k-claire's talk spot

australian sunsets are the best in the world.

2010-06-27T05:09:00.002-05:00

i think i could live here. as in, if i met an australian i would maybe possibly choose to stay here. the people are so warm, everyone is chill, but they care deeply about their environment and will do everything in their power to protect it. they have more kangaroos than people, have numerous coffee/tea breaks per day, and all live fairly near the beach. sure they'll tell you how the feel straight up, but if we're all thinking it, why not just say it?

yesterday was intense. rode a camel, petted kangaroos, wombats, alpacas, goats, and deer, saw a sunset on the beach, had my first meat pie, fish and chips, and stamp from a pub, and had some eye opening experiences. today i fell in love with the people at the church, had my second dose of fish and chips, walked around fremantle, which is one of the first settlements in australia, and had some awesome snickers gelato.

tomorrow we're heading to banksia, which is the detention center, and i think we're going to be there for 6 hours both monday and tuesday. i think both of these days are going to be pretty exhausting but i am praying i make it through this week and the next two with heightened stamina and renewed energy.

cell phones are ridiculous.

2010-06-24T01:40:00.004-05:00

australia is weird. there i said it.

not sure i'm sold on whether i like it better than europe, it's just a completely different experience. not that i expected it to be similar since this is a mission trip, but we've hardly seen anything perth related besides downtown and so many things are similar i'm having a hard time believing we're actually in a)the southern hemisphere, b)outside of the US, and c)on the other side of the world. i can understand everyone, food is the same but blander, and it looks (but definitely doesn't feel) like phoenix.

but they drive on the other side of the road, their toilets are in a different room than their showers and sinks, they call math "maths" and are confused when you call it plain math, and they actually don't care that much for soccer. we also have to fill out some form to work with kids at the end of the month because it's past a two week limit of being in the states (even though it won't be processed before we leave...), continuously search for outlets because there seems to be a shortage and then remember that you have to flip a switch to actually get power, and um i think our house has ONE trash can. weird.

but, i LOVE the people. the people at the church are fantastic and even playing with the kids tonight completely warmed my heart. sure they were cussing at us and hating us because we were dominating them in a game but kids say the darnedest things. "she's a girl! you'll break her nails!" can't wait for more of that.

tomorrow we're going to the primary school to do skits and what not. could get pretty interesting! tomorrow night we're going to see toy story 3 and eat at hans (i think that's what it's called...) Saturday we're going to go ride camels!! I feel like that is something I won't ever do in my life again.

man australian commercials are weird...

no worries mate.

2010-06-21T08:10:00.002-05:00

wooowee I am tired! If it's 8:11 am at home it means I've almost been up for two straight days. I did get some sleep here and there but I will be snoozing well tonight! It's currently 9:11 PM here which means Perth is 13 hours ahead of us! We completely missed out on Sunday!!

It's weird, I thought it would all obviously be Australian but I'm feeling more like it's home than anywhere I've ever travelled before. Probably because there's not a language barrier (even though some accents on words get me confused, ie. the cat's name is mocha but i keep hearing it as marka) and everything is relatively the same "class wise". Similar cars, similar eateries, similar radio. But they drive on the left side and have awesome accents.

Anywho, just wanted to let you know we all arrived safely. Not too many adventures yet, though our credit/debit cards keep getting declined, the dog gets very happy very fast, and we might have a booking to go ride camels this weekend! It's already pretty chilly here, I wore jeans, a long sleeved tshirt and my lipscomb hoodie and was still freezing. Oh well, I'm enjoying the nice respite from the 98 degrees at home. (give me just one night, una noche....) ;P

Tomorrow is a briefing and basically a time to just go through everything we're doing. fun?

strange.

2010-06-18T17:00:00.002-05:00

it's weird. i'm packed and ready to go to australia but i'm not nervous or anxious, it's like it's just another trip. yeah it's just a mission trip, and yes it's just a month unlike the last time i went across the world, but i think i should be a little jittery!

surely i'm missing something but i'm a safe distance away from 50 pounds and i think i'm well equipped for any occasion for a month. it's also not a third world country, if i'm missing anything serious i can get it.

eeeeeeep i'm so excited!!! it's AUSTRALIA!!!!!

toy story 3 tonight with the family and emily! :D

this is my temporary home.

2010-06-12T18:16:00.002-05:00

yikes. what a strange couple of days.

i was going to go in late to work on thursday because my mom was staying home, and while i was getting ready i was reading tweets on my phone. i come across some saying things along the line of "robert you will be missed." my heart stops. only one robert comes to mind. i anxiously texted my friends and my thoughts were confirmed. robert moss had in fact died.

i cannot pretend that we were amazing friends or anything, but he would always have been cemented in my list of people that made high school for me. he was close to many of my close friends even to this day. i will always remember him as my homecoming partner, the attractive drummer with a permanent smile on his face, a kind funny fellow that always offered me hugs. surely this doesn't come as a surprise, but i had a huge crush on him (yes even after he started dating amy). who wouldn't? he was a superb human being.

i'm ashamed to say that i've lost touch with several of my friends since high school, i'm ashamed that i didn't even know he was feeling so depressed. all i know is that he is in such a better place now. God is filling him with the peace and joy that he didn't find here. he's pain free.

monday is the visitation from 4-8 at woodfins, with the funeral being held at 10 on tuesday at first united methodist on thompson lane. i am not looking forward to either. this is one of the times where i hate that i'm so emotional. however, if funerals are good for anything at all, they're good for bringing friends together again. i wish i were seeing everyone i know i'll run into in better circumstances, but it will be good to see them again, however hard it's going to be for each and every one of us.

my prayers are still going out the Moss, Jordan, and Knox families.

"this is my temporary home

it's not where i belong

windows and rooms that i'm just passin' through

this is just a stop, on the way to where i'm going

i'm not afraid because i know this is my

temporary home."

2010-06-03T10:29:00.003-05:00

16 days til my next adventure starts!! I will hopefully be keeping up with this blog while I'm there as well. We calculated the travel time... I think we will be traveling for more than a day... about 26 hours. So crazy that it takes so long to get to the other side of the world, but then again, it is the other side of the world...

So have you been keeping up with Glee? Isn't it fabulous? We're about 5 days away from the season finale. I'm not even sure when it's supposed to be coming back in the fall or if they're going to wait until after the Super Bowl to start. My 80 Glee songs on my iPod will have to wait that long I guess.

I'm getting really excited about so many things. But there's always so many things to be excited about. :)

2010-05-24T20:21:00.002-05:00

i'm so sick of feeling this way. it's not healthy and it's foolish of me, but i can't help it. i hate feeling alone when i'm surrounded by people. i'm too young for this.

2010-04-18T00:13:00.002-05:00

well it's been awhile. life's been a blur but awesome!

took some pictures today, sooo you should check out k-clairephotography :)

if someone says fly, i've simply got to!

2010-03-31T00:33:00.003-05:00

my shin hurts. my head is pounding. my legs are shaky. and i have a sore voice. but i'm excited. i have missed the stage. the blinding lights. the not being able to talk after getting off stage because you're mic is still on. the gallons of water consumed before acts. the over-exaggeration of everything. i have missed it greatly. yeah i'm praahhhbbbbabbly not the best at it. it takes me some work and good direction but boy i come alive up there. more than any other person has ever made me feel. so when i find that guy that makes me feel this good, he's a keeper. ;)

working hard to get my fill

2010-03-21T20:31:00.002-05:00

So I've been back on campus for 3 hours and it's just amazing how happy I am to be back. I guess that could be a lot to do with the endorphins and caffeine coursing through my body, but man besides missing my parents Murfreesboro's got nothing on Nashville.

The next few weeks are going to be insane. But I guess that way summer gets here faster right? Next two are heavy laden with research, papers, tests, and late Singarama practices, the next week is formal, the next is a jaunt to St Louis, and then it's a weekend full of engagement pictures, and then finals!! Then six weeks of working and then AUSTRALIA. Dang I can't believe it's almost here!! I still have so much money to raise but I really think it's possible.

So one of my friend's tweets the other day said something about looking at a picture and not remembering who that person is anymore. I was confused but she explained... she was looking at a picture of her and an old boyfriend and was saying she didn't remember how she felt when she was with him anymore. To some point I feel the same way. Some of my background pictures on my computer include my ex amongst some other friends and I look at those and just feel like it was such a distant memory. I constantly ask myself why we were even together sometimes, and then stop and remind myself that he did in fact teach me many things. So I'm glad it happened but so relieved it's over. Now if I could only get over the super awkward encounters. I saw two of my exes this weekend. Managed to avoid them successfully, but what should I care? I have my own spectacular life and shouldn't be embarrassed to speak to them. Too bad that's easier to say than do.

(this is another reason I love being in Nashville, never ever ever ever having to see them)

Anyways I should probably get to work on a bible paper...

2010-03-11T12:33:00.001-06:00

I don't like where I'm at right now.

2010-03-08T15:50:00.000-06:00

agenda for friday:

get up at 8, pick up check, drive home, drop off things at home, get check, go to bank, meet my peeps at Toot's, shop at old navy, pack for florida, (maybe a little homework?? but who am i joking), Old Chicago for dinner, maybe a movie (?).

Anywho. I am EXCITED. 12 classes til SPRING BREAK 2010!!!!!

sorry

2010-03-05T16:07:00.003-06:00

So my Lent thing is over I guess. I really wanted to write something everyday to push me to find something in my life interesting enough to talk about. However that mainly deals with boys and there are way too many profound things in life than boys.

I'm going home for the first time this semester. Is it bad that I'm actually very anxious? Going home from college means a totally different thing than it did a year ago. I hate the feeling of being there alone.

Can I just say how much I adore my parents? I really think they are spectacular. There has been a lot of stuff going on in the Boro with prestigious men, and it just completely made me proud that my daddy was my daddy.

7 days til spring break!!! (well really 6, I'm planning on skipping Friday (hey! i would only have to go to bible!!))

the sister blog.

2010-02-21T18:05:00.012-06:00

My club might be small, but I'm actually realllllly ok with that. It allows me to be close to every single one of these lovely ladies. :)

My Grand-big- Melissa

- Such a sweet spirit even after so many tough things in life. She is my confidante in everything.

Amanda

- Such a beautiful girl, with an equally beautiful fiance'. ;) We really connected at formal last year, and she is still one of my favorite people to talk to.

El Presidente- Sara

-I didn't really get close to my club until last semester and Sara really aided in that when I did her engagement pictures. Such a precious girl.

Katie

- So one of the loveliest people in my life. I don't get to hang out with her much, but she is amazing when I do.

Lauren

-I just had the pleasure of spending this weekend with this girl. Man what memories. From Dirty Diana, barefootedness, and Asian babies, she never leaves me without a laugh.

Brittany

-Always something to talk about with this girl. Hard to find her sometimes, but when I run into her it's a blessing. :)

Courtney

-The resident tomboy, honestly never thought I would be friends with her, but has surprised me and is one of my favorite people ever. So honest yet I could trust her with everything.

Syndle

-Such a sweetheart. Quiet, but when she speaks you listen. Lovesss her :)

Kelcy

-My rooooomie. So many adventures with her, always has my back, and always laughs at my absurdity even if I feel completely awkward.

Hailey

-I have known this girl for a while and have always thought she was precious, and I am SO stoked she is in my club now. It's been awesome that we've been able to reconnect.

Megan

- I wasn't here last semester (duh) but this girl has made it so easy to come back to the club. She's a pledge class behind me, but I feel like she's been my sister for forever.

there will be a new update with inductions :)

before i head out.

2010-02-18T19:44:00.002-06:00

my sisters are great. fact.

i love each and every single one of them. pictures and reasons why i'm going to save for sunday.

D-E-L-T-A X-I DELTA XI whooop whooop DELTA XI!!

WINTERFEST TIME. Sehr gut!!!

sing alongs

2010-02-17T17:19:00.002-06:00

Today I've had a myriad of songs playing through my head. Namely the Arthur theme song, Can't Fight This Feeling, and Haven't Met You Yet. Crazy how some songs just get lodged into your cranium and don't let go. Some might just bring back nostalgia like Arthur, some might just be fun to sing like Feeling, and some might just be something you need to hear over and over again. This is so true with Haven't Met You Yet. Kinda the opposite of a love song, it's about knowing how excited he will be about a future love, but he just hasn't met her yet. Preeeetttttyyy much sums up my life right now.

i'm not surprised

not everything lasts

i've broken my heart so many times i stopped keeping track

talked myself in

talked myself out

i get all worked up

and then i let myself down

i tried so very hard not to lose it

i came up with a million excuses

i thought i thought of every possibility

and i know someday it'll all work out

you'll make it work so we can work to work it out

and i promise you kid that i'll give so much more than i get

i just haven't met you yet.

i might have to wait

i'll never give up

i guess it's half timing

the other half's luck

where ever you are

whenever it's right

you'll come out of no where

and into my life

and i know that we can be so amazing

and baby your love is gonna change me

and now i can see every possibility

and somehow i know it'll all work out

and we can work so we can work to work it out

and i promise you kid i'll give so much more than i get

i just haven't met you yet.

plucking petals.

2010-02-16T22:29:00.002-06:00

It's amazing what words can do to ease the soul or to energize it. Strange how one person can make the days imperfections and tribulations seemingly better by just a smile or a quick conversation. Interesting how it's those conversations that I think about for the rest of the day. Nothing important. Just snip its of our lives, our pasts, and our thoughts on the future. He really makes my days better, even if I don't do the same for him. I enjoy him and I'm fine with just that.

So I think for Lent, instead of giving UP something, I want to DO something for 40 days. I know blogging is really supposed to help your writing skills, so I think I'm going to try and write something every day on here. Nobody has to enjoy it, or even read it, in fact I'm fine if no one does. Every day presents me with something new to love or enjoy or just think about. So here is todays.

Tonight really struck me with the realization that my words can cut deeper than I know. Chapel was very interesting today, very different, and very shocking. Honestly I saw what was coming from the beginning and then zoned out for the rest of it. I did not think about it for the rest of the day. But sadly it was joked about all afternoon. I think being here at Lipscomb we all think we all have the same mindset on every issue, so we feel ok just speaking our minds when we don't agree with it. As I've learned in persuasion this is called Cognitive Dissonance. Someone speaks about something we don't like and we go crazy trying to right it in our minds. Sucks, but that's the way we are.

However, after tonight I have realized we don't have to be so vocal about it all. Geez, I think about all the things I've said now and wonder who I hurt. I'm sorry.

For valentine's Day

2010-02-15T17:42:00.000-06:00

Watch this, it made my heart happy.

alto tones are stuck in my head

2010-02-14T17:00:00.003-06:00

I don't think it's that I want to love him again, I just want to love. I miss investing my heart in someone. I miss comforting and helping someone, I miss delighting in each other, I miss being a part of something outside of my self.

All this to say... I'm doing wonderfully. I think God has lined up some perfect opportunities in my path that I will be so lucky to take part in. We are four weeks away from spring break!! I really cannot say how much I am looking forward to more family time. I was able to meet up with my parents last night to make a car switcheroo and I was so glad that happened. I've been pretty stressed out lately by all sorts of things, and it's always calming to just talk everything out with them and get their take on things.

I received a "new" car yesterday. It's my mom's "old" Honda Civic, and though I complained about it, I am happy to receive it, even if I teared up a little leaving my Chrysler. She had been with my through the good times and the bad. ;) My mom got a Rogue, which looks pretty phenomenal from the website, and hey if Heroes endorses it, it has to be pretty snazzy.

Speaking of Heroes. I'm not sure they got renewed, and the season just ended this past week. So many things were successfully finished but it still left me wanting more. Maybe they could do a spin off with Claire? All I knows is that I was in love with Sylar all over again by the end of it. Oh Zachary Quinto. :D

I enjoy the Olympics as much as the next person but I will definitely miss my shows. The Office was actually pretty good this past week, Vampire Diaries left in a crazy way, Big Bang was hilarious, and 30 Rock showed that maybe Jack will find an acceptable love, even if it's with Elizabeth Banks.

30 Rock has been great this season. So far this has been my favorite episode.

http://www.wisevid.com/play?v=1Azftg58fAAb

wait til the end, it's the best. :)

Need to get on my Persuasion test, Marissa and I are getting angry at it. ;)

all the world would fly like a flurry, when i take you out in a surrey!

2010-02-07T22:10:00.003-06:00

Why can't things be like musicals?

We caught Sound of Music at the wedding, and we just started Oklahoma. Since I was a child I wanted a man like Curley. Gordon MacRae was such a looker and what a voice. If I could have a man sing to me like that... whew my life would be complete. :)

duh moments

2010-02-03T22:14:00.002-06:00

So I haven't written in a while and I've finally had some decent thoughts, so here goes.

It's funny how life changes. One semester in Europe finds some friendships dismal and others full of life. A new semester brings fresh heartaches and high flying joys. Learning more things about myself than I did in a relationship or even in Europe just by being alone again.

I know I always talk boy problems on here but I've finally decided something for myself.

I am terribly excited about Perth. Probably just as much as I was for Vienna. And when I get excited about something I tend to think about that and only that. So why should I do that to another boy, when that clearly pushed the last one away? Not that anyone is banging on my door, no boy is blowin' up my phone phone (Ke$ha reference anyone?). But I definitely need to stop looking. I have several great guy friends at school, that if I were being honest with myself would never work out, and that's what they need to remain. Because like my mother says, it's always good to have guy friends around. (especially since I miss David Corlew and Nicholas Keel like crazy all the dang time) So yeah. That's my resolution. Plus I'm not entirely sure my heart is ready for another relationship so quickly. I need to be happy with myself instead of basing my worth on what a male thinks of me.

I hate going to a Church of Christ school though. You have to be engaged before you graduate it seems... I'm no where near that mentally or literally. So does that mean I fail getting a degree (of the MRS variety)? I guess. 22 is just two short years away from me right now, and I would have to grow up so much before I could even consider attaching myself to another human being for the rest of my life.

God works in just the right ways, so I know the perfect one will come into my life when it's right and perfect and wonderful. I just have to keep telling myself that in a school full of mushy couples with rings on their fingers...

This is a duh entry. So don't say I told you so.

Excitements:

-DeltaNANANA (this Friday at 7 in Alumni!!)

-Perth Australia!!!!

-Pledging (yes, strange but I really love any excuse to hang out with my sisters!!)

-SPRING BREAK (because a. I miss my family, especially my sister b. DISNEY c. HARRY POTTER WORLD ;D )

-Potential Freed visit with my favoritest cousin ever??

-Two upcoming TPAC visits

-Owl City concert

-Winterfest (strange yes, but completely free to me!!!)

-Singrama (whether I get hostess or not)

-Formal (wherever that is)

-Possible Chicago visit to see my favorite boy ever!

-Possibly internship with photographer??

-More engagement/wedding/baby/people photo shoots!!!

So I have a great life. One I'm particularly excited about. :)

philippians 2:1-4

2010-01-21T21:57:00.002-06:00

So my topic that I was stressing so much over is..... How Christian messages in non specifically Christian entertainment is perceived. I guess I'm thinking along the lines of how Owl City isn't specifically Christian but many of his lyrics mention faith and even Meteor Shower is straight from verse. Or (and I'm using last semester's bible class on this) how art isn't really art for Christians anymore. "Our" art is pastel pictures of Jesus and lambs, when there are GREAT artists out there displaying Biblical themes that aren't directly... Biblical.

So that could get interesting. What are your thoughts on that?

I just love knowing certain people's parents still love me. And I them and always will. I'm tired of always thinking about it. I know this happened for a reason so why can't I just get over it?

Redoing the room this weekend. I'm pretty excited because I really dislike top bunk. I cannot WAIT to be in the apartments next year!!!

