#(taking up that saturday with an 8 hour roadtrip)

[greyias]

I have completely lost track of all meaning of time this year, and am realizing just now that December is half over, and the Life Day season is once again upon us. So, my Star Forge peeps, how you guys feeling? Up for another snowball party on Ilum, with a side of Danger Conga™?

Although considering the way the calendar falls this year, with Christmas Eve/Day and New Year's Eve/Day falling on the weekend, we might have to move it to a weekday. I know not everyone's schedule is flexible, so let me know what you guys think.

Feel free to sound off in the replies!

[ocean-anchored]

Continued still.. December 3, 2023

Monday night I went to the Knights & flames game with Shane, he got really great tickets & I got to wear my jersey. It was a nice evening, he was good & I had asked him before not to ask me if Im ok at any point to trigger my emotional mess. Chrystal was gone the week so I was going into okotoks everyday to cover. Tuesday I originally didn't have plans but then Connor asked to hang out after work. Went for Taco tuesday which was nice then back to his place. I ended up staying the night, I felt like he wanted me to stay but idk, I still can't get a read on him. Part of me just thinks we're kind of doing the same thing to each other. I mean I know i'm not really going out of my way to ask him or make plans but his texting just sucks that I can't read if he wants to or not. Like its hard to keep any convo up over text & maybe he's just like that, I understand his work is a lot so keeping that up is tough, but then after we talked about how I might not be doing a roadtrip in January it died off & he didn't reply so whatever. I mean he has asked to hang out so I assume, & he does ask me to stay so maybe? But to what benefit? Idk. I do enjoy his company though. Wednesday I went for dinner with Ed & Mariana a founder of ours from Mexico city. Ill have to write another time on how I had planned to do a road trip down to the states or mexico for a few weeks but I dont think it's going to work out in January so I'll talk about it later for now. Went to Charbar which was really great, nice environment & cool, really great food. Thursday I finally had a night to myself, I was pretty tired from the week & had a lot this weekend so I chilled & gamed for a bit, took it easy. Friday had lunch with Ed, again I might talk about that later but I'm still really blessed to be working with him. Friday night was my ugly christmas sweater games night which I think turned out really well! 9 people including me, jeremiah brought his friend Dan, steven, amanda, shane who came 2 hours late... that was another whole other story of annoyance & triggering for me, Kamber, amber & naythan. It was fun, started around 6/6:30 & everyone stayed till like midnight so it was a lot of fun. Saturday I chilled for day, Marc forgot about our facetime which sucks but whatever. Was supposed to go to anneriekes to decorate the tree but didn't want to be around that environment again which I think I forgot to mention anyways that I went for dinner two weeks ago & it was just a lot to take in & I'm tired of talking about Steve. Anyway I went to amber & naythans instead with nova, nova did so good with Rue, it was honestly so sweet watching nova play again & be so gentle with her, made me so happy. We played catan & had a really great night. Amber also got me the exit game advent calendar that were all in a challenge together, like 4 of us couples minus mine of course & that's super fun so far, proud that I've solved the first two alone with no hints! Anyways, love those people so much. Today, sunday, went to 8:30am service which was so good again. I really love this church I think & want to stay in it. Its so lively & actually makes me want to lean into God when I leave & "sets my heart on fire" again feeling. Went to brunch with Daniel at Diner Deluxe which was great again, he's a good guy. Hes really smart & very... aware. Its a breath of fresh air & its really nice to be able to talk to someone emotionally on the same page especially about relationships & the struggles. Then mom surprised me at being at my house after so we could go for a walk & we had some good conversation. Then went to a movie with steven & amanda which was good so im finally relaxing now winding down for bed. This week will be busy again & the weekend but then it get's quiet which I think Im finally looking forward too.

[itsnotmandatorybee]

December 31, 2022

Saturday

10:59 AM

These children interrupted my sleep.

I'm now living in the city, and I don't really know if I should call it one—Internet's slow, streets are no different to our barrio, but this place not even bothered to put more colorful lanterns or banners around.

Now, let's go back to these children with their horns. I'm literally having a headache. Those noises are louder than bumpy cars, choo-choo trains, and the sound of my speakers when I play my favourite songs.

And—yes, I should take a note that when I was a kid, I always told to stop since it's still morning, and blowing horns aren't good while people are hustling for their media noche, and noises got them head scrumble, saying, "Sa susunod na araw, umbok na 'yang pisngi mo." Yes, the "beke" or mumps that sounded like "beki" when my innocent self don't know what it means 'til the moment I had one, and had no choice but to put "tina" on the part of my face where mumps grow... only to know that it's an infection and I was a victim of Dr. Quack's scheme. I regret of smelling like sour milkfish soup. Paksiw!

Horns are delightful and you need to put so much pressure to blow it. Then you'll just trying to give yourself the context not to think about "horns" anymore 'cause you might wondering I am trying to tell you about "horn" and not "horn".

Let's just forget about it, let's go back to these children.

The tip of the horn full of saliva. Then there goes 12, and I'm l'll scream with after father lit Judas' belt, and my hearty soul will rock. Speakers are on its full volume. Round fruits are forbidden to be touched. TV's open for the countdown. 3... 2... 1...

Then there goes 3 or 4 AM when everybody's sleeping, and I need to take care of my Mom's plate not to fall as I wash 'em with a bubbly soap and new sponge.

And, yes. I'll blow horns at 5 AM and no one cares. They're all sleeping like cooking oil in sitting peacefully in the kitchen, and I'm living my best life as a kid, and will turn afterwards to play Beyblade and brick game.

And, yes. I believe Taylor Swift is a Filipina, for we lit Christmas light up 'til January. Not to mention how immortal spaghetti is and still good like an MMFF movie on its second week.

And, yes. For Pete's sake, I wonder why these kids stopped blowing horns after writing this one. Probably, they're tired or will sleep in the middle of the afternoon to save their energy for New Year's eve.

And, yes. I should do the same 'cause I need to work exactly at midnight. No hams or salad on sight, but my warm desktop and keyboards are waiting in front of me.

This time, my perspective has changed. I once wrote this a year ago, and I know it made my 2022 a year of clownery:

"When I was a kid, people say that don't talk when your mouth is full. When I grown up, people say that don't love when still unsure."

And, yes. I should be writing of what 2022 had been into my life. Well, it's like waiting in a bus for 8 full hours. It's like waiting for someone who can't even bother to leave a message 'cause they don't f*ck*ng care, or more than a farewell message to a friend with their resignation letter, or a tea party, or a family problem, or existential crisis, or red and pink, or ties and sneakers... or a plan never brought to life, but a series of lightness and darkness intertwined and compiled into a book, with no strings or sentimental things attached.

These children interrupted my sleep.

And, I don't know what I'm talking about. Really.

One thing's for sure. I'm not yet ready, but I need to be one, but...

Here's to another laugh and pain. Here's to more roadtrips and sleepless nights.

Here's to you is overrated.

I should say, "here's to me..."

Here's to me and my 2023.

[ludicrousperson]

Get To Know Me Questions (Very long)

thanks for tagging me bubs @meeresnaechte <3

1. What is your first name? Michelle

2. What is your nickname? Michi, Ischi, E.T., Valera

3. What is your zodiac sign? Aries

4. What is your favorite book series? Definitely the Harry Potter Book Series

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? I believe in ghosts but not really in aliens? The term ‘aliens’ is so stigmatized, that I don’t support this term and it’s definition. But somehow I slightly believe that humans are not the only ones in space.

6. Who is your favorite author? Haruki Murakami

7. What is your favorite radio station? I don’t really listen to radio, but when I do, I skip along through every station while driving car.

8. What is your favorite flavor of anything? I love to try the variety of all the flavors, but my go to flavor is definitely chocolate hehe.

9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? Lovely or Cute/Adorable. I love it when something or someone is just themselves and it’s so pure and lovely and I want to give it/them all my heart.

10. What is your current favorite song? Don’t Settle - Ben Kyle

11. What is your favorite word? It may seem so casual but the word ‘Thanks’ or ‘Thank you’ (‘Danke’ in German) holds so much power and lots meaning. For me it is another way to express my thankfulness and love I hold for my friends and family. ‘Thank you for seeing me’, ‘Thank you for making me laugh’, ‘Thank you.’.

12. What was the last song you listened to? I am You - Stray Kids

13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? Breaking Bad, Narcos, Stranger Things & Goblin (KDrama).

14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban & Therapie (by DieAussenseiter, German Youtuber).

15. Do you play video games? Currently I play ‘The Last of Us’. But rather than playing I really loooove to watch Let’s Plays of for example ‘Detroit: Become Human’, ‘Resident Evil’ aaand so on.

16. What is your biggest fear? Darkness & Loneliness. 

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? I can be really spontaneous and would steal a car to drive to the ocean just for one hour so we can watch the sunset. Also I am really honest. You did something bad that’s not quite acceptable? Let’s talk it out and I will stay by your side to help you change your thinking/behavior or simply your mistake (vice versa counts for me).

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? My mind. I get nervous and tell myself that I am weird and that I am just annoying. That happens even when I am with my closest friends. Plus, I am sometimes very hot tempered. In a conflict I want to understand what my opposite thinks and what their opinion is, but it turns into me shouting quite fast.

19. Do you like cats or dogs better? Honestly I like both, but since I am allergic to cats, I love and praise doggos.

20. What is your favorite season? Spring Spring Spring and a bit of Autumn.

21. Are you in a relationship? No.

22. What is something you miss from your childhood? I miss that my parents never lived together and that I have never seen them together in one room.

23. Who is your best friend? I have 3. One I met through the Internet in 2013. One I met in school 4 years ago and that I didn’t like at the beginning and one who reached out to me in 2017.

24. What is your eye color? Brown

25. What is your hair color? Brown

26. Who is someone you love? My friends and my granny

27. Who is someone you trust? My friends

28. Who is someone you think about often? Someone who I can share my happiness with but haven’t met yet.

29. Are you currently excited about/for something? I am always excited for the little things. But right now I am lowkey excited for what this semester in University will gift me.

30. What is your biggest obsession? Music & Photography

31. What was your favorite TV show as a child? Spongebob and Disneys Recess

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? I have more male friends than female friends and I can talk as openly to them as to my female friends.

33. Are you superstitious? Slightly

34. Do you have any unusual phobias? I wouldn’t count it as a phobia but I get panicked as soon as I see too many people around me.

35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? Behind it. I love to capture the pure beauty of the nature and of my friends being themselves. I want to capture their beauty forever, even when ways start to split. The memories won’t disappear.

36. What is your favorite hobby? Photography.

37. What was the last book you read? Ein Kind - Thomas Bernhard

38. What was the last movie you watched? Annabelle 3. Saturday at a drive-in cinema with my best friend and her friends.

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? I can’t play one but I am trying to learn the piano.

40. What is your favorite animal? Whales, Koalas and Birds.

41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? Definitley @loewen-gebruell, kuss an dich

42. What superpower do you wish you had? Teleportation & Invisibility

43. When and where do you feel most at peace? At the ocean. Just watching the waves and the sun and the wind and the people. It feels like time stops while time is running by.

44. What makes you smile? When other people are happy, doesn’t matter if it’s because of me or because of something/someone else.

45. What sports do you play, if any? Zumba/Dancing, Handball and Badminton.

46. What is your favorite drink? Waaaaater

47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? For my best friend on her birthday as a present in May.

48. Are you afraid of heights? A bit, depends on my current anxiety level haha

49. What is your biggest pet peeve? Aggressiveness. I am so afraid if people get aggressive. 

50. Have you ever been to a concert? Yes. K.I.Z. in Essen & Monsta X in Berlin.

51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? No.

52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to teach or help children. Now I am trying to fulfill my wish into becoming a psychotherapist.

53. What fictional world would you like to live in? Aaaaaall the way Hogwarts.

54. What is something you worry about? I worry about my own future and about my family.

55. Are you scared of the dark? I am literally so scared when it gets dark. I need someone by my side to keep calm.

56. Do you like to sing? I love to sing and I would have already become a popular singer but sike my voice sucks so bad I don’t even like to speak in general because of my voice.

57. Have you ever skipped school? Yes hehe

58. What is your favorite place on the planet? Wherever I know I am not going to stay forever.

59. Where would you like to live? I want to live in so many countries, but I am afraid to settle down somewhere for the rest of my life.

60. Do you have any pets? No.

61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? Early bird, but lately I am more a night owl uhu

62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? Sunrises. Even though I find sunsets so surprisingly beautiful, I cherish sunrises a lot more. My heart feels like ‘here we are, leave it behind, you had time, it is a new start, you can do it in your own pace’ and it just feels warm.

63. Do you know how to drive? Yes and it’s the only thing I am 100% confident in lol

64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? Earbuds.

65. Have you ever had braces? Yes I had and I plan on getting some again.

66. What is your favorite genre of music? Ballads & a mix of EDM and POP

67. Who is your hero? May I say ‘Gronkh’?. He is a Youtuber and I watch him and his videos since I am 12. He has been with me for all the past years and he is still with me even though I am 20. His words always gave me courage and gave me what I never received from anyone else. He has a strong Father Role in my eyes.

68. Do you read comic books? No.

69. What makes you the most angry? Lies

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? A real book.

71. What is your favorite subject in school? German & Chemics

72. Do you have any siblings? Yes, 4 Half-Siblings, all younger than me.

73. What was the last thing you bought? A hoodie for the drive-in cinema at night.

74. How tall are you? 170 cm

75. Can you cook? Since I live on my own I cook a lot and I didn’t get food poisoned yet so I think I can cook.

76. What are three things that you love? Late Nights, Spontaneous Roadtrips & Laughs.

77. What are three things that you hate? Toxicity, Self-Centered People & Hate in general. 

78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? More male friends.

79. What is your sexual orientation? Straight by now but I don’t care who I am going to fall in love with.

80. Where do you currently live? In Austria for my studies.

81. Who was the last person you texted? My bestie @meeresnaechte

82. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday night.

83. Who is your favorite YouTuber? Gronkh.

84. Do you like to take selfies? Depends if I need a new profilepic.

85. What is your favorite app? Spotify & Tumblr

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? Not good at all. My father disappoints me and breaks my trust to him everytime I visit him and my mother tries to be my best friend since she can’t act as a mother.

87. What is your favorite foreign accent? Slavik and Australian.

88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? Mongolia, Southern America and Antarctica.

89. What is your favorite number? 16

90. Can you juggle? No

91. Are you religious? I have been raised strongly catholic but I got myself out of this close minded thinking. Even though I don’t practice any religious “doings”, I try to compare my experiences with the religions opinion.

92. Do you find outer space or the deep ocean to be more interesting? The deep ocean. The deep ocean is all around us and is covering 71% of the world we live on. So many lives live deep down in the ocean we have never seen and it’s the most undiscovered place on earth.

93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? No.

94. Are you allergic to anything? Cats, Dust & Wheat

95. Can you curl your tongue? No

96. Can you wiggle your ears? No

97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? 60% wrong, because I always try to see the good in someone and while not only hurting myself because of another disappointment, I hurt my closest friends as well.

98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? The beach. But the forest has something magical that will always leave me stunned.

99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? “Do what makes you happy.”.

100. Are you a good liar? No and I don’t want to be.

101. What is your Hogwarts House? Hufflepuff

102. Do you talk to yourself? Most of the time since I live alone uhm

103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I am a situational extrovert.

104. Do you keep a journal/diary? No, my Tumblr Blog is my diary since 2013.

105. Do you believe in second chances? Yes.

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? Search for an ID and try to reach out to the person who lost it or give it straight to the owner of the place where I found the wallet or give it to the nearest police station.

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? I have split opinions on it.

