Adventures of the single life.
For my run this weekend I traded the the concrete trails of the Southside for the dirt trails at Schenley Park. The view was amazing (I’m still amazed that a city can be this green!), and for someone from the Midwest, the hills were challenging. I manage to get a bit lost, so my run was about a mile longer than I anticipated. Still, it gave me more opportunity to snap some great photos.
Last week, I decided to explore the South Side Flats of Pittsburgh. Before I move into my new apartment, I’m in temporary housing here, and find myself really enjoying the riverfront trail, called the Three Rivers Heritage Trial, and charming businesses (not to mention the Hot Metal Bridge, which is my favorite bridge, by far). The South Side was one of the first neighborhoods in the city to gentrify and features the South Side Works, an outdoor mall. There is also the Bavarian Hoffbrauhaus (lots of well priced beer and dancing) and, my favorite thing, the riverfront trail. The trail is a bit strange, since it starts and stops at points, and at times one needs to go off the path to get around construction or broken path, but all in all, the trail is generally well kept, well traversed, and boasts a charming view.
Ciao!
Sarah
p.s. Have a suggestion for what I should do next in Pittsburgh? Post it below!
What a beautiful view!
Since I’m new to Pittsburgh (8 days to be exact), I’m taking the opportunity to get to know the city one adventure at a time. In other words, every week, I’ll try something new in the city and highlight it for you all here.
I believe that generally I can fall in love with any city…as long as it has a good selection of great local coffee shops! So to start my adventures, I chose the 61C Cafe of Squirrel Hill located at 1839 Murray Ave.
Honestly, I didn’t even get a coffee from the cafe because I was so intrigued by their selection of fresh juices. And the juice really is fresh! I saw them make my pear juice right then and there, and the bagel I got with it was equally delicious. 61C Cafe is a great deal as you might expect by the name (I didn’t pay less than a dollar for my meal, but I’d say $5 is still a pretty good price!). My only caveat is that the cafe only takes cash. Thankfully, a local helped me out on that issue: just walk down a block, buy a banana from Giant Eagle, and get cash back. So a banana, pear juice, and bagel it was for me!
Check them out online here and be sure to stop by when you’re in Pittsburgh!
Ciao!
Sarah
p.s. Have a suggestion for what I should do next in Pittsburgh? Post it below!
Not long after I completed one of my greatest adventures of the year, running my first full marathon, I started a whole new adventure when I moved from Madison, WI to Pittsburgh. This isn’t my first time out East (I lived in New Hampshire for a bit), but it’s certainly a change from what I’m used to back in the Midwest. For instance, there are hills here. Like, real hills.
So while the summer might be coming to a close, my adventure has just begun, and I can’t wait to update you all on how I decorate my new place (a very charming, 80 year tudor home), explore the city, and train for new races (this time a triathlon!).
Some things about the city I’m already falling in love with…
Fresh food from the Strip District
The Hot Metal Bridge, which I am lucky enough to have a gorgeous view of from my office window!
Weird, awesome coffee shops. So many more to try…
…or the beginning of it, anyway!
Worth noting: vintage Mexican blanket, my handmade sorority T-shirt blanket, authentic 70s shag sheepskin rug, antique lamp made fresh with a new shade.
Recently, and thanks to the suggestion of a friend, I visited the Good Style Shop, a vintage clothing store, in Madison. I was blown away by the atmosphere (electric, not too serious about itself, and very well organized) and by the variety and quality of the selection.
This isn’t a shop that you have to spend hours digging through piles of 90s flannel before you find a proper 70s a-line dress; it has a wonderfully merchandised selection of dresses right in the corner. The shop also boasts a robust selection of vintage menswear, which is a refreshing sight to see. I was delighted to find a gorgeous 60s high waisted bikini, bullet bra and all, for $35. I’m going to have to channel my inner Pucci when I wear it on the beach this weekend.
