London Town

In lieu of traveling to London this year (due to many, many reasons) I thought I would do a photo tour of what I would be doing had I been there. I’ve only been there a handful of times but I already have habits established. Despite my love of travel I am a creature of habit, so once I find something or someplace I enjoy, I tend to stick with that. When in London, I stay in this comfortable little nook between the Bayswater / Hyde Park / Notting Hill neighborhoods. This area suits me so well and is the closest residential area to my favorite places. I start off every morning with a walk down through Kensington Gardens to my favorite Starbucks on Kensington Church Street. I love coming to this one because of the seating area in the basement. I’ve noticed a lot of Starbucks in London have these, but this one is my favorite partially because it never seems too crowded, and also because it’s got the cleanest bathroom. When you’re spending three hours writing and drinking coffee, the bathroom conditions matter.

                Next up is a leisurely stroll to Burlington Arcade for some macaroons at the world famous Ladureè. It’s over two miles so I make some stops along the way. While some people have religious experiences visiting museums or buildings of religious significance, I tend to have these at shopping landmarks. Or just shopping in general. Just walking down any of the high streets makes me happy and giddy. But I never get as excited as when I’m walking down Brompton Rd and seeing the gigantic mothership: Harrods. So beautiful.

                Now that half the trip is over, it’s easier to focus on the trip now to Laduree. One of my favorite things about walking around London – really any metropolis, but more so with London – are the sights to be seen on the way to any destination. I pass at least seven landmarks of all shapes and sizes on any given walk on any given day. After a few left turns and a few head turns on Saville Road we’ve made it. So many delicious choices!

                After an afternoon snack, I like to window shop on Regent Street. In particular there is an amazing toy store by the name of Hamley’s. It covers five floors and has different themes on each floor. An entire floor for board games? Yes please.

                After all that shopping and writing, it’s time to head back to the hotel for some dinner. If I haven’t picked up Pret A Manger yet, I stop at Whiteley’s shopping centre. After my most recent trip, Whiteley’s is seen as kind of miraculous in my eyes. It has loads of shops, really gets into Christmas, and most importantly has a Marks & Spencer for those last minute foodie needs.

Regent Street in November 2012

                London is my favorite place in the world, despite the pitfalls that have plagued me the last two times I visited. Also we’re just not going to talk about how badly I wish I could go there this year, or how quickly I would give up an essential organ for a cranberry & brie panini. But until next time...

Oh Captain! My Captain!

source: robin-williams.net

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done; 

The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; 

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, 

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: 

 But O heart! heart! heart! 

O the bleeding drops of red, 

Where on the deck my Captain lies, 

Fallen cold and dead. 

O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells; 

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; 

For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding; 

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; 

Here captain! dear father! 

This arm beneath your head; 

It is some dream that on the deck, 

You've fallen cold and dead. 

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; 

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; 

The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; 

From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; 

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! 

But I, with mournful tread, 

Walk the deck my captain lies, 

Fallen cold and dead. 

- Walt Whitman

Movies That Changed Me

1. What's Eating Gilbert Grape*

This is the first film I saw that mirrored my actual life. It mad me feel normal. It made me think my life could be like the movies - because it already was one.

*Honorable Mention:

Tru Confessions 

Along the same lines as Gilbert Grape: my life was onscreen being played back to me. This time coming from a network that hit a little closer to home. Because it took place in a suburb (versus the small town setting of WEGG) some scenes seemed to have been copied exactly from my past. 

source: dicapsleo.tumblr.com

 2. Up In The Air 

I very clearly remember seeing this in the theater: it was about 10PM a month after the release. I had had a huge falling out with my friend group and I felt really lost. I related to George Clooney's character more than I realized and to be honest I was relieved at the end when he got back on the plane. As soon as it ended, I applied for an airline mileage program and have been traveling solo ever since. 

 3. Runaway Bride 

I had a pretty big crush on Richard Gere as a kid, so when he encourages Julia Robert's character to be a strong woman before entering into a romantic relationship, that hit home. He tells her to "figure out what kind of eggs [she] likes" and it definitely impacted me in terms of how romantic relationships function. Looking back, my independence can be traced back to the millions of times I watched this movie as a little girl. 

