There’s a lot I’ve been meaning to tell you these last couple of weeks that never quite made it into posts of their own, so here you go:
After many, many months (years, maybe), I have given up on the Long Hair Experiment. This week I gathered inspiration on Pinterest, found a fantastic hair stylist and am now rocking my favorite hair cut of all time. It’s definitely not the first time I’ve had hair this short, but I’ve really loving it at the moment and it’s a perfect way to celebrate the coming of Spring.
I just ordered my first pair of compression socks for running. I’ve resisted this trend for a long time, but my legs have been aching something fierce as I ramped up my pace and mileage this week and I’ve been wondering how to improve recovery in between tough runs. After reading some reviews online, I found a brand that’s available here in Germany and supposedly ideal for wearing after a run to speed up the recovery process. So, we’ll see. If I like these socks, I’ll definitely fill you in on the details.
Related to recovery, I’ve also been trying to increase my protein intake, particularly post-run. One of my favorite solutions so far has been making a smoothie with plain yogurt, milk, a banana, frozen strawberries and blueberries, and a little protein powder. Delicious, right? Plus, it stains everything in our kitchen an awesome shade of purple. Bonus. Also, I’ve been reading a lot about how much more protein Greek yogurt has than regular plain yogurt, but haven’t been able to find anything similar here in my local biomarkt. Can anyone out there in Deutschland point me in the right direction, or to a reasonable equivalent? Or do you have a favorite protein-packed meal or snack of your own?
Also, It’s been awhile since I’ve done any sort of active improvement of my German. If I was less of a perfectionist, I could definitely coast along at my current level and be just fine. But I’m imagining my life after my PhD, and know that I need to take it up a notch if I want to have a reasonably satisfying professional life here in Germany. So, I’m starting individual German tutoring again next week and am really looking forward to it. I worked with a tutor for a few weeks after the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 test, and found it super efficient to work intensely on my specific problem areas. I hope the same will be the case this time around too.
So, there you have it, a nice mash up to start off the weekend! Gorgeous weather is forecast here in Berlin, so I will definitely be outdoors taking advantage of it. What will you be up to this weekend?
I have always loved your short hair look. Can we have a pic of your new look?
Thanks Mom!
YAY for haircuts! I wanna see a pic too!!!
Thanks, the pic is on the way!
Yes! Picture of the haircut! Enjoy the weather!! The protein shake sounds (and looks) good.
The shake is definitely yummy! Do you make smoothies too?
Yup – very similar recipe to yours – soy milk, a banana, strawberries, 3 berry mix (blueberry, raspberry, and marionberry), protein powder and omega 3. I need to try it with yogurt though!
Dude, I missed the post where you passed the c1 test! BRILLIANTLY AWESOME! Super big congrats…..Great that you are doing some private tutoring in German….How’s the PhD going? It’s on our list to come and visit sometime soon (once David is done with school our income will hopefully increase enough to take some much needed trips!!!)
Thanks! It’s hard to believe the exam was almost 2 years ago already. I still have a bit to go with the PhD, but I’m feeling pretty good about my progress. How much longer does David have?
I bought greek yogurt at an Edeka here in Hamburg awhile back. It had some added sweeteners which I didn’t like. But I’ve seen plain greek yogurt at some bioläden around the city. Have you checked out Reformhaus or Alnatura? I think it’s a matter of just happening on the right grocery store.
Okay, good to know. I guess I’ll just have to do some more searching. We only have one decent sized Biomarkt in our neighborhood, but I’ll to maybe branch out a bit and see what I can find. Thanks for the tip!