So, I started teaching yoga classes for my friends and family recently and went out and bought a bunch of yoga mats so the newbies could practice in style on the comfort of their own mats. I thought this would be a nice thing to do, but the problem was schlepping all those mats around. Carrying a couple of yoga mats along with all the yoga gear you need for a class takes more than two hands and a great deal of coordination.

Thanks to the stylish folks over at Saltbox, I now have the perfect solution. I got the opportunity to take their Getaway bag (in my favorite shade of green) for a test-drive this past weekend and packed up my yoga clothes, a water bottle, my laptop, speakers, cell phone, essential oils, class notes, and three yoga mats. Even with all this cargo, there still was plenty of room in the bag, and it all fit comfortably over my shoulder. I have to say I felt pretty damn vogue walking into my yoga classes with this smart-looking, stylish bag slung over my shoulder!

Don’t you just love this color of green?! The Getaway bag comes in five different styles for a total of 21 different colors/patterns.

On the inside of the Getaway bag there are two deep zip-up pockets on each side to put things like your phone and wallet. I used the bag fully open, but there is a center clip you can use to turn the bag into a cool slouchy pouch bag that makes a really big purse, and you can detach the handles and arrange them any way you like.

If you are going to use this bag for carrying a yoga mat, please note that the mat will stick out a bit, but it securely held the three mats I placed in it without a problem. This bag is going to be my go-to yoga-gear bag, and it will also get a lot of use when I jet away for exotic weekend getaways and for days at the beach (on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie!). The canvas is extremely durable, and I can tell it is going to soften and become just like a pair of my favorite jeans—except my jeans aren’t waterproof like the Getaway bag.

Saltbox also offers handbags, wallets, carryalls, and I love the fact that their bags are cruelty-free. They use a variety of plant-based fibers and man-made synthetics to create their products in small batches, which means that each piece has its own unique qualities.

In the spirit of the season, the generous folks at Saltbox are sharing the love and offering one of my lucky readers at either the Daily Downward Dog or here at MariaMedia the chance to win his or her very own Getaway bag. You get to pick which pattern and vibrant color you like! Here’s what you gotta do to win:

Required: Sign up for the Saltbox e-mail list. Send Saltbox an e-mail at studio@saltboxnyc.com with “Maria invited me to join your list and enter to win my choice of a Getaway bag!” Please put your e-mail address within the body of the e-mail, and make sure it is not hyperlinked (plain text, please).

Required: Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite Saltbox collection is.

Extra steps for good giveaway karma: Saltbox is an emerging design company and needs our help to grow! Please either a) Fan them on Facebook or b) Follow them on Twitter and tweet “Thanks to @downwarddog for the chance to win a Getaway bag from @saltboxnyc, I want one in ______. [Fill in the blank with your color choice found on Saltbox’s Web site.]

If you can’t wait to win and really want to purchase the Getaway bag, here is a discount code to get 20 percent off any Getaway bag until the end of December: GA20DEC

Everyone is a winner in this giveaway, because after the lucky winner is selected, all those who participated in the giveaway are going to get a really cool extra-special kerprise from me. Ooh, I bet you can’t wait to find out what this is!

When you are up at the Saltbox Web site, check out their newest zig-zag design called Cinnabar. I am loving those colors (hint, hint, honey, if you are reading this…).

This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents, and you can enter through Thursday, December 16 at noon when the winner will be randomly selected.

“[My guru] says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you are fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it…” —Elizabeth Gilbert

I wanted to include a quote today by the fabulous Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love. This book is an international best seller, and on August 13 the movie version, starring Julia Roberts, will be released, and I can’t wait to see it.

If you are not familiar with Eat, Pray, Love, it is Elizabeth’s real-life journal of setting off on a year of discovery to heal after a messy divorce. On her journey she travels to Italy to eat and enjoy the pleasures of life (with an emphasis on eating gelato); next, to India to meditate, practice yoga, and do some spiritual searching; and, finally, to Indonesia to find balance. If you can’t find balance in Bali, I’m not sure where you can. I could have found balance just from eating gelato three times daily.

