Hi, I'm Larissa
Hello! Thanks for stopping by to check out my blog. I am an elementary school music teacher in Northern Virginia who tries to find balance between living a fit life and enjoying life’s many tempting pleasures.
The "Mrs." part
I am married to an amazing man who also happens to be an elementary school teacher (no, that’s not how we met …) by day and creator of deliciousness by night. He is an amazing cook (his creative outlet) and you should look forward to seeing a few guest posts from him. He spoils me rotten. We both swiped “right” a few years back (yey, Tinder!) and the rest is history. We love taking advantage of our summers off and traveling, enjoying good food and wine, and going on many adventures. Oh, and drinking good wine. And whisky. Life is good with this man. Very good.
THE Musician
I grew up in a diplomatic household and had the amazing experience of spending most of my childhood living overseas, living in Germany, Russia, and Poland. Classical music was a huge part of the culture in all of these countries and really shaped my love for music and classical piano specifically. I got pretty good at it. My 18-year old self aspired to be a classical concert pianist so I went off to school for it (Oberlin College, The Moscow Conservatory, The Chopin Academy) until I realized the lifestyle wasn’t for me. So I got into teaching and absolutely loved it. I still perform on the side, but I do it for ME, to share my love of music with family and friends. A more pleasurable experience to share my passion for classical music rather than have it has my career.
The "Iron yogini" part
I got into athletics as an adult. I was definitely your introverted music geek growing up and showed very little interest in sports. So when I moved to Virginia in 2003 and somehow got talked into running the Marine Corps Marathon, I was definitely very much a beginner. No long distance running experience whatsoever. But I was hooked. And soon ran more, improving my time and even qualifying for Boston. It was my outlet, my therapy. I then got into triathlon and set a goal to complete an Ironman before turning 30. Which I did. At 29. I then got into yoga, seeking a way to balance the endurance sport lifestyle and just to find “balance” in my life overall. I completed my Yoga Teacher Training in Holistic Yoga with the intention to teach but really to deepen my practice. The teaching hasn’t happened … yet. Then along came by bodybuilding phase where I got into competing in figure competitions. I did pretty well in those, too, placing top 5 in most of my shows. But competing is definitely just seasonal. Maintaining that figure with the necessary dieting is unrealistic. And I enjoy food and wine way too much! In 2019 I think I found my new “thing”: obstacle course racing. Spartan racing, specifically. I absolutely fell in love with it and completed my first trifecta. I see many more in my future, with the goal of less burpees! But for now, I enjoy going to the gym 4-5 days a week to feel good. I’m constantly working on letting go of my obsession and seeking more balance.
