The best part of my day

Today, the best part of my day was my ESL class. It was a productive, energetic, and enjoyable 2.5 hours. The best moment was when I made a joke and every single one of my students laughed out loud.

Runyon Canyon: the happiest place on Earth

Yesterday was a perfect LA day. It was sunny, in the mid-60s, crisp and clear, especially after all of the rain on Saturday. I woke up and immediately wanted to get outside, so I took Zoe for a hike at Runyon Canyon. We did the "hard way," which is a real ass-kicker and a great workout. We then ran the whole way down. I felt happy to be outside on such a beautiful day, and lucky that I live so close to the mountains and to accessible, excellent hiking. I felt grateful to have my dog with me (as always). I also felt thankful to have my health, strength and fitness. Hiking and running are wonderful activities because they simultaneously make me feel powerful and free. In sum, starting my day at Runyon Canyon, one of my "happy places" in LA, was awesome. I wish I could start every day there, hiking and running with Zoe!

I also took joy in planning out my "menu" for this week and buying groceries at Trader Joe's, another of my "happy places" in LA. I love spending a good part of every Sunday thinking about food, buying food, and making a delicious meal :)