tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64203676113736262682023-11-16T05:14:13.537-08:00Life is SweetUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-42263028270101751302017-01-05T11:33:00.000-08:002017-01-05T11:33:37.428-08:0019th Street Yearbook: Class of 2017.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLf1PYYjbj7-JGWKCtIWjfIjuIj4ybSMxifcELQ5sBjAToIbgY5SaL39t3dIso9jBHJvkiTHRJ-dxgraI2RO24l5DqVvdIL3jRS1KaBiQcTp6QE_Da9hqYT-ziQYg1lA3YlOEPgo1KDl4/s1600/543192_4730995075741_1703020620_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLf1PYYjbj7-JGWKCtIWjfIjuIj4ybSMxifcELQ5sBjAToIbgY5SaL39t3dIso9jBHJvkiTHRJ-dxgraI2RO24l5DqVvdIL3jRS1KaBiQcTp6QE_Da9hqYT-ziQYg1lA3YlOEPgo1KDl4/s320/543192_4730995075741_1703020620_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Oliver and I move into our new apartment next week, which is exciting and fun and we're scrambling to keep up with all of the things that need to be packed and purchased.<br />
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This will be the first time that I've ever lived without roommates, and that's both exciting and also a little nerve wrecking to me. I'm <b>really </b>excited to have my own space to walk around (<i>case in point: I can go into the kitchen in a bathrobe/wearing a face mask/without pants without feeling weird until Oliver is like, "why is your face covered in mud and also did you know the neighbors can see that you're not wearing pants??</i>), BUT- it'll be weird coming home on days when he's at the gym or something and I know that my roommates' girlfriends won't walk in and let me talk <strike>at</strike> to them for an hour.<br />
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In prepping and packing, I can't help but to look around at the house that I've lived in for the past 4 years. It feels like it's been a lifetime since the day Audrey, Rachael, and I moved into our little "Beach Bungalow," and a lot of amazing things have happened there. I find it fitting that our move-out date is the start of a new year, and that I was there for kind of a 4-year life-education. I've been stupid lucky with the roommates I lived with there, and every single one of them left me with some great memories.<br />
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And so, because I'm feeling sentimental and because this is my blog and I can make it into a memory board if I want, here are a few signatures for my 19th Street Yearbook.<br />
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<b>Audrey</b> -- I am SO glad that you moved into that house with me 4 years ago. I didn't even know you <i>at all</i> before we moved in, and now I consider you one of my closest friends. We have plenty of stories that are too crazy to be put into writing here, BUT I hope you know how grateful I am for you every single day. I have such a huge level of admiration for the fact that you packed up everything and moved to Spain, and took such a brave and adventurous risk. I'm even more glad that you're back now, and that your growing family moved in next door. Being able to be so close while you're experiencing newfound motherhood has been so inspiring, and I am honestly dumbfounded with how you are floating through every minute of it. <strike>I secretly think you might be a robot</strike>. I am taking notes so that one day, when I have my own kids, I can handle it with even an ounce of the grace that you demonstrate every single day.<br />
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<b>Rachael </b>-- Where do I even start? We knew each other for a few years before we were roommates, but I never knew how completely amazing you were until I got to know you in such a close proximity basis. You are fun and exciting and the happiest person I know, but you're also SO kind and caring and have an insane amount of love to give. I've never met anyone who balanced their life so well. Of course I've missed you terribly while you've been traveling the world these past few years. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't living vicariously through your Instagram feed! Every time you've come home from Spain or Korea or Italy, I've hoped that you'll stay and we can drink too much red wine and talk about life. But seeing how happy you are in New Zealand has me hoping that you stay there and continue to have the adventures that we're all tuned in to watch. I'm so proud to call you my friend, and I hope that I can come visit soon!<br />
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<b>Denis </b>-- My first boy roommate! You were so much fun to live with, and I miss coming home to hear you singing Ellie Goulding in your room when you thought no one heard you (seriously, though, for you having such a deep voice... <i>nailed it!</i>). It was really inspiring to see your relationship with Brittany, and how smitten you two were with each other. I was sad when she had to move away, but the fact that you got transferred to NorCal and made it work was seriously like a romantic movie plot. Thank you for trying to explain sports and Bit Coins to me so many times, and I'm sorry that I was never able to wrap my head around either one!<br />
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<b>Kara </b>-- This one is tough because of how everything ended up, and how much I want to be sensitive to the things that happened. Crummy things were said and done that can't really be taken back, but amazing things were also said and done, and that can't be taken back either. To focus on the latter- I'm grateful that you were such a flawless roommate to me for 2 years. After you left, I realized how much you did around the house (which, quite frankly, I think every person hopes their roommates will come to find!). There is a lot that I admire about your intelligence, passion, and your love & enthusiasm for the people you care about. I think we're both in really good places right now so even though things got complicated at the end, it seems to have all played out the way it needed to.<br />
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<b>Stephen </b>-- You are easily one of my favorite people on Earth. I'm sorry for trying to get your family to adopt me every time they came to visit. I know that you understand how incredible they are and how lucky you all are to have each other. I'm also sorry that I was so bossy with you whenever you were struggling with any personal stuff... I just cared so much about you and my way of showing it sometimes was to try to help you "fix" the things that were making you sad. Your intelligence blows me away, and that Carroll, Iowa mentality where every one should be kind to one another is something that I hope rubs off on all of us bratty Orange County kids. Thanks for making Halloween ornaments into Christmas ornaments with me, turning our concrete slab yard into an incredible garden, and for feeding me the best twice-baked potatoes known to man.<br />
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<b>Jon & Tabitha</b> -- I'm including you both here because you're <i>both </i>basically my roommates. Jon, I've known you more than half of my life and I have never seen you as happy as you are with Tabitha. And Tabby, you're so sweet and friendly, and it's been so much fun having you warming up our home with your bubbly personality. You guys have such an amazing adventure ahead, now that you're engaged. Jon, you are one of the only people from my youth that I've stayed close with, and it means so much to me that we're still friends. You're one of the few people I know who will always make an effort to be a part of my birthdays, get-togethers, and random hot yoga classes- because your friendships are truly important to you and I have a lot of respect for the way that you prioritize them. It's been a lot of fun getting to share a house and laugh at random internet memes with you over this past year.<br />
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<b>Mike & Emily </b>-- Last on this list but first at EVERYTHING, EVER. I am so grateful to have had you two living with us. Your energy, sense of adventure, and fun-filled attitudes have been infectious, and it's been amazing. I'm always so excited when we get to hang out, and have loved all of our uber-competitive game nights. Thank you for keeping Oliver and me from being so introverted all of the time, and for always having such upbeat attitudes. It's been inspiring to see how much you two connect and motivate one another through tough days at work, keeping your bodies healthy, and celebrating each other's accomplishments. One of these days I'll go to one of your crazy spin classes with you!! Love, love, love you guys more than you know.<br />
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So that's it. These people have been my biggest inspirations and most tolerant-of-my-craziness roommates for the past four years. I'm sorry that I hogged the TV so much, "accidentally" ate your bananas out of the fruit bowl, and offered you unsolicited advice. I hope that you had even a <i>fraction </i>of how much fun that I had living with you. Thanks for helping me to grow, be more tidy, and learn not to sweat the small stuff just a little bit more.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-70722562523751127732016-11-02T13:58:00.002-07:002016-11-02T14:09:24.031-07:00Wanderlust Series Part Three: Aguas Calientes & Machu Picchu<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
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Hello again! In this section of the Wanderlust Series, I’ll
discuss my experiences and what I learned about travelling to Machu Picchu.
Since we had 2 weeks to see a few spots in Peru and another in Colombia, we
opted to take the train there. I’d love to say that we hiked the Inca Trail,
and most people go that route if they are able, but we just didn’t have the
time.<br />
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<b>Getting to Aguas Calientes (And Feeling Great When You
Arrive!)</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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First and foremost, I can’t emphasize enough how important
it is to get acclimated to the elevation in Peru. I saw this warning everywhere
I looked while researching for our trip. The elevation in Cusco is over 11,000
feet, which is enough to leave you more than just breathless at its splendor.
If you don’t acclimate yourself (i.e. get physically used to the elevation),
you can get altitude sickness which is no joke and will ruin that segment of
your trip. What we did, and what worked perfectly for us, was to fly into Cusco
and then immediately hop in a taxi to take us to Aguas Calientes. Aguas
Calientes is the town at the base of Machu Picchu and sits at just under 7,000
feet elevation. Coming from sea level, as we did, this was still a jump from
what we were used to, but not enough to really have any negative effects on us.
Some people stay in Ollantaytambo, which sits at 9000 feet, but we felt that we
were willing to spend a little more on our hotel to ensure that we didn’t get
sick. We also wanted to get up and go straight to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes, rather than taking a 6am train to the Ollantaytambo bus station.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We flew into Cusco and hired a taxi from inside the airport,
as per the general warning. During certain times of the year, you can take a
train directly from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, but we had to board in
Ollantaytambo which meant hiring a driver for the 2 hour drive to the train
station there. I want to say that cost us around $50 USD, and the taxi driver actually
took US currency which was nice since we had some on hand. <br />
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As with many other places, the taxi driver we had would
rather have a sure fare than not, so he offered to pick us back up from
Ollantaytambo upon our return for a fraction of the cost for the ride there.
So, that was nice. We picked up our tickets for the train and grabbed a bite to
eat at the station while we waited. There was actually a pretty great little
café in there so we had some Coca Tea and a sandwich- which was basically the
first actual meal we had in Peru.</div>
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<b>A word on Coca Tea. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>It’s awesome. It’s not
Cocaine, so don’t get all freaked out that you’re going to start feeling
spastic. It’s like a stronger version of Black Tea, and it really does settle
your stomach and help with headaches or any other signs of Altitude Sickness.
I’m a coffee drinker, but Oliver and I both stuck with Coca Tea throughout our
trip and we felt like it really made a difference. Plus it tasted pretty dang
good… think an earthier version of green tea. </i><i>It should also be
noted that it’s quite easy to find altitude sickness medicine at any market in
Peru, so if you DO get sick, you can remedy it quickly.</i></div>
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The train ride from Ollantaytambo into Aguas Calientes is
GORGEOUS and takes about 1 ½ hours. You’ll want to purchase your train tickets
prior to your trip, and buy them either through <a href="http://www.perurail.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Peru Rail</span></a> (which we did) or <a href="http://www.incarail.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Inca Rail</span></a>, depending on your starting
point. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the train to Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
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We had some concerns about the luggage policy on the train,
since Peru Rail doesn’t list baggage weight limits aside from carry-on luggage
(which must be under 11 lbs.). If you’re only spending the day in Machu Picchu,
that 11 lbs. is no big deal. However, we had our luggage for our entire
two-week trip which was around 50 lbs. apiece. I’m happy to report that they
weren’t very strict on baggage weight when we went, so I wouldn’t worry too
much about it.</div>
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<b>Staying in Aguas Calientes – Our Experience</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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There are a lot of places to stay in Aguas Calientes, but I
can’t really speak to any of them except for the one we stayed at. But I will
say that we were totally blown away by our hotel room at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g304036-d7394397-Reviews-Hotel_Ferre_Machu_Picchu-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html"><span style="color: blue;">Hotel
Ferre Machu Picchu</span></a>. The price was excellent, and it was right on the river.
The picture below shows my feet hanging out of our bedroom window, for reference. We even ended up closing our window most of the time because the
river was pretty loud outside of our room. It was totally walkable to
everything we wanted to do, too. We walked there from the train station, and it
was far enough from the main area of town to be secluded but close enough to it
to grab something to eat without walking too far.<br />
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As we wandered through the town, we noticed that some of the
hotels were near the river (by us), and others were really in the heart of the
town. I would imagine that those places can be kind of noisy, and the view
can’t be that great if you’re just looking at another building. All in all, we
were really pleased with the place we chose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What To Do With An Extra Day In Aguas Calientes</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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In order to make sure we were acclimated before we went to
Machu Picchu, we spent an extra day in Aguas Calientes to be safe. So the day
after we arrived, we did the hike to Mandor Gardens. I was also told that the
Hot Springs in A.C. are awesome, but Oliver and I aren’t really into the idea
of sitting in a hot body of water with strangers. The hike to Mandor Gardens
took about an hour, in which you basically follow the railroad tracks out of
the town (the opposite direction from which we arrived). There are a couple of
sketchy parts where you have to go through a dark tunnel, and you should know
that trains DO still travel along the tracks, but you can hear them coming from
a little ways away. All the same- be careful in those tunnels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWMuFm56ZkmcoAsq9zAu-mBDMLeoyBkfSPp4YzTwIlUe6A8KXXgOjYbL9hYpcKH2Faa3TVbmA690cKI79tw3W2aN5Pp7ujie8mUBlk-fJW0yQZF_a7Hdktsok1DUxu24U20VlIN2_Fnk/s1600/13043698_10208970894692509_7100189486476313276_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWMuFm56ZkmcoAsq9zAu-mBDMLeoyBkfSPp4YzTwIlUe6A8KXXgOjYbL9hYpcKH2Faa3TVbmA690cKI79tw3W2aN5Pp7ujie8mUBlk-fJW0yQZF_a7Hdktsok1DUxu24U20VlIN2_Fnk/s400/13043698_10208970894692509_7100189486476313276_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also discovered that you can walk along a dirt road
where the buses come from Machu Picchu, as long as you stay to the right after the
bridge to M.P. After you pass the campgrounds and a butterfly park you can veer up a small road to the right. If you get to what looks (and smells) like the city dump,
you’re on the right path. You’ll see the railroad tracks in front of the dump
so you should be able to keep walking along them without running into any
tunnels, and once you get to a huge intersection of multiple tracks crossing
just keep going dead straight and the sign for Mandor Gardens is maybe 100
yards past that crossing. We came back to town via the dirt road route and felt
a LOT safer skipping out on the tunnels. We had asked our hotel for help
finding the gardens and they gave us a map that made it look like the landmarks
to follow were super close together but they really aren’t as close as they
appeared in the map. As I said- the whole thing took us about an hour (one
way). The park is s/10 per person, and has a bathroom which is really nice
after a long walk like that!!<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ0Uu1ccJJkfHOxgdG3Ig4IueJ2FlXe2k8jpAj-MjjAy3HaFh6VHu_GWt9ALVDoqeexhjW6IdNzy5j5B2sIhPJUSkKd2c78sW5Z3R056LSqRzyfaxTBgHvPfxDYBomR3j2diqe0Ent68/s1600/13055290_10208971047016317_4514842651167953712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ0Uu1ccJJkfHOxgdG3Ig4IueJ2FlXe2k8jpAj-MjjAy3HaFh6VHu_GWt9ALVDoqeexhjW6IdNzy5j5B2sIhPJUSkKd2c78sW5Z3R056LSqRzyfaxTBgHvPfxDYBomR3j2diqe0Ent68/s400/13055290_10208971047016317_4514842651167953712_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandor Gardens</td></tr>
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<b>Getting Ready for Machu Picchu</b></div>
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As I mentioned in Part One of the Wanderlust Series, you’ll
want to have purchased your tickets to Machu Picchu well in advance. We were
able to purchase our bus tickets up the mountain the day before we went. This
can be done by heading to the booth near the bus stop and buying your tickets
there. You’ll want to make sure you have your passport with you since the rates
differ for locals vs. tourists. You’ll also want to make sure that you buy a
sack lunch the day before you go. We got some amazing boxed lunches from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304036-d3488664-Reviews-La_Boulangerie_de_Paris-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">LaBoulangerie de Paris</span></a>, which you order and pay for the day before and then pick
up as early as 5am the next morning. This was perfect since we assumed that
we’d have to buy food and then store it somewhere until our early morning bus
trip, but instead had fresh food waiting for us in the morning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Where To Eat in Aguas Calientes</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Our absolute favorite place in A.C. was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304036-d1070035-Reviews-El_Indio_Feliz_Restaurant_Bistro-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">El Indio Feliz</span></a>. The
food was amazing and the décor really gave it a fun atmosphere. We wanted to go
to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304036-d1483621-Reviews-The_Tree_House-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html" target="_blank">The Tree House</a> for dinner one night, but it was closed for renovations. We
also really liked <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304036-d2424851-Reviews-Cafe_Inkaterra-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Café Inkaterra</span></a>, but it was a little pricier than we’d have
preferred. We ate pizza at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304036-d2271525-Reviews-Inka_Wasi_Restaurant_and_Pizzeria-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Inka Wasi Restaurant and Pizzeria</span></a> and Oliver thinks
he got food poisoning there, but in fairness it also might have been altitude
sickness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Bug & Sun Protection</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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It should be noted that both sunscreen and bug spray
are pretty important the whole time you’re in Peru. We went in April and the
sun was beating down pretty hard at times. And I made a HUGE mistake by not
putting bug spray on my ankles while we were there and ended up with some kind
of super-insect bug bites that stayed with me for almost a month afterward.
