Overindulging in the finer things in life has always been one of my greatest downfalls.   I’ve been successful in balancing out this high caloric intake with rigorous physical activity over the years to keep things in check on the outside, but as with many things in life, It’s what’s inside that counts.

Wellbeing has always been one of those essential parts of my lifestyle that more often than not gets neglected due to a busy travel and social schedule, but I always reach a point when I know it’s mandatory and urgent, and often that point feels like hitting a brick wall.

I know, I know…those of you who know the real Gypsy know that I’m not technically applicable for the antiquated style “Fat Camp” where metabolistically challenged adolescents would be sent off to reform their habits and reduce their body mass in a few short weeks at some New England mountain retreat.  To me, yes, it’s only something that I remember seeing on TV growing up, but always feeling a bit of compassion for the campers.

Only a few months ago, while enjoying my last days of my Mexican Luxury All Inclusive 2 Week Splendor, did I remark to a good friend of mine, Ilse, that I’d reached my maximum capacity.  Mind you, this comment was made as I’d finished my second mojito poolside, and the waiter was bringing a cold bottle of champagne, not to mention a tray of food…ok, mostly fish and guacamole, so that’s healthy, right?

Just as the metal rings on the side of my tiny Colombian designer bikini were starting to create love handles, I felt the need to explain to Ilse the concept of Fat Camp.  Miraculously, she had actually heard of it as well from television programs in childhood.

Now, as I head up to the capital of New England…Boston, on a flight, I can only reminisce of those weight loss TV programs…long before MTV made it cool by the documentary MADE.

Yes, right now, seated in my first class seat, there’s a solid 3 inches to spare on either side of me, between my hip and the arm rests, but needless to say, I feel like I’ve been on a 6 month long campaign to become the adopted, “Blonde Kardashian Sister”.  This was no easy feat, eating and drinking my way through Spain, France, Italy, then weeks of Mexico’s best luxury resorts…not to mention a few months of touring US cities and exploring their culinary and alcoholic treasures.  All the while, having an injured back from carrying suitcases that the airlines refer to as “Excessive Baggage”.

I’ve reached that point where jumping into your jeans to get them closed is no longer a laughing matter; yet, I refuse to go up a size.

With that being said…I’m making the promise to myself to get back into shape!!!  I’ve arrived in New England, the land of the 80’s Fat Camp, so will join the club and submit my semi “Kardashian” worthy ass to the controls of my trainer friend.  Ok, ok, so my personal Fat Camp won’t exist solely during my stay in Boston, but I’m now equipped with the goods to take my fitness on the road and adapt this Fat Camp to my traveling lifestyle.

Thanks to the work of Body By Becky I now have 2 yoga inspired, energy  building workouts created perfectly for my on the go lifestyle that I can do easily in a hotel room or any small open space.  Perfect individually for short breaks in my busy schedule or combined for an intense toning  session.

Stay tuned for updates, tips and improvements, via “Sweatin The Small Stuff “of my return to fitness while not sacrificing along my journey.

Loves to Becky Schaller for making this possible!!!

Check out her amazing workouts and much more about her training and fitness modeling career at www.BeckySchaller.com and be sure to give her a shout out for any workout needs when you’re in the LA area.

As August rolls around I always find myself packing up my bags to head back to the US for a couple of months of travel.  By the middle of the month, the face of Barcelona has transformed from an eclectic mix of “casual chic meets bohemian” year round resident to pure tourist, often sporting hip packs!  This is my warning sign that it’s time to Get Out Of Town!

Knowing that not everybody can just jump continents for a few months, I’ve put together a few escapes that are easy drives or train rides away, the perfect dosages of travel excursions to maintain your sanity when surrounded by a city now dominated by umbrella carrying tour guides and their flocks.

1 Day Escape – La Roca Village Shopping Spree

For me, there’s almost no problem in the world that can not be solved or at least significantly masked over by a great day of shopping!

My first visit to La Roca was earlier in the summer and I was in heaven.  This open air “chic outlet” shopping center was set in the rolling hills of the Catalunya countryside and offered more the relaxing feel of a tiny village as opposed to the expected hustle and bustle of a shopping mall.

Much to my surprise, La Roca carried nearly all of my favorite boutiques where I shop in the city, Sandro, Sita Murt, Maje, Hoss Intropia and Bimba & Lola, so I’ve truly found my place to be!

Another key part of my experience were the culinary and beverage options.  For years, I’ve enjoyed a great day of shopping paired with a fantastic lunch or dinner out, as a way to rest my weary arms from the weight of the shopping bags and recharge for another round of retail therapy.  I tried a breakfast of a tortilla espanola with chorizo from Spanish Michelin Star Chef Jordi Vila’s Ohyeah!  garden setting food kiosk, which was to die for!    Later, when my arms were about to fall off from carrying around my purchases, I enjoyed a late lunch at Pasarela, La Roca’s more formal restaurant, where the salmon entrée is not to be missed and be sure to enjoy a few glasses of wine from their ample wine list.

If it work’s for your schedule, plan your day trip to La Roca on a Friday and after all of the shopping and dining, enjoy their Chic Sunset cocktails on the Demasie  terrace, while listing to the chill dj music being spun and taking in the view of the landscape.

When you’re ready to head back to life in Barcelona, you just hop onto one of their Barcelona Shopping Express busses that bring you directly back to the city center off of Plaza Catalunya or for more of a VIP transportation a chauffeured car service can be arranged.

All in all, if you’re in the need of a brief escape from the urban jungle, desiring a touch of luxury and wanting to update your wardrobe a bit, head out to La Roca Village for a day.  Enjoy the fresh air, sun, shops and dining experiences and let your stress melt away!