Perth Key Verse:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.- Philippians 2:1-4

week 1

2010-01-14T21:09:00.002-06:00

yikes. what a start to a semester.

i really honestly truly expected this semester to be ridiculously busy. and i was right. i've had something to do every night so far and it will only get worse. all my classes seem doable except Persuasion. we are supposed to find a topic we are passionate about and by the end of the semester have talked about it for about 30 minutes over all. with and without note cards. with outlines and works cited and numerous sources. gaaahhhhh so freaked out!

i guess this is the first class that i'm really worried about. so much so i'm already considering dropping it... i had to give a speech on the second day! sigh. but it's something I have to take for my major so i might as well get it over with. i wanted life to be busy and now it's too busy for me to deal with. or maybe i'm just still in the mindset that i was in vienna where if i have a little extra time i should be doing something other than slowing down for a little bit and enjoying things i enjoy. i finally got around to watching big bang theory today because of that mindset.

as a result to all of this i've developed a bit of a cold of which i've passed onto my roommate. sorry kelc! real exciting stuff i tell ya!

just now realized i need to take a shower and read a chapter for bible before i can sleep... should probably get to that now. more later.

college schmollege.

2010-01-10T12:48:00.002-06:00

"Now all your photos they don't have a picture frame and I never say your name and I never will."

Latest obsession- Undo It by Carrie Underwood. All sorts of amazing :)

I'm heading back to school today. I kinda don't want this break to be over, especially now that I've gotten Netflix and can watch movies all day long. I was so excited about getting back to get away from Murfreesboro but now I know it's going to be a long time until I'm back... But I really am excited to see friends and get back into a routine. I'm also hoping this semester lets me decide a major and sees me stick to it. Cuz I can't be flip flopping this much anymore...

Time to pack I guess. I don't want to be unloading in the dark.

it's 3 am I must be lonely (but really more hungry)

2010-01-08T03:08:00.002-06:00

so after having some kinda sad posts previously, this one is completely devoted to me praising myself. :)

Now I'm not done yet, but I'm through Luxembourg (which was roughly two months into the trip) in my scrapbooking which means I have Barcelona, the few things from Zurich, Salzburg, I wish I had more things for Budapest, but I don't :/, the concert and Bruges, and then the christmas stuff. not too shabby! I think one more day of aloneness and I can get it knocked out!!

Whilst I've been doing this I have been watching movies. I recently got Netflix (yes I know I said I was going to get it as soon as I got home... oh well). I've only gotten one dvd in the mail (My Sister's Keeper, which was totally depressing, can't decide if it was better than the book or not), but I've been watching numerous ones online. I think today alone I watched Paper Heart (SOOOO wonderful), Lost in Austen (which was super long, but then I realized it was a mini series but good!), Outsourced, Rachel Getting Married, Sunshine Cleaning, Smart People, started the Wackness, but it was sooo horrible I turned it off, and I hate to say it, but I watched Brokeback Mountain. Pretty gross. But I kinda just felt like it was one of those movies you have to watch ya know? Then I topped it all of with SNL Commercial Parodies. Those definitely never get old. Favorite is still Mom Jeans. :)

So I was all proud of myself for getting through a lot, and then I looked at Facebook and saw that my friend Bethany tagged me in 29 pictures. 29 pictures!? Wow, she must have put up the album of the many faces of me. So I look. And I laugh. And laugh some more. And then I cry because I'm laughing so hard. I may be all kinds of ugly in those pictures but I never cease being able to make myself laugh. And I feel like that is maybe the most wonderful blessing of all.

Thank you Lord for the snow day and the reasonable reason for staying in today. Thank you for my friends and the vast amount of fun I have with them. Thank you for giving me humor and joy and creativity. Thank you for letting me excel at things I love to do. Thank you for keeping me strong and for family and friends who have my back no matter what. Thank you for always forgiving and loving me no matter how silly or stupid I get.

Amen.

Have a great January 8th. There are about 4 billion people I know with this birthday, including Elvis. ;)

woooo it is time for me to go to bed!!

2010-01-07T16:00:00.001-06:00

1. I would see a movie for the sole purpose of this actor/actress being in it.
2. This was apparently a big deal the year I was born.
3. My favorite musical instrument.
4. A place I want to visit before I die.
5. A movie I have practically memorized.
6. Another place I want to visit before I die.
7. A show I watched as a child and actually miss.
8. What I want to be when I grew up, and am still striving to be.
9. One other place I want to visit before I die.
10. The person who said my favorite quote.
11. My favorite thing to eat.
12. Something that makes me laugh a lot.

Thanks Amy :)

2010-01-06T16:38:00.002-06:00

Ok so I made a photography blog so that I can keep things separate. it's pretty similar to this one... k-clairephotography.blogspot.com

if you care to follow I would be ecstatic :)

take a chance on me

2010-01-04T22:12:00.008-06:00

so my friend Emily was awesome enough to let me "shoot" her for an afternoon. we had really crappy weather (well just cold wise) but the sky was beautiful and really lended it's self to some gorgeous shots.

here were some of the best.

ain't she cute?

well again, I'm still trying to raise some money this way, so if you know anyone who is interested, I'm really wanting some "clients"! :)

resolutions

2010-01-01T14:45:00.005-06:00

The resolutions blog!! cliche!! woo!!

So as much as I want to lose weight this year (as does every other Chic fil a poppin, starbucks slirpin, car drivin American), I really would like to work on my personality. I think I've allowed myself to become complacent in the typical body of a 20 year old, dealing with boy drama, college courses, and backstabbing girls. I talk badly about people, get in other people's business, and try to find the worst in the people I don't much care for. How unChristian like.

Throughout this rocky breakup, I've felt God moving in me. He's allowed me to become more peaceful in all decisions I've made, including realizing that it's more important to forgive than hate the ones that trespass against us. My heart can't deal with the hatred. I want to become more forgiving and understanding on all circumstances. More compassionate to those in need or want of love. More loving to my friends and acquaintances. More outgoing, funnier, and over all more in the Word. I have lost my most important relationship. God has been on the back burner for oh 20 months now. It's high time He comes back in as my number one.

I've also felt led to a certain mission trip happening this summer. I think Lipscomb has been going to Perth, Australia for about 10 years now, and for whatever reason as I was looking across the email of what was available this one jumped out at me. And yes, I know I just got back from a three month trip to Europe, but I'm so ready to get out of the country again! This trip is going to be a month of living with the locals and being able to work with the youth group of a local church. I'm not much of a builder, much more relational. I also believe that the best way to get to Him is to talk about Him. God knows I need this more than ever.

The trip is $2500, wayyyy more than I'm going to be able to make on my 8 bucks an hour salary this next semester. So I need to find a good way to raise money. My friend Mary Lauren is going to El Salvador this summer and needed some money so she raised it by doing photo shoots for families and friends. She is much better than me, and I feel like I'm not worth giving money to yet, but if you are interested, I would LOVE to do a photo shoot for a donation. :)

Here is some stuff I've done before.

don't understand why they're so small...

Oh well. I'll be putting out a call on Facebook as well. :)

the lasts.

2009-12-26T21:15:00.002-06:00

I feel like it's time to write again. I'm sorry I never wrote the rest of any happenings from Europe... writing began to feel like a chore, and that's about the time I feel like it's no fun anymore. Which is why I don't think I can ever be a journalist. Though I'm going into Public Relations... figure that out.

Anyways, after my last entry I wrote, a group including Bethany and Laura went to Italy- Cinque Terre and Venice, while Meredith and I and a couple of other girls stayed in Vienna for the weekend. We had a huge paper due the coming week, plus I was getting really tired of traveling. However it was a productive weekend... I got a pea coat and we visited the Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market) at the Rathaus, which quickly became one of my very most favorite things from Vienna (in fact I really only ever want to go back at Christmas time).

The next weekend, Bethany and I headed off on our own to Mannheim, Germany to go see Phoenix perform. We made it there safely and everything went really well while we were there. Mannheim was actually very friendly and very beautiful. This is also where I got my first taste of champagne. Ha. The concert was AMAZING. We were about the first two in line so we got right up to the stage. This proved hazardous later when we realized that we had to move with the crowd to save our lives.

I never want to go to a concert where i have to stand again. I felt very violated... The bands were great, we got cute t-shirts, and we left unscathed... physically, maybe not mentally.

The next morning we got up super early to catch a train to Bruges to meet the rest of our group. It took us a long time but we made it there. Bruges is a terribly confusing place but GORGEOUS. Maybe the coolest laid out city we went to. We met up with our group (after some mass confusion and frustration) and went to the Christmas market that was in their square. After that we went to the Chocolate Museum which was pretty boring but yummy. :) We headed back to the train station to catch a train to Brussels, from Brussels to Frankfurt, and then a night train to Vienna. My last night train and I slept the best. Maybe I was just completely exhausted.

The next weekend we went as a huge group to Zell Am See, Austria. Most of the group was going to go ski but with my bad knees I didn't even want to try. We spent that weekend studying for finals, walking to the downtown of the city (past a terribly gorgeous lake) with baby Stella, and eating. So much eating!! But it was all really yummy.

The next few days we spent about the town and doing our favorite things around the city. I was sad about leaving but was super ready to head back. In fact it didn't really hit me until we left Venezia for the last time that we were really leaving.

But we headed out. It was a super long journey but luckily I had the 10 hour plane ride seat to myself. As excited as I was to get home though, I was super nervous to get off the plane. I didn't know what home held for me.

And it sucked. I'm not going to sugar coat it. By the second day home I wanted to go back to Austria. I saw my parents and loved on them but Europe was just so much better. No pesky boys to deal with.

The past few weeks have been some of the hardest to go through. I lost the love of my life. And he doesn't seem to care how I feel about any of it, more interested in the one who moved in in my absence. My parents are super stressed out by family issues and I just feel helpless. I was stranded at home with no friends for a week and was super relieved when my friends started trickling back home. Never under estimate the power of friendship and a good hug. They were the firsts to make me feel like myself again, and with the help from them and the wonderful power of prayer, I have begun to start feeling ok about all of this. I'm a catch and worth so much. I really think this is for the better, however bad I feel about losing a friend.

I hope in the future we're able to become friends again. It might take me being a better person and loads of forgiveness, but I think it can happen one day.

I thank the Lord for my super wonderful family and the best friends a girl could ever ask for.

now is not the time to think about life.

2009-11-17T09:26:00.004-06:00

I really have no idea what I want to do with my life. I've gone from wanting to be a News Anchor, a History teacher, Graphic Designer, someone who works in Marketing (what are they even called?), and now I'm onto Public Relations. I thought this would be really awesome because I love to talk. I also love being able to persuade people.

So today as I was trying to write my paper, I got distracted by looking up possible internships with Disney. They even have a PR Co-Op for this next summer (which I won't do since I won't have ANY PR classes til this next semester), but I have hope for 2011. However my hopes were dashed when I learned someone else was equally as excited about that chance, someone who is and will probably always be better than me at this. So of course I let that person get in front of me in my mind.

This has happened with my dream of being a photographer, a Broadway singer, and a writer. There is always someone better than me, so I shouldn't even try. I shouldn't even try for that internship because there is going to be someone better versed, more colloquial, and more attractive than I am, and he or she WILL get what I'm aiming for.

I let this battle in my head start and end without any effort on my part. I will never be good enough for the positions I want in life, so I should just resign to what comes easily.

I stopped my brain today and realized that I HAVE to figure out what I'm willing to fight for. Otherwise I will be stuck working at McDonald's for the rest of my life. So is that photography? Singing? Public Relationing? I have no idea. I wish someone could tell me what I'm best at and let me figure out a way to shine at it.

Bratislava, Budapest, & Salzburg

2009-11-12T06:02:00.003-06:00

Well I'm unsure why I write these, I think they are mainly for my parent's enjoyment, and I guess they deserve to know what their money has gone towards. Haha. But here is the latest installment of my journeys in Europe.

Last weekend we were all still pretty exhausted from our misadventures over fall break on top of working non stop on 12 pages worth of papers, (I could probably draw you my hotel room dirty clothes and all with my eyes closed.) so we decided to take it easy and just do day trips.

Thursday we went to Bratislava, Slovakia since Dr. McVey told us he was going to take us when he was here (never did). We left around 2ish to walk over to Sudbahnhof to catch a train. We got to the station at 2:20 and the train left at 2:30. So we booked it to the platform, and made it on just in time for it to roll away. When we made it to Slovakia it was about 3:40 and since the time change happened, it's been getting dark here very early.

We walked around a little bit looking for a tourism office in the train station to no avail. So we just set out on foot looking for something promising to do. We saw a steeple and headed towards it since we knew there was some church that was supposed to be cool there. But when we got inside we found it pretty grungy and a ladies service going on. Though we never figured out where the lady speaking was...

We decided that we should ask for directions to the city center or for a tourism office and luckily no one spoke any English. Seriously, if you are going to have english as your second language on ALL your signs, please be able to speak it, I have never learned a lick of Czech.

So we wandered aimlessly, unsure why anyone would ever want to come to this place, and just decided to head back to the train station since it was getting dark and sketchier by the minute. So alas our journey to Bratislava was a fail. But I got my patch (though it's a shameful patch) and that's all that matters.

We came home on a 5:45 train and then made our way to VaPiano's to eat dinner, since everyone in our group was cursing us because we hadn't been yet. VaPiano's is a cafeteria like restaurant where the people cook in front of you and ask you specifically what you want in your dish. You can choose from a myriad of pastas, pizzas, salads, or desserts. I got the shrimp and spinach campanelle pasta. It was alright, but the smell was better. I want to go back when I'm not feeling especially sick though.

The next morning we decided to go to Budapest. The UBahn was running slow and stopping a lot and we were really afraid we weren't going to make our train. So at 9:47 we're sprinting from the UBahn to the train platform for the train to leave at 9:50. Luckily though, it's been delayed and we don't actually leave until 10:10. Good heavens.

We made it to Budapest alright, left the train station after figuring out the Hop On Hop Off bus thing, and headed to the bank. We each extracted 10,000 florints. My goodness what a crazy amount! However, that only equaled to about $50. We went to find the bus stop and decided to eat somewhere before the bus came. We stopped at this place called Sloppy Joes (sounds American right?), and I got a chicken caesar salad (chicken was the only good part) and the others got burgers and sandwiches. Apparently the burgers were absolutely disgusting, requiring us to go to Burger King afterwards to get fries. We made it back in time to get on the bus and thus our tour began.

It was pretty rainy out, so none of us got good pictures from the bus windows, but the city was beautiful. Definitely didn't know that Hungary was so shaken by WWII. There are still several buildings will bullet holes everywhere. :/ Oh and did you know that Budapest is actually two different cities? Buda is on one side of the river and Pest is on the other. I think I definitely liked the Buda side better. However, we weren't able to make it off of the bus in time to explore anything since they pulled away so quickly, but it might be something I would want to go back to in the summer sometime.

Our main focus after this was to find food and a patch. So we got off at this one stop that looked really great, like there would be some souvenir stores around, but alas, another sketchy dark place, because even though it was 4:30 it was pitch black. So we walked towards the train station hoping to stumble across something but never did. We went to Burger King for dinner combining the money we had left over (check my facebook for the money picture, that's what was left) and ate. But we still had a bunch left so we finally found a souvenir store in the train station which wasn't even in like the main strip of stores, it was in this secluded side section. We got our patches and postcards but still had money left over. We found a food store and bought so much stuff, and still had about $5 for each of us. I guess that's going in my scrapbook.

We made it back safely and were quite thankful for our beds.

Saturday morning we got up and headed to Salzburg. When we got there we headed towards our hotel which was called the Vier Jahreseizten or the Four Seasons. :) It definitely had some charm or could have had some charm... I mean Pavarotti stayed there it must have been good at some point! We got to the room which was actually two combined with a separate toilet and bath area. The bed Bethany and I shared was this huge king sized one which was fabulous but the one Meredith and Laura shared was rock hard. And I still apologize for that. :/

We went to find lunch before the Sound of Music tour and found this really really cute foresty place. We all got schnitzel or schnizzle as we're called it now but unfortunately actually getting the food took a good 40 minutes. We were supposed to be back at the hotel at 1:40 for them to pick us up and it was already 1:30. So as soon as we got the food we scarfed it down and ran back down the street. I'm sure we looked completely ridiculous and like we dined and dashed but we paid I promise! I was pretty sad about running out on that meal though, it was the best schnizzle I'd had so far in Austria.

We got to the van and the lady took us to the bus which was just around the corner... we totally could've walked there. :/ Oh well. Our tour guide lady was named Trudy and she was a crazy Brit. But she definitely loved the Sound of Music, so over all she was pretty good. We drove around to a lot of locations, the Mirabelle Gardens, the Nonnburg Abbey, the Mozart Bridge, to Mondsee to see the church where the wedding was filmed (also the scene where the kids are hanging in the trees), Lake Wolfgang (which wasn't in the movie but was proof that God exists), Hellbrunn Palace where the exteriors of the house were shot, and to Leopoldskron Palace which was where all the backyard scenes were shot.

It was absolutely amazing. I can't get over how beautiful Salzburg is. Quite possibly on my top 3 list of favorite cities. Sunday we went to Mirabelle Gardens since it was supposed to be the last thing on our tour but since it gets so dark so early we weren't able to. It was so cute, though I'm not sure how they filmed some of the scenes because it was pretty small. Especially the last scene of Do Re Mi where the kids are hopping up and down those stairs. There's this huge ledge thing right in front of it that would not allow them to have the proper angle for that shot... Movie magic I guess.

We played on the Pegasus fountain, found the little gnome they all patted, and ran around the mazes playing Harry Potter. After the gardens we went over the river to the shopping area. Not very much was open but we found a little merry go round (probably meant for people an 8th of my weight) and hopped on. We were especially excited about the Gartenzwerg I rode. We walked up and down that street getting souvenirs and what not, and then found a place for lunch. I really enjoyed it. It was down under other shops and was really cozy and warm. I got bacon and cheese spatzle which was deeeelicious. We walked around some more and had hints of what the Christmas markets were going to look like and then decided it was probably time to head back.

I have to definitely recommend that hotel though. The staff was so friendly. One of the guys even let us order pizza for Saturday night's dinner even though his boss wouldn't allow it. But he told us he wasn't there, and he just wouldn't look. He was even helpful enough to order it for us and give directions to the delivery man. Definitely a keeper. :)

So that was my weekend. Pretty low key but pretty fun.

This weekend Meredith and I are staying in Vienna along with Brynn, Abbie, and Meghan. Homework plays a huge factor in that decision, but there are also several things I need to get done for this next week. Sketches, about 11 pages worth of papers, two tests, and a soccer game would have done me in stress and health wise if I didn't stay to get stuff done. But Christmas markets start this Saturday(!!!!!) so we're going to hit those up as well as finish visits and go see other things we haven't gotten to yet. Overall I'm glad we're staying, even if that did mean giving up Cinque Terre and Venice. (that's ok. the cruise I wanna go on for my honeymoon goes to both those places ;) ) I think I'm a bit tired of traveling as well. I just need a weekend away from trains and staying in one place for a bit.

Three weeks from today I'll be home. Almost under 20 days.

Paris, Luxembourg, Barcelona, Geneva (gag), and Zurich

2009-11-03T14:15:00.006-06:00

Fall break had the effect of making me never want to travel again.

However, it was an incredible 10 days, full of adventure and problems, laughter and heavy prayers.

We started the trip off with a night train to Paris which the boys happened to be on. We talked to them for a while and then got pounded at through the wall to shut up and go to bed. When we arrived in Strasbourg the next morning we were greeted with this creepy creepy sound that are exclusive only to French train stations. Pretty foreboding.

We made it safely and easily to our hotel after fighting for a Metro card and were a initially pretty sketched out by it. But the staff was friendly and helpful and we were reassured by the fact that the only people there besides us was a group of teens from the UK. After we dropped off all of our stuff we went to find lunch and came upon an incredibly cute cafe, however the food was not that great.

