Archive for category: news

While the recent political climate can be challenging, I look to the silver linings and focus on maintaining habits that keep me healthy, both mentally and physically. I practice daily gratitude, and it reminds me that there is so much to be grateful for! Most mornings, I wake up and make a mental note of a few of the things I appreciate. I also write down what I’m thankful for because journaling helps me process my thoughts more thoroughly.

Another habit that has a big influence on the way I feel is engaging in consistent exercise.

Health and fitness are the foundations of everything, so I make them a priority

I’m taking a yoga class called radiant yoga, which isn’t as hot as Bikram but still gets my blood flowing, and I also do a power flow. It’s tough! I usually attend these classes on the weekends. During the week, I do a workout similar to CrossFit. It features circuit training with rounds of lifting, pushups, burpees, and other exercises. It definitely makes me sweat!

Finding my exercise routine has been a journey in and of itself. Last year, I started a challenge where I aimed to lose 20 pounds in six weeks. I was making great progress with it, but during the fifth week, I broke my foot. It took me three months to recover from the injury. As I started getting back into my exercise routine once my foot was healed, I was reminded how hard it is to get your momentum back after months away. It’s been tough, but I know how much better I feel when I make time for exercise.

I’m aiming to do some type of physical activity six days a week, and so far, it’s going well!

Being outdoors is also a big source of joy in my life, and I often combine that desire with fitness. I love hiking, and in addition to doing a lot of that this year, I’m giving skiing a try! I bought a pair of skis, and we’re making some trips to Tahoe to hit the slopes. I took lessons a couple years ago on the bunny hill, and I’m ready to get back out there!

True to his name, Happy has been bringing much mirth to our lives. He’s becoming more well-behaved thanks to the assistance of a trainer who comes to our home to see how we can best support his growth and learning. The trainer observes his habits and shows us how we can effectively encourage him. As we get to know Happy, he’s getting to know us, and we keep in mind that raising a rescue pet comes with additional effort. But we are more than willing to put in the time for him.

Even with the best habits, I know it can be challenging to see the bright side sometimes. Every day, I work with families who face obstacles as the administration makes it more difficult for them to get through the immigration process by issuing more requests for evidence. Despite these barriers, we are still getting our clients’ cases approved, and at the end of the day, we hold our heads up high, knowing we work hard to find resolutions for them. We’re still getting good results for our clients, despite the challenges we face. Because our team knows that we are overwhelmingly successful, it builds confidence.

You can read about some of the triumphant outcomes we’ve obtained for our clients inside the newsletter. I hope it reminds you that even when the situation seems impossible, there is always hope.

Birthdays, Hikes, and Speeches

A few weekends ago, our family made a trip out to Ice House Reservoir, a beautiful state park on the way to Tahoe. If you are looking for a weekend in the woods but don’t want to go all the way to Tahoe, this is a great area to go to. We hiked all around and saw some amazing views. It’s a great time of year, isn’t it? The trees start to change colors, the weather gets a little cooler, the kids head back to school, and we get closer to the holidays. I always enjoy the start of fall.

Of course, I might be a bit biased, because September is my birthday month. This year, I’m turning 45, and my sister is joining us for the celebration. We’ll all be heading to Tahoe to spend some quality time together, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. I couldn’t ask for anything more, and I’m excited to turn 45! Life gets better and better with each year. I have an amazing family, I love what I do, and I get to work with amazing people every day. I feel so blessed, especially with the newest addition to our family – a half Maltese, half poodle pup named Happy. We named him that because he’s so happy! He loves getting his belly rubbed. We adopted him from a shelter, and we’ve been really enjoying the joy he brings to our home.

Fall also means back to school season, and while it’s a little challenging to get back into the routine, (especially returning to early bedtimes) we all adjust to the schedule — including parents! It’s great to see young learners come home with new assignments and build upon their skills from last year.

In my school days, my favorite subject was speech and debate. I know public speaking is a big fear for a lot of people, but I’ve always enjoyed it. We got to travel for different competitions, and I learned how to become a good speaker. That early experience has helped me so much in my career. It was great to have the opportunity to get better at it, because speaking and communicating well are some of the most important skills to have.

I remember one of the topics I chose to speak on was why people should be vegetarian. I’d read a couple books at the time, including “Diet for a New America,” and they made me a hardcore vegetarian. I put together a whole speech on the topic. Unfortunately, my audience wasn’t as excited about it as I was — I think there were too many meat lovers in the crowd!

These days, I’ve switched back to eating chicken and fish because I felt like I needed more protein. Still, I remember debating passionately about that topic. It’s pretty interesting to see how what we learn can change the way we think and behave.

I hope you and your family have a great fall season! To all the learners out there, keep it up! And if you get the chance, I recommend a stop to the Ice House area to get outside and enjoy this season.