Between The Alleys

empowerment inspired by exploration

Main navigation

The Subscription Box Perfect for Book-Lovers

*Disclaimer: I received the September Book of the Month Club box complimentary as a blogger collaboration. All posts and reviews are of my honest opinion!*

Raise your hand if you’re a book-lover who often struggles with:

A. Being overwhelmed with the amount of book choices and unable to decide what to read next

B. Not having the time to read/search for books

C. Wanting to step out of their comfort genre and explore something new

D. All of the above

Good news! There’s a subscription box service that will alleviate all of those problems. Over the past couple of years, subscription boxes have become popular. There’s a box for everything nowadays, isn’t there? And I’m not complaining, I actually love it! From beauty to lifestyle to even goodies for your furry friends, it’s impossible to find one you wouldn’t be drawn to.

There’s a plethora of reasons why I love subscription boxes, but a few reasons consist of helping you try products you normally wouldn’t, give you a great deal on the item, and they’re basically a present to yourself, FROM yourself.

I’m talking about one on this post today that is absolutely perfect for book-lovers. Book of the Month Club is for all you bibliophiles! Read along to find out why this box will make your heart happy.

How It Works:

Every month, Book of the Month Club has a selection of 5 books, carefully curated by people they refer to as judges. When you subscribe, you have the option to choose one of these 5 books that will show up at your doorstep once a month.

Did I mention they’re recently published AND hardcover?

Here’s the un-boxing of the September Book of the Month choices and a few things I loved about this service.

Highlights:

-The genres

One of the best things about this service are the various genres. If you’re someone whose looking to get into a book you wouldn’t normally read, the variety of the selections are perfect.

-The feeling of a hardcover book!

Man, I really miss holding an actual book in my hand. E-books are great and it’s something I’m usually drawn to, but physically holding a beautiful book just reminds me how much I miss reading without technology.

-The blurbs from the judges

-The cost

For $15.99/month you receive one newly published, hardcover book and for an additional $9.99, you can add two more books.

Save even more by getting a yearly membership which ends up being 11.99/month. This is an absolutely amazing deal!

So what do you guys think – will you be trying it out?

From: Up Above

I feel like we’re all going through life searching for answers that don’t exist. I’m always looking for the “correct” answer or the “correct” decision, when in reality, there is no right or wrong.

If life was one decision fits all, everyone would have it figured out.
-A.D.

First Aerial Yoga Experience with Urban Vybe Studios: 5 Interesting Things To Know

Prepare for your first aerial yoga experience! | betweenthealleys.com

A substantial part of my blog, Between the Alleys, is experiencing novel things and sharing them with you guys!

I recently wrote an article about powerful life lessons I learned while traveling solo and one of them was about stepping out of your comfort zone and taking the plunge to do something crazy despite the fear.

Well you don’t always have to be abroad to challenge your fears. You can start right now!

I looked into aerial yoga quite a while back when I saw Troian Bellisario posting her stunning photos and videos of hanging on ribbons. Aerial yoga became something on my list I had to give a try, despite my fear of being above the ground and especially upside down.

I’d been looking into Urban Vybe Studios for months and months now. Something about the vibe (pun intended) of their studio pulled me in. I’m so glad I chose to go with them because their ambience, small sized classes, and personal help was so comforting!

Aerial yoga poses
Jo Stokes, my instructor for Intro to Aerial Yoga

Usually before engaging in a new activity, I research the heck out of it. In this case, surprisingly, my Google search history did not contain “first aerial yoga experience.” I just went in with an open mind, unsure of what to expect.

If you’re looking into it, I decided to share the thoughts that went through my mind as the class progressed. Maybe some of these are things you guys may be wondering! If you’re interested in what actually goes through your head (or mine in this case) while venturing into aerial yoga, read along. 😉

***

1. Are these ribbons stable enough to hold me?

Yes, yes, yes. When I first got on the ribbons, I could feel my weight so heavily on it thinking that SOMEHOW these ribbons won’t hold me up. It’s all in your head! They are affixed to the ceiling, so you absolutely don’t need to worry about them coming out.

