by Landaverde

My Fave Podcasts

I am super late to the podcast craze, but I am now on-board and hooked! I love listening to podcast during walks, long drives, and especially during my flights home to Georgia.  I firmly believe that to be innovative we must first expose ourselves to new people and ideas. Podcasts are a great way to learn from people you would not usually meet and learn about complex subjects from experts.

Here is how to listen and a list of my favorite shows.

How to listen

Your iPhone has a pre-installed podcast app that allows you to listen and download podcasts which is super convenient for airplane mode. You can also listen to podcast using spotify, Pandora, and soundCloud.

Here are my favorite podcasts

To meet fascinating people: The Ezra Klein Show

Ezra Klein gives you a chance to get inside the heads of the newsmakers and power players in politics and media. These are extended conversations with policymakers, writers, technologists, and business leaders about what they believe in and why.

http://www.vox.com/2016/8/8/12345238/trevor-noah-ezra-klein

To hear cool stories: This American Life

Most of the stories are journalism, with an occasional comedy routine or essay.

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/591/get-your-moneys-worth

To learn about yours 20s: Millennial

Documents what people never teach you – how to maneuver your 20s. Host and producer Megan Tan will document what it’s like to be a present-day millennial in real time.

http://www.millennialpodcast.org/season-ii-blog/29-you-cant-go-home-again

To learn about how the world works: Planet Money

highlights high rollers, brainy economists and financial experts http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/10/26/499490275/episode-387-the-no-brainer-economic-platform

To relax: Pop Culture Happy Hour

A roundup of their favorite movies, songs, TV shows, and writing of the year.

http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2016/12/02/504018769/pop-culture-happy-hour-gilmore-girls-and-moana

To keep in touch with my community: Latino USA

Explores and gives a critical voice to the diversity of the American experience.

http://latinousa.org/episode/tech-industrys-leaky-pipeline/

Para escuchar en Español: Radio Ambulante

Latin American stories from anywhere Spanish is spoken, including the United States

** This was a great find! I am not exposed to Spanish in my day to day life in New Hapshite. Most of the media I listen to is in English. Radio Ambulante host stories straight from Latin America.

If you check out these podcasts, let me know what you think. If you have suggestions, please share!

P.S. I have added “Podcast Host” to my career bucket list next to “TED Talk Speaker” #whatAGirlWants

 

by Landaverde

I love EGGS!

I could survive off of tomatoes, beans and egg.

Eggs in particular hold a special place in my heart…. and my Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat posts. Eggs have been part of my diet since childhood. As I have grown up and learned about the world, my egg recipes have also matured.  

Which brings me to poached eggs. Aka the most intimidating of all egg possibilities. Let me show you how easy it is to poach an egg! (full video at the end)

  1. Fill a pot with water, about ¾ of the way.  

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  2. Bring the water to a gentle boil (this means you can see bubbles coming from the bottom of the pot at a medium rate).
  3. Now to the egg, crack an egg into a small bowl or cup. I prefer a coffee mug because the handle comes in very handy (see what I did there)? img_0175
  4. Back to the water. Use a spoon to stir the water until you create a vortex. Get a good speed going so the vortex will move on its own, BUT not so fast that the water will spill.
  5. Once the vortex is going, pull the spoon out and GENTLY drop the egg into the middle of the vortex.
  6. Since the water is still going in circle, it will prevent the egg from spreading and instead it will wrap around itself.
  7. Let the egg cook for a couple of minutes until the whites cook and you can no longer see yellow. So about 2 to 3 minutes.
  8. Once it’s done. Use a large spoon to take the egg out and place it on a paper towel so the excess water will be absorbed. Remove the paper towel… Add salt, pepper and hot sauce.. slowly break into the egg and watch the yoke slowly run off. It’s truly a magical sight. 

And that’s it! You my friend, are now an official egg poacher! Poached eggs are a great way to impress a boy or girl, parents, friends and any food lover! So use your new power wisely!

A note to non-egg lovers: you live a sad sad life.  