108. Are you ticklish? Yes.

109. Have you ever been on a plane? Yes.

110. Do you have any piercings? Yes, recently got a helix.

111. What fictional character do you wish was real? Neville from Harry Potter, just imagining him as a best friend wow

112. Do you have any tattoos? Yes a Plumeria on my right arm.

113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? Not listening to others and making my own experiences.

114. Do you believe in karma? Yes.

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? No.

116. Do you want children? Yes, 3 to 5 children, but only if I am financially stable and if I can rely on my partner.

117. Who is the smartest person you know? Smart is anyone who found a way to live happily.

118. What is your most embarrassing memory? I don’t want to get reminded ciao

119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? These dark circles under my eyes aren’t from sleeping.

120. What color are most of you clothes? Black & maybe some red here and there.

121. Do you like adventures? Always down for them, text me and I will show up at your front door with backpacks full of snacks and drinks and blankets let’s get it

122. Have you ever been on TV? No god thanks stay like this

123. How old are you? 20

124. What is your favorite quote? I have so many saved on my phone and written down in my notes, but one which I get reminded of most of the time is ”Erkennst du die nächste Gelegenheit, wenn sie passiert?” (”Do you see the next possibility when it’s happening?”).

125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? I have a sweet tooth but spicy food has a special place in my heart.

People I want to get to know better:  @perrfectly @kuntergrau-mohae @loewen-gebruell

[dee-vine]

Shutter Speed Ch. 9

This chapter is dedicated to @allskynostars. Happy birthday girl!!

Also big thanks to @darkjuggie for helping me with it.

Please let me know what you think!

Ch 8 | AO3

People say there’s nothing worse than waking up with a hangover, but those people have obviously never woken up with a hangover while remembering the stupid things you said the night before.

Jughead had hardly slept through the night. He sat in bed thinking the entire scenario over, replaying what he said and her reaction towards it. Regret flooded his entire body the second she ran away, and Jughead isn’t sure how he was going to fix it.

He hears noise coming from the kitchen at around ten, Archie probably getting ready to go to the gym, which he has the tendency to do. Jughead rolls out of bed and walks out, running a hand through his hair as he walks into the kitchen. Archie is digging through the fridge dressed in his workout gear when Jughead walks in, yawning a good morning. Archie looks up at him, pulling out the orange juice.

“Hey Jug, how’d you sleep?” Archie asks, pouring some orange juice into a glass. Jughead rubs his eyes and sits at the table, leaning his head against the wall.

“I hate myself,” is all Jughead says. Archie stops mid-drink, looking at him. He sighs, putting the glass down before sitting across from Jughead at the table.

“Listen, I know you messed up, but you were drunk. You couldn’t really help it. And it’s not like you were, you know, gross about it, she can’t be mad,” Archie says, sounding earnest. Jughead sighs and looks at the ceiling, shaking his head.

“It’s gonna be so awkward, though. I can’t hide from this,” Jughead mutters, looking at his friend. Archie’s eyes look sad, but he forces a tight lipped smile.

“It’ll be alright,” Archie tells him. Jughead wants to believe him, but he can’t in his current state. He nods anyways, Archie accepting it and standing up from the table. “Oh, your phone is in your coat pocket, by the way. I heard it going off just before you woke up, might wanna check that.”

Jughead nods and gets up from the table, walking into the living room where he left his coat last night. He takes his phone out of the pocket and opens it to three text messages, all from Betty.

We haven’t had a shoot in two weeks and I know you have a deadline coming up so I propose a road trip because I need to get out of the city and you probably do too and I've been wanting to go to this one place for ages

I just realized you're probably asleep

Okay it's been an hour I'm coming over since you're not gonna answer, see you soon

“Shit,” Jughead mutters, eyes wide. The text was sent fifteen minutes ago, meaning he doesn’t have much time until she shows up. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Archie emerges from the kitchen with his duffel bag, looking at him curiously. “What’s going on?”

“Betty texted me and she’s going to be here any minute. What do I do?” Jughead panics, looking at him frantically.

“First of all, calm down. It’s still Betty, she’s still your friend, so just be normal. I’d stay, but I really think you should do this on your own,” Archie tells him, patting his shoulder. Jughead sighs and nods, knowing he’s right.

“I’ll manage, I guess,” he mutters, hanging his head. Archie claps him on the back before he’s walking to the door, opening it up.

“Don’t stress yourself too much. Everything will be fine,” Archie tells him before he’s out the door. Jughead groans and plops down on the couch, trying to mentally prepare for whatever is going to happen. He thinks about changing quickly, since he’s still in his pajamas, but there’s a knock on the door, interrupting his thoughts.

“Shit,” Jughead mutters again, not expecting her to be here already. With a deep breath, he stands up and walks to the door, pausing before opening it. Betty is standing there, wearing jeans and a tank top, her hair back in her ponytail. She’s smiling, which scares Jughead.

“Hi, Juggie. Did I wake you?” she asks, stepping inside. Jughead closes the door, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair.

“No, I was awake. Um, I just read your texts though,” he says, awkwardly remaining by the door. She turns around to look at him, eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, this is probably a big surprise. I was just thinking about it for a while and I think it would be really fun,” she says, smiling shyly. Jughead licks his lips and nods, taking a deep breath.

“No, yeah, no worries. Um, but before you say anything, Betts I-I have to apologize for last night. I-” Jughead starts, stepping towards her. She cuts him off though, shaking her head and smiling kindly at him.

“It’s okay, Jughead. You were drunk, which I don’t blame you for, and it was nothing. Everyone says things they don’t mean when they’re drunk,” she tells him with a shrug. Jughead stops in his tracks, mouth open. She thinks it was a drunken mistake. She doesn’t think he meant it. He’s not really sure if that’s a good thing or not.

“Betts, I-” Jughead sighs, running a hand through his hair. He just realizes now that he’s not wearing his hat, and he feels the panic rise in his chest.

“Right. I was drunk. Um, excuse me,” he says, and then he’s quickly running off to his room before she says anything in return. He searches for his hat, finding it thrown on the ground underneath his jeans, and quickly pulls it on. The panic doesn’t subside, but he feels a bit more at ease with it on. He makes his way back into the living room, finding Betty looking at the pictures on the bookshelf.

“Sorry about that,” he says. She spins around when she hears his voice, eyes drifting up to his hat before settling back on his face.

“No need to be sorry,” she replies, sitting down on the couch. Jughead remains standing there, scratching the back of his neck and not knowing what to say next. Betty looks at him and pats the couch next to her, smiling sweetly. Jughead bites the inside of his cheek and moves to sit beside her, keeping a safe distance between them.

Betty is looking at him expectantly, and Jughead racks his brain to find something to say. Clearing his throat and staring down at the floor to avoid her watchful eyes, he says, “So, the roadtrip?”

“Oh, right!” she says, clapping her hands on her knees and making Jughead jump slightly. She pulls out her phone and types in something, scrolling through it as she speaks. “Ever heard of the Catskill Mountains?”

“Maybe? They're in New York, right?” He asks, looking at her curiously. Betty nods and shows him her phone, a picture of the mountains on the screen.

“I want to go there. I've tried asking Veronica but she refuses, but I figured you'd appreciate them. I planned out a whole trip for it already, and we could go for a weekend and stay in Woodstock, which is really close by. And we don’t have to hike or anything, we can just go to sightsee. If you want, that is. I just realized I didn’t really ask you and am just planning all this-” she rambles. Jughead lets out a breathy laughs before finally cutting her off.

“It’s fine, Betts. That sounds really fun,” he assures her. Betty catches her breath and looks at him, her eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve asked. I just get really crazy with planning things sometimes,” she frowns, fumbling with her hands in her lap. Jughead can’t contain how fond he is of her, smiling softly.

“I don’t think you’re crazy. I think it’s great that you planned everything so I don’t have to,” he says with a shrug, leaning back in his seat. Betty watches him, her face void of any emotion. Jughead suddenly feels nervous under her gaze, as if she can see right through his words. It’s only when he nervously adjusts his hat and looks away that she finally responds, quietly.

“I’ll text you about the details then. I’ll get going, let you rest some more,” she says, standing up. He nods and stands up with her, walking her to the door and letting her out. She hesitates in the doorway, turning around to face him. Her bottom lip is pulled between her teeth and she looks nervous. She opens her mouth to say something, but she quickly shuts it, settling for a small wave before hurrying off. Jughead sighs and closes the door, not feeling any better than he did before she came. If only things could go back to normal

“Get yourself together, Betty.”

Betty left Jughead's apartment as quickly as she could, and she really should not have gone there in the first place. She knew it would be weird, but her crazed mind decided to do it anyway.

But it shouldn't be weird because he said he was drunk, right? So it really didn't mean anything, what he said. Everything is fine.

Except Betty is far from fine. She didn't sleep at all, lying in bed trying to figure out what happened and why she felt so numb. In the morning Betty had convinced herself it was all a drunken mistake, and she's relieved to know that she was right.

Although, she can't help how hurt she feels about it. Veronica was finally starting to convince her that maybe Jughead did like her, and she was starting look at him in a different light. But now that's all shut down, because a guy will never like Betty, let alone two.

Betty had almost forgotten about Dylan. During this entire Jughead crisis, she forgot about the lovely guy that actually likes her, and who she is definitely stringing along. She knows she should break things off with him, but there's still that nagging voice inside of her saying you won't get anyone else and Betty can't ignore it no matter how hard she tries.

They’re making it a weekend trip. It's Friday afternoon and they are getting ready to make the drive to Woodstock where Betty found a little bed & breakfast to stay at for the night. They'd grab dinner when they get there and maybe look around the town. Saturday they'd be going to the mountains and spending time there before going back home afterwards. Jughead is a little nervous about being completely alone with Betty, but he’s not going to make it awkward. They’ve gotten past what happened at the party, or so it seems at least.

Archie is letting Jughead borrow his jeep, which he’s driving over to pick Betty up. Archie is in the passenger seat since he’s spending the night with Veronica, which Jughead is not thinking about-- Archie and Veronica being intimate equals gross.

“Have a good time Jug, take lots of pictures and try not to be too broody,” Archie says as he climbs out of the jeep. Jughead rolls his eyes, taking the keys out of the ignition.

“Sure thing, Arch. Make sure to clean any surfaces you may utilize,” Jughead responds with a straight face, staring at him. Archie’s face breaks out in a grin as he shuts the door, shaking his head. Jughead mimics tipping his hat in Archie’s direction, smirking slightly. He watches him walk into the building and gets out himself, walking around the car to lean against the side of it.

When Betty comes down a few minutes later, her smile almost splits her face when she sees Jughead. She's wearing shorts, and he doesn't pay attention to the rest of her outfit because those legs. Jughead stares at them as she makes her way over, and is only brought back to earth when she throws her arms around him. He's frozen for a second before and wraps his arms around her, still thinking about her long, toned, pale-

“Juggie, I am so excited! Thank you so much for coming with me, again, I'm so thankful for you,” Betty interrupts his thoughts, squeezing him tight. He squeezes her once before letting her step back, the grin still on her face.

“Of course, Betts. I'm excited too,” he says, taking the backpack off her shoulder. He walks around to the trunk to throw it in with his, then gets back behind the wheel. Betty is already sitting in the passenger seat and typing on her phone. He starts the car and then they're off.

They're not even halfway there when they're pulling into a fast food drive thru.

“I didn't eat before I picked you up, Betty,” Jughead tries to reason, pulling up behind a car in the line.

“That is not my fault, Jughead. You're an adult,” she retorts, crossing her arms. Jughead shakes his head and pulls up to the speaker, placing his order. Betty relents and gets a fries and a drink, and then he's pulling away.

“I thought you ate already,” he smirks, pulling out his wallet. She just shrugs, avoiding his comment and grabbing her purse from the floor.

“Let me pay for this,” she says, pulling out her wallet.

“No, absolutely not. You planned this whole trip, this is my treat,” he says, pulling out an appropriate amount of cash. She's frowning at him, but she knows she won't win if she fights it. Instead she just sits there as he pays and hands her the food, saying a thank you to the worker as he drove off.

“Thanks, Juggie,” she smiles, handing him his burger. She puts both of their drinks in the cup holders and takes out her fries.

Jughead drives with one hand on the wheel and the other holding his burger, while Betty messes with the radio. Eventually she gives up and plugs in her phone, turning on some indie alternative music that he's never heard of in his life.

He finishes his burger quickly and throws the wrapper in the bag. Betty notices this, still eating her fries, and laughs slightly.

“You ate that so fast,” she comments, laughing. Jughead just shrugs because yes he eats fast, he knows that. “Do you want a fry?”

Jughead glances at her to see her holding out a fry for him. Jughead reaches for it and only just notices the bandage on her palm. He hesitates, glancing at the road for a second before glancing back. She's looking at him questioningly, and Jughead decides to not comment on it now. He takes the fry from her with a thankful smile and pops it into his mouth, focusing back on the road.

They sit in a comfortable silence, Betty humming to all the songs she plays and Jughead focusing on his driving. It's a short drive, only about two hours, and they're making good time. Betty has the directions up on her phone and is updating him on the estimated time of arrival.

When they're fifteen minutes out, Betty casually informs him that she's trying to figure out how to call things off with Dylan. Jughead almost crashes the car when she says this, but clears his throat to keep his calm composure.

“How come? If you don't mind me asking,” Jughead mutters, facing straight ahead.

“Of course you can ask, Jug. But I just...don't like him as much as he likes me? And I think it's been like that since the beginning but I just-I just held onto him, you know?” And no, Jughead does not know, but he pretends to for her sake.

“Just friend zone the guy. He can take it,” Jughead tells her, shrugging. He glances at her with a smile, and she thankfully smiles back at him. She leans over and lays her head on his shoulder, smiling up at him.

“Thanks Juggie, you're the best,” she says, and he knows she means it. She stays like that until the reach their destination, even though it had to be uncomfortable. But Jughead doesn't mind at all.

He finds a parking spot near the door and gets out, grabbing their bags from the trunk. He hands Betty hers and they venture inside to check in. Betty's the one to go up to the desk, since she made the reservation, but Jughead stays close behind.

He's half listening to what Betty and the older lady are saying, mostly looking around the place. If he had one word to describe the place, it'd be quirky. There's old fashioned wallpaper with weird paintings, and a lot of loose trinkets all around the place. He's drawn back to focus when Betty taps his arm, smiling up at him.

“Our room is ready,” is all she says. He just nods and follows her up to the room, greeting someone the walk past. He's admiring a painting outside of the door Betty is opening, so he misses Betty's frozen state in the doorway until he crashes into her back.

“Betty, what the hell are you doing?” He asks, maneuvering her out of the way so he can step in. He looks inside the room and the first thing he notices is the single full size bed in the middle of the room.

“There's one bed,” he states, staring at it in shock. He drops his bag on a chair near the door and takes in the rest of the room. The floral wallpaper that matches the floral bedspread. The velvet chair and stuffed dog sitting on it. The dark green shag rug and striped curtains, and the frozen Betty with tears in her eyes.

“I specifically said two beds. Two! What are two people supposed to do with one bed, Jug, I'm so sorry. I messed this all up and I'm sorry if the trip is going to be ruined-” she pauses to catch her breath, eyes wide and full of tears.

“Fuck, Betts,” Jughead mutters, hurrying over to pull her into his arms. He rubs her back as she catches her breath, soothing her until she's calm. “You take the one bed, alright? I'm used to sleeping in weird places, so I can take the floor or even the bathtub. No problems at all.”

“Jug, I can't ask you to do that,” Betty whispers, shaking her head.

“Well good thing you're not asking,” he smiles, letting her go. She sighs, but forces a small smile as she looks at him. “Get some rest, and then we can see about dinner. I'm gonna take some pictures around this place.”

“They serve dinner at six, so we have time,” Betty tells him, sitting down on the bed. Jughead nods and grabs his camera out of his bag. He turns back around to find Betty curled up on the bed, sitting on her phone. Nodding to himself, he walks out of the room and closes the door, leaning against it immediately. It was going to be a long weekend.

