I’ve been back from my trip to Lodi, California with California Almonds  few days now and have had a chance to reflect on what an incredible experience it was. It was refreshing to see how a large organization in the food/agriculture industry has taken huge steps to promote green initiatives and nutrition research. Although the point of the trip was to learn about almonds, I also feel incredibly inspired after spending time with so many smart, talented and ambitious dietitians. Thank you to the lovely team at the Almond Board of California for planning such an incredible experience and inviting me to be a part of it!

After a not so pleasant flight experience (the only part of the trip that wasn’t absolutely fabulous!), I finally made it out to Wine & Roses Hotel and Spa in Lodi, California. Although I hadn’t heard of Lodi before the trip, it’s a major wine growing area in California, and they actually grow the grapes for many Napa/Sonoma County wines. The hotel grounds were absolutely gorgeous as was my room, perfect for a romantic weekend getaway or, you know, dietitian blogger slumber party.

My flights were delayed (yes, all of them), so I missed the culinary demonstration with almond-inspired recipes, but I made it out just in time for a beautiful and healthy dinner outside on the hotel pavilion. My dear friend Meme saved me a spot at the table with my Blog Brulee friends McKenzie of NourishRDs and Kylie of Imma Eat That as well as my former online friends/now real life friends Alex of Delicious Knowledge and Emily of Zen and Spice. I also got to meet Megan (aka Healthy Grocery Girl) and Abbey from Abbey’s Kitchen, two dietitians whose work I’ve long admired. We spent the night chatting about nutrition, our careers, and dietetics as a profession. It felt so good to be around RDs with such similar philosophies!