how to not gain weight on vacation

What do you think of when you think Colombian food? If you're like I was about a month ago, probably nothing. I assumed they had empanadas (most Latin American countries do), but otherwise I was clueless. I was thrilled to discover ajiaco, bandeja paisa, and sopa del platanos while traveling throughout the country though. I was also pleased to find there's one food Colombians may just love most: bread. Actually, it seems that bread is perhaps the most universally popular food... almost as popular as it is on countless diet "do not eat" lists.

So, how is it then that one can delight in all the delicious breads of the world while relaxing on a well-deserved vacation and not return home with too much extra baggage? It's simple, really. Just forget about the vacation part of it; not necessarily because of what it actually means, "a respite spent away from home or business in travel or recreation," but because of how its definition has evolved, "a period of excess everything--most notably sugar, alcohol, and inactivity."

[an arepa de choclo (sweet corn bread) and café con leche]

I get that all this talk of moderation is annoying. Trust me, I do. But I'm also aware that many of us are trying to maintain our weight (and hopefully our health). No matter how glorious it may be to "vacation," finding we've come back softer and heavier takes some of the fun out of it. This is how I keep travel fun:

[changua (a creamy breakfast soup made with milk, egg, cilantro, and bread)]

Visit food markets. As I mentioned in on Holly's blog, fresh produce is generally cheaper when in season and it tastes a whole lot better. Try a new fruit or vegetable, and if you're able to prepare food for yourself, stock up. Be sure to sample some delicacies as well (they just may be healthy) and count the tastings as a meal (one of the three) while you're at it. Soak up as much culinary culture as you possibly can! And the best part is, you'll unexpectedly be exercising as you do. Speaking of...

[pandeyuca (yuca cheese bread) with caldo de costilla (a broth-based soup made with beef ribs, potato, garlic, onion, and cilantro)

Walk, walk, walk. Or swim. Or ski. Or bike even. Being in a foreign place is the perfect opportunity to explore actively. If you'd like, you can even keep up a bit of your fitness routine. It'll be more exciting practicing yoga (or whatever it is you do) somewhere new. I promise. Oh, and if you have a favorite pair of dancing shoes, don't forget to pack them. Going out for a night of dancing is always a great time.

[two fresh-out-of-the-oven roscónes (soft, sweet donuts filled with arequipe)]

Be on vacation. I know I said I don't like the word, or at least the way we use it, but try to remember why we do it. CNN recently reported: about 57% of working Americans had unused vacation time at the end of 2011. To that, I say, please take what you have earned. Get away (even if it's just to the next town over), disconnect (read: do not check work e-mails), and focus on having the fun you deserve with friends or family. This is your time to mentally relax and recharge. After having done so, you will surely return home feeling better in every which way. Not to mention, post-break, you'll happily find yourself more efficient at work.

And, you know what? If you've diligently followed these tips and still notice you've gained a couple of pounds while traveling, try not to worry about it. After a few days of eating healthfully and working out again, your body will settle right back where it was. Look back at the photos from your trip in the mean time. 

Yep, it was most definitely worth it.

traveling with grandma

Hola, darlings. I hope Friday's been treating you well. As promised, I'm going to reflect on what it was like to travel throughout Colombia with my grandmother for three weeks. How did the adventure come to be? Well, one year ago I decided I should visit the country where about fourth of my family originated from (especially being that I've already been to Mexico and Ireland). A few months later, I realized I'd acquired enough JetBlue points for a free roundtrip flight. Then I told my grandmother about my plans and she expressed interested in joining me. We reserved our tickets a few weeks after.

My grandma and I have a pretty incredible relationship. We spend lots of time together and I can practically tell her anything. And yes, she does spoil me; when I was a little girl and my mom wouldn't buy me a little something I "needed," my grandma was the first on the checkout line. (My mom wasn't much of a fan of this habit.) More importantly though, we're close enough to be silly together and she'll let me take pictures of her as she's eating an oblea (two thin, crispy, wafer-like cookies with arequipe, otherwise known as dulce de leche in the middle). On my birthday, she said, "Oh, Daniela, happy birthday. The day you were born... now that was a wonderful day," as she hugged me. I was her first grandchild.

The stories filtered out of her as soon as we touched down in Bogotá. She told me of how her family struggled financially when she was a child; she told me of how secretly artistic her father was: he was a talented singer and wrote poetry with beautiful penmanship; she told me her cousin loved to dance so much, they once skipped school to spend the day dancing with their friends; she told me of how her sister convinced her to go out for empanadas one afternoon, and how only after eating two each, did she realize neither of them had any money; she told me of how hard her first factory job was in the United States... and that she'd only been 16 then; she told me of how her youngest sister begged her to accompany her to a church dance one night, and how it was there that she met my grandfather.

So, what was it like traveling with grandma? Kind of really awesome. At 76, she didn't have the energy to do quite as much as I wanted to do at times, but I just worked as she rested. During one of our last heart-to-hearts, she said to me, "Sometimes I think I have regrets, but when I look back, I realize that I wouldn't have rather made different choices. There is no life I can imagine wanting more than the one I have right now." I hope that means she had a good time as well :).

the amazonas

There's something really incredible about being in the Amazon, a vast tropical rainforest I've probably known about my entire life yet never actually seen. There's something kind of wonderful about traveling almost completely by boat over countless river fish including piranhas, and perhaps, an anaconda or two. There's something bewildering about having breakfast in Colombia, lunch in Brazil, coffee in Peru and still being able to make it back to Leticia for dinner. Hopefully these photos are able to capture even just a little bit of that.

[morning meal at Amazon Bed & Breakfast: fruit, juice, fried egg, cheese, bread, café con leche]

[a snack exchange with "Shakira"]

[meets & greets with wild squirrel monkeys]

[almojábana (a type of Colombian corn bread) snack]

[Colombian "barbecue" lunch: fish soup, fried fish, cabbage slaw salad, steak and peppers, red beans, white rice, patacones]

[more animal interaction at a Peruvian reserve]

[light dinner with live music at a corner pizzeria]

[another early and delicious B&B breakfast after bed ]

 

[a visit to a Peruvian nature reserve]

[one of the three fish I caught fishing]

[an awkward moment with a wild iguana]

[a fabulous lunch of lemonade, chicken soup, fried fish, steak with peppers, cabbage slaw, white rice, and a baked banana]

[a relaxing afternoon at the lodge with wild & hungry capybaras]

 [a much-needed vanilla ice cream treat from Mimo's]

 [late night dinner: Club Colombia, mahi mahi, patacones, salad, white rice]

[a very sweet and thoughtful morning birthday cake from the B&B  staff]

 [a visit to Brazil to tour a chocolatier, shop at the market, stop by a shipyard...]

[...and take a look at a modern Catholic church]

[a bandeja paisa birthday lunch at Restaurante Tres Fronteras del Amazonas]

And then, of course, there's something unbelievably special about sharing all of it with my grandmother. We'll discuss in more detail at a later date :).