We were there during the whole Zika scare, so it was also critical to us that we avoided all bug bites. I ordered <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Natrapel-12-Hour-Mosquito-Repellent-Continuos/dp/B002SP75D0" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Natrapel</span> </a>off the internet and wherever I sprayed it- I was fine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHmUWVLE3oZvEa3Q-CHCRpnGVXswYMF6NZ3B_FMAYRsV3t8rPXC2dN_ccjShkyG5_2Cyr605KiTkgCb59rO7avC0qehhffqZsGvijDSmq1pKBpyldEVkjetu0HpNwKHGHDYVzaVs4OqU/s1600/13076576_10209052116523004_8256499284125558558_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHmUWVLE3oZvEa3Q-CHCRpnGVXswYMF6NZ3B_FMAYRsV3t8rPXC2dN_ccjShkyG5_2Cyr605KiTkgCb59rO7avC0qehhffqZsGvijDSmq1pKBpyldEVkjetu0HpNwKHGHDYVzaVs4OqU/s320/13076576_10209052116523004_8256499284125558558_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Machu Picchu</b><br />
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You can find lots of tips for Machu Picchu on more knowledgeable websites, but here were some tidbits of info that I found helpful:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The bus to Machu Picchu drops you off at the gate, where there are bathrooms. There are NO bathrooms inside of the park, so you'll really want to try and go upon arrival. </li>
<li>We were running behind when we got there, so we figured we wouldn't really need to hire a guide. This was a big mistake. After hiring a guide for Saksaywaman in Cusco- we realized that learning all of the amazing facts about these ruins was really awesome. I highly suggest hiring someone to show you all of the details you'd otherwise miss.</li>
<li>I was really worried (because I am clearly an over-planner) that my running shoes weren't sufficient for the hike up Wayna Picchu. I ended up being totally fine. I do suggest dressing in layers, though, since it can go from hot to cold (and vice versa) fairly quickly. I also recommend bringing a rain coat or parka.</li>
<li>Speaking of Wayna Picchu- this hike was amazing. There were really great views from the top, but several great vantage points during the descent back down as well. It was overcast and slightly raining when we started our hike, which ended up being a blessing in disguise because it kept us cool during what was a pretty strenuous hike. Wayna Picchu is almost ALL stairs, which was tough, and left me with Jelly Legs for about 2 days afterward. BUT the hike looks much harder than it actually is, and you'll feel like a bad ass showing people pictures of the GIANT mountain behind Machu Picchu that you hiked all the way up. For reference- I am in "okay" shape, and don't go to the gym more than once or twice per week. I struggled, but was fine. </li>
<li>I will add some images below, with descriptions so that you can have more of a visual idea of our trip up to Machu Picchu. Next up- I'll post some details about our time in Cusco, Peru!</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3XC1y6P8ykwcShggq5I4uGMba2zsZ0ilZKYLX_QlBtjusvNrit8a8tnoPW1OfidsNCDrgfnsxHLb0wuNEyP9PqmXKBKvwR721F_2J3gQteSQz2qsp9zTgrOxR8YGW-AFy-PXAexCgnw/s1600/13015621_10208978516723055_5040375861641659735_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3XC1y6P8ykwcShggq5I4uGMba2zsZ0ilZKYLX_QlBtjusvNrit8a8tnoPW1OfidsNCDrgfnsxHLb0wuNEyP9PqmXKBKvwR721F_2J3gQteSQz2qsp9zTgrOxR8YGW-AFy-PXAexCgnw/s400/13015621_10208978516723055_5040375861641659735_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Llamas are friendly (and hungry!)<br />
We had fun feeding them.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjef62OqMpGVXKJN6VMmALYqZGTFNGD8pv3gBw7ifd7F6T17rulqv_uhmuhQ1n7m1y7R3gqCECOz8YLvFNmZO4gulhs1sARfRBtnupGCGK6MCF-2ujKsYntUGoNYASV9X5nUN2yfb7zo3M/s1600/13006509_10208978585764781_4640335997699409031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjef62OqMpGVXKJN6VMmALYqZGTFNGD8pv3gBw7ifd7F6T17rulqv_uhmuhQ1n7m1y7R3gqCECOz8YLvFNmZO4gulhs1sARfRBtnupGCGK6MCF-2ujKsYntUGoNYASV9X5nUN2yfb7zo3M/s320/13006509_10208978585764781_4640335997699409031_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewpoint from the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jhAEo4BfOXOZf5tYaRFH9PQyf4eTOSYM6CYriynYkrsRkBYCN6y0IQrIM78ghpi53kbg4ZAVgPlkdaIvOASTOWmgJMQtfBO874nJrlX_VmnHWHD3AslzUt-YrD8GmXmDTNDFHJgk7vc/s1600/13007312_10208978533163466_6826715256446364066_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jhAEo4BfOXOZf5tYaRFH9PQyf4eTOSYM6CYriynYkrsRkBYCN6y0IQrIM78ghpi53kbg4ZAVgPlkdaIvOASTOWmgJMQtfBO874nJrlX_VmnHWHD3AslzUt-YrD8GmXmDTNDFHJgk7vc/s320/13007312_10208978533163466_6826715256446364066_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The HUGE mountain right behind Machu PIcchu is Wayna Picchu.<br />
It looks a lot gnarlier than it is, leaving you to look & feel like a total champ!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTTel2h4uZdTN0PPX_F3zX3yz3F0LR3Fok3g5pAlnwa1tdd3Y7ZWko6SsodU2L3Un54Yv2MN4CJpmpwcn5QHFF-rhAhCXhUitdGwvgjai8mk78qL4ZDm0txGhBcHslxTsxRDJBhyphenhyphenkOyc/s320/13015519_10208978394479999_2062182681198481207_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of Wayna Picchu. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpZVzgAFy1KkR-btqj3kDcvh6JLxcULmGrZBgZrZfh0-BHR8uL0Y2OmIwPHGnf2LlufSGoGWZwUxHT672Iu8AF-OCKsaeP-4BuW7QPGXoYhKgJ4TScCRxd_wxD6NIMtc1TtiZj2YfEkk/s1600/13055349_10208978380239643_5162119518799912141_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpZVzgAFy1KkR-btqj3kDcvh6JLxcULmGrZBgZrZfh0-BHR8uL0Y2OmIwPHGnf2LlufSGoGWZwUxHT672Iu8AF-OCKsaeP-4BuW7QPGXoYhKgJ4TScCRxd_wxD6NIMtc1TtiZj2YfEkk/s320/13055349_10208978380239643_5162119518799912141_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steepest stairs on the hike up Wayna Picchu. <br />
Don't worry- there are plenty of holding rails like this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdrtQ88ZCpqRu1qzQx4CpoKOsd8EbJoe-odWRefRZy3uCgKi7tekia6ROOI1R5qbfnsGu-wRTmbT7VNYEeqPiFhbEphMiYwYNaYM40YrQVnSLpXkF6yj9eEifUy1ThwM5_YoaMvE9LWE/s1600/12985470_10208978448121340_8511983166100833709_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdrtQ88ZCpqRu1qzQx4CpoKOsd8EbJoe-odWRefRZy3uCgKi7tekia6ROOI1R5qbfnsGu-wRTmbT7VNYEeqPiFhbEphMiYwYNaYM40YrQVnSLpXkF6yj9eEifUy1ThwM5_YoaMvE9LWE/s320/12985470_10208978448121340_8511983166100833709_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumping picture from a vantage point on our way down Wayna Picchu. <br />
We look much closer to the edge than we actually were.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-39268837657104418042016-06-14T16:43:00.002-07:002016-06-14T16:49:21.840-07:00Wanderlust Series Part Two: Lima, PeruIn an effort to be more helpful with my travel posts, I wanted to discuss more of the specifics of our recent trip to Peru & Colombia. We were there for two weeks, so I’ll need to break this post up in order to make everything a bit easier to digest.<br />
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Please understand that this is totally my biased opinion of <u>our
particular trip</u>. I will say that I had certain expectations and
shortcomings in the planning phase, so make note of the following:</div>
<ol>
<li>This was my first international vacation with a significant
other. This was both exciting to think about, while also terrifying. 384 hours
of being with ONE other English-speaking person – I don’t care how much you
adore each other – is enough to make you panic a little bit.</li>
<li>I have traveled a fair amount, and this was by far the most
rural trip I’ve ever been on. This was made even more challenging because I speak very limited Spanish.</li>
<li>I don’t generally stay in 5-star hotels, but I don't usually stay in 2-star hotels either (not that there's anything wrong with either end of that spectrum!!). I think I had pretty realistic expectations as far as knowing that I wasn't going to get "the royal treatment" when staying at a 3-star hotel or an AirBNB. </li>
<li>I am, more and more, getting an idea of what kind of travel
I enjoy. I’ve really loved some of the bigger cities that I’ve been to, but I
honestly just prefer small towns, beaches, and countryside trips. This is relevant in that I will almost always prefer the parts of a trip that are more laid back, as opposed to some people who love the rush and excitement of a big city.</li>
<li>In retrospect, I didn’t do nearly enough research into where
we should stay in Lima. I was overwhelmed by how huge the city is, and prioritized
staying as close to the airport as possible without considering the actual
location outside our hotel doors.</li>
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With all of that said, welcome to Peru...<br />
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<h2>
Getting There. <o:p></o:p></h2>
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We bought a flight from LAX to Lima by way of a 10-hour
layover at San Salvador Airport in El Salvador. This airport was pretty small,
with hardly anything to do, and we were told to absolutely NOT leave the
airport for safety reasons. Our saving grace was that we discovered you could
go into the Avianca Airlines VIP Lounge for only $25 USD per person. Not only
were we much more comfortable, but we felt safer leaving our stuff fairly
unsupervised while we took naps. There were also really nice bathrooms,
showers, free snacks, and an open bar. It was well worth the $25, in my book. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Al4hlxfrR9MTPfNDp_kia_WZtbp3hzcbYqZoXFdg1H9T02tjjFHR9im4RMx8BpvMLC5zeAEv-4I1UbTDCjhmmWTOYkwEdLYgmRWJNl6CNiJp0lF-FI-6pd__OSBZWCqjvJ2NlCbnn0/s1600/13051596_10208954331478439_4941311585894083517_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Al4hlxfrR9MTPfNDp_kia_WZtbp3hzcbYqZoXFdg1H9T02tjjFHR9im4RMx8BpvMLC5zeAEv-4I1UbTDCjhmmWTOYkwEdLYgmRWJNl6CNiJp0lF-FI-6pd__OSBZWCqjvJ2NlCbnn0/s320/13051596_10208954331478439_4941311585894083517_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to Sleep in the San Salvador Airport - VIP Style.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We got to Lima at about 9pm, exhausted but excited for our
trip. Unfortunately, our driver was NOT at the airport when we arrived. This
was obviously frustrating, especially because I never pay for international
phone service. I know, I'm an idiot. Let me officially say: just buy the international phone card if
you’re going to Peru. It’s a lot harder to get around on WIFI than in countries
like France or Germany. <br />
<br />
You NEVER hire a taxi driver outside of the airport
(even just outside the doors, as it turns out. It’s really dangerous), so after
about 45 minutes of standing there, one of the official airport taxi drivers asked us if we needed a
ride. We told him the address, and got the reaction that NO ONE wants, which is
to say that he shook his head and said “Oh no. Are you sure you want to go
there?? Tourists shouldn’t go there.” Panic set in as we discovered that the
area we had booked our AirBNB in was pretty much the worst part of the city. More
on that in a moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctJ5N6Zgc64oYCkXMK3ZRV-xEzCKFePCsDaxF-m6p9o1KP3q5qqYKMQZ_00TgYCA9q35D-hpvebqlC1DHKvMLdQvWsMSyZj6gjGO8eql6L5qx8MPMM7DT1rnUrA7WORwtFLH5dx2ZEOY/s1600/12991007_10208958340098652_7713378611377271329_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctJ5N6Zgc64oYCkXMK3ZRV-xEzCKFePCsDaxF-m6p9o1KP3q5qqYKMQZ_00TgYCA9q35D-hpvebqlC1DHKvMLdQvWsMSyZj6gjGO8eql6L5qx8MPMM7DT1rnUrA7WORwtFLH5dx2ZEOY/s320/12991007_10208958340098652_7713378611377271329_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best thing about our first night in Lima.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We were devastated. We tried using the taxi driver’s phone
to call our AirBNB driver, whose phone was disconnected. We had already paid
for the room, and were basically determining if we wanted to just pay a few
hundred bucks for a NEW driver and a NEW hotel, when our AirBNB driver showed
up with a sign that had our names on it. And even though it may not have been
the best move, we just took our chances and went with him. If I weren’t with my
boyfriend, I would
never have taken a risk like that and don’t recommend it to anyone else.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we got to our AirBNB in Callao, which was secure behind a locked gate, but pretty clearly in a bad area. Oliver went to buy water
from a liquor store (escorted by the AirBNB host), and had to exchange the
money for the bottled water through a barred gate. It was pretty unnerving, although
apparently common. On top of that, the apartment was very clearly not cleaned prior to our arrival, based on the toothpaste and hair in the sink. Our experience wasn’t the worst possible scenario, but it put a damper on the first night of our vacation in a
new country. Live and learn, I suppose. <br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8Iuv4D-98-9RRcYYky2VQ2JIBSlU8birhhGiDz8uAznwyZAeqfGpm1LevFtqkf2_e7eorSPqXJ1CG2UTAV4s6G6fihzPD9hZ3FJJWs-hp9Bldn97yiTaJIV6NkJphyphenhyphentd78SThMzLppA/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8Iuv4D-98-9RRcYYky2VQ2JIBSlU8birhhGiDz8uAznwyZAeqfGpm1LevFtqkf2_e7eorSPqXJ1CG2UTAV4s6G6fihzPD9hZ3FJJWs-hp9Bldn97yiTaJIV6NkJphyphenhyphentd78SThMzLppA/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a typical street scene from what we saw of Callao, <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">although there <br />seemed to be a lot of random nightclubs and people hanging out at night.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
A Word on Lima.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Lima is a HUGE city, and a lot of it isn’t particularly
safe. As we discovered, the closer you are to the airport the more dangerous it
is. You really want to stay more toward Miraflores or Barranco if you’re going
to Lima. Barranco has cute colonial style buildings, and you really
don’t save a ton of time or money by staying super close to the airport. As a
matter of fact, during the 3 layovers we had in Lima, Oliver and I agreed that
one thing we wish we’d done differently was to stay in the same AirBNB for each
layover. Our host’s name was Juan Carlos, and you can find his awesome &
affordable apartment<b> <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/148093">here</a>. </b><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNKzdy9_CZEKLJWtRfyWBIK3kqCpSlIFQFNaOnqdvsJVSE2kO_sVd7DGWfb1-YxkDAM4W7A4BTQ04ljpwLsdYlXTqs6O71SROZTkFA6RkGsj9xmUkOiq5frzgO3961Rl5B3wnDUlq2-8/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNKzdy9_CZEKLJWtRfyWBIK3kqCpSlIFQFNaOnqdvsJVSE2kO_sVd7DGWfb1-YxkDAM4W7A4BTQ04ljpwLsdYlXTqs6O71SROZTkFA6RkGsj9xmUkOiq5frzgO3961Rl5B3wnDUlq2-8/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<br />Miraflores & Barranco Trip Details.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Our flight details were to go Lima -> Cusco -> Lima
-> Huaraz -> Lima -> Colombia. To avoid bouncing around, I’m going to
discuss other parts of Peru in later posts and focus now on our various stints
in Lima.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once we got back to Lima from our stay in Cusco, we had a
driver from our San Miguel/Miraflores hotel pick us up at the airport. Generally,
whoever you’ve arranged to pick you up will have a sign with your name on it,
and it’s no big deal to find them once you land. Our driver was a really nice
woman who drove like an absolute maniac. It was pretty fun, but definitely an
adventure. I will say that getting around in most of Peru can be pretty wild,
so just be prepared for that and you’ll be fine. Our hotel was a bit south of
the airport this time, in the San Miguel neighborhood. While it felt safer than
Callao, and our <a href="http://www.smhotel.pe/lan/esp/aboutus.php"><b>hotel was <i>really</i> nice</b></a>, I still would have
enjoyed someplace else. However, we had to be at the airport once again at
5:30am, so we stayed as close as possible for a reasonable price.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Food in San Miguel/Miraflores.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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The details of our hotel in San Miguel are a little
confusing, even now, since the area is sometimes listed as being in San Miguel, but sometimes
says it’s Miraflores. The reason I mention this is to reiterate how
carefully you should plan out where to stay in the various parts of Lima.