[alchemyphan-blog]

Don’t Look Through Me

word count: 8k 

style: au

desc: every time you look in a mirror, you see your soulmate for a moment instead of yourself. dan had spent his whole life waiting to meet his, and little did he know that phil had been begging to meet his as well. when dan decides he’s not just going to wait around for the universe to bring them together, a train he falls asleep on brings him somewhere he hadn’t planned on.

May 22, 7:42am

It was a Saturday in May, and Dan’s body was so adjusted to waking up before the sunrise every week of every month for school that he woke up at a respectable time. The window above his bed allowed light to bleed onto the brown walls and leave patches of brightness on the carpet.

Rolling over, he unplugged his phone from its charger, and in that small amount of time it happened, like it always does. That second before the phone screen lights up and you can see your own reflection. Of course, what you really see first is the person you’re supposed to be with. Dan never questioned this, as when he was a very young child, asking why there was a boy in the mirror who didn’t look like him at first, then slowly transitioned to his own familiar features. Light brown curls, matching dimples, big chocolate eyes. That was over a decade ago, the first time he noticed it wasn’t him in the mirror.

“Actually, when you look in the mirror or into a puddle or anything you can look into and see your reflection it’s a very special person called your soulmate,” Dan’s mother explained to him when he was six.

“But, why? How does that even work?” he questioned.

“We don’t really know, honey, but what we do know is that the world is a magical place full of magical things, where things will always end up the way they are supposed to.”

Those words followed behind him his whole life, words he always reminded himself of when he did poorly on a test, when his grandmother died, when he was bullied all through school.

He finally got out of bed half an hour later, picking out some clothes to put on after a shower. The steam fogging up the windows and the glass surrounding him were a nice escape for him in the morning, like he was finally alone. Whenever he was in the shower he thought about the person he saw in the mirror, maybe because as soon as he got out of the shower he knew his face would be staring back at him, as if this man was looking into his eyes at the same time. He remembers when he was a child the boy had bright orange hair, spotty freckles covering the top half of his body. Over time, though, the orange faded to brown, and in the last few years has turned to jet black.

“You look nice like that, it suits you well,” he said softly to the mirror, beads of condensation rolling down either side. He took off his towel and used it to wipe away the fog blurring the glass, but as soon as he put it back on his body, the boy was gone.

Letting out a quiet sigh, he resumed getting ready, brushing his teeth, drying his hair, putting on clothes. He finally wandered downstairs, smoke lightly billowing from the stovetop, the microwave beeping, the sound of coffee trickling into its pot. Dan’s father liked to think of himself as some chef extraordinaire, but his mother would say otherwise.

“Your aunt and uncle are coming over for breakfast, so your father decided to make everything in the house,” scoffed Dan’s mother.

“It’s nice to be a good host! Dan, you’re welcome to eat with us - pancakes are here, sausage is cooking, coffee’s on, cereal, anything you want.”

Before Dan could answer, there was a knock at the door. Without waiting, his mother’s sister and her husband of sixteen years entered the house, conversation growing loud over the bustle of the kitchen.

Dan decided he would join them. Lately, he’s been very interested in this whole soulmate thing. He would turn eighteen next month, and he wants, no, needs to know how this happens.

“Aunt Clara, how did you meet Denny?” Dan asks over breakfast. Dan’s parents look at each other with mutual confusion and excitement, as they realized that this was Dan’s way of saying he wanted to finally meet his soulmate.

“Well, I was in line at McDonald’s because I was on a roadtrip with a bunch of friends and it was three o'clock in the morning, we were all starving, and no other place was open. I was the last of my friends to order, and when I got to the counter, the man who I had seen everywhere was real and right in front of me ready to take my order,” his aunt replied.

“It was actually my first shift there, and two weeks later I had quit the job to go on a two month safari with your aunt.” Dan’s uncle stared into space blankly with a smile tugging at his lips, most likely reminiscing on such memory.

“Well, your mother’s is even more crazy than that, even though a safari is pretty crazy after you’ve only known the guy for two weeks,” Clara said, looking at her sister. Dan’s mother laughed, recapping the story they’d all heard many times about how she lost her shoe leaving a party and a psycho man had been going all over town trying to find whose shoe it was, eventually leading to her.

“Stupid fairy tales come to life,” Dan muttered a little too loud, which actually earned him a few laughs from the table.

Dan looked in every reflective surface he could find. Soon, he became addicted to this boy staring back at him. He began to really know him - seeing his outfit changes every few hours, his array of bright-patterned socks and pajama bottoms, his bedhead, the way he looks before he shaves. He wondered where this boy lived, if he had been living across the street or across the world from him, how they’d meet, the thoughts never stopped. This impending doom started to scare Dan, soon coming to the realization the universe knew something about the future that he didn’t. He wondered how it was possible that everyone’s soulmate had been calculated before their birth, as if someone pressed fast-forward on life itself. Sometimes he’d think far too long about it and scare himself for the entire day, so he decided it was best not to question these mystical forces that will one day bring Dan to his soulmate.

June 11, 8:18am

“Happy Birthday, Dan!” called familiar faces from every hallway he entered. It made him feel a little bit like a celebrity. His birthday and the last day of school (and his last day of high school). A smile had been plastered onto his face all day, even hearing his name on the announcements that afternoon as they announced cancellations for certain sports practices and reminders about club meetings.

“As today is your last day in this school, and soon you will go to your respective universities or what have you,” Dan’s favorite teacher, Mr. Johnson, started, “it’s time I give my yearly speech. Sometimes you’ll make great decisions, sometimes you won’t - and that’s okay. The world is a magical place full of magical things, where things will always end up the way they are supposed to.”

Dan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Sometimes he’d hear parts of his mother’s quote on billboards and in books, but never verbatim like this. At this exact moment, Mr. Johnson turned to Dan, winked, and looked away quickly. There’s no way that he could’ve known that, Dan thought. The wink was just a coincidence.  

He walked out of school that afternoon, turning his back to the parking lot to take one final glare at the school he’ll never have to enter again. Luckily Dan lived just down the street so he could conveniently walk to his house. As he passed the houses in his neighborhood leading up to his at the end of the road, he passed by the windows of his neighbors stopping to stare, not to intrude but to see his soulmate in the glass. As always, there he was, a huge smile on his face. He was wearing a graduation cap and gown. Did he just graduate too? Looking closer Dan could see a small logo on the tassels of his cap reading University of York. Before he could even react, the image was gone.

Dan ran into his house, threw his backpack onto the ground, raced up the stairs up to his room, and googled University of York. He saw today was their graduation ceremony. And that they were four hours away.

Well, it could be much worse, Dan thought. He could be fourteen hours away instead. He lives in this country.

Dan turns eighteen today, and his soulmate is four years older than him, and just graduated from the University of York. He started to wonder what his soulmate knew about him, if he even wanted to know him. There’s no way Dan was meant to be with someone horrible, or else they wouldn’t be meant for each other. He’d only ever thought about what he knew about his soulmate, and not what his soulmate thought of him.

June 11, 2:43pm

“Philip M. Lester,” announced the speaker, prompting Phil to walk across the stage. His nerves had short-circuited, leaving him to sweat while grabbing his diploma and apologizing to the woman whose hand he shook. Crossing to the stairs, he followed the stream of pupils getting their graduate photos taken. Bright beams of light contrasted with his forest green cap and gown, acting as a white LED background.

“Alright now, big smile!” said the cameraman. Before the flash went off, though, he noticed in the lens of the camera a small figure with a bright, beaming smile. It’s him, Phil thought. He’s watching me graduate.

When he was first born, Phil couldn’t see anyone but himself in the mirror. He’d always heard stories of his parents and brother seeing their true loves looking back at them. At first his parents were worried, thinking he wouldn’t have anyone when he got older. Phil’s father told his mother to wait, that maybe his soulmate was just younger, which ensued the deal that if by the time he was ten years old and still didn’t have a reflection, they would worry.

“You can’t just live without someone in this kind of world,” Phil’s mother would cry. “It just doesn’t happen here.”

Luckily one day when Phil was four and a half, him and his family were all watching television until the sun went down. While getting Phil’s brother ready for bed, Phil was left in the living room, looking out the window. That’s when it first happened - he saw a small infant swaddled in a white blanket wearing a blue cap. Phil screamed, thinking there was a baby outside their house. Phil’s father came into the living room, and Phil explained what happened, turning back to the window to show him what happened. His father quickly called for his wife, taking Phil to the nearest mirror to explain to him that this was the person he was supposed to spend his life with when grew up. It didn’t make much sense to Phil at the time, but when he got older he was so desperate to meet this boy that he used to pray to God every night, asking if the next day could be the day they could meet.

Now, eighteen years later, they still haven’t met. Sometimes, if it’s late and Phil is sad, he’ll pray like he used to as a child.

I can’t be expected to keep waiting like this, he’d plead. Please, make it happen soon. I haven’t even met him and I miss him like crazy.

This always left Phil thinking no one ever heard him, or that someone was just playing a cruel joke on him.

But now, Phil had graduated. He was 22. It was time he got a full-time job, got a more mature apartment, lived his life. He always felt stuck though, thinking he was putting himself further away from his love. He knew whatever money he was making from YouTube wouldn’t be enough to support an apartment, bills, groceries, and maybe one day his reflection.

That is, until one day, he was offered a deal for a year long contract with YouTube. This would pay for everything, allow him to do YouTube full-time, but he’d have to leave his family and move across the country to London.

Would this bring him away from his true love, who was all he ever thought about?

July 13, 9:09am

“I promise, everything will be fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll be home before you know it,” Dan coaxed his mother.

“I know you’ll be fine, but I’ll just miss you is all! You’re going all by yourself, it’s such a big city, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Everything will be okay. It’s not like I’m going to be alone all the time. I mean, I’m sharing a hotel with three other people, we’re spending the whole weekend together. Plus, we’ve been to London hundreds of times, you don’t need to worry,” Dan relayed. He kissed his mother on the forehead. “Love you.”

“Love you too, honey,” she said, clutching her husband by the waist. He waved to Dan, shutting the door behind him.

The truth is though, he wasn’t going to London to have a fun weekend with friends.

He wasn’t going to let another day go by without his soulmate. He was going to university the next fall, and he wasn’t about to start a whole new chapter of his life still wondering when he’d meet his one true love.

So, pretending to go to London, Dan was actually travelling all the way up to York, where his love must live somewhere near. He knew it was a big city, that he didn’t even know if he was there, but he couldn’t just sit back and wait for nature to take its course when Dan could make it happen himself. He put his headphones on, turned up his playlist, and walked the three blocks to the subway station. Having stayed up all night making the plans, he began to doze off on the ride, missing his stop to take him north, instead taking him east.

Looks like he’d have to go to London after all.

July 12, 10:17pm

“It’s a big switch, I know. But this is what I really want to do, and this is where I have to go to do. I can visit though, all the time,” Phil admitted to his parents. He had decided to take the job in London. YouTube was his passion, what he’s supposed to do, and he just hopes that his soulmate finds him there.

Always having lived no more than ten minutes from his parents house, he knew it’d be a big change to live on his own. His parents had called a car to help take all of his things, which had just pulled up.

“We know it’s late, but somehow it costs half as much to do so in the middle of the night,” explained Phil’s father, even though he knew how much of a nightowl his son was.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. I’ll call you the second I get there. I’ll miss you guys,” Phil said. He fought back the tiny urge to cry. His family was all he had growing up, and they were extremely close. The three of them embraced, his brother waiting to have his own hug with Phil. He wheeled his suitcases out the front door, waving goodbye before shutting the door behind him. He exhaled, looking up at the constellations he’d renamed as a child to keep him company on lonely nights.

In the early hours of the morning, nearly 3am, Phil’s driver kindly removed his bags from the trunk, helping him into the building and to the nearest elevator. Giving him a generous tip on top of the payments his parents made for the driver, they shook hands and Phil watched as he put the car into gear and drove away.

There was no one in the lobby, no one at the front desk, so he pressed the button up to his apartment. Walking down the corridor until getting to the door number he'd memorized beforehand, Phil noticed a bright purple key laying on the mat placed outside his door. They must really trust their tenants, he thought, noticing the obvious risk the landlord was putting himself at to leave a key to an empty apartment out in the open.

To his surprise after turning the lights on, the apartment had been furnished. Black leather sofas and matching chairs all surrounded a new flat screen TV, a bed frame and mattress awaiting bright blue and green sheets. Wandering through the house, he found a note on the bar in the kitchen.

Surprise! We didn’t actually go to a reunion, we came to London for the day! The landlord was nice enough to let us break in and furnish your apartment.

We hope you enjoy, and welcome home!

Mum and Dad

If he didn’t start to well up after leaving his parents, he surely did now. Looking around while wiping his tears, he stared out of the massive windows in the living room. It was all dark in London, most of the city lights even gone. That’s when he saw him again. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he’d been stressed over a computer screen, his hair a wavy mess. Before he could disappear, Phil pressed his fingers against the glass, only he knew he wasn’t actually touching him. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the glass as he felt his love slip away.

He left all the luggage in the living room, only taking his bedding with him and plugging his phone in and placing it on his new wicker nightstand. His head hit the pillow, and instantly he fell fast asleep, the last image in his brain the brown-haired boy with cute dimples.

July 13, 9:16am

Sunlight poured through the obnoxiously large windows in Phil’s new bedroom. He knew he had to get up quickly, as he had about thirteen suitcases and two moving boxes filled with things needing to be unpacked.

In his two decades of living in the comfort of his family dwelling and university, he never really had to worry about a constant supply of food at his disposal. This didn’t hit him until he wandered into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and realized he had no food. Although unpacking is important, it wasn’t quite as vital as eating, since he hadn’t in over half a day. The lining of his stomach began to twinge with hunger, so he grabbed his wallet, left his empty, yet somehow slightly messy apartment to buy enough groceries to last time until the following week.

As it was his first day in this new city, he swiftly became aware of the fact that he had not prepared. At all. No maps, no research, nothing. So when Phil stepped out of his apartment building, he didn’t know his right from his left, leaving him to follow the occasional road sign to signal him in the direction of the nearest grocery store. Since there was none in walking distance, he figured he’d have to ride the underground, and wrote a mental note to himself to get out and explore his new city.

Descending down the stairs, he came to the realization that oh shit, London is really busy. Clearly he had not done enough research, as he was corralled into the train doors, barely comprehending the situation. The tube was packed - literally, another human, no matter how small, could not fit on this train car. As it was rush hour on a work day, men and women in their suits were running through the train cars as if people were invisible, shoving them left and right to be the first one out. Phil had been among the victims, and was pushed so hard by an official looking man that he fell sideways, into a (luckily unoccupied) seat.

That’s when it happened.

July 13, 9:57am

Without moving, Dan opened his eyes and noticed he had really messed up. There were hundreds of people on the train, and not to mention the fact he had no idea where he was. He assumed he had landed himself in a busy city, as everyone was wearing their nicest work clothes and acting their very snobbiest. His neck began to ache from leaning his head sideways against the glass.

He removed his headphones, as his playlist had been duly disregarded due to his nap. His ears began to pop as he looked around, stretching his neck and legs out, and accidentally kicked the person next to him who had just been rudely pushed into the seat.

“Sorry,” he started before looking up.

It happened. It was happening right now.

“Oh my God,” the boy whispered.

He just couldn’t believe just how blue his eyes were.

“Mirrors don’t do you justice,” Dan finally said. The boy laughed.

“I can’t believe this is happening right now. Oh my god.”

Dan had noticed he was kind of freaking out, so he placed a hand on the boy’s knee to signal him to look up instead of around. “Dan- Dan is my name. Daniel Howell.”

Oh my God, Phil thought to himself constantly. He remarked the fact that he hadn’t really said anything. “My name is Phil,” he said. “Lester.”

