Many, Much, & MORE TO COME

I know it has been a few days since I posted last . . . . I would just like to catch your attention in saying WOOOWEEE . . . . . these past few days have been SO MUCH FUN & Super SUPER BUSY FOR ME !  I haven't forgotten about anyone , don't you worry ! :)  If I come across some free time tonight I will talk about my FABULOUS 2 days off from this week .  If not within the next day or so - But I will tell you this . . . . .

Santa Monica is an absolutely amazing city & hiking up to the Hollywood sign was a great treat ! ! !  There is so much more to add as well , but I have to keep you on your toes some how =]

Enjoy this one photo above out of the 260 that I captured just from yesterday ALONE ! ! !

"She Loves You, YEAH YEAH YEAH!"

Every Saturday night here in Ojai, there is this local band who performs out of their jewelry shop right across from The Oaks.  Not the typical hot spot to be rocking out ehh ?  I get a kick out of the music they play because it isn't half bad . . .  I know the guest here aren't a fan of the loud music lasting until 10pm .   I find it to be entertaining though because I feel like it spices up the town considering it's very quite during the day & not much of a " social nightlife " kind of place . 

Hmm . . . well my morning will begin with a 6 : 30 AM hike through Shelf Mountain with an option of anyone wanting to run back =] , teaching kickboxing at 10 : 15 , teaching ZUMBA at 11 :15 , working in corporate for part of the afternoon , then ending my day with training behind the front desk & serving dinner to the guests !  KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR WHATS IN STORE FOR MY NEXT TWO DAYS OFF . IT'S GOING TO BE A FUN ONE ! ! !  On that note , I should probably hit the sheets by now so I don ' t over sleep like I did one morning this week ! ! !  WHOOPS , thank goodness they were super nice about it here . . . . . hehe =]

Nighty Night everybody <3

Sage, Rosemary, Oranges, Wild Flowers... I love the smell of it all !

Well it's currently 9:30pm on my clock and this concludes yet another awesome day !   My thrilling adventure today involved some roller coasters , log flumes , joyful screaming , bright sunshine, dip & dots , a pulled pork sandwich , frozen yogurt , blueberry pancakes, and GORGEOUS scenery , just to name a few .  If you haven't guess already I ventured to iHop , Six Flags Magic Mountain , through some local mountains here in Ojai Valley , and lastly to Bliss ( a frozen yogurt shop here in Ojai ) .  All & all  it was a great day and I am happy to share that this girl has finally got herself a nice golden tan , Yeee Haaa watch out NY =]

As for my caption for this post . . . . since I have been here in California all I keep saying to myself is how I LOVE the smell of the air here!  All of the plants , citrus fruits , and flowers have really caught my attention so much that I truly enjoy being outside even more each day ! ! !   Have a wonderful night & better yet , a great rest of your week ya ' ll <3

Time Flies While You're Having Fun

Well that's for sure . . . . It has been 2 weeks already and wooo weee the days are flying by like they are going out of style over here !  Closing up this week I began teaching some more group X classes, completed some homework assignments for school , dedicated a few hours of preparation for my ACSM exam , started to build up some mileage in my legs for XC training, the list continues . . .  I think I am ready for that full body massage already . . . . Oh wait ! That shouldn't be too hard considering where I am =)

This coming week I am looking forward to because it will be a lighter week of teaching on my end .  This will give me a chance to focus more on my assignments, running, and possibly more exploring !  Just a few days ago I met a woman by the of Marilyn who's husband is the owner of Nathan's hot dogs , which I found pretty neat once she found out where I was from.  Marilyn is by far the sweetest woman I have met thus far here at The Oaks .  She has been attending my kickboxing classes , ZUMBA , and the 6:30 AM hikes . . .  What a true sport she is!  For another fun fact about this past week , I met a woman Erin who is a casting director for reality TV.  She was a part of the TV show on MTV- I Used To Be Fat , The Biggest Loser, Extreme Make Over, and other shows that strongly focus on positive transformation in people's lives .

