Let me tell you a little about my trip back home to L.A.

First let me pose this question...

Why do all of my trips either go smoother than creamy peanut butter or with about as much luck as a blind man trying to drive down the 405 in rush hour traffic, collision free?  

It's like these scenes are sets of a twisted comedy.

Anyways, New York was an absolutely blast.  We definitely did the city and our trip back east the right way....as if you could really do it the wrong way.  We were wined and dined and explored all over this city that's constantly sprinting through time.  Sounds, smells, and lights created this buzz of energy that was addicting.  

We also took some giant steps towards our ultimate goal of creating a life for ourselves doing what we love and we had fun while doing it (which is key!)

Obviously this whole trip would have just been way too good to be true if we were upgraded to first class, got a free flight, and had a nonstop home.  Unfortunately we were not that lucky and reality had to step in and give us a huge slap in the face.

This whole debacle began with our last meeting in NYC the day we were supposed to depart for home.  I don't know if any of you have ever tried to drive in that city, but east-coasters don't exactly have the best reputation for driving with aloha.  Honking, swerving, and middle fingers are all about the best you could expect without getting lost of course.

But guess what....not only did we get all of those unwanted happenings but we got lost as well.

Shocker

2.5 hours later we finally arrive to our meeting 30 minutes late.

WHOOPS

I feel it's safe to say our tardiness was not taken too kindly.

Post meeting and a terrible cup of coffee that exploded all over our clothes, Chelsea and I headed back home to pack up and head to the train station.

That's right.....the train station.....IN PHILADELPHIA!

So we drove, and drove, and then drove a little further from Newark all the way to Philadelphia just to hop on our train which took us right back to Newark airport in order to catch our flight from Newark to LAX.

For days we tried to change this itinerary, but without suffering the consequences of an $800 change fee we couldn't alter this insanely unreasonable schedule to make our travels the slightest bit more accommodating.

Did I mention we had no ride to the train station in Philadelphia and had to ask the pool boy to drive us?

Yeah, that really happened.

So now we're on the train

There are no seats together anywhere

It smelled like we were in a porto potty

And I'm almost positive I have a rash on the back of my legs from sitting on those seats

(shorts were a bad choice)

Once back to Newark, we sprinted into what was all too familiar three hours prior to our train ride only to find serpentine lines winding all through the airport.  Not only were these lines for the security check point but even for checking in through Continental.

Made me really miss Delta.

Three hours later, our emotionally and physically exhausted bodies were slumped into our middle seats waiting to take off.

30 minutes after that, our emotionally, physically, mentally, hurting bodies were slumped into our middle seats still waiting to take off.

Finally, with our backs feeling like someone is swinging a bat at our spine every 5 minutes, we have lift off.

This flight felt like it went on for days!

6.5 hours later, Chelsea and I had never been so happy to land.  Holding back sobs from just wanting a shower and a comfortable, quiet place to lay we crawled off this torture chamber and finally made it home.

Needless to say

IT FEELS SO GOOD TO BE HOME!

Chelsea's and my trip back East has been incredible.  We have been EVERYWHERE and that's still an understatement.  It all began on departure day, sleepless, cruising around Manhattan Beach.  Made a stop at The Kettle on Manhattan Beach Blvd for a 3 am breakfast, drove to LAX to drop off our bags then dropped the car off in a safe place and waited for our ride.  Obviously that early in the morning, we were greeted by severely cranky airline attendants who for some odd reason did not take a liking to us.  After a bit of a screaming match between Chelsea and the attendant over overweight baggage, we boarded our flight to LaGuardia in our sleepless delirium.

After what seemed to be a 15 hour flight, we finally arrived in New York City to our beautiful white town car waiting for us outside.  First stop before our hotel was obviously the closest shoe store.  We tried to go as fast as possible through the rows upon rows of every girls' guilty pleasure but after the 8th call from our driver an hour later we figured it was time to go.  We started to feel a bit rude for making him wait.

After our one hour car ride over a distance of 20 blocks through the famous NYC traffic, we arrived at the Essex House and delivered our bags to our 38th floor room overlooking all of New York City.  Squealing like a bunch of little girls, we started running all around the room and jumping up and down on the bed.  Why is such luxury so exciting?  We felt like princesses.

Everyone was so accommodating and always looking to help us with whatever we needed.

I could seriously get used to that life.

Since you all by now know that I am a creature of habit, we also frequented the same restaurant three times for the day and a half we were there.

Patroon is by far the best restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life. Located on 46th and Lexington, it's quiet elegance and incredible food makes it a must visit if you're ever in NYC.  Even if you're just looking for a drink, the rooftop bar is one of the coolest hangout spots in all of the city.

Our last night in New York before heading over to Jersey was spent at the movie premier of Horrible Bosses.  Chelsea and I were squeezing each other's hands every time we spotted a celebrity.  Our hands remained clenched when Molly Sims sat next to us.

Oh yeah, about the movie.....the whole reason why we were there.