We decided to go on another free tour where we met at St Michel's Square. Our guide was Alex, definitely not as good as Travis, and he spit a lot. :/ But still adequate. He showed us all around the city and told us little quirky stories like how on one of the bridges there are about 400 faces, and these faces are representative of drunk wedding guests the king had sculpted. We went across the artist's bridge, saw where some of the Bourne Identity was shot, and ended up in one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever been to.

I got some pretty magnificent pictures that day, and I can't wait to print them off.

The next day we went to the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and to the outside of the Opera House. I have seen all of them before, and since I'm quite tired of art, I was pretty exhausted by the museum by the end. After a ridiculous dinner, we went to the Opera House and took pictures of the facade, and a picture with a very random French dude, but he was hot, so we didn't mind. ;)

Later Bethany and Laura decided to go to the Arc de Triomphe while Meredith and I decided to go to a movie. We saw The Informant! with Matt Damon and we rather enjoyed it. It was actually a really good head case movie, you could never tell who was wrong and who was right.

The next day we decided to go to Luxembourg. What a glorious place. In my next life I for real would love to live there. And the only thing stopping me now is that my family is in the states and I don't gots lots o' money. Though we never paid much for food or entrance fees to anything... so who knows.

I just know that it's gorgeous, friendly, safe, and easy. Probably my second favorite city behind Vienna right now.

We went to the city museum first and were very pleasantly surprised at how modern it was. Cool elevators, hands on exhibits, AND English in the displays. Who could ask for more!? The history of the city and country was pretty interesting, they broke off of Germany and were ruled by the Austrians for a really long time. They speak Luxembourgish. A mix of English, German, and French... no point in me ever trying to learn it!

My favorite part of the museum was actually the creepiest. They had a temporary exhibit going on called Murder and ManSlaughter where they delved into people's motives for killing others, from September 11th to serial killers to companies deciding that recalling something on a car was far more expensive than letting people get in car wrecks (Momma and Daddy, they had the Pinto as an example of this, apparently a lot of the engines just randomly burst into flames but the car company didn't recall any of them). The most unique part of the exhibit though was the end, they gave you a card and told you to place it into the box labeled for what you would kill for, self-defense, revenge, jealousy, embarrassment, kill a tyrant, etc. I was glad to know that the box the most full was the self defense, but there were some even in the embarrassment one which really scared me for some reason.

After the museum we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was gorgeous inside. Warmer and friendlier than any other European churches I've been into so far. Next we went to the castle ruins and took a tour of the crypts beneath. We went to Michealskirche and then headed back to the train station to depart for Paris again. But not before we got an authentic Luxemburger! ;)

That night we met up with about 10 of our group to go up into the Eiffel Tower. I hadn't realized how much I missed them until we saw all of their smiling faces. We rode up to the top and took several pictures all the while catching up on our adventures so far from the trip.

Monday we tried our hardest to get to Brussels. But French people (especially train station employees) are mean and very unhelpful. They only way we could get there was to pay 41 euro. One way. I mean I really do want to go to Belgium, but not potentially for 80 euros when I have a perfectly good Eurailpass my parents paid 784 euro for. Nope sorry evil lady, I will not pay that.

So after being sad for a little bit, we decided to just check out Montmartre but got off at the wrong stop and were practically eye raped by sketchy sketchy SKETCHY men. And surprisingly in this district there were bridal stores every single place you looked... Luckily a nice fellow in the Virgin Megastore pointed us to the right stop and we got back on track. We took a sky liftish thing to the top of the mountain and paused to take pictures, listen to a great harpist, and watch a very interesting man do yoga on grass I'm not sure he was supposed to be on.

After we checked out Sacre Coure, we explored just about every single tourist shop on the top of the hill, got lunch (QUICHE!!), and then explored the artist's ring where I got a really neat canvas Eiffel Tower and some cute prints from this precious Asian man.

We then went to see Moulin Rouge and even though it was perfect daylight I was still sketched out by the numerous men just standing outside of sex shops just appraising every female human being that walked by. But we got our pictures, I got coffee and we were off to try and tour the Opera house. Unfortunately it was just about to close so we decided to just go back to the Arc to take pictures but we ended up just watching traffic go by. Actually much more fun than you'd expect, especially with 12 lanes of traffic going around at once and people trying to run across it.

We went down the Champs Elysees in search of the Disney Store (for my project) and dinner. We came upon some really awesome break dancers and a really nice couple from New York who willingly took a picture for us. We made our way to the store, I got my picture and we decided to find grub. We went to a pizzeria, but all of us got burgers (we're sad I know), and then we headed out to find ice cream.

The next morning we slept in a little bit, checked out, and then stopped at a near by grocery store to get food for our Eiffel Tower picnic. Then we took our bags to the train station we were leaving from that night and were pretty sketched out again. The stations we had been to previously were large and light but this one seemed run down and we had to put our luggage through a metal detector just to put it in lockers. And it broke our baguette. :(

We then made our way to the Eiffel Tower, found a nice bench, and had a bread war. I think Laura won that war... We were enjoying our picnic of bread, cheese, turkey, chips, chocolate, and cookies when this gypsy approaches. Everyone had warned us about them, so I froze not know what to do. But she was just asking for food, and I obviously don't need it all (I mean have you seen me lately?) so I handed her some bread, cheese, and turkey and she went on her way. Then I proceed to get pooped on yet again. UGHHH. I guess God was trying to tell me that I did in fact have much more to give her. So another one approaches and this time I give her money and Bethany hands her the rest of our cheese package. I guess even the least of these like cheese right?

After we went around the Tower again we decided to head off to the Opera. The fee was small, and I was so terribly glad we went. It was like walking into a movie, and one of my favorites no doubt. I felt like I was at the Masquerade waiting for Patrick Wilson or Gerard Butler to just pop up somewhere, which would have been ahhhhhmazing. :)

We had some time to explore before we needed to catch our train so we went to the Galleries Lafeyette which is a huge 7 story mall that umm well I will never be able to afford, however I did get me some sour jelly beans for 2 euro. Score! It was so incredibly beautiful inside though but very very crowded. We made our way to the top floor and out onto a terrace and took some incredible pictures of Paris at sunset.

We made our way to the Hard Rock for dinner. I know a waste, but it was as much if not cheaper than anything else in Paris, why not? I got a salad and it was glorious. I really never though salads were going to be really the only food I miss from America. In fact I want my welcome home dinner to be at Pei Wei just so I can get their Asian Chopped Chicken Salad, or Panera if the Fandango salad is still a possibility to get.

We found a Starbucks to just chill in for a few hours until it was time to go to the station. We were all freaking out because this train ride was going to be the one with two other people and we were very afraid that they would be super weird or creepy and that we'd have to sleep in shifts so our stuff didn't get stolen, but the Lord answered our (and I'm sure many of your) prayers that night and sent us a little old couple who hardly spoke to us but made their presence known in snores and flatulence.

We made it safely to Cerbere, France but had to wait in the most deserted lonely station for about an hour until our train was supposed to get there, however it was an hour late so we spent some crazy time laying on the pavement "sunning our backsides". :) The train finally arrived and I felt like I was climbing aboard a Spanish family's RV. It was a little crazy but they were friendly, though they made fun of me for not switching my clock on my backpack back an hour for daylight savings time.

The train itself looked like it was made in seventies, with think woolen curtains you could pull across to keep the sun out and bouncy squeaky seats. And to make me feel a little more uneasy, a bunch of police man came barging through our carriage to check passports and tickets. Not just a ticket checker man, but 6 police man... I guess Spain is intense about their security!

We move along the tracks for about 4 minutes and stop and suddenly we're in Spain. So close!

We finally pick up speed and make it to Barcelona about an hour after we were supposed to. We were all starving and desperate to get to the hostel so we tried to quickly get directions to our stop on the metro and get tickets. So Barcelona's stations might be super sweaty, but their trains are super nice. We got off at our stop (which is entitled Clot. Clot? Really? How much more disgusting of a name can you think of??) and walk towards our hostel. I'd looked it up previously so when I saw the skyscraper in front of us I knew we had made it. Our room was super nice. Just no AC... and there were tons of kinder there so no internet access the whole time (you see they don't have the decency to keep up with the 15 minute time limit).

We went in search of food and found a place called DinoPan where we got pizza, a drink, and a dessert for under 5 euro. I was super impressed. By that time it was getting pretty late so we decided to try and find something worth visiting. We came upon the Sagrada Familia, which is this church that has been under construction since 1882. And there's no sign of stopping. It was kinda cool on the outside to see all the different parts of the structure, but odd because they didn't really all go together. One side was like dripping candle wax, while the other was rigid figures telling of the Crucifixion. We all paid the 9 euro to get in (while I made a fool of myself trying to go through the spinny counter thing to which the ticket man got a nice laugh out of) and took the tour. Though it wasn't much of one. Everything inside is under construction as well. I mean it'll be nifty when it's finished but they basically are getting a donation from you for something that they just need to hurry up on.

We did some souvenir shopping after that, found dinner (yes I got some tapas, and they were pretty good!), and then headed back to go to bed. Since I didn't get any sleep on the train (due to my overwhelming claustrophobia) I crashed as soon as I had brushed my teeth.

The next morning we went to find a free tour but stumbled upon a bus tour instead. It was just 21 euro and we could hop on and hop off at any stop there was. We took the east tour first which was basically in the hills and included the FCBarcelona stadium, the Olympic stadium, and the National museum. We rode it til the end and got off to get lunch. We found this cute place called Divinus where we got a 3 course meal including rolls and a drink for 10,95. I got Caesar salad, a whole chicken, and ananas (pineapple, but I just enjoy saying ananas). :) It was all very wonderful. We got back on the bus and took the West tour and got off at the beach. Sigh... I love the beach. It was so beautiful and so warm. We took a lot of fun pictures and enjoyed the cute kids that were playing around us even though the threw sand in our direction repeatedly.

We got back on the bus and decided to head towards Park Guell, a famous park by Gaudi full of mosaic animals and other designs. It was getting pretty dark so I don't think we got to enjoy it fully but it was still cool to look out on the city. We got back on the bus and stayed on until we made it to the train station to book tickets for the next days trip. After wards we found an Italian place and I got beef medallions. They were super tasty. And cheap. You go Barcelona, you go.

We got snacks for the next day at a sketch store where the owner gave us like 8 bendy rulers and that we were able to wield as soon as we stepped out the door. We made it back to the hostel and prepared for the next day.

Friday was the beginning of the longest 50 hours of my life. We got on our train to Montpellier fine, but when we got to Montpellier there was a huge line to buy other tickets. Oh yeah that's another thing I hate about the French... You can only buy train tickets leaving from anywhere in France in France. They are real persnickety about letting you be responsible and book before the day of your journey.

So we stand in this line for about 45 minutes, missing our original train to Geneva. The ticket guy gives us another way where we'd be getting in about 11 pm. Not too bad, but definitely a lot later than the original 7:30. We get on a train to Valence, France and then from Valence to Geneva. Little did we know that the train to Geneva just happened to split in the middle with one side going to Geneva and the other to Annecy. Guess which one we were on.

Yup. So we land in Annecy, believing it's just a different name for the Geneva train station, grab up our stuff and get out. But then we hear the awful bum buh da dah! and realize we are still in France. We try to get someone to help us, and luckily we run into a man (from West Virginia, now lives in Berlin, and has heard of Lipscomb!) who tells us what has happened and that we now have to get on a bus to Annemasse, France and take a taxi into Switzerland. A kindly conductor takes pity on the 15 of us who made the same mistake (seriously there were NO train people on board to tell us we were on the wrong side!!!) and lets us get on the bus for free, after the bus ticket machine wouldn't take any of our cards and no one had 9,50 in coinage.

The bus is already packed and we're jammed into the seats with our huge packs in our laps completely separated from each other. There were these strange guys on the bus who just insisted on being completely ridiculous and tried to talk to Bethany multiple times. But then the mean bus driver gets on and starts shoving us off. Apparently he had sold enough tickets and we were taking up space. But the kindly conductor saves us again and orders a special bus for us. So the 11 of us pile on and we are taken pretty haphazardly to AnneMasse. We arrive and there is absolutely nothing but some creepy hotels that looked like they belonged in a ghost town and some cafes. Our WV friend is still with us and calls the taxi company. He just needs to get to Geneva because he's staying with a friend, so he lets us take the first taxi. Since there were four of us I took the front and I became the driver's walky talky holder, but not before he grazed my leg a couple of times.

The ride was 10 euro each but when we finally made it to the train station we realized that the last train to Zurich left 45 minutes ago. Great, there goes that hotel reservation. We looked at all the close hotels to figure out if there was at least some place we could stay but every hotel was around 180 to 220 euro a night per room. So pay the 90 euro or risk our safety? Well we risked our safety.

I called the hotel and told him we had to cancel and he got all mad at me but I was just like if I could be there I would be dude. And he had to charge the full amount to my card... however I think that card was mostly gone anyway so boo on you man.

The first hour at the train station consisted of playing MASH and watching every passer by really closely. We all got pretty chilly since there were no enclosed parts of the station so we decided to go to the bar across the street. We actually got carded or rather passported when all we had were Cokes. But going there wasn't much use since they closed at 2. We went back to the train station and sat in this hallway with these creepy woodchucks (which I think were actually our protectors) until 3 when the train station kicked us out. They told us we could go to an underground mall and stay, so we removed ourselves to that location. I've never felt more like a homeless person in my life. There were actual homeless people (who were probably a lot warmer than me at that point) in that area with us. And all these men who decided to try and talk to us but we just didn't look at them. There was this man who was standing around us the whole time just talking to himself and oddly I felt more at peace with him there.

Do you ever encounter people or realize certain people around you that were sent to protect you? I felt like he would've had our backs if something happened with those sketchy men. He looked at the same display of books for the entire hour we were down there, just 2o feet away from us. I felt the same way about those old people on the train to Barcelona. They were silent and just there probably to be the fillers to keep other people out.

After we could go back up to the station we sat back in our spot until we couldn't take the cold anymore so we got our bags out of the locker and put more layers on. We found what platform our train was on and went back to sit in the hallway. Meredith started to rearrange her backpack when suddenly this greasy gross large large man with sausage hands came over to us and asked us if he could sleep in front of us. He got on his hands and knees and just started mumbling. Bethany and I grabbed for our bags since he was so close and he mockingly grabbed for them as well. I sprang up and he started laughing at us and tried to give his bag to Bethany telling her his wasn't worth as much as hers. He got up as well and I just pointed towards the opposite side of the hall way and told him to go. He got the message and left but not before he found it necessary to bow to us. Definitely glad this happened in the last 30 minutes we were there and not the beginning.

The train finally came, and as soon as we got on, pottied, and tried to find food, we all crashed on top of our bags taking up two seats for ourselves. The next time I woke up our cabin was full and I just assume that everyone walking by took pity on us poor weary travelers.

We got to Zurich, found lockers, and found breakfast. Or rather I found coffee, the donut was disgusting. Then we planned on going up a mountain to go look at the Alps. The train was actually pretty cool and the foliage at the top was beautimous. I got more coffee and we explored and then as we came back down, we all fell asleep on the train. After that we got lunch and went to find the trolley tour we signed up for. Good thing we paid 33 francs for that since we all completely fell asleep on that as well. However we got to see more of Zurich than just the train station which was good.

After that we went shopping and Laura and I got Swiss Army Knives. It's totally girly and purple and I love it. :) Then we tried to find dinner and settled on chinese. I have been craving chinese practically since we got to Europe, so even though it was 27 francs I completely enjoyed it.

We made our way back to the train station and met up with some girls who were on our night train back home. We sat in the waiting room for probably 3 hours just waiting for our train to show up on the board. But it was good catching up with them and hearing their stories. I think we definitely had the worst story out of the group. Oh well, it's a good story to tell.

We finally got on the train and were ready for a night's sleep. However when we found our cabin some Middle Eastern men were making their way towards us, we looked into our cabin and there were five sets of bedding instead of the four that we booked for ourselves. We all instantly put the two together, threw ourselves into the cabin and started praying fervently. If we had to be with this man, none of us would be able to sleep and we couldn't do that for a second night. But as soon as we all stopped praying there was a knock on our door and this young lady not much older than us tells us she is supposed to be in there with us. We all breathe a sigh of relief. She was another example of the people there to guard us. They are silent and just fillers. But i know God placed them all there to be our protectors and they probably didn't even realize it.

The train pulled in to Wien Westbahnhof at precisely 8:03 and I cannot tell you how excited I have been to see a trainstation before. I love Vienna and was very excited to come home.

On another completely different note, I think my home sickness has just hit full force. I'm realizing my relationships at home are completely failing and I hate not being there to do anything about it. I miss my Mommy & Daddy, Elizabeth, Rob, my kitty, my car, my bed, my friends, Lipscomb, choir (surprisingly enough), my job, and texting. I have 28 days til I go home and I cannot wait.

However depressing or ungrateful this sounds I have completely enjoyed this experience. Perhaps not all the lame work we have to do, or the countless art I have had to glue my eyeballs to, but the traveling and the people have been wonderful. There are so many countless laughs shared, so many adventures we'll have to tell, and incredible bonding ties that will last forever. I'm so glad my parents were able to send me on this trip, it's one that will be forever cemented in my mind.

italian stallions and german mermen.

2009-10-18T15:03:00.004-05:00

decided it’s about time I wrote about my recent travels.

Italy first I suppose.

I was not way thrilled to be going back to either Rome or Florence because neither of them were favorites from last year’s trip to Italy. Rome was where we stood in ankle deep water to listen to the Pope and Florence was so quick the only thing I really got from it was Michelangelo’s David and a really really good Panini. So I felt like I had checked these two cities off on my list of places to see in life, and was ready to get onto new travels. Alas, I still had to go.

So Saturday afternoon we packed up our lives here in Vienna to move out for a week, stuffed our packs to the brim, and got on a train to Roma. It was an overnight train and when we got into the compartments we were all pretty excited about it. And even though we had all slept until 11:30 am that day, we were quickly lulled into a stupor and decided to go to bed. But even though we were super comfortable sitting up, we were not lying down. I woke up with every stop, I was too hot, or people were sooooper loud. Plus we had all been freaked out my stories from people getting their things stolen in night trains, so I had that running through my mind all night.

We arrived the next morning safe but tired in Rome. We got on a bus that took us to the Baths of Caracalla. I actually hadn’t been there yet, and for the billionth time in my life I wished that I could time travel and see it in its’ former glory. The walls were super tall and even more were missing. Our sweet guide Roberta told us that all the walls we saw and even floors were covered in mosaics and marble. I can’t even begin to imagine how long and what type of skill that required.

Next we saw the Forum and the Colosseum and that night I had the best chicken of my entire life. :) We saw the Catacombs of San Callista, the Borghese gallery, the Vatican Museum, and St Peter's. I think St Peter's is the best church I've ever seen in my life. I wouldn't say that I felt God there just because of it's grandeur, but every where I looked I saw something glorious. I also really enjoyed the Sistine Ceiling. I wish that they had had couches to lay down on so you could look up without hurting your neck.

Even though I was/am really tired of art, the Borghese was worth the time and effort to go. They had several Bernini sculptures and I'm pretty sure I have found my favorite artist. All the sculptures and things we have looked at thus far have been rigid and stiff and just examples of perfect beings. But Bernini as we learned was on the cusp of High Baroque where they were experimenting with more emotion and movement. His David was the first one we've seen that hasn't just been standing there placidly, he was in the movement of throwing the stone at Goliath, biting his lip, and putting all his energy into killing this terrible giant. Apollo and Daphne were equally or more beautiful. It tells the story of Apollo chasing Daphne and her being turned into a tree. Her arms were turning into leaves and her feet into roots. So magnificent!