I have to admit that I have not finished reading Eat, Pray, Love, but after reading the first portion of the book about her eating adventures in Italy, she had me at hello. The whole first section of the book describes in great detail her daily gastronomic delights and travels throughout Italy. Warning: Do not read this section of the book on an empty stomach. It made me want to hop on an Alitalia flight to Naples to check out the pizza she describes as being the best in the world. I really liked her restaurant-ordering tactic of asking the waiter to bring out the best dishes. What restaurant owner doesn’t want to be flattered in that way? And you know what they serve you is going to be superb (as long as you don’t have any food allergies). Plus, you don’t have the struggle of trying to decipher a menu in Italian!

Enough about the food. Barring the divorce part, this is a writing assignment I could wholly embrace—a one-year assignment traveling to faraway places I’ve always wanted to visit, eating amazing food, all-you-can-eat gelato, meditation and yoga, all while trying to figure out how to balance my life. Yeah, I could do that!

So, the Maria version of Eat, Pray, Love is Eat, Work, Yoga. Like Elizabeth, I, too, am taking a spiritual journey and making my personal effort all about finding happiness. Happiness in what I eat—by eating healthy, organic, locally grown foods (except for an occasional sushi or gelato binge). Happiness in my work—finding enjoyable work that allows me to indulge my passions for writing and yoga. Happiness in my practice of yoga, which has brought so many amazing things to my life, including a sense of balance and calm (without the long flight to Bali). I’m writing my Eat, Work, Yoga memoir each day at MariaMedia, and I’m really excited to say that in just a few days, I’ll be launching a new Web site to fulfill my passion for yoga: The Daily Downward Dog. Yes, The Daily Downward Dog will be spinning off into a full-blown multimedia experience of its own, so I’ll keep you posted as it launches.

Yeah, my spiritual journey is taking place in beautiful northeast Ohio and consists of eating, working, and practicing yoga, but I am truly blessed and happy, and I’m working diligently each day to maintain the bliss.

P.S. For my male readers (I know there are a few of you out there), check it out…the male version of Eat, Pray, Love came out last year, entitled Drink, Play, F@#k, by Bob Sullivan. The story covers a jilted husband’s journey from his home in New York City to a drinking binge in Ireland, the decadent party life in Las Vegas, and then off to the hedonistic pleasures of Thailand. I love a good parody.

Gelato Photo: Tan Hsin-Ee

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man’s Search for Anything Across Ireland, Las Vegas, and Thailand

Kim in Siwa, Egypt, November 2009

“There is no substitute for the riches gained on a lifetime basis by the young American who studies or works abroad.” —Letitia Baldrige

I believe this quote is true, and one of my lifelong dreams has always been to work and live abroad for a period of time. Don’t get me wrong; I love living in Ohio, but I’ve always yearned to work and live somewhere far away from home so I could get totally immersed in the culture, the people, the food, and the arts. Even though the culture, people, and food in Los Angeles were totally foreign to me at times, I guess my three-year stint there was not far enough, and I’m still hankering for that job offer in Paris (hey, a girl can dream).

I recently met a smart, funny, and amazing woman who is living my dream by working in a foreign country. Kim Fox is from northeast Ohio and was enjoying a successful career in radio journalism and as a college professor when she happened upon a job opportunity as a journalism professor at The American University in Cairo. Intrigued, she applied for the job, not thinking about what it would be like to uproot and move to Cairo; rather, she went in with the attitude of “I’ve got to win it to get it, so I’ll deal with the Cairo part later if I get the job.”

She got the job.

At the time she had a coveted position with the NPR affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, so making the choice of staying or going was not easy. Can you say career dilemma and major life decision all rolled into one? She made the decision to go to Cairo and has had an amazing year teaching journalism to Egyptian students (a bit of a challenge in a country that does not grant journalistic freedom) and exploring this beautiful country.