If you tried this, send me pictures! 

Here is a video of my friend poaching her first egg following my extremely precise directions.

by Landaverde

The Mariachi “Singer”

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“De la Sierra Morena, cielito lindo, vienen bajando, Un par de ojitos negros” is the opening stanza to Cielito Lindo, one of Mexico’s most popular mariachi songs. This is the line I began to sing when I was asked to MC Noche Latina during the fall of my sophomore year at the University of Georgia. Let me share a little bit more about this event.

Noche Latina has been hosted by the Hispanic Student Association for the past 15 years.  With over 400 guests, it is one of the largest student-run cultural celebrations in Georgia. Think delicious food from across Latin America and a medley of professional performances.

Now back to me.

Needless to say, the pressure was on. Did I mention the MCs weren’t required to sing? But as we prepared for the event, singing mariachi seemed to fit so well into the program. As the Mexican of the duo, I had to take on the mariachi part; it was almost my birthright. One small problem…I am not blessed with the “gift of song”. Actually, saying I am not a good singer would be an extreme understatement. I am not being cute and trying to be modest; I am a terrible singer. So naturally, I agreed to take this on. Why I decided to say yes is beyond me, but I did, and I am actually glad that I did.

This was the first time I experienced the feeling of sheer terror.  I spent five months preparing for the event. Most nights, I would wake up in the middle of the night and question my decision. Why did I say yes? I am not singer. I have never spoken in front of more than 20 people, let all alone sang. Could I pull this off? What would a good excuse to get out of my commitment?

The night of the event I went on stage, put on a sombrero and started to sing my heart out. Thankfully, Cielito Lindo is very well-known song so the audience quickly joined in. It was amazing.

I have yet to face a task that duplicates that feeling of sheer terror I had before walking on to the stage but when I do, I know that I will be OK. I’m not scared of the outcome of my performance. If everything turns out great, then I’m all set. If everything turns out terribly, then I will have a great story. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel scared, doubtful, and nauseous when I take on something new, but sheer terror is now a welcomed sign of uncharted territory ready to be conquered.

When I need a little boost of confidence, I recall the night I “sang” in front of 400 people while wearing a giant sombrero and survived.  So there isn’t much I can’t do. Big database… I will query that. Semi complex code…I will debug that. Executive presentation…I got that. Cute boy…I will say hi. New city… I will make friends.

And I won’t even need a sombrero.

I would love to hear similar stories. What experiences do you pull from when you need a little confidence?

by Landaverde

My Personal Motto

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My personal motto is: I WILL figure it out.

This motto perfectly describes how I tackle all aspects of my life.

When I say this phrase, it is not a shaky response at fear of the unknown, but a commitment to learning something new.

In the face of adversity, it is the phrase that takes away all self-doubt and lets me get to work.

It is my way of acknowledging not that I may not know how to do something yet, but I am about to learn something new.

When I joined my current team, I had to figure out how we used every detail of a customer in our auto pricing strategy… I had an IT background.

When I was offered my first post-college job, I had to figure out how to move from Georgia to New Hampshire … I had no money no family outside of Georgia.

When I wanted to go to college, I had to figure out the process on my own… neither of my parents graduated high school.

Because of the many times I have used that motto, I am now armed with plenty of confidence to reach out to anyone and ask just about any question.

Today, I might not know how to do something, but I will not let that stop me from saying yes to a new opportunity because I know I can figure it out. After all, I have done it before.

What is your personal motto?

by Landaverde

Restaurant Week In Portsmouth

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It’s restaurant week in Portsmouth!!! Portsmouth has amazing places to eat and it has become my goal to try them all!

Here is my list of where to go and what to eat!

Cava

Order the paella the moment you sit down. It’s made fresh to order so it takes 45 minutes to be ready. You will also want to try the patatas bravas and the churros. Be aware that Cava is a tapas place so if you are starving or there will be men in your party, order extra or plan on Domino’s in a few hours.

