Trying: Bikram Yoga

As a native Miamian, I'm all for heat and barely-there clothing. A little sweat never scared me. I guess I never really knew what "a little sweat" was until I tried Bikram yoga. Named for Sir Bikram himself (who is not technically a sir at all), it combines heat at 105 degrees F and a set of 26 postures, all wrapped up into a neat little 90 minute package. 

Each pose is done twice, and you can really feel yourself get better at it the second time around. I think that's a big part of the appeal. Self-gratification goes a long way, and this class teaches you how to work your body and praise it at the same time. 

Some pose examples: 

Camel pose- Looks pretty easy, and it is now, but I couldn't do it at first without feeling a nice wave of nausea come over me

Standing head to knee pose, or Dandayamana Janushirasana,  and I still can't get this one really right. Apparently the pose only begins when your standing leg is not bent at the knee, and I think it's harder than it sounds. Seriously, meditation necessary.

Can't really stress how much better you feel after the class than when you first begin. One instructor described it as torture, and I don't think that was far from the truth. I've only done 10 or so classes but I feel some of the effects (spine strength/alignment, energy, less stress, etc) so I would recommend it to anyone! Prepare to feel overwhelmed (and don't forget to drink a ton of water beforehand) but I'd say it's definitely worth a shot.

Happy yoga-ing.

Visa Business

I've never felt more relieved to turn in an application in... well, ever. I've been neglecting the blog, per usual, but I figured an update on the visa front was appropriate since I wrote about it two and a half months ago.

After my initial background check (BGC) got lost in the mail, I had to wait 6 long weeks to get it back, as the wait time had (obviously) increased while mine was at the bureau. Many telephone calls later, it miraculously arrived on a Saturday, and I quickly realized all was not over. The BGC needed a notarization on it in order to get another certification stamp on it- the Apostille of the Hague. It was more looming than it sounds.

After 4 tries for a notarization on a piece of paper that I didn't need to sign, I finally used my powers of persuasion (and $7) at a tiny UPS store to get the job done. Let me just say I am thankful that we had to send it to Tallahassee Dept. of State rather than DC again, cause they're a hot mess when it comes to returning things quickly.

I'll skip to the part where I had to get a certified translation of this same document, and I should point out that I'm pretty sure this part was unique to Miami. Why they of all people need a translation is beyond me. I emailed some companies for quotes, of which the cheapest was $65 for a half-page translation that I could do myself. I used a public notary instead and am hoping for the best. Why do Spaniards have to be so complicated?

Either way, with the application in, the thought is really sinking in... I'm leaving in 6 weeks! Gotta make these last ones count.