 4. Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace 

I had terrible taste as a child (save the above mentioned). I vaguely remember seeing the original Star Wars movies before this one came out, but I specifically remember watching this one in the theater and being completely overwhelmed. It was my first foray into nerd culture and revealed my obsessive tendencies. 

 5. Notting Hill 

I feel so very cliche having a Richard Curtis chick flick on this list, but it's so much more than that. In the second act there is one of the most glorious montages I've ever seen. Set to Bill Wither's Ain't No Sunshine the main character William walks through Portobello Road market over the span of a year, illustrated via the four seasons, and all the lifestyle changes they bring. At the start of the market there is a pregnant woman, fast forward to the end and there she is holding a nine month old. It is so seamless and beautiful. It really opened my eyes to how creative movie making can be. After about my billionth viewing, I knew I wanted to be apart of something so creative and moving. Notting Hill also exacerbated my Anglophilia. Thanks, Curtis.

source: tcfilms.tumblr.com

Failure

Failure is one of my biggest fears. It paralyzes almost every plan I make. I've grown up being told that I would end up doing something extraordinary in my lifetime - from close teachers to parent's friends to guidance counselors I only met with twice. I know that most of these people feel they have some sort of obligation to tell youths these sorts of things, but I was always really impressionable and I started to believe that it was my duty to do something remarkable lest I let down every adult in my life. The fear of failing at The Remarkable has kept me idle longer than I ever thought it would.

 

 

Last night I saw Tammy (dir. Ben Falcone; starring Melissa McCarthy & Susan Sarandon). After a public outburst Tammy sulks about what become of her life when Kathy Bates lays into her about her choices. She tells her, "you complain about your life but you won't make any changes to improve it". Kathy Bates' character lives in a large house and runs a successful corporation and explains to Tammy that she didn't get it by complaining and waiting for things to fall into place. She worked really, really hard for it. That's the only way to get things done.

 

A few months ago Jim Carrey gave the commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management. He spoke about risk and passion and specifically his father giving up his passion for security. Alas, the security didn't last. He was fired from his menial desk job and his family was right where they would have been had he pursued his dream. Jim Carrey went on to say, "I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."

 

Words to live by, thats for sure.

My Favorite Things: Movies

A few weeks ago I came upon kate spade new york's (relatively) new book Things We Love, and I fell in love. As a result I'm going to start a series that spans this blog, my beauty blog, and my travel blog. Let's begin!

If this came as a surprise to anyone, we haven't known each other long. I love movies. I love watching new ones, old ones, bad ones, good ones, fat ones, skinny ones (lol jk). I love rewatching movies to figure out why it made me feel the way it did. I love analyzing the styles of different directors. I love picking up on those little but crucial things: that in The Proposal Sandra Bullock's uptight character always has her hair up in the beginning, but slowly as her character softens so does her hairstyle. Or how most pushover characters in romantic comedies have apartments with yellow walls - symbolizing their mellow attitude and ability to put others at ease. I believe movies are a very important art form; more people will watch a movie than read a book or go to a museum; and they are 100% without a doubt my favorite thing.  

Pssst!

Just wanted to give a heads up that I've now updated my travel blog and have added a new blog, A View From The Nursery all about my work in the childcare industry. Both of those, along with my beauty blog (not yet updated...whoops!) can be found in the links at the top of this blog!

Like A Tattoo

      Yesterday I was reading an article about a very old friend with whom I've lost contact. In the article it showed a small clip of him, and I noticed a tattoo on his wrist - the one I talked him into getting, and the one I was present for when he had it done. And it made me wonder if he looks down at it and thinks of me and that day and that balding, necklace wearing Sopranos extra that took a vested interest in us while we were in that tattoo shop seven years ago.  