Downtown Miraflores is really nice and pretty urban, while San Miguel felt
pretty gritty. You really want to stay closer to the areas near Parque Kennedy
in Miraflores if you’re trying to find a nicer spot. And now- on to food!!<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The uber-friendly guy at the front desk of our hotel recommended
that we walk across the street to a considerably shady-looking Chinese
restaurant. We passed on that idea and walked a few blocks inland to the busy
Av. La Marina, which has a lot more options. There was a place called Norky’s a
few blocks up, which looked “okay,” but we
pushed on to find something that looked a little less fast food-ish. Long story
short- we ended up at a place called El Autentico Rodizio, located
at Av. La Marina 3151. It was an amazing Brazillian steakhouse-type place that seemed to be pretty popular with locals.
It seems a bit hard to find online, but I assure you that it was really nice inside and the food and drinks were great!!<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Barranco: Our Final Stop in Lima.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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With one final evening in Lima at the end of our Peru trip,
we finally got it right by staying in Barranco. Our afore-mentioned AirBNB was
perfect, and very safe. We wandered around Barranco feeling very at-ease,
although admittedly exhausted from planes, trains, and taxis. The beach was close to the place we stayed, but Barranco sits on the edge of a cliff looking down to a relatively rocky shoreline, so we gave up on trying to wander down to it. There are plenty
of delicious places to eat in the area, so I won’t get too much into the food
we ate, but I will mention that we made reservations to eat dinner at Maido in
Miraflores, which is currently listed as the #13 best restaurant <u>in the world</u>. Needless to say, we were pretty
excited about it. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZr1tBkn0ioghzFFtqcvl3yomQcTxYolUjrv_InVAmhmDwI2BIwT8WSBoXy24P6Tw7CvlNauBAVMzu8cBi9PANnm-X_JZ67-QB6Vm2zVV1WwjI0j8VU3zcYTJDQOR7oORKNJ6GJcJlR4/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZr1tBkn0ioghzFFtqcvl3yomQcTxYolUjrv_InVAmhmDwI2BIwT8WSBoXy24P6Tw7CvlNauBAVMzu8cBi9PANnm-X_JZ67-QB6Vm2zVV1WwjI0j8VU3zcYTJDQOR7oORKNJ6GJcJlR4/s320/IMG_1189.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikkei Experience Menu from Maido in Peru.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sadly, the food fell pretty short of our expectations. I admit that there were some pretty good dishes, but for a $300+ price tag (including relatively inexpensive sake), we both felt that the Nikkei Experience tasting menu was subpar. The dishes were beautifully presented, though, including a dish with ground chili powder served on a frozen boulder, which completely changed the texture of the powder into an amazing a paste as soon as you scooped it up. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORScfE0VgLkNUBNqoph5BWXrWrEM_lkGvh1m22YDhqoBV1576_lKNT4ppyPiM77TFJwTwhmSHgsCJizUQPkxhDx28qovzrgTzfJjVjg4iLbQe9cQ8KS647fmgqbZSfFzXhND6hjnmm-U/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORScfE0VgLkNUBNqoph5BWXrWrEM_lkGvh1m22YDhqoBV1576_lKNT4ppyPiM77TFJwTwhmSHgsCJizUQPkxhDx28qovzrgTzfJjVjg4iLbQe9cQ8KS647fmgqbZSfFzXhND6hjnmm-U/s320/IMG_1188.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A really yummy ice cream dessert from Maido called "Cacao"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>**It bears mentioning that the #4 restaurant in the world (<a href="http://centralrestaurante.com.pe/"><b>Central</b></a>) is just down the street from here. We also met a couple in Huaraz who were in Peru working for the U.S. embassy, and they recommended a great <a href="http://www.rafaelosterling.pe/"><b>restaurant called Rafael</b></a> just one block from Maido on Calle San Martin.</i><br />
<br /></div>
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I hope this guide comes in handy for anyone looking to visit Lima. If it does, or if you have questions, feel free to leave your feedback in the comments section below!! I’ll be back soon with more posts about our travels to Machu Picchu, along with what to do with 48 hours in Aguas Calientes. Also look for my upcoming post about our journey to 15,000 feet in Huascaran National Park, as well as our trip to Isla Grande in Colombia.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-60408384708170067532016-05-31T16:05:00.000-07:002016-05-31T16:05:12.770-07:00Wanderlust Series Part One: Planning Your Trip<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGxU9p94ZbqDMZeAqbEqU2nK1bj9QBGdt35g8AUpfi8GwM0cFirMWcKaDxP1lcXGYTLUGaWlEYu9JYRcNPr_8UFmsAEhRdMp92NpsY-kT6DMdFk2sEpCQtX1n5xS3St2kt5VylUjLU9w/s1600/13082514_10209052094042442_9070463302456367869_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGxU9p94ZbqDMZeAqbEqU2nK1bj9QBGdt35g8AUpfi8GwM0cFirMWcKaDxP1lcXGYTLUGaWlEYu9JYRcNPr_8UFmsAEhRdMp92NpsY-kT6DMdFk2sEpCQtX1n5xS3St2kt5VylUjLU9w/s400/13082514_10209052094042442_9070463302456367869_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />I get a lot of questions from people looking to <a href="http://meganmccrindle.blogspot.com/2015/05/things-i-learned-in-bali-indonesia.html" target="_blank"><b>travel</b></a>, and I also know that I always scour the internet
for other people’s travel tips so that I can get real, honest advice about the
places that I want to visit. That’s why I wanted to create this blog post
series where I can offer up my experiences in detail, in the hope that it can
help someone else as well!!</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<h3>
Planning your Trip: Where to Look</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />First of all, you should know that I love planning vacations.
I will daydream about travelling someplace months before I even buy a plane
ticket. This is great for people who, like my boyfriend, don’t want to comb
through hotel prices & Google search “<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/wishlists/best-yurt-rentals" target="_blank"><b>Coolest Yurts</b></a> in Northern California.”
Here are the websites/phone apps that I am obsessed with for planning the
perfect vacation:<br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.skyscanner.com/" target="_blank"><b>Skyscanner</b></a>. I
usually bounce around between a few apps to watch flight prices when I’m trying
to purchase my initial flights, and Skyscanner tends to have the lowest
pricing. The downside of this app is that it only allows you to buy one-way or
round-trip flights, which kind of sucks if you’re planning a multi-leg
vacation. I read somewhere that the best time of week to buy a flight is on a
Tuesday evening, but I’ve purchased super cheap flights on a Saturday night so
I don’t know how valid that claim is. I definitely recommend watching your
flight for a minimum of two weeks because you’d be amazed how much those prices
fluctuate. Case-in-point: my round-trip ticket to Bali went from $1,200 to $850
in just a few days.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.hopper.com/" target="_blank">Hopper</a></b>. Hopper is
my jam when I’m watching flight prices over the span of a few months. I don’t
know if I’d say they offer the cheapest pricing compared to the other sites,
but they DO make flight price predictions that show a daily fluctuation report,
and those look forward almost a year in advance, which kicks ass. This app also
watches the prices for you, and alerts you when they’re at their cheapest,
which also rocks.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.kayak.com/" target="_blank">Kayak</a>.</b> This is my
go-to site for multi-leg trips. I tend to look at the app on my phone, and then
go to the website when I’m ready to buy the tickets since it redirects you to
the booking site with the cheapest price.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBNB</a>.</b> I’m
obsessed with this website. This is a site where people can rent their houses
or apartments to people, and the prices are usually MUCH cheaper than local
hotel prices. I will warn you, though, that there are areas that I don’t
recommend using AirBNB for. Anywhere is the U.S. is a safe bet, and I had
<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/277323" target="_blank"><b>awesome experiences using it in Bali</b></a>. But we had a few really bad experiences
in Peru and it sort of woke me up from my AirBNB daydream. The key thing to
remember here is that people can use angles and filters to make any house look
really amazing, so read through the reviews and make sure you take any negative
comments seriously. Having said that- some of these places are seriously
amazing and unlike any hotel experience you could possibly have. We stayed in a
refurbished <b><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8937005" target="_blank">RV just outside of San Francisco</a> </b>once that was one of the best
experiences I’ve ever had, and there are even lists of Yurts, Treehouses, and boats
that you can rent. I usually check the box that filters in only SuperHosts,
because sometimes it’s the person hosting the AirBNB that makes it really
special. Many SuperHosts will really go above and beyond to make your meals,
suggest local spots, and even welcome you with a bottle of wine.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/" target="_blank">TripAdvisor</a>, <a href="https://www.expedia.com/" target="_blank">Expedia</a>
& <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/" target="_blank">LonelyPlanet</a>.</b> These are pretty commonly-known sites but in case you
don’t know, now you know. These are also where I look for hotels if I’m not
going with AirBNB.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.thrillist.com/travel" target="_blank">Thrillist</a>.</b> This
is my hands-down favorite website to find underground restaurants and
non-touristy things to do. This site is primarily for major U.S. cities,
but you <i>can</i> find quite a few
suggestions for major international cities like London, Rome, etc.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.ricksteves.com/" target="_blank">Rick Steves website/books/podcast</a>.</b>
Rick has awesome advice if you’re traveling most anywhere in Europe, and there
are videos, lists, and books that can help guide you to a number of remote
places that you’d otherwise miss.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82VIcLpJeM02GpAjMVmENJCwI91aiJZRaZSQ2DeNJVBF_jgSnxj54PgfZLlZOegYLUdoXeHV8bMkyzYGBHKhypQ210fbcFgOYxklZk6BWT8EYdhbLwmioCw0Ydxw6dCoNFiOgk1nhyphenhyphenL8/s1600/603723_10205076253648917_7276729477988930543_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82VIcLpJeM02GpAjMVmENJCwI91aiJZRaZSQ2DeNJVBF_jgSnxj54PgfZLlZOegYLUdoXeHV8bMkyzYGBHKhypQ210fbcFgOYxklZk6BWT8EYdhbLwmioCw0Ydxw6dCoNFiOgk1nhyphenhyphenL8/s400/603723_10205076253648917_7276729477988930543_n.jpg" width="300" /></a><br /></div>
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://amateurtraveler.com/" target="_blank">The Amateur Traveler</a>. </b>I like to check out this website/podcast to see what interesting places
there are to visit. He has a ton of interviews with people who have lived or
visited some really neat places around the globe, so it’s a good place to build
up some excitement for your trip, or to expand your vacation ideas to places
you might not have considered yet.</li>
<li><b><i>Honorable Mention:</i> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pro-hdr/id347104281?mt=8" target="_blank">Pro HDR Photo app</a>.</b> This takes ridiculously
good photos. I suggest only using it for scenery, since it takes 2 photos and
combines them with the best colors from each. This means that you have to hold
the camera VERY still for about 30 seconds. If you try to take a picture of
something that’s moving, it’ll end up totally blurry.</li>
<li>I'm sure you already have it on your phone, but<b> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b> is also
a really great place to check out potential travel locations. I like to look up
hashtags of the cities, monuments, national parks, or even hotels that I want
to go to. This is not only a great way to see if they look as fun as you
expect, but as you get closer to your travel date it’s a nice way to check out
the weather so you know what to pack.</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJowXRqz4YF2KmTVIeHMvcydwRrjwbJ87HRPyTXiBBFkX959b6PSnHhKYx2YiWbtXPVWtLqT6Kt8HGg9yJcK9AvO2IhJY6gcHTVQOZ3LEQaXv6MG3X9KK-ykLnBpzo0wE1xf3RmgTSwM/s1600/11182093_10206455309124442_5525810214612478715_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJowXRqz4YF2KmTVIeHMvcydwRrjwbJ87HRPyTXiBBFkX959b6PSnHhKYx2YiWbtXPVWtLqT6Kt8HGg9yJcK9AvO2IhJY6gcHTVQOZ3LEQaXv6MG3X9KK-ykLnBpzo0wE1xf3RmgTSwM/s400/11182093_10206455309124442_5525810214612478715_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Other Travel Planning Tips<br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Always, always, ALWAYS look up</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html" target="_blank">travel alerts and warnings</a><span style="font-weight: normal;">
for the places you’re going. You should also search online to find out if you
need a Visa for the place you’re visiting (this is separate from just your
passport), and also check to see if you need any immunizations.<br /></span></span><br />
</h3>
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Another important thing to note is to do a Google search to
see if you need to apply for any type of permits for your trip. For example: if
you want to attend Easter or Christmas Mass at the Vatican, you need to <a href="http://www.papalaudience.org/easter-christmas-tickets" target="_blank"><b>fax a request to the Papal Office</b></a> at least 2 months in advance.