“Phil,” Dan whispered to himself. “I’m Dan.”

“You already said that.”

“Oh, sorry. I just- wow.”

“Yeah, I know.”

It just felt too unreal to be true.

Eighteen years, Dan thought.

Twenty-two years, Phil thought.

“What are you even doing here?” Dan asked. “Didn’t you graduate from the University of York, like, yesterday?”

“How do you even know that?”

Dan’s cheeks flushed pink from embarrassment. “I, uh, your cap and gown yesterday, I saw it. And the fact that it said University of York on it.”

“I thought I saw you yesterday. I was taking a photo after I walked across the stage. You were in a camera lens. Of course you were upside down and distorted, but I still knew it was you. But anyway, I got offered a job here in London for the next year and-”

Dan stopped Phil. “Wait, I’m in London? Right now?”

“Um, yes? Aldgate station, we just left it,” Phil told him. “Why?”

Dan began to laugh, leaving Phil confused.

“I was on my way to see you, actually. In York. And I told my parents I was going to London so they wouldn’t worry.” Dan shook his head in disbelief, the rosy cheeks coupled now with a smile.

Phil just stared at him. All he could think was how marvelous his soulmate was. To think that this boy who had never met him before was about to travel however many hours just to find Phil, something he didn’t think anyone else ever would. “You would do that for me?”

“I know we hadn’t actually yet, but I kept saying to myself that I missed you, and I didn’t want to start this whole new chapter of my life without knowing who you really were. I was fed up with waiting, and I wanted to take matters into my own hands and find you myself, which now I realize I didn’t have to travel very far to find you.” Dan felt a little bashful admitting to Phil that he was coming to see him, hoping he didn’t find him to be stalkerish. “But, luckily I don’t have to travel all the way up to York.”

“So what are you going to do now?” Phil asked him, hoping he could offer his home to Dan, because he was not about to let him slip away after just meeting him.

“Well, there’s not much to do now, since I found what I was looking for. I guess I should just find somewhere to be for the weekend-” Dan thought aloud, but was quickly interrupted by Phil.

“-My house!” Phil exclaimed, then realized just how loud he’d said it. “You should stay with me.”

“You really think so?” Dan couldn’t fight off the butterflies intruding his nervous system.

“Of course. Firstly who wants to pay for a hotel in the middle of London, and it’s you, and now we’re together, and I want to spend every moment possible with you.” Phil’s eyes met Dan’s, and they appreciated the moment where they could stare at each other, knowing either one won’t slip away, leaving their own reflection searching for something more.

“Obviously I’d love to stay with you.”

Dan truly couldn't believe it was actually happening, and how smoothly things were going. It was as if they had known each other their whole lives, as if they'd spent hundreds of hours together.

Then again, they sort of have.

Dan accompanied Phil to the shop, assisting in what foods to buy and what apartment essentials he knew Phil didn’t have yet. It was very clear just how idiotic they looked carrying huge bags of food and batteries and extension cords onto a compressed train car.

They made their way up to Phil’s new apartment.

“I’ve never seen an apartment so high up,” Dan said, looking around at the minimalist furniture, the suitcases in the hall, the gargantuan windows.

“I know, I get a little bit scared if I think too hard about it. But I really need some color in here and whatnot,” Phil retaliated, orchestrating a new organizational system for his food, his back to Dan. Dan wandered around, looking into the empty bedroom, bathroom, the living room with two couches. A feeling of home washed over him, even with the white walls and cream-colored carpet and the windows overlooking an intimidating city he was unfamiliar with.

Phil watched as Dan aimlessly ambled his way through the living room, into the hallway he’d barely explored himself, watched him exhale deeply in the center of the apartment and let his shoulders sink. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he heard Dan whisper to himself excitedly.

Once Phil had finished stocking the fridge and cluttering the counter, he walked across to Dan, who was staring out at the morning commuters seen from the window.

“When I look out this window tonight, and when I go into the bathroom, I'm not gonna see anymore,” Dan said sadly.

Phil hesitantly put a hand to his back. “But it's okay, because the only reason we hadn't seen each other was because we hadn't met yet. Now you're real. Now it's all real. And I think that’s a lot better than only getting to see you in a mirror, never hearing your voice, being able to see you in person.”

Dan turned away from the glass, swinging his feet to reflect Phil’s. With a shaking hand, he slowly put it against waist. From the proximity he could hear Phil’s quiet sigh, see his eyes flutter closed for a moment.

“Dan…” Phil said softly. Before he could say anything, Phil had grabbed the back of his head, strands of hair swishing between his fingers. Dan isn’t one for suspense, so he leaned in close, touching his forehead to Phil’s and connecting their lips. Dan hadn’t really ever kissed anyone, he noticed in that moment, as he decided that being kissed in the playground when he was seven and then four years later didn’t quite count.

“Phil, I haven't...I mean, I’ve never…” Dan trailed slowly against Phil’s lips. He was barely eighteen, he embarrassingly enough has never even finished a glass of alcohol let alone been on any level of intimacy with another person.

“It’s okay,” Phil whispered, bringing his lips up to Dan’s forehead, then moving sideways into his hair, kissing down his jawline then circling back to Dan’s lips. “Do you want to, um, sit?” he asked, gesturing to the nearby couch, which Phil hadn’t even sat on himself yet. Dan nodded, as Phil walked him over and sat them both down in one fluid motion, their bodies keeping in contact the whole time.

Gently, Phil placed himself overtop Dan’s body, looking down at the boy beneath him. His brown locks were tactile. The plump lips, the little chip in his tooth, it was all tangible. Phil could hear Dan’s hard palpitating over the sound of his own. He knew that Dan was young, nervous, but he could see it in his eyes - that look of pure amazement.

“Are you okay? Do you want to keep going?” Phil breathed against Dan’s skin.

“Yes.”

“It’s alright if you aren’t ready. We just met and everything.”

Dan grabbed Phil by the collar of his shirt, bringing him in close. “I have known you my whole life, Phil Lester.”

To Phil, it almost looked as if there was a sparkle in Dan’s eye. Sitting him up, he removed Dan’s thin white shirt and gulped hard, looking at every bone and inch of skin on Dan’s chest. It was remarkably beautiful. He leaned down, kissing the center of his sternum. Phil removed his top as well now, starting a pile on the floor.

“You’re beautiful,” Phil said in Dan’s ear, his hands tracing over the protrusions of his bones, the soft skin on his stomach, his arms and his shoulders and everything there is to look at. Dan stretched a hand out, grabbing onto the side of Phil’s chest, pulling him in close. It was like a magnetic field had encased them in this position, electrons around them so powerful you could see sparks when Dan touched Phil’s skin.

Phil kissed Dan, a slow kiss, the kind you melt into, the kind that speeds up gradually and turns intense and makes the sun set and the stars fill the sky. Phil had removed Dan’s jeans after taking off his own, their limbs tangled half-on-half-off the two-seater sofa. Dan wrapped his arms tight around Phil’s waist as the gentle motion of their bodies back and forth turned acute and Dan could feel Phil’s hand dip beneath the band of his boxers, a loud gasp erupting after he grabbed him lightly.

“I’ve never...I don’t know...what to…” Dan found himself saying again.

Phil reached a finger up to Dan’s lips in shushing motion. “I know. Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got you.”

With these words Dan sank deep into the couch, to where he was practically laying down. Phil used his knees to prop himself up while straddling Dan, taking his hands up to sweep the hair out of Dan’s face and kiss him hard. Hearing him moan quietly, Phil wanted more from Dan. He knew he wanted everything in this moment. Dan looked up at him, nodding.

Bit by bit Dan’s underwear made its way to the pile, and they were both naked.

“I’ve never been naked in front of someone before,” Dan said softly to Phil.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you are extremely breathtaking. I’m so lucky to have you finally.”

Phil positioned Dan’s legs open slightly as he leaned back to align their bodies.

“Okay, are you ready?” Phil asked, a thumb stroking Dan’s thigh.

Dan, a tiny bead of sweat emerging from the side of his head, his face bright rose-colored, pupils dilated, nodded quickly. His head extended out beyond the couch as soon as Phil entered him, eyes rolling back, a moan louder this time protruding from his lips, along with the first letters of Phil’s name.

“It’s okay? You’re okay?” Phil asked immediately.

Dan grabbed him by the shoulder, bringing their bodies flush together. “I’m great, Phil. I have never been as okay as I am right now.”

“I think I love you already,” Phil said hushed, thrusting cautiously slow in and out of Dan, careful not to hurt him.

“I know I love you, too,” Dan half said, half moaned against the skin of Phil’s neck.

“I, Phil, I’m-” he started. Phil took the hint, leaning down to kiss his member before wrapping a hand around, causing Dan’s breath to hitch and his moans to occur closer together before he finished over the sound of him saying Phil’s name once more in synchrony with Phil, as if they were in a movie.

Phil pulled out, grabbing a towel and the blanket from his bedroom. Cleaning them both, he wrapped himself in the duvet and climbed on top of Dan once more, engulfing him in the warmth with both arms bringing him close to Phil’s body.

“Thank you,” Dan whispered against the skin of Phil’s chest, Phil’s fingers intertwining in his curly brown hair.

“No, thank you. For coming to find me,” he said.

“If this is what I waited eighteen years for, it was so worth it.”

July 13, 7:14pm

“What do you want for dinner?” Phil called from the kitchen. Dan had just gotten out of the shower, washing off the train and restless night and sex from his body.

“I dunno, wanna order something?” he said halfheartedly. He was more interested in the mirror, more importantly the fact that it was just him. Phil was gone. For the most part, he was thrilled. He’d never lived a life where he was the only thing he saw in a mirror, he’d begged for the day that he finally got to say he only saw himself. A small part of him missed it though - the anticipation, the beckoning late at night, wondering why he was tormented like this. It was nice to see him whenever he pleased in real time, though he knew that it meant he had never seen him in real life. This is much better, he finally decided. After all, he was looking in Phil’s mirror.

He finally left the bathroom, sporting a pair of his cartoon pajama pants and a hoodie that belonged to Phil.

As he watched Phil order takeout from his phone, he couldn’t help but notice just how nice he looked without a shirt on. He only had on a pair of sweatpants, one hand in his messy hair, the other confirming their food order.  Dan sat down at a barstool across from Phil, who was finally setting his phone down, a playlist of familiar songs softly sounding from his speaker.

“You weren’t in the mirror,” Dan said, smiling.

“You aren’t in my mirror either, you’re right here,” Phil said as he cupped Dan’s face in his hand, placing a light kiss to his lips before walking over to the TV asking Dan what he’d like to watch.

The teapot Phil put on the stove started to whistle, and Dan poured their tea into two plastic cups, since Phil still hadn’t bought mugs or plates or anything useful. He joined Phil on the couch as he channel surfed, stopped when Dan jumped at seeing the Great British Bake Off come up.  

Twenty-five minutes later, the time passed by covering one another in the large green and blue duvet and harshly judging the contestants, there was a knock at the door and a man in a red hat holding a large paper bag expecting money. Thankfully enough they wisely ordered chinese food so they wouldn’t need to use their own utensils, which they seemed to have very few of.

And all night, they spent it watching reruns of baking shows, picking at their dinners, opening each other’s fortune cookies, kissing, admiring the view from so high up where no one could find them.

July 15, 10:39

Phil sighed loudly. They’d already made breakfast, brushed their teeth, but decided to get back into bed. He was holding Dan close, sitting up and spooning him from behind.

“You have to leave today, don’t you,” he said sadly.

“...Yeah.”

Dan turned around, looking up at Phil, a hand reaching up to hold and shoulder and kissing him. “I won’t be gone for long. Promise.”

And in that moment, Dan got a great idea.

“Come with me.”

“What?” Phil asked.

“Seriously, my parents think you’re actually really cute. You can meet my family. I haven’t committed to any university yet, they know how much I wanted to meet you and whatnot, you can come home with me for a few days…” Dan rambled.

And, in that moment, Phil was the one with the great idea.

“Dan. Live with me. Go home, pack all your things, and live here with me. Go to university here. Make videos with me. Hell, start your own channel. We can make this work.”

“Phil, are you serious?”

“I am. I’m not letting another week slip by where I’m without you. I’ll come home with you, I’ll meet your family.” Dan turned bright pink again, this time with excitement. He jumped up, bouncing on the bed. “Yes!” He reached down, grabbing Phil by the hands and forcing him up too. Phil scooped him up when he was mid-jump, holding him in the bridal position before kissing him hard and falling back onto the bed with him.

“More, once more before we go home,” Dan pleaded quietly, followed quickly by Phil ripping off his and Dan’s shirts and slipping his tongue into Dan’s mouth.

They wasted no time fully undressing, but this time Phil ran out of the room and rummaged through his bags to find a small bottle of cherry lube.

“Phil, what is that?” Dan asked, looking puzzled at the small red container.

“If you thought last time was good, just wait,” Phil growled against the skin of Dan’s neck, his head bobbing down and kissing every inch of his cinnamon-colored skin until reaching his waist. Rocking back onto his knees, Dan watched in the broad daylight as Phil coated himself with the scented lube and fell back onto his thighs, head at the center of Dan’s rib cage and eyes looking down to center his aim.

He looked back up at Dan, placing a kiss on his collarbone before locking eyes with him.

“It’ll be different this time, just so you know. Ready?”

Dan nodded passionately in time with Phil thrusting in roughly once, the sensation causing Dan to claw at Phil’s back and his voice to go up two octaves.

“Oh my God, Phil- I ca-Phil,” he managed to stutter through a string of moans, his head tapping the headboard every second.

“Dan,” Phil whispered in a hungry tone.

The sound of Dan’s moans was enough to send Phil over the edge quicker than normal, pulling out and taking a hand to Dan and pumping him in a fluid motion until giving out, breaths uneven and chest heaving.

Before rightfully collapsing back onto the bed, Phil took the initiative to clean Dan up with a washcloth, miraculously not getting anything on the bed.

After climbing back into their embrace, Phil swept the hair out from behind Dan’s ear and kissed him gingerly.

“Phil, did that last like literally ten minutes?” Dan asked a few moments later.

“Yeah, it really did,” he answered, sending them both into a fit of laughter.

Eventually, though, Dan packed up some of his things and made his way to the underground with Phil to catch a ride back to Berkshire. On the hour long ride, Phil explained his career to Dan, who was impressed, to say the least, and Dan went into depth about his family tree.

As the intercom buzzed on, the man stated inaudibly that they had reached their destination. Phil grabbed Dan’s duffel bag and carried it all the way back to Dan’s house, an easy ten minute walk back to his house.

As they approached his front steps, Dan’s hand shook as he reached for the doorknob.

“You okay?” Phil asked him in an effort to calm him.

“Yeah, yeah, just a little nervous. They’re gonna be pretty shocked, you know?”

He placed a hand on Dan’s arm. “It’ll be okay, trust me.”

Dan took a sharp breath in before turning the knob slowly. No one was by the door, but he heard his mother call “Dan?” from the kitchen.

“Mum, I’ve got something to tell you,” he said nervously.

“What is it?” she asked, walking out into the living room, still sporting a pair of oven mitts. Upon seeing Phil’s face, she stopped dead in her tracks. “Well, hi there.”

She walked closer, taking off the mitts and extending a hand to Phil. “It’s very nice to finally meet you.”

Phil’s cheeks turned a light tint of red as he shook Dan’s mother’s hand, saying, “It is very nice to meet you too.”

She invited them to sit, as she was just finishing making dinner for later that evening.

“You’ll stay, won’t you?” she asked. Dan looked at Phil questionably, grabbing his hand and replying with a yes from both of them. They decided that over dinner they would confess their future plans.

“Oh, by the way,” she called, “you got some letters from the unis here on the table if you want to open them.”