I got the chance to talk to Kim about her experience and really enjoyed our conversation. She assured me that the transition to life in the Middle East was easy because she did her research and went in with an open mind. She has never felt threatened or that she was being treated poorly as an American in the Middle East. The biggest hurdle has been the language barrier, and although all of the students and faculty are well-traveled and English-speaking, it has been difficult conversing off campus with those who only speak Arabic. The university has provided her with a complimentary Arabic tutor, and she is picking up the language.

She teaches two days a week, has office hours and meets with students outside of those times by appointment, which has left Kim ample time for traveling. Because the cost of travel is inexpensive, Kim has had the opportunity to visit Luxor and the White Desert, hiked to the top of Mt. Sinai (which took eight hours round-trip), gone sandboarding in Siwa, and saw the pyramids in Cairo, to name a few.

At the top of Mt. Sinai, August 2009

Back in Akron for the summer, Kim recently wrote a blog about the 5 Things I Miss About Cairo, like the fact that you can get anything you want delivered in Cairo—a nice café latte, medicine, or dinner—it’s all available right at your door. She also loves the fact that it never gets below 60 degrees in the winter (and who wouldn’t?). If you want to read more about her life in Cairo, please check out this blog.

When Kim gets back to the resort-like campus, it will be Ramadan, a major Islamic holiday and one that involves fasting all day. Kim told me that if you think students have a hard time paying attention in class, try teaching them when they haven’t eaten.

Talking to Kim really motivated me to go after my dreams of living and working abroad. What better way to combine my passion for travel with the need to work and support myself? Now I just need to figure out a good gig and how to talk my husband into going along for the ride. I’ll keep you posted on both fronts.

If you would like more information about Kim, she has two blogs; on one she writes about her passion for hip-hop music—http://indyhiphopworld.blogspot.com—and the other is about a variety of topics, current events, and her roaming life—http://radiogirlradiogirl.blogspot.com.

Kim is definitely a woman who rocks, and I’m glad to know her!

“I think that to get under the surface and really appreciate the beauty of any country, one has to go there poor.”

—Grace Moore

I couldn’t get enough of Grace yesterday, so I had to include another quote from her.

When’s the last time you went on a trip and really got the feel of the city you were visiting? For most of us, travel involves picking out a vacation resort online, taking the shuttle bus from the airport to the resort, plopping our asses down at the pool, ordering up some cocktails, eating the hotel all-inclusive food, and never truly venturing out to see the local beauty or eating authentic food from the region.

I experienced this firsthand on a recent trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Instead of booking a room on the strip of luxury hotels, we stayed at the Numero Uno Guest House that was tucked into a quiet neighborhood in the Ocean Park district. We were right on the beach, and, granted, we were not visiting the region poor, but the location of our hotel took us away from the local tourist traps and, instead, we found gems like Kasalta, a neighborhood restaurant and bakery serving traditional Spanish, Puerto Rican, and Cuban foods that we frequented several times for two-dollar pastries and amazing café con leche (way better than Starbucks). I’ll never forget when we walked in the place early the first day. We arrived for breakfast, it was 6 a.m., and two young couples still dressed in their evening attire (shiny mini dresses for the girls and suits for the guys) were happily walking out of the place. They must have been up all night dancing and partying and came in for a “night” cap (Oh, to be young again!).

Numero Uno Guest House in San Juan, Puerto Rico

The best part of being off the beaten path was enjoying the vibe of the beach with the locals. We were there on a Sunday, and the neighborhood residents came out to enjoy a day at the beach, mixed in with the few of us who sat under the hotel’s umbrellas. There were vendors walking up and down the beach, lugging coolers selling cerveza and local treats, buff men and women jogging down the beach, families playing in the water, groups of teenagers listening to Puerto Rican music, a gentleman playing the guitar as he looked out at the beach, and I loved it when a man pushed his ice cream cart equipped with bells all the way down onto the beach and the kids came running to meet him. If you love to people watch on the beach, this was far better than looking at overweight, sunburned tourists and their unruly children.

Our "Local" Beach at Sunset...Beautiful!

So, next time you travel, try going off the beaten path, be adventurous, and try a truly “local” restaurant or hotel. Go where the locals go, and enjoy the beauty and culture of the region.

