#I can drive 10 mins down the road to the next town and not understand some of them

[commanders-sole-braincell]

Hey, nebby question for personal reasons

If you've heard me speak, was it difficult to understand, or spoken what you would consider to be very quickly/made it difficult to understand?

Just to compare - had a conversation with some family and friends today about all the times we've had other English speaking/British people just not understand us due to accent or spoken speed

[hi-qu]

Karasuno Boys and Driving

Daichi

Worked part time to buy his car, so he’s very proud of it. Can’t tell him he aint got a Benz, (it a 02 Corolla lol). Car so old he feels like he gotta call it sir.

Cuz he earned, Daichi doesn’t mess around when it comes to his car.

You can’t borrow it, you better not throw any volleyballs near it, don’t even look at it funny.

But he’ll still gladly drive his teammates/friends around town so long as they follow the number 1 rule: You don’t eat in Daichi’s car.

He was driving the first years home after a late practice, and heard someone fidgeting with a wrapper. He whirled around and there was Tadashi, eyes getting misty while holding a cough drop.

“It’s a Halls, Daichi please. My throat is sore.”

He allowed it because he was glad it wasn’t actual food.

Because of his no food rule, his car is immaculate. Probably hasn’t been that spotless since it rolled off the line.

He cleans it every weekend after practice.

Daichi is a careful driver too. The kind who waves other drivers through even though he has the right a way. Truly a pedestrian’s best friend because he won’t block the crosswalks.

No real road rage, just abundantly cautious. Freeways freak him out especially if the lanes are narrow.

Won’t take the car out of park until everyone is buckled in. Will just wait and look at the back seat through the rear view mirror as everyone laughs and carries on. Eventually Suga or Asahi will notice and make sure everyone, Tanaka is buckled in.

Asahi is permanent shotgun, Noya or Hinata is in the middle, Suga to the left, and Tanaka on the right.

If Tsukki is riding, then he’s on the side with the best scenery so he can play his music and gaze dramatically.

He’s the kind of driver you tell your mom about when she asks who’s driving.

Kageyama:

It was his grandfather’s old car. It’s in decent shape.

Knows next to nothing about cars, is just like, “yeah, its blue with 4 doors.”

Thrilled it was 4 door just in case Hinata ever got a car. Best case scenario, Hinata got a 2-door making Kageyama the automatic winner. Slightly less best-case scenario, Hinata also got a 4 door but since Kageyama got his first he would still be the winner.

Didn’t want a car until he realized he could beat Hinata to school. Felt bad because the boy crossed a mountain every day, buuuut he was on a bike so TECHNICALLY Hinata already had an unfair advantage so this would just even the score.

Barely passed his driving test because he can’t parallel park. Doesn’t understand that precision on the court doesn’t translate to precision on the road.

One day he saw Tsukki and Tadashi walking home from school in the rain. He rode up to them slowly, rolled down his window and asked, “you want a lift?”

Tsukki immediately was on some, “oh ho? Us lowly peasants get to ride in the King’s Chariot-“

“Not you. Tadashi. Only. Tadashi.”

Next day Daichi had to have a talk about offering rides and courtesy.

But honestly, it’s probably safer to walk. Boy has no idea what he’s doing. The car’s a stick and he’s forever releasing the clutch too soon/late. The gears are stripping, he’s stalling at every stop sign.

oh no baby what is you doin??

Gets frustrated and just looks at his hands one day in the school parking lot like, “what’s wrong with me? Am I dumb? Is it the car who’s dumb??”

Got his answer when one day he was 15 mins late to weekend practice because his car stopped. After the team determined he didn’t stall it again, and it wasn’t the battery, Hinata is like,

“did you feed your car?”

Cue Kageyama looking like the confused math woman meme

“what do you mean ‘feed my car’?? Cars don’t eat fool.”

“Filling it with gas is like eating! We have to eat to fuel ourselves, so you have to feed a car fuel it, stupid.”

After that, he decided it was best to stick to walking.

 Asahi

2nd best driver on the team due to his anxiety.