Dan hadn’t planned on telling Phil all the places he applied to, as he hadn’t committed anywhere yet. However, though, he did happen to be expecting a letter from the University of East London, a short ride on the tube from their new apartment. He applied to several others around the country, including one in America, but now he knew where he was destined to go after having a terrible time deciding where to go. Of course, all the places he’d applied to were equally great - sufficient programs, nice cities, lots to offer, but with them all offering the same accommodations it made it very hard for Dan to decide.

They joined Dan’s mother in the kitchen, filing through the mail on the table to find several letters from nearby universities. He tossed aside the ones from Manchester, Plymouth, Newcastle, until he got to the final one - the one he’d hoped was there. He didn’t show Phil that he’d gotten one for London as not to get his hopes up, but after seeing the big block letters and the exclamation points he couldn’t hide the giddy feeling and started jumping up and down in place.

“London! I got into East London!” he exclaimed.

His mother and Phil joined him in his cheers, receiving hugs from both.

July 15, 6:41pm

“So, we kind of have something to tell you guys,” Dan started.

Phil grabbed his hand underneath the dinner table.

“Well, you see, when I was going to London, before I even got there, this guy got pushed into the seat next to me, and well, I think you can guess who it was. We’ve spent all this time together, actually, at his flat in London. He just moved there. So, what we decided is that instead of paying for room and board at university, I’m going to move in with Phil and commute. There’s a train station five minutes from the apartment and it’s a short ride to East London. We know it’s short notice, but I guess I didn’t really realize just how magical it really is, like how you always said.”

Phil stepped in.

“I know you really don’t know me, I mean besides seeing me for eighteen years and whatnot, but we talked about it a lot, and we really believe this is the wisest decision, as now that I finally found him I don’t want to spend a day without him. I’m sure you know what it’s like, after hearing a story like yours.”

Dan’s parents sat back, taking it all in, eyes wide.

“So you’re sure, 100%? Because if this is what you two really want, we understand,” Dan’s mother said after a moment.

Dan turned to his mother, his eyes gleaming with certainty. “We’re sure. Promise.”

“Well, what do you think?” his mother said to his father.

“I think…” he began.

“I think it’s wonderful. I’m just so glad you found each other.”

Dan was ecstatic. The smile tugging at either side of his face was pulled so tight his teeth were showing. He turned to Phil, intoxicating him with his smile.

That night, Phil helped Dan pack his things up into bags while his parents went out to buy moving boxes and call the same car service Phil had used just days ago.

“I can’t believe this is happening. It’s all happening, Dan!” Phil shouted, scooping Dan from under his arms.

“I know, Phil. I know.”

In some other universe, things may not be as perfect as here. But in this one, you fall in love with your soulmate before you even meet them. You are destined to find this person and spend every moment brightening each other’s lives. Others may not understand how this works, and Dan himself may not understand how it works, and Phil may never be able to wrap his head around how lucky he is. Luckily though, in this universe, the world is a magical place full of magical things, where things will always end up the way they are supposed to.

September 8, 7:05am

Today is Dan’s first day at the University of East London.

“You look cute,” Phil said, adjusting Dan’s collar and straightening out the straps on his backpack.

“You’d say that anyway,” Dan joked.

“Thank you for an amazing summer. I hope you have a great day,” Phil said.

Phil watched as Dan skipped up to him, kissed him on the cheek and then on the lips, told him he loved him, then closed the door behind him.

He exhaled happily.

“I love you, too, Dan.”

[longlistshort]

Young Guv- Every Flower I See

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (3/5-3/8/20)-

Thursday

The Paranoyds are playing at the free premiere of the skateboarding/surfing/roadtrip film This Way- A Western Film at 2027 E. 7th Street

Patrick Jagoda, Professor of English and Cinema & Media Studies at the University of Chicago, and Weston Game Lab director Ashlyn Sparrow will discuss a series of the lab’s innovative digital and analog game projects- including games with implications for learning and social justice at Hammer Museum

Black Violin, led by classically trained string players Wil B. (viola) and Kev Marcus (violin), blend classical music with hip hop and will be performing at the Theatre at Ace Hotel

MOCA Senior Curator Bennett Simpson is leading a walkthrough of Seven Stations: Selections from MOCA’s Collection at the Grand Avenue location

The Sea and Cake are playing at Zebulon with L.A. Takedown

The Aero Theatre is showing Ingmar Bergman’s Persona

Friday

No Win are playing at Gold Diggers with On Drugs and Criminal Hygiene

Smokescreens, Venetian Blinds, Massage, and Dummy are playing at Permanent Records Roadhouse

First Fridays is back at the Natural History Museum with performances by Wajatta (featuring Reggie Watts and John Tejada), French Vanilla, and Café Molly; DJ Novena Carmel is joined by Guest DJ Josh Peace in the DJ Lounge; as well as a discussion on the Future of Medicine, and more.

Residency in Inglewood is having an Open House Party with a project by Devon Tsuno in the main gallery and work from Texas Isaiah, Devin Reynolds, Bradley Ward and Yasmine Diaz in the annex, as well as a burger pop up, a DJ, and more

Healing Gems are playing a free rush hour concert (4-6pm) at Union Station

Seratones are performing at the Bootleg Theater with Pet Dress opening

Gold Cage, No Swoon, LMI and Nico Turner are playing at The Smell

Saturday

Artist T. Kim-Trang Tran will be discussing her exhibition at LAMAG

Shannon Lay is opening for Jonathan Wilson at The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (he is also playing Friday with Valley Queen opening)

As part of the Egyptian Theatre’s programming for Noir City: Hollywood – The 22nd Annual Los Angeles Festival of Film Noir, they are showing a triple feature tonight of M (1931), M (1951), and El Vampiro Negro

Thundercat is performing at The Wiltern

Gus Seyffert & Friends are performing at the Bootleg Theater

Boan and Dancing Tongues are opening for Bambara at The Echo

Sunday

The LA Marathon is taking place and the route runs from downtown to Santa Monica, adjust your travel plans accordingly or cheer the runners on

The Annual Festival of the Kite is happening in Redondo Beach

The Aero Theatre is having a free screening of Yung Chang’s documentary This Is Not A Movie about British journalist Robert Fisk’s dangerous career covering conflicts around the world over several decades. A discussion with the director will follow.

Young Guv is playing at Zebulon with Spiritual Cramp

Palehound is playing with Adult Mom after teaching a free workshop on writing a pop song at Junior High

[arcisfoodblog]

The next stop on our road trip was a super relaxing 3 days on Salt Spring Island!

The glum and rainy Tofino weather had seemingly spread over the whole of Vancouver Island. Only 180 kilometers / 110 miles in, on the north side of the island near Nanaimo, it finally started clearing up a bit. In the absence of cellphone reception in the interior part of Vancouver Island, Chantal chose Gabriel’s Cafe (39A Commercial St) in Nanaimo for lunch at the last-minute.

Gabriel’s Cafe works according to their “farm to fork” principle by sourcing their ingredients directly from local, small-scale family farms to be able to serve fresh, seasonal veggies, free-range eggs and pasture-fed, ethically-raised meats. They had excellent reviews on Tripadvisor, and Chantal said they had burgers, so we were definitely okay with the choice. On arrival at the restaurant, the window logo gave it away: those burgers turned out to be made from beans, rice, and corn… Consequently, as Chantal opted for the yummy wholewheat wrap filled with quinoa & chickpea fritters and topped with hummus, chutney & cucumber, the rest had Pulled pork (with North Carolina style tangy apple cider BBQ sauce) and Lemongrass braised beef sandwiches (with sriracha BBQ sauce and pickled vegetables) – which were excellent – and we enjoyed some good beers from Vancouver’s Steamworks Brewing and Victoria’s Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.

We tried to catch the ferry from Crofton to Vesuvius on Salt Spring Island of 3.35 pm and were there around 2.40 pm, but had to queue several hundred meters on the downhill road to the docks. Very annoying that no bookings were possible for this short crossing; it is operated on a first-come, first-serve basis. The person in front of us had inquired with a traffic controller who said that given the length of the queue we would probably only be able to board the ferry at 6.05 pm – so 2 ferries later.  He turned around and so we moved up again … The ferry of 3.35 pm came and left, but to our delight, more cars came off than we expected, so it was our turn immediately to line up for the next ferry, at 4.50 pm. Fortunately,  there was still some distraction while waiting with the marina on one side and the paper(pulp) factory of Catalyst on the other side, where ships were loaded with logs and small tugboats herded the logs towards the cranes.

After 8 hours in the car, and 24℃ / 75℉ by then, we were so happy that we arrived at our holiday home at The Cottages On Salt Spring Island (315 Robinson Rd), a couple of kilometers north of Ganges. It is a small park with about 40 separate multi-floor cottages/houses located on the bank of a small lake, equipped with a couple of jetties, and canoes, paddleboards, and rental bikes for the guests to use.

The kids were feeling so cramped from the long drive that they immediately wanted to go swimming (or at least avoid having to unload the car…) They soon realized that the lake was still pretty chilly 🙂

Besides 2 BBQs, there were no other culinary facilities, so you have to drive down to Ganges for groceries and restaurants. The first restaurant at the marina we tried (Moby’s Pub) was not a success because, after 7pm, no minors were allowed to be in the building. The second restaurant we tried, The Tree House Cafe, was far too busy also due to the live band on their patio, so so that we finally end up at next door’s burger bar, Burger Bar 537 (106 Purvis Ln). This time Chantal was convinced going there by the presence of burgers on the menu (the vegetarian Beyond Meat burger that is). The kids had the Classic Cheese Burger (Cheddar cheese, crispy lettuce, tomato & red onion) with extra thick-cut Bacon for, $17.50. I chose the Hangover Burger (Sunnyside up egg, bacon, and cheddar, crispy lettuce, tomato, and red onion; $21). The burgers were reasonably pricy, but very tasty, as were the onion rings that we subbed for the regular fries. In anticipation of the visit of the brewery the next day, we washed them down with the delicious IPAs of Salt Spring Island Ales.

After a good night’s sleep, we had early lunch at El Loco Taco (106 Lower Ganges Road), which is located in a cool former gas station/repair shop converted into a Mexican restaurant. There are indoor and outdoor seats for the take-out counter, but you also have a separate patio with service. It seems to be a popular place to grab some food before heading to the docks to catch one of the ferries back to Vancouver Island, as it went from super crowded to almost empty in just 15 minutes.

The food was delicious and the service, albeit a bit unorganized due to last-minute replacements for staff not showing up, but super friendly. We had some Chips and Salsa to figure out what to have. Chantal went for the Tofu Tacos with Cheese and Guacamole. Chicken quesadillas were chosen by the kids, and I opted for the Jalapeno Poppers and Chicken Taquitos. As the temperature was already quite high and the salsas fiery, we had some Tiger Shark APAs from Phillips Brewing Company in Victoria, BC to quench the heat.

In combination with the beautiful weather, we got a real “holiday feeling” from Salt Spring Island. It is small (only 27x14km / 17×9 miles, and only 10,000 inhabitants), laid back as well as back to basics (no traffic lights, one big supermarket, 2 gas stations, 4 ports and hardly any cell phone reception on the entire island), so you can take in the beautiful bucolic pastures, back roads, as well as the peaks up to 700 meters. Yet it was not particularly touristy, even in summer. Chantal had a theory that islanders already have some special pride, sense of self-sufficiency, and urge to prove themselves. As a consequence, there is relatively more craft and artisanal activity than on the mainland. I think that is correct for Salt Spring Island because you can see artisans and roadside stands almost everywhere. In addition to the standard abundant range of fruit, vegetables, and eggs, we have also seen figs, pesto, coffee beans, pork sausages and chops (in freezers) and horse manure (for the garden we hope) on offer.

That afternoon we visited Salt Spring Island Cheese (285 Reynolds Rd) for excellent ice cream, and incredibly tasty goat’s cheeses, Salt Spring Island Ales (270 Furness Rd) – the Heather Ale is stellar! – and Salt Spring Vineyards & Tasting Room (151 Lee Rd), after which we tested these local products, relaxing on our balcony. The good life!

The Salt Spring Saturday Market was held around Ganges’ Centennial Park and draws enormous crowds, even from Vancouver Island as a day trip! With almost 150 stalls, the offering was indeed very extensive: lots of snacking, stunning produce, and stalls with jewelry, clothing, handicrafts, and vegan products as well as a lot of CBD products. We were there around noon to have breakfast “on the go”, and it was quite busy.

The striking live musical accompaniment was a xylophone octet, but we suspected that the free-spirited dancers in the audience already had ingested some hemp products. There was also – a little further from the main route – the “artsy” corner with, among other things, stalls with stuff against menstrual pains and postcards with “Happy 1st Period” and one with Happy Vagina Products: bags, and purses with expected embroidery and stitching. No pictures, please!

Our hiking intentions on the east side of Salt Spring Island, in Ruckle Provincial Park (Beaver Point Rd), were nipped in the bud because the most beautiful part of the trail towards the cape with the lighthouse, turned out to be a “quarantine area”. The alternative route back over a campsite was not particularly appealing, so we went double-backed through the forest.

According to various sites, another recommendation was Mount Maxwell, a 600-meter high mountain, with impressive views of Salt Spring Island, Vancouver Island, and others of the Southern Gulf Islands. Several online reviews indicated that the road to the top was difficult to pass. That was undoubtedly true, so I was quite happy that in Vancouver, we had opted for our Yukon (a high-clearance 4WD) instead of the minivan because the holes in the road were so deep that ordinary cars could not go up up Mt Maxwell Rd without damage. They were able to stop halfway through and walk the last 2 kilometers, while SUVs, pick-ups, and Subarus (all standard 4x4s) made it to the top without too much of a hassle. Admittedly, with shaken kidneys (a video of it would have a high Cloverfield content), but the views were well worth it!

At the end of the afternoon, we bought another fancy soft-serve ice cream at Spring Island Soft Serve, one of the regular stands at the Ganges Marina. The mini Airstream trailer is super sleek, but I suspect it gets scorching in such a little metal egg in the full sun.

They only offer vegan soft serves made of oat milk or coconut milk (we weren’t able to really taste the difference to regular dairy soft serves!) available in cones or a Sundae cup. They have vanilla, chocolate, and – as we have already seen in Tofino – a swirl of both as the base and many tempting toppings. I had the Black Forest Cake Sundae: A swirl topped with intense Amarena Cherries, Black Cherry Syrup, and Chocolate Cookie Crumbles. Chantal went for the weekly featured Sundae, “Don’t Tell Mama”, a truly amazing one with Tumeric and Lime Elixer from Moonshine Mama’s, Calamansi Citrus, Ginger, and Oat Cookie Crumble.

Around the World – British Columbia Roadtrip (2019) – Salt Spring Island The next stop on our road trip was a super relaxing 3 days on Salt Spring Island!