Exploring the Streets of Old San Juan

Stop by every weekday for the daily quote from Women Who Rock. Your daily serving of fun, attitude, and brilliance courtesy of an amazing woman!  Check out the Women Rock category at the Cool Stuff Shoppe for great books, DVDs and merchandise from these great women. Thank you for clicking on the ads when you visit to help fund this site!

I recently went on a cruise with a pit stop on the St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and was looking for a great way to see the island and get a little adventure all in one. With the power of the Internet, I was able to find a tour provider with all the right stuff:

- A peaceful sail to Buck Island Reef National Monument with a small group (no loud, overbooked, overpriced cruise tours for moi);

- personalized attention;

- great snorkeling with equipment you’re not afraid will leave you with some funky uninvited virus;

- pristine white sands and crystal-clear Caribbean waters;

- a boat powered by wind only…supporting green tour operators;

- and a boat captain who looks like Matthew McConaughey!

Well, I hadn’t bargained on the last one, but, sure enough, I walked on board and met Matthew—I mean Captain Carl. Hey, a girl can dream. My husband was laughing at me all day, because he knew I kept trying to get a picture of him. I wish I would have gotten one better than this, but you can also see Carl at http://www.gotostcroix.com/heinz/index.php if you don’t believe me. (Girls don’t get too excited, Carl is a married man.)

But seriously, that is not the reason why you should book your day trip with Teroro II and Dragonfly Buck Island Charters (although it is a good one); you should book with them if you want to have a truly memorable vacation experience on St. Croix.

Carl and his sister Melanie (this is a family operated business) were our hosts, tour guides, and snorkeling masters as they took our group of 12 on an amazing day sail over to Buck Island National Monument. This protected national marine park is the home of an underwater snorkel trail that is a snorkeler’s paradise. It’s best to go with a guided tour to show you all the best spots, and Melanie really knew her way around the trail. The coral formations are sublime (the visibility up to a hundred feet is amazing), and I’ve never seen more colorful tropical fish in one place. If you are new to snorkeling, Melanie and Carl are expert instructors and really took the time to work with everyone on the boat to ensure they had the proper equipment and an unforgettable snorkeling adventure. You don’t get personal attention like that on most tours, and their snorkeling equipment is top notch (and clean!).

This is where you dock at Turtle Beach for lunch.

After snorkeling, they took the boat over to Turtle Beach, which has been voted one of the world’s prettiest beaches by National Geographic. We had time to eat our lunch (you bring your own), enjoy “pop” if you brought it along, swim on the white sand beach, or take a hike up to the top of the island for more amazing views. Pristine white sand, check; gorgeous, crystal-blue Caribbean water, check; palm trees, check. This is what a Caribbean beach is supposed to look like! I felt like Brooke Shields on The Blue Lagoon (well, okay, a much older deflowered version of Brooke).

Alfresco dining - our view from the picnic table

Believe me, you will not want to leave Turtle Beach when Matthew, I mean Carl calls you back to the boat, but the reminder of a peaceful sail back with the wind pushing through the sails and the views of the St. Croix island coastline are just the enticement you’ll need.

When you get back to shore, if time permits, I’d recommend a quick stopover to Christiansted for some souvenir shopping and a rum runner at the Deck Bar, overlooking the marina.

This was our first stop on the cruise, and I was still winding down into vacation mode. I seriously think my stress level went from 8 to 0.0 while the Caribbean winds blew through my hair on the front deck of the Teroro II. This was one of the best days of our cruise! Thanks, Carl and Melanie.

Chillaxing on the deck of Tororo II

The other night in yoga class, we went from standing split pose to airplane pose, which, if you have ever done it before, is really hard to do and still keep your balance.

Airplane pose is not one of my favorites. You have to stand on one leg, raise the other leg behind you, and then put both of your arms out in front of you—all while staying balanced and not falling on your face. I always lose my balance and can never hold the pose as long as the instructor asks.

