Sweet Sweet Saturday

Soak up every second of every moment of every day, because you only get to live that once. This past Saturday I was reminded how life is so good, yet so simple. It was my first time at Lizards Mouth and it’s easy to say it won’t be my last.

The drive to Lizards Mouth is one of the best parts, listening to music and just zoning out, being able to see the city as you get higher and higher. There are all these huge, cool rocks to climb up and sit on. It’s so peaceful and grounding. The wind blowing the cool air on my face stung and made my nose and cheeks pink giving me a cute rosy flush.

We wandered from rock to rock looking at all the cool things to see, but there wasn’t much. It was like a maze of trees and bushes until you climb on top of a boulder and can see over everything. There was a particularly large rock that we set our minds to get to, but it was not easy being short having to push myself off other rocks to hop onto another. It was quite a daunting task, but nonetheless, we made it!

This was my final destination. A look over the city, and out over the vast ocean. There was a storm approaching one of the islands and the clouds completely covered a portion of it blocking it from our view. It’s really pretty fascinating seeing the big picture and being above it all and realizing that the small city I live in seems so big to me, but there’s really so much more out there to see and experience.

Just as we were ready to leave, and had given up on seeing a beautiful sunset (it was hidden from where I was before), we walked around and jumped on a few more boulders and finally saw the sky painted with vibrant pinks and peaches and purples. Colors so bright you would think they would never occur naturally. That’s one thing so amazing about this world, Earth and Mother Nature always finds ways to surprise you and leave you speechless by its sheer beauty.

Very Vegan

Sunday was a good day for me. I had a volunteer interview at 10:30 which went reasonably well, and I was glad to get myself out there more and actually have a chance to learn about things I’m interested in. My aunt Mary and her boyfriend Ricardo also came into town and picked me up afterward. We decided to go to a vegan restaurant on the mesa called Mesa Verde. Many people have heard of it, but this was my first time trying it. 

We started off with some delicious drinks. I got a cold brew Yerba Mate tea (amazing), Ricky got a lavender lemonade kombucha (even more amazing), and Mary got a rose pink lemonade (the most amazing). It was a sunny day so those refreshing drinks were really the spotlight, but of course, we got food too. The BLT and side salad were really good, although I don’t really know whats in it. It came with a pickle in it which was a nice touch because I love pickles first of all, and it was a nice refreshing burst of sour to have with the rest of the salad.

We killed all the drinks very quickly because let’s be honest, the refreshments were the real reason we decided to come to Mesa Verde in the first place (which thinking back, is kind of weird since they advertise their vegan cuisine, not drinks).

Next, we got a falafel bowl with beans, grains, lettuce, and avocado and it was soooooo good. I never realized that vegan food could be just as delicious as regular non-vegan food. This trip was probably one of the best healthy meals I’ve had in a while. My family and I have been working on moving towards a no-meat and no-dairy diet for quite a while, but this trip really made me realize that it won’t be as hard as I thought. Since I am an athlete and environmentalist I deeply care about the well-being of our earth and the meat and dairy industry is destroying our planet. Making healthy eating choices will help my athletic ability while making an impact.

What are your favorite healthy restaurants? Where are they? Let me know so I can try them out.

Everyday should be Earth Day!

If you weren’t already aware, this past weekend was the Earth Day Festival on Saturday and Sunday. It’s full of people selling things like vegan food, ethically made clothes and jewelry, and organizations whose goals are to help educate in ways people can help our planet. There’s also some pretty groovy live music which was the best!

There were so many cool bands and artists playing like Mapache, One Two Tree, Sammy Brue and The Grateful Shred (Grateful Dead cover band). Sammy Brue was one of my favorites that I heard while I was there, but no one really danced, most people just kicked back and listened. Soon after The Grateful Shred was set to play and slowly but surely the hippies all dressed in tie-dye began to trickle in. As soon as the music started the whole crowd broke out into song and dance. And although it was hot, it was the most fun I’d had dancing in front of a group of strangers. There was no judgment and only joy. The Grateful Dead really brings people and souls closer together, even if it’s at a park on a Sunday.

