I woke up at 10AM, which is about 3 1/2 hours later than usual. No worries; I just skipped first breakfast and continued on like it was any other day. I’m at my aunt’s beach house on Long Island.
The trip here was pretty uneventful… but then again, I was unconscious for most of it! So, was the plane ride worth it? To answer, here’s a picture of the view from my balcony:
100% worth it!
Plus, I get to be with my whole family—sister included. And Molly and Henry too!!
My parents drove here last week (36 hours in the car = crazy parents), and brought Molly and Henry with them. The puppies loved the car ride; they had the entire back to themselves, with one bed set up on each side. But come trip-time, Henry abandoned his bed and cuddled up next to Molly. Awwwww times a million.
More awwww times a million, below:
Where there is sunshine, Henry follows.
Eric Jaffa says
How much weight-lifting did you do during your last week before flying to New York?
Lauren @ Eater not a runner says
SO jealous, it looks beautiful! My ideal vacation is probably traveling in a new place eating all the local food….yum 🙂
Marilou @ Mostly Healthy says
Ideal vacations are either a very hot and sunny place where I don’t have to do a thing OR momma’s place where I don’t have to do a thing … do you see a trend? hehehe
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Eric,
I usually lift weights 2 or 3 times a week. Nothing major :).
britchickruns says
Gorgeous view! I think my ideal would be somewhere I could cook for myself (cos I’m vegan), but in a hotel..the penthouse suite with akitchen would be perfect 😛
Have a fab day!
McKella says
Sometimes I like vacations where I just kick back, but usually I like to be busy! Sightseeing, journaling, exploring, even volunteering. Last summer I studied abroad in China and I got to volunteer in a panda reserve, and I’m toying with the idea of spending the next few years traveling the world teaching English. Just trying to get the hubbie on board…
Most of the time, I’m not looking to take it easy. I’m ok with roughing it. It’s worth the adventure!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
McKella,
OMG pandas?!?!?! I adore pandas! I even went through a phase where my room was panda-themed. So your summer sounds absolutely amazing!! And how sweet are you to spend your summer volunteering to help pandas?!
kelsey@snackingsquirrel.com says
im almost thinking Henry and Molly.. especially Henry is having the best time out of everyone!! lol haha
my favorite vacation is one that allows me a mix of relaxing beach time, shopping, and lots of exploring and off-roading. i like a nice hotel or room to go to at the end of the day.. so im not big on roughing it or rustic a.k.a ‘old’ cabins.
enjoy the sunshine!! <3
Eric Jaffa says
On the days when you lifted weights last week, about how-much-time or about how-many-repetitions per day?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Eric,
LOL I’m a little curious as to why you’re so interested in last week, in particular. I don’t time my wl routine, so I can’t say for sure how long it takes me.
Ann Claire says
Glad the plane trip was worth it! the view from your balcony is beautiful!
As for the ideal vacation, I honestly really enjoy vacations where the food is prepared for me but also love when I go on vacation and am able to prepare my own food (probably healthier that way too).
mapledreams says
WOW!!!!!! that view is absolutely breathtaking! definitely worth the trip! you’er right…go out and enjoy yourself and don’t worry about blogging for now!!
I think my ideal holiday would be in a really hot country, at an all exclusive resort! fabby! xx
caronae says
LI looks so beautiful! It’s funny that being in NY I’m so close, yet so far away! I wish I could escape the city right now and go swimming….
I love any kind of active vacations; I have gone hiking across Costa Rica, running through the mountains of Northern California, kayaking all over Michigan, etc. I would, however, LOVE to do a cruise someday like the one you went on two years ago (just read that post — amazing). I really want to go to Macchu Picchu…
Meg says
Umm and how did I not get an invite?! 😉
Glad you arrived safely, sans Vita-Mix, but that’s ok, you’ve got a plenty of things to make up for it! Coconut butter, almond milk – definite musts. I’m right there with ya on travel necessities!