Well on that note , I am going to close this week with nothing but positive notes . . . I am super thankful for being accepted into this internship & having the honor of working hand and hand with the Cluff's as while as the entire staff here at The Oaks!  They are a true inspiration to use all and have so much heart for what they do <3  Thank you for being super cool & fun to be around =)

Good night all xox
PS : I am going to Six Flags in LA for my day off on Tuesday ! ! !

Ohhh Yeahhhhh

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY ! ! !

Today is the birthday of a fabulous woman by the name of Sherry .  Even though I have only been here for only 2 weeks , I can already sense what a great person she is !  The guests love her , the staff ADORES her hard work ethics , and I myself look forward to working with her more.   Here at The Oaks Sherry is known as the " Bingo Queen " as she holds special bingo nights here while she dolls herself up in very fun & hip customs ! !   Along with that role , she is one of the chiefs on staff as well as a sever to all of the guests . Tonight the staff and myself will be celebrating her 50th birthday as we enjoy ourselves to honor her for all of her hard work and dedication  =]

& The Classes Keep on Rolling . . . .

After a great two days off, I have spent my time preparing for new group exercise classes to teach ( Weight Room Basics , Muscle Conditioning , Core & More , as well as Aqua Toning , Aqua Cardio , Kickboxing , and of course ZUMBA ) .  I have also been attending management meetings , training in The Nest ( boutique store within The Oaks ) , filing paperwork with different departments of the company , & spending time with the current guests as they are on their get away vacations to develop a healthier , stronger , & smarter life style !   Also during my stay , if I have not mentioned this already , I will be studying to take my ACSM ( American College of Sports Medicine ) exam to become a certified personal trainer .  WEHHFF , do I have my hands full this summer =P

Today bright & early at 6 : 30 AM myself as well as Sheryl a current Oaks Hiker , led the way along the Shelf Mountain Trail through the thick and humid fog .  Along the hike , I was introduced to these two guests who share the same love for running as I do , as well as their sons who run for their college teams !  It 's great to connect with new people who share the same interest in a sport as myself . . .  who especially live on the other side of the country ! One of the woman is actually a Tri - athlete , which I found very interesting =)

Posted above are 2 photos from this morning's hike & a caption of my bio that is posted within The Oaks .  Have a great night <3

Santa Barbara Beach :)

Today was a FABULOUS day !  I had the privilege of borrowing the company's truck and drove myself through the mountains, through the valleys, and down to the BEACH ! ! !  What an adventure that was .   Driving through the mountains was absolutely beautiful & a little scary because I felt like I was driving off cliffs .  Too bad I was the one driving because I could have gotten some really awesome pictures of all the scenery , maybe next time .

Well today I drove to Santa Barbara , walked along the beach & walked ENTIRELY around State Street which is the heart of all of the great SHOPPING in town !   For lunch I ate at a Mexican restaurant called Carlitos & had myself a yummy pomegranate margarita :)  Then to top it all off I had myself a delish Pinkberry frozen yogurt (pomegranate flavored with strawberries , blueberries , and honey vanilla granola !

Enjoy a few photos from today <3

One Week Down!

Hey all , already it has been one week that I have been at The Oaks .   It has gone by pretty quickly , but I would like for it to SLOW DOWN !! Haha   Tomorrow & Wednesday I have off so I am looking forward to the warm sunshine on the beaches of Santa Barbara as I continue with my journey around California .   During the past few days, I have met some really great people !   Some have checked out of The Oaks already but it was a pleasure to have met them , taught classes for them, led the morning hikes for them , & just get to know them more on a personal level .  One woman I have met is neighbors of 2 stunt doubles ; Catherin Zeta Jones & Vince Von , another woman is really good friends with a brief case # 2 gall from Deal or No Deal , I've met a Hanes Underwear model / talk show host, and then you have the lovely mothers and daughters who are looking to spend quality time with one another .  I would not be surprised if other great guest (possibly celebs) will show up during my stay here.

