Announcement: My story from Gold to Green.

Hey guys!

I'm going to transform the name of this blog into: Gold to green. I'm also changing the content of it. To tell you about why I'm doing this is because throughout my year in the U.S. I've changed a little bit and transformed my way of looking at life.

Funny story, I was talking to one of my friends and told him how my year in the U.S. was so far and I've told him this:

Before I came here I wasn't as health conscious and fit as I am now. I went out a lot, drank too much alcohol! Walked my feet off in really high! heels and I didn't really care about what I ate and consumed. I shopped a lot and spent so much money on clothes and accessories. I was kind of a shopping- addict, which I think still am :-D but now I would rather spend more money on good food or high quality ones. After the winter months with thanksgiving, my birthday and christmas I felt the need of starting to exercise and to start doing something with all my freetime I had. And of course I didn't want to come back from the U.S. and being a round girl ;-) In the U.S. you're always sitting in your car and you are not really able to ride with your bike to places. Instead in my small hometown in Germany I took my bike everywhere! 

That's why I started running in January/February 2012.

At the beginning it was really hard, but it became easier and easier with time and now it is so relieving for me and I just feel way better with it! I felt that a lot of things in working out and exercising I could transfer into real life. For example, if you feel like your body cannot run anymore I kept telling myself: Don't give up! Never ever give up, push harder! And I just reminded myself: How bad do you really want it? (It: finishing your run, achieving your goals). So I've started to practice self-discipline and consistency. And you know what? I've never felt as energetic as I do now!

I also started reading a lot about health, fitness and nutrition. And honestly I was really thinking about applying for a nutrition major but I've figured that it wouldn't be realistic since I'm really bad at biology and chemistry! :-) In addition my friend Frances introduced me into Yoga. I watched documentaries about 'being green' and just to be conscious about mother nature and what surrounds us every single day. Here I didn't go out that much anymore, I am enjoying cooking together with friends a lot more than going into a club. I didn't drink that much and I am still thinking of giving up alcohol at all. I don't smoke as well. It's just not good for your body and I don't like having a hangover the day after and not being able to do anything because your body has to recover. 

Now I love getting up early in the morning, time is precious and I just want to start the day early and be productive, active! I love being outside, jogging, biking, swimming! I wear less make- up now and it is just so much better for my skin! I feel FREE! I got to know myself and my body much better.

I love my new ME! 

During my stay in the U.S. I could focus on myself, this year was MY year, and actually every single day should be about you and your dreams, what you really want in life, it is YOURS. Life is too short to just sit there and wait for your luck! So get up and just do it!

After hearing this story, my friend was like: "That's interesting, that you became like this in the U.S.! Returning from the U.S. people would expect you to be more spoiled. And I don't know if we would get to know each other if you'd have stayed the same. You became 'gold to green'."

YES! I think so :-)

This here right now in the U.S. feels like a one-year dream which will end soon but I should stop thinking that way because I LIVE NOW! I BREATHE NOW AND THIS IS MY LIFE FOR RIGHT NOW! 

I am very thankful for my experience here and I would like to keep this blog alive, it could help me to remind myself to never stop learning, changing, growing and evolving.

GOLD: fashion, accessories, beauty

to

green: health, body, mind, soul, in general staying green and healthy (food, recipes etc.) 

So, let's spread the word out and share your love.

Peace and lots of love,

M ♥

Vegan in NYC

One of my friends asked me where I would like to spend my last night in the U.S.? 

I've told her that I would love to spend it in the city, but everything seemed very stressful with packing and getting myself ready to fly back home tuesdays. But anyway, I've decided to go! It's NYC, come on! :) It was a monday night and we went out for dinner in the West Village.

We wanted to try some vegan food and checked out Gobo. 

It was really good and I just love seaweed! So we've had the kale, seaweed, beet salad with toasted walnuts, the tempura shitake caps in mashed sweet potatoes & raisins and the roti canai with malaysian curry. Excellent food! And honestly I think it is much more challenging for a chef to cook and experiment with vegetables than it is with meat! 

For dessert we've had some healthy sweet treats :) Fruits covered in dark delicious chocolate at Forbidden fruit. 

I enjoyed my last night in the city and was thinking a lot about the past 13months...

A lot have changed and more will come.

Stay tuned,

heading back to good old Germany..

M

Last days in NYC

The last days in the U.S. were craaaazy! I've spent these days of course!! in New York City, driving back and forth from New Jersey. In the pictures above you can see that I was at the Williamsburg Waterfront with its Smorgasburg and Artists and Fleas Market again, I went to Chinatown and Soho to do a little bit of shopping, to spend the rest of my money :) I've visited some dear friends and had vietnamese lunch together and yes I went to the Afropunk festival in Brooklyn. I've got free hugs there, South African food (the bread bowl with chicken curry) and had the chance to see Janelle Monae live on stage!

I was really busy those days because I wanted to see everyone one more time before I leave this beautiful country!

(Ch)Eating in the city

 

This thursday I took the boys into the city and we wanted to eat all day! Also: how to eat cheap in Manhattan?! Yes, kind of a cheatday for working out so hard, haha! We went to so many different places and got really cheap food :-)

Sorry that I didn't take pictures of all of them, it went by too fast! But I will list the places we've been to!

This doesn't belong to the cheap- eats but to start the day right, we went to the worlds's first oatmeal bar/restaurant, they've just opened up seven weeks ago and after surfing on some food blogs I've found out about Oatmeals in NYC!

Here in the U.S. I've started eating so much oatmeal I've just had to go there!!!

I'm crazy about oatmeal and peanutbutter :-) 

The first two bowls are: parmesan and fig/gorgonzola and then cherry/chocolate chip and cheesecake/blackberry. I would go there again but I'd stick with sweet oatmeal, savory oatmeal is just too salty and heavy for me.

The boys and I also went to these places..

Oh, how I've missed you ♥

Yes! I am talking about lovely NYC. Indeed, I've missed it a little bit while I was on vacation.

So I've spent sunday there and the first thing I've done when I got off from the bus was going to Hell's Kitchen Flea and checking out their stuff. I've ended up leaving with a short skirt for 5$ :-)

After that I've met some friends and we headed to Central Park, had a picnic and spent the beautiful day there. I was in a good mood and was very happy to be in New York. 

In the evening I've met a dear friend of mine from Germany, as you can see she's also Vietnamese! Our parents are really good friends and now she's going to spend one year in the U.S, too. It was nice to see her after 13months and we were chatting in english instead of german! We've had dinner in K- town, the korean influenced part of the city.

The restaurant is called Food Gallery 32  and I've had a beef stew with tofu. Pretty good and pretty crowded! But so much variety and for an indecisive person like me it's hard to make a choice! 

Oh I've had so much fun that day!!! :-)

I'm looking forward to the next few days I'm going to spend in the city..

This is my last week in the U.S. now, 

time went by too fast..