Love ya!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Meg,
Yes yes yes you are soooo invited!! (Not that San Fran is all too shabby of a location!)
vegirl says
WOW what a gorgeous view! And I can’t believe that the artisana is travel sized! I brought a baby food jar of almond butter when I went to NYC 🙂
Wow, your dogs are adorable– do you just smile constantly when your around them??!! LOL
Oh, just a little bit ago, I made chocolate banana oatmeal pudding for breakfast. Cocoa powder + ripe mashed banana + blended oatmeal = heaven. It was totally inspired by your recipes, and so delicious. I topped with raisins (I am also a raisin addict, did you know?).
VEGirl
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Vegirl,
Haha yes, Henry NEVER stops smiling… or licking! And your breakfast sounds absolutely perfect :).
shesarunner says
Happy to hear you’re enjoying yourself!
My perfect vacation is near an ocean…I don’t like swimming but I like being near the water. I find it really calming.
I do like resorts but only if I have a kitchenette so I can make my own food if I need to!
A Teenage Gourmet says
The ideal vacation requires sunshine, lots and lots of sunshine!
Eric Jaffa says
Chocolate-Covered Katie –
I phrased my questions about weight-lifting in terms of last week, because if I wrote “how much do you usually do” then if you proceeded to do more-or-less you might feel like you weren’t being true to the answer you gave.
I was just looking for a ballpark per day of what you did recently on days you lifted, like closer to one minute or closer to twenty minutes of weightlifting.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Eric,
Ooh ok! Makes sense! It’s closer to a 1/2 hour or maybe 40 minutes, I guess… I sometimes watch tv while I lift weights, so it’s not like I’m lifting the whole time, though :).
Ilana says
Ahhh I need to go to the beach like NOW.
I don’t care who makes the food (me or someone else), my ideal vacation is somewhere UNTOURISTY and not surrounded by a lot of people! So difficult to come by haha.
Natalie says
your dogs are so cute!!!! looks like you are having a lot of fun. love that you brought all your goods with you =)
for short vacations, i do like being pampered and having everything prepared for me, but for longer stretches of time, i would rather have the freedom to prepare my own food. that being said… sometimes i am just a total homebody and would rather be in the comfort of my home… =) (i do like traveling though)
Little Bookworm says
Amazing view from your balcony! Love the Henry and Molly photos – so cute. 🙂 Ideal vacation would probably be somewhere where I could cook – I find I miss cooking.
Dianne says
My favorite thing to do on vacation is cook for others, because I rarely have the time otherwise! But it is nice to have someone really spend the time to cook for me once in a while, since I rarely get that either. So jealous of your beach house!
Eimear Rose says
Oh wow Katie, great spot! Do you like swimming? If you hate weight lifting, swimming is a great way for runners to cross train and do some upper body and core work. And I don’t think you could say no to that lovely water!
To the person above who would like to stay in a hotel but cook because of the vegan thing, there’s an all vegan hotel in Switzerland…if you ever find yourself there! So you can chill out and let someone prepare all the lovely food. It’s on the shore of Lake Constance and it gets lovely and warm in the summer. For me, a holiday has to have mountains and either coast or a big lake. I’m not too bothered about the accommodation type, it just has to be clean and comfortable although I often pick a place to stay if I like the decor. Good food is a must!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Elimear,
Ok, now I REALLY want to go to Switzerland! I’ve always wanted to go (ever since I read a book, as a child, called “Bloomability”).
You’re so right;I really should swim more. It’s such a great upper-body workout!
Danielle says
It’s so frustrating going through the airport! Security has taken my salad dressing, face wash, and olive oil 🙁
Your view is absolutely gorgeousssss. My ideal vacation would be THAT right there 😀
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Danielle,
Come join me!! I have lotsa extra salad dressing :).
(They did take my peanut butter once. Meanies.)
Katie says
I’ll take any place with a beach…and it’s always nice to get a little break from cooking. 🙂 As long as there are good food options available.
Justine says
I love going places where there is pretty much nothing that you ‘have to go see’ and preferably a city that one can easily walk around. That way, you don’t feel pressure to get a million things done on what is supposed to be a time to relax and you can also get a little exercise in for all of the fabulous food that there is to eat. 🙂
It looks beautiful where you are! I have always wanted to go to the East coast. 🙂
Jackie (Peaces of Earth) says
Yay Long Island!! That’s where I’m from. 🙂 Have fun!!!