2. I’m so glad I have experience with beginner’s yoga!

You don’t necessarily have experience with regular yoga classes before diving – or should I say flying – into aerial yoga, but I think it would be beneficial. I took a semester of it in college to complete my fitness credits. Although I wasn’t sure how I felt about yoga in the beginning, I started looking forward to it more and more through the semester.

Aerial yoga is basically regular yoga postures except you’re doing them in the air. Having even a little bit of yoga background was intriguing because I could tell what all the basic postures were and how they were modified when you did them with the ribbons.

3. I’m going to go at my own pace – even if this pose looks really freaking awesome!

Aerial arts is pretty amazing no doubt. Just feeling of doing super crazy postures in the air is such an unconventional feeling. But it’s important to push yourself while knowing your limits, did that make sense!?

For example, the first time my instructor showed me how to get upside down, it required flipping from the front. I tried to do it, but I was too nervous and couldn’t let myself go.

But the second upside pose she showed us was getting into it by flipping back, I did an easier version of the pose where more of the hammock was holding me for stability. Regardless, yippee! I went upside down – one thing I was determined to tackle! I needed help getting out of the pose though because I was still a bit nervous to let my intertwined legs go.

By my second class, I was getting in and out of the original upside-down pose within seconds, which consisted of a much skinnier and scrunched up ribbon holding my back and legs! I’m still scared to get into the pose by flipping from the front (for some odd reason), but hopefully I will get there.

Hangin’ upside down (sort of) fearlessly!

4. I’m so much stronger than I thought I was!

I don’t work out… rarely ever. Apart from when I’m traveling, when my energy magically rises 200% and I gain the strength to walk 8 miles a day. Therefore, given that I don’t run or lift on a daily basis, I was pretty proud of myself for having the physical strength to get through my first class.

Pulling yourself up to and from these positions require a bit of arm and core strength. Just from the first class, I knew that aerial yoga was going to make me stronger, I felt it immediately. And yes, your entire body will be sore for 2-3 days. Strangely, it was a good feeling.

5. I want my future home to have an aerial hammock in it!

But really ha! How cool would it be to just practice remotely (when you become more experienced of course) like you can with regular yoga? This thought also has to do with the fact that when I become obsessed with something, I invest in it. Though right now that’s not a possibility, my creative vibes are flowing with thoughts of building a dance studio inside my future home ft. an aerial hammock. 😛

***

I hope you guys enjoyed taking a peek inside my brain for this crazy experience. If you’re thinking about giving it a try, just go for it! You have nothing to worry about when there are kind and experienced instructors right near you!

10 Things You Don’t Know About Me

Making this blog more personable for my readers means getting to know the writer! You can hear the type of voice I have in my posts, but I’d like to share a couple of interesting quirks about me that you may not know in this fun post.

Let’s just dive right in!

♢ I pride myself on being an INFJ. These characteristics define me to the tee and apparently only 1% of the world’s population falls into this personality type.

♢ For some reason, my favorite weekday is Thursday. Could it be because it’s pre-Friday? Thursdays make me happy.

♢ I’m an introvert… aka I love my bed, my comforter, a movie, snacks, and my laptop on a Friday night.

♢ I dislike shopping for trendy clothing. I’d much rather invest my money in classics, and my go to outfit when in doubt is a basic with a statement piece.

♢ Nostalgia hits me like a truck when I smell something from the past. I can almost always relate the scent back to the exact memory.

♢ I know people around me better than they think I do. Now if I could only do this with strangers, I could change my profession to a palm reader. (Jk, I enjoy digital marketing!)

♢ I LOVE rain. But not when I’m home alone…

♢ I never used to be scared of flying but recently it’s sparked out of nowhere. A little turbulence and the person sitting next to me might hear my heart racing! Yet I love traveling, so this is a problem.

♢ I am clueless when it comes to directions. If it wasn’t for Google maps, I’m sure I’d end up lost in a forest.

♢ I feel like I have too many passions and interests, so you’ll always find me dabbling in something or the other, especially art related.

So there it is! A mix of some interesting characteristics about me that I loved sharing with you guys. If you can relate with me on any of these, comment below, I’d love to hear!

Three Powerful Life Lessons I learned from Traveling Solo

Traveling alone teaches you life lessons you'll never forget. | betweenthealleys.com

If you’ve often heard many say that traveling widens your view of the world, they are absolutely correct. But what comes with this life-changing concept are a number of challenges and lessons that you don’t realize you needed until after you’re home. Read on to find out the three (of many) powerful life lessons I’ve learned on my travels!