It's awesome.  Fall off your seat funny.  Comes highly recommended by Chelsea and I both.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of the city, our next stop was the Donald Trump Golf Course in New Jersey.

....and to think the Essex House was Luxury...

Think again.  

While sitting pool side getting grapes fed to us (that's a joke, the grape part that is) we watched two men get picked up by their personal helicopter after a quick round of golf.

You have to be kidding me.

Did I mention we have two of our own personal golf carts outside our door to get to and from the club for coffee, they do our laundry, AND they clean the house and change the sheets every day.

Yeah, we were as surprised as you.

Unfortunately on game day, we were forced to go from Trump to dump down to Jersey Shore for our volleyball tournament.

I didn't think we were going to be playing in the middle of circus circus but there really isn't any other way to describe it.

I would be lying though if I said we didn't have a great day there.

Stay tuned for a video montage of this whole experience definitely coming your way.

I am so excited about this local farmer's market I found.  It's filled with tons of fresh fruit and meat and lots of samples of all the fresh goodies.  It's like walking through Costco with all of their sample tables.

Pretty much the best part of all food stores.

  You can smell the food cooking from a mile away and the sweet smell of the strawberries from a couple dozen tents down.  

It's a beautiful thing. 

I got super excited about the honey sticks.  They are great for game days when I need a little sugar high to get me through that third game.

And you should see the flowers!  GOOORRRRGEOUS!

Too bad I am moving to Hermosa Beach otherwise I would visit this little market every week.

So excited for my little trip tomorrow with Chelsea.  We head out super early which for some reason I always really enjoy.  

I love getting up before the sun comes up to go on an adventure.  It just makes everything that much more exciting.  Plus traveling early is so hassle free when the world is so quiet and still.

So off to New York City we go at 6:30 tomorrow morning out of LAX.  This is going to be Chelsea's first time in New York so I am really excited to show her around.  We have some meetings which could potentially jump start our careers and some fun dinner dates with friends.
I definitely think the Naked Cowboy and the Today Show are a must!

After a few days of a lot of work and little play, we are heading down to New Jersey to play our second tournament in Seaside Heights.  

I'm hoping we have a special appearance from Snookie.

Wish us luck!

Just got some images back from the shoot.

Here's a little sneak peek.

Camilla took me to her happy place up in San Francisco.  

We went traipsing around through this fairy tale land lined by quiet waters weaving down through the pebble stone brooks and listening to the whispering of the grandfather oaks swaying in the wind.  The woods of the Dark Forest are so peaceful and I can totally understand as to why she frequents this place multiple times a week.  I have never felt so insignificant in my life standing next to centuries of eyes that have watched the world change and viewed generations of people walk under these trees like we did.  It almost made all my problems seem silly.

So up around all these windy trails we went, exploring new little areas and brainstorming photo shoot ideas.  She took great pleasure in mentioning we were in mountain lion territory which of course caused me to scream at every little sound.  Our conversation was little help distracting my mind of the possible man eater around the corner but none the less we had an amazing time.

I don't think we have ever had a conversation within the past 6 years that didn't involve food and men.

Definitely creatures of habit.

On a plane headed back to Los Angeles from San Francisco.  Got to see Camilla which makes me oh so happy.  Now I get to go home and cuddle with my kitty, Olive.

Remember her?  She's all grown up now.

Can't wait to share pictures from our adventures through the Dark Forest and our lunch date at Dish.

Wahhhhh

Running here and running there and spinning in circles.

I have been on a plane every other day and with no wifi!!

The NERVE of Delta!

I mean, there are so many things I could complain about because I have been so busy and stretching myself to the limit but I LOVE IT!  Working hard towards my dreams has been a blessing in disguise.  This hard work has kept me going and I am slowly starting to see the payoffs.  Not to mention if feels incredible to wake up in the morning and get excited to go to work as your sip down your fourth cup of hot joe.  Clearly it would be silly to attribute that excitement to the caffeine overload.

I know this doesn't sound healthy but I just love what I am doing so much that I do even have a bed time.  Camilla said it perfectly..."you go and go and go until you can't go anymore and then you just shut down."

Ladies and gentlemen, this is FACT.  When you see that 6'3'' blonde woman laying on the bench in the middle of the mall taking an afternoon siesta, well, that crazy lady is probably me.

Don't judge.

I leave you with a few random, poor quality images from the shoot in Portland.  Such a great time!  The cast and crew was unbelievable and the talent is actually staying in touch.  Definitely going to have some life long friends out of that weekend.

This photo shoot has been brutal.  When they told us we would be working, they weren't joking.  We have been lifting weights non stop all day.  My arms have doubled in size and cannot be raised above shoulder level at this point.  Obviously this is a great job and it feels so good to get back into the industry.  I love the work and I love meeting new people but I have definitely lost a bit of my touch.  I am going to need to work extra hard to get back into my routine so I can book more jobs and have the ball start rolling in the right direction.