You also need to <a href="http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/" target="_blank"><b>file for a permit</b></a> if you want to hike Machu Picchu, and a separate permit to hike Wayna Picchu and/or <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294311-c85331/Peru:How.To.Obtain.An.Inca.Trail.Permit.html" target="_blank"><b>the Inca Trail</b></a>. It’s also a good idea to make sure the place
you’re trying to go is open the day you plan to go there (many popular museums, such as the Louvre in Paris, have various weekdays that they are closed to the public). <br /><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihlqDt7Xloc6mhFRiRO2MERdVrH0-WbvsSURnCT_YSNkdPUSsuXN2X59WieDDQwxdtI8vxE1En38C33CYJc4SR34tuqTufHKyR3WSwp5-LHWf9dKBmpRhtLeG7RWGVkIzzn7dE6Jngro/s1600/480614_4344567575295_385867334_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihlqDt7Xloc6mhFRiRO2MERdVrH0-WbvsSURnCT_YSNkdPUSsuXN2X59WieDDQwxdtI8vxE1En38C33CYJc4SR34tuqTufHKyR3WSwp5-LHWf9dKBmpRhtLeG7RWGVkIzzn7dE6Jngro/s400/480614_4344567575295_385867334_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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I hope this has been helpful for anyone planning a trip
someplace fun. If you know of any other great planning websites, please leave a
comment below so I can add it to my list/life!!<br /><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-67035943805901569522015-05-11T18:25:00.000-07:002015-05-11T18:25:19.169-07:00Things I Learned in Bali, Indonesia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMGim4df9V2NklJoETW8JeEZjv3E4KbX8Mk0c3v-VFyYGg72f0pAqNRclbSL9Z67K0brQAzytbt9pCuVlEFaT5Z369nqUOElcNw9cfuRYrxOZuGDI5LKGWm27YcaDqeMQXLkvI7kAqYs/s1600/11203164_10206455285323847_9092178626825403302_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMGim4df9V2NklJoETW8JeEZjv3E4KbX8Mk0c3v-VFyYGg72f0pAqNRclbSL9Z67K0brQAzytbt9pCuVlEFaT5Z369nqUOElcNw9cfuRYrxOZuGDI5LKGWm27YcaDqeMQXLkvI7kAqYs/s400/11203164_10206455285323847_9092178626825403302_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all took a moment, each day, to reconnect with what was important to us?"</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">-My Dad, upon hearing that Balinese radio stations pause several times per day in order to broadcast traditional Hindu prayers.</span></div>
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Bali was a long time coming, for me. And not just because I
spent hours planning out the perfect places to stay and which foods I would
(attempt to) eat. It wasn’t because it was the first trip I’d taken where I
would be alone for days on end. It wasn’t because it was my first time in Asia,
or because it was the longest I’ve ever been away from home. It was a long time
coming because it was my first trip where I not only saw a new place, but was
also supremely changed by it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course each trip I take influences me. I expand myself
and experience things with widened eyes. Each picture on my photo wall has
something remarkable that I’ve had the humbling good fortune to see, and they’ve all
been pretty easy to capture on film because the world is a beautiful place. But
those are just photographs… flashes in time of what anyone standing behind the
lens would see. I have plenty of pictures like that from my trip to Bali, but
none of them can express the complete embrace that Bali takes of you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The air is hot, and damp. Your hair sticks to the back of
your neck, and it mats to your forehead and temples. It’s hot, but you don’t
mind because each layer of clothing you strip off makes you feel even more free.
You take off the jacket that you wore on the airplane, and pull your hair back
from your face. The air smells like incense and, at dusk, the ash from dozens
of fires burning in yards throughout the city. The entire island is perfumed with smoke and Jasmine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bali isn’t clean, and it isn’t quiet. There is trash along
the sidewalks (where there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i>
sidewalks), and away from the rush of cars, there is always a rooster crowing
or frogs croaking. The city streets are a river of flatbed trucks and motorbikes
with bursts of intermittent horns. None of these are disruptive or hostile
sounds. Unlike Americans, the Balinese honk their horns simply as if to say,
“on your left.” No one takes it personally, and no one gets angry for being
honked at. I tried to explain this to several taxi drivers while I was there,
but they couldn’t understand why anyone would ever get Road Rage. It just
didn’t occur to them why it would make any sense… and honestly, it doesn’t
really make sense to me now that I think about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bali is a place of peace, even in the midst of chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a place for kindness, empathy, and
patience amidst challenge. The Balinese are primarily Hindu, and therefore
believe in Karma. According to my new friend Suka, this is one reason that they
are such happy, helpful people. They believe that goodness begets goodness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the two weeks that I was there, Bali stripped me bare, or
as near to bare as a person like me is capable of being. In the heat and the
activity, I slowly left both tangible and emotional nonsense behind, realizing
how over-packed I was. And it was this very symbolical thing, to lighten that
load. My initial plan was to bring a few items that I knew I would use up- like
soap and sunscreen. I even brought this beast of a Citronella candle in my bag
to keep the mosquitos away. I knew that as I emptied each thing, I would throw
it out to make room for souvenirs from my trip. But what I didn’t realize was
that I would be throwing away so many more things that no longer served a
purpose for me, in order to make space for things that would mean infinitely
more to me when I returned to California.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If there was one word I’d use to describe myself prior to this
trip, it would have been Scared. I’ve been terrified of change just as much as
I’ve been terrified of monotony, and most of all I was scared of “What if this
is really IT? The life I’ve been dreaming about as far back as I can remember??”
I used to be this person who contemplated life, and who saw it with endless
possibilities and wonder. I wrote about my views on the world, unafraid of who
read them or what they would think of me when they did. But somewhere along the
line, I started to fear the open-endedness of each interaction I had with the
world. I stopped being brave enough to trust the world I saw, and my vision of
it became cloudy and filled with doubt. After all of the things that have
happened to me in my crazy life, I always took pride in the fact that I’d never
acquired any baggage from it. But it turns out that it had been stacking up in
a closet of my mind that I had disguised as a guest room.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Without realizing it, I’d turned all of my trials and fears
into anger. I was angry with the people who’d let me down, and angry with
myself for not being a stronger person than I’d been. I was angry at
circumstances that were out of my control, and at difficult situations that I
knew better than to stick out. And it wasn’t until I had unpacked and repacked
my bags a few times that I started to realize that I desperately needed to
throw some things away for good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first week of my trip was challenging. I was in a
totally new place, and since we moved every few days I was constantly
disoriented. I got lost a LOT, and it was a struggle to adjust to being in a
polar opposite time zone. But on the third day in Bali, we went to Tirta Empul-
the holy water temple. It was actually pretty funny because my traveling buddy
had decided to jump in the water first, posing with thumbs up and peace signs
(as I had planned to follow en suite) with me snapping pictures of the whole
spectacle. As he climbed out of the water, a staff member approached us and
explained that you were absolutely not supposed to jump in the water wearing
the sarong that they gave you when you entered the temple. There was a whole
ceremonial procession wherein you would need to first rent a second sarong for
the water, then meditate and thank the Gods for their blessing. After this you
would make a request to the Gods and place an offering on the first spout of
water, following that by approaching each spout in order (except for the two
that were representative of the Gods of Funeral Rites), in order to be purified
from all evil spirits and discontent. My poor friend had missed out on his
chance to partake in this ceremony, but I was lucky enough to be a part of it
(sorry, bud). <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’d felt some frustration during the first few days in Bali,
and so my request to the Gods was to give me peace and patience. I needed to
feel a sense of calm whenever I felt challenged by my world around me, and I
asked that I would remember to maintain an inner sense of peace when things
became complicated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sure, this whole concept of making a wish to a foreign God sounds
sort of crazy. But I think that, sometimes, we need something crazy to make us
believe that something is possible again. Sometimes, the only answer to Nothing
is quite simply: Anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the ceremony at Tirta Empul, any time I felt frustrated
or irritable about something I reminded myself that I could calm down and
create space for peace. That didn’t mean that I needed to control the things
around me, but that I could accept the things that didn’t feel “ideal” to me,
and allow them to simply exist as they were. I was removing my ego from the
equation and allowing myself to observe my world rather than react to it. If I
got lost, it stopped being frustrating and turned into an opportunity to see
where this new path took me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I tell people that I traveled alone, they think I’m out
of my mind. “Didn’t you get bored?” or “Weren’t you scared?” are hot topics.
But it was the mind set that I had from Tirta Empul that allowed me to embrace
solo travel that much more. The first few days alone, I was bored. But I also
discovered that I have a great time by myself, and that getting lost allowed me
to discover that I could find my way even within disorienting circumstances. I did yoga for
the first time on my trip. I listened to music and sang along with songs that
my voice is nowhere near suited for. I went skinny-dipping in my private pool
and ran away from more than one giant bumblebee. I wandered and got lost in the dark and caught tiny little frogs in the yard. And after days of being alone on
the opposite side of the world, I discovered that I was miraculously still
okay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bali changed me, and I can’t quite nail down exactly how or
when. It could be the locals that I met; mostly taxi drivers or shop workers
who were filled with optimism and a peaceful pride in their beautiful country.
It may have been the silent permanence and spirituality of the countless
temples, which are scattered throughout the island on a grand scale in addition
to being a seemingly critical addition to each Balinese home. It could have
been the friendly nature of the expats I met, who inspired me to see more
of the world and taught me to speak up and make friends with the random girl
sitting alone at the cafe. Even the monkeys, who were on occasion slightly
aggressive and tended to be very protective of me for some reason, endeared me with
their playfulness and curiosity- reminding me to explore my own surroundings
and see what simple joys can be found. The sun and the sand, and the ability to
sit on my own and really just Be were considerable factors in who I was when I
returned home. Reading again, and writing again, on a daily basis. Getting back
in touch with who I am, and more importantly, who I desperately needed to
remember that I could become. I needed to believe in something, and to remember
that my own inner voice is capable and strong. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t want to sound dramatic, because I know that I was
never in any real danger- but in so many ways, Bali saved me and brought me
back to life. And I know that probably sounds kind of crazy. But sometimes, we
need something that sounds kind of crazy to make us believe that something- <i>anything</i>- is possible again.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZAyZnCTkhpCsbuoodOTqLs8zZbpIod62WLv2sBSOPQyzEisfezFi-qDiHpC0YeNVHkqBjrPzUp44WA7ECK2j4HBMBjiNaUgoQhB4CLU20zM9GIZS5jGyoescN46PHZvPSTb_r9ZZTi0/s1600/11112811_10206347355105659_2906771630215271215_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZAyZnCTkhpCsbuoodOTqLs8zZbpIod62WLv2sBSOPQyzEisfezFi-qDiHpC0YeNVHkqBjrPzUp44WA7ECK2j4HBMBjiNaUgoQhB4CLU20zM9GIZS5jGyoescN46PHZvPSTb_r9ZZTi0/s400/11112811_10206347355105659_2906771630215271215_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-7705950844262046322014-12-28T13:31:00.000-08:002014-12-28T13:48:39.254-08:00Things I learned in 2014.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDnPVMmCz6hcGkqXVy_MQDe1hwDHb77o1tapNA9urGe8K-nMjGVIQJrNG7sBf86I2YuK_IpP8n9S2aWM-2xFhLUVUcxZtrHH9biOA_rduLwXD5hX2S_2TAKVzXrImB9YdHTA8hXJvW0/s1600/10298784_10203714430684194_6664847827434971973_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDnPVMmCz6hcGkqXVy_MQDe1hwDHb77o1tapNA9urGe8K-nMjGVIQJrNG7sBf86I2YuK_IpP8n9S2aWM-2xFhLUVUcxZtrHH9biOA_rduLwXD5hX2S_2TAKVzXrImB9YdHTA8hXJvW0/s1600/10298784_10203714430684194_6664847827434971973_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
2014 was a year for hindsight being 20/20. I hit a lot milestones this past year, but I was blinded to them because I didn't open my eyes to them, or maybe because they weren't the milestones I expected to meet. It wasn't until some self-reflection that I realized that I've moved forward in strides, rather than standing still the way I've felt throughout the past 12 months. Here are a number of lessons I learned at the close of this year. I hope they inspire you to find your hindsight lessons, too.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Find what you love and make it happen.</span></b> Life provides us with a multitude of pathways; some of which are secret passages we have to seek out. Things seem so obvious when you're looking at them on a map- this goes there, that leads here. But being faced with our lives head on creates a lot of confusion and non-compliance to the rules. Sometimes when you're there, in the moment, you realize that you're following a map to a place you were only headed for the sake of following the dotted line. I think that one of the most beautiful points in our lives is when we realize who we want to be, and not who we're expected to be. I realized this year that I want to see the world, especially the obscure places not many people try to go. I'm learning more and more that I'm fascinated by the culinary world around me, and also that I want to learn as much about world history as possible. Some of these things are interests that I've held, others are new. But it's been really exciting to discover things that I'm anxious to learn more about, especially since it takes a lot to gain and then hold my attention. I'm not saying I'm going to become a travel-food-history journalist, but I expect 2015 to be a year to further develop those passions, and I can't wait to see where they'll lead me.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Let your friendships flow, and chose to receive <u>and</u> let go with love.</span></b> From my late 20's until now, I've had a multitude of people who have simply gone other directions with their lives. And it's often been heartbreaking for me to let go of those people, some of whom I've known for decades. But trying to keep them in my life is much more heartbreaking, as we attempt, time after time, to force an outdated friendship. The people who want to be in your life will be, and the people who can't, or sometimes wont, will no longer hold a place as anything more than a memory. That's okay, and while you may feel hurt at losing someone you care about, they once gave you a beautiful friendship. It's important to honor that by letting go with love. The proactive step is to make time for the people who make time for you, and dedicate your energy to developing those friendships. Nurturing friendships with those whose lives are in line with your own allows both parties to expand on the commonalities that brought you together, helping you each to grow as the people you're aiming to be.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Let love breathe.</span></b> One of the biggest things I learned this past year was how to love other people by allowing them space to breathe. This was one of my biggest "hindsight" lessons, because I experienced some strikingly similar situations in 2014 that I'd once been on the other end of. I think that we often tell ourselves that we need to nurture love, and that is true. But we also need to allow love to nurture us, meaning that we need to allow others the opportunity to give of themselves. It not only gives us a chance to relax and not be "on" all of the time, but it shows faith in the other person by telling them that you trust them to steer things for a while. I've had relationships where I smothered and tried too hard, feeling like perfect couples wanted to share every experience and to be together as often as possible. Now I see how impractical that really is. I want to be in a reciprocal relationship, where we compliment each other's lives, but aren't <i>each other's lives</i>. Two people can't grow together if they're stifling each other from growing individually.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Never stop learning.</b></span> Does anyone remember The Newlyweds TV show with Jessica Simpson? It was during this really unfortunate time in television (which may still be happening but I just stopped watching), when it became endearing to be a stupid girl. We all felt sympathetic for these adorable little idiots and they, I suspect, played it up even more. I'll admit, I played the part from time to time. The past few years, 2014 in particular, were about going the opposite direction. Maybe part of it is just me getting older, but I want to know what is going on in the world around me. I obviously care about making sure my hair isn't a mess and if I can buy pants that make my ass look good, right on. But I stopped subscribing to silly make-up magazines and scouring the US Weekly website, and started paying attention to the news and reading actual books. I guess I also just got tired of reciting the same useless crap. And yes, some of the stuff I read consists of silly anecdotes and bread recipes, but I seek out things that better my life rather than fogging it with idiocy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. You're in charge of the way you feel. </b></span>I've spent a good portion of my life as a victim to my emotions. I often feel sad, or lonely, or jealous. Other times, I feel optimistic and capable. I'm incredibly superstitious and vulnerable to outward influences on my feelings, and maybe I'll always be that way. However, this year I found that most of the times when I've felt sad, I'm allowing myself to feel sad. When I've felt lethargic or trapped, I'm allowing myself to feel that way. I've had several discussions with close friends as of late, many revolving around unfortunate things happening around them. In those scenarios, there isn't much to be done about bad things happening, but you can always control the way you respond to those bad things. And your choice response to the world around you is what makes you the person you choose to be, not the person your world chooses. It's sort of empowering, to know that you can choose to change your perspective, rather than fall victim to an unchangeable world around you. <br />
<br />
