween party that weekend. I still remember how happy I was on the phone saying, "That sounds fun. I would love to" with my awkward Chinese accent. As for how he found out about my contact information, apparently he asked the manager of that Chinese restaurant we both worked at and she gave my number to him. Why didn't I think of that?! Ugh...

Anyhow, I was just so glad that he found my number in the end, and I was able to put all my uncertainties aside and ring him back. Otherwise I would have missed the opportunity of getting to know this smart man who later became my husband. That Halloween of 2010 was very crucial in terms of establishing our relationship for the long run. It helped me to know him better at a much informal setting and got me introduced to his close friends at an early stage. If it wasn't that brief moment of courage to call back, I did not know how long it would take, and how many chat-over-workshifts we had to go through to build this strong relationship at the beginning.

My biggest takeaway from this personal story is: how much I appreciate those little risk-taking moments that help me connect with people in different ways. They make life so much more unpredictable and adventurous. Although it's not always easy to fight with the anxious side of oneself, I do believe that new connection only happens when one puts into efforts and not worries too much about the outcomes. Thinking about all the relationships you have made so far, either personal or professional ones, do you remember that one time when you took a step forward and it ended up helping establish/strengthen the connections? I would love to hear your stories of those courageous and life changing moments.

Nomadic State of Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:05:00 +0000

I like to reflect on myself and my journey, especially at this time of the year (less than a month left in 2018!) When I first started my blog, I was an active traveler, who constantly looking for interesting places to explore. I just love the idea of meeting new people, learning new cultures and experiencing life with a curious soul.

Ok, reality check, I am not a full time traveler who camps in nature and hitchhikes to places. However that curious state of mind is still deeply rooted in me and helps me "wander" through life journey by exploring every aspects of it (not only travel related but also career, wellness and motherhood related.) Sometimes this journey doesn't always have a clear direction, but it is totally FINE. Just like a nomad will do, I choose to embrace the uncertainties and the unseens, because it's these unpredictables that make life exciting and fun!

So here's to another year of living a story-worthy life with a nomadic state of mind.

Zero Budget Challenge: Holiday Party Dress for Petites

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 18:45:00 +0000

It's that time of the year, when Christmas is around the corner and you can't wait to dress up for holiday parties and New Year Eve events. Before you hop to shop for a new dress, why not take a look at your existing closet and see if you can mix and match a holiday outfit with few or zero buck spent.

First thing when you dig through your closet is to look for a black dress. If you find one, then congratulations! You got the outfit for holiday parties. A solid elegant black dress is actually ALL you need.

Can you believe that this black dress has been with me for 8 years? I love how stretchy it is and just happy that I'm still able to put it on. When you have a dress that has been with you for that long, it starts to feel very personal because of the memories and stories that you shared together, like how it helped you stand up at a party or how romantic you felt in that dress at anniversary celebrations. (And that's the emotional reason why I can't throw any clothes away.)

Next up is a maroon dress that I got from Madewell on sale (for only $24!). I like the fit so much that I bought another one in dark green. Both are perfect color for Christmas season. In Chinese culture, it is a tradition to wear something red for holidays, especially in celebration of New Year.

The picture above was not taken at a party, but at the rooftop of Hilton hotel at Downtown Houston. It was the day after the party, and my feet were so bruised from the heels that I wore the night before. What a smart idea to bring those comfy flats with me (absolutely save the day!)

At this point, you probably figure out that my go-to style of dresses is short in length with a nice waistline. YES! For petite ladies, I don't suggest maxi style dresses, because most of the time the long dress will "swallow" the whole body. So last but not least, I want to share with you another short dress that will flatter your height. It has a thicker texture for winter weather and the fun bright color is very unique, especially if you are looking for something different to stand out in parties.

If you're wondering where I was in this picture, how come the background looks funny and illuminating? Do you believe it if I told you this holiday party happened in the Houston Zoo? I was actually surprised that the zoo had private rooms for companies/organizations hosting events and parties. And the day of the party happened to be the premier night of the Houston Zoo Light. It was one of their most popular events in December every year. The little glowing animal lights were so cute and beautiful. Definitely a must see if you plan to visit Houston this month.

All three dresses that I shared are not new purchases at all. They have been with me for years. Sometimes I just need a special occasion to bring them out. Do you have clothes like that, sitting in the closet for ages but too formal to wear for daily errands? Well, now is the time to dust them off and take them out for a swirl! And most importantly, have a fabulous celebration, ladies!