That night we went to find the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. We got on one bus which happened to have to go to the bus wasteland. So we were on this one bus for about an hour and a half. And then the bus which took us back to the hotel didn't come for like 40 minutes and while we were waiting we had several buses, cars, and Vespas honk or blow kisses at us. We probably looked like the most modest hookers ever to be on the side of the street. But when bus 49 FINALLY came, there happened to be about 12 other Lipscomb kids on there as well. Apparently they had been waiting for awhile as well.

Wednesday we went to Pompei. What an adventure. We had to get up really early to catch the train and barely made it. We took a EuroStar to Naples which was wonderful but that was the only train whole day that was non-sketch. Then we hopped a train to Salerno, thinking that we would get off in Pompei, however it didn't. But I'm so glad we ended up in Salerno. It was absolutely gorgeous. I still can't get over that landscape. When we finally got back to the train station the train we got on was like a huge piece of scrap metal grating along a track. There was graffiti everywhere, no seats where there should've been, and it kept breaking down. We finally made it to Pompei and then had to walk a ways to actually get to the site. Daniel had hired this cute old guy to be our guide for the day.

Even though I had been there once before, I was surprised because this cute old man took us on a completely different tour. I didn't learn anything new, but at least the scenes were. Afterwards we got some pizza and drinks and did souvenir shopping and headed back. The train to Naples wasn't so bad, but the Rome one was horrible. There were so many people on the train that they were having to kick people off, and it was hot and stuffy and I was so cramped.

Our final dinner in Rome was alright, we went to some restaurant run by nuns from different countries who dressed up in their traditional garb. We had pasta, chicken, and GREEN BEANS. mmmm I had missed vegetables. When we got back to the hotel I wanted a shower but Meredith got in first and somehow the knob to make the shower work broke off so she decided to just lay down in the tub and try it that way. Well soon I hear laughing and apparently when she soaped up she just slid around a lot and did barrel rolls. I obviously decided to not take a shower that night.

We had to get up super early again to go to Florence and we got there ok. We had an hour and a half to eat and we found this place that was a little shady but alright and we all got our own liter of water. Because for some reason Austria is about the only place that is ok with giving you free water... We went to the Accademia to see David (and saw a man who had more back and chest hair than head hair, and decided that it was ok to let it poke out from his shirt thus giving him a fur collar), the Medici family tombs by Michelangelo, and to the town hall where the copy of David is outside. We were all dead, our feet hurt, and several of our group wasn't feeling well, so we came back to the hotel to take a nap. We woke up and walked back to the Il Duomo to meet up with the group for dinner. Out dinner was pretty awesome- pesto/red sauce pasta, pork chops and fries, and then some rum ice cream cake. That was actually pretty gross, as well as every salad they have here. Why do they feel it necessary to put such nasty dressing on it?

Friday was quite a day. We went to three museums that day, which was bad enough, but it was rainy and my shoes wouldn't stay tied, so I was dragging my laces through water, and then I feel something hit my head, and what is it? Yup bird poop. Luckily not the white kind, though I hate to think that some bird peed on me. Ewwww. Laura was very kind to me though and got as much out as she could.

The first museum we got to was Casa Buonarotti which was the family home of Michelangelo and housed several of his original sketches and pieces that were either never finished or never put on display. Next was the Il Bargello or the National Museum. There was so much stuff there that I didn't really get to look at, but I was basically more impressed with the building itself than the artwork inside. For our lunch break we went to the pharmacy for assorted drugs for people, the bank, and then to the sandwich shop my dad, Robin and I found last year when we were there. I still can't get over how yum-tastic those sandwiches are. We met up at the Gallery Ufizzi after lunch. It was actually very interesting, though it went on forever and I don't think I've ever seen so many Madonna and Childs in my life. Good grief.

I actually think my favorite part of that museum was the view of the Ponte Vicchio bridge and of the river. We actually went to the bridge first to look for shopping but everything was basically the same and basically way too expensive for me. So we headed to the market, and umm I'm a little ashamed to say how much money I spent there. :/ I think I spent 260 euro on two leather purses, a leather jacket, a leather journal, 6 scarves, a ring, and some keychains. But I felt like that was pretty good, especially since I had to kiss my way down from 220 to 150 for the jacket. Is that a good price for a real Italian leather jacket? I dunno.

Saturday we went to Siena. Again, absolutely gorgeous. Very hilly which was strange and hard to maneuver but the view was worth it. My feet don't even hurt that much but perhaps I'm just used to hard core walking all the time. We went to the basilica where St Catherine's head and finger are, some other church place (I think called the Duomo as well) that had a pretty awesome library with illuminated manuscripts in it, and the town hall square where they had horse races twice a summer. They let us go for lunch and we went to this place that had student prices, so for 7,50 I got a pizza, coffee, and water. Definitely the cheapest meal we had the whole time we were in Italy. We talked to a girl at the cafe where we ate at because she was obviously American and she told us that she was from Seattle, had studied abroad there 3 years ago, met her husband, and now lives here with him. We have met so many people here that were just willing to pack up and move to be with a person they loved. I find it incredibly romantic, but on the other hand, I'm not sure I could be THAT far away from home.

Later that night when we were meeting for dinner this guy started watching Meredith and even when she was in the huge group of kids he was still eyeing her. Since we were around a huge tourist area, there was a man with roses, so he got one for her and had the guts to walk up to her and give it to her. They talked for a bit and he gave her his number and email. And he wasn't even the sketchy one of the night. The sketchy one was the one who came up to Laura and I and kept trying to kiss and hug her. Too bad none of the guys in our group are observant or care enough to come rescue us.

That dinner was alright, pasta chicken and potatoes, what more can you ask for? Plus the waiter was the epitome of Italiano and liked singing to loud arias to us. Daniel said his goodbyes there and we were all pretty sad. He was such a great guide and I really will miss him when we go on other trips.

On our way home we were having the discussion of where we would rather be studying... Italy or Vienna. And a bunch of people said Italy, but I'm unsure of why. I love Austria almost as much as I love America. It's clean, friendly, lively, and beautiful. I missed Vienna two days into the Italy trip. Every time we couldn't have free water, or when I had to pay to use a bathroom with out toilet paper or a toilet seat, I just ask why, why in the world would you want to live anywhere else in Europe but Vienna!? In Italy I would always feel like a tourist and have my space invaded. Yuck.

Sunday was possibly the most uncomfortable day of my life here so far. The first train was ok, though we're always stared at on trains regardless of whether we're actually talking or not... but I had drank a huge carton of orange juice and needed to go to the bathroom badly before we hopped on a three hour bus to Villach. Meredith and I ran back to the train station and found the toilet, but it wasn't much of one. I'm unsure of why a sliver of a bowl of a toilet on the floor counts as a toilet at all. I'm just glad I got out quickly and without paying for that one. We ran back to the bus since it was there and we tried to get to our seats and quickly as possible, however a bunch of women were sitting in our seats and since the bus started moving I just tried to sit in the closest empty one possible. But as I swung around to plop down, my right knee didn't come with me and I heard this really awful popping sound. Bethany told me later that my face scared her to death, and I'm pretty sure it's a face I've never made in my life.

That bus ride got much better though. We drove through some of the best scenery ever. High mountains and deep green valleys, foamy rivers and blue blue skies. It was the epitome of Austrian hill sides and it was continued in our trip from Villach to Vienna. Cute little churches nestled into hills... yes I could definitely live here.

School is boring, so I won't say much about that, though I was pretty surprised by the weather changes. We went from 80s in Italy to 40s and snow in Austria.

Thursday afternoon we hopped onto a train headed to Munchen. It was actually a pretty fabulous train compared to anything we had ridden in Italy and we didn't even need to get reservations. After a fairly short 4 hour trip we made it to the city and were instantly impressed. The train station alone was superb. Clean and indoors with a really awesome food court, I really wouldn't mind having to stay there for a little bit.

Meredith's parents were actually staying in the city for the night before they headed back home so they met us at the train station and walked with us to our hostel. The hostel actually turned out to be pretty good. Pretty nice lobby and bar area and the room wasn't bad at all. Two bunkbeds, four lockers, and the bare minimum in the bathroom, but I guess that's all you need for a few nights anyway.

After we put everything away we walked to the Hofbrauhaus which is this huge beer hall and is exactly what I think of when I think of Germany. No joke. Loud music, loud people, it was warm, and you had to sit with other people picnic table style. Which was really awesome, we ended up talking and practicing our German with these two guys sitting next to us. They were from Kassel and were in Munich working on tanks for the army. They happened to both be named Andy or Andreas... one actually told me to look him up on Facebook, so I guess I should maybe get on that.

Friday we got up and went to Marienplatz which was where we were meeting a guide to take us to see Dachau, the first ever concentration camp. What a day. It was probably the most depressing day I've had in a while, the weather was awful and even though it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, just knowing that so many people were tortured and basically murdered here hurt my heart to no end. I think the saddest part was seeing all the things people had brought with them and were no longer allowed to have, including baby pictures and wedding photos, it really hit me that these people were just ripped from their families, unsure of whether they would be back or not. We watched a video and they even showed all the bodies that the Americans found when the troops arrived there. It was horrifying that people could find it in themselves to treat other humans that way.

By the time we made it back to the city we were all starving and depressed so we decided to go back to the Hard Rock Cafe we had seen the previous night. Our waiter was Canadian so we were excited to be talking to someone who understood us. We had REAL burgers with cheddar (not something you find a lot here) and BACON. MMMM best burger I've had on this side of the pond. Plus free refills. He completely made our night, so I asked him if he knew he was our hero and the wind beneath our wings, and he said "What are you guys? Like hard core Christians?" We kinda laughed, I guess that is better than being asked if we were Mormons for the hundredth time, but still I didn't think Canada was far enough away to not get Bette Midler references...

Saturday we got up early to go to Neuschwanstein, the castle that Cinderella's castle is based off of, and also one of my sites for my project. We had to make a connection in Buchloe and in Kaufbereun, and actually successfully made them. We met up with the Swanns, Cari, Sarah, Ricki, and Leah and made our way to the castle. They were all hungry so we stopped to get some grub and talk. Apparently they had had a much worse time in their hostel than we had. :/

We got tickets and started our hike up the mountain. And it WAS a mountain. I'm actually quite proud of ourselves. The guide said it would take 40 minutes but it really only took us about 20. We made it to the top and were just completely blown away at the beauty of it. This was the first castle I've ever been to and I've got to say, it was definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done. We went inside and just were in awe of all the things that this Mad King Ludwig II did. But he had some rich taste... Everything was lavishly decorated like it should be in the Renaissance/Baroque era, but I was surprised to learn that it was built in the mid to late 1800s. Nothing really even happened in this castle, Ludwig actually died before it was even completed. But I was still very very excited to visit it!

On our long journey home we met this guy named Jeff, who actually happened to be from Canada as well. He was very friendly and we invited him to come to dinner with us.

I think that's my favorite part about Europe. Just how many people you can actually meet. Every single day we met someone and got to know people from all over the place. Whether they were there on business or traveling or for love, it was awesome to realize that people are friendly wherever you are. And I've also learned that I don't ever meet a stranger, anyone I talk to is going to get a small dose of my personal life (all perfectly safe I promise, no addresses or anything). But I like it. :)

Sunday we were going to get up really early and catch a train to Salzburg so we could take the Sound of Music tour and get it out of the way, but I had misread the time and we were going to be about 30 minutes late for it. So we all ended up just getting back into bed and sleeping for another hour and a half before the free tour of Munich started. We were actually afraid we were going to miss that tour as well because we couldn't find anyone speaking English around the square, but when we did finally find them the tour guide happened to be the same guy who did the Dachau tour, Travis. He was from Australia and came here to be with his girlfriend after he had lost his job. He was a great tour guide and we were all really glad we got him again.

After the tour we made our way back to the train station and got on the train headed to Wien.

I really enjoyed this weekend. It was low key but busy and exciting all at the same time. I didn't feel stressed out at all, and actually really enjoyed the few days off from school. So now that we're back I am back to worrying about tests, projects, and papers. Woo!

Next up: Fall Break including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Barcelona, and Zurich :)

i'm not dead yet!

2009-10-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

Hey loyal followers, I am here still. Quite alive. However, being away for a week (oh and what a week it was, you will definitely want to hear the Italy update), has definitely created lots of other things to attend to. But I AM going to write one, no fear!

love you all!

zwanzig.

2009-10-02T16:07:00.002-05:00

In an hour here, and 8 at home, I will be twenty years old, or umm Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt. Two decades!! How did that go by so quickly? Granted I wasn't aware for a good bit of it, but I can remember a lot.

My earliest memory is when I was three, having a dream about a painting in my grandmother's (memaw mac) dining room turning into the evil witch from Snow White, and to this day I can't watch that movie without thinking about that dream.

I remember lipsyncing to Aladdin songs at Disney World when I was 4, but maybe that is just what I got from video tapes, though I can still vividly picture my mom getting mad at me for not being still enough to take a picture.

I remember this 4 piece outfit I had in Kindergarten with pants, a skirt, a t shirt, and a vest and I would take off the pants because I just liked the skirt, but Mrs. Newman wouldn't let me. I remember every girl having 2 piece windbreaker suits that year, and the little chinese girl getting stuck in a chair, and Robin Lynch getting a bean stuck in her ear.

I remember being in the hospital and the broth being my favorite thing because it was the only thing with practically any taste. I remember the ridiculous amounts of balloons and flowers I got and watching Heidi on tv.

I remember countless Gatlinburg trips in the fall, the numerous Beanie Babies bought (and later stuffed into plastic boxes, because they WOULD pay for our college someday!!!), the ridiculous amounts of fudge and rock candy consumed, and the cheesy pictures with my toothless smiles.

Learning multiplication and division and how to write in cursive, the countless recesses and learning to get on top of the monkey bars, the numerous crushes and Mary Kate and Ashley videos. Wanting a scooter so badly because everyone else wanted one but never using it. American Girl dolls every Christmas. Barbies, bikes, swimming birthday parties, and a trip to the ER.

Friends that stuck with me from Kindergarten til now. They're few, but I treasure them so much more for that. LBL, Disney World (finally made it back after 8 years! and now it's been another 8, wink wink! ;) ), graduation to middle school.

Braces, belts, and getting into our now incredibly awkward bodies. Awful awful teachers and an even worse principal, and probably the worst two school years of my life.

Loving school and everything else that went along with it. Numerous hours spent on asphalt but fewer performing. Loving every trip I ever took. Making friends and being ridiculously social. Class secretary and later ASB Historian. Learning that I had to do SOMETHING with graphic design as a major. Developing a passion for photography. Being given a chance to find my voice and learning that the stage is where I feel most at home. Having the greatest senior year I ever could. And finally making it to big kid school where yes it took me a while to fit in, but by the end of the year I felt right at home. And now, here I am turning twenty in a foreign country. I think three people actually know it's my birthday, but that's ok, I think as we get older birthdays just aren't as fun anymore.

I guess if I could blow out candles on a cake I would wish for true happiness and safety on this trip.

I hope that everyone has a fantastic October 3rd. :)

kasekrainers are deeeelicious!

2009-10-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

Hi. It's me again!

Not too much has happened this past week, but I guess enough to write about.

Saturday we went to the Schonnbrunn and took the inside tour as well as a train to the Gloriette on the top of the hill. I would definitely say that the train was the best investment we made all day. After we left the palace we headed towards Cafe Landtmann, since it was one of Meredith's needed visits, and enjoyed some great dessert for dinner. I probably won't head back there anytime soon because it was pretty pricey, but it was enjoyable for one night. But on our way out there we decided to take the UBahn to the end of the line and not get off at the last stop. Well we did so, and the train just stopped. The sign in the train said Haltepunkt which is stop point in german. We were freaking out because we were the only ones on the train and were afraid that we'd be stuck there all night. But the driver just had to switch ends, that's all. :) However we did enjoy our trip to the twilight zone.

Sunday we went to church at Augustinerkirche. I wasn't a fan, but then again I'm not really ever a fan of Catholic masses. However, we talked to this man, who I later found out was named Willburt, but oddly pronounced Villeberrt (roll those rrrrs), who told us that anyone who wanted to, could sing with the choir. Sarah and I were pretty excited by it because they were phenomenal. They even made our Vienna guide books! We told him we'd definitely be back on Wednesday to sing.

I used that afternoon to catch up on homework and get ready for the coming week. Nothing too exciting ;)

Monday after class we went to investigate Renaissance Vienna, and let me just say there is not much left. That was done quickly and we went around Stephansdom just exploring little shops. One of the stores we found was a cute little bookstore with a great children's section, and I found a cute cartoony German version of the Grimm's tales that I'm going to get help on from Frau Swann. Woo! One visit down for me. We also found a class Wien tradition... Manner. This store is located right next to Stephansdom and offers a large array of chocolates. I got the classic Neopolitan wafer things, and ohhhh boy, people at home get ready, because that's what I'm bringing you!! It was beyond wonderful. mmmmm

Tuesday we investigated a couple more parks- Ressel which is in front of Karlskirche and Augarten which is wayyyyy out in the boonies. The way we went in was kinda sketch, I felt like I was walking into the beginning of a really bad horror film. It was empty and the trees were dead and the leaves were just blowing across our paths... not to mention that there was this huge looming tower in front of us that happened to be an old Nazi watch tower. :/ I couldn't stand being there for very long. :/ That night we went to find Cafe Central, but to no avail, and found Cafe Palffy, a little ways down from the Opera house. I got the Alt Wiener Suppe because I wasn't feeling too well, but I had a few bits of other people's Wiener Schnitzel and it was pretty tasty.

Wednesday we went back to the KHM to look at Renaissance art, and after we were done sketching an art work (which I'm terribly proud of mine... :) ) we left and went to our favorite place in the city, Venezia. I got a salmon tortellini which was amazing, and for lunch they had free soup which was some spinach cream thing. It was so super delicious I ate mine and Meredith's and probably could've gone for another... :)

That afternoon I dyed my hair with the help of Lauren. It is now a dark red, and while I'll probably grow pretty sick of it soon, I kinda like the change now. It's different, and I already feel like I'm supposed to be a different person here anyhow, so why not change a little bit of me?

Later that night Sarah and I went to the choir rehearsal and had such a great time. Everyone there was so friendly, from Ernestos the kindly old man and this lady who reminded me of Memawmac, to girls my age Lissi and Katrin. They were all helpful in telling me where we were or what the director had said. The choir was beyond amazing too. They were excellent sight readers, since this was the first time looking at most of the music. They are even recording it in a few days for an upcoming Christmas cd! I could not believe that a group could sound this good without having to work at it for months and months at a time. After the rehearsal we went downstairs to a small get together. Apparently this is typical for Viennese, but they had breads, cheeses, meats, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and wine just waiting to be consumed. I hadn't eaten yet, so I got myself some meat, cheese, bread, eggs, AND some tomatoes. I actually think by the time it was over I ate an entire tomato. Yes Momma you should be proud!

But I was so impressed by this group. They were all so kind and helpful and congenial just like I expect people from churches in the States to be. We made quick friends with Katrin, a mathematics and music student at the University of Wien, and she told us she would take us to Linz (her hometown) and show us around some weekend, because it is the cultural capitol of Europe this year.

I was so glad I went last night, even though I was tired and needed to study for a test this morning. I feel like I experienced something most students on our trip won't get to witness while they're here. We were invited into a family setting and were accepted even though there was a slight language barrier. I promised the people I met though that I would learn to be more fluent with their help. Even if they make fun of me for it. :)

This morning was our first Bible test. It was all essay and I felt like it was ok in hardness. I was the first one done, which is never a good sign to me, but I read and reread my answers about 6 times and know that that was about all I could put. Crossing my fingers that I did alright!