The funny thing about 2014 is that while it was happening, I felt really confused. I had ups and downs at my job, I reignited some friendships and disengaged from others, and while I stayed home more this year than I ever have before- I also traveled more than I have during any other year of my life. It's hard to see the truth when it's staring you in the face, and I didn't recognize this year for what it was until near the end of it- but it was one of my biggest years for growth in my life. I don't know if I will ever feel my age, and at 31 I don't know how "on par" I am with other people in that bracket. But I also feel more like "me" than I have in a long time. Maybe ever. Which is a good thing, considering that I'll be "me" for the rest of my life.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-71903547251621218982014-09-10T19:54:00.001-07:002014-09-10T19:54:50.626-07:00Hey Jealousy<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Warning: This video has essentially nothing to do with this post and<i> will </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">send you into a 90's </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">music whirlwind, should you succumb to its catchiness)</span></div>
<br />
I often find myself getting frustrated trying to explain the way I see the world because it's not... well, normal. In a lot of ways, that's a really good thing. But it makes me seem sort of batshit crazy when I try to explain how my negative feelings tend to turn into something that I actually find constructive.<br />
<br />
For example: if you follow my blog, you know that one of my biggest hurdles in life is overcoming jealousy. Not in a crazy "Who was that on the phone?" kind of way. But in this sort of like, "Ugh, why is that person's life soooooo perfect?" way. I think that, especially in this edited world, it's far too easy to see someone's highlight-reel Facebook feed and think that your mediocrity doesn't size up. I mean, lets get really real here and talk about how some of my closest friends are taking selfies in New York, or cutest-offspring-ever pics, and I'm over here like, "Look at my cat playing with twist-ties!!" I took a SnapChat of my cat listening to the soundtrack from The Aristocats last week. I wish I were joking.<br />
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And so, people-who-are-now-afraid-of-me, now you see why I find it so easy to take issue with people who are... I don't know... NOT taking SnapChats of their cats (SnapCats? It should be a thing).<br />
<br />
Having said that- I have never, in my life, been a person who felt compelled to do (or not do) something because someone said I should. "What's that Mom? DON'T try Tequilla? Oh, okay. I'll get right on that." No. Not my jam. It takes a lot of nudging, and failing, and at times straight boredom to motivate me to do things that I probably could have just taken the advisory for and done right the first time around.<br />
<br />
THIS is why jealousy is my biggest challenge, and also my greatest ally. It sucks to see someone doing things that I wish I were doing. I feel like a complete troll when I feel envious of someone for being pretty, or smart, or successful. But then I realize, in true comedic form, that my inner monologue sounds like a complete joke. "How dare that person be doing things with their life! How dare they get up early and blow-dry their hair and look awesome while my roots are growing in and I'm wearing flip flops to work! How dare they travel and have adventures while I sit here helplessly at my desk!" Um... hey, self, why don't you just DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE? Get up early, do your hair, plan a vacation, buy real shoes...<br />
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That's the simplest solution. Do you want to do something? How about you just, like, do it?<br />
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This is why jealousy is fantastic. It's really just admiration with a splash of laziness, which can be discarded and ignored to allow for motivation to chime in. I realize that some things are out of reach in the jealousy department. There's not enough self-motivation in the world to give me an ass like Gisele Bundchen. But if jealousy gives me the motivation to work toward my best version of myself, thanks for the inspiration- impossibly beautiful alien/model lady.<br />
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Life is 100% what we make of it. I of all people know how easy it is to get caught up in petty insecurities and trivial short-comings. But I also know that sometimes, you have to take a good look in the mirror and see how limitless the possibilities are if you only allow them to take root and thrive.<br />
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In completely related/unrelated news: if you're into SnapChats of ridiculous things, find me under Meganmccrindle.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-71010117663793098052014-07-15T23:32:00.000-07:002014-07-15T23:32:01.880-07:00Positively Happy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOeNRwCQICvkO8ngr2MLpdKpLtAwf3Ghagv0znOTWn4uGElK8RqOVQ-g36kc3_vwhUnoIh5EFdc0u_-s5_3vLVf9zjRdyl6FD_lcFJMmzvmLzjHOBGfJsYBpwHoDNJQmxroZlwMGmI-M/s1600/tumblr_n4ni6aXu7I1ta04pqo1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOeNRwCQICvkO8ngr2MLpdKpLtAwf3Ghagv0znOTWn4uGElK8RqOVQ-g36kc3_vwhUnoIh5EFdc0u_-s5_3vLVf9zjRdyl6FD_lcFJMmzvmLzjHOBGfJsYBpwHoDNJQmxroZlwMGmI-M/s1600/tumblr_n4ni6aXu7I1ta04pqo1_500.png" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image found <a href="http://nofatnowhip.com/post/91428504669" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">here</span></b></a>.</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://nofatnowhip.com/post/91611000236/so-you-attempt-to-hide-your-loneliness-in-public" style="color: black; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"So you attempt to hide your loneliness in public, to behave, in fact, as though you have too many friends already, and thus you hope to attract people who will unwittingly save you. But it never works that way. Your condition is written all over your face, in the hunch of your shoulders, in the hollowness of your laugh. You fool no one."</a> <a href="http://www.marusek.com/Cabin_in_the_Woods/Cabin_in_the_Woods.html" style="font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 12px; text-align: right;" target="_blank">- David Murosek</a><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 12px; text-align: right;"> </span></blockquote>
I read this and realized that it hit a little too close to home. But... not in a bad way.<br />
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Which is sort of weird.<br />
<br />
And I don't know why it made me think of it, but I somehow went to this thought of most people's main goal in life, as far as I've heard it.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>What do you want in life?</i><br />
<i><b>...I want to be happy</b></i>.<br />
<br />
It's an awfully tall order, when you really think about it. Because have you ever really met anyone who was happy ALL of the time? I don't think I have. Even the people who I've found to be the happiest have often had moments of pretty deep sadness. And that's totally fine. And normal. That's life.<br />
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So I decided something: I don't want to be happy.<br />
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<i>What do I want? </i><br />
<i><b>To be positive.</b></i><br />
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I want to stop considering the negative possibilities and start considering that good can (and will!) come from everything in my life. I don't need to pretend to be happy, or fake a smile when my heart isn't in it. But I do want to be sitting, in the midst of my completely normal bad day, with the outlook that I will walk away from it a better person, and that things will turn out alright in the end.<br />
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This is a huge challenge, at least for me. I dwell. A LOT. I over-analyze even more. I stress and I plan and I worry. And sometimes that can't be helped. But it's a comforting thought to know that my tendencies to be... well... <i><u>me</u></i>, are acceptable so long as I check myself out of them at a reasonable hour and remember that it's all going to be fine. I just need to remember to remain positive.<br />
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There's also this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"It is our own mental attitude which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light."<br /><div style="text-align: right;">
-<a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/swami_vivekananda.html" target="_blank">Swami Vivekananda</a></div>
</span></blockquote>
...and because of that, everything will be fine. Our problems are never the issue. The way we interpret and respond to our problems is the issue. We tend to be our biggest roadblock, which is almost humorously ironic considering that we are the ones in control of removing our problems from our lives, simply by looking at them in a different light.<br />
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So take your roadblocks- take your blustering mind- and make your life positive, even when it can't always be happy.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-48429556320579171772014-04-29T20:41:00.001-07:002014-04-29T20:41:12.917-07:00Things I learned in Rome.I'm starting to go through my pictures from this month's trip to Europe, where I had the good fortune of somehow finding myself in Brussels, Bruges, Paris, Florence and Rome. The funny thing about it is that as soon as I got off the plane at LAX, I knew:<i> I have now been to these places.</i> It was just so matter of fact. "Oh, yes, I've been to Rome." And... you know... that was that. But when I began to look through my photos, I realized, that wasn't that.<br />
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I'D BEEN TO ROME. I'd touched the wall of Vatican City. I'd stared up at the once-bronzed statues of the Altare della Patria. I looked at my camera roll and remembered the feeling of wandering the streets of Montmartre in Paris and giggling with my old roommate, Rachael, as I took a selfie pretending to pick my nose at the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence. But when I was there, I remember feeling exhilarated yet somehow disconnected. I guess it all just rushed by in this wave of excitement and overwhelming wonder.<br />
<br />
And I looked through my pictures and I started to compare this feeling to like, LIFE. There were times during our whole "Euro Fest 2014" that I felt tired and crowded and irritated about one thing or another. But I don't look back and remember those moments with much consideration for them. And I can't help but ask myself, now,<i> Is Life Just One Big Travel Album?</i><br />
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I flip through my mind and thumb through all of these moments in my life that I know happened. "I've been through this experience," or "I've seen this place," and I know, you know... that's that. But then I begin to look closer and I realize: <i>that isn't that</i>. I'VE BEEN TO THESE PLACES. I've been through these experiences and they were real and they were great, or terrible, or mediocre. But more importantly than anything else- they were real, tangible, audible and moreover existent experiences that I sped through in a flash of excitement and wonder.<br />
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The funny thing is that I have all of these little mementos of my life (so far): photographs, books, letters and trinkets. And I see them every day without a second thought of what they felt or looked like or meant when I was<b> there.</b> I have a pair of diamond earrings that a boy gave to me when we dated 5 years ago. They're the only precious jewelry I own, and I never, ever change them. But I long ago stopped staring at them in the mirror as something that I felt honored to wear. I guess I just forgot that moment in my life and how valuable it was. I wont go on to list a bunch of "things" that I own and don't appreciate, because it's embarrassing. The point is- my life has run on auto-pilot of "this is what's happened," and I often forget to appreciate that good or bad- tired or frantic- alone or with company, it's been pretty remarkable.<br />
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The thing is, I know that this is common for everyone. What, so every time I look in the mirror I'm supposed to stop and guffaw over a pair of 5-year old earrings? I'd never get anything done! But... well... let me tell you about two little moments that happened in Rome that put things in perspective for me.<br />
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One was when we first got to Rome. We'd been to about 30 amazing places in about 6 days, and I'd been trying to save myself for Rome. We stopped at every monumental attraction in the city, each met with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. But by the end of the day, our cries of "That's SO awesome!" were starting to slowly fade, and finally my friend Amy hit it on the head by saying, "Honestly, it's not that these aren't amazing. But how many times can we see something that's 'SO AWESOME' in two weeks?"<br />
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The next 'perspective' moment for me was when we got to the Trevi Fountain. I was tired of walking and, quite frankly, overwhelmed with it all. I've found in my travels that it's been my quiet moments I've appreciated the most. The times when I've gotten to sit and just marvel at the grandeur of something. And as we all tried to muster up the strength to talk about how amazed we were about something remarkable, I made a small request. "Let's all just stop and take 30 seconds of silence to just <u>stare</u>." And we stopped talking. And we stared. And the noises of The New invaded my ears as I heard foreign languages interpret the word "awesome," and the water flushed from the fountain and every single movie and photograph I had seen where someone had made a wish in this very place flashed before my eyes as I stopped and just... absorbed the moment.<br />
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And, well... I guess that's what life is. It's a series of "SO awesome" moments, happening on fast-forward. I guess that's what Ferris Bueller meant when he said that if we don't stop and take a look around once in a while, we'll miss out on life. It'll still happen. But we'll have gotten so caught up in the rush of each rapid-fire moment that we'll forget what it felt like, smelled like, sounded like and even tasted like- when we were standing in that space. And whether you felt great or tired, whether things ended spectacularly or whether your heart was broken by the turn of events, there was a flash of time in there that was pretty amazing. And I guess what I learned in Rome this year was that I'm always in Rome. Every place, every moment...<b><i> it's all Rome. And it's always SO awesome.</i></b><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-46127296122743686442014-02-28T18:49:00.003-08:002016-11-04T13:23:27.737-07:00A Blanket, Eeyore and a Guitar changed the way I see the world.<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Excuses are a chance to reiterate who they are. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Your reactions are a chance to reiterate who you are."</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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I've spent a lot of time lately looking at the person who I've been, and the person that I am now, and kind of wondering: if I could go back and change anything, what would it be? I don't believe in the whole "no regrets" thing, because I think that everyone has regrets and I also believe that we NEED them. Without messing up, being aware of it, and progressing forward as a result of it- we don't grow. So I like that I have regrets because it means I was aware of what needed to change. I like that.<br />
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I think that if I could change anything, though, it would be to not have taken so long to figure out who I wanted to be. Let me start that with a story. A really, really embarrassing story. The summer before my senior year in high school, we took our individual portraits. It's this big deal and in my house my parents put everyone's up on the main wall and blah blah blah. So there's a head shot (which is still at my parent's house), and a full body shot where you use all kinds of props to showcase what your strengths and interests are. My sister had her Cheerleading garb, my brother had his Letterman's jacket from Waterpolo... etc. I had no idea what to do. I certainly wasn't going to wear my swimsuit and goggles, and I didn't really have many interests (or so I thought) outside of just 'hanging out.' I asked my Mom for her advice and she suggested all of these neat little props to represent "me." So what does my picture have? I'm sitting on a Zebra-print blanket (to show I was trendy or something I guess), holding a magazine with a picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar on the cover (to show that I was a huge Buffy fan), next to a stuffed Eeyore doll (to show that I was suicidal or something), and I'm holding a guitar. I HAD NEVER PLAYED THE GUITAR IN MY LIFE. The idea was, according to my mom, I knew I wanted to learn to play some day. And by the time I was going to look back on these pictures, I'd be really, really good. Probably.<br />
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I used to be so ashamed of this picture, and obviously I realize how totally ridiculous it is. But it occurred to me, yesterday, how 100% spot on it was as far as representing "who I was." I was a girl who had no idea who I was. Everything was projected as this image of who other people thought I should be. <i>Note: if you have to ask your mother what represents 'you,' you're doing it wrong.</i> But that's who I was- an interpretation of what everyone else wanted to see. My bedroom wall was cluttered with magazine pictures of women skinnier and prettier and more famous than me- people that the world put on a glossy page and told every teenage girl that we should be like. I bought the shoes they said were cool, I took the general ed classes in college that everyone took. My personality was essentially a xerox copy of whoever seemed like they knew what they were doing.<br />
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It wasn't until years later that I started to befriend more people who promoted individuality, and I started to see things that the world showed me and say, "meh, that's not for me." And maybe that makes me less of a celebrated "yes" person, but I'm okay with that. When I look around my room, now, I see places around the world that I've been because they were important to me. I have books that represent my values and clothes and jewelry that I think are pretty and comfortable. I have a 13 lb. cat that everyone else hates but I think she's the greatest thing in the world and they can go to hell if they have a problem with that. I love my little life, and it finally feels like home to me.<br />
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The reason I started out my entry with that quote is that I was having a moment today where I felt like I was kind of getting the butt of things. I was irritated that people were expecting things of me that I felt they weren't personifying themselves, and it was very much a "well, why should I do it then??" moment. And I made all of these very true, very valid excuses of why I felt like the only non-hypocrite. But that thought stopped me because, at the end of the day, I can only control my own actions and reactions. And just because I feel that someone else has made poor choices doesn't change a thing about my own. I struggle with that concept a lot, actually. And not to sound like I'm a saint by all means, because I can be a real selfish asshole. But I often feel like it would be fair and right for me to react to a scenario based on the scenario, and not on the person that I try to be. But I don't want to be anybody based on what other people believe I <i>should </i>be. I'm not a teenager, asking what represents "me." I am "me," and I should be the one deciding what to include in the picture.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-15607579072167851642014-02-23T22:36:00.003-08:002014-02-23T22:42:22.496-08:00Something (an update).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been too long. It keeps being too long, unfortunately. I think that I started to feel like I was writing because I needed to write, and the fact that I write for work, now, seems to have taken some of my steam out of personal musings. Plus, work has been busy and good and fun, but exhausting with all of the new responsibilities of my recent promotion (they made me the new Marketing Communications Manager). But it's good.<br />