Creative Styling-When Girl Bosses Connect

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 21:28:00 +0000

If I ask "how many pairs of pants do you have in your closet?" the first thing that comes in mind probably will be "what kind of pants do you mean? jeans, leggings, yoga or dress pants?" There are so many pants sitting in the closet and it doesn't make styling any easier, especially for new moms (like me, who still barely fit in half of the clothes in the closet). Don't you wish that you have one pair that goes with all occasions (casual/work/evening/weekend...) or at least works well in most of those occasions?

A pair of versatile pants will not only save you time and energy in styling but also help cut down unnecessary expenses on clothes that you will only wear once. Today I will share with you one of my favorite style of pants that goes with almost any occasions.

Wide legged pants are very popular and perfect for the fall season. To dress up, you can pair with high heels and formal blouse. To play casual, you just need to put on a loose top or even a cool t-shirt, plus a pair of wedged sandals. I bought this white flowy pants from Topshop during Nordstrom's annual sale. It's probably not in stock any more, but don't worry, I will share some similar ones below in just a moment. The top that I chose was a simple striped shirt, with a loose style. I tucked in the front part of the shirt to uncover the bow tie design (my favorite part of the pants).

If you are a petite body type like me (I'm only 5.3"), and want to look taller than your real height, a trick that can create this "taller" illusion is wearing high waisted pants, because when the waistline moves up, the length of your legs becomes maximized!

Here are some more outfit ideas for high waisted pants. They all have a cute bow tie design and very versatile to pair with any tops. Some days I even walk out in sneakers with these pants, isn't it great?! They are also so soft and easy to clean. If you didn't notice that I have a postpartum cushy belly, these pants definitely did a great job hiding it for me.

From left to right: Windsor, ASOS, and Forever 21.

I know just "hiding it" is not gonna solve the postpartum body issue. I'm gradually getting my energy back through fitness class and networking with other inspiring "boss babes". Actually this photo session is a fun collaboration with two fabulous ladies (@talia's touch and @on the B.L.) I learned so much creative ideas from them! If you ask a fashion stylist what to wear this season, one thing they all agree on is that one doesn't have to buy trendy clothes all the time, but rather, the most stylish way is to buy the ones that work for you:

"Before purchasing new item, consider your shape first, trends second.

Understand that and you'll never make mistakes. --Style by Anete"

Modeling with Talia, photo by RaeAnna

Think Outside the Box: 5 Flexible Jobs for Millennial Moms

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 18:53:00 +0000

Putting career on hold and spending a few years at home focusing on children and family is definitely an honorable decision, and certainly one of the biggest changes in a woman's life. I don't think the phrase "stay-at-home-mom" (SAHM) does its justice, because it underestimates the role by tricking one to think that staying at home means not working at all. However, anyone who has been a SAHM knows that taking care of children at home is indeed a full-time job.

Quite often, I hear struggles from moms who try to re-start their career after a few years at home. For one, they feel left out from the workplace for so long that they don't have enough confidence to compete and succeed in the process of job hunting. The other struggle is that they couldn't find jobs with the right amount of flexibility to meet their family needs, such as sick time, family emergencies, and no schools during summertime, etc.

For moms who managed to survive the first few years, I want to say that you are no less than any successful women in workplace. Actually, you are even tougher and stronger to get it through with limited sleep and rest. Your ability in handling stress and multitasking is so advanced that you might not even notice it. You are constantly on searching engine looking for solutions for almost every possible issue, from what to expect in baby's first year to parenting skills, from travel tips to cooking recipes, from product reviews to local events for family...SAHMs usually have excellent social media skills because the loneliness of being at home pushes mom to reach out to social communities and local groups to connect as well as support each other. If you have organized a play date, birthday party, or mom's night-out event, you know you have the skills in planning, coordinating and communications. As a popular saying on social media, "every mom is a supermom!" Don't let anything make you feel less about yourself, because YOU'VE GOT THIS!

So what kind of jobs provide the most flexibility for stay-at-home moms with a potentially successful career?

1. Virtual Assistant (VA)
Working as a virtual assistant is not only flexible on working schedule but also on work locations. You can choose to work from home, coffee shops or co-working space. The variety of job functions range from scheduling appointment to answering phone calls, from graphic designs to digital media management. Most of virtual assistant jobs are hourly paid, part-time or full-time positions. It might have a requirement of experience in specific industry but it depends on the types of companies. Some of the places to look for virtual assistant jobs are: REMOTE.CO and Flex Jobs. People have VA experience have higher chance landing a job in office/community manager or executive assistant roles.