Tonight we're studying for our first German test and resting since we stayed up pretty late last night. Tomorrow we're going to do a quick thing of laundry, clean up, and pack up all our things since the hotel wants to give away our rooms for the week we're in Italy. Understandable I guess, but it's going to be a hassle.

But Saturday (at some point, not sure what point that will be) we're leaving for Italy. I think we're only going to Florence, Rome, and Siena. I'm excited, but since I've already been there, I kind of wish I could use this time to be going somewhere else I haven't been yet. But it will be fun, hopefully there won't be as much rain as last time!

I should go actually study now... blech.

what a week!

2009-09-25T10:13:00.002-05:00

Tuesday afternoon we FINALLY found the laundromat. And 8,20 euros later, I had clean clothes. I guess we waited two weeks to do it, but hopefully we won't have to do it as frequently after it gets cooler and we stop sweating like pigs everywhere we walk.

That night we got all gussied up and went out to the staatoper (state opera) house to see Madama Butterfly. Which is awful. Don't see it. The music was night, but the plot was senseless, and long. I think that's my problem with operas is that they take so long to say one thing. Just spit it out. Really. Apparently all the operas are sold out, but the only "seats" that are left over are the standing room only ones, which they only sell an hour before the performance. When we walked up to our seats, I was pretty amazed at how small the theater was. I felt much closer to the stage than I expected to. I was not how ever amazed at our "seats". They were like cow pens, and they herded more people into the area than there was railing, so I felt more claustrophobic than normal and they were breaking all sorts of fire codes. I was also wearing new flats, that were not nice to my heels and I could never find a comfortable position to stand in, so I was shifting every 30 seconds. Poor Amy and Leah, they probably were mad at me for standing in front of them. The only good thing was that I only spent 4 euro and I got my opera performance out of the way. I was in so much pain I couldn't even make it to gelato.

Wednesday after class we trekked out to the soccer stadium to buy tickets for that night's game (or spiel) and I found some awesome stickers that I'm excited about using in my scrapbook. Oh scrapbooking. I'm going to have a blast working on that when I get home. Thank goodness I have like a month or so at home to work on it.

Anywho, so later that night we went to the game with most of our group and had an absolute blast. The cheering section had a call for every player and every play, and we tried to play along, but I'm sure we looked really dumb. And luckily I had bought a jersey on Monday, so I fit in a little bit more than people who didn't have one. The team tied and the game was over, which I was surprised by, but Andy said that teams are given points based on whether they won, tied, or lost, so it's like ehh if they tied.

The crowd getting out was crazy, but we finally made it to the bus stop after losing most of our group and went to get some Tichy Eis since it's closing today, actually. I tried hazelnuss and kaffee, and wooo I'm mad at myself for never choosing the former before. (And yes mother, I know it's hazelnut but I didn't feel bad!!) Cari and Sarah went back for a third cone of the day, taking their total up to 9 scoops in one day. Way to go girls!

Thursday we went to the Sacred and Secular Treasury of Vienna with our CIVA class, and I must admit I'm pretty unimpressed. We went to see the sacred lance, which is what pierced Christ's side, pieces of the cross, the Imperial crown which makes the emperor believe that he is in the lineage of Christ and all the noble kings of the Bible, and the Veil of Veronica, which was said to be given to Jesus to wipe off his face as he passed carrying the cross, and which had a distinct outline of his face now.... So I guess it's all in what you choose to believe, but it was all very ehhhh to me.

Later that afternoon Bethany and I decided to go out to some parks and we chose Volksgarten and Burgarten. Volks was very formal, with lots of roses, chairs, and old people, and we weren't allowed to get on the grass. But Burg was beautiful and we were allowed to just sprawl out on the grass with anything you wanted to do. It was even soft. I wish I had a blanket here with me for those days.

One of the only things I have to complain about here in Vienna is the beggars. They will get in your face, yelling in German, and annoying you until you escape them. Or even when you say nein danke or nein deutsch... it doesn't help. They are on par with the people who just stare in the UBahn. Yes I KNOW I'm obviously an American, you don't have to stare at me because of it!

Rawr.

Anywho, today we took the afternoon off from doing anything productive and went shopping. And ummm I'm embarrassed to say that I probably shouldn't have done that. I knew I loved H&M, but today good grief, I could've bought out the entire store. But I'm proud of myself, I got 2 dresses, 1 skirt, 1 sweater, 2 shirts, and some eyeshadow (because I'm already very sick of the sparse makeup I brought) for 95 euro.

We also found this store called Monsoon and I found THE perfect formal dress. Too bad it was 235 euro and umm here in Europe. :/ Oh well. I'll find something at home.

I'm so sad I'm missing pledging. But I guess I'll get my fill of it in the spring.

This still feels like a perpetual vacation, but if it were I should've been going home by now. But I do feel like it's homier now.

Anywho, I need to be going! We have a group dinner tonight. Lets see what that brings!

Praha- czech czech czech it out! p

2009-09-21T14:33:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while, homework and uneventful Vienna Visits have been consuming my life. Plus after that last post I feel like my next one should be as good or better, though free money will always rule over all. :)

I think we are definitely beginning to blend in like tourists. In the past few days we've gotten asked directions and if we were Austrians and it has been great! Although I still feel foolish trying to speak German. They teach us these phrases, but not the standard responses, so it's pretty pointless. haha.

Anyways... quick recap.

Last tuesday we went to a few parks, got followed by such a creepy man, and got a grocery store dinner.

Wednesday we went museum hopping from the Art Museum and the Natural History Museum. I really enjoyed both these museums. I felt like the art museum went on for forever, and luckily its now free to us because i need to go back and just peruse.

Thursday afternoon we got out early and were productive with writing in our journals and our presentations since it was rainy and grey out. It was also perfect napping weather :)

Friday we searched for the laundromat with no avail and finally resigned to coming back and studying for the test that was today.

Saturday we headed to Prague. I was pretty excited to be going there because it's just another country I get to add to my "Where I've Been" list on Facebook, and another place to get a patch from. :)

I'm not sure how I felt about this country. The language is absurd and the money is even crazier. When we got there our tour guide Daniel told us to get about 400 czech crowns out. I was pretty worried, because I really didn't want to have a ridiculous amount of crowns to change back into euros. I ended up taking out 600 kcs (I KNOW!! KCS!! How exciting, I have my own currency!!) but that only really totaled into about $35. And that was definitely not enough.

We had a free afternoon on Saturday so we sought out food and got pretty distracted in souvenir shops. And I do mean pretty distracted. I would like to mention everything I got, but alas the recipients read this blog, so I cannot divulge. :) Lets just say I'm happy with my creative choices.

After we finally made it to lunch, Bethany and I split a yummy four cheese pizza and were astounded that the check for 6 people was over 1400 crowns. I never got used to seeing things being over a hundred the whole time we were there. My group made it to St Wenceslas square where there was a huge market going on, and I got more wonderful things. I could definitely tell that Prague was more touristy, practically everyone spoke English and was very helpful when they could be. Maybe a bit pushy, but always kind. We finally made our way to Charles Bridge, because that was about all we knew about Prague. (seriously we should have done more research before we left). The bridge was under construction and was so full it was pushing my claustrophobia levels almost to their breaking point. But I walked quickly with a firm hand on my bag the whole time.

I got several other things that I'm mighty proud of on that bridge and cannot WAIT for Christmas to come so I can give them to their respective owners. I reallllly think to give is better to receive. It gives me such a better feeling inside. :)

anywho, dinner was gelato, as it is many nights and we headed back to our meeting point to go to the hotel. and umm that hotel was just weird. i felt like i was in an asian las vegas. i'm pretty sure i saw more asians this weekend than i have in my entire life. But the hotel had a casino, a restaurant, a bowling alley, swimming pool, spa, and exercise room but guess what? Everything cost something, so a few girls wound up just sitting around and talking over fantas and cappys. I think Saturday night was definitely the lowest I've felt on this trip so far. I felt like wallpaper, alone and unused, something thats always there and never really looked at. It was the worst I've felt in a very long time.

But I think God needed me to feel that I wasn't alone because he sent a pack of 9 drunk very blonde teenagers to sit beneath my hotel window and sing loudly. It caused me to get up to possibly tell them to be quiet, but as I became conscience enough to get up they started "All Praises Be" in perfect harmony which is one of my absolute favorite 4 part hymns. I smiled and when I finally got up I watched them march away (yes nazi style), and they never returned. It was bizarre but perhaps they were really sent from God to renew my heart and mind.

Sunday morning I didn't feel that much better, but was a little helped by the very informative tour we went on. Ava, our tour guide was really cute, and I was very surprised to learn that up until 1918 which was when Czechloslovakia got their independence they all spoke German and after that they all spoke Czech. I mean how does an entire nation just switch languages!?

But after she let us go, a few of us just wanted food, so we found this cute cafe that looked like it belonged in the twenties. Our waiter was hysterical and so friendly, and I was sad that we had just found it the last day we were there, because it was delish. :) I got chicken crepes with creme of mushroom on top and it really reminded me of Front Porch, which made me extremely happy, it was a little slice of home again. As we were walking back to meet our group again I found fudge and Bethany and Meghan found this really delicious bread round thing that was coated in cinnamon and sugar at some festival going on. That's what I've been loving about Europe. There is a festival on just about every weekend full of yummy food and fascinating sights.

We were all anxious to get back home though. I have begun to recognize German, and for that I'm very thankful. Even though I can't speak it or really understand it, I feel more comfortable with it. Or more comfortable than I was with the crazy mash up of letters and symbols that is the Czech language.

And what was even more comforting was the little rest area we found on the Austria/Czech border. It was called Excalibur and it was crazy. Totally themed in dragons and Merlin and warrior butch women, I really never stopped laughing at what they decided was ok to use in their theming....

I think the best part of the trip though was the devo on the bus. Singing always puts me in a better mood. It's where I feel God the most, and I needed Him to create a new spirit within me so badly. I sang full heartedly, realizing that I hadn't really sang in two weeks. I instantly felt better and just praised Him for giving me the power of song.

We made it home and I felt instantly at home. Weird that you can already begin to miss something after 10 days of "living" there.

Today we tried to work out our fall break, and tentatively we are going to Zurich-Geneva-Barcelona-Paris-Brussels and then back home. Four countries sounds pretty good right?

But I've got to head to bed, didn't get much sleep the past two nights. Love you all!

Ich Liebe Wien.

2009-09-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

Saturday we went shopping with our small groups at Millenium City which was this huge complex on the outskirts of town. I wasn't too impressed. It was a smelly mall that didn't really have many interesting stores except for H&M and I was (and am still) very apprehensive about spending money at all. I doubt I'd go back, except that it DID have a movie theater, so I may have to be traveling all the way out there for New Moon or something as equally impressive ;)

That afternoon we went to the Belvedere. I think I was more impressed by this place than even the Schonnbrunn because the view of the city was beyond believable. I felt like I was looking at one of those Phil Ponder pictures where you can see every individual important rooftop of a city. Again we didn't go into anything there, but it's a place I'm going to make it back to. I really want to see the museums and the orangery, because that just sounds fun.

Later that night we went to Prater, which is the amusement park in Vienna. We looked around a little bit and then got this guy to take our picture but he tried to walk off with it and everyone else knew he was kidding but I about had a heart attack.

We went to get dinner, and we were giant fatties and got these things called "langos" which is basically just a fried piece of bread slathered in butter and garlic. But boy was that thing delicious. I would go back there just for one of those.

We went and rode the "LARGEST FERRISWHEEL IN THE WORLD" for Meredith, even though it was 7,50. And that was even the student discount price. :/ But it was worth it. We went up when all the lights were coming on, and we had really amazing scenes of the city. There was this family in the compartment with us who had a really cute set of twin boys who were running to the opposite sides to make the bucket tip. The family seemed really nice and we were surprised to find that they were from Vienna when we asked where they were from. They even took several pictures of us with their sons. Which was weird....

We found our first patch there, and hopefully we'll be able to collect several more as we go to different countries.

Sunday morning we went to mass at Stephansdom. It was glorious inside. I felt like I was in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Unfortunately I was stuck behind a column for the actual service, but we were right beside the choir and the orchestra and I was perfectly fine with it. They were spectacular. I could have listened to them all day long. And they had this glorious french horn. Sigh. Being in Vienna is making me want to be in band again.

After mass we went through the Hapsburg Complex and stumbled upon the Harvest Festival. It was like a giant Jazz Fest and I loved it. However, I couldn't understand what any booth was selling so we all stuck with giant hot dogs. It was really tasty, though the bread was really crunchy so all I ate was the meat. We got some gelato after that. I kind of feel like I've over done the gelato already. It just doesn't even sound appetizing anymore. :/

We then headed to Kahlensburg, which was atop a mountain. After catching two subways and a bus we made it to the top. This was the height of wine country. It was absolutely gorgeous. You could see for miles. Herr McVey even told us we could see to Hungary. This was definitely the upside to the day, because later on they told us we were hiking down the mountain. Whew. What a hike. The lesson learned yesterday is never stop for grape pictures, because you WILL get lost.

Eleven of us had done so, and by the time we were on our way again we had completely lost the group. We were supposed to have a devo in a vineyard, but we never saw anyone again. So not know what else to do, we just kept on walking. We walked for about an hour and a half until we found something that could lead us back into the city which just happened to be a street car. I found it a very neat way to travel. We got back to the Ubahn and finally made our way back home. After an exhausting afternoon we were ready for some food so we stopped at Venezia again for some pizza. And what an interesting dinner conversation that was. Oh well, bonding time I guess!

Today we started classes. I think they seem like they are going to be pretty fun. I love our German teacher even if he is a wee bit intimidating. I still don't think some of the things he's saying sound any different, and that might be a problem. :/ But humanities is still going well, and I'm excited about Wednesday when we get to get out of the class room and go to the Natural History museum.

After class we came back to eat lunch and everyone had completely disappeared. I can't wait to get cell phones so we can call each other. We went to La Favorita and I got tortellini quatro formaggi and it was soooo delicious. We sat there trying to decide what to do in the afternoon and finally decided upon Rathaus.

Meredith opted out of going with us because she said she had a lot to catch up on (which I do too, I can't believe how much I feel like I'm already behind!!) so Bethany, Laura, and I went out to check it out. We made it to the Rathaus stop and as soon as we made it up the steps of the Ubahn we were swarmed by these huge black dogs that looked like bears! They didn't have a leash on but we looked around and their owner was standing there watching them. Unfortunately not well enough because they attacked this other dog that was walking by with his master on a leash. It was really sad and we all almost started crying. Thus the slight problem of allowing dogs anywhere.

We finally made it to the Rathaus, which was right in front of us, but we were dumb and couldn't figure it out. We stopped in on of the courtyards and found benches that we could sit and sketch on. The building was really neat, I loved the architecture of it. My drawing is awful, but who ever said I was an artist?

When we were done with that, we decided to check out the front facade, since it's what the Rathaus is recognized for. As soon as we turned the corner we saw the circus. Yes a circus. Just sitting in front of this historic building. And it was an actual big top. Not like something in the states that is in an arena or event center. I was instantly dying to go.

While we were admiring the front, we saw these couples on segways. We heard them talking in english so I was smiling at them because the men (who were like 50) were just going around doing figure 8s not even listening to the guide. We kept walking but when we made it to the street, they came up behind us and went to a little sweets cart that was sitting there. I was still laughing at the men because they were obviously having a great time, and when they got some food I asked one of the ladies what was in what she was eating, because it looked wonderful. She offered us some and told us to take the rest of the bag. They realized we were from America as well and started asking us where we were from. They were from Phoenix and I told them I had grandparents there. One of the men whips out a business card and hands it to me. He said "Tell your grandma to come in, I'll give her a free bottle of perfume." (So Memaw or Kristy if you are reading this, you better cash in on this, this place looked SWANKY.)

I looked down at the card and it said Fine Jewelers. Hmm he had to be rich.... Well we started talking to him about the segway tour and they were all just going on and on about how much they loved it and how much they were having fun. We asked them how much it cost and they were like hmmm I dunno! So we asked the lady for a brochure and it was 70 euro. We were all standing there like Dang that's a lot of money. So then the man whips out his money clip and hands me $300. He was like here, go do it! It's such an awesome tour! And then speeds away. So we are all kinda hoping that this whole "we're not allowed to ride motorized vehicles" rule doesn't apply to segways...

After that I got this huge cannoli for 2,20 and we went on our way. We checked out the 2nd Hand store, but didn't find much except for traditional wear that we wanted, but it was pretty expensive...

Now we've been sitting in our beds for a few hours just reading, watching movies, and surfing the net.

Also while we were shopping, I learned that I could not live well in this country because they hardly have any size ten shoes. And I need my shoes!! ;)

But I do know one thing.

I Love Vienna. :)

kebaps, melange, and citron. mmmm

2009-09-11T15:53:00.001-05:00

I feel like I have failed at a lot of stuff here so far. Last night was a fail at getting food for Laura, our trying to spreken ze deutsch, and trying to get the check. We were very sad. This morning I failed at working the shower correctly so our entire bathroom floor was flooded. Sorry pants, guess I'm gonna have to wash you now. Great. Oh and then I couldn't open my shampoo bottle... (just used a squirt of Mere's, thanks by the way ;) )

But the day got tremendously better. Breakfast was amazing, and after bandaging my pinky toe and switching to my New Balances my feet were close to feeling brand new. We walked back to school for presentations and what not and then headed to the Naschmarkt for lunch. Meredith, Bethany, Laura, and I ate at a kebap place. The guy was really friendly, so I think we felt bad for walking away after he gave us free samples. But I'm glad we stayed. A huge meal for 3,90 (however the crap you do the euro sign). Which was awesome. It made me feel better about spending 25 later. ha. Which reminds me that I need to visit an ATM soon.

We took the Ubahn down to Schonnbronn Palace afterwards and walked around the grounds. We're definitely taking Cari back soon. I want to take a tour inside and visit the zoo and the hill. It was so beautiful there, I can put up pictures in a few minutes if you want to check them out. :)

We were all pretty worn out still so we went back to the hotel and stopped at BIPA (which is amazing. Basically like an all girls Walgreens) and got shampoo conditioner and toothpaste. And then I stopped by Anker because I wanted a coffee and a pastry. Both were very very tasty.

We came back and just relaxed for a bit and then went back down to meet with our groups for dinner. My group (Kirk, Rachel, Leah, Meredith, and I) went to Venezia just up the street and down a block for some pizza. This dinner was quite possibly the best meal so far. Huge personal pizza (very shareable though, I'll remember that for the next time) and the best waiter. His name was Ali, and we will be visiting his lovely demeanor again. :)

We went to Tichy Eis (pronounced Tiki Ice) after for some gelato. I got citron and it was wonderful. I think I liked Venice's better, but this was nice as well. I was a little sketched out by the rats wondering around the park by it though.

Our Ubahn back to the hotel was very interesting. Meredith was basically stared down by this man while we were waiting for the train, and even when we moved further down the train he followed us, and when we sat by people he just sat on the opposite side. Luckily he didn't follow us when we got off though, because I was really worried about him finding out where we were staying.

I think I'm going to start a list of things I find cool/different/or just interesting about Vienna or Europe in general.

For today: There are dogs everywhere. In restaurants, outside of stores, in stores, with muzzles, without muzzles, leashes, no leashes. And then it astounds me that they are all so well behaved. They are plastered to their master's side like they have belonged there all along. I wish it were like this in America. Where no one had to worry about their dogs being too loud or getting into anything. They just know it's like a normal day.

Oh and I abhor smoking. Whether it be smokeless or not. It's nasty. Smells bad, and people just look stupid doing it. I don't and will never see the point in doing something that degrading to your system.

favorite conversation for the day (after I put in my 50 cents to go potty only to see it ONLY accepted 50 cent pieces and not any others):

B- Why don't you go on the grass like that guy earlier?

K-Because I don't have anything to aim with.