    It's a weird notion to me that everyone we meet affects us in some way. The people we surround ourselves with leave a lasting impression - some metaphorically, others literally - and lately I have to believe its a mixed bag of outcomes. Some people can come out of toxic relationships as strong, independent individuals, but others don't. Others crash and burn. So it's really important to surround yourself with people who will build you up and challenge you. Simultaneously it's important to be someone that builds others up. I think the best we can do is to live in such a way that other people feel inspired and confident to be great and do great things. 

This friend told me thats what I was to him. Being an insignificant part of someone's success is such a greater feeling than being apart of anyone's downfall.    

"Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody." - Kid President

Traditionnn

1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
-Succumbed to the darkness. Became the victim of a pick-pocketer, went to Disneyland with a 4 year old, drank whiskey, got a tattoo, went to a funeral I actually cared about, went on a solo trip with pneumonia, played with some guns.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- This year I wanted to floss more and that definitely happened. In 2014 I want to run a marathon, climb Kilimanjaro, run 150 miles, and read 25 books. 
3. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
- A sense of purpose. 
4. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Ready? Lets go:
-Jan 31st
-March 17/18th
-May 7th
-Nov 11th
5. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder?
- Kind of happier. Maybe the same I guess.
richer or poorer?
- SO POOR.
6. What was your favorite TV program?
- Community, Parks and Rec, The IT Crowd, 8 Out of 10 Cats.
7. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Of Monsters and Men, Phillip Phillips, Bruno Mars
8. What was your favorite film(s) of this year?
- Catching Fire, Saving Mr. Banks, Frozen, The Great Gatsby, Paranoia, Chalet Girl, Syrup, We're the Millers, Iron Man 3, Now You See Me.
9. What were your favorite books of this year?
- The Descendants, Pandemonium, and One Day. I definitely didn't read enough this year.
10. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
- Lazy preppy? Is that a thing? Lots of button ups, sweaters and boots.
11. Who was the best new person you befriended?
- Yvonne and Jenny were both life savers at the premiere, and I got lots closer to Megan, Sarah, and Marissa!

I Feel Like A Woman

    I'm not a feminist. Let's start off with that straight away. I hate the flack ladies get when they admit they want to be a stay at home mom. I don't like the guilt trip given to those who like to work outside the home. I feel like we've come to a place in time in which women have the freedom to make choices like that without judgements from strangers.
    However I have recently been introduced to the gross underbelly of gender inequality and it makes me want to toss my razor and start burning bras. I'm talking about the cat calls when a girl walks down the street. When guys honk as they drive by. When girls are told how to dress. When the rape victim is blamed.
     It's absurd that we've come to live in a society in which a girl wearing a dress (of any kind) is an invitation for strangers to gawk and whistle at her. We shouldn't be told to hold our keys between our fingers when walking to our cars at night. We shouldn't be told not to sit in our cars alone at night. We shouldn't be told that what we wear will either invite or repel unwanted attention. Body shaming and victim blaming are so incredibly wrong! Why instead aren't we teaching the boys to stop attacking, harassing, and raping girls?
     I was just talking to Sharaya about starting a program that teaches self defense to young ladies during their sex education course - during my own class the genders were separated which would be the ideal situation in this instance. It really did sound like a grand idea before I considered the alternative: teach the boys that the female gender is equal to them and is to be respected as such. A very obvious option isn't it? I am so tired of being nervous to enter a parking lot at night, or wearing a skirt or dress in public by myself. And you know what? Most of the time those feelings are completely warranted. Some scumbag will gawk at me while I stand in line at the grocery store, or give me the elevator eyes when I sit down in a movie theater. This behavior is disgusted and exhausting and it needs to be stopped.

I encourage you to check out Everyday Sexism

B@T

In Breakfast At Tiffanys by Truman Capote, Holly explains,

"I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like."

     I don't think I've found this place of mine. I thought it was London, but in December I found myself disenchanted with the city. Maybe it was the grey skies or my aching feet. Something in it was lost. Maybe this place is in Cape Town, or Thailand or Florida. Maybe it's in Edmonds. I don't know where to look but I guess I better start.