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I also started to feel so exposed with this blog. I write every thought here, and began to feel like I had no secrets anymore. And honestly? I missed having secrets. So I'd love to make bold promises as to when I'll write and what I'll say, but I wont do that. I made a promise that my New Years Resolution was to make a series of resolutions, which I should do. But something is coming, and I don't know what but I know it is. I can always tell when something is changing and right now, something is changing. Last week I had a mini-drama because I've noticed a lot of chaos in my life lately. Not bad chaos, necessarily, but just upheaval of everything about my life that I thought was one way and turned out to be another. My job change, two of my best friends moving away within a few months of one another, feeling very disoriented and lonely. And it's sucked, quite frankly. BUT- I also know that it's a really good thing because great changes come out of great trials. There are a number of things about my life that I've noticed I was to change, and it's taken me feeling disappointed about them in order for me to snap into action and make the changes themselves. I've always been stubborn like that.<br />
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It's almost March. In April, I'll be going to spend a week and a half in Brussels, Paris, Florence and Rome. Which is an important trip to me because I've now tried to go to Rome twice without having been. I'm finally going there, and on top of that I'll be spending an entire day completely on my own, which I'm more than a little excited about since it'll hopefully pave the way for future trips I'd like to take alone. Maybe this next few years of my life will be my travelling years to see all of the places I want to see: Peru, Tibet, Prague, Croatia, Spain, Morocco... I want to see it all and maybe this big change coming my way is finally doing that. We'll see.<br />
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I wish I had better blogs and more exciting stories, and maybe I need to get back to writing on a regular basis so I don't lose my ability to do it in a non-work setting. But in the mean time, life is good and crazy and interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-64506333188684678412014-01-06T19:02:00.002-08:002014-01-06T19:02:56.644-08:00On New Years Resolutions and Keeping it Simple.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of<a href="http://remainsimple.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"> remainsimple.com</a></span></div>
So... here we are 6 days into the new year and I haven't really given much thought to any 2014 resolutions. In the past, I've done a year with monthly resolutions and that worked out pretty well. For the most part, however, I don't really do that whole "I'm going to ship-shape my life starting at 12 pm tonight."<br />
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I know that I need changes in my life, and I guess now that I'm 30, I should start doing that whole grown up "making plans" thing. Ugh. But I read <u><b><a href="http://theartofsimple.net/simple-new-year/" target="_blank">this article</a></b></u> from The Art of Simple, and it spoke to me. Starting off the new year under a load of expectations and meticulous planning isn't really where I'm at these days. I like the idea of spending January deciding on what I really want to do and, even more-so, what I <i>need </i>to do. I'd like to spend this month reflecting and assessing, and then each following month working on something in a different part of my life that needs attention. I also want to emphasize relaxation and acceptance this coming year. I've dealt with anxiety a good part of my life, but I'm finally at a place where that seems to have subsided. <br />
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I spent a lot of my 20's trying to impress other people. I believe that's fairly normal for someone in that age bracket. I wanted to be who they wanted me to be and prove that I belonged and was smart and funny and whatever-else-I-worried-about. It's different now. I want this to be a time in my life dedicated to impressing myself- and learning why that's <u>enough</u>. I read a Michelle Obama interview where she said:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> "I found that other women, in similar situated balancing career family, trying to do it all and a lot of times we just slip pretty low on our own priority list because we're so busy caring for everyone else. And one of the things that I want to model for my girls is investing in themselves as much as they invest in others."</span></blockquote>
And I believe that to be so very true. For a multitude of reasons, be it caring for others or caring too much about what others think, we put ourselves at the bottom of our priority list. Which is crazy. So this month will be about reflection in order to discover how I can value myself more. If that means I stay home with a cup of tea and a notebook, that's okay. Sometimes it's okay to keep it simple.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-38487484270194442682013-12-26T19:05:00.003-08:002013-12-26T19:05:41.872-08:00Everything Is Fine.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">“Fear is forgetting that everything is fine.” </span></div>
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-<span style="font-size: xx-small;">5 Sayings That Will Keep You Grounded (<a href="http://www.realsimple.com/" target="_blank">Real Simple Magazine</a>, January 2014)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: Tumblr / Flickr account<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/grigoryeva/" target="_blank"> Jane Grigoreva</a></span></div>
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I haven’t written lately, for any number of reasons. I’ve been tired or busy or my computer hasn’t been working properly. So today when I read this quote and felt compelled to write about it, I was actually excited.<br />
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<i>Fear is forgetting that everything is fine.</i><br />
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Wow. What a monumental quote. I can’t help but feel like it was meant for me to find it, somehow. It’s such a mix of how I feel and how I WANT to feel these days, if that makes any sense.<br />
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I think that throughout my entire life, I’ve lived with a certain level of fear. It’s led me to episodes of anxiety and recluse, and who knows how many missed opportunities. And once in a while I will remember to live with this quote in mind, <i>Fear is forgetting that everything is fine</i>. When I do… my life is different, somehow.<br />
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The past 6 months have been more driven with purpose and clarity, in many ways, than any other time in my life. I credit that to my new job and the permissions it has given me to feel at home in my life. And, oh yes, there are a dozen or so things in my life that I would love to be different right now. But the way everything is managed at the moment has brought me such a level of calm that I can say I don’t remember what anxiety even felt like.<br />
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I used to be rushed to do things, afraid that I’d get in trouble for being late or screwing up on someone else's watch. I felt like I was under-appreciated and under-stimulated in most parts of my life. I didn’t really have deep discussions or connections with people because most of my social engagement happened online or through text messages. I finally realized this when I recently made a new friend whose ability to listen and inquire is mind-blowing to me. I don’t mean to say that none of my friends are good listeners, because they are. But I can’t count now how many things I’ve told this person and had him reiterate or ask about them days or weeks later. And it completely blows me away and inspires me… I want to be that person, too!<br />
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The level of stress in my daily life has diminished and my relationships have deepened with the people in my circle of friends. I feel at peace.<br />
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And more importantly, I WANT to feel at peace. I don’t want to be a person who has to have dramas or complications to spice up my life. I’m finally able to admit that I really AM a simple person, and I like it that way. I don’t require a lot of incentive to be happy or intrigued by life. And maybe that’s boring, but I like my life in a state of calm. I like Friday nights watching movies and spending time with friends on the weekends. I recently had someone tell me that I have a calming presence, which I'd never have guessed considering how anxious I used to feel all of the time. It was deeply flattering for me to feel that I am a person who relaxes other people, because that's the kind of person that I'm realizing- more and more- that I want to be.<br />
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When my life was more hectic, I would always have to remind myself of this quote- <i>Fear is forgetting that everything is fine.</i> My version was more along the lines of, “I’m always fine,” but its meaning remains the same. No matter what life throws at me- I’m always fine. If you read my last entry, you'll see this as a common thread in my mindset lately, and hey... that's alright with me. It’s only when we get distracted by dramas or complications that we forget that everything is going to be just fine, because it almost always is. Remember THAT, and life becomes easier.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-69023632931506172202013-12-02T13:05:00.000-08:002013-12-02T13:08:45.819-08:00Real Problems.Today I woke up sick, as I was yesterday, with a gnarly cold. Not my favorite thing. I called in sick to work and cuddled up to my cat, reaching over every so often for a Kleenex and a sip of water. As I dozed off to sleep, I heard the single most fearsome noise of all time: the Street Sweeper. I jumped out of bed and ran to my car but it was too late- I'd gotten my first parking citation in years. $44. Seriously? Because today couldn't get any worse??<br />
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So I laid in bed with my laptop and looked up reasons I could fight the ticket, and how unfair they were, etc., etc. This was hours ago. And suddenly a thought occurred to me: I'm an asshole.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If a Parking Ticket is the biggest of my worries, I really have a LOT to be grateful for.</span></div>
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The ironic thing is that it was totally my fault. I left my car there, I could have taken notice of the street sign or gotten up or whatever. And I didn't, so I should pay the stupid ticket. It's not like Street Sweeping is a new thing around here. Even my cold isn't life-threatening. Last year I had Walking Pneumonia at the and of the year. A little cold isn't going to kill me. In fact- I was sort of relieved that I felt I should stay home (don't want to spread it to co-workers!) and lay back. This Thanksgiving we went to my niece's wedding in Utah and it was very much a go-go-go trip, followed by a 16-hour drive home in a minivan with my family and their dog. A day to spoil myself with <a href="http://meganmccrindle.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-good-life.html" target="_blank">peace and quiet</a> and soup and movies is just what the doctor ordered, in more ways than one.<br />
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How many times do we (see: I) do this? We make mountains of our molehills and create these extravagant injustices of how shoddy of a deal we've been handed? "I'm Sick," "He hasn't called," "My favorite shirt got ruined." These are not real problems. And if I take my top five "problems" in my life right now- my bet is that I'll feel really, REALLY stupid for thinking they're a big deal. For some reason, my mind flashes to the cover of a <a href="http://siamusic.net/" target="_blank">Sia</a> album, titled:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Some-People-Have-Real-Problems/dp/B0010DJ1VA" target="_blank"> <b>Some People Have Real Problems</b></a>.<br />
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Those some people are not me, or most likely YOU- for that matter.<br />
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I suppose this is an appropriate subject for the week after Thanksgiving, and I ought to have written something about what I'm grateful for last week. But I was too busy, or distracted, or just plain down in the dumps about whatever little dramas I have going on in my life. I know that most women tend to crave drama, and I'm the first to admit that I've probably hopped on that train more than once. But the point isn't to be perfect, it's to be aware. I want to be aware of all that I have, and aware of all the trials I don't have in my life. I want to be aware that I am really, really lucky, because some people have REAL problems, and I'm not one of them.<br />
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And now, a few mellow-time songs you've been missing (without even knowing it):<br />
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This girl can do no wrong:<br />
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/kTuLDimhKaY?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-74749356785608973802013-11-10T11:26:00.002-08:002013-11-10T11:30:34.835-08:00The 5 Things You Learn.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kyd9cnUQuwSNlsqE_g1lznaZKthF97VRcX5KMa2hx1pXEz-Zwxg2qrnPBO8zyGz203QWzptdI-ydgX_xw-IcFqClQsgo5kx6Oo8uc_Y94uwJKh4mw4D5zAn_SPRbi385IHD3lXyhCSw/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kyd9cnUQuwSNlsqE_g1lznaZKthF97VRcX5KMa2hx1pXEz-Zwxg2qrnPBO8zyGz203QWzptdI-ydgX_xw-IcFqClQsgo5kx6Oo8uc_Y94uwJKh4mw4D5zAn_SPRbi385IHD3lXyhCSw/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Cred: Quoteco.com</span></div>
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I believe that we are the sum of the people we surround ourselves with. This is also exactly why I am increasingly careful about who I surround myself with these days- because it's too easy to become something that you had never intended to be. </div>
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I am the sum of these people, some still in my life and others not. My friends, my family, roommates and even fictional people that I watch on TV from time to time. These are the people who have impacted me. This list is for you.</div>
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1. Trying to be "<a href="http://meganmccrindle.blogspot.com/2013/05/uncool.html" target="_blank">perfect</a>" is a never-ending battle that ends badly. I used to be so paranoid about impressing people that never even cared what I did in the first place. It's so important to know: No one is looking at you as much as you think they are. So dance wildly. Let your hair be out of place sometimes. Be prepared to argue your point even if you're the only one who believes in it. You matter, and you're allowed to be different than other people think you should be. People have much less stock in their opinions of you than you might think.</div>
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2. Sometimes, it isn't you. This goes in line with #1, but in a bit of a different way. Sometimes we think that, when a friend hasn't been available to us, we did something wrong. And maybe we did, and it's good to ask if that's the case. But so very often when we think we're the problem- we aren't. Sometimes there's drama at home. Honestly, and I know this sounds harsh, but honestly sometimes these people we allow into our lives are just really messed up. And you can choose to continue to be there for them or not- depending on the circumstances. But don't feel like you can <i>control</i> other people's problems because you will be wrong 100% of the time.</div>
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3. Belief makes you better. The most interesting and amazing people that I have met have believed in something <b>big</b>. Sometimes it's been a higher power, sometimes it's been dedicating themselves to hard work, sometimes it's been the power of music. But the most fascinating people I know are not sitting around believing in New Girl or the new bar down the street. They've got heads filled with ideas and hearts filled with passion. This is good.</div>
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4. Caring goes a long way. And sometimes we have to stop and recognize how amazing it is when somebody genuinely cares about who we are or what we have to say. I have a friend who is Johnny-On-The-Spot with questions about what's going on with me, or what happened with a story I told him days earlier. It's been one of those things where every time it happens I feel so humbled that such a simple gesture can make me feel so important. How easy is it to ask someone a question and listen to the answer? And in a world of fast-paced "Look At Me!"... it's so amazing to find someone who is saying "What about YOU?" Be that person for somebody else.</div>
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5. Honesty is the best policy. Sometimes you want someone to make you feel better, and you need them to tell you that you look great even though you have, like, 4 1/2 pimples and your pants are getting too tight from too much Panera. But when push comes to shove, the opinions that make a difference are the honest ones. If you want to know that you're latest project really DOES need some work- ask an honest person. This is probably not the person you want to ask if you want a cushy-cozy answer. But I have increasing respect for the opinions of bluntly honest people. I would not have done the following if it weren't for the truth-tellers: Gotten a REAL job, pushed myself back into painting and art, worked harder on this blog, gone to Europe, learned to be alone, started personal projects like learning to crochet and take decent photos, worked out instead of sleeping and watching TV all day, set standards for myself, excluded people from my life that were emotional vampires and developed the courage to stand up for myself against hurtful people. </div>
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These are the people who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. They're the ones who told me that I was more capable of things than I thought I was. Ironically, these are some of the most difficult people for me to talk to because they're like my Life Coaches and sometimes I don't wanna go to THAT gym. But the honest ones, the really honest people, are the most crucial people I could have ever asked for in my personal development.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-83664600759964020202013-10-14T20:41:00.000-07:002013-10-14T20:41:44.180-07:00How to Write.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Be open.</b><br />
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I don't just mean open in the sense that you would think. Yes, be honest. But more importantly: be open to write. When you close yourself off and live in this little fantasy world where you don't feel and you hardly think- you cannot write. You just can't. Great writing comes from inspiration and nothing less. And what inspires us? For some it will be travel. For some it will be heartache, loneliness, or a combination of the two. For some it might be an Earth-shattering connection to a higher power. For some it will be love. Find out where you're closing yourself off and open the door, or at least a window. </div>
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<b>Write what you know.</b> </div>
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I'm hardly the first person to say this. You'd sound a bit like an idiot if you went around talking about things you know little about, right? Sometimes... sometimes we don't know much of anything. These are my entries that I have posted here where I admit a blankness in my life. But there's a reason that I do that: I want you to know that quite often, I feel like I don't know much of anything. And that's actually normal. Even if what you know is that you know so little; if you want to be a writer, admit that your mind is silent.</div>
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<b>Confess.</b></div>