L- I could let you borrow mine.

perhaps you should've just been there. :)

guten nacht!

28 hours and counting.

2009-09-10T09:44:00.002-05:00

Wow. What a weird first day. I have never ever ever walked that much, and my head and my left pinky toe are mad at me for not breaking in my shoes better. Sigh but where to start?

Yesterday morning was emotional enough. I was upset, nervous, anxious, flipping excited, and crazy sad to be leaving. I was stressed that my ticket wasn't in an obvious spot, that my bag was going to be over weight, and that I was going to forget one thing. Just one tiny thing that would ultimately for-ruin the entire trip for me (ex. no iPod on the Winter Tour last January). But I made it to the airport with everything packed right and just one emotional break down in the car ride there. I saw my friends and instantly I was fully excited. Then one prayer and a glance at all the mothers and I was an emotional basket case again. Was I really doing this? Going over seas for three whole months without the ones I love the most in the world? Why? What would ever possess me to do this?

But then I remembered that every single person I had talked to previously told me that this was one of the most favorite things they had ever done. And others had said it was the one thing that they missed out on in college. So I talked myself up and got onto a plane. Charlotte was fine, I got to know the Swanns a bit better. To Munich not so much. I swear I think I saw every kind of European stereotype on that plane.

There was the big hairy man with the thick black unibrow, the cute old man in his fedora and suit from Romania, the loud fat German ladies (who fortunately sat behind me, so every time they got up they pulled me back for leverage), and the well dressed and well oiled Italian men. I even had a little ray of sunshine sitting beside me who threw a fit because she didn't want to sit beside me, and she couldn't understand why her Nana and Mom were making her do so. Oh she also threw some punches in her sleep. And to top it off since my last name so awesomely starts with a "W" I get to sit in the back, with no one from our group around me. Mmmm planes.

To Vienna wasn't much better. Squished by the window and a large German man (who smelled pretty good) named Margarita Maqua (doesn't sound German does it?) and was told I couldn't eat the cookie because it had coconut in it. So then I tried to give it away to old Maggie, but he just wouldn't take it. Oh well, the seat got a treat.

But we got here. And it's beautiful. And not what I was expecting. And I love our room. And the weather. And the streets. And I'm ready to go to sleep, but I know we have to cram one more meal in before I get to. Sigh. Dang jet lag.

24 hours.

2009-09-08T09:52:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the day. EEEEEK. I never thought it would come. Especially after the grueling past two weeks of classes. Don't get me wrong, they were informative, but when you are sitting in a classroom with no windows for 5 hours a day and the trip of a lifetime staring you in the face, you REALLY don't want to be there.

But alas, it's here. I will be at the airport in approximately 24 hours. My suitcase is packed. All I have to cram in there is my hairbrush. Hopefully that isn't a pound, because I'm right at 49 lbs. And you should see my backpack. Yikes that's going to be painful after a while.

It's all becoming incredibly surreal to me. I wish I could fast forward a week so that I could be there and settled. There are so many people I'm leaving, but only a few I'm truly going to miss. This is the furthest and longest I will be away from home. I think it's kind of time for me to get away from home. I'm such a homebody. I love my family and love being close enough to them that I can come home whatever weekend I want to. So it will be very very odd that I will not be able to sleep in my own bed for three whole months. I won't see my parents, sister, or Rob for three months. That's the longest I have ever gone without seeing any of them.

Part of me is getting nauseous thinking about it, and part of me just wants to get on with it.

This is going to be one the greatest experiences of my life. Again, can I please just fast forward one week? Thanks.

My God is Mighty to Save.

2009-08-30T21:01:00.002-05:00

This weekend has been beyond incredible. Friday was pretty easy and included a trip to Centennial park which has always been a favorite spot of mine in the city. Then I took engagement pictures for Sara and Matt. I have never hung out with them together, but they are so precious together. :)

this is my favorite and assumedly everyone else's.

Friday night we went to the hypnotist at school and it was so hilarious. Then later we went to IHOP, and even though Tim was terribly late, we had a great time.

We slept in ridiculously late on Saturday and watched movies until we could go to Bethany's. We loaded up and went waaaaay out to her new house (which is amazing by the way). We watched Sound of Music for Meredith and I was very glad she enjoyed it. Now we can run through the streets of Salzburg singing Do Re Mi.

When we left we got stopped by a sobriety check point and well I got my space invaded. I found it random and misplaced, but hey Franklin really wants their streets safe, so I guess you have to do it. :)

This morning we went to Otter Creek and tonight we went to Ethos. I had never been to either and I was very surprised I enjoyed both. I found it very interesting that both main speakers had something to say about trusting God. It basically smacked me in the face. In my life lately I've been trying to deal with everything by myself, trusting only myself to get through it. I don't want to give it to God because it's too petty, and not important enough to even try and tell Him about it. Or I want to figure it out myself or be mad about it so I have something to hold onto. But I don't like this feeling. This feeling of how in any move I make, I WILL hurt someone, even if it is myself. I don't want to hurt my first love, I don't want to hurt any potentials, I don't want to hurt my heart. I'm more worried about the first one. That I will hurt him too much that he will never want me again. Even though I feel like what we're doing is the right thing.

But my problems are nothing compared to what is even happening in Nashville. Just on the way home alone we saw a prostitute and a pimp, and their problems are probably so much more heavier than mine. Mine will be settled in a few months no doubt, just a small mole hill to get over. But there's could be life changing.

Suffice to say, I need to trust God more. Like the way I can trust just about any new person I meet. If I can do that, why is it so hard to trust my maker? My Father? The One who knows me better than I know myself? It's hard to let go of my emotions and just be happy no matter what. And I don't know what I want.

So Lord, please help me give this all to You. Help me TRUST you and Your will and plan for me. Help me not give into temptation and let me believe in what you have prepared for my future. You know my beginning and end. My now and forever. I have to TRUST that You will get me through everything.

Thanks.

size 12 is NOT fat, neither is 14.

2009-08-27T09:58:00.003-05:00

Well the year has begun. We have 13 days to go, and I already feel stressed beyond belief. There is way more to this trip than I originally thought and I think I would have really appreciated it if they had told us before hand. Not that I would have given it up, but who really wants to be doing research/homework while they're in Italy/Germany/Spain/Greece? I signed up for 5 days of classes and no more.

Sigh. But that's a lot of complaining, and I apologize. I am still rather excited to be heading across the world in a couple of days. I'm nowhere near packed. In fact my suitcase is just sitting helplessly beside my pile of stuff to take. I'm sure it's thinking "get in my belleh!!" and can't figure out why I would torture it so. Well calm down dear one, you will be stuffed to the brim come September 9th.

I've really enjoyed coming back and hanging out around school. It's been really good to see everyone, and I really forgot how much I miss having everything and everyone centrally located. It was such a breeze coming back (although I didn't bring half the stuff I would normally) and I have felt more at ease this year than I did last year. I guess that was a given though since I was a freshman and freaked out about everything.

Our classes so far have been ok. The bible class is really making me look at Christian art in a different light. I am seeing it for the cheesy thing it is, and realizing that yes in fact, we Christians will buy anything with an image of Jesus or any other Biblical thing on it, whether it's cheesy or not, because it's "religious" and we should like it.

True confession time... in our Humanities class we've been looking at a lot of art throughout the centuries, and I have got to admit that in doing this I have never felt more beautiful. We studied several images from the 1700-1800s and many showed naked women. But instead of being repulsed, I kinda felt better about myself. These women were voluptuous with curves and yet still poignantly graceful. They were what was ideal back then, such a reverse of today. In seeing these women, I felt like I would have been beautiful to some one, instead of just being a bit bigger than the average twig we see everyday on tv and in magazines. And recently, Glamour magazine put a plus sized model in their magazine, but seriously, that girl was NOT plus sized. When did plus size have to be a size 12? If so then I fail at life. I seriously hate American ideals.

I just have to hold onto the fact that I would have been beautiful in another time. :)

I guess that's enough ranting today. I just felt like I needed to actually update instead of letting this fall by the wayside. Have a terrific Thursday!

goodbye sweet summer.

2009-08-21T08:59:00.004-05:00

I have one weekend before school starts up again for the fall. Half of me does NOT want to go back... I am apprehensive about being "homeless" for a few weeks and about being stuck in the same class room with the same people for about 7 hours each day. I'm ready to be packing and getting ready to leave for Vienna. Even though there is SO much to do before I leave.

I was talking with my good friend Nick the other day about how this summer may possibly be the last summer with all of us together. I feel like something is going to change drastically next year that we won't be able to stop. We have apartments, we're going abroad, we're moving to Chicago or Montana, and I feel like I'm already grasping at ideas to keep us together next summer (and in fact I already have the parentals permission. Woo!). There is just this part of me though that knows that things won't ever be the same. It won't be as easy to get everyone together for a random laser tag night or movie night anymore. But maybe I'm being pessimistic. Though the other day I read some quote that said "It's great to be pessimistic, you are either proven right, or delightfully surprised." :) I kinda like that.

But I hope that I can hold on tightly to my high school friends as well as my college ones, because they changed my life as much as the new ones have. You know that old Girl Scout song, "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the others gold." ;) Although I never got the point of tying shiny elements into a song... This summer has actually been better in some respects than last summer. I feel like I balanced everything really well. Boy time, friend time (then broken down into college and high school friends), family time, and work time. I've been on wonderful trips, read so many books, and have had so many amazing nights with friends. I can't help but be thankful for how splendiforous this summer has been!

I am going to savor this weekend. Though I'm not sure it will be that tasty, besides tonight. The rest of it will be packing and doing all sorts of last minute things.

I like college, and I love my friends, but I'm really not ready for classes. Boooooo. ;)

VIENNA COUNTDOWN: 19 days!!!

My parents bought me a new camera for my birthday. WOOOOO :)

so wonderful :) though I don't have it yet. Best Buy should be shipping it today. And I hope I get it tomorrow.

I also need to start a list of books I'm taking, and I would like other suggestions as well :)

-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

-Atonement

-(maybe) Wuthering Heights

-(and maybe) The Time Travelers Wife (if my mother lets me borrow it for the fall)

And I think that's all I have so far, but I may be missing something I got.

Anymore suggestions?

I feel like Vienna by Billy Joel has come into my life in full force. It seems like everyone is saying that to me, sending me bumper stickers with it, singing it, talking about how it changed their lives, or how it completely fits them more than any other song ever... I will in fact probably sing it on the plane non stop so much that it will get instantly cliche' for everyone on that trip. So I apologize in advance. But I feel like it's been put in my face for a reason. Perhaps I'm just picking up on Vienna in conversation more than usual these days. :)

As much as I really don't like Taylor Swift, her lyrics are indeed catchy, and this guy did Love Story from Romeo's perspective, and it is about the sweetest thing ever. The lyrics are WAY cuter than anything "tswift" could ever put out. So thanks random asian dude. :)

Guess that's all for today dear readers :) have a merry weekend.

OOOO Ok thanks to mentalfloss I now know what I want to do the next few summers ;)

Update:12:26

I had to work for Martha upstairs today and seriously the entire time I spent looking at interesting pictures from the last 7 days on flickr. I'm so obsessed it's, well it's just bad. So please future self/aura/fate/whatever may I PLEASE be a photographer?!?

unrealistic dreams.

2009-08-18T09:10:00.004-05:00

I was going to write this post yesterday since we girls in the office were discussing it then, but I decided to hold off until today because I had already posted something.

Jill, Elizabeth, Brittany, and I brought up the notion that romance as we see in the movies had seriously corrupted how we see romance in real life. With a few exceptions, no man in real life has ever come close to our expectations. While boys I've come across are sweet, they have no thought processes remotely close to what boys in the movies have. Or "have". Because you know some woman writer somewhere came up with this sticky sweet sap that men in movies throw up in girls' faces.

And it has gotten so bad that if a movie actually portrays a relationship like you would see in real life, I am so critical about it that I end up being mad at it. (see 500 Days of Summer. Apparently very realistic, but all I could see was that I was mad at Zoey Deschanel, however a very very sweet cute movie :D )

In the one serious relationship I've had I've expected so much of this crap, but it never came. I got disappointed, and then eventually realized that it never comes for anyone. No man goes out of his way to rent out a hot air balloon complete with a picnic, roses, and champagne, or goes to Paris to win back his beloved. In real life they wait for her to come back to him. A romantic night involves a semi-fast food dinner and a movie. And don't get me wrong, it's nice, because you aren't spending that much fun and are having just as much or more fun. But we girls have the idea that only a candle lit dinner in a fancy schmancy place is the only place you can get a bit of romance.

In romances, there is always a happy ending. The one you are forced to work with, the one that took you away from the obviously-way-too-wrong-for-you guy, or the one that notices you in your obscurity, is obviously the one for you, and is obviously who you are meant to be with. But life isn't like that. People are shallow and usually notice looks first, and only if you have to work with them on something or you have a boisterous personality do they notice the person behind the face.

We all imagine our love lives going differently. More perfect. It's all supposed to work out in the end with that perfect guy. We should kiss beautifully. We should be cute and coupley. We should never have red upper lips, or beard burn. Things don't have to turn into sex. You could in fact save that for marriage.

So while romantic movies fill our heads with warm fuzzies and hopes and dreams for the future of our potential or already in existance relationships, I feel like in this our dreams are dashed. When my last relationship was beginning I had those hopes that I would finally fufill all my childhood/tweenage/teenage dreams of romance. I would be blissfully happy with the first guy I loved. But it did not turn out that way. And don't get me wrong. I loved practically every moment of the relationship. I'm not sure romance even exists outside of novels and sappy love stories.

But I'm happy with it not. That's not true love- seeing what you can go out of the way and do for the person you are trying to please. True love is seeing each others faults and loving them anyway. True love is enjoying each others company, your heart swelling at the sight of them, and wanting only to be in their arms and no where else. Or at least this is what I have loved.

Maybe this blog is WAY too honest, but it's definitely how I'm growing to feel about romantic comedies (even though I think I will still always love them). I'm not bitter, just realistic, and I'm fine with this no romance thing... though it would be fabulous if that kinda stuff was real. :)

it'll be the hardest winter without you.

2009-08-17T08:55:00.002-05:00

I love to write. But my problem that by the time I make it to a computer my thought process is shot. I was given the idea to write about my oh so hilarious love life, though it doesn't seem very hilarious while I'm living it. Or perhaps I just want to be able to write a blog everyday about something, in the hopes that it will make me a better writer.

I'll have something in the fall, but what about now?

So I'll start with this. I made one of the hardest decisions this past weekend to slightly end my long term relationship with Rob. And by slightly end, I mean get used to not being together everyday. But the inital break happened because of lots of things: unsaid things that just bubbled over, then I realized that my relationship with God has faltered greatly and I've got to get that back, and finally we really need to get used to being apart for three months. I was never going to be able to do that cold turkey, and maybe now this fall will be a little easier on us.

I guess I said all that to answer any questions... though I'm not sure anyone noticed on Facebook anyway. ha

Lately I've wanted to become more crafty. I have this urge to go to Hobby Lobby and buy some wooden letters for Kelcy and I for our dorm room in the spring and paint them. Or make cute little canvas pictures with bible verses. I am wondering what that would cost...

Yesterday I went through my bookshelf and cleaned out everything that I no longer read or stuff I didn't like or just stuff from middle school that I still had lying around. I came across every single notebook I ever kept with friends, and a few diaries I had started and like everything else I start quickly quit. I found one diary in particular that I had a really great laugh at. In every entry I said something to the effect of "I just realized how much I want a boyfriend." Seriously. Every. Single. Time. Like it was a new revelation or something. We were so silly in our younger years, everything so difficult in our puberty. There were several boys mentioned that I had a crush on, with silly descriptions of what I liked about them, and just thinking about what became of those guys and what became of our friendship and how screwed up some of them are, and I thanked God that nothing ever happened with them.

But it's interesting who I did end up going out with in my formative years. Some of them were definitely not the right choices, and I question whether I really liked them or if I just went out with them because I was desperate for that kind of attention. It took me 18 years to find someone who was worth my time, and I'm not sure I would've changed that. I may have thought I was ready and maybe I would've been had it happened, but so many things wouldn't have happened for me if I had been dating someone. So yes mother, everything worked out ok.

I just realized I forgot to write an update on how the allergist went. He basically told me everything I already knew, but had to do one of those skin tests anyway. Lets just say that it was not the most comfortable thing in the world. 10 plastic little needles stuck in your back at the same time is pretty gross, and when you are allergic to 8 out of the 10, it gets pretty itchy. The result was that I was in fact allergic to many nuts, including coconut and hazelnut, but not pecan or cashews. Which is good because I adore cashews. But maybe I just love those particular nuts because they don't make me feel sick. And because I'm so allergic to several nuts the doctor deemed it necessary for me to have an epi-pen. Yes indeedy. An EPIPEN. I never thought in all my years that I would require an epipen to live. And thus have to carry it around. But I can't stand having one on me, so I don't carry it. Yes I'm a bad person. So I guess I deserve it if I die. Ha.

I can't decide if I'm ready for school to start or not. I'm ready to see friends, but not ready for classes to begin. I'm ready to just go to Vienna and not have to worry about whether I'm moving in for two weeks or commuting every day.

I should start a list of all the books I've read this summer and give them critique.
Maybe starting with the most recent.

-The Host by Stephenie Meyer- very boring. Maybe I'm not into it yet, but I should be 150 pages in right? Not as captivating as Twilight fo sho.

-Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers- LOVE this book. I feel like every girl (Christian or not) should read this. Several people have told me that they want a guy like Michael Hosea, but I really feel like this book is more to remind us that God will always come and find us if we stray and even more when it's on purpose. Or if we stray because it's better for others, but in the end the right person finds us to bring us back to Him again. Not the best written, but definitely challenging and sweet.

-Airhead & Being Nikki, Queen of Babble Gets Hitched all by Meg Cabot- what can I say? This has been the summer of Meg Cabot. I love her and her books even if they are pretty predictable.

-Looking for Alaska by John Green- John Green is pretty predictable as well. Though he's got the guy's side of things down. All his books follow a pattern with a slight change, but they are witty and wise and I thoroughly enjoy them. Though An Abundance of Katherines is still my favorite.

-Blame It on Paris- by Jennifer something- This was a pretty cute romance novel, would never happen, but when do romance novels ever?

-The Perfect Fit by Louise Kean- What a silly book. It was a very quick read, but still silly silly silly. She didn't even paint the main guy you were supposed to like in a good light. He was a fat mean guy. What girl wants that? Good thing I got it for free from Book 'em and then sold it for profit last night at Hastings. woo!

-Harry Potter 6 & 7 by JK Rowling- still arguably the best two Harry Potters in the series, I got through them so quickly and still enjoyed them more than ever. I hadn't read Deathly Hallows since the day it came out and really enjoyed going back through it in a more concious state. It made me want the movies to come out, like now.

-The Vienna guidbook- sorry, but I HAVE been poring through it at a breakneck speed, highlighting every single thing I want to go to. So Bethany and Mar you better be prepared to do something every single afternoon. :)

-Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble- SUCH a cute novel. Definitely worth the $2.50 I paid for it at Rhino books. If a man was ever going to try devilishly hard to get me to date him, I would recommend he try and do this for me. ;)

That's all I can remember right now, but I'm pretty proud of myself for reading twelve books in a summer. Though I attribute that to proctoring the ACT every Tuesday and Thursday and having four hours to myself. But still good deal. :)

I may have to quit The Host. It's just annoying. And I want to read Avalon High (also by Meg Cabot, do you see the obsession?) that I bought in Indianapolis last weekend. And I want to get that done by next week since I don't want to take it to Vienna.

Oh that's another thing. I'm looking for some good classics that would take me a little while to get through. I only want to take a few books but I want them to last me a good while. So far I have Atonement and Pride and Prejudice to take. But what is another good one to take?