Of all my travels around the world and romantic encounters that I’ve experienced in each place over the past year, I can say that my most significant crush was one who I came across in my home city of Washington, DC, basically one year ago.

There’s the old saying that “love happens when you’re least expecting” and by no means do I call this love but this interest or crush developed exactly when I was least expecting it.

We met and began a friendship that I never expected or even hoped to turn into anything more, as I was moving to Spain in a couple of months, and I was determined to not be involved with anyone in DC to hold me back.  With each time we got together, it felt every so slightly more than friendship, closing down my favorite restaurant, Pearl Dive, and enjoying our conversation for hours, yet neither of us ever making a move.

So as I was preparing to pack up my belongings and ship them across the ocean I started to wonder if there could be something more with this friend, and actually began to be attracted to him just thinking of the possibilities.  Yet being a bit realistic in relationships, I would always dismiss these thoughts as the reality was that I was moving to Barcelona in less than a month, and who knows, he could just be a really easy to get along with person.

If you’re a regular reader of Jetsetter Gypsy, I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you to know that I’d done nothing to truly show my interest beyond friendship, as I’m a mix of oblivious and old fashioned when it comes to sensing a guy’s interest.  Of course with there being no clarity on this situation and only a few days left to go in The States, I decide after many vodka sodas on a crazy night out at the club Opera to make my move, or at least be the most direct as I possibly could.

While on the dance floor partially dancing in our group of friends then at times breaking off with one gorgeous guy who had made his way across the room, there began to be an occasional and ever so subtle cutting in of my friend.  This could absolutely be seen as one friend looking out for another, but at that point, I had enough liquid confidence to clarify this situation once and for all.  So, after the third attempt of cutting in, I stepped away from the hot stranger and looked my friend in the eyes and stated quite forcefully “If you don’t want me dancing with him, then do something about it!”  Immediately he took my hand and guided me to the other side of the dance floor, where we danced for a while just us until it was time to head out.  I thought that was my answer that I needed, but really, it was just a tease of some sort, or maybe just a drunken misunderstanding under the loud music of the dance floor, as nothing, Absolutely Nothing! happened later.  STRIKE ONE!

So, I left Washington, DC a few days later, traveling through Europe, having crazy adventures around every corner, but also still thinking of my friend and still interested, although trying all the while not to be.

A few days prior to returning to DC for the holidays, having already made plans to get together and catch up with this friend, I decided that I had to come clean.  Having just gone through the devastating loss of a dear friend, one who always wore her heart on her sleeve, I had to do it for her.

As we met for dinner one evening at Zentan, my thoughts were a bit scattered as to how I could suggest my interest in something more, yet not ruin the friendship.  My mind at that moment was also slightly occupied with the conversation I had minutes prior to walking out the door, with a certain friend / love interest half way around the world, probably the only one left who I had not cut ties with.  In the end, I did not have my game face on and I could only hear the voice of my one girlfriend who recommended against my saying anything, due to a bit of an insider position she held.  The dinner was great time spent together as always, and in the end, we left as friends. Nothing said, nothing hinted, nothing more!  STRIKE TWO!

By the time April came around and I was back in town for a couple of weeks visiting family and friends, the interest still existed, but the time in between and the others who I had met along the way did take a toll on my focus.  It was more back to the hang out as friends mentality, even when going out just us and having a fantastic time together at Graffiato, I just couldn’t bring myself to making any waves.  Were there possible feelings still there, of course on my end, and I would have been willing to explore other options had they been presented, but no move was made and the friendship status was sealed.  STRIKE THREE!  I’M OUT!

Now as it’s August, and I’m heading back to DC in a couple of weeks, I’m finally in a position where I can write about this “could have been romance” in an omniscient perspective.

My one logo in life is that “everything happens for a reason”, so I believe that we’re meant to be friends, and I’m cool with that, as that’s all I was expecting from the beginning.  After all, good, fun friends in adult life are hard to come by.

One thing I can guarantee to accomplish by writing this article, is that it will put a smile on the faces of my parents and their minds at ease that Yes, there is a chance that I could have interest in American guys after all…and not just international ones.

After passing this years Spring Break holiday in Los Cabos, I was once again reminded of the Spring Breaks of my college days and the hedonism and debauchery that goes along with this utopian week.

In many ways, nothing had changed with this scene.  Although I was not hitting up the same bars and clubs where the majority of the spring breakers frequented, our paths did cross a few times throughout my stay and most noticeably at Nikki Beach Club.

The 2012 Spring Break game is the pretty much the same as it was 10 years ago, however the playing field has completely changed in the form of the competition’s surgical enhancements.  No longer would my 2 week diet and cardio plan hold up against these silicone sculpted figures in bikinis.

I’m certainly not one to rush out to get cosmetic surgery of any type just to feel adequate amongst these others, but I recognized the need for an intense workout plan to prepare myself, even if it was only to reject the offers of way too young college guys trying to hook up.

Goal accomplished with the help of friend and trainer Pat Hazlewood, owner of Boost Camp DC.  Pat’s 20 minute circuit training workout using my own body weight and fitness bands as resistance (3 sets of 10 reps for each exercize) was the perfect addition to my regular cardio to shape up in the month prior to Spring Break.  The best thing of this workout is that no gym is required, so it’s completely doable with a traveling lifestyle of my own!

Stay tuned for other travel fitness dilemas and how I solve them with the help of my Boost Camp DC friends at Sweatin’ The Small Stuff.

Check out Boost Camp DC for amazing outdoor fitness programs as well as nutrition and wellness tips for an overall 360 healthy lifestyle.  Don’t be shy…enroll in one of Pat’s boot camps if you’re visiting Washington, DC and want to maintain or improve your fitness during your stay.