Rudi’s

I would give up my first born for a lifetime supply of Rudi’s French Fries. If two orders of fries does not seem like an acceptable entree, try the Pan Roasted Duck Breast or the Beef Tenderloin. They also have the best sangria in Portsmouth. Trust me… I did my homework.

Brazo 

Fire-Grilled Gaucho Steak. Just order it and thank me later. If you don’t and someone else in your party does, you will have the biggest case of plate envy ever. Just think, huge piece of perfectly cooked steak with a cured duck egg yolk. If that is not what dreams are made of, I don’t know what is.

Surf

My favorite calamari in Portsmouth! The Portuguese Seafood Stew may seem like it has too much going on but it all works so well together. They have recently combined what used to be the main
restaurant and their sushi bar into one. Which means you can also order the Red Dragon Maki.

Louie’s 

Although Louie’s is an Italian restaurant, don’t expect a carb filled experience. There will be no bread basket or a side of pasta with every dish. Don’t let that discourage you. Their cauliflower, stuffed calamari and the duck breast. (The duck is not on their current menu but I hope it comes back…. soon!)

I have recently been told there are other places I must try to better understand the food scene in Portsmouth. In the name of due diligence, I will be going to Mombo, Ristorante Massimo, Anju Noodle Bar and The Black Birch. The last two are technically in Kittery but let’s not get caught up on details, let’s just make reservations!

 

Happy eats! And let me know if you need a dinner buddy!

by Landaverde

Why I Always Wear Black

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If you have never personally met me, you can probably recognize me as the girl wearing all black in the middle of summer. I actually wear black 90% of the time both at the office and in everyday life.

People, my mother in particular, used to ask why I would always wear black when there are so many other options. Also, I am Mexican and have skin that goes pretty well with most colors #naturallyTanSkinForTheWin. I honestly don’t know when the shift happened. I’m pretty sure I used to wear purples and pinks at some point in my life. The more I think about it. I am still not 100% sure. What I do know are the benefits to wearing one color 24/7.

  • When shopping, I can focus on one color group
  • Black is a color that can be formal and casual AT THE SAME TIME – I don’t have to worry too much about feeling over or under dressed in most settings. (life tip: when in doubt, always over dress)
  • Clothing is often seen as a way to express yourself. I’m pretty loud and bold so wearing black clothing is probably a good balance. If I do feel like adding a little extra to an outfit, I have an extensive collection of statement necklaces that help.

Without a doubt the best benefit is: when I wake up in the morning, I can pick out a pair of bottoms and a top and there is a pretty good chance it will go together. It’s almost like having a uniform. I don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about what to wear or stressing about it first thing in the morning. I have actually come across a few articles that a talk about the benefits of narrowing down clothing options or creating a work uniform.

“It was a waste of energy to choose anew what to wear each day”

Why Zuck and other successful men wear the same thing every day

“Decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision making.”

8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day

What are you wearing tomorrow?

 

by Landaverde

MY PORTSMOUTH

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I moved to Portsmouth from Georgia in 2012. Ever since, I have made it a point to discover everything this area has to offer. I am not done but here is a “short” list of my discoveries.

I have carefully curated this list so I hope you all enjoy it!

…But first coffee

Port City Roasters I have a coffee card here so that I don’t have to pay every time I go in.

Aroma Joes  They are just now building one in Portsmouth but there are several around the area. Great iced coffee.

Breaking New Grounds (BNG)  Located in the heart of Portsmouth

Gym

Seacoast Sports Club Four locations in the seacoast. Amenities include a lap pool, indoor tennis court, racquetball court, and a lot of classes

Orange Theory Fitness Their work out kills!

Barre I have tried two great options in the area Barre Logic and Barre and Soul

The Works Health Club  I have actually never been to The Works since it is in Dover, but I hear great things.

Blitz Air Park  Jumping around in an indoor trampoline park definitely counts as exercise

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Social Groups

Catapult Seacoast  Great way to meet other young professionals in the area.

NH Social Sports and Clubs  Great for Rec sports.