Other then teaching classes / hikes at The Oaks , I am also experiencing work at the corporate office , The Nest ( small retail shop within the spa ) , providing dinner services for guests , front desk duties , & whatever else they throw at me :)   This is really a great experience to cover all aspects of what it feels like to run a fitness spa resort . . . . bottom straight to the tippy top ! !

On another note , THE FOOD HERE HAS BEEN AMAZING ! ! !  Meals are prepared to be no more than 1000 calories a day for the guests .  Me on the other hand have been eating athletic portions so my caloric intake is higher .   Because I have been eating super healthy , my energy has be great during the day .   For breakfast I eat oatmeal with fresh fruit jam / apple sauce , 3 small muffins , fresh fruit , and a hard boiled egg .  When 12 o'clock rolls around , lunch is served normally as a soup , salad, entree , and a small dessert .  During dinner time the chiefs prepare a salad  with an entree & small dessert.  Then through out the course of the day they serve fresh veggies with a very healthy dip, along with smoothies , and popcorn at night..... no salt or butter is used .

Well I suppose I should end this post here so I do not overwhelm all of you .  There is just so much to share and yet I've been here for only a week so far .  If there is anything more you would like to know about this facility , about my internship program , or anything else feel free to ask :)   <3

Day Four: 34 Mile Bike Ride to Ventura Beach

After a LONG 34mile bike ride from Ojai to Ventura Beach , around town & back , I can honestly say that was a 1st for me !   The Ojai Valley Trail was a beautiful route that took me through different towns , mountains , backyards of homes , farms , construction sites , across rivers, etc . . .  This trail later then joined with the Ventura River Trail which led me TO THE BEACH :)   The weather was a bit chilly for most people here but I LOVED IT !   This time of the year is most known as June Gloom because of the increased overcast from the mountains and the chillier weather .   Once I arrived at the beach I rode around the boardwalk & then to the pier .   For lunch I headed downtown and bought myself some delish pineapple-bacon-peperoni pizza !   & of course it didn't stop there . . . there was a local Ben & Jerry's shop and I fell in love with the 7 Layer Coconut Bar Ice Cream , YUM YUM ! !

The ride back to The Oaks was a bit challenging as I was riding uphill this time and not down.  But I made it back safe and sound , with a little pit stop on the way to get some junk food for the room !  Shhh . . . don't tell :P

Day 3 along with 2nd & 3rd Hike Photos: Shelf Moutain

Well it has already been 3 days that I've spent here in BEAUTIFUL OJAI . . . and let me tell you I have met some pretty amazing people thus far!   The guests are so upbeat and have a great heart looking for a place to get away to enjoy themselves .   Let me also add they may have more energy then most kids I know, and they are ranging from 45-75+ years young !!   Truly amazing .  The staff here at The Oaks are great!   I really look forward to working with them this summer & going on amazing adventures with them as well .   Be prepared to later see some sweet ROCKING CLIMBING PHOTOS , hikes through other mountains/trails that aren't located in Ojai , kayaking shots , festivals I may attend , and whatever else may come my way .

Let me also add too that the food here is very very very well prepared and tastes amazing. . . .  even though I have to eat 2 - 3 servings worth to even come close to how much I normally would devour .
( SUCH SMALL PORTIONS HERE ! )

Tomorrow will be my first day off and I will be sleeping in , running the trails , then exploring the town of Ojai & Ventura on a bike my boss let me borrow :)  In the meantime enjoy the photos up above! ! !

1st Hike: Part of Pratt Trail

"Oh Hi", Ojai California!

I made it safe and sound after a long 5hr flight, 2 hour car drive, and running on only a few hours of sleep!   Once I walked through the door of The Oaks at Ojai I was greeted & lunch was served instantly.   They must know I have a good appetite :)   After meeting with a few of the workers & my boss, I was soon informed of all of the duties I had this coming week.....OH MY..... I will for sure be a busy busy bee that's for sure!   My day will begin tomorrow with a 6:30am hike,  along with water aerobic classes, and more meet and greets!   But for now I will enjoy the the rest of this evening relaxing and checking out what this great facility has to offer!!

Day one begins tomorrow <3