As I struggled in the pose, the instructor told us to fly away in the pose, to let our thoughts and bodies take us wherever we wanted to go on our airplane. Tahiti, Paris, the Bahamas—the possibilities were endless, and I loved the idea of letting myself go on a little mini holiday right in the middle of yoga class. No reservations required, no security lines, no packing; I could go anywhere I wanted.

Before I knew it we had reached our destination, another pose, and I had made it through airplane pose without losing my balance.

I’ll be frequently flying on Yogi Airlines for the rest of my life. I hope they have a frequent-flier club.

“If I had my life to live over, I would have seen more of the world and enjoyed being somewhere else instead of staying home and worrying about things.”

–Erma Bombeck

Amen Erma! These are definitely words to live by. Stop worrying and get out there and see the world!

Stop by every day (M-F) for the Daily Quote – your daily serving of fun, attitude and brilliance, courtesy of an amazing woman!!

Hey, it’s not always just about getting a buzz; sometimes you can turn imbibing into an educational and cultural experience. I had the pleasure of doing just that when I attended a champagne and chocolate tasting last week at the Akron Art Museum.  It also served as a great venue to host my MariaMedia launch party, kick things off with some champagne, and visit France, Italy, Spain, and Germany all in one night!

I want to give credit to Mario Vitale, the wine department manager at the West Point Market in Akron, for bringing along such a fine selection of bubbly and for his expert presentation on the merits of each.  This guy knows his stuff and he is a lot of fun too! If you ever need a great bottle of wine (who doesn’t?) and live in the Northeast Ohio area, Mario is the guy to see and the West Point Market in Akron has one of the best wine selections I’ve seen.

After tasting (and learning about) three different sparkling wines and two champagnes, we moved on to another vice of mine…chocolate! Gina Thomas McGee, the membership manager for the museum, provided a How to Taste Chocolate 101, and served up some amazing Valrhona dark chocolate samples.

It was a great evening all around, and here’s what I learned about champagne & chocolate:

1)      Champagne…it’s not just for celebrations anymore! Don’t be afraid to bring champagne to the table – you’ll be amazed at how well it can pair with foods like eggs, fruit, seafood, and pasta.

2)      Sweeter wines like Riesling or sparkling wines made with Riesling grapes are a great choice to pair with hot, spicy foods like Indian and Asian curries.

3)      I should host a brunch for my friends very soon and serve eggs with a Prosecco version of sparkling wine. It will bring a whole new meaning to brunch!  As the person next to me said, “It’s good to get liquored up early in the morning!”

4)      Don’t just automatically grab a bottle of mass-produced champagne from one of the big houses. There are many smaller producers out there that produce vibrant, mind-boggling products that will blow you away.

5)      I should go to Europe two times a year to try out new wines and champagnes! (Mario does this every year. Mario, you are a role model and an inspiration!)

6)      Champagne as a rule is a blended wine.

7)      When tasting chocolate, be still, clear your palate, look at the chocolate, rub it, smell it, feel the chocolate in your mouth, taste it, and enjoy the finish in your mouth! That’s a lot of steps, but I never knew what I was missing.

8)      Seriously, rub the chocolate before you taste it! The warmth of your body will cause the chocolate to melt and release odors. These odors enhance the intensity of your tasting.

9)      I think the Valrhona chocolates with 85% or more cacao can get you high!

10)   “Rules in Italy are like suggestions.”  Thanks, Mario, for that hilarious quote.

As the evening went on, it was fun to see the rest of the crowd loosen up, ask questions, and enjoy the vibe at the museum.  If you want to try drinking and learning, the Akron Art Museum is hosting an Art and Ale event on March 12. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some Wicked Ale and Warhol.

Aaahhh, two of my most favorite things…a cold brew and a beautiful beach! I started taking pictures of my beach beer escapades quite a few years ago and have some great pics to share.

The beer and the beach are always the stars of the photo shoot, except on some occasions when a cocktail or glass of wine is the drink of the day! Here’s a favorite from a recent trip in the Caribbean:

Carib - the local brew of Grenada

This picture was taken at La Sagesse Beach on the southern coast of the island of Grenada. We stopped here for a Carib beer and beach break while touring the island and were just about the only people roaming this beautiful shore lined with lush coconut trees.

