Checking In, In Queenstown

Hey everyone! I'm writing from the adventure capital of the world - Queenstown, NZ! The first ever bungy jump was invented here and that's exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow! Since I last wrote, we stayed in Franz Josef where we had the opportunity to walk on a glacier - Fox Glacier. It was an awesome experience for sure and one I'm very happy I had the chance to do. This picture was taken when we were at our highest point on the glacier.

 Yesterday a few of us took a trip to Milford Sound. The ride there had some incredible views (this whole trip is filled with awesome views), but yesterday we a bit more majestic. Here's some pictures from the ride up there. All were taken with my iPhone.

 This picture is when we were on the boat in the sound. Our captain took us right up to a giant waterfall and we got soaked! I laughed when I saw this picture, so I figured I would share!

Today we'll be doing canyon singing and then bungy jumping tomorrow before we head off to Dunedin! I have over 1,300 pictures from this trip to go through, so when I get back home I'll be sure to share all of those! For now, the iPhone will do! Hope all is well! Stay strong!

Now Playing - M83 - Couleurs

Greetings from Christchurch

Hey everyone! About to call it a night here in Christchurch.  Tomorrow morning we head down to Franz Josef. The ferry ride over from Wellington this morning yielded some great photos and I can't wait to post them when I get home. For more up to date pix, check me out on instagram (MikeScic).

Tomorrow is just a travel day so there's not too much going on - possibly some hot springs at night!

The diet has been pretty good while on the road.  I packed a lot of nuts, fiber one bars, trail mix and granola to fill the gap between stops and major meals. Workouts have been limited to body west exercises, but I'm hoping tomorrow to set up the TRX.

Wifi is a bit limited down here, but I'll do my best to write as often as possible! All the best!

10,355 Miles

That's how far it is from my family in the USA to those "down under. " The last four days has been a humbling experience to see how deeply rooted we all are.  When I arrived in Melbourne this past Sunday, family I've barely talked to on Facebook were at the airport waiting for me with open arms. 

I spent the last four days getting to know my family that I've been missing out on for 28 years, and trust me when I say that four days is no where near enough to make up for the years gone by. It was a incredible experience hearing all the stories from each aunt, uncle and cousin of how the family came about in Australia and the memories they have of my grandmother and grandfather back in Sicily. This trip is only a few days old and it already has become a memorable one. 

As I write this 39,000 feet in the air on our approach to New Zealand, I can't help  it to think of how incredible it would be to untie my grandmother with her sister and my father with his cousins. Hopefully some day soon, we'll all get to experience that event. 

To anyone in Melbourne reading this who I had the honor of meeting and spending time with - thank you. This trip was a bit last minute and unexpected, but you managed to work out time with me and I am truly grateful. As we all kept saying, "I wish we had more time," but this isn't "goodbye," this is "see you soon!"

Now Playing - Grouplove - Itchin' on a Photograph

Day 2 In the Books!

So everyone will be happy to hear, my luggage did arrive yesterday afternoon. As expected, time is flying here. Two days already gone, but they have been great. When I first arrived, several of my cousins picked me up from the airport and took me to their house for an awesome lunch where I was able to meet more of my family I've never talked to before. It's wild to think that there is this whole extension of around 150 cousins in our family that we have been away from for so long.  Four days here is no where near enough time to try and make up for the years of little communication.

The fist night, some of the guys took me out to the local Casino where we enjoyed some cocktails and gambling. I actually won $150 which is better than I ever really do at home in the States.

Yesterday, two more f my cousins took me around Melbourne to see Capt Cook's cottage, the botanical gardens and St Kilda. I got some really good pictures I hope to post later this week. Today, we'll be heading south to the coast and see some of the beaches and I'm sure I'll get some nice pictures there. Tonight we have a large family dinner out at a restaurant and tomorrow we'll get to see more of the city of Melbourne.

Time to get my morning workout in before the day starts! Hope all is well!

At the gate

With an easy pass-through security I'm chillen at my gate with my Starbucks Black Eye (double shot of espresso) waiting to board the plane. Good food appears to be hard to come by so I may snack on the almonds I packed until we board the plane. Fingers crossed dinner isn't pizza. The gameplan is to not use the laptop or iPad until I get on the plane out of LAX. Posting with my iPhone is more of a pain than anything #firstworldproblems so I apologize for any typos.

Now Playing - Bayside - Sinking and Swimming on Long Island

Bags Are Packed!

The bags are officially packed! I have everything from clothes (obviously), snacks, camera gear, a jump rope and my TRX packed away. In less than 24 hours I'll be in the air on my way Down Under!