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The beauty about writing, to me, is that I can say anything. If I felt motivated to, I could confess my deepest feelings on life, family, or relationships. I choose not to expose myself TOO much here, but that's not to say that I don't come here to shed some layers. I'm a strange one, in case you haven't noticed. And I'm okay with that. As a kid I always felt too peculiar and alien to "the norm." I spent way too much time in my own head, trying to figure out how I felt about the world. It was when I started admitting my oddities and insecurities to people that I began to hear a soft chorus of peers whispering, "<span style="font-size: x-small;">me, too</span>."</div>
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<b>Give life to your audience.</b></div>
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I'm not there with you, reading this. I don't know what you're feeling or thinking or how your day was (I'd love to, by the way. Drop me a line!) One of my most effective writing tools, in recent months especially, has been to envision that I am talking to you directly. How would I explain what I think about this topic? What advice do I so greatly want you to hear? It can be difficult to find my voice when I'm staring at a computer screen. My most effective motivation and inspiration is, as it should be, YOU.</div>
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<b>Caffeine.</b></div>
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My final tip is from a post on <a href="http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/33-unusual-tips-to-being-a-better-writer/" target="_blank">Thought Catalog</a>. I tend to write better in the morning, and am changing it to night time. If there was one thing that I wish I could still do it would be to write in the morning again, but my job now has me doing ACTUAL JOB things. Nothing jolts my creative juices like a nice dose of Vitamin C. And by that, I mean Caffeine. Oh, and my friend Matt says showers make him feel inspired. So... looks like I'll be especially hygienic these days.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-73411965432804259812013-10-08T20:53:00.001-07:002013-10-08T20:53:01.345-07:00MYTunesIn unrelated news: Are you on Spotify? I'm obsessed with it. If you're on there, find me. I make new playlists every month!<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="56" scrolling="no" src="https://embed.spotify.com/follow/1/?uri=spotify:user:125739241&size=detail&theme=light" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="300"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-89981235444871592002013-10-08T20:41:00.001-07:002013-10-08T20:41:05.190-07:00A Little C&A<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/4fYqe3QeOqQ?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">For your viewing pleasure (I dare you to not smile)</span></div>
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To start off somewhere besides the place where we discuss how I've been gone for two weeks, let's begin here... I was doing yoga tonight. I've missed it so much, and I always feel much better after I do a few poses. This week has been kind of a cheat week for me since I was hiking several times per week and not feeling very encouraged by the physical results. Yesterday was a major junk food day, spilling into today, and reminding me that my diet is a big part of the shape my body takes. So lettuce wraps and tomatoes for dinner, eh?<br />
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So my yoga gear came out and I got to my final pose which is something weird in Sanskrit but translates to Dead Man's Pose in English. I inhaled with no thought, exhaling and remembering to use this time to meditate in some form or another. What word would be best? Peace...too cheesy. Tranquility... reminds me too much of a Bath & Body Works lotion.<br />
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And then: Clarity. And for the exhale Acceptance.<br />
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And as I lay there, essentially talking to myself, I realized the power and importance of those words. I think that if there were ever two words that will define a feeling of the ultimate Zen experience, they'd be Clarity and Acceptance.<br />
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As a writer, clarity is essential. I'm learning more and more that if my mind isn't clear and focused, my writing will reflect that. I become jumbled and confusing and I probably talk more about cats than I should. Even just a self-talk reminder to seek out clarity in all things is an amazing tool to wade through the haze in my head and remember to see things with my heart and mind simultaneously. It's far too easy to become overwhelmed with the thoughts and words of others and forget to pay attention to yourself. I know it is for me, anyway.<br />
<br />
Acceptance might be even more important than Clarity, to some degree. I had the word on my mind after reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DailyOM-Inspirational-Thoughts-Healthy-Fulfilling/dp/1401920500" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>Daily Om</b></span></a> by Madisyn Taylor this morning. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. There are a few parts that get a little hokey for my tastes, but lots of gold in those pages overall. Pages 69-70 read:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...For every problem, there are a multitude of solutions (...) Giving others the freedom to act in the way they feel is best without fear of harsh judgments honors the capacity for growth that all people possess. It is not wise to try to fix people or control situations. you may feel compelled to intervene when difficulties arise, but it is important only to offer guidance when asked (...) Giving others the liberty to blossom in <i>their </i>journeys grants you the freedom to take notice of your own."</blockquote>
Acceptance comes in a variety of forms, all of which are equally important. It is important to accept yourself, as well as others, "As Is." Always, always desire the best for others, and always strive for a better version of You- but also embrace the oddities and differences that exist without change.<br />
<br />
I've experienced enough of life and been exposed to enough people (some of which I really, really wanted to change!) to know that you should never attempt to change another human being. And I know enough about myself to know that I need to love the person that I am at my own core of being. As I tend to say: You can't fit a square into a circle. But... I'm sure that isn't the best analogy. Oh well, I never claimed to be a philosphiziser.<br />
<br />
It is also with Acceptance that life becomes easier. You don't push so hard against life when it goes differently than you anticipated. I don't think anyone has it the way that they expect or want on a daily basis, and I read somewhere very official and very undocumentable (see:I'm too lazy to look it up) that people who tend to bend with misfortune tend to enjoy themselves much more in the long run. Being so dead set on something that nothing else will do seems like a really good way to be disappointed all the time, in my opinion.<br />
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So, in short, find your words. Mine are Clarity and Acceptance. You can borrow them if you want. Mine are pretty awesome.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-38684640184447236572013-09-23T20:55:00.001-07:002013-09-23T21:24:24.704-07:00Who We Show.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My old roommates are moving to Spain. I know I've mentioned it.<br />
<br />
When going through their checklist of things to do before they leave, they asked me my thoughts on them starting blogs. I told them that I thought it was not only important for them to document their trip, but to document all of the things leading up TO that trip. How they feel about it on a daily basis- fears and joys alike- the preparations they are putting in, tiny details and facts that they don't think are relevant... everything. My reasoning was that sometime in the near future, two girls are going to decide they want to teach English in a foreign country and have no clue where to start. Blogs are not only about you, but all of the people who you can reach out to and help in ways that you never imagined would come to pass.<br />
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I've been wondering how my blog helps anybody. Is there some girl out there who reads this and thinks, "Man, I'm really glad she said it because I had no idea where to start?" And on that wave... how real am I being to that person? How many details about my trip am I including for her to navigate the places she wants to go?<br />
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I realized today, in talking to my best friend, how much of myself I hold in. I always thought that, as a writer, I revealed myself to people pretty widely and honestly. And I know that I do, to some extent. I tell all of my embarrassing stories in full detail. I joke about my dating mishaps and the "losers" I've dated in my early 20's. I laugh a lot and disclose my strange conversations that I have with my cat where I talk to her like a human and expect that she understands. I tell all.<br />
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But today I was talking to my friend about an old relationship of mine, and what she saw from me when it ended. She laughed as she told me that she had never really known WHAT I was feeling or thinking because I was so candid and yet private during the breakup. One minute I would be sad and the next I would be completely level-headed and preaching about how it was for the best and I was much better off. Here was my own best friend, who I talked to almost daily during this point of my life, telling me she had no clue how I was doing at that time. Crazy.<br />
<br />
I guess I hold a lot in.<br />
<br />
I had a guy tell me, from notes that a girl friend of mine had given him, that he knew better than to bring me flowers. "I know you're not into all that romantic stuff."<br />
<br />
I guess I hold a lot in.<br />
<br />
I wonder how many of us do this same thing. The truth of the matter is: I feel things more deeply than anyone I know. I'm a writer- of COURSE there's poetry in my veins when my life happens for good or for bad. It kills me when things don't work out with someone that I genuinely care about. It kills me that I don't have the relationships with my family and friends that I wish I had. I point out the comedy in my life because it's the only way I can talk about it without dwelling on the crappy things that happen sometimes (and I'm sure happen in anyone's lives). I love romantic gestures from a boy. The reason I don't jump up and down when they happen is because I'm afraid that if I do, I'll jinx it.<br />
<br />
"Play it cool. Play it cool..."<br />
<br />
On top of that, and because I see/feel more than most people do, I look for the individual in people. I don't want the same conversations you've had with your other friends. I don't want the rehearsed routine you've put forward with every girl you've dated. I want you to see and hear me- really hear me- and be the person you find in yourself when you're around the person that I am. I want the inside jokes and the idle chatter with my best friends. I want the book you knew I would love or the nerdy Mario Brothers foam flower that you knew would never die. I don't want an aisle-checkout Gift Card friendship, I want preempted individualism.<br />
<br />
The reason I bring this all up is that I feel like I've spent the better part of the past few years (in my ongoing self-discovery) looking for who I am, who I REALLY am, and how much I show to people and why.<br />
<br />
When I turned 30... something changed in me. Maybe it was a combination of turning 30 and changing jobs. But I suddenly felt like this huge weight had lifted off of my shoulders. Where I used to care so much about doing things "just so..." suddenly I just...<br />
<br />
...stopped.<br />
<br />
I stopped trying to figure out who everyone else wanted me to be. I stopped caring if everything was perfect. I honestly think that I realized after trying SO hard for SO long, and things never quite lining up the way I tried to orchestrate them to, that my life was going to just be imperfect. And for the first time- that was okay. So I stopped trying to fit a circle into a square. I stopped stressing out that people might have wanted me to behave a certain way. I stopped chiming in on drama around me and instead just shrugged and said, "Man, that sucks." I stopped trying so hard to make people love me.<br />
<br />
So this is me. Not caring. And telling you that it's okay to stop using the comedy to really <i>feel</i> your own life. It's okay to admit to your best friend that you're sad, or scared, or that you just don't have all the answers at that moment. It's okay to just sit with yourself and not stress out that your life is different than you thought it would be when you were five and wearing light-up plastic princess heels.<br />
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I have a quote on my mirror in my bedroom that's been there since just after my birthday: <i>We either choose to make ourselves miserable or to make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I like that.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-12568369012656356212013-09-16T22:48:00.001-07:002013-09-16T22:48:33.712-07:00Be You.This past week has been filled with conversations that I really needed to have. I'd been lost on here for a while and that analytical side of me was MIA, which isn't terrible but not great when you're a writer.<br />
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I had a discussion today regarding writing, but from another person. My friend is a writer who has a sort of writer's block, which I can relate to. Sometimes we as writers lose our voice, and that can be incredibly frustrating. We were talking about how we have these "voices," or basically literary facades, that we use to present our stories to the world. Writers often do this for anonymity and self-preservation. I realized, though I already knew it, that I use this writing mask more often than not. I can't think of how many times I haven't been able to find the courage to tell someone my thoughts, only to write it down later. I have the words, but for some reason hiding behind a computer makes it easier for me to let down my guard and admit that I care, or that I'm afraid, or that I'm upset. Writing is the only way I think I can allow myself to be fully vulnerable.<br />
<br />
I got to thinking about it this evening, this whole facade thing, and began to wonder why we do it. And it isn't just writers. It's Bloggers, Facebookers, Twitterers, even Instagrammers. We have this entire generation hiding behind our screens. We post updates, in our Voices, about the lives we want to be perceived to have. We post pictures of the amazing meals we're eating and the cute thing our boyfriend/girlfriend did for us. And then we hide and fumble over what to say when faced with actual people. We are an entire generation who has spent so much time reaching out to the world, looking for love and recognition in mediums we never thought possible, and yet more unable to find it than ever. And that's because we're not being REAL. It's easy to "like" someone when they're at their most edited selves. And we know that. So when things aren't filtered in Walden, it can become unnerving to open up and let people see your picture in a real-life hue. So we don't. We hide and we treat our world like a ventriloquist act, throwing our voices to a propped doll so people don't see that we're off stage in our tattered pajamas.<br />
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Being our real selves is one of the scariest things in the world. Mainly because if we give our all and present 100% authenticity, and people hate it, we have nothing to hide behind. Few things are more intimidating than saying "This is me," and having another person say, "You aren't enough." I think that's why I am so passionate about finding a place of clarity in myself. If I know who I am, and I can become the person that I know I am satisfied with at the end of the day, no one else's opinion really matters. You're never going to please everybody, and that is a fact. And even the people who love you the most in the world aren't always going to agree with or even like you. And that's okay. If you know yourself, and know the person you want to be, then you know that being the person SOMEONE ELSE wants you to be is silly and nonsensical.<br />
<br />
Do we need to spill our deepest, darkest secrets to everybody? No. Keep a part of you for yourself, and spare hurt feelings if you have disagreeable emotions on a topic. But don't ever hide your plan for yourself, and don't ever stop trying to figure out who you want to be. That changes every day- every single day. It's emotional evolution and that's healthy. But allow people to see you. Be honest. Desire the best for not only the people in your world but for yourself, too. No manipulation, no games. No "this is who I want people to think I am." This is <b><u>your</u></b> life, not an audition for someone else's.<br />
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Be you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-56986232052464129612013-09-07T15:52:00.001-07:002013-09-07T15:52:10.813-07:00Goodness.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(one of the good ones!)</span></div>
<br />
I don't know about anybody else, but as a kid I seemed to have sought out unhealthy relationships with people. It extended further, well into my adulthood, and often comes up in my conversations with people. While some girls have these friends and boyfriends who are super supportive and loving, I did not. I wont go into details, only to say that when I talk about it it's embarrassing and usually reciprocated with a general response of "seriously? why?" I once had a boyfriend who broke things off, we decided to work it out, and then he broke things off again a week later. I told a friend about this and his response was, "Um, twice is a lot of times to break up with somebody." that simplistic reply really made me come to terms with the fact that this guy had been a jerk.<br />
<br />
And it kind of IS an interesting scenario. Why did I do this to myself? Was it some form of self-loathing? Low self-esteem? I grew up in a pretty awesome and supportive family, so I know it's not a learned habit.<br />
<br />
I think that women have this tendency to tell themselves terrible things. Ideas of not being worthwhile spew into our brains and take root. And of course, it's insane. We are worthwhile, amazing people. I know that I deserve people to treat me with kindness and love, but I seem to have a history of not really EXPECTING it from people. Or at least allowing them to fall completely short of the behavior I should accept.<br />
<br />
I had a friend who was so similar to me in this sense. We would talk for hours about the people in her life who were consistently letting her down, and her responses to it. She had one guy, in particular, who she was completely enamored with, and he knew it, but kind of led her on about the whole thing. And she would tell me how she knew better, yet exposed herself to his rejection time and again, not knowing why. It actually got sort of hard to talk to her about it because she would always be giving chances when she knew better than to do it.<br />
<br />
I think I understand why I allow people to be jerks sometimes, which is the first step. But the next, and more difficult, is figuring out how to navigate things from there. When someone messes up, do I axe them from my life right then and there? How many times do I allow myself to get hurt before I end that friendship? I don't know the rules.<br />
<br />
What I DO know is this: I (and you!) am/are worth it. And I demand a better circle than the ones I have run in in the past. Maybe it's me being old and lazy, but I don't have the time for that crap. I don't have the energy to embrace crummy friendships and relationships, and I refuse to do it. I want to surround myself with people who encourage me to be my best self. I don't want to have friends who do stupid things to me or to themselves and don't expect me to get upset about it. I don't want friends who put me on the backburner, or who place minimal effort into our friendship. I'm worth effort, and so are you! If somebody makes you feel bad on a regular basis- why keep them in your life? You should have people who want to help you succeed and help bring you up, not make you sad. Surround yourself with the love you deserve. You are<b> so</b> worth it.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-59799933382326054142013-09-03T22:08:00.002-07:002013-09-03T22:08:39.632-07:00All You Need Is Love.So I am in a bit of a fun blogger mood tonight. Partially because all of my responsibilities are away at summer (or, rather, fall) camp. Aside from work, which will now be taking the spotlight in my oh-so-thrilling social life, all of the things I've had on my agenda are checked off. I have zero obligations aside from hiking, yoga, cooking, cats, and ideally personal hygiene. Watch out, world!<br />