[blissfulwanderer-blog]

When you’re alone you often find a way to wander of to far away destinations where you can lose yourself in every beautiful moment. °

That is what I endured on my day trip to Lichtenstein and Austria. ° Yes, a day trip! From Holland to Lichtenstein ( 8 hour bus ride) and from Lichtenstein to Austria ( an extra 2 and a half hours). ° I departed on a Friday evening from Utrecht, The Netherlands on a tour bus, heading to Vaduz Lichtenstein (the 6th smallest country in the world). We arrived early the Saturday morning where I get to experience the quiet small town and all it has to offer for a few hours. Never have I ever felt so calm and relaxed, strolling down its small streets. Just admiring the small buildings and the snowy Alps rising above them. ° After spending about 3 hours in Vaduz, (what felt like 5 minutes) we made our way to Innsbruck, Austria. Taking me literally in to the heart of the Alps (where I saw snow for the very first time). Well, the roadtrip took me there. Was kinda disappointed when there was no snow in Innsbruck self. But with the Alps surrounding this beautiful, small city still made it worth every moment. There I got to spent 10 hours walking through Innsbruck’s 6 world famous Christmas markets. Where it was all about Glühwein and Christmas ornaments and gifts. Don’t forget all the cheerful lights and Christmas trees. ° After a wonderful 10 hours we started our way bach home again late Saturday night. Arriving back home ons Sunday afternoon. ° It was the longest road trip I’ve been on in my life so far, and to be quite honest it was rather unpleasant. But for the chance I got to see a glimpse of the Austrian Alps and one of its beautiful small cities, and of course Lichtenstein made every uncomfortable moment worth it! ° Being surrounded by all that beauty in one day, made me realize how beautiful and gifted our lives are. It made me realize that there are so many of us, (and yes myself included) that walks trough life, eyes closed just wishing the day over so we could go to bed and sleep away all our sorrows. ° That day I took the chance to just look up and feel the cold winter air brush against my cheeks and blow trough my hair. Seeing the beautiful landscapes as we drove trough the Alps. The mountains covered with a snow blanket. And sun glimmering on the frost. ° It made me want to press pause on life so I could just stay in this valley of peacefulness and beauty. ° That is the way life should be, peaceful and beautiful.Take everything in, don’t miss a thing! ° For everything is temporary. °

Stay blissful 🌷

[wku]

Welcome to Today@WKU, the daily newsletter from WKU Public Affairs, for October 13, 2017.

WKU News

View from the Hill – Cabonis excited about first WKU Homecoming: The campus of WKU is taking on a very “Oz” like quality this week with the homecoming theme “There’s No Place Like Home.” Amy Bingham explains how the theme surfaced 16 years after it was originally planned in this View from the Hill.

‘There’s No Place Like Home’: WKU celebrating Homecoming 2017: With a parade, reunions, pep rallies, award presentations, hall of fame inductions, a football game and more, WKU alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends will find There’s No Place Like Home during Homecoming 2017. More: List of Homecoming queen candidates; Homecoming parade traffic advisory; WKU Transit changes for parade;  Gameday information: 2017 gameday guide; Homecoming tailgating map; Homecoming parking/traffic information; parking/traffic information for WKU Housing students; parking/traffic information for WKU faculty/staff

Photo gallery: The Homecoming Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally, presented by Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky and the WKU Alumni Association and sponsored by Jennings Perry Schmitt Financial Group, was held Thursday at 6.4.3 Sports Bar in downtown Bowling Green. (WKU photos by Clinton Lewis) (For more photos from Homecoming activities, check out WKU social media and watch for the next installment of WKU Week in Photos)

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Homecoming festivities kicked off Thursday with the Chili and Cheese Luncheon and Pep Rally.

Robert Reich to visit WKU Oct. 18: Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor for President Bill Clinton and economic adviser to President Barack Obama, will participate in an informal Question & Answer session with students at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 18) in Guillaume Auditorium in Grise Hall on WKU’s main campus. The session precedes Reich’s 7:30 p.m. lecture in Van Meter Hall. Reich’s visit is sponsored by the WKU Cultural Enhancement Series.

WKU Admissions hosting events for prospective students & their families: WKU is taking its DiscoverWKU events across the United States this fall. Coming up: Hopkinsville, Oct. 17; Atlanta, Oct. 19; Indianapolis, Oct. 19; Somerset, Oct. 26; Nashville, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. Register online at http://www.wku.edu/discoverwku/

WKU Public Radio Weekday Newscast Schedule: Tune into WKU Public Radio for national and international news from NPR, and local newscasts every half hour during Morning Edition (4-9 a.m. Central), and All Things Considered (3-6 p.m. Central), as well as local news features and interviews produced by the WKU news staff. WKU’s Public Radio can be heard on WKYU-FM (88.9) in Bowling Green/Glasgow; WDCL-FM (89.7) in Somerset/Campbellsville; WKPB-FM (88.9) in Henderson/Owensboro; WKUE-FM (90.9) in Elizabethtown/Bardstown; and online at http://www.wkyufm.org/

Follow WKU News: Subscribe to our daily email newsletter; follow WKU News on Twitter @wkunews or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WKUNews.

WKU Sports

 Football: WKU vs. UAB on Saturday: WKU has found tougher-than-expected sledding through its first five games of the season, but on homecoming this Saturday in Houchens-Smith Stadium, head coach Mike Sanford and the Hilltoppers will look to put on a show. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Gameday information: 2017 gameday guide; Homecoming tailgating map; Homecoming parking/traffic information; parking/traffic information for WKU Housing students; parking/traffic information for WKU faculty/staff

Volleyball: Lady Toppers Headed Out For UAB, FIU Weekend Roadtrip: Breaking up a pair of four-match homestands, WKU Volleyball (19-2) is headed out for a long weekend of travel with stops at UAB and FIU on the docket. The Lady Toppers will look to continue building on their Conference USA-record 30-straight wins over league opponents first tonight at 7 CT tilt in Birmingham, Ala. Weekend play will conclude Sunday at noon CT in Miami, Fla.

Soccer: WKU Welcomes Florida Atlantic, FIU in Home Weekend Battles: WKU is set to host a pair of weekend matches at the WKU Soccer Complex, beginning with a tilt against Florida Atlantic at 6 this evening before a matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m. against FIU.

More: For updates on WKU Athletics, follow @WKUSports on Twitter or WKU Athletics on Facebook.

WKU in the News

WKU Homecoming kicks off with annual Chili & Cheese Luncheon: Every year, the Chili & Cheese Luncheon kicks off Homecoming festivities at WKU.

Hilltoppers hope to strike homecoming gold vs. Charlotte on Saturday: For the second straight week WKU gets to play a homecoming game against a winless team. But this go-round toe meets leather inside Houchens-Smith Stadium where the Hilltoppers have been a dominant force – both inside and outside of Conference USA competition.

Hilltopper Hysteria Taking Place Tonight: The WKU men’s and women’s basketball teams will showcase their skills in front of their fans at 7 tonight as Hilltopper Hysteria takes place.

More: Check out WKU in the News page.

WKU Alumni

Fall 2017 WKU Spirit magazine: Check out the online edition of the Fall 2017 WKU Spirit magazine.

Upcoming WKU Alumni events: For a listing of events, visit the Alumni website and click on the Events Calendar. Or contact the WKU Alumni Association at 888-958-2586. For a list of Alumni news, visit the Alumni News page. More: WKU SpiritFunder

WKU to celebrate Homecoming 2017 Oct. 11-15: With a parade, reunions, pep rallies, award presentations, hall of fame inductions, a football game and more, WKU alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends will find There’s No Place Like Home during Homecoming 2017. More: The Hall of Distinguished Alumni Luncheon and Induction ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Oct. 13; Homecoming parade traffic advisory; WKU Transit changes for parade

Topper Travelers Program 2018: The WKU Alumni Association is planning a Baltic Cruise across Northern Europe June 21-July 2, 2018. The 10-night cruise across the Baltic Sea aboard Marina will begin in Copenhagen, Denmark, with stops in Berlin, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; and Stockholm, Sweden. For information, visit alumni.wku.edu/baltic2018 or contact the Alumni Association at 800-842-9023 or alumnievents@wku.edu.

More: Visit the WKU Alumni website.

What’s Happening At-WKU

Ongoing/continuing events

Exhibits at Kentucky Museum: Instruments of American Excellence; A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green (through June 30); Backward & Forward: 20th Century Quilts (through Oct. 14); Kentucky in the Great War (through Dec. 8); New Kentuckians (through Feb. 2); plus other gallery and on-campus exhibits. (Museum hours/visitor information) Contact Kentucky Museum, (270) 745-2592.

Exhibits at Downing Museum: The Story of Joe Downing: Select Works From the Collection; Print Mafia XX: Twenty Year Retrospective (through Oct. 21); Art of the Macabre (through Oct 31). Downing Museum, 4801 Morgantown Road. Contact Jack LeSieur, (270) 842-7415.

International Year of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Various events and locations during 2017-18 academic year. Contact International Programs, (270) 745-5334.

Arts at WKU 2017-2018. Various events and locations. Contact Potter College of Arts & Letters, (270) 745-2344.

Homecoming 2017: There’s No Place Like Home. Various events and locations. Oct. 11-15. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

Friday, Oct. 13

9 a.m.: Special Needs Summit. Knicely Conference Center. Contact Shannon Sales, (270) 745-2419.

11 a.m.: Hall of Distinguished Alumni Luncheon and Induction Ceremony. Sloan Convention Center, 1021 Wilkinson Trace. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

4 p.m.: Children’s Theatre Series: The Yellow Boat. Gordon Wilson Hall Lab Theatre. Admission is $5. Contact Theatre & Dance, (270) 745-5845.

4:30 p.m.: An Evening at the WKU Farm, WKU Agriculture Homecoming Celebration. WKU Farm, 4660 Nashville Road. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Agriculture, (270) 745-3151.

5 p.m.: Bowling Green Gallery Hop. Kentucky Museum. Contact Kentucky Museum, (270) 745-2592.

5 p.m.: Homecoming Parade. From WKU campus to Circus Square Park, downtown Bowling Green. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

5 p.m.: Homecoming Concert in the Park, featuring Jordan English. Circus Square Park, downtown Bowling Green. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

6 p.m.: WKU Soccer vs. Florida Atlantic. WKU Soccer Complex. Contact Athletics Communications, (270) 745-4298.

6:30 p.m.: Big Red’s Roar. Circus Square Park, downtown Bowling Green. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

7 p.m.: WKU Basketball Hilltopper Hysteria. Diddle Arena. Contact Tyler Basler, (270) 745-6048.

7:30 p.m.: Student Recital: Ryan Jones, piano. Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center Recital Hall. Contact Music, (270) 745-3751.

Saturday, Oct. 14

Homecoming Day. Various events and locations. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

8 a.m.: WKU Football Tailgating Opens. Various locations on 2017 Tailgating and Parking map. Contact Campus and Community Events, (270) 745-2497.

10:30 a.m.: Alumni W-Club Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Homecoming Brunch. Diddle Arena. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Paul Just, (270) 792-4247.

11 a.m.: Festival of Friends Homecoming Tailgate. Various locations. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-4395.

11 a.m.: WKU vs. Charlotte Homecoming Tailgate and Celebrate, presented by US Bank. WKU South Lawn. Contact Alumni, (270) 745-2586.

11:30 a.m.: Southern Kentucky Team Penning. L.D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center. Contact Ag Expo Center, (270) 745-3976.

1 p.m.: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Guillaume Auditorium. Grise Hall. Contact Gordon Ford College of Business, (270) 745-2279.

3 p.m.: Children’s Theatre Series: The Yellow Boat. Gordon Wilson Hall Lab Theatre. Admission is $5. Contact Theatre & Dance, (270) 745-5845.

3:30 p.m.: WKU Football vs. Charlotte. Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Homecoming Queen will be crowned at halftime. Contact Athletics Communications, (270) 745-4298.

Sunday, Oct. 15

1 p.m.: WKU Soccer vs. Florida International. WKU Soccer Complex. Contact Athletics Communications, (270) 745-4298.

2 p.m.: 21st Annual Jim Wayne Miller Celebration of Writing, featuring Kentucky Poet Laureate Frederick Smock. Kentucky Library and Museum’s Kentucky Room. Part of Homecoming 2017. Contact Mary Ellen Miller, (270) 745-5721.

2 p.m.: Hardin Planetarium show: Finding Your Way Around the Autumn Sky. Hardin Planetarium. Contact Planetarium, (270) 745-4044.

3 p.m.: Children’s Theatre Series: The Yellow Boat. Gordon Wilson Hall Lab Theatre. Admission is $5. Contact Theatre & Dance, (270) 745-5845.

3 p.m.: WKU Choirs Homecoming Concert. Van Meter Hall. Part of Homecoming 2017. Admission is $5; $3 for students. Contact Music, (270) 745-3751.

Monday, Oct. 16

6:30 p.m.: One Love Event, part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Downing Student Union, room 2035. Contact Elizabeth Madariaga, (270) 745-3159.

For upcoming events: Visit the What’s Happening at WKU page, Events@WKU page or WKU’s online events calendar

About Today@WKU

Today@WKU is a service of WKU Public Affairs. For more from WKU News, become a WKU Facebook fan, follow us on Twitter, visit the WKU News page, or check out What’s Happening @WKU, “View from the Hill” segments, more News from Around Campus, WKU on You Tube or WKU webcams. Email us at wkunews@wku.edu

Today@WKU: It's Homecoming Weekend! #WKUHC17 #NoPlaceLikeWKU #WeShowUp #WeWearRed Read more on the WKU News Blog at Welcome to Today@WKU, the daily newsletter from WKU Public Affairs, for October 13, 2017.

[smoothshift]

GT350 Roadtrip: 1 week, 9 states, 4400miles. Lengthy post, pics included. via /r/cars

GT350 Roadtrip: 1 week, 9 states, 4400miles. Lengthy post, pics included.

TLDR: It was a lengthy but short roadtrip. You're welcome.  

Ain't got no time for readin and stuff? I got you: http://ift.tt/2vmKRwc  

States visited: OR, WA, ID, MT, WY, CO, UT, AZ, NV  

Notable locations: Glacier National Park, Pike's Peak, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zion National Park, Shelby Museum/Factory/Store  

I left San Francisco on Saturday 8/12 at 5:30AM. Returned Saturday 8/19 at 11:45PM. Following are the notes I took on the trip and recollections after. I hope you enjoy. I certainly did.  

Northern California: Nothing notable, I live here. Took 80 East to 505 North, later merging into 5 North. Met two guys with built-out BRZs in Suisun Valley; they were headed to a meet. Cars were tastefully modded and I favored the burnt orange and black wing combo car. Didn't talk long, but the burnt orange guy wanted to know if I was "driving the ecoboost?" Nah, this isn't the ecoboost. Those are good cars, though, and I envy the MPG.  

Oregon: Fast-forwarding to the land of "thou shalt not pump your own gas." Really weird but whatever, Oregon has the most beautiful semi-populated back country I've seen. Didn't find any technical driving roads but the long straights and gentle sweepers were nice. Fantastic ranches you guys have, btw, wow. When the sun hits the golden fields as you're blasting by and the horses look up ya think, huh. I can dig this. P.S. your speed limits are terrible, not updated since 1912 or some such.  

Washington: Ah, crossing the border with that feeling of anticipation, the wonder of sights unseen, the joy of... 2 KA bands and 1 laser hit. WTF Washington, nice welcome wagon you got there. But you're not done, no sir or ma'am. Pasco, WA, aka interchange city. So. Many. KA. Bands. And. 2. Laser. Hits. I get it, you need the revenue. But not from me. Motored along merrily on 90NE/E to Spokane, crossing into Idaho.  

Idaho: Coeur d'Alene. Wow. Amazing roads; long sweepers in the mountains, gentle and lengthy elevation changes and fantastic scenery. You win, Idaho.  

Montana: I'm on the way to Glacier National Park. 3 things of note in this state:  

1 - "Keep Right Except to Pass." I've seen posts about this on r/Cars and never really "got it", but now I do. Montananians have this down to a science and it works. Granted the population is sparse but its a model of managing traffic flow and speed. Consider me a full-time convert.  