A Box of Emotion

    I've begun working on my third Five Year Plan since the start of the year. It's interesting how life can change with a simple idea. 

    I am incredibly aware of the fact that I am a Big Picture person. I will get an idea, a glimpse of my ideal future or an exciting new opportunity, and I become enraptured in it. I break down all the details, budget, research, until I exhaust myself. The minute details get me bogged down until the passion that fueled me fizzles out. Then I get a new idea and I'm off again. There's always something too complicated or slightly unsettling that keeps me from actually pursuing anything. If I have to talk to strangers, spend money in an unusual way (et not on vacations), or simply move outside my comfort zone I become disinterested. I have a very comfortable life. I very, very rarely have to move beyond my comfort zone in my hometown. In my home country, I should say. 

    All this to say, I'm ready to start challenging myself. I feel like I've found a thing that I'm really excited about - one that feels so right. I'm ready to take the steps. I'm ready to take all of the steps. Living a life of complacency is so boring. A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. 

[side note: In 2013 I plan to watch every animated movie created by Disney & Pixar. My progress can be viewed via the Disney Rewatch page.]

Disney Survey!

1. How old were you when you first visited a Disney park?
I was an infant

2. Do you like the new look of the Disney princesses?
No. I don't understand the need for the new looks. The princesses are such symbols because of their movies. Belle's new look especially now looks very little like her look in the movie, so I don't understand why that was necessary esp pertaining to the face characters in the parks.

3. Do you look for Hidden Mickeys in the parks?
No. I'm usually too caught up in the rides.

4. What's your favorite character signature collected from the parks?
I don't collect signatures. I feel so abnormal. 

5. Have you ever had a Disney movie marathon?
Of course. 

6. Do you collect Vinylmations?
No. When they first came out I didn't like them but they've started to grow on me.

7. Favorite underrated Disney movie?
Hunchback of Notre Dam, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, & Hercules.

8. Favorite Disney/Pixar movie?
Up, Toy Story 1 & 3

9. Do you prefer Rapunzel's long hair or short hair?
Long hair. I think the idea that she doesn't have as much magic when she's a brunette is kind of silly. 

10. Disney movie you watch the most?
Aladdin, Little Mermaid, & Hunchback of Notre Dam.

11. Have you ever had a birthday in the parks?
No. It's too close to Christmas/New Years so it's always WAY packed. The closest I went was on Dec 13th. At least it's always decorated fantastic for my birthday =]

12. Have you ever played Musical Chairs with the Mad Hatter?
No I think I'm too old? But I've witnessed it. 

13. Did you like Pocahontas 2?
Not really. 

14. Have you ever had a crush on a Disney character?
Aladdin and Prince Eric.

15. Who is your favorite prince?
Prince Phillip. Sleeping Beauty was really his movie.

16. Favorite villain?
Frollo. He's terrifying because he's doesn't use magic. He's very real. 

17. What Disney movie makes you cry the easiest?
Up + Toy Story 3.

18. Favorite land in the parks?
Adventureland. 

19. Have you ever been to EPCOT?
Yes but I was 13, thought there would be loads of rides, and didn't yet care about international travel. So I thought it was a drag.


20. Do you collect Disney mugs?
Yes! I'm drinking out of one right now!

21. Have you ever dressed up as a Disney character for Halloween?
No. I never really dressed up for Halloween.

22. What's your favorite Dapper Dans song?
I didn't know they had multiple?!

23. Do you have a Disney OTP?
Not really?

24. What is one Disney song you can listen to 20 times on repeat?
Chim Chimney or Go The Distance. Or anything from the Tarzan soundtrack. Phil Collins is a legend.

25. Favorite Timon & Pumbaa moment?
When they first come upon Simba. 

26. If you could spend a day in any Disney movie, which would it be?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

27. Would you ride Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run on a freezing cold day?
Yep! Lines are at their shortest! 