Our boy doesn’t mess around with horsing around in his car. He gotta focus on the road.

Doesn’t like driving outside the city limits because remembering turns and exits is just too much. Though Noya helps him by warning him ahead of time. That’s why Noya has permanent shotgun dibs.

His car is mad small for a man his size. It’s a two door he got used, and like Daichi, its his baby so he takes care of it. Except he’s not as fussy as Daichi is. You may eat and drink inside his car.

He has to fold/unfold himself when getting in and out. Its hilarious to watch but painful to him.

Driver seat all the way in the back seat because long leg problems, so only Hinata can sit behind him.

In the summer, he and Noya go cruisin’. He had to be convinced to ride with shades on and hair down, but Noya said looking cool was a part of cruisin’.

Daichi and Suga often go for rides with Asahi and just talk. Maybe park somewhere with some food and reminisce like they’re old men remembering the, “good ol’ days.” Asahi treasures these moments with his friends.

Suga

It was his parent’s old car that they let him use. The largest car out of the group, probably a SUV.

Number one option for when the team wants to go on little excursions because thankfully, we have leg room.

A reliable driver you can depend on to not drive consistently. Sometimes, he is careful and considerate 10/10 driver.

Then sometimes he like, “lets press the gas while going downhill.” Just to scare the first years.

Kind of driver to be like, “I got it,” after the light has been yellow for over 30 seconds. No road too narrow, or parking space too complicated for Suga.

Doesn’t exactly speed, but also doesn’t go as slow as you would like.

Ask him for a ride and he’s like, “yeah, I’ll get you there.” 

But in what condition Suga? What condition??

Knows how to drive like he has some sense but will he use it??? Maybe if Daichi is there.

Doesn’t mind eating and drinking in the car. He’ll also chat away while driving. Only thing he refuses to do is drive the team to a game.

For one, they can’t all fit comfortably, and two, Hinta’s incident in the bus is still fresh in his mind. So, when Takeda brings it up again, Suga goes, “no can-do sensei <3”

Hinata

Baby was thrilled when he passed his drivers exam. Took pics of his license and shared it in the group chat. Then showed it off in person.

Drives his folk’s old car. It's too old for long distances but reliable enough for school and back.

It’s a 2 door, Kagayama is thrilled and it’s a stick, but Shoyo can drive a stick (can’t win em all Kageyama).

So cautious when he drives! Not out of anxiety rather he’s worried about hurting someone. Uses his blinker at the right time, lets kids and old ladies cross first. Really polite at a 4 way, but it’s his turn and he's gonna make himself late with all of this.

Knows how to change a tire and check the fluids because he lives in the country and just learned as he grew.

Car stays in good shape.

One of the few who can handle driving in snow, but he did panic some during his first snowstorm.

The kind of driver that if he even taps another car, he’s leaving a note stained with his tears, his phone number, email, home address facebook, AIM, his mom’s number, and Coach Uaki’s.

Tsukki and Kageyama roasted him about does he climb into his car, (it’s technically a little truck) or does he need a running start.

Still offers them ride because he's a good kid.

Doesn’t know if it’s worse having Kageyama in the back seat, or in the passenger seat. When Kageyama is in the car, Hinata low key flexes by smoothly shifting gears. Worst 15-minute drive of Kageyama’s life.

One time, it was just him and Noya on a snack run and they got pulled over. The cop thought 2 kids took their mom’s car for a joy ride. They called Hinata’s mom to verify his license and that he was 16.  It was low moment for both of them that not even meat buns could fix.

[mithranqueersmusings]

Before This Dance Is Through IV

Chapter: 4/16

Rating: U

Summary: Ringo's being going through a dry spell for the last year or so and when he regretfully tells his best friend John, he insists on taking them to an all-male strip club for some "fun". Ringo isn't sure whether it's the alcohol, his desperation or a mixture of the two but he thinks he might be falling in love with a stripper.