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Walk/Trails/Hikes/Beaches

I to walk around Portsmouth several times a week and not just the downtown area. The side streets have pretty gardens and calm streets which create a super serine setting for a walk.

Odiorne Point State Park  I LOVE this place. It is a 10 min drive from downtown Portsmouth. It has a nice trail along the water and a weird stone structure that takes you to the middle of the water.

Urban Forestry Center  I just discovered this last year, and I cannot wait to go a few times this  year. It is a hidden gem off of Lafayette

Wallis Sand  They call this a “beach” in New England

Great Islands Common in New Castle  Great for volleyball and bbqs

Art/music/culture

Prescott Park  This Park has several shows during the summer

  • Movie Monday
  • Musical- Every year they host a musical – it is super legit – I have seen Annie, Shrek and The Little Mermaid
  • Concert at the park

The Music Hall  I have only been once to watch the Cat Film Festival (go ahead and laugh but I had a great time!). The hall is beautiful. They host movies and other special events.

Book and Bar  A library meets a bar – what else can you ask for?

Harbor Tour on the Thomas Laighton or The Heritage  For some history of Portsmouth and the Shipyard – or a trip out to the Isle of Shoals!

Food

What you have been waiting for – This list is going to be super long because there are so many amazing places and food is queen!

Sushi

SHIO . That is it… don’t try to go anywhere else. Just don’t.

Mexican

Locos Cocos  In Kittery, ME has the most legit tacos and burritos. (I am Mexican so you can trust me on this.)

Las Palmas  In Somersworth – Yummy fajitas *sizzle sound*

Vida Cantina  Pork Belly taco + Kale salad are a must

Agave  Good food – amazing atmosphere – my friends and I go here a little too often.

…But hands down the best Mexican food is at my apt.. but service is poor…

Breakfast

The Big Bean  In New Market – I only go if I can make it there before 8:30am – it’s a small place and it gets super busy.

Popovers  Located in the middle of downtown Portsmouth with outside sitting. Great place for a breakfast sandwich, coffee, and people watching.

Sandwiches/Burgers

The Beach Pea  In Kittery, ME should  allow me to open an account. They have yummy breakfast burritos, the sandwiches are to die for and the salads are huge (also lots of pastries)!

Street  Technically not a sandwich shop, but I only order their chicken cemita and curry fries so it is a sandwich shop to me. They have a fun funky-international-menu and cool selection of drinks. AND they will be featured on an episode of Diner Drive ins and Dives *fangirl swoon*

Lexie’s  Great burgers – there is a cool location in Newington that is out of the way but the view is well worth the drive.

BRGR Bar Also great burgers but my favorite part are the sweet potato ricotta tots. They also have adult milkshakes so go for it!

The Decks

Poco’s  I did not include Poco’s in the Mexican section of this post because it does not meet my Mexican food standards #sorryNotSorry – However, they have a nice view of the Piscataqua River and really good Garlic Fries and Buffalo Chicken Nachos

River House  Everything here is delicious. They do have an award winning seafood chowder that you must try.

TAKE-OUT

The Pizza Factory   This was the first place I ever got take-out pizza from so it has a special place in my heart and arteries.

Kim Lai  The definition of Chinese take out

Darleen’s(no site) Classic American sub shop that just added Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches to their menu – all of their subs are above par.

Asian Cuisine

5 Thai Bistro  I love their Seafood Tum Yum soup in the winter

Little Tokyo Saigon  Chinese, Vietnamese and sushi – I like all their phos and vermicelli bowls. Their menu includes pictures which make it super easy to order

Tulsi  If you are not super familiar with Indian food, consider visiting for their Sunday buffet. You get to try a variety of their dishes so you can figure out what you do and do not like

Anju Noodle Bar  Do not pass up on ordering a pork bun or three. One of the best things you’ll ever eat.

Feeling date night fancy? For a fancy restaurant that would be great for a date, visit my Restaurant Week Post

The night life… MORE COMING SOON ON THE AMAZING BARS OF PORTSMOUTH

So that’s it. Go enjoy my home.