28. Do you have a favorite Disney park restaurant?
I've actually never eaten at one. I always get my dole whips though.

29. Have you ever named a pet after a Disney character?
Nope.

30. Favorite Walt Disney quote?
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Je suis miserables

They say misery loves company, but that's not true. Misery loves darkness and it wants to encompass you in it. It creeps its way into the corners of your long days; into the shadows of your tiring weeks until it envelopes you. You move around with a blank stare and a heavy heart. It will take your dog, your best friend, your job until it crushes you beneath the weight of it all. Your shoulders slump and your feet drag. You move through life barely able to see through all those dark clouds until one day you find yourself wondering when in the world it became this difficult to get out of bed.


It's been a rough week month.

Tradition

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
-Embarked on a trip with no definitive plans, spent over 20 hours in a Disney park, spent more than three months with a license but no car, spent the night outside, attended a movie premiere, drank a mimosa, took Beth on a plane, had an entire row to myself on an international flight, ate at a traditional Thai restaurant, spent more than 8 hours at the cinema in a single day, spent more than $20 on a single tube of lipstick.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- I attempted. I am on schedule to complete the 365 miles one, and taking a picture every day, but I've only watched 146 movies and read 39 books. =/ I don't know what my goals will be for 2013.
3. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
- Direction.
4. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- Feb 29th: I spent alllllll day at a Disney park. (the only day in 2012 that I was at a Disney park =/)
- March 13th: The Hunger Games premiere. Lets go ahead and include the 12th as well.
- October 31st: Finished my second novel.
- Dec 5th: Les Miserables premiere. Again, we can go ahead and lump in the 4th, too.5. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder?
-mehhricher or poorer?
-richer 
6. What was your favorite TV program?
-Gossip Girl AUUGHH such an obsession!! & The Inbetweeners, and Modern Family.
7. What was your greatest musical discovery?
-I really only listened to Hudson Taylor, Mumford & Sons, Nina Nesbitt, and Gabrielle Aplin.
8. What was your favorite film(s) of this year?
-Paper Man, The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, The Avengers, Never Let Me Go, Tales From The Script, 21 Jump Street, Love & Other Disasters, Whats Your Number, The Black Balloon, Atonement, The Beginners, What To Expect When You're Expecting, The Amazing Spiderman, Les Miserables.  
9. What were your favorite books of this year?
- The Percy Jackson series, Oscar Winning Screenwriters on Screenwriting, The Gun Seller, Wintergirls, Revenge, Visible Man, In A Sunburned Country, 5:45 to Cannes, The Fault In Our Stars, Delirium, Breakfast At Tiffanys.
10. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
-"No Cares Were Given". I became pretty label conscious but I really didn't care much for how those labels compliment each other. 
11. Who was the best new person you befriended?
- All my premiere buddies!! & all the lovely ladies at my new job.

Last Night

Engines roar; we pick up speed. The shutter is open but it's too dark to see much more than the distant twinkling lights of the city. The opening chords of 'Come Fly With Me' play faintly in the background. The disembodied lights blur as we go faster and faster. There's a collective gasp as the jolts in our guts tell us we're in the air now; climbing higher and higher until the airport disappears beneath a layer of thin gray clouds. A magazine ruffles beside me. I look over as Beth unveils her face to whisper:  

 "I like cars. On the ground."

Top Ten Quotes

01.     You’ve got to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down. – Ray Bradbury

RIP Bradbury

02.     Live slow, die whenever.

I was actually shown a tattoo of a sloth with this text written on ribbons beneath it. It holds true.

03.     Here Be Dragons

I can't even remember where I heard this, but it references the end of old maps where the land was unknown. I doubt they actually used these on old maps, but to me it symbolizes the unknown and the risks people took to discover them.

04.     History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it. – Winston Churchill

Speaks for itself.

05.     If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – whereever you go. – Anothony Bourdain

Sometimes, when I'm travelling alone in exotic countries, I wish I was Anothony Bourdain. The man has class when travelling.

06.     The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt

It irks me a bit that the first time I ever heard this quote was due to Miley Cyrus getting a portion of it tattooed on her arm. I just find it to be so much better than "Aim for the moon..." and the other popular cliches, for I do not want to be a cold and timid soul.

