I can't believe it's June already, I honestly don't know where the past six months have gone. One minute I was celebrating Christmas with mère & Pig, on a short break back to England & the next, I am here in Rome, having been to Pisa, Florence, Venice, Verona, Milan, Nice, Monaco, Chabanais, Brantôme, Paris & Berlin on my way! Phew!
The weather here in Rome is hot hot hot & I am loving it! I finally get to wear my shorts & sandals on a daily basis, without the fear of being caught in the rain & my fleshy parts are gaining more & more colour with each day. In order to mould my body into something I'm not ashamed to show in a bikini, I have been attempting to abstain from overeating & falling back into bad habits, such as my love of carbonated, enamel damaging, soft drinks & fat inducing daily gelati. Instead, I have been filling up on snacks of fresh fruit & unsalted nuts, eating plenty of salads & making sure to stay hydrated, by drinking lots of H2O!
Something I am really keen to try out, is this delicious looking recipe from Elenore, over at one of my favourite sites; Earthsprout, for Rhubarb & Strawberry Chia Jam Popsicles! Super healthy, relatively easy looking, vegan friendly & perfect for summer! I love how she's added stripy paper straws too. I'm a sucker for food that looks as good as it tastes! I think I would definitely have to go with the raw chocolate drizzle on top, let's face it, my love for the dark stuff will never die!
I didn't know you could make jam using Chia seeds too! I never usually eat jam, because, whilst I do enjoy the taste of it, it's just so packed full of sugar, but a Chia jam, sounds interesting & perhaps a little more guilt-free. I love how Chia seeds are so versatile & I fully admit to having a mild obsession with them, having written about their merits before. Mère posted a bag out to me in France, when I didn't seem to be able to locate any in the stores, however, that bag is now looking dangerously empty & soon I will have to scour Rome for some more. They are very expensive in Berlin, so I am already wincing at the possible price tag here in Italy.
Besides the sweet treats, I enjoyed reading Elenore's post & her thoughts on how we, as humans, never entirely feel satiated. I think there is a great deal of truth in that. Though, as she says, if we channel our desires constructively, i.e. searching for growth through experiencing new cultures, new places, taking in new ideas & expanding our mindset, our capability to love, to share, even to feel, then that hunger can only be beneficial.
Ultimately, I think that's what I love about traveling. The world is so vast, that when you put yourself into perspective, you are simply a grain of sand in a mile long beach. There is so much that I have yet to see, so many things I have yet to encounter, to experience. When I think of all the wonderful food there is to try, the many languages I have yet to master, the people I have still to meet, the possibilities are endless & almost unfathomable, but it's what keeps me going. My desire to expand, to grow, to change, to absorb.
I think we all too easily get stuck into our routines & our own comfort zones, that getting off the sofa to go make that cup of tea seems like an effort, let alone finally taking that trip to Asia. It's when we really push ourselves though, that we truly see how capable we are & how, ultimately, we are only stopped by the limits we place upon ourselves, because this world, as vast as it is, perhaps as scary as it can be from time to time, is full of opportunities, if we only reach out a little, to try to grab them.
What are you hungry for?
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