Tags: AU - Strippers, Modern Setting, Smut, Slow Burn

Pairings: George Harrison/Ringo Starr, John Lennon/Paul McCartney

AO3 link here / Fic masterlist here

Once Ringo had managed to compose himself, which took far longer than he'd care to admit, he ventured back out into the chaos of the club in search of John. He wasn't difficult to find, standing at the front of the stage cheering - practically screaming - and waving money around to get the dancer's attention. Unsurprisingly, the dancer was Paul. He was currently spinning around the pole with one hand, his ankles entwined to give him support. It was quite a beautiful sight, Ringo thought, watching his gentle movements. The club was considerably more empty by this point and the remainder of the customers had circled around the stage. Ringo slinked past a few drunken layabouts as he made his way over to John, he had to shout in his ear just to get his attention.

"Oh, Ringo!" John grinned, his breath stank of whiskey "How'd it go?"

"A little too well." Ringo chuckled, he coaxed John to sit down.

"Did he almost kill you this time?" John only passed Ringo a few glances, mostly his attention was on Paul.

"I think he did kill me. Then brought me back. Then killed me again." Ringo picked up John's drink and took a sip "Are they supposed to touch you?"

John paused his shouting for a moment "Touch you how?"

"Just... Y'know, touching. Getting me to touch him, him touching my chest." Ringo decided to leave out the crotch contact, he still wasn't sure whether it was intentional or not.

"Oh yeah, that's fine. As long as you're both consenting o'course. And as long as he's not dropping on his knees and sucking you off." John laughed and Ringo almost choked on the drink, the image those words conjured up was a surprising one.

"How much longer are you planning on staying?" Ringo settled back in his seat and turned his attention to Paul.

"Why? You in a hurry to get home and bash one out?" John nudged him without pulling his eyes away from the stage.

"Speak for yourself." Ringo scoffed, he didn't see the point in denying it.

"We can head out after Paulie's done." John nodded to gesture towards the man in question.

"Fine." Ringo stretched his legs out in front of him.

If he hadn't been so exhausted from Spike, Ringo probably would've gotten a little excited watching Paul but he was completely worn out. John had a shine in his eyes that Ringo didn't see very often, and his happiness was definitely contagious. They sat watching Paul for another two songs, during which he exhibited a ridiculous amount of core strength that Ringo could only dream of ever achieving. It was obvious that John was hoping to catch Paul before they headed back home, as much as he was trying to hide it, and Ringo probably would've hung around with him had he not been so exhausted or so sure that John was probably going to be back here within the week. In truth the main reason Ringo wanted to get out of there so quickly was because he didn't want to risk seeing Spike again, or rather Spike seeing him again; Ringo happily could've watched him from a safe distance all night but as soon as Spike was looking right back at him, knowing what Ringo was thinking, that was too much.

The cold night air stung Ringo's face and hands as they stepped back out into the street. Luckily his car wasn't too far away and while he was perhaps a little too tipsy to be driving he made sure he stayed off the main roads and never went over the speed limit - he could drive recklessly when he was sober but he'd never risk that when he was drunk. John was the only one talking on the drive back to his place, mostly rambling about things Ringo couldn't understand so he just nodded along and made affirming noises.

John leaned on Ringo for support as they walked up to his front door, Ringo knew he wasn't so drunk that he couldn't walk but he tended to do this when he was feeling a little lonely. Ringo had gotten more than used to it by now, he'd had to carry John to bed bridal style many times over the years so this was nothing. John fell face first down onto his bed which was still unmade and either fell asleep immediately or wanted Ringo to think he had. It had almost become a routine by this point: Ringo drove them home, carried John up to his room, left a glass of water by his bed and tidied up a few bits and pieces on his way out. Occasionally he'd check in John's fridge to see if he had any food in and if it was empty, which it often was, he'd offer to buy or cook the two of them dinner the next day. Ringo wasn't the subtlest about it sometimes, once or twice he'd even shown up with bags filled with groceries and left after handing them over without much of an explanation. John never acknowledged any of these things Ringo did, at least not verbally, but Ringo knew he appreciated them and