2. Photographer
If you have a creative eye and like to take pictures everywhere you go, a job as photographer is perfect for you. Photographer is needed in many fields of industry, such as news/journalism, food, fashion, entertainment, real estates and special events, etc. Time and location are highly flexible, especially when you work remotely or as a freelancer. You don't need a degree in journalism to become a photographer, but the ability of telling a story through images and an impressive portfolio are both essential to become a successful photographer.

3. Fitness Instructor
As a new mom, getting back to shape is one of my personal goals in the first year of motherhood. Fitness club is not only a workout place for body building, but also an excellent place for social bonding and empowerment. One of my favorite part is talking to instructors from different classes and learning about how flexible their work is. Some of them teach 1-2 classes a week in the same club, while others teach 7-8 classes in different locations. The pay rate is hourly and different depending on where one works. Besides flexibility, other perks of teaching fitness classes are free gym membership, working while listening to favorite music, and making money while doing exercises. Though challenges exist (like training and obtaining certificates, safety education, and recovery from muscle injuries), one of the most rewarding points, according to the instructors I talked to, is actually connecting with students and influencing their lifestyle about health and wellness.

4. Social Media Influencer
As consumers nowadays, especially millennials are highly digital and active in social media platforms, companies/brands spend more money on digital marketing campaigns, which leads to a trending profession as social media influencer. If you have a unique voice and a strong online presence, no matter in which platform (Blogger/content creator, Vlogger on YouTube, or influencer on Instagram), brands may reach out to you for collaborations. The opportunity and flexibility are promising and limitless. However, it does take some time to build a highly engaged online presence and credibility. The pay rate for marketing influencer is variable and may not be rewarding at the beginning, but joining an influencer group or an affiliate program is an easy way to start. Here are some popular and trendy programs for marketing influencers: Amazon Influencer Program, Influenster, Bloglovin'.

5. Online Business Owner
Have you heard of the phrase "#Girlboss", a trendy tag on social media? It is also a Netflix show based on Sophia Amoruso's autobiography, about her online clothing store "Nasty Gal", and how she becomes the girl boss. Websites, like Amazon and Ebay, have provided tremendous convenience to consumers as well as business owners. E-commerce is not a sophisticated concept any more. If you have a product to sell or a unique service to provide, you can start your own business on the internet. The ultimate flexibility is to work for yourself. The freedom is maximum, but the risk is also the highest. A lot of research, study, and long-term/short-term planning need to be considered. However, with proper education, strong dedication, and progressive networking, it is not impossible to become an entrepreneur and run a successful online business.

"Being a woman in business doesn't come without challenges. My advice? Surrounded yourself with other women that support you, share ideas and get motivated." --Jessica Alba, Founder of The Honest Company

I believe woman can have a successful career while being a great wife/mom for your family. No matter what you choose to do, if it makes you happy and valuable to the world, it definitely worths trying! Don't let anything stop you from pursuing your dream.

Lost in Ireland: A Nature Getaway for a Nomadic Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 14:25:00 +0000

(Editing note: October 10 is the World Mental Health Day. This post is dedicated to women's mental health. As a new mom, self care and work-life balance are extremely crucial. Traveling is one of the best therapeutic ways to take care of both SAHM and working mom's mental health)

The first time when I went on a trip without Ollie was a couple of months ago. It was a 7-day trip in the Republic of Ireland. There was probably no such thing as "post babymoon", but if you were a tired and stressful mom, would you prefer to have one getaway, just for some peaceful time only focusing on yourself, your body and soul? As for me, this trip was also a goodbye to my stay-at-home-mom life and the beginning to a new me.

Ireland was such a "green" country with beautiful nature and scenery spots. Renting a car and rolling along mountains and small towns was a perfect way to discover this breathtaking island. Here are my top five places that helped me de-stress from postpartum life:

1. Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher is ranked as the number one most visited spot in Ireland, a true natural wonder of the world. It is best known for its high altitude and steep shapes caved by clashing waves, and its panoramic view of the Atlantic ocean.

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

It was quite foggy and cold in the morning in Ireland. In order to have the best photography opportunity, I would suggest visiting in the afternoon or during sunset, when the cliffs faced right in the direction of the sunlight. Cliff climbing was an excellent exercise for a postpartum body. The sound of the tides and breezy wind from the ocean worked in the nature's way healing an anxious soul struggling with new mom life.