2 - I pulled in to a rest stop on Highway 2; it was 11:30 at night and the area poorly lit. A family was setting up a giant tent on the grass; it was just them, me and a semi parked in the lot. Blacked out the car windows (sunscreen and blankets) and made myself cozy. 3AM and I'm suddenly awake, its time to visit the facilities and take care of urgent business. As I approach the men's room I hear a noise, it's a loud buzzing and a man's booming voice. Montana rest stops have speakers playing the weather report ("The weather in Big Fork was clear, and the wind was..."). This speaker was blown due to the loud volume setting. Creepy at 3AM, moreso with dim fluorescent lighting. Good news though: Bathroom is clean and I've got my choice of two stalls. I take the luxury stall aka the doublewide aka the handicapped version. Oh. Lock is broken. NP, I switch to the economy stall and run down the checklist. Door locks, check. Floor and seat clean, check. Enough TP to build an assnest on the seat, check. We're locked and loaded and I'm going in, Cap'n. Except for one thing: The lone bit of graffiti on the door. It read: "8/11. Let's %$# or at least piss on me. Tap foot." Imagine its 3AM and you're groggy with so few hours of sleep and that's me, mouth slightly open, brow furrowed with squinty eyes trying to comprehend this lonely missive of love and bodily fluids. First thought: Is it the 11th? No, ok good. Second: I'm the only one in here. Third: I no longer have the urge to do anything but GTFO; the creepy factor went from 3/10 to 10/10. Not that it mattered to the disembodied man's distorted voice; he continued belting out the weather report as I left a contrail of relief denied.  

3 - Glacier National Park. My first must-see destination and it was so worth it. Lovely, narrow roads albeit packed with appliance cars. On the West Glacier Road there's a spot to park and take a shuttle bus up. Not for me but it's a popular thing. Some tourists get bored waiting and attempt to hitchhike; as I rounded a curve I saw a hitchhiker sorta gently shove his (I presume) SO away and say loudly in his Brit accent, "I know what I'm about!" Hey brother. You're ok hitchhiking in a park, but don't do that anywhere else. Unless you like the song Goodbye Horses in which case have at it. Anyway, GNP: Pictures can't convey it well, nor can they convey the batshit crazy old lady driving a minty green Fiat ... Fiat uh, not the Abarth but the lower spec model. Old lady, her Fiat and personal GNP Formula 1. Like everyone else she'd pull over for pics, but when I saw her coming I got out of the way.  

Wyoming: Plains. Plains as far as the eye can fall asleep.. I kid. Beautiful state, really. Pulled over and listened to a thunderstorm slowly roar across the open land. Amazing, spiritual, awe-inspiring. Congrats, Wyomingians. All 3 of you.  

Colorado: Colorado is amazing, and as a California native I'm genetically predisposed to moving there. But don't worry, Coloradorians.. eh, Coloradori, F it, lets just go with Pot Smoking REI Junkies and Rednecks. As I was saying, I won't move there, ever. Not me. Nuh uh. Well. Not unless I get bored, or ... wait. Wait a second. Huh. Zillow says I can buy how many bedrooms, with how big a garage and a backyard that's spacious in a good neighborhood for how much? Hmmmm.  

Pike's Peak. You've heard about it. If you've not gone, go. Don't expect a Hill Climb though, the usual appliance cars and Lifted Lambos (trucks) clog the roads - although I did get lucky in spots, and did a Matt Farah a few times by making a gap on the straights. 14k elevation, no big deal, I've done that before in Ladakh (India, Himalaya foothills). Think again, that 14k kicked my ass. Just taking pictures of the car was wearing me out. While at the summit some lady hiked down (apparently there's a trail) and needed rescue, she simply could not climb up. I believe it.  

Great Sand Dunes National Park. Yep. It's sandy. The approach road (well outside of the park) is minimal to no traffic, you can go 10 mins without seeing a car. I may or may not have done a triple. Or as I call it, 25 MPH in Mexican school zone. Because I'd never do that in the US. Not me.  

Small towns. We all know its common for small towns to be speed traps. Colorado small towns take it to the next level. Its dark, I'm in BFE, and 1-2-3 small towns in a row: K Band, X Band, KA Band, no apparent falses. In one case the local popo followed me about 3 miles out of town. My very first police escort, I'm so proud.  

Montrose, CO. I'm a coffee nerd so this trip has been mostly hell. The hell of McD's coffee or worse, gas station coffee. Swill. So what makes Montrose, CO, special? La Zona Colona Coffee off Highway 550. You're going to pass it when heading to Silverton, so stop. Clean outside and in, tastefully done decor and, crucially, outstanding coffee with what seems to be an extra dose of caffeine. I suspect this because it wasn't long before I was road raging pretty hard, I mean come on. LANE CAMPERS RADKJEKEJREKJFDKJ gargle scream do nothing but wait to pass. Yep. Road raging. Best coffee I've ever had.  

Silverton,CO. Quaint, preserved old-timey Western town. They even have a steam train and stagecoach, actual ones that move along and make old-timey choo choo noises and whatever sounds horses make. Popular place.  

Highway 550 to Durango. Rounded a curve and a blond guy with man bun waved me down. He and his GF were stuck, older Toyota with a dead battery and as it turns out, bad alternator. I had a battery charger but no cables (ugh) so he plugged it to the battery and we waited. I suggested waving down a truck as those guys must have cables. Cars go by, no one stops or acknowledges his waving. Weird; he's young, good looking and dressed in Mountain Chic - I mean, he's not scary looking and its full daylight. Finally a red F150 stops, older guy with cables. He's a little sauced, not drunk but he's had a few. Engine turns over and I follow the Toyota couple a while, and it dies again. This happened 4x til we made it to the guy's house in Durango. On the last pullover the red F150 guy shows up again. "I wanna see how fast this Shelby can go," he says, slightly slurred, "It's ok, I party with the cops in Durango." This was just not gonna happen, Durango's not a little town with deserted roads and I didn't see any signs for open track night. I politely ignored him and we got the Toyota couple home, wished them luck and off I went.  

Utah: I dunno, it's Utah. Mostly impressed with the people vs. the places, although those are nice too.  

Four Corners. Not sure what I expected, maybe something grand to commemorate 4 state borders, maybe some good dining and driving roads. Nope. You get a short dusty road (fine, its the arid desert), a $5 entry fee, signs saying cremated remains cannot be spread here (huh, who, why?), vendors selling Navajo-themed jewelry and stuff and that thing. That thing set in concrete marking the celebration of 4 state borders meeting. I was done before I got there and was walking back to the car when I saw her. No, not the love of my life. Rather a woman wearing an awesome tshirt which just then struck me as hilarious. Pic taken. Nice lady, she was a riot. She liked the GT350 too.  

Zion National Park. 105 degrees. Two European guys driving below the speed limit in a rental Focus. I get it, you're here to see the sights. But uh, pull over. Thanks bye.  

Kanab: Nothing notable here other than I stayed in the Quality Inn's "suite." But there was one cool encounter at the local car wash (I detail my car religiously): Mr. Walker with his 1965 Thunderbird. OMG. Maroon paint, black leather interior, dusty engine. Overall excellent shape (driving condition, not concours) and he's the second owner with all maintenance records from new. Mr. Walker liked the Shelby and had a lot of questions; I had just as many for him. He showed his car and apologized for being unable to wipe down the front and rear chrome due to his age. Not a problem, yours truly wiped it down for him and it was a pleasure doing so. What a car. Tip of the cap to you, sir.  

Nevada AKA Las Vegas: Stopped to visit the Shelby Factory, Museum and Shop. The shop is the first thing you see once inside and lemme tell ya. Need a Shelby leather coat? They got you, Holmes. Socks, tshirts, bottle opener, model car, hat, travel mug, earrings, key chain? No problemo. I made a dad joke (tm, not an actual dad) after buying some shirts: So uh, you guys have everything, literally everything for sale, don't you? Sales lady: (thinking FFS not this again): Yes, we do. Me: Great, I'm in the market for a new fridge. Sales lady: Points to her left and there it is, a I-kid-you-not-Shelby-branded-fridge. Joke's on me; abort abort mission failure RTB.  

Walked outside and there was an Aussie family sorta standing by my car. The dad went on about how much they liked it, and a US friend of his was considering buying one. Told him to tell his friend, yep, buy it.  

... And that's pretty much it. Went to SoCal but there's 2 kinds of SoCal: coastal (nice) and inland desert (less nice). At Barstow I couldn't take it anymore, GTA got crappy desert towns right. Connnected to 5 North and pulled over for gas: $3.89 for premium, the good ole welcome home price. Drove 6 hours north to SF, woke up the GF and flopped right into bed. Best parts about coming home: GF reunion, Game of Thrones and 7 hours detailing the car. Still haven't got all the bug bits off the grille.  

Random stats:

23.1 MPG

Cheapest gas / Premium: $2.48 (Wyoming, Ethanol blend)

Oil consumption: 2 quarts

Breakdowns and flats: 0

Truck Stop Hookers Observed: 2

Drunk Drivers Observed: 1

Accidents seen (after the fact): 3

Road rage battles seen: 1 (SoCal. Of course)

Live deer: Too many (Montana, but especially Colorado)

Dead deer: 12 +

[terrymcdonald]

Beware – there’s fungus among us! The mushrooms are out in the forests of southern Ontario! Get out your tripod and your knee pads and get down in the leaf litter from some great close-up photography. But don’t forget your bug repellent, because the mosquitoes are still out there!

The last two weekends, my wife Laura and I have been out along the Bruce Trail. If you’re not familiar with the Bruce Trail, it is Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath travelling from Niagara Falls in the south along the Niagara Escarpment some 890km to Tobermory in the north. There are dozens of places along the trail to park and hike for a day, often associated with the various conservation areas and provincial parks along the Escarpment, but also along roadsides and at car parks built expressly for Trail users. I would encourage you to make good use of the Bruce Trail for access to some of the most photogenic sites in southern Ontario. But, being a volunteer-maintained trail, consider also becoming a member of the Bruce Trail Conservancy, purchasing the Reference Guide book or Trail app (iOS and Android) or making a contribution to the Conservancy so they can continue their good work keeping the trail up and acquiring more parcels of land to protect the optimum route of the trail.

Our first hike was the Speyside section (east of Guelph, north of Milton, just east of former Hey 25), where we saw the first few mushrooms. Between Bruce Trial hikes, we’ve also been to the Arboretum at the University of Guelph where there are a few different types of fungus. I hesitate to call them all mushrooms as some of what you’ll see are cup fungus, coral fungus, puffballs and slime moulds. Don’t they sound delightful? Beyond that, I’m not at all familiar with the various types of fungus and know very little about the names except for the ones I have looked up.

Saturday was a fungus bonanza, though. We were northeast of Shelburne along a stretch of the Bruce Trail between Boyne River Provincial Park and the Mulmur Hills. The summer has been on the cool and wet side which seems ideal for fungus as well as various species of moss and lichen. There were over a dozen different kinds of fungus and, as our intent was to hike, I only stopped to photograph a few.

So if you have a couple of hours to spare and don’t mind getting your knees dirty, head out to a local woodlot or forest and try your hand (and your patience) with photographing fungus. The nice thing is, they don’t move, so the long exposure times needed for the dark forest floor are not a problem as long as you are using a tripod and cable release or self-timer. Take your time, though, as the set-up and precise focussing can sap your patience.

If you are into trying new techniques, mushrooms are also a good subject to practice the technique of focus-stacking (excellent tutorial here). The files are not something you can process in Photos or Lightroom – you’ll need Affinity Photo or Photoshop to finish the job. I’ve been experimenting with the technique and may start to use it more, but, for now, I’m still making the majority of my close-up shots the regular way by choosing a small aperture (ƒ22 for full frame; ƒ5.6 to 8 for 1″ sensor) and making a single shot.

Setting up low to the ground and with a tripod is not easy. Before going out, work with your tripod to learn what it’s capable of, and what it cannot do. Some tripods allow the legs to spread out completely, but then you are limited by the centre post. The Manfrotto 055 tripod I recently purchased has a centre post that can be set at a 90° angle – ideal for shooting close-ups near to the ground – and it really works well!

When I’m out hiking, as I was yesterday, rather than bringing the whole kit with D800E, lenses and 055 tripod, I often bring my Sony RX10iii with the monopod portion of my MeFoto RoadTrip tripod. This is a good set-up, but not ideal as I end up having to use ISO 400 and some pretty slow shutter speeds along with the excellent stabilization, to shoot close-up. The Chanterelle above was shot at ƒ5.6 @ 1/13, ISO 400 with a polarizer on the RX10iii on the monopod. It took a few shots to ensure everything was sharp, but I sure wish I had my tripod for this. I think next time I’ll at least have the full MeFoto tripod with me for just a situation like this.

If you can’t get down lower than the shortest leg setting, then think about using a telephoto lens and shooting from further away. As it is, the best close-up/macro lenses for this kind of work are in the 90mm to 150mm range. If you can focus closely enough, a 200mm focal length lens makes an ideal working distance for close-up photography. Again, set this up at home – try practicing on some flowers or even chess pieces. When out in the field, be aware of branches and leaves that may be between the lens and the mushroom that may not be visible in the viewfinder.

Once you’ve found the ideal mushroom in the forest – before you set up the tripod – hand-hold your camera and spend some time finding just the right angle and view. Composition is best done off the tripod; once you’ve found that perfect angle, set up the tripod “under” that point and attach your camera. Adding a polarizing filter will help reduce the glare off wet foliage or smooth bark and leaves.

One cautionary note: Do not pick and eat any of the mushrooms. As delectable as they may look – and they may even look exactly like a mushroom you remember eating – don’t take the chance. There are too many “look-alikes” that might just send you to Emergency!

If you have any questions or comments, please add them below. And I invite you to share this post with others. Thanks for reading!

Gallery Click on any image and use the > < arrows (or your cursor keys) to navigate through.

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It’s Fungus Time in Southern Ontario Beware – there's fungus among us! The mushrooms are out in the forests of southern Ontario! Get out your tripod and your knee pads and get down in the leaf litter from some great close-up photography.

[throwadart]

Roadtrip to the Mitten

We had quite the trip home ahead of us: work meetings, house hunting, two baby showers and a trip up north to Boyne. All in two weeks time. We decided to drive, knowing that we would be tooling around town and likely hauling gifts home - and then to top it off, Jeff’s sister Stephanie decided to ride home with us!

We left on a Wednesday afternoon with the goal of getting to Lincoln, Nebraska. That would get us a good dent on Wednesday, with the majority of our drive happening on Thursday. It was so blasted hot going through eastern Colorado and Nebraska - our car was showing 104, but we made it to Lincoln and called it a night.

We tried to wake up early and get on the road at 7:00, but it was more like 8:30. We had about 12 hours ahead of us, with an hour time change not in favor. 

Our final destination was Detroit to stay with Jeff’s sister, as I had a long day of meetings downtown at the bakery. And we finally rolled in around 9:00pm.

Our first shower was on Saturday, hosted by my Mom at a restaurant in Monroe. There were about 30-35 people coming and it turned out to be a smashing success. The guests were so generous, getting us many things that I’m still learning I need, and it was nice seeing friends and family again.

One of the fun things we did at the shower was have our guests decorate wooden blocks. People wrote their names, letters and drew pictures, which will be so fun to play with once the baby is old enough.

We unloaded all of our goodies back at my Mom’s house before heading to Jeff’s parents to spend a few nights with them.

Sunday was house hunting day. Well, more like neighborhood hunting. We decided that we will be moving back to Michigan by the end of the year after the baby is here, but now we needed to find where to call home. We lined up a few houses to look at in Ann Arbor with a realtor just to get a feel for the area and our price range and spent about 5 or 6 hours riding around there, Dexter, Saline, and the lake towns just north. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. The outskirt towns were not what we remembered and didn’t fit our vibe anymore. And Ann Arbor has gotten so pricey. Sighhhh...the search continues.

Monday we were back in the car for a drive up north. My family rented a condo for the week in Boyne and everyone was amped for vacation!

Except the first night we were there turned into a bad dream...just as I was pulling the sheets down to our bed, Jeff called me from downstairs and said he just saw a mouse in the house! We were both so freaked out, we woke up my parents to see if my Dad had any ideas on how to kill it. No such luck, he’d set traps in the morning, my mom would write the owner, and so Jeff and I snuck into the kids room instead of our open loft room and slept with towels under the door. Eeeek!