Now Playing - Foo Fighters - Times Like These

Ready to go... Almost

Last night I spent over two hours packing for the next 15 days. This is the longest vacation I have ever gone on and packing for that many days is quite the challenge. All that's really left is my camera equipment, TRX, toiletries and in-flight entertainment. I wasn't able to get a prescription for some sleeping pills, so this nearly 16-hour flight should be interesting. I'm sure I'll end up with some good writing material at least!

Today's Workout: Legs and Abs on the TRX
Days until I leave: 2
Days until my next tattoo: 38 ... Although wouldn't it be cool to get one down under?!

Song now playing in my head: Foster the People - Helena Beat

Monday Morning Musing

So in just a few days I'll be venturing off to the other side of the world for the rest of the month...that's a pretty wild thought. While I'm away, it will be difficult to exercise and eat like I do while I'm home in New Jersey, but I do plan on staying active and eating healthy while away. I'll be documenting everything while I'm gone and sharing tips of how to manage a healthy lifestyle while enjoying a vacation. I will be bringing my TRX Suspension Trainer with me - it's portability and versatility is perfect for the type of trip I'm going on.

The knee is starting to feel better, which is a relief! This week I'll be training hard ("last chance workout") before having two weeks off and also trying to see all my clients before heading out. The next few days will be long, but all worth it!

This week's experiment in the kitchen - Baslamic Chicken and Peppers. Stay tuned for that post later this week.

Stay strong.

Song of the Week

Only a few more days and off to OZ I go!

This week's Song of the Week: Linkin Park - Burn It Down

Have a suggestion for a SOTW? Leave it in the comments section.

Thai Chicken Satay With Spicy Peanut Sauce

Cooking for the roommates is becoming a weekly occurrence (I don't mind at all) and this week I gave them the choice between Thai Chicken Satay With Spicy Peanut Sauce and Chicken and Balsamic Peppers. The Thai Chicken received the popular vote this week. Here's the recipe below!

Servings: 4
Prep time: 0:30
Total time: 0:50
Calories: 286
Categories: Chicken & Other Poultry, Dinner, Lunch, Thai


Ingredients
Thai Chicken
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound chicken tenders

 Spicy Peanut Sauce
• 2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons lite coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½  teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste


Directions

1. Whisk lime juice, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and red pepper in a shallow dish until combined; add chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate in the refrigerator 15 minutes.
2. To prepare peanut sauce: whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.
3. Preheat grill to high. Thread each chicken onto a wooden skewer. Grill until cooked through. Serve warm or chilled with spicy peanut sauce.

Deviations

Instead of using canola oil I used vegetable.
I totally forgot to buy skewers so I grilled the chicken more like fingers/tenders. They came out just as good.

I wanted to dress up the dish a bit so I used iceberg lettuce to wrap the chicken with. This worked out perfectly. Also plated was broccoli and homemade bruschetta.

 

Whisking the chicken marinade

 Fired up!

 Dinner plated.

Minor Set Back

Earlier this week I undertook a new training routine - it didn't work out so well. I've had a history of bad knees since 7th grade and I can guarantee they're not going to get any better as I get older. On my fourth set of vertical jumps, I twisted my knee. Going to jiu jitsu later that day might have been a bad idea too.

Today was my first day working out again and the knee is still not 100 percent, but there's ways to work around it. Injuries and set-backs happen, but it's how you bounce back that builds your strength.

Stay strong.

July Top Instagram Pix

If you're on Instagram, feel free to follow me - @MikeScic

Here's some of my favorite pix I took this past month.

 Naturally...

 Fight night! 

 Warped Tour 2012 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ

 The Haptons Sunset

 Stuffed Peppers

 The New Ink

 Cloudy Day - What do you see?

 5:30 AM - Rise and Grind

Skulls can be sophisticated too

Now Playing - Foster the People - Houdini

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

Last week I cooked dinner for the roommates and the menu called for Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry (thanks, Karen for the recipe).

Servings: 4
Prep time: 0:40
Total time: 0:40
Calories: 225
Categories: Chicken & Other Poultry

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots (1/4 inch thick)
• 2 cups snow peas (6 ounces), stems and strings removed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Directions

Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.


Recipe Nutrition


Per Serving: 225 Calories; 6g fat (1g saturated fat, 3g mono unsaturated fat); 63mg cholesterol; 14g carbohydrates; 27g protein; 3g fiber; 448mg sodium; 796g potassium


Here's the broth after the ingredients were mixed together. I think I had too much lemon juice which didn't allow the corn starch to do its job.

Everything is prepped and ready to cook.

Mushrooms and carrots cooking down.

Enter all other ingredients... smells so good at this point. 

The plated masterpiece.

Song of the Week

OZ/NZ in less than two weeks!!

This week's Song of the Week:
Moving Mountains - My Life is Like a Chase Dream (And I'm Sill Having Chase Dreams)