Hope to get some responses :)

i hope that someone gets my message in a bottle.

2009-08-12T13:30:00.004-05:00

So lately I've been wanting to compose a list of things people may not know about me. But I really have no idea why I have that urge to just spill my guts.

-I have a thing against pretzels. I cannot stand to eat them if they're in Chex Mix but I love them dipped in chocolate.

-I have crazy vivid dreams and usually remember them. Like last night I felt like I was dreaming, but was really awake, though I was still dreaming. ]

-As much as I would like to say I've grown up, I don't think I have. I rely way too much on my parents still.

-This may be a blog post that needs to be dedicated to itself, but I feel so much pressure to get engaged. I know I know. I'm 19, two months from 20, and don't even have enough money to live on my own, let alone try and support a family (though I'm no where near wanting kids). I know about 8 people who've gotten married or engaged this summer and it unnerves me. Like I'm behind, even though I'm sort of ahead for my age. There is way way way too much in life left to do before I even think about settling down. Thus I hate this feeling like I'm not doing something right.

-I have developed a bit of stage fright. Which is odd because I love the stage. But everytime I even think about getting back up on a stage or in front of people I don't know to sing I get extreme butterflies in my stomach. In fact when I think of possibly trying out for American Idol I almost feel like I'm going to throw up, and I get extremely nervous when I think about trying out for Singarama. I've been trying to figure out what I would try out on all summer. Is that weird? Very.

-I have decided to change my major yet again. I'm not sure why I even thought about doing American Studies. That was very dumb of me. But now I'm thinking Marketing/Graphic Design with a possible minor in Public Relations. I don't know why I came to this decision, though I attribute my thought process to Jill Thompson and her apparent love of both. I have a craving to design stuff, but I just need someone to need me to do something.

-I guess this isn't unknown, but my secret desire is to be a photographer. But everything I love to do seems to not be making much money these days, so I'm not a very good planner.

-Oh that's another thing. I am stupid. I think I put this smart air off, but I am so ridiculously dumb. I don't make good choices for myself, even though I think I am. I say silly things, do silly things, make silly decisions for myself... I really only attribute my good gpa in high school to such low standards that the county set for us. And apparently everyone else who went to any other school got a better education. Ha.

-I am actually very nervous about going to Vienna. Half of me is overjoyed, exhuberant about being away for three months in Europe... EUROPE! Like I love it already but I know I'll love it even more when I come home. And then the other half of me is petrified of what will happen while I'm there. What will come of certain relationships, what will come of my GPA, how will I manage to write a research paper while I'm there, or get anything done besides just travelling. Because that's all I'm going to want to do.

-I have stopped watching the Disney Channel. Which is sorta a big step for me, though I still know most of the music on it, and I kinda went to see Jordan Pruitt, David Archuleta, and Demi Lovato last night. But I didn't know any of Demi's stuff except la la land, and I only know that from Pandora. And being the biggest kid there last night didn't prevent me from buying a bag. :) And even though it was a Disney production I have got to admit that it was a great concert. Jordan was phenomenal, she should be bigger than most of the other stars on that channel, David was great even though he was sick, I would really like for him to sing to me every night. :)
My mom and I only stayed for like 4 of Demi's song, but she was pretty good too.
And apparently Taylor Swift was in the audience as well as Dylan and Cole Sprouse. Weird.

-I'm ready for something. I'm not sure what, and maybe it's just Vienna, but I cannot stay focused here anymore. I've gotta move. Do something different. Be away from a computer longer than a weekend.

I'm going to Shakespeare in the park tonight with my darling, and I'm pretty excited about it. David Corlew FTW! :)

the weekend in recap

2009-08-03T09:20:00.003-05:00

Friday Rob came to pick me up and we went to see 500 Days of Summer here in Nashville. While I was mad with Zooey Daschanels character by the end, it was a very very cute movie. I loved Joseph Gordon Levitt. I was expecting a more nerdy introverted character like a Michael Cera but he was confident and charming without the looks of one of Hollywood's leading men. That's the kind of guy I think I gravitate toward. Someone not every single girl is fawning over.

Anyway, lots of cute lines, and a pretty great message about finding the right one at the right time. No "Away We Go", but still very good. Definitely better than Funny People, The Ugly Truth, or the other trash Hollywood has put out this summer.

Rob and I then went to eat at SATCo, which I can honestly say is probably my favorite Nashville restaurant. MMM talking about it just makes me want it even more. :) We then hunted down f.y.e on West End to take advantage of their single cds all being $9.99, and I had about 4 things picked out until my conscience gnawed away at me and told me to put everything back. But hey there's always birthday and christmas. :)

Friday night Emily and I had a girl's night and went to the new Japanese restaurant Samurai at home. You could choose Hibachi or Fine Dining. We chose the latter because I really wanted to try the sushi. We had a coupon for a free appetizer so we got the popcorn shrimp... oh man. Maybe the best appetizer I've ever had. The salad not so much, but the soup was good, and when the entree actually came I was very surprised. 8 of each kind of sushi, california (definitely the best), vegetable, salmon, and tuna. The last two I was very disgusted by, but Sunday night i cooked them and they were actually better (imagine that!). All in all, a very fun experience, but pretty pricey. Though not more than Fuji's or Kobe's.

Saturday I went to the US Space and Rocket Center with my family and Rob, and we had a lot of fun! (see photos on facebook). We saw the IMAX movie Magnificent Desolation narrated by Tom Hanks. I promise you anything that man does is good. (yes even angels and demons.) But the movie got me to thinking, we no longer have heroes anymore. You probably read that and thought 'Well what about the men and women serving over seas?'. And yes you are correct. They are heroes, but I mean the heroes of history that dared to do something different. Something never tried before. It was all risky business, they succeeded and America put them on their shoulders for a few decades.

The film touched on the fact that young kids in America today hardly have any clue who the first men to walk on the moon were. And it's sad that the people they know the most are rappers, actors, or sports figures, whose lives are so screwed up they have no redeeming qualities.

I was discussing this with my family, and Rob made the observation that we no longer have heroes because everyone's lives are put in the media so much. I personally think that if Lance Armstrong had peaked in the 1960s, he would've been huge. I mean a guy who can win what like 7 Tour de Frances on top of having testicular cancer is a huge winner in my books. But the fact that he left his wife for Sheryl Crow turned me off of his possible Heroic nature.

Olympic athletes are heroes, Michael Phelps won 8 medals for heavens sake! But then he goes and gets busted for using marijuana. Point is, we all have flaws. So then, who do we put our hope in? America desperately needed people to put their hope and faith in in the Stormy Sixties (as the American Pageant put it ;) ) and the astronauts were just the right people. And now that we're in such a sticky and corrupted time now, I feel like there is no better time for a hero to show up.

I am patiently waiting for you.

After the museum we came home and saw Funny People which absolutely blew. As bad as some of the movies have been this summer, I have never wanted to get up and leave one. But Funny People made me want to. Sure it was Judd Apatow, and maybe I haven't seen enough of his stuff to know what to expect, but even the 40 year old virgin wasn't as bad as this. Enough f words to last me the rest of the year, and enough male body humor to last me the rest of my life. I'm sorry, that stuff is NOT funny. There is more in this world to poke fun at than your problems down there. Ugh, I really honestly loathed that movie.

And I hate it when movies put you in bad moods. For the rest of the night I just was in this funk I couldn't push away. Sure that sounds childish, but no movie should make you feel like that, unless it was just some super depressing documentary about starving African orphans, or the dying breed of the pygmy puff.

Sorry, that was enough of a rant.

Sunday I went to JoZoara with Nickarus and got a Moose Track blended coffee. Oh mylanta. Best thing I've ever put in my mouth. And I guess the other notable thing about yesterday is that I finished Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. What a great book! I can see why all my friends adore it so. It had a message I definitely needed to hear. How I wish I could have the faith of Michael Hosea, or the love for people like he did. It's making me reassess some things in my life that definitely need reassessing.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? -Romans 8:31-32

things found last night.

2009-07-29T07:44:00.003-05:00

or rather... things Nicholas and Kimberly showed/sent to me.

- I rather enjoyed this Twilight script. I won't say I'm not a fan of it now, but it did bring up very interesting stupid points, that I sorta find disturbing now. haha

- And this one basically does a run down of the books... definitely emphasizes why I hated Breaking Dawn so much.

-WHY WOULD THEY GET RID OF VICTORIA FOR ECLIPSE!?

-Why I haven't toyed with this yet this summer I don't know- but i ADORE PANDORA. :D

What does everyone think of G-Force? I mean since the first preview I thought it looked ridiculously stupid. I couldn't understand why such great names would subject themselves to such a movie... Bill Nighy? Will Arnett? Nick Cage? Penelope Cruz? I'm sorry guys... I didn't know things had gotten so bad.

However, I find it interesting that just having a movie with a certain animal spikes their sale in pet stores. Their incessant oinking is enough to keep me away.

---- OH YEAH. I'm seeing David Archuleta two weeks from today!!! So in honor, here is #2 himself singing Colbie's Bubbly. :)

- KIM I FOUND IT!! HBP in 15 Minutes... though there's lots of language. just to warn ya.

-Along with the Twilight M15M. Still languagy though.

-And I love John Green. Definitely needed him when I was new to the dating world. (just kidding, seriously)

all i got for right now :)

give me some blue m&ms!

2009-07-28T11:58:00.001-05:00

So apparently, the blue dye in m&ms and gatorade has been linked to healing spine injuries. How crazy is that!?

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.- Edgar Allen Poe

2009-07-27T08:09:00.002-05:00

What a weekend. I'm feeling like everything is coming together for this fall. I got a bunch of travel sized stuff, a purse, fabric refreshener, a few new cds, and a black dress. - all i need is my backpack now!!

I've been looking and looking for people who are going to be playing in Vienna while we're there, and I have had absolutely no luck, except the Jonas Brothers who are playing Germany. Though I don't think Bethany and Meredith are going to be up for that ;)

Went to see The Ugly Truth... not a movie to see with your parents. Though there were some pretty funny moments.

guess it's about time for a twitter roll again.

- I'm SUPER excited about this one. @grimeys has Paulo Nutini playing a free instore concert this Wednesday. EEEEK!! SO EXCITED!!!!

- @ryanseacrest announced this morning that Benjamin Silverman (who helped create NBC big names like The Office and The Biggest Loser) is leaving the network to create his own. What does this mean for an already low rated network? (especially in the wake of this falls line up, which offers numerous one named winners such as Mercy, Trauma, Parenthood, and Community.) Don't get me wrong- I love NBC. All my favorites are on there- Heroes, The Office, 30 Rock, SNL, and America's Got Talent. But some shows are just silly. I would hate to see this network go down because of one man.

- @radiowoody posted a video of the new trailers from New Moon from Comic Con this past weekend. must say @merodactyl gave me these first, but the River always has good stuff further on down the page.

- I can't believe that @joshgroban posted this... but i do so love this website. :D

- @taylorswift13 posted this, but it was on the today show this past weekend as well. I really want a wedding as unforgettable as this. :)

- @TheDisneyBlog posted a link to their blog which announced the titles of the attractions for the future Harry Potter world at Universal Studios. I'm glad it's not just shops but is rides as well. I'm definitely going to try and make it down there after it opens up. :)

- and Trending Topics are always so silly. Apparently Camilla Belle and Joe Jonas broke up... really not that big of a deal. I thought he was over "super stars" anyway?

If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion. -G.B.Shaw

2009-07-22T08:10:00.004-05:00

Out of all the senses we have, you'd think that the sense of smell would not trigger the most memories. But it has been proved time and time again to me that smells bring back the past the most. For example. I walked into the bathroom this morning and it smelled strongly of shaving cream. My mind instantly went to elementary school when we would spray our desks with shaving cream and write our vocabulary words in it over and over. It was my favorite day for vocabulary of the week, since the other days we either had to write them over and over, or color something that represented them, or write them over and over in different colors. Woo!

I was always fond of vocabulary. I definitely felt out of all my friends that I had the best vocabulary and was always the best speller. But as Word came along, and spell check was heavily used, my precious skills fell by the wayside. :P

Softsoap reminds me of kindergarten- in the days of the clear bottles with the pictures of dolphins or lions in the background. And sometimes I catch a whiff of something that smells much like the hospital, a smell I despise since I was kept there for (what felt like) most of my spring semester of my kindergarten year.

I have also noticed that if you are thinking about a steaming cup of java at the time, skunks smell like coffee. So the next question you ask is, So why do you drink it? Well I personally find the smell of coffee very comforting. A friendly hug on a cloudy day, a roaring fire in January, or a refreshing breeze on a summer's day. sigh :)

Can I take a moment and just reiterate how much I love Harry Potter? While this sounds like a contradiction from the last post, I mean the books. I would so much rather be reading the seventh one right now than anything else. That or looking for stuff for Vienna. I'm not sure I'm ready for it to come, because as soon as it comes, it'll be over. And I'm really enjoying the anticipation right now.

I think I should start a twitter roll, since everything of interest I find, I find there. So here goes...

-Me and Rob actually found this on IMDB last night, but Meg Cabot posted it too. (If you love Will Arnett, Jimmy Fallon, or Judy Blume, you'll enjoy this.)

-Greg Grunberg posted a vid of fun you can have with an air machine.

-Apparently they haven't kept Crabbe very busy, since he finds time to grow pot.

-And I'm not sure why the world is so focused on what Obama wears... but don't we have more important things to worry about?

-Time has a cool slideshow of the eclipse that happened in Asia yesterday. I'm personally fond of number 13. (turn around bright eyes!!)

-Speaking of Total Eclipses, I may have already shown this vid, but I can't get enough of it. :D I really wish they would do more recent videos.

-Umm and I can't believe that colleges are really trying out Quidditch teams...

-Oh and Loveless Cafe here in good ol' Nashville, TN created something called Piggy Popcorn. If you know me at all, you know I love me some bacon, but this is going WAY too far.

-I hope if I was ever in a crash like this, there would be as many Good Samaritans ready to help me out.

HP6 Spoilers Abound

2009-07-15T12:12:00.002-05:00

Seriously stop reading if you haven't seen Harry Potter yet.

I know everyone that I saw the movie is probably so sick of me saying all this... but gosh. I was disappointed, frustrated, and annoyed by the entire thing. There was way way way too much that was different. Yes you can say, well it's a movie version of it, they will never be the same as books. Ok yes, but you can't just add or take away completely CRUCIAL things in a book. No Gaunts, no Trelawny, no learning why Voldy is the way he is, no explanation of the other Horcruxes, no final battle, no funeral. Hermione was way to showy of her feelings. Tonks and Lupin were already together... the BURROW BURNS DOWN!? What the crap, that like never ever happened. I seriously thought that was just going to be a dream. And then, there was no further mention of it. Hermione just mentions that Harry is in a lot of danger. No duh Sherlock. Ginny nor Ron seemed too upset about it. And what's this about Ginny knowing about the Half Blood Prince or the Room of Requirement? How awkward was every romantic exchange between the entire cast? I mean sure maybe that's how it's supposed to be, but I felt like they spent way too much time "growing them up" and not enough growing Voldemort as a character, or explaining enough for the next movie.

Does anyone who hasn't read the book even know who Fenrir Greyback is? Why the heck did Harry not kill Snape on his way down the stairs? I can't even try to get over the final battle not being there. Fleur and Bill is fine left out I guess... but they better not be there in the 7th movie with Bill a werewolf.

But with all it's problems, and with all my huffiness, sighs, "good griefs", and head in my hands, I thought it was funny. Rupert Grint definitely has a knack for comedy. I hope he isn't resigned to being Ron Weasley for the rest of his life. The love potion scene and the Quidditch stuff were definitely some of the best of the entire series. Even Emma Watson was better this time around. She has mellowed out, and I for once actually enjoyed her character. Daniel Radcliffe was even good! No weird lip movements and he was actually funny! (Hagrid-"I think it's the eyes that scare people off." Harry- "Yeah that or the pincers." cue hand movements portraying pincers) They've all obviously grown up and hopefully will not be stuck with just this as their lifetime acheivement.

Even Tom Felton was on top of his game. Oh man I was SO impressed with him. He really reminded me of some other actor but I cannot put my finger on it. He was so BA. Makes me reminisce about our love of him in 7th grade. Haha.

But anyway, I'm definitely ready for the 7th one already. David Yates has got to redeem himself. Or at least the screenplay writers. Because I don't know exactly what happened, but the 5th one was much closer to book than HBP, and it was the same director.

Grr. I know in a few years I'll go back and watch it and love it. But for now I'm sticking with the die hard in me and letting you know where I stand.

Why are you worrying about You Know Who? You should be worrying about U-No-Poo!

2009-07-14T14:19:00.005-05:00

oh harry potter. :) Definitely excited about tonight. I watched all 5 movies this weekend, and couldn't be more prepared for the sixth in the series. Since it is my favorite book, I'm anxious about how they're going to portray certain things, or whether they are going to leave crucial things out of the movie. But by the looks of the commercials, it looks like they are including all of my favorite scenes. One of my most favorite parts of the book is the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and I was really afraid they were going to leave it out, but I've seen some pictures and it looks stinkin' awesome. And it better be because we all had to wait an extra 9 months for this movie!

9 hours and 30 minutes!!!!!!! (as of now. ha)

Speaking of Harry Potter, this is the construction of the World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Which means I will have to take a trip down there next year. The World will be complete a Dervish and Banges, the Three Broomsticks, a full scale Hogsmeade, and Hogwart. EEEEEE COMPLETE GEEKDOM!!! :D

Also Sommet Center just put Demi Lovato/ David Archuleta concert tickets down at $12.49. I'm REALLY thinking about going. I just need someone to go with... I would really only want to see it for Archie, but Demi really isn't that bad. And hopefully it wouldn't be AS little girl crazy as the Jonas Brothers would be. Ha but I want to see them too... :/

This morning I found out that Degrassi is on MTV at 10 am. I have never ever seen an episode, but I was intrigued so I watched it. It was so intense! In one episode some girl was raped, and another guy had testicular cancer. Good grief!

I have this funky smell in my nose. I need a good smell to get rid of it. Perhaps a Tagalong Blizzard?

until next time... :)

Live as Children of Light.

2009-07-09T14:24:00.002-05:00

Monday I had a day off (which as hard as I'm needing to work is definitely a blessing), so I took Carter Martin out to take pictures around my hometown, Murfreesboro. I thought the results were pretty great, and this was all for practice. I know I don't have many followers, but could you possibly tell me what to work on or if you would in fact hire me as a photographer? Haha

Other than that, I guess nothing much has been happening in my life. I haven't seen Rob a lot in the past few days, which always saddens me a bit, but we've both had our respective boy/girl nights which is healthy :)

Summer Scholars is beginning tomorrow and we're going to be kept pretty busy. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night because me and Rob are going to a Nashville Sounds game (first ever!), and I'll finally see some fireworks. Tuesday is the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and I'm super stoked. All my favorite people are coming with me :) Even if it's going to be a very very long day. But Wednesday should be fun. We're going downtown with the Scholar kids and going to the Frist and the Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Woo free food! :D Plus I love this office. I've made some pretty great friends this summer. So it will be fun to be chillin with them and the kids downtown. As fore mentioned, I love downtown. I really would like to do another photo shoot with someone downtown, Centennial, Edwin Warner Park, and maybe Hillsboro Village. Maybe a couple or a baby/toddlerish thing (hahah :D ) next.

As of TODAY(!!!!!) it is exactly two months until 30 (?) of us depart for Vienna. I'm not even remotely close to being ready to go. Definitely have time, but it's a scary thought to be going so blindly into this. I think I'm not the only one feeling this, so at least I won't be alone.