<br />
It isn't that I don't like being busy. I actually prefer it. I have this over-analytical, writer-y side of me who needs to be constantly preoccupied lest she start wondering, like... what feelings mean or something. This is great once in a while, but trust me when I say I accomplish much more when this is not the case. I do plenty of soul-searching during my deep conversations with Newps.<br />
<br />
So now it's September and the next thing on my agenda (aside from the 67 lbs. of family birthdays this month) is whether or not I want to tackle sewing my own Halloween costume.<br />
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Kewl.<br />
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At the risk of blabbing on about how lazy I anticipate being in the coming future, let's talk about something else.<br />
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<br />
My Best Friend got married this weekend. And I am SO not the girl who swoons at weddings, but this one was absolutely perfect. maybe I'm just getting old, but I totally cried at least 3 or 50 times. Sayum looked like a Bride Magazine model, complete with horse-drawn carriage. The thing that blew me away, on top of the physical beauty of the day, was the amount of love pouring out from every corner of the evening. The majority of her bridal party flew in from Michigan and rented an enormous mansion with a waterslide and a grotto. Every day was all about Sayum and how to make this the most special weekend of her life. I'd never seen an outpour of love the way these girls funneled it to Sayum. It was, and this is an understatement, inspirational. I'm not kidding, it really made me re-evaluate the level of friendship and love I give to the girls in my life who are important to me.<br />
<br />
For being someone who loves spa nights and Bridesmaids... I guess I'm not a very girly girl. I'm more comfortable with fart jokes and movie quotes than late-night gossip and martinis (well... <i>maybe</i> martinis.) Or heaven forbid someone cry in front of me- I completely panic.<br />
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I am learning, though. I'm learning to be gentler, and to appreciate the female bonds I have in my life. It's been honestly tough at times, but I think there is a greatly undervalued emphasis on girl friends in my life- and I hope to nurture those friendships where they stand strong. I'd be lying if I said that I don't trace this back to some pretty crummy female friends I had as a kid, and I think that is why I hold Sayum on such a pedestal. She has been the absolute perfect friend to me, and if I am at all lucky I will figure out a way to do my best impression of that.<br />
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Friendships are so important, and it can sometimes be easy to get caught up in life and forget to make time for the people who make time for us. But if there is one thing I've learned in the past few years of knowing Sayum, and in the past week of witnessing the bonds that exist with her Michigan friends, it's that those relationships are worth every moment of effort.<br />
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Thank you, Sayum, for showing me the type of person that I want to be. I can't promise to come close to perfect, but I am that much closer to being the best friend that I can be.<br />
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I love your guts, Mrs. Boucher.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-9077674800277151342013-08-27T21:50:00.001-07:002013-08-27T21:50:31.638-07:00Roots.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Why? Why do we write? (<i>not the royal We, I mean writers in general!</i>)<br />
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I started this blog in a completely different place than I am now- in every way. Back in, what? '08? '09? I hid the posts that went as far back as this thing did, mainly out of comedic embarrassment. What a small, unimportant series of events my life was at the time. And of course- THEN- it was huge. Just like every "Now" is so consuming. It's quite encouraging, when you think about it.<br />
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I began as a way of getting myself on paper... one of the only places I've always felt comfortable. It started on a floppy disc, and meandered over to the blog-o-sphere. A kind of "here's what I think" spot. But who wants to read my diary? And why?<br />
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So do I write for my Followers? Maybe. I like feeling that there is someone out there who sees an entry that makes them feel something. But I don't get a lot of comments on here, only analytics telling me that some random Firefox or Safari-user cares. Not a bad thing. But it means, in a strange way, that I write for either myself, or for the silent audience out there. Maybe they're one and the same.<br />
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The reason I even ask all of this isn't because I feel like driving myself (or anyone else) crazy. Only to question what sorts of things are topics that are appropriate. I've felt torn lately, now knowing that more people and more business-affiliates are aware that I exist. I miss posting the silly little crude posts that I used to feel like no one noticed in the first place. I always knew, even when I felt like "totally- such and such is TOTALLY reading this!"... I knew they weren't. Only, now... the numbers don't lie. <i>Someone</i> is. And it's important for me to know how to speak to people in a way that is still Me, but for something more than just Me.<br />
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I know the ballsy writers out there will say to just write honestly and in the only voice I've ever used. But I'm a firm believer that we always, even subconsciously, cater the voice we use to the audience we seek to reach <i>with</i> that voice. <b>What do I want Who to get out of the Things I have to say?</b><br />
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I guess... I guess it all just goes back to the beginning. Back in '08 or '09. When I started a blogspot called Life Is Sweet.<br />
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Do you know how this all began? My topic, back before I knew about having any kind of plan, was to discuss what parts of life were so great. The little things people forget. The bird I saw on my hike yesterday, or the fact that I get to play hacky sack at work tomorrow. How lucky I am to maintain close friendships with the people in my life. My Dad teaching me to shoot a gun. Having had the opportunity to spend the past 10 months living with the two most amazing roommates and friends I could have asked for, and them teaching me every single day how to be a better person.<br />
<br />
And maybe that's why I write.<br />
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And maybe that's what this blog needs to get back to- it's Treehouse Roots.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-65531728015533028882013-08-21T21:43:00.000-07:002013-08-21T21:43:44.144-07:00Perchance to Dream.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">"We wander, but in the end there is always a certain peace in being what one is- in being that completely..."</i></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;">-Ugo Betti</i></div>
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For as long as I can remember, I've had difficulty sleeping. I think the last time I had a consistent run of "good nights" was when I was in high school.<br />
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I look back, wondering why this is the case. I'm not even kidding- I have gone through every non-prescription option in Walgreens. Tylenol PM, Unisom, Nyquil (<i>This was during a very interesting Underworld time in my life. If you're going to take Nyquil, please watch that or Resident Evil. Falling peacefully asleep to those movies makes you feel like a hardcore M-er F-er</i>)... I always needed something to help set my mind at ease in order to quiet the frantic pacing my brain did around bedtime. It was never a matter of a "to-do'" list or anything like that. It was always some stupid thought about what friend of mine needed my help, or what my boyfriend was/wasn't doing. Super (un)important stuff like that.<br />
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A girlfriend of mine comforted me during a rough patch a few years ago, during a time when my brain refused to shut up. I was exhausted from a string of sleepless nights, feeling on-edge and tweaked. She told me, in so many words, that when she had gone through a rough patch, she worked out at the gym to the brink of exhaustion. She said that if she focused on exhausting her body, her brain would have no choice but to follow suite during her bedtime hours. She basically knocked herself out with physical activity.<br />
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I'm not sure how clinical her study was, but she had a point. An exhausted body is a sleepy body (and brain!)<br />
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These days, sleep is SO happening. I can honestly say, at 30, that this is the first time since I was probably 15 that I am relatively stress-free. My brain is content. I just don't care about pretty much anything. And it got me thinking... Why?<br />
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Did you know that when you're a teenager, the recommended allotment of sleep is 10 hours. TEN HOURS. And do you know why? It's because your body is constantly working to grow, and you are expanding your mind with new information daily. Not just in school, either. Socially and emotionally, too. You are literally growing every part of yourself, inside and out. You are expanding your mind, and exhausting it in the process.<br />
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This is me, now.</div>
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I am thirty years old. I am single. I am working in a new job where I am being challenged and educated daily. When I get off work, I still- for the first time ever- am thinking about work. Brainstorming, watching tutorial videos, reading books on Marketing. Not in an obsessive way, but simply because I want to be up to par with where I should be at my job. I'm also writing for a few spots, and trying to catch up on my social media that I used to spend a substantial amount more time on at my old job. <i>Sidebar: I have literally had friends message me on Facebook asking if I'm okay since I'm hardly on there anymore. HOW embarrassing.</i><br />
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Cut to my working hours: Between working on different projects I am making new friends, developing social skills in the workplace (since I haven't had any real "peers" at work in over 7 years so this is new territory), joining the fitness team with a handful of coworkers, and essentially navigating what it's like to have a completely different job than I've ever had before.<br />
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And it feels amazing.<br />
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I know I keep talking about work stuff, and ideally this will subside. But for now, this is what excites me. This is my life, for the moment. Which brings me to my point, sort of (and finally)...<br />
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Before this, my life was all about, "Oh, HE'S cute!" and "Oh no- she didn't!" And now that stuff all sort of seems... trivial. I am trying not to lose that girly part of me as much as possible, because I think a certain level of that is healthy for social bonding. But not having my focus be 100% social/emotional has really changed things for me. I'm no longer looking for any kind of drama, and when it comes up I'm too tired to even pay it mind anymore. I recently posted a roommate ad that basically said:<i> I have two requirements, don't be a slob and don't be an asshole. Otherwise I don't care. </i>Because I just don't care about a lot these days. I just want to work, be good at it, go hiking and come home and relax. I'm sorry that your sister's brother's cat sat on your fur-free couch. But I'm too tired to get worked up about it.<br />
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I guess I just feel what everyone else has been feeling all along... content. I am filling my brain with useful information, not searching for drama to fill it. I'm not really<b> searching</b> for anything. Not another person, not meaningless chatter just to occupy my time... Just Being.<br />
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And for the first time in a long time, I sleep.<br />
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Man, do I sleep.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6420367611373626268.post-66369738073342396622013-08-13T22:23:00.001-07:002013-08-16T08:36:45.970-07:00Thoughts on the HB Riots.A few weeks ago, my hometown hosted our annual surf competition, The Vans US Open of Surfing. Every summer, (hot!) surfers from all over the world compete to lay claim to the title at the HB pier- a spot so famous it's featured in video games and surf videos constantly. They shut down all of Main Street and the area around the pier, dedicating the beach to stands and tents for surf paraphernalia, food, and general industry goodies. We even have a concert series featuring some of the bigger names in music- this year there was a free Modest Mouse show, which is pretty cool if you ask me.<br />
Well... this time things got a little out of control.<br />
People flock in from all over Southern California to see the competition and the concert, and it's generally so crowded these days that locals avoid the area entirely. You see, Orange County has a bit of a bias against outsiders and we tend to sort of blanket everyone with a "certain look" as somebody from Riverside county, which is one of the next counties over. This stigma has gone on for years, and it's almost become a part of our local culture to point fingers at anybody with a bad attitude and dub them "Riversiders" or my personal favorite, "Nine Ballers." I've seen people waving flags down in Newport Beach with quotes like, "Close down the 91 Freeway!" (the route from Riverside County to OC.) I'd be lying if I said I didn't chuckle at this, because... come on man! THAT'S dedication.<br />
The US Open started the same way it starts every other year, people stoked for the competition, shops pumped up for the revenue upgrade. Locals made Facebook posts about the potential line-ups for the concert series, boo-hooing what bands they disagreed with for this free event that was literally falling at their feet. Free is free, in my book, and music is almost always a good thing. But that's a personal standpoint.<br />
By the last day, it was a really, really good thing that the event was closing up shop. I'd avoided downtown entirely so as to not deal with my slight case of crowd-claustrophobia.<i> I'm sure there's another word for this- but I'm too lazy to look it up.</i> The day Modest Mouse played, there wasn't a parking spot to be had, despite the fact that I live 16 blocks away. It was nuts.<br />
Apparently everyone else had overloaded on excitement, too. The final Sunday creeped into the afternoon with a beachy heat and humidity that pushed overly wound up crowds onto Main Street and into the local shops, and tension built enough that- from what I'm reading online- some idiot kids started a fight with a liquor store owner. Drunk? Probably. I mean... it IS Main Street HB. This escalated to some other moron thinking, you know, "How badass would it be if i knocked over a porta potty?" Call me crazy, but who the hell thinks it's cool to knock over a barrel of fecal matter? Not a clue. Crowds matched point by knocking over a string of the bathrooms, punching strangers for no reason at all, and general mayhem. I sat in my house, listening to the helicopters fly down the street and refreshing local news pages to watch videos of what was happening to my city only minutes away.<br />
So here comes some kid, all wild-eyed and probably 'roided up, carrying a stop sign that he had somehow hulked out and pulled OUT OF THE GROUND... throws it through a local bike shop window, and people start stealing 4-digit price tag bicycles from some Mom and Pop. Eventually a store employee manages to wrestle one of the bikes back and stand guard in the window (someone give that kid a HUGE raise), and it seems that the crowd moves on. Cops come, lining the street and eventually raining down rubber bullets to a riot that has gotten completely out of control. Welcome to Huntington Beach, girls and boys.<br />
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The thing about this, to me, that sucks, is that this is a surf city. This is a place where the lingo consists of "Dude," "Gnarly," and "Chill." We are the linguistic and attitude equivalent of the bong-tokers. The mellow ones. The surf-and-fish-taco-ers. We are not a bunch of shit-hungry brawlers.<br />
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Main street is like a breeding ground for thirsty Sunday Funday-crowds. I've long felt that it funneled in people from South County, LA County, and- yes- Riverside county. This is where the tattooed go for a good time. And we've incorporated that into our culture as well. I know plenty of people who refuse to go to DTHB because they don't want to deal with a bar fight. I'd love to sit here and trump the "It's never locals who fight," but it's become that way, these days.<br />
The other thing that pisses me off about this... well, one of the things, has been the reaction I've seen from my people. "Lets close the freeway next year," says one Facebook post. "Go home to Riverside!" shouts another. No one wants to claim responsibility for what happened. The irony is that the kid who threw the stop sign into the bike store was wearing a Long Beach t-shirt. That proves nothing about where he parked his car that night, but it does point to an interesting stigma that people are quick to point to: It's Riverside's Fault.<br />
It's not. It's a bunch of stupid people, from all over, with no sense of pride in a local city. Wherever they hail from is irrelevant. They're still most likely from Cali, and should respect any spot that opens its arms to them, saying, "Hey- want to see some really cool (free) stuff?" Who walks into someone else's house for a dinner party, or their own house even, and trashes the place because, like, it was just really hot that day? The whole thing embarrassed me to even be from Southern California. There was no catalyst. No cause. No underlying message of injustice and mistreatment or violation of rights. It was just a bunch of pointless aggression from a crowd of pricks who fight with their hands because their mouths had nothing purposeful to say.<i>"Why did you do that?"..."Because... Eff the Huntington Beach liquor store system?" </i><br />
I don't think so.<br />
And maybe I'm just getting to be that old lady who waves my cane and shouts, "when I was a kid, we respected our elders!" or whatever, but in my book, there is a general idea that I'm learning to apply universally:<br />
Don't be an asshole.<br />
Just be cool. Be nice to people, for no reason other than that it's kind of rad to be a good person. Don't mess up other people's stuff. Don't degrade or demean strangers. Don't point fingers and place blame on people you think are "the bad guy," if you don't have specifics or facts. Don't make fun of people you know nothing about. We all have flaws, misconceptions, and issues. I'm the first one to admit that I am the least perfect person I know. BUT- I try. I try to be cool to people, and to be as normal as I'm capable of being. Sometimes... lots of times- I fail miserably. But I try. Even now, I might be coming across as a bit angry. But I'm not directing it at any ONE, only at a behavior that has passed its expiration date.<br />
There is no reason for stupid teenage or adult angst. There is no reason to generally just suck as a person and direct it at a city, person, or object. This does not make you look "cool," bro.<br />
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Just don't be a menace to society, while drinking your juice in... well, Huntington Beach.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0