Resigned

...to the fact that I am and always will be a disorganized packer.

Usually, I pack far too much and regret it.

This time, I went with the "less is more" approach and removed nearly a third of what I'd originally crammed into my bag...

mostly to make room for:

some staple treats. I couldn't leave home for 10 days without 'em:

- Sun Warrior protein
- flax meal (for extra fiber)
- aloe vera juice
- AMAZINGNESS IN A JAR

With the cooler + ice pack safely checked in my luggage, I'm happy to report the goodies made it across the country in one piece.

In other news: MISSON ACCOMPLISHED!

I used up all the perishable items in my Los Angeles kitchen before heading to South Carolina.

Though I'll admit that last night, the Type A gal in me had a mini freak out session over a bag of unopened cranberries in the fridge.

"What can I make? Should I boil up a cranberry sauce? A jam? ...No time for a cake..." Mind you, I'm thinking all this at 10:30pm, when I'd yet to finish packing for a 6 am flight.

Then I remembered:

God invented freezers for a reason.

Which only means one thing: some sort of post-holiday cranberry goodness to come ;)

The rest of the produce was used up for breakfast en route to the airport:

Green juice + raspberries, banana and the last of the Greek yogurt

Along with a hodge podge container of goodness for the actual flight:

feta cheese and green bell pepper, covering some hidden kidney beans

The first leg of the trip went well- I slept most of the way- but I arrived in Houston to find my flight to Columbia had been delayed 2 hours!

To top it off, there were slim pickin's in the food court.

Barbeque, McDonalds, a Donut Shop, really nasty-looking Mexican food... not a salad joint in sight :-/ (And you all know how much I adore my airport salad bars)

In the meantime, I got a coffee and settled into a comfy terminal chair to do a little writing and sketching for the new blog look (yes, it's coming oh-so-soon), only to discover I DIDN'T HAVE A PEN. I couldn't believe it: between my "everything but the kitchen sink" purse and 30 pound carry on bag, there was not a writing utensil to be found.

I reluctantly opened my wallet and purchased a little souvenir 

.... All for the good of the blog ;)

About an hour and a half later, my stomach was rumbling and I knew I had to figure something out before we were launched into the grub-less air for nearly 3 hours.

I hobbled up to a random "cafe" (I'm telling you: my carry on was intense) looking for some sort of salad ... Lo and behold, hidden around the corner from the domestic beer taps and heated cases holding what looked like half day old pepperoni pizza, there was a little cooler full of salads and pre-made sandwiches. HOORAY!

I found the perfect partner for my bring along snack- and it was only $3!!

That's how this:

Became this:

Beats the heck out of free pretzels if you ask me!

After eating and more napping, the sun started going down as ice crept up the tiny plane window:

Luckily when I landed in home sweet home,

it was a mild but windy 60 degrees.

T'was amazing to hug my parents and sister after months of not seeing them- then it was off to dinner at a new Cuban joint in town called Mojitos

The decor inside was very Miami, complete with a big TV screen playing a nonstop loop of waves crashing on a beach shore at sunset.

Crazy to think about on a chilly, rainy December night.

I enjoyed a Cuban beer and portobello sandwich with a yummy side of pesto pasta salad.

While the sandwich was delicious, it was the dessert that took the- er- cake.

Homemade pina colada cheesecake, to be exact. And the owner, who apparently loves my parents and their mojito-drinkin' ways, gave us an extra piece on the house.

It probably comes as no surprise that I'm currently on the couch by the fire, halfway to food comaville.

Early tomorrow morning, it's off to one of my favorite cities in all the land: Charleston, to see my bff Angie and explore the town, all while discussing plans for the new blog and website design!!

There'll no doubt be many a scrumptious treat along the way ;)

See you tomorrow!

8 days 'til Christmas?! 

Please tell me there's someone else out there who hasn't started their shopping?