2. Skellig Island
You might have heard about Skellig Island because it was one of the film locations of "Star Wars: Force Awaken". To visit the island, you can book a tour that departs from the marina at Portmagee, Kerry. Whether you are Star Wars fan or not, this small island has a mystery history and a wealth of wildlife. Puffin is one of the popular birds on the island.

Skellig Island-"Star Wars: Force Awaken" filming location

Did you ever feel like a bird that just got released from a cage? That was me running down all the way towards the bottom of the hill, with bare feet, just to feel the sands going through my toes and waves clashing on my knees. Sometimes beach and sands could be a fast remedy to wash away your stress, like the waves coming at you with a strong force but slowly it would take away most of that stress and flow back to the deep dark ocean.

3. Powerscourt Estate and Gardens
When you needed a break form cliffs and islands, a royal garden called Powerscourt Estate, was located about 20 mins outside of Dublin. The free audio tour was provided at the entrance to guide you walk around the mansion and learn about the history of the estate and statues. Don't forget to take a stroll by the Japanese garden, golf course and waterfall. If you are planning for a wedding, apparently, Powerscourt is one of the top venues in Ireland.

Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, Ireland

I was a romantic at heart, but motherhood made everything too real and tough. As a new mom, it was not always easy to find desires to dress up and put on makeup (whatever fancy clothes will get messy in just a second anyway). Sometimes, I just needed a motivation to lift up and to feel happy again. As you can see in the picture, I couldn't help running in the center of the beautiful garden, smiling like a little girl with a pretty princess dream.

4. Killarney National Park

The peaceful lakes in Killarney National Park, Ireland

Serenity, was the exact word to describe the lakes in Killarney National Park. It's one of the biggest parks in Ireland, with waterfalls, hiking trails and the most tranquil lakes that I've ever seen. What a great place to do yoga and practice breathing and meditation! To challenge myself, I also hiked the longest route all the way to the Gap of Dunloe (32K steps, almost 14K miles). It was the longest hiking workout since postpartum. My body was soft and weak, but the physical challenge gave me empowerment of courage and persistence. Setting a workout goal and trying everything to achieve it helped me re-gain determination and confidence.

5. Ice Cream at Dingle
Besides hiking and climbing, I didn't forget treating myself something sweet for all the hard work. Ireland is renowned for its dairy products, and the ice cream in Dingle is the best in the whole country. Imagine me indulging a scoop of ice cream from Murphy's, while sitting back and enjoying this scenery view. Life is a long journey with different chapters and challenges. I couldn't find a better way to rejuvenate than traveling, exploring and appreciating the beauty of Mother Nature.

Ring of Kerry, Ireland

What's your favorite place to help de-stress from new mom life?

Traveling Challenge with a Toddler in Disney World

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 20:48:00 +0000

If I tell you I wrote a 20-page paper about Disney, you probably won't believe me. But yes, that's exactly the topic of my thesis about: how Disney movies shape young generation's pop culture and influence the ideology of feminism and girl power! I can't say that I'm a super fan of Walt Disney, but I know I have to visit its biggest theme park franchise just to check the real life "magic experience" off my list. I waited and waited, and finally I made it, exploring Disney World for the first time, with my 16 month old baby!

There are many concerns about taking my toddler with me on the trip, such as he's too young for theme parks, and August is too hot in Orlando...But all put aside, when I was offered a 3-night of free stay in Orlando, it didn't leave me much time to worry about all the travel details. We jumped on the plane feeling just like my husband's favorite qoute--"YOLO".

For parents who have took their tiny little ones to Disney World, you might already know that the trip is more for the adults since toddlers haven't watch many Disney cartoons and don't really recognize most of the characters. But to my surprise, many activities are actually baby friendly. Here is a list of favorites that my baby enjoyed:

Animal Kingdom

Safari Tour in "Africa"

"It's tough to be a bug"--If you are not afraid of seeing bugs on screen, you should definitely check out this 3D show. Some of the highlights are: huge animated pictures, lifelike sound effects, sensual experience (water splash, wind blowing, etc.), and lots of reactions from the crowd.
"Bird show"--Those beautiful birds look like the ones in Avatar, and Ollie was very excited to see so many colorful birds flying above the sky, especially when they make loud noises.
"Kilimanjaro Safaris"--You can't visit Animal Kingdom without getting on the Safari tour! No matter how old your baby is, I'm sure he/she will enjoy this wildlife adventure. Highlights are: tropical jungle, baby elephants, pink flamingos, ginantic rhinos, etc.
"Boneyard" Playground--If you are looking for a less crowded area for your toddlers, don't miss out "Boneyard". It is an open-air playground with a dinosaur theme just for the little ones. The whole ground is soft and very safe for your baby to run around, so parents can relax and take a little break from worrying about them tripping down.