Letting go of the need to be in control

Airports are messy. Flying is messy. Most importantly, losing time and money is messy. I can easily say and most would agree that these two concepts of life are ones we *hate* experiencing in any scenario.

I very quickly found out after experiencing plane malfunctions, missed connections, delayed flights, canceled itineraries, and lost baggages (for only a day thank goodness) how important it was to keep an open mind while traveling.

In July I was country-hopping for 12 days and before I left, everything that was causing me anxiety was revolving around my travel route. Thoughts such as “what if I miss my flight” and countless other scenarios kept popping up in my head. How many of these things could I truly control while flying though?

While coming back home from that trip, it turned out that the airline I was taking canceled my return flight because I missed a connection on the way there, though it wasn’t my fault. Fuming with anger, frustration, and what became a 2 hour chaotic check-in process, they thankfully got me back on this overbooked flight. However, as a result of their mistake, I lost my paid aisle seat and ended up being stuck in the middle for 10 hours.

Was I upset? Absolutely. But I looked at the bright side: at least I was able to get back on this flight. And I won’t lie, the reason it was easier for me to look on the bright side was that my thoughts were filled with worse what-ifs.

If you are as prepared as you can be, the rest you can do is hope for the best because no amount of arguing or anger will turn things around. But what will help is keeping an open mind and realizing that sometimes you’ll have to go with the flow.

Ask yourself: what can I do that’s in MY control to fix the situation?

I still struggle with this on a daily basis. I want to control the outcomes of all the decisions I make. I want to make sure that the if I choose that flight, it WILL land on time. I want to make sure that if I pay for that service, it WILL deliver.

Good outcomes aren’t guaranteed. Nothing in life is guaranteed actually. It’s something I’m still learning and reminding myself daily.

Lock Bridge in Florence, Italy

***

Taking the plunge

Isn’t it so easy to talk yourself into doing something tomorrow? We’re always waiting for the right time to make a choice or decision. During my travels, I didn’t have time to ponder about second-guessing whether I wanted to do something or not.

These opportunities won’t come back, so it’s now or never.

In 2010, I went to an island in Malaysia called Langkawi. That summer was a busy one for me particularly because I went to a three-week camp before the trip that taught me many lessons and one of them was having the courage to break boundaries.

Keeping all the lessons I learned in mind, I had the opportunity to go parasailing on this trip. Absolutely terrified of heights, I decided to do it. I decided to step out of my comfort zone, face my fear, and fly into the sky, because who knows if and when I would ever be able to come back and have this opportunity again.

If you want to do something but you’re scared, do it anyway.

Go parasailing in Malaysia | Betweenthealleys.com
Parasailing in Langkawi, Malaysia

***

Better safe than sorry

If you are the kind of person who tends to help strangers in need, this one is a hard pill to swallow. When someone who doesn’t even look remotely dangerous approaches you for a request, the normal response is to help them as you can. Sadly, this makes people like us an easy target for individuals with malicious intents.

Unfortunately the world isn’t fair or kind, even if you are.

After countless people telling me to make sure my bag is always around my body in Rome, getting pulled into a scam in Berlin, and being lost at 2am in Barcelona, becoming extra cautious came easier. Even the smartest and bravest people can get caught in a deceitful trick, don’t underestimate strangers.

It’s difficult to walk away to avoid being rude or giving off an unfriendly vibe but in these cases being selfless could cause harm to yourself.

Look at your surroundings and listen to what your intuition is telling you.

Panoramic View of Lake Como, Italy

***

Experiencing situations that put these lessons into perspective stick with you forever. There’s a story behind every lesson that you can look back to, I promise.

 

 

From: Langkawi, Malaysia

parasailing-malaysia

Am I the only one who feels like they can overcome fear while traveling? This photo was taken in Summer 2010 of our family travels. A huge mantra of mine that summer was “breaking boundaries.”

Being absolutely afraid of heights, I pushed myself to do something crazy. I parasailed over the ocean knowing that if I didn’t take the step I would regret it.

To this day, it’s still my favorite memory of the boundary I broke.
-A.D.