Another huge highlight was the food selection! There were so many good options but I choose to get food from a vegan Mexican stand called Taco Tuyos. They are a local restaurant whose options are a simple and healthy alternative to traditional Mexican food, without any lack of the classic Mexican style taste. The menu served on Earth Day was limited, but I’m sure they have much more good stuff they didn’t serve there.

I got a tamal and chips with queso. Both were amazing! The tamal consisted of portobello mushrooms, sunflower seeds, corn, and kale (I’m sure there were more ingredients). The chips with queso were kind of a mystery and I was confused on why it resembled queso, but it was delicious nonetheless. I also purchased a bag of artisan popcorn from a different stand who claims their popcorn is gluten-free and GMO-free, being that it was just popcorn though, there wasn’t much to say and it was really good.

Perks of having friends who worked at Earth Day is the free stuff! Although the ice cream wasn’t dairy free, it was served in a biodegradable cups with a wooden spoon which is a huge step forward from using plastic products. Even small things like using recyclable or reusable products make a big impact on the pollution of our planet.

What are some things that you do to help the planet or your community? How do you feel about veganism and vegan foods? Leave me a comment!

The Growing

Sometimes getting your hands dirty and connecting to the earth from which we all came from is exactly what we need. I’ve been feeling quite disconnected from nature as I have been spending a lot of time at home, and I often forget the true beauty and serenity that the outdoors provide.

I have always loved plants and love to grow things like aloe and other succulents in my room to give it a more natural feel. But since Spring has arrived, and summer is fastly approaching I figured its time to start growing outdoors and add some color to our yard. I decided to start with flowers. I went to the store to buy some seed packets and the array of options was honestly quite overwhelming. I got Sonata Cosmos, Firmament Forget-Me-Not, and a mix of wildflower seeds to attract butterflies to my new garden.

I build a raised bed for growing a while back and naturally, over time, some weeds have grown up. I start by rolling up my sleeves and dig in, pulling all the roots up until there are no more. I also loosened up the soil as it had been left untouched for a while and was in need of mixing.

The next step is moistening the soil enough so that it can provide proper nutrients to my flowers.

The actual planting of the flowers is quite simple as it doesn’t require as much attention to detail and things like seed spacing as fruits and vegetables. For the wildflower seeds, I’ll more or less scatter them in the bed and hope they grow.

There’s not much to be done once the seeds are planted beside keeping the soil moist and tending to whatever weeds decide to sprout up. I felt like this was a great way to connect with nature by bringing it to my home and to add some vibrancy and color to our yard for the spring/ summer. I hope that this appracts all types of life to my garden and by summer I’ll have a beautiful patch of colorful flowers to see and smell. But for now… we wait.

Do you grow any plants at home? Which ones? Leave a comment with some tips on gardening if you have any!

A Birthday That’s out of This World

My little brother just recently turned 6. Matter of fact his birthday is actually February 29th, but this year we had to wait until April to celebrate. He decided he wanted his theme to be Star Wars and, as always, it was adorable. My sister and father love Star Wars too so they were probably just as excited as Mateo.

There were loads of gifts for him from all his friends and he couldn’t have been happier when he saw how many people came to celebrate with him.

Of course, it was a costume party and it was amazing seeing how creative the kids got with who they were (or supposed to be). My little sister dressed up as Rey and pulled it off amazingly. On my dad’s side of the family, they are big fans of Star Wars which explains why they had so much of this stuff already.

There was also plenty of delicious food! Things like rice, beans, chicken, pasta salad, fruit and a whole lot more. The best part was having a lot of extra to take home since it was all homemade with love and care.

The kids really had a blast playing with the foam “lightsabers” and defeating Darth Vader and the stormtrooper. I’m not a huge fan of Star Wars myself but seeing how happy my brother was and all of his friends really made all our efforts worth it. He was so thankful and happy that his family went to such great lengths to make sure he had an amazing time.

As much as being a big sister is a struggle for me, moments like these make me so happy and glad that I have siblings who look up to me and love me. It reminds me that no matter what happens, my family is so important because we all appreciate each other and rely on each other for so much, even for the small things like throwing a party for a six-year-old.

Do you have any younger or older siblings? How old are they? Whats your favorite memory with them? I’d love to know, so leave me a comment below.