07.     You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

I can't remember who wrote this originally. It may very well have been the person who wrote, 'We Bought a Zoo'. But then, the screenwriter or the author? The world may never know. Anyway, it's one of those to be used sparingly, lest the message become desensitized.

08.      They love their hair because they're not smart enough to love something more interesting. - John Green, Looking for Alaska

I aim to love my hair and interesting things equally. I'm over the stigma of girls being either pretty or smart. It's so degrading when a candid photo of a model appears in a mazagine reading a book, as though it's big news. Those eyes aren't just for flirting, folks.

09.      There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. - George Orwell, 1984

In my youth I was quite a 'stick to my guns' type. I'm afraid over the years I've been lulled into a state of compliance. Only rattle the cage when necessary and other junk like that.

10.      Death and destruction are at our shoulders ever second of our lives, trying to get at us. Missing, a lot of the time. A lot of miles on the motorway without a front-wheel blow out. A lot of viruses that slither through our bodies without snagging. A lot of pianos that fall a minute after we've passed. Or a month, it makes no difference. So unless we're going to get down on our knees and give thanks everytime disaster misses, it makes no sense to moan when it strikes. - Hugh Laurie, The Gun Seller

This whole book is a work of art. It just makes sense.

Temporary

Have you ever wanted to go back to your childhood house and visit? See what they’ve done with the place, see how things have changed? Going back to work feels the same as what I assume that must be like. I’m only filling in so it’s quite like I’m just travelling through. Today is the first day I’ve been at the desk I used to call my own – well, for thirty hours out of the week. Answering the phones has been so deeply imbedded into my subconcous that most often I don’t even realize I’ve picked up the phone. I still remember a lot of the menial work, but something has changed. There’s been a shift in the air that makes everything just slightly different. Before I left I had my own account on the computer; the wallpaper being a picture I took of Australia. Since then that computer has been removed and with it every technological trace that I was ever here. The desk still lingers with bits of me: the compartmentalized office supply drawer, my handwriting on a folder or two, my typed phone list. With time, however, the drawer has become cramped, the file buried beneath it’s brothers, and the phone list is tattered and torn. Without getting too philisophical about how this metiphorically represents our lives here on earth / how we’re all just dust in the wind, etc. etc., it does have a way of making one feel quite…temporary.

Time

I've been faced recently with my own mortality. I'm not afraid of wrinkles and liver spots, I'm just incredibly nervous about the whole thing. 

Up until this year I was pretty certain I would die during this, my twenty first, year. The option is still highly plausible, but it's different to fear something in the future than to fear the immediacy of life. So it has been replaced with the simple expectation of middle age and up. I have always loved the idea of being one of those Grandmas that dresses up all the time and only eats Werther's Originals. The idea of my organs giving out on me and obtaining that 'old person' smell, and loss of vision and hearing and all of that is bone chilling. 

You think, maybe, that I should take up a rigorous diet and exercise regiment that should carry me through into my golden years, but I won't. Slow death in that regard is inevitable and a part of me pities those that think they can impede it. 

I was showing Allison pictures of my parents when they were her age, and she was blown away that Nana and Papa were once as little as her gang of friends. It dawned on me that one day she will be a Nana to some adorable girl or boy and I will be incredibly old. And will I have children or a successful career? Will I look back on my twenties as a time of sowing or a time of careless lollygagging? 

And if I do indeed die this year, what will become of my memory?

Travel Blog!

Yeah, yeah so I didn't finish BEDA. Whatever - there's always August!

In other news I made a travel blog this past weekend that I will quickly begin to fill up with my past adventures and plans for the future. I'm super excited about it.

Without A Starbucks

Go check it out!

In the Kitchen

I haven't been on recently because I've been spending all my time in the kitchen. Jokes may begin... NOW.

If you don't want me to cook, don't put a Betty Crocker cookbook in my eyesight.

Made an apple pie all unorthodox.

Based on this blog post I decided to make Alplermagronen, a popular Swiss macaroni and cheese-like dish.

And it was so unexpectedly delicious.