Magic Kingdom

Little Mermaid Parade

"Mad Tea Party"--This teacup spinning ride is suitable for children of all ages. You can control the speed of the spin and the teacup is big enough for the whole family.
"Dumbo the Flying Elephant"--This is another baby-friendly ride at Fantasyland. The line for the ride is a bit longer, but while waiting, you and your family can explore the indoor playground inside the circus tent.
"Ariel's Undersea Adventure "--I personally like this dark ride attraction a lot! The line goes fast and the whole ride is indoor with A/C. Who wouldn't want to sit on a spinning seashell and explore the Little Mermaid's grotto? We got on the ride after lunch around Ollie's nap time, and guess what, he actually fell asleep halfway during the adventure, thanks to the soothing music and undersea atmosphere!
"Pirates of the Caribbean"--this is another indoor adventure ride that I highly recommend. Even when it's 90 degrees outside, you can escape the heat and have a lot of fun on this underground water boat.
"Walt Disney Railroad"--If you don't have a lot of time to explore every magic land, jump on the Railroad train that runs through the magic kingdom. Let this real steam-powered train take you on a ride among different magic lands. (Side note: no food or drinks are allowed on board, and strollers must be folded)

With so many attractions to see, I wish we could stay in Orlando for a longer period. If I have the opportunity to visit Disney again, I would definitely bring a lighter weight stroller (a lot of folding and unfolding taking trains and shuttles). I would also get the FastPass+ to skip lines in order to get on popular rides that usually has ridiculous long wait. A little tip for parents who are planning their first Disney trip during summertime: make sure to bring umbrellas and raincoats because it rains quite often in Orlando. We bought some ponchos at Publix near our hotel, and it turned out to be very useful and super fun to explore the magic kingdom even when it was pouring. At least Ollie had the most fun in the rain with his cute Mickey poncho.

A Tired Mom's First Experience with Float Spa

noreply@blogger.com (Shanna) — Mon, 07 May 2018 22:14:00 +0000

It has been over a year since I became a mother. To be honest, taking care of a baby was nothing that I expected. It turned out to be the biggest challenge that I went through, physically and emotionally. Although it got much easier when my baby turned one, exhaust and stress didn't seem to go away at all. Sometimes, I just need to be alone for an hour and give my body the energy to reboot.

I enjoyed doing yoga and breathing exercise, however I wanted to try something new, and found out about Healing Waters Float Spa. I was very intrigued by the idea of using salt water for meditation and healing therapy, so I booked my first appointment with them. The moment I stepped into the meditation room my mind was already at peace. The soothing music, flowing water sound and the whole calming atmosphere suddenly separated me from the busy world. It put me in a relaxing and stressless mood and spiritually ready for my float session.

Healing Waters Float Spa in Houston

The staff was very welcoming. He explained every steps of the session: how the floatation worked, what to do before getting into the float cabin, and how to maximize the healing effects in the water. I was amazed to see how big the float cabin was, more like a personal pool for me!

The Entry of the Float Cabin

Cabin Light could be changed to different color upon request

After the staff left, I was ready to start the floatation. At this time, no one else was in the room, except myself. Total privacy! I slowly entered the float cabin, and gently slide into the water filled with over 1,000 pounds of dissolved salt. I couldn't help feeling the excitement, but also a little nervous, to be honest. After all, floating in water that had higher density than the Dead Sea was something very new to me. The water was not cold nor too hot, and the initial nervousness quickly went away. My body and mind slowly settled as my limbs felt lighter and lighter, and eventually my whole body reached a total weightless state.

The cabin light was adjustable, however it was recommended to turn off during the session and float in total darkness in order to reach a deep rest/sleeping mode. As the time went by, my mind was able to enjoy a quiet break from the new mom life, no crying, no chaos, no judgement, and no anxiety...It was a bliss to have this peaceful "me-time" without worrying about anything in the world. No cell phone, no social media...just me, breathing, living, while embracing the natural healing waters.

After the session, I felt like a sleeping beauty who just woke up from a long nap. My mind and body were refreshed and recharged. It was definitely a very unique and inspirational experience, and I can see that a continuous practice of this float therapy will benefit my body in the long run.

I would recommend any friends and new moms to give this float spa a try. And please don't forget to leave a comment and let me know how you like the float experience!

xoxo,

Shanna