The pink building you see in the background is part of the La Sagesse Beach Nature Reserve and Country Inn. If you are looking for a secluded, romantic getaway, this is the place to go! Caribbean Travel and Life named it “one of the ten most romantic sites in the Caribbean.”

Being that it is January in NE Ohio, I really shouldn’t be dwelling on the beach and beer, but I can always compensate with a cold IPA in front of a warm fireplace.

This is my first blog entry for MariaMedia! Cheers!

I thought it might be helpful to explain a little about the subject matter you’ll find at MariaMedia. I’m a woman of many interests and I have to admit, it was hard to narrow down a subject matter focus for MariaMedia. I finally said what the f@$%, Maria, just write about all the things you are passionate about!  So that is what I decided to do, except I left out a few of the passions that are not for public consumption! I hope you will find something that resonates for you!

On the left-hand side of the blog you’ll see a section called “I Heart…” and below that you’ll find a list of the stuff I love. There won’t be a new post on every subject, every day, but I’ll have regular updates on each. Here are a few more details about what you can expect:

Books, Music & Movies – If I’ve read a good book, saw a live show, listened to awesome music, or watched a fun movie, most likely you’ll be reading about it here. I’m going to talk about book clubs and how to get involved with one that you will love (don’t worry, it will be even better than Oprah’s Book Club!). Movie award season is here, so there will be lots of entries initially about the nominated movies, the red carpet fashion debacles, and what I’m going to serve at my annual Oscar party!

Experiences – At this point in my life I have more than enough stuff – no more swag required! What I need and what I crave are experiences! The more exotic and crazier the better! Don’t get me wrong, everyday experiences like going ice skating with my niece or savoring a great glass of wine are amazing and I’ll write about those, but I’ll also cover topics about experiences I want to have, like taking a wine appreciation class in Napa or doing yoga on a secluded beach in Bali!

Food & Drink – I love to eat, I love to drink! So I’ll plan to cover why sushi is so addicting, how to cut meat out of your diet and love it, best of show food pairings, great cocktails, and where to find healthy food.  Nothing about dieting here (I don’t heart diets).

Sunsets & Sea Glass – If you know me, you have probably had to sit through a sunset with me. I can never see too many sunsets and feel most alive near the water or on a beach, so I’ll share some of my favorite beach and sunset pictures. Collecting sea glass has become a new obsession, so I’ve got to write about how beautiful and relaxing it is. I’ll also share some great places to find cool stuff made of seaglass.

Travel – Travel is by far one of the biggest passions of my life. Who doesn’t love to escape their everyday environs and explore a new city or culture, or just plop their ass down on a gorgeous beach with a frosty tropical drink?  I’ll share the stories about where I’ve been and where I still want to go!

Women Who Rock – I love to read inspiring stories about women who have done amazing things, and that’s what you will find here. Women Rock!

Yoga & Fitness – To be honest, I have always hated working out. When I did find the time, I had to force myself to do it. This past year I vowed to turn that around and find workouts that were not only fun, but that I would want to do almost every day of the week! Mission accomplished – my new obsessions are yoga and Zumba®!  I’ll write about my amazing yoga journey and how to make your workouts feel like you are going out dancing with the girls!

Wow – you get all of that on MariaMedia – plus more! Don’t forget to check out the new web series “No Songs for Men,” and learn about how you can “Pay It Forward.”

Again, I hope you will find something that resonates for you! If you can’t find what you are looking for, go to the archives (found in the top menu bar) and use the search bar, or you can search by category or date.

Thanks for reading my inaugural post. I’ll be having my inauguration parade later today which unfortunately will not be televised, but you can check out my inaugural outfit if you watch the MariaMedia video on the home page!

I hope you enjoy MariaMedia. And I want you to know that my corporate mission is simply to help you Live, Laugh, and Rock! Please let me know if I’m achieving my goal – you are welcome to leave your thoughts, questions, rants, raves, smiles, ideas, and dreams – or to just say hello!