Day in the Life: Partner Relations Director of Yoga Travel Tree

As Cara’s #1 fan, I was elated when I received a message asking me to be featured on her blog. Her themed Hip Hop yoga classes were one of my favorite parts of my fitness regimen while living in Boston last year. Not to mention, the inspiration she was as our lululemon Chestnut Hill ambassador!

I’ve waved goodbye to Boston for now, and am soaking up the mountain air out in Fort Collins, Colorado (or FoCo as we call it). I moved out here in January to help start-up a new yoga-travel directory, Yoga Travel Tree. We’re a site where yogis and wannabe yogis can find meaningful yoga travel experiences—from retreats to teacher trainings to yoga events…anywhere in the world. We also have some totally rockin’ articles, especially for those who are new to yoga! While I don’t consider myself a health or fitness guru by any means, I am obsessed with trying out new workouts and love learning more about the yoga-sphere. Lucky for me, I now get to bring my passions for yoga to my job everyday.

How it all started:
I’ve always considered myself a fairly sporty and active gal, from playing college lacrosse to running 5k’s and working with a personal trainer. However, I didn’t start a consistent yoga practice until I settled into my job in the real world. I was lucky enough to be introduced to lululemon by a friend living out in Portland. I started attending their free community classes every Sunday. This turned into a yoga addiction. I began to explore studios all over Minneapolis to try new styles. Fast forward a few years, and I was working for lululemon in Boston. This allowed me the ability to venture to even more new fitness spaces! As a result, I honed my yoga practice (thanks to Sweat & Soul Yoga, JP Centre, & Baptiste to mention a few faves), tried my hand at the Lagree fitness method at Studio Empower, kick boxed my heart out at Perry’s Martial Arts, and joined the Forest Hills Runners. I even completed my first half marathon last summer (lululemon’s SeaWheeze) and am training for it again this year.

All of these experiences transformed my daily routine and temporarily altered my career path. I left my life in South Boston and moved out to Colorado to pursue an opportunity that looked to combine two of my biggest passions: travel and yoga. With my work, no day is the same. I work in the Yoga Travel Tree office (or sometimes from home) Monday-Thursday, and spend my Fridays at GoAbroad, a website for meaning travel experiences. My weekends are a whole ‘nother story—from time spent on the CorePower cleaning crew to hiking, skiing, or sand volleyball!

Up & At’em! No time for the Snooze button (4:30am – 7am):
Let me start this off by saying, I am NOT a morning person. I have slowly developed an affliction for getting up at 4:30am. It started out in Boston when I would drive around and pick up my friends for a November Project workout, or hit up the 5:30am spin class at Flywheel. This has carried over to Colorado. I love getting up for the first class of the day at CorePower Yoga! Sweating it out before my body is ready and the sun is up, is by far the biggest endorphin producer I have experienced. When I start my days this early with an intense workout the rest of the day is filled with energy and satisfaction. Not to mention I sleep better that night!

Breakfast & the Interwebs (7-8:30am):
I can get a ton done between the end of my workout and the start of my workday. Instead of rushing to get dressed and eat in the morning, I catch up on news, slowly digest my breakfast and have time to pack a super yummy and healthy lunch. This is my favorite “me” time of the day. I catch up on social media, respond to personal e-mails, and relax in my home. Many times this also includes lighting a scented candle and turning on some light morning music to accompany the mood.

Share the Passion: Yoga Travel Tree & GoAbroad (8:30-4/5pm):
The majority of my weekday work time is spent with Yoga Travel Tree. However, I add a little spice on Friday when I get to work over at GoAbroad. At Yoga Travel Tree, responding to e-mails, uploading site content, and working our online marketing strategy with social media fill my mornings. Midday usually consists of outreach or article writing, my favorite elements! I get to call and e-mail yoga teachers, studios, retreat centers, and yogis all over the world. I get to find out what they do, why they do it, and how we can help them. It’s fantastic to hear about the yoga world in India, France, and Costa Rica! I love building relationships with new clients and users, and sharing our passion for health, wellness, and travel. It’s also extremely rewarding to be able to write about and share my experiences, or the fruits of my research. We have a fun-loving and quirky community at Yoga Travel Tree, so it’s never dull. Check us out and let us know what you think!

Post Work Shake Out (4-6pm)
This post work time is really important for me. After a long day sitting in front of a computer all I want to do is take in the outdoor environment and get my body movin’ and groovin’! Recently, I have started incorporating Crossfit into my routine. A GoAbroad co-worker and I signed up for a 3x a week basics course at Big Thompson Crossfit in Loveland, CO. It’s been a blast so far! If it’s an off day, you can find me on my mat sweating it out in a heated flow class, or out running one of the beautiful local trails.

Relax and Social Time (5-10pm):
Unfortunately, sometimes my evenings can be a second dose of computer work with social media scheduling and e-mail responses. But, most of the time I am able get my real life social game going. I have been lucky to find an amazing (and large) group of friends out here. The week is never short of impromptu dinners, tea dates, or happy hours bopping around the plethora of local breweries with friends (I’m turning from a wine-o to a handcrafted beer snob!)

Out like a Light (sometime between 10:30 & 11:30pm)
Because I’m by nature a night owl, I like to stay up later than I should (especially factoring in some of the early morning workouts). Whether it’s catching up on a TV show (Game of Thrones, anyone?), reading a great new book, or simply getting organized for the next day, I have a hard time settling down for the night. But when I do I fall asleep fast!