Grace says
My mind is so dirty when you said magic bullet i totally thought of something else…sorry to lower the tone of your blog!!:P I think I like to go on holiday anywhere sunny…I’m going to Greece in a fortnight and I can’t wait:) I think sun is more of a novelty for people in the Uk because here it never really goes above 25C (not sure what this is in fahrenheit)…i guess cooking for yourself is nice because it’s relaxing and you can make it a bit healthier…but it’s also nice to be cooked for sometimes:)
I have a question for you…im going to college in september and would like some advice of how you kept up your healthy habits with limited cooking facilities and with the increased pressures of people who are happy to eat pizza around the clock (although there’s nothing wrong with this sometimes)!! although im not as dedicated as you i dont want to slip into bad habits as i’ve made lots of good changes this year and want to keep them up.
Also…im considering becoming vegan but worry about being a difficult guest etc…like I really hate the idea of being inconvenient…how do you cope with this?
Love your blog and I agree with Eimear Rose swimming is soo nice especially in summer:)
love the blog katie x
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Grace,
Hi! Thanks for the sweet comment :). I guess my answer to your first question depends on whether or not you’ll have access to a kitchen. My first year, I was in a dorm, so my meals were vastly different from the years after that.
As for the second, just bring some of your own food and always offer to share. In other words, if you are asked to a party, make sure to bring some awesome vegan food to knock everyones’ socks off!!
kelli says
haha that little jar is so cute :D! What part of long island are you on? I live there…gotta love long island 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Kelli,
My family lives all over. I ADORE Long Island too 🙂 :).
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
So gorgeous!!!! My ideal vacation would be camping in the mountains one night with s’mores and campfire stories followed by a day in the city and a night on the beach..with more s’mores 😉 Guess it’s time to go to California! 😀
spoonfulofsugarfree says
Beautiful! I hope your having a great time Katie! I bet the weather is a lot nicer there than in Texas 🙂
And I LOVE weightlifting. I don’t know why, but I just like the burn and tightness I feel when I’m lifting. And i don’t really like running……maybe we are just born with certain “fitness likings”?
Oh, and my ideal vacation would be active with hiking, bike riding, art, lots of activities! I’d like to cook for myself, or go out to little local cafes and restaurants. I would LOVE to go to Europe and sample all of the cuisine!!!!
radioactivegan says
okay, first — so jealous right now! If I could get a vacation to NYC anywhere, I’d be so stoked. Second — I *love* to cook. I definitely prefer vacations where I can still cook. Even if I’m staying in a hotel with no kitchen of any kind, I always make at least one trip to a grocery store.
Lindsey says
Honestly, I love the outdoors and being busy and active. I would love to go to Nepal. I would also love to go to several countries in Europe, but that’s totally different.
Any interesting vacation that keeps me busy to capacity sounds great. I’m not a relaxer, I like to take in every little detail and immerse myself in my surroundings.
Jenny says
My ideal vacation involves great vegan restaurants so I don’t have to clean up the mess.
Jennifer - jcd says
Wow, what a view! And Molly and Henry are super adorable, as always.
My ideal holiday would be going someplace new and exploring a lot. We like to visit museums, cafés, wander the streets to soak in the atmosphere, visit the parks, and do lots of walking. We try to do as the locals do, with a few touristy things mixed in. That’s what we do on most of holidays. Away from home, I like cooking for myself and eating the local fare. Someone cooking for me is always nice, but not necessary. (Cruises are always nice.)
We’re heading off to Denmark and Scandinavia in a few weeks, so we will be doing all of the above, with a side trip to LEGOland.
You didn’t really answer the daily question; what’s YOUR ideal holiday?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
JCD,
Haha I want the best of both worlds! A vacation place right in Greenwich Village, with a full kitchen, would be perfection. Then, I could go out or eat in, depending on my mood.
Maybe when I have $100million to spare… 🙂
Katherine: What About Summer? says
make chocolate bombs!
my ideal vacation is taking a boat/cruise from spot to spot so I can explore different spots, stir up trouble and then be on to the next adventure 🙂
Danielle says
Yay! Glad to hear that you’re enjoying your vacation. And that you got to bring the doggies along! We recently took our dog on a 2700 mile roadtrip, and I’m so pleased that she was part of the experience. Pet love is so important!