Before I left the shop, I had a brief chat with the founder and owner. When I asked, “If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring entrepreneur, what would it be?”, he said simply to never forget about work/life balance. At 23, when we started the shop (!!), he initially had trouble separating work from the rest of his life, understandably. He emphasized that the ability to balance is a valuable skill for any entrepreneur.
Certainly, valuable advice for any of us.
Good Style Shop is located at 817 East Johnson St in Madison, WI.
Ciao!
Sarah
A couple weeks ago, I ran my first full marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. It was the 37th annual Grandma’s Marathon, and although a soggy, cold day was an absolutely amazing experience. Here are some of the highlights from the race:
-Running in 50 degree weather, in the rain, with a risk of hypothermia, and still thinking (thanks to all the training I’ve done in a Wisconsin winter), “This weather is perfect!”
-Sprinting the last 200 meters and the crowd going wild when they saw me pulling ahead and across the finish line. That’s a feeling you can’t get anywhere else.
-Running past a man who had run all 37 Grandma’s marathons! When asked how many more he’d run, he said, “At least three!”. That’s inspiring dedication!
-High fiving with strangers. I needed those high fives. My most memorable one was with a solider in uniform at the last half mile stretch. His words of inspiration weren’t original, just, “You can do this,” but that felt like it lifted a weight from my shoulders.
-It’s true; marathon runners will be pee anywhere when they gotta go…mostly off in the woods on the edge of a stranger’s driveway…
-The amount of food and water the spectators were handing out was impressive and much appreciated! The girl who handed me a banana at mile 18 had probably never heard someone give so earnest a thank you over a piece of fruit.
-The spectators and volunteers at this race were absolutely amazing! If it weren’t for them, I might have given into the temptation to slow down and walk at mile 17, might not have been able to hold a ten minute pace for the whole race (wow!), and probably would have collapsed to the ground after I crossed the finish line (the med team was amazing, and I owe them a big thanks for their care!).
The greatest satisfaction was working so hard and so diligently, and then seeing my dream become reality.
What’s next? A triathlon, of course!
Runners, please share you experiences training and/or finishing a big race!
Sarah
p.s. Doesn’t matter how slow or fast you are for a marathon, or any race; as long as you run, you’ve already beaten everyone who never even started!
Sunday night I had the honor of attending an amazing dinner, complete with fresh, local ingredients, lots (at least a dozen!) of interesting, inspiring people, and Wisconsin beer (a given) all in a marvelously eclectic atmosphere (think: thrifted wine glasses, Ball jars, benches, a turn table…).
A few friends put together the event, with one hosting at her apartment, and two others creating the delicious six courses:
Creamed & Chilled Asparagus & Cashew Soup
Grilled Romaine with Sourdough Croutons, Fermented Ramp Agili, and Sweet and Sour Sardines
Indian Rice Yogurt Apple Salad
Grilled Asparagus with Sourdough Pancakes and Blood Orage Sauce
Smoked Duck Sliders with Cherry Gastrique and Arugula on a Challah Bun
Paletas (Mexican guacamole and lime popsicles)
Strawberry Panna Cotta
And as palate cleansers: Dry cucumber and blood orange soda, honey wine, and oolong tea
I wanted to share the dinner on Mia Prima Casa, because, first, I think it’s simply a great idea to spend time enjoying truly good food, meeting strangers, and learning so much (like why cemeteries are the way they are and who Joy Division is…), all while spending very little.
And secondly, because I love how my friend decorated for the dinner! My favorite touch are the Ball Mason jars for water glasses.
How are you enjoying the summer?
Sarah
My friends and I spent this Memorial Day weekend in the Madison-area, exploring the town of New Glarus (stopped at the New Glarus Brewery for a self-guided tour) and some new restaurants in Madison. We also made a detour at an abandoned railroad car somewhere outside Baraboo, Wisconsin. I was too chicken to get too close, but I caught some great images of my friends. Here are some of my favorite photos from one of the best weekends in Wisconsin.
gibbsongirl.com 