NEED:

Patagonia bag

some type of hiking pack

quick dry towels (apparently at REI)

convertible pants

more money (haha)

"For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." -Ephesians 5:8

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

2009-07-01T14:20:00.003-05:00

if you haven't read/noticed/heard yet, i REALLY love photography. i want to take pictures for the rest of my life. and i could do that without having that be my profession, but i feel like it would be a great way to make a little bit of cash on the side. i have some good ideas, but not the right camera, nor the subjects. i really just want a day to go around town and take pictures. i know the last time i tried to do this, it didn't work out that well. but i'm determined to have a good photoshoot before the summer is up.

i want to do stuff like this:

this is actually in prague. so maybe i will have some luck with stuff this fall.

but i think i would love to start off with babies, weddings, and engagements.

that's from Ginny Phillips. Possibly the cutest photographer I (semi) know. :D

the photos that i'm personally very proud of are the following:

not high quality on here... poo.

i love murfreesboro falls. :)

so anyway... i'm itching to shoot some photos. facebook is probably the best place to do a call for some subjects. :)

Retro Junk

2009-06-30T11:29:00.003-05:00

This morning I was putting in the last of the info sheets from Impact into Recruitment Plus and I came across a girl who's last name was Stickford, which made me think about Stick Stickly... you know that popsicle stick that told you what shows were coming up next?

But when I thought of that, I went straight to all my other favorite nineties shows, video games, and food. There was Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Gullah Gullah Island, Blues Clues, the Puzzle Place, Wishbone, Doug, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Guts, Allegra's Window, Home Improvement, So Weird, Flash Forward, Franklin, Zoom, All That, Figure It Out, Wild and Crazy Kids (which I always wanted to be on because one of the hosts was pretty cute), Pepper Ann, Recess, Smart Guy, Fudge, Brotherly Love, Bug Juice, Jett Jackson, and Kablam!

Oregon Trail, Number Munchers, Zoo Tycoon, that one computer game where you could write a book and then illustrate it with premade sets and people, Amazon Trail, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Theme Hospital, Legends of Zelda, Tetris, Super Mario 64, Word Munchers, Duke Nukem, Mortal Kombat, my sister playing Myst, Sim City, and Mario Kart 64.

Dunkaroos, the Taco Bell chalupas, numerous Chuck E Cheese birthday parties, the McDonald's Monopoly game, the cheesecake Jello cups, Froot by the Foot, Fruit Stripe gum, Pepsi Blue, Nestle Quik, 3D Doritos, Juicy Juice commercials, Sprinklins, Dizzy Grizzlies, Bubble Tape, Bill Cosby's Jello commercials, Butterfinger BBs, Kid Cuisine (though I was never allowed to actually eat those, too much sodium my mother said), Lunchables (same with the sodium, but I got back into them when I got to college :D ), Mentos commercials, Bagel Bites, California Raisins, the Campbells soup commercial with the melting snowman, Amazin' Fruit gummies, and Fruitopia.

goodness, what memories those things bring up. And while I was really only coherent, for 6 of those years, they were the formative ones, and they still stir warm fuzzies inside me. There are still songs that make me think of when I would listen to the radio to fall asleep at night, and I think that makes me feel safer somehow. Sigh. The joys of being a child.

the art of living

2009-06-29T08:14:00.002-05:00

This is the first day in a few months I've actually been cold outside. It is HEAVENLY. (this is also at 8 am :D )

I feel like I have so much to talk about now. I'm sitting at work with piles of Info cards that need to be put into the system, but I will gladly write instead. :)

5 deaths in the past month- 4 in the last week. Really makes you think about life. I know that's super cliche' to say, but this is the first time in my life so many celebrities have died in such a short amount of time. I know people die everyday, so you should really be constantly thinking about how short life is, and how you need to make the best of it. But when they are in the spotlight, and CNN and every other major media follows their last days, you can't help but sit in shock, and wonder if you will be next.

Farrah and Ed weren't that surprising, one old and one struggling with cancer, it was eminent. You know they are in a more peaceful place. And the same could be said for MJ too. Everyone's seen that he was 400 mil in debt, possibly anorexic, and struggling with trying to get back on top. And his last days weren't his saddest. His whole life was stressful, and I'm sure he's glad to be in a better place as well. Interesting though that he went out the same way as the King of Rock 'n Roll, who he was so often compared to.

As shocked as I was about MJ, I think Billy Mays was the saddest. As far as I can tell, his life was going pretty well. The face of countless products, the star of a new show, and the proud wearer of the thickest beard I've ever seen. I'm not a huge fan or anything, but I feel really bad for his family. A normally harmless bag falling from an over head compartment shouldn't kill someone. Especially after its victim has given an interview following the semi-crash and assured the interviewer that "he had a hard head." Billy, that's what got Natasha as well. How scary is it that a bump on the head could kill you in a day or two? (UPDATE) - Reports now say that Mays died of heart disease. Never really believed that heart disease was the number one killer until now...

Lately, I've also realized how quickly people change. And it's surprising what changes them. I guess I always knew that returning from college I would have completely different friends. A year away from what you were structured to be for the past 18 years has a toll on your personality. I prayed and prayed that things wouldn't be drastic, and so far they haven't been absurd, but I've definitely been disappointed. And who knows, maybe I've changed a lot as well, but I can't see it. I need to stop growing up.

I have realized that I love Nashville. Walking downtown this weekend was fabulous. I think at some point in my life I'd like to live downtown somewhere. Maybe not Nashville, but a big city. But honestly, I wouldn't mind winding up here.

Can I just take some time and say how much a miss fruit? I'm not sure there are any types now that don't make my mouth feel funny after I eat them. :( Pineapple is the least offensive, but apples, peaches, and canteloupe make my mouth explode. GRR. What is wrong with me!?

Is it weird that I think in opening paragraphs for a novel? The other night I went with Rob to his night lab for Astronomy, and was just thinking of a fantastic paragraph to grab the reader's attention when they open the book. "The heat rose up from the pavement warming my skin as I gazed up at the Big Dipper. I had always been intrigued by the constellation. It seemed to always be the one mentioned in elementary school, and was always the subject of stories. Staring up at the sky I let my mind grasp the idea that these skies were the same skies that people hundreds and thousands of years ago saw as well. The Big Dipper alone was the guiding light to lead hundreds of slaves to freedom, and other constellations had been the inspiration for our calendars, astrology, and even math. I have always been impressed how the past still holds so much for our futures."

Well, it's better usually in my head... but I know that the rest of the paragraph is usually going to suck in my head as well. haha i just need to stick with photography...

speaking of which... I am REALLY needing "models" or I guess just people to photograph. pwease?? (sad face to the extreme)

hopefully write much quicker than last time. ha but no one follows anyway, so I guess no one is hurting. :)

i have often dreamed of a far off place...

2009-06-08T11:46:00.003-05:00

It's been a little while...

Not much has happened. My dreams of meeting Snow Patrol were smashed, but whatevs, I guess I didn't burn in the hot sun. Saturday was fun though. I got to hang with some girls I haven't hung out with in a while. While our original plan of dressing up and taking pictures crashed and burned, we had a lot of fun at Opry Mills. It was actually my first visit to an oxygen bar. Probably something I'll never do again, but still fun to say I've done it. Since we had all dressed up for the day, we got a ton of comments. All good, but it's surprising how different a reaction you get by waitresses or sales people when you are dressed up and not just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Yesterday my mother and I went to Tarboosh or House of Hummus and Hookah Bar. I got hummus with beef and it was incredible. We were definitely the minorities there, which was oddly a very strange feeling. Everyone there except for us were smoking, but it smelled really good. I think I had it stuck in my nostrils for the rest of the night.

And the rest of the night was consumed with the Tony's, which were surprisingly very interesting. I missed this but thanks to Meg Cabot for finding it. I definitely want to see Billy Elliot and the Shrek musical now. Oh and maybe I can stand Guys and Dolls again just for Lauren Graham. haha

Found this today. I love Big Bang. Even though I'm not geeky enough to get everything they reference on it.

Currently listening to Go the Distance by Roger Bart (hercules)

you liked it so you put a ring on it

2009-06-03T14:01:00.003-05:00

Joe Jonas Doing Single Ladies

i enjoy finding fun videos at work. especially since i can't hear them...

Today I ate an apple and my mouth started feeling funny. Like it has for the past few years when I eat starchy fruit. It was bothering me so much that I decided to look it up for myself. Here's what I found.

The oral allergy syndrome is another type of cross-reactivity. This syndrome occurs in people who are highly sensitive, for example, to ragweed or birch pollen. During the seasons that these allergens pollinate, the affected individual may find that when he or she tries to eat fruits, chiefly melons and apples, a rapid onset of itching is experienced in the mouth and throat, and the fruit cannot be eaten. The symptoms of this allergy, which is caused simply by the direct contact of the food with the lining of the mouth and throat, resolve rapidly.

ick.

anywho. today has been rather boring. definitely been scoping dresses and what not. also craving my laptop so that i could pass the time by playing the sims 3. which is awesome btw!!

and this is the first day i've felt extreme fatigue. yaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn.

definitely need more sleep tonight.

currently listening to That's Life by Michael Buble

2009-06-02T11:32:00.002-05:00

awkwardfamilyphoto of the day.

Last night me and my mother did a complete sweep of my room. Sigh, it's good to sleep in a room not completely cluttered with piles and piles of clothes. Next is my desk, shelves, and book case. Definitely not looking forward to that.

But I AM looking forward to the Sims 3 tonight!!!! :D

I actually stayed up and watched Conan last night. It was pretty good I must say. I was never a huge fan of Leno, most of his jokes were way too crude, and Conan is usually pretty good with not just having strictly sexual humor. I didn't watch all of it, I DO have to get up at 5:30 am. But I plan on watching it later.

Speaking of things to watch later, I missed the MTV movie awards. I know this isn't high class entertainment, but apparently really crazy things went on... Kristen smoking too much to hold on to your award? LeeAnn Womack singing J*** in my Pants? Good grief, do you need ratings that badly??

I'm glad I missed I'm A Celebrity... I'm not entirely sure why people come up with these lame ideas for shows. I already miss the office and heroes. :(

hmmmm that's all I have for right now. perhaps I'll stumble upon other fun things throughout the day.

unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling :)

2009-06-01T11:48:00.003-05:00

Awkwardfamilyphotos.com for very random pictures like this. The caption for this was "Truly a party in these people's pants." Bahahaha :)

Oh postsecret. I hope by now that everyone knows what this wonderful website is. I've become so addicted that sometimes I think in secrets. In the past month I've come up with about twenty I'd like to send in. I just can't think of any creative ideas for a background for the postcard itself. My secrets vary from very hurtful, to very stupid. I have to give props to the man who created this.

This weekend was pretty rad. Rob and I headed for Holiday World early on Friday. I was sad to see that both the Legend and Pilgrim's Plunge (the world's TALLEST water ride!!!) were not going to be operating that day, but we headed first to the Voyage. Apparently it's the number one wooden coaster in the world right now, and that would be hold true for me since it's 1. super long, ride time was around 2 minutes, 2. line moved quickly, and 3. actual seat was not uncomfortable. However, it was so jostling it gave us headaches. Come on wooden rollercoaster engineers, please make your ride completely enjoyable!!!

We rode all the little rides and the Raven, and then headed for Splashin' Safari. Definitely the best part of the day. They had a large assortment of slides and they were all very exciting, plus the staff was very friendly at the end asking us how are ride was each time. After we were sufficiently wet, we changed and headed to Elizabeth's.

The next morning we headed for King's Island and went to Diamondback. It was reallllly awesome. Probably second to Millenium Force, but seeing as the people who own Cedar Pointe (Cedar Fair), now own all the Paramount and Knott's parks, it's no wonder why they built something similar to their number one coaster. However, I'm not sure if this buyout had all good things attached to it. Because it's no longer Paramount, all rides with affiliations to movies have been stripped of their titles, which shouldn't mean much, but now the Crypt, formally Tomb Raider, is nothing but a glorified spinning box. It used to be so cool, and now it's lame and sports a naked shy mutant bat. Lame. We spent the rest of the day going from ride to ride and then headed to Boomerang Bay, which had nothing on Splashin' Safari. However, a lot of their rides were hidden so we didn't get to ride everything before it closed.

We headed back to Firehawk, and had made it to the first row until they came over the speakers... "Due to ominous weather, we have to suspend the ride for now." seriously!? we waited all day to go!! we tried to wait it out, but the weather got nothing but worse so we made a break for the car, and came out looking like drowned rats. I don't mind being that wet, but not when I have technology I need to keep dry...

Anywho, that was the excitement for the weekend. We saw UP yesterday. Definitely not the best Pixar movie, but better than A Bug's Life. haha. However, I cried the most in this one. Actually in the first ten minutes. The whole montage of his life shot me right in the heart. But I think Wall-E, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo are still my top three. They were just more believable... even if none of them are really that believable anyway. Oh well.

I need to finish Arrested Development. And unpack from college. And clean my room. Hmmm sounds like a busy night for me. Good.

Recently read books:

Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble- This is a semi-romance novel... but there is a lot of heart in it. Also a lot of creativity. I think the idea of doing something different every weekend starting with the letter A is such a clever idea. You'd definitely get to know a person well.
Blame It On Paris by Jennifer ... something- This is classic romance novel-esque in a that can never happen way. But it was flirty and romantic and I enjoyed it.
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched- Meg Cabot- in true Meg Cabot form, very predictable. However, I love her wit and style of writing, so I just keep writing whatever she dishes out there. haha

Next up- Looking for Alaska by John Green. I'm on page 6 and it's very promising.

Currently Listening to A Whole New World- Aladdin

you're the voice inside my head, the reason that i'm singing...

2009-05-28T10:55:00.001-05:00

Dreams are a funny thing. I've always been able to vividly remember dreams. And sometimes, I see them play out in real life, so I get extreme deja vu. I bet I get more deja vu than any normal person should...

Anyway, my dream last night was really interesting. I was at some beach house that was way too close to the ocean for comfort. In fact, the waves were washing against the windows next to where I was sleeping. I just kept thinking, hmm this is how I'm going to die. But then the Jonas Brothers were there singing right in front of me. I'm really weird in my dreams, I know I'm sleeping, so I'll sleep in my dreams and tell whatever is going on to cut it out, because I'm sleeping here!!! That was a major problem right after pledging was over, I kept dreaming the actives were in my room trying to wake me up to do things for them, and I just kept sitting up and telling them to go away because I was sleeping.

One of the first things I'm going to ask God when I get to heaven is why we dreams the things we dream. Sometimes they are obvious, things we were heavily thinking about before we fell asleep, or some current event (like my constant dreams about tornadoes after Good Friday), but others are so random, it makes me wonder if our subconscious is trying to tell us something about ourselves we don't know. This reasoning actually made me overthink so many dreams in my life that it's almost absurd. Mostly dealing with the feelings I thought I subconciously harbored for certain males. hahaha

I bet when I make it up to the pearly gates I won't even care to ask anymore. Or maybe it'll just be obvious. Perhaps we each have angels assigned to us to create dreams for our/their amusement. If so, I can't wait to be an angel, I would have a LOT of fun with that assignment. :)

I went to Newk's with my good friend Kim last night and had the Newk's Favorite Salad. Oh man. Delish. I really think I have a penchant for a good fruity/nutty/gorgonzola-y salad. My other favorite salad in the world is Panera's Fandango salad. They haven't had it in a while which I'm very sad about, but I think it comes back in the fall.

But enough about food. Let's talk video games. Rob bought Grand Theft Auto IV the other day, and I know, I know, it's morally degrading and has the reputation for corrupting young children, but oh my goodness is it fun to crash vehicles and helicopters, and run into people. :) But as fun as that is, I'm so excited for the Sims 3 next tuesday!!! It's finally coming out for Mac, so I'm heading to Target I think as soon as it opens and getting it. I think it'll be my summer addiction. Which is totally fine with me, especially since Glee can't be. :(

Speaking of summer shows, I guess all I have to watch this summer is Secret Life, there's no way I'm getting sucked into So You Think You Can Dance or Wipeout. Goodness, where do they come up with the idea for something like that? I guess it is mildly amusing, but just mildly.

Recently Rented Movies

The DaVinci Code- just catching up for Angels and Demons, I think I definitely like A&D better, however, treasure hunts are always good movie plots.
Eagle vs. Shark- Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords is in this, and virtually played the same kinda role, with Napoleon Dynamite mixed in, if ND was set in New Zealand. Wouldn't watch again, but it was cute.
Syncedoche, NY- awful awful awful awful movie. do not even waste the time reading the box. gosh, i should've known with Phillip Seymour Hoffman being the main star. ick, seriously I wasted two and half hours of my life watching this.
Ghost Town- Loved this movie. Ricky Gervais is actually a good serious actor! And it's one of the few movies that doesn't end in a cliche'. Woot for that.

oh gosh, I'm haunted by the Jonas.

Currently listening to Gotta Find You- Joe Jonas.

it's the start of something new...

2009-05-27T13:02:00.001-05:00

So after some major debate with myself, I have decided to start a blog. I'm not that interesting so it may be a bust, but hey, I like to write, so what do I have to lose? :)

I guess I should share a bit about myself. I'm 19, attend Lipscomb University where I'll be a sophomore in the fall. I'm rather excited about going back because I am going to Vienna, Austria to study abroad!! I love photography, and I'm sure this blog will slowly develop into a showcase of stuff I do... that is if I can ever get models. Ha. But I have plenty of other things that I love that I've done that I'll put up.

I love to read. Meg Cabot books are my downfall. Currently I'm reading Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, which is the third book in that series. Speaking of Meg Cabot, you should check out her diary/blog here. She's mainly the inspiration for me finally going public.

Currently I'm majoring in American Studies, which is a mix of history, poly sci, theater, and lit. Which is all up my alley, except poly sci. I'm not sure why I suck so much at that... Anywho, so I guess I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with it, save for the fact that I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it all. Who knows what I'll end up doing...

Right now I'm on this cooking fix. I keep thinking of weird recipes in my head. Like grilled peaches (which granted I sorta got the idea from my old flute teacher), and trying really hard to find an easy cannoli recipe. AHHH I LOVE CANNOLIS! :D

Best movie so far this summer... Star Trek. Hands down. Great special effects, and while I had no idea what was going on going into it, I didn't feel that confused. Except I'm still a little lost on what red matter is... Looks like a huge bubble of blood to me... buhlud!! It's not funnnneeeee!! (sorry I digress...)

My summer plans are pretty wide open. Lots of work, an occasional road trip (Holiday World/Indiana/King's Island this weekend, and Metropolis, IL in a few weeks haha), and the slow formation of a band. But I've had a great time back so far, even if I haven't unpacked any of my college stuff, and my room looks like a bomb exploded in it. The only clear space is the side of the bed I sleep on. :/

Every blog needs some current issue musings... so Glee. Has the possibility of being my most favorite show ever. However, since it is starting in the fall, I won't be able to support it sufficiently. I just thought it was so genious. It wasn't an ounce like my high school choir, but I felt like I did when I was there just watching it. A very happy place :)

Nashville and its' surrounding areas has definitely seen its' share of rain lately. But today, quickly walking back to work in the middle of a downpour was oddly refreshing. I have always loved the smell of rain, and being smack dab of the middle of it made me want to just stop and inhale it all. Sadly I had nachos and technology in my hands that probably shouldn't be soaked, so I kept hurrying on. I think rain may be my favorite part of living in the south. It makes everything so gorgeous, and I'd rather live with rain and green, than no rain, perfect weather, and lots and lots of dirt. Rain in the summer is definitely the best. I played in the puddles around my house the other day with my sister and I felt like a 5 year old again. It was so wonderful :)

Well this is probably enough for today.

Movies So Far:

Star Trek 9/10
Angels and Demons 6/10
Night at the Museum 6/10
Wolverine 5/10
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 4/10

Currently Listening to: A Matter of Time by Jukebox the Ghost