Tuesday we decided to make a beach day. Jeff and I had a little bit of work to do in the morning, so we met everyone down at Deer Lake beach once we got our morning walk in after work. My Dad and Jake had taken off in the other direction to buy mouse traps. Time to have some (virgin) daiquiris to take our mind off the rodent(s).

After a long day of swimming, stand up paddle boarding and canoeing, my Mom and I took Avarie and Easton back to the condo to nap, while the others had a tee time. We kept busy during the kids nap with a visit from the exterminator - but then we headed to the lodge for some crafts and chair lift rides.

We all met back at Deer Lake for dinner and a sunset.

After finding a lot of ticks in the house when we arrived home, Jeff and I had had it. I didn’t want to stay in a mouse house or risk getting a tick bite with potential lyme disease at 7 months pregnant. We went to the lodge with intentions on renting a room for the night - and potential rest of the week - but no such luck as there was an unfortunate incompetent worker that couldn’t get the system to accept our money. Back to the condo we went after trying to sleep in the car for five minutes.

Wednesday Jeff woke up to a dead mouse. He kindly disposed of it before any of us woke up. We were done. And the discussion in the morning turned into what are we going to do - stay or go as a family. We weighed lots of options - maybe relocate to a different condo, Traverse City, Crystal Mountain or see if our cousins John & Denise would let us stay at their place a few nights in Manistee. Turns out Manistee was the winner, but before we left, the kids wanted to spend time at Avalanche Bay - so we went to watch them.

We drove about 2 hours southwest to Manistee, getting in just at sunset. Lake Michigan was so beautiful and so was our new living situation.

Thursday we made another swimming day, both at the beach and the outdoor community pool. We packed some snacks and headed to the lake with some beach toys for the kids to play with - except it turned out my brother was getting the most use out of the toys. The worlds greatest sand castle was under construction and we would each have a hand in creating it.

The water was freezing, but that was no match for the kids.

Just around lunch time, we headed back to the condo to make something quick and then next to the pool to swim a little more. Bryan and Danielle had made dinner plans to celebrate their anniversary, so while they were out, Jeff and I went for a walk into downtown Manistee, while my parents ordered pizza for the kids.

When everyone was back home, it was ice cream time. Jeff, myself and my dad stayed back to not have to take two cars there and then met everyone at the beach for our last sunset together (and some ice cream smiles).

There was a pretty awesome playground that the kids took over, while the adults took in the last of the sunset.

We got the kids to pose for sunset pics and then found someone to take a big family one for us.

Friday we woke up with loads of laundry to do before we left. Our next destination in this traveling circus was the lake. Me, Jeff and my parents were going to stay the night there and the rest of the group was going to play for the day before heading home.

Farmer Den was in his glory, as we pulled up to a peach tree completely overloaded. He picked a bunch to take home and give away to friends...and probably make a cobbler or two.

More swimming and boat riding was in our future before grilling burgers and shucking some corn on the cob for dinner. We then went around the table to talk about our favorite parts of the trip. Thankfully, no one said anything about our mouse friend!

Saturday morning, we woke up to a calm lake. It had been really windy the day before. Jeff and I went for a long walk and then took one last pontoon ride with my parents before heading home.

Sweet Avarie left a note in our car for us the day before...

Sunday was our second shower hosted by Jeff’s Mom and Sister in Monroe. Another 30 or so people would be coming to this one, which was a nice sized crowd to make for a fast shower. We mostly received gift cards, so that worked out well for traveling back home. It was such a cute theme with the mountains and wilderness. We had everyone decorate a wooden log that builds a log cabin - can’t wait to put this together!

We took some of the gifts back to my parents house so everything would just be in one spot and said our goodbyes to them, as they would be heading to Ohio for a golf tournament by the time we took off for Colorado.

Back to Jeff’s folks house to chat for a while and go through some gifts, then we headed back downtown Detroit to stay with Steph, as I had more bakery meetings on Monday.

So nice to wake up for a walk in Detroit again. We hit the Dequindre Cut, which was our old stomping grounds before I headed into work. We even located our brick we donated to the Riverwalk!

After work, we met with our friends Neil and Virginia and their kids for a nature walk they so wanted to take us on. I’ve never been to the marsh over in Waltz and it was really nice.

Tuesday we worked from home in the morning. I had Jeff drop me off in Detroit as he made his way to a doctor appointment and he’d pick me up later in Birmingham after an afternoon meeting I had. Then we finally headed back to his parents to relax a bit before our roadtrip tomorrow home.

Wednesday, me, Jeff and Steph left around 12:00. We were taking a different route home than we did back to Michigan so Steph could see St. Louis and go through Kansas City.

We stayed the night in Boonville, Missouri, which was everything it sounds like it would be. We couldn’t get home fast enough but had to pit stop to take a pic at the Welcome to Colorful Colorado sign! So close to home...

We pulled in around 9:00pm and were almost too tired to go to bed if that makes sense. But it was oh so nice to finally sleep in my own bed after two weeks without it. Happy to be home!

[life-of-lizbet]

I suck at blogging, but first let me explain...

What. A. Week.

As I sit here writing this I’m not even home yet- I’m currently at Abby’s house recovering from having spent 15 hours in a car yesterday and then only getting about 4 hours of sleep at Katherine’s house in Boston. Abby was more than kind enough to let me take a wicked long nap in her room while I await the arrival of my dad to pick me up and take me home. Enough of that. Where the hell do I even begin?

I will do a recap of National’s (like the actual frisbee-event and not everything that’s non-frisbee related) probably later today or tomorrow. TBD. So I guess I’ll begin by re-hashing (that’s not even the right word to use here but oh well) my weekend through today. Bare with me because I am very much so still sleep deprived. 

I guess I’ll start where I left off with my last post, because the rest of my teammates were very confused as to why we did what we did. Let me explain.

Saturday night, after the first day of Nationals (pool play), we went to Chili’s, which was literally a 4 minute walk from the 2-star motel we were staying at. Ada really wanted a milkshake or something, and Ysabel and I decided to tag along because why not? It was like 8:30 pm, and we had nothing better to do, although we probably should have just gone to bed because we had to get up at 5:30 am the next morning to be able to leave by 6:15 and get to the fields and be cleated up and ready to warm up beginning at 7 am. (Screw 8 am games.)

So we walked to Chili’s-we had to jump the fence surrounding the motel parking lot-and got a booth. Turns out Chili’s does not have milkshakes or slushies or anything non-alcoholic like that. So Ada and I ended up getting margaritas, and the three of us all either got appetizers or desserts. (Evan basically told us all that because we no longer had a shot at winning Nationals, we could do whatever, as long as we made smart decisions. This meant we could drink if we wanted to.) While we were at Chili’s, a thunderstorm rolled through and it poured outside. I was very distracted by the pouring rain. Anyways, we finished up at Chili’s at around 10/10:15 and started to make our way back to the 2-star motel. (The lightning was wicked crazy!) At least it wasn’t raining on our short walk back. 

Once we got into our room, one of us tried to turn on the lamp. It didn’t work, so we tried to turn on the other one. Nope, still didn’t work. We opened the (full-sized) fridge, and the light was not on, so we assumed that the power was out. Ugh. Now what? Well, this is actually where I left off with my last post. I wrote it as we were debating what to do now that the power was out and it was 10:30 pm. Honestly we should have just gone to bed, but alas, we didn’t. Ysabel was throwing ideas into the air, and none of them were sticking. (Also I’m pretty sure at this point that I was at least a little tipsy, but I can’t say for sure about Ada. But I digress.)

Well, it was quite warm in the motel room, so we decided to leave and go to the AirBnB where everyone else was still playing drunk mafia, at least according to their snapchats. But first Ada really wanted a bottle of wine, so we went to Liquor Barn and both of us got a small bottle of white wine. Ada also got Ysabel a small little bottle of Bourbon because why not?

We got back into the car, and by this point it was about 11 pm, give or take? Probably a little later than that. So Ysabel drove us to the AirBnB, and lo-and-behold, all of the lights were off in the house and Abby’s car was gone, meaning that she and her car had gone back to the 2-star motel. So much for attempting to scare the rest of our team with soundbites of Guy Fieri eating. (Seriously though, what the hell were we thinking? I promise it was funny at the time.)

With that being said, it was now approaching 11:30 and we wanted to do something before going back to the 2-star motel. So what the hell were we to do? The day before, some of us found a park with disc golf and swings and a stake park and a retention pond of sorts. Ysabel had already suggested that we go to a park, so I gave them directions to the park, which was a one minute drive away, more or less. 

We walked through the damp grass of the park toward the swings. Once there, we spotted a cat. We got on the swings and watched the lightning in the distance for a little while, before deciding at midnight that it was probably a good time to head back to the 2-star motel. Once there, just before 12:30 am, we came back to the power on in the room- hurray! So we all fell asleep and next thing we know, it’s 5:30 am and the alarm is going off to wake us up. Ugh. I could have used several more hours of sleep.

The next day, our teammates questioned why we were at a park at midnight. To be fair, we went to Chili’s first, got back to the 2-star motel, found the power to be out, and then headed to the AirBnB. At that point, however, all of them were asleep and Abby and her car had left to go back to the 2-star motel. Therefore, we decided to go to the park and swing on some swings for a little while, because why not? All of our options had been thrown out the window by that time.

At this point my dad is-in theory-just a few minutes away, so I’ll wrap this up for now and update y’all on Sunday night and the roadtrip that never ended from Monday into the wee hours of Tuesday morning. 

[27milesmalibu]

Weekend Retreats

Call me crazy, but a 7 hour road trip to Sedona for a three day weekend doesn’t seem that unfeasible.  In a place like Southern California where one is accustomed to long car rides (a.k.a. any freeway between the hours of 3:30-8:30), your car is more than just a means of transportation, it’s a way of life–so the only way to disassociate the term, “traffic” from the word, “car” is to grab your girlfriends and hit the open road.

The weather in February is a bit on the chilly side but nothing that a beautiful, cloudless day bathed by sunshine couldn’t remedy.  For all other instances, I just throw on my Abree Oversized Cardigan.

#abree #27miles #roadrip #sedona #cashmere

  Well known for  its rolling red rocks, peculiar peaks and plateaus, energy vortexes and epic sunsets, this place of majestic wonder never seizes to take my breath away and with only 2 1/2 days to spare, it was hard to narrow down the journey but here is how we managed to pull it off:

5 A.M. Friday Armed with a backpack full of snacks mainly consisting of chocolate products, a stack of gossip mags to catch up on my “news”, and a downloaded podcast on how to quit your day job and pursue your passion, I jump into my best friend’s ride and we set off on our adventure.

11:30 A.M. Friday Faint in the distance, I can start to make out the heavy silhouettes of the national park peaking through the curvatures of the highway.  Before I know it, we are flanked on either side between spectacular formations of water eroded rocks painted in a palette of muted tones of reds and oranges speckled by bits of browns and amber ochre.

#sedona #redrock #roadtrip #town

12:10 P.M. Friday We head straight to our first trail: Call of the Canyon.  As soon as you find yourself at the foot of the trail head and walking into a tree lined forest full of bramble and brush with a cool stream running parallel alongside the pathway, it’s hard to believe that you’re otherwise surrounded by desert.  We didn’t venture too far in as the trail lasts about 7 miles.  After about 2 miles in, we made our way back.

#sedona #callofthecanyon #cashmere #arizona

3:25 P.M. Friday Labeled one of 4 major vortexes that reside in Sedona, Cathedral Rock also boasts one of the most majestic sunset views.  Be forewarned, this trail is semi-strenuous.  In fact, this trail is my favorite because it can be quite difficult.  A bit of a tomboy as a result of growing up with an older brother who wished I had been born a boy, my love of climbing, scrambling and jumping off ledges has carried over into adulthood.  This trail is fairly marked and tricky at times as it switches back making its way around the initial facade set before you as you begin your ascent.  Be sure to follow the faint, white arrows directing you to the “easier” pathways. At one point, towards the end of the trail, the only way to make your way up was by way of two slabs of vertical rock merged at a 45 degree angle where bits of stone caught in the crossfire made for makeshift steps that allowed you to hoist yourself up upon.  With only 1 1/2 hours to spare before sunset, we clambered our way to the top just in time.

#sunset #cathedralrock #sedona #hike

5:35 P.M. Friday Stood in awe to watch the majestic sunset

5:45 P.M. Friday 5 minutes later, turned around and began our descent. Just as quickly as the sun sets below the horizon, so does the darkness ensue.  Without proper headgear or map for that matter, making our way back to the car before nightfall was a bit of a feat and a test of endurance.  Running back, jumping from rock to rock and quickening our pace without losing our footing made our return a 45 minute ordeal comparative to the 1 1/2 hour it took to make it to the top.

#abreecardigan #cathedralrock #cashmere #sedona #hike

#cathedralrock #sedona

  6:30 P.M Friday Nothing says desert like an over the top, kitschy alien themed restaurant in the vein of the “Crash Down Cafe” from the short lived TV show, Roswell.  In this case, it’s the Red Planet Diner.  Fully equipped with alien paraphernalia, themed dishes and flying saucers, the general ambience makes up for the sub par food.

#redplanetdiner #aliens #food

8:30 P.M. Friday Netflix and Chill

9:15 A.M. Saturday Off to an early start, we mosey onto the complimentary continental breakfast of yogurt parfait and a fruit basket with wheat toast nestled in a corner.  Nothing fancy but enough to tie us over until lunch.

10:30 A.M. Saturday Devil’s bridge is a moderate hike with a steep incline and perhaps one of the more popular hikes among tourists so definitely not a recommended location if you intend on attempting a meditation session or if sitting alone quietly with your thoughts is on the agenda. It is quite a sight to see though, if you manage to make your way through the barrage of hikers holding up traffic by taking selfies.

#devilsbridge #sedona

1 P.M. Saturday Lunch at the ChocaTree is probably one of my favorite highlights of visiting Sedona mainly because I swoon over their ginger lemonade and organic dishes.  Their veggie burger is making me hungry just writing about it and the quaint, garden decor of plush pillows, hammocks and peaceful energy emulating from their staff and space, make this restaurant all the more special.

2:30 P.M. Saturday A trip to Sedona is never complete without a stop into town.  Store lined streets filled with art galleries, handmade jewelers and sweet shops–it’s no wonder why this place is a hot spot for artists and creatives looking to leave the congestion of city life.  A stop over to the Mystical Bazaar for healing session is a great place if you’re looking to indulge or you can opt out and purchase one of their extensive collection of crystals for a more economical alternative.  I love visiting the Artist Market for souvenirs and antiques.  Just roaming around is a fun past time and I always find myself walking away with something I totally don’t need, but can’t seem to live without.  For this trip, it was a wolf faced sling shot carved out of wood.  Of course the rationalizing side of me is saying this is for my nephew but the realistic side of me knows I’ll probably hold onto it and keep it for myself for no apparent reason.

#sedona #shopping #crystals

5:30 P.M. Saturday Slightly sore from 2 days of extensive hiking, we decide to give into our 30-something year old bodies and pop by the whole foods for a fast meal from their hot bar and stock up on a fresh supply of chocolate for the journey home, of course.  Back at the hotel, we trade in our dusted day garbs and throw on our bathing suits for a nice, relaxing dip in the hotel hot tub with a water bottle full of white wine and a blanket full of stars residing above us to complete the evening.

7 A.M. Sunday We wake up early to hit up the free continental breakfast.  Looks like the early risers have a more extensive selection of fruit and yogurt parfait.  There are now two different types of bread to choose from and waffles are plenty.  Finishing our meals with an apple for the road, we bid farewell to this fair city and head for the highway watching the rear view mirrors as the rolling rocks slowly disappear from view.

Sedona & Sunsets Weekend Retreats Call me crazy, but a 7 hour road trip to Sedona for a three day weekend doesn't seem that unfeasible.