The talent and I spent the day yesterday walking around Portland.  It's such a gorgeous city filled with so many restaurants we wished we could try.  We walked past P.F. Chang's four times just to smell the food and even went into a local pub just to read the menu and dream about what we would get.  Keeping on a very strict diet during a shoot is always the hardest part but having a group of models together usually makes it a bit easier acting as a built in support system since we all endure the same challenges.  During our walk we discussed a lot of techniques and rules of thumb we live by when dieting before a shoot.

Here are some of the most common things done before we get in front of the camera.

-Three days before: cut out sugar and fat from your diet, lower sodium intake, switch to mostly proteins, minimal carbs and push water.  That means no more frequent stops at In n' Out, no more soy sauce on sushi, no more food that has any flavor.

-Two days before: push a ton of water and really lower your sodium intake, no carbs past 3 pm and none after 3 pm, zero sugar, zero fat.

-One day before: zero sodium, mostly veggies, zero fat, almost no carbs, no water after 5 pm and a good sweat before bed time

-Shoot day: very little food intake.
By following something similar you can have bodies like those boys above.
Hercules much?

Doesn't that all sound like so much fun?
Day #2 tomorrow of this shoot so wish us all luck!

This past Friday I got the opportunity to head down to St. Malo in Oceanside to coach a little volleyball clinic for my cousin Hayley and her friends.  We had so much fun playing games and having a some friendly competition.  Seeing how excited these girls got reminded me of when I fell in love with this sport.  And knowing that I was able to connect with them on a personal level and hopefully now have the opportunity to guide them into following their dreams like I was able to, is definitely one of the most gratifying feelings.

Now....Let me tell you a little about St. Malo.

This place was amazing!

I felt like I stepped out of my car into Ireland or St. Malo, France (go figure) with the wood shingled roofs with bits of moss growing and the sapphire blue accents against the neutral tones of the seaside cottages surrounded by quaint little gardens full of blooming spring flowers.

The architecture, the location, and the quietness of this destination didn't even seem to be on the same planet as Southern California, let alone in the same state.

I definitely think a trip back down there is in order.

Back on a plane headed up to Portland for my first shoot of the year!

So happy to be back in business and working.

Look for behind the scenes photos over the next couple of days.

Happy Sunday!

Just found my new favorite stop in Laguna Beach.

I have always been a sucker for the color pink and cupcakes.

(not necessarily together)

Camilla would be so proud!

Lately I have been so passionate about working out.  I just can't seem to get my body to stop moving.  I mean clearly I am thankful for this recent surge of energy considering the massive amount of food I have been shoving down on a daily basis, but what I love the most is the feeling of total accomplishment at the end of the day even if all I did within the 24 hours was sweat.

Unfortunately my mom got the short end of the stick when it came to my sudden urge to get fit.  She has been consistently forced to accompany me on my 4.4 mile speed walk around our community at dawn.  I know this doesn't seem difficult to most, but when you consider my mother's tiny, petite, miniature frame keeping up with my 6'3" leggy speed walk, you can't help but giggle when imagining her sprinting to keep up with my pace all while trying to hold a conversation in between violent gasps for air.

That image is priceless.

Other than the obvious beach volleyball workout, I have also sparked a love affair with tae bo.  Yes, we have our ups and our downs where my left jab could knock out your teeth but I would be lucky to make you even flinch with my kick, but each class I grow more fond of this total body workout.  I especially love the fact that it is nearly impossible to leave the class with a single dry spot on your clothes.

This was the only dry spot left on my body.

Oh, did I mention the teacher for my class is the one and only

BILLY BLANKS!?!

That alone makes the workout that much cooler.

Playing a little volley today here.....

....With this guy....

.....and I'm going to make him buy me one of those milkshakes...

Happy Saturday!

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So far my summer has been pretty eventful.

But the biggest news and development has been my decision to really pursue beach volleyball for the next couple of months to see where it takes me.

I have been training every single day, non stop, and I am finally starting to see some improvement....so much improvement that I even made the USA Beach National Team!!  YIIPPEEEE!!

I honestly could not be more excited.

However, this commute from South Orange County to Manhattan Beach on a daily basis is kicking my ass almost more than practices are.  I think it's time to seriously reevaluate my current living location and consider a move up to the South Bay.

But that complaint is definitely not to take away from the seemingly never ending, grueling, back breaking trainings which are obviously incredibly hard work.  But I have to admit, I am loving every second of this experience.

I have come to learn that beach volleyball is probably one of, if not the most difficult workout ever.  I find myself frequently collapsing onto my knees using every ounce of energy I have left in my body to suck in, what seems to be, the last few molecules of oxygen left in the world before my fellow teammates get to it.  Not to mention, our coach shows no mercy.  The moment I show any sign of fatigue or weakness, she is pushing me that much harder and making me move the slightest bit faster.  Pushing through one of her practices is definitely not for the faint of heart.  

She is one of the only female coaches I have seen men respect as a coach as well.

Such an stud!

My most favorite part of practice days is replenishing with this tasty salad.
It's called The Pilgrim and at first I ordered it just because of the name.  Little did I know it was going to be like discovering America for the first time.
SOOO GOOD!