Tea Time is a Good Time

Over spring break, a highlight was getting to spend even a few quality hours with my friends. On Wednesday, Selene, Zoe and I went to a nice lookout point by the 154 highway to enjoy the warm, golden sunset. We had a girls night and the next morning went to the most ADORABLE tea and coffee shop in Santa Barbara called Vices and Spices.

They had so many teas and as a tea lover, I was naturally in heaven. I picked an apricot black tea (which was amazing by the way). They had so many options ranging from chai teas to what was called a flowering tea that apparently blooms into a flower when you put it in hot water (!!!).

While we waited we looked around at the various things they sold besides tea and coffee like these wonderful mugs with animals on them. They also sold things like soaps, oils, bags, and a few clothing items. Overall I’d give the look and feel of this place a 5/5 because it was just so comfortable and inviting.

The tea is done and piping hot. I found it interesting that they set it out for you with the spoons to steep for as long as you want, but when that’s done they gave us these teapot shaped tiny plates to put the spoonful of wet leaves on. I guess this isn’t that amazing but I have just never seen this before as I’d always brewed my tea with a tea bag in hot water.

Before all this, we got donuts just across the street and along the way I got some cute shots with my Ricoh cr-5 film camera.

I began to truly understand how much I appreciate the friendships and relationships I’ve built recently because of times like this. We decided to sit out back where the sun was shining and warm and Selene and I just sat and talked for hours and I ended up staying longer than I had intended but it was perfectly okay with me. We weren’t on our phones just talking with each other, enjoying each others company and having some good tea at the same time. It was an amazing way to start my Thursday morning and it had a great impact on the rest of my day. Try it! Ditch the technology and take time to enjoy the wonderful connections you share with others, cherish those moments.

Follow my twitter for frequent tweets about how I learn valuable life lessons through my everyday life! (@sierra_beltran_)

Closet Clean Out

I’m going to try going in a different direction with my blog from now on. Rather than each week me writing about what I’ve done, I want to take you all on a new journey with me of the path to true happiness.

Of course, this is not to say that I’m not happy already, but there are aspects of my life that I want to improve on for my overall health and wellbeing.

I’ve decided to try and practice minimalism to the best of my abilities in hopes of building good organization and living habits in the future. That is why this week I’m going to be seriously cleaning out my wardrobe. I have a lot of clothes honestly, but I always feel like I never wear them. I predict this is going to be no easy task.

The first step is to pick out the things I actually wear on a regular basis which I feel like is not much, and it almost seems that there is always a little variation to my outfits from week to week. Of course, there are also the things that I haven’t gotten around to wearing yet that I recently bought, and then there are the articles that really mean nothing to me. I want to use the tactic to where I will look at the object and really think; have I used this in the recent months and does it really bring me enough joy to keep around.

The feeling of letting go is among one of the most rewarding feelings there is to feel. I often get overly attached to certain things and do not want to part with it in the fear that I may want it back in the future, but a lot of the time I don’t even remember that it’s gone. That is why periodically I like to get rid of unnecessary things because they hoard up space and they serve me no purpose to keep them around. This can be applied to many things in life, not just possessions.

I love helping people, so I’m donating my clothes to the alpha thrift by my house in hopes that most of them will be repurposed or used by someone that really needs it. What are some things that you like to do to help the people around you? Leave a comment to let me know!

True Joy

On 3-8-18 I came home from school with the idea in my mind that I was going to eat some lunch and then take a nice, long nap. Instead, I did something completely different.

After I got home, I went up to my room to set down my backpack and take off my jeans and then went downstairs. I made some potstickers and edamame, but while that was cooking I noticed three ripe bananas in our fruit basket that I knew no one would eat anymore. So, I looked up a recipe for banana bread and started baking! I didn’t mind that my food got cold, nor did I even bother to put on music. The time was to myself and my work. I poured as much love as I could into that bread, and let me tell you, it was worth it.

Once it was in the oven, I knew I would not see it for another hour so I took it upon myself to rectify the abundance of dishes we had accumulated.

In between, I was compelled to take a step outside into the sun. I closed my eyes and sat there and let her warmth take me away and clear my thoughts. It was then when I realized what a great healer she really is to me. I opened my eyes slowly feeling like a brand new woman and looked around. Everything had a bluish-green tint which amplified the colors of the plants around me.

I went back inside to tackle my chore, the whole time just listening to my thoughts as if it were music in the background. My mother walked downstairs, astonished that the work I had done on a Thursday afternoon.

The house was filled with a pleasant aroma of warm bananas and chocolate, and my bread was ready to be taken out of the oven. I left it on the counter to cool and took myself to my room.

In that moment of me sitting on my bed, with the sun shining through my window warming up my legs, I took a look around and felt the feeling of true joy and happiness unlike I had ever felt before. No single thought at that moment could break my mood.

I will never know what it really was that made me feel just the way I did whether it was my productivity or the rays from the beautiful sun or maybe even a combination of both, but all I know for certain is that this day, was the best day of my life.

How does the sun affect you? How does it make you feel? I’d love to know! Let me know in the comments below!

The sun was very bright here haha, but these are some of my favorite crystals: Lapis Lazuli, Red Tigers Eye, & Rose Quartz!

 

 

A Chilly Day at the Track

Being apart of a team sport is honestly one of my favorite parts of high school. The fact that I get to train with my friends and see how they become stronger and faster over time as well as myself, I think is pretty awesome.

This past weekend the team went to the Don Green Invitational Track Meet at Moorpark High school. Meets are normally long, frantic and confusing but there is also a lot of downtime just for hanging out and laughing and cheering with teammates.

This particular day was pretty cold and it rained right before we got there, so most of our hands and knees got stained red from the damp track. More or less when one isn’t in a race or waiting for one to start, we are at the tent snacking.

Our team is pretty big and everyone is very friendly, so there are many friends to be made during the hours we have in between or after races. In case you’ve never experienced a track meet before, being in a race is probably one of the most nerve-wracking things there is. Lining up next to other athletes that look much faster than you gets so many things going in your head because of course, no one wants to be embarrassed. Getting on the start line or into your blocks feels like all the eyes are on you, there is always a pit in my stomach that doesn’t go away until the sharp sound of the gun goes off and in that split second your mind has to process the fact that its time to run. My races are short, no more than 200m but even then after running full speed for about 30 seconds my legs feel like noodles. People who do much longer races know this feeling all too well, and also the dreadful cramps.

The satisfaction you get after finishing a race knowing you tried your absolute best or beat your personal record is such an incredibly rewarding feeling. You can, of course, say this about any sport, like being the player to score the winning point. Do you play a sport or have a favorite physical activity? I’d love to know, so tell me down below!

Family Fun in Camarillo!

I often forget how much my family really means to me until I put everything else aside and spend time and focus on the good times with them. This Sunday we took a trip to Camarillo to go to the outlets for a day out of the house and a small shopping trip. 

After shopping, we went to a downtown area with many restaurants and cute shops. We decided to eat at a place called Blvd Brgr Company, somewhere we have never been before. The restaurant looked “hipster” as my parents would describe it, which seemed like a good sign. After ordering, we sat outside to catch up. Although we all live together our weeks are busy and it’s rare we all get to talk about whats going on all at once.

The food arrived and I couldn’t be more excited. Though I myself only got chicken strips, the fries that came with it were so good! Doug got what was called the scorpion burger that consisted of a blackend patty, lettuce, a homemade chile relleno (with cheese inside of course), and chipotle aioli. On the side were the best specialty fries I’ve ever tried, they were called the Blvd fries and were topped with feta cheese and mint. Mom got a lettuce wrap that had mushrooms and all kinds of other vegetables in it, which was also very good. Overall, this burger place would get a thumbs up from me.

Do you have a favorite burger place? I’d like to know, comment below!

Mom was so happy to be out on this beautiful Sunday with her family, because what could be better?

The drive home was quiet, but not in a bad way. With full bellies, we sit in silence and enjoy each others presence. I realized how amazing the people who love me are and that they go to great lengths to make life for me and my sister the best they can. My parents aren’t perfect, but whose are? What matters to me most are times like these. Peaceful drives home on a warm Sunday afternoon up the beautiful coast of California, where we get to see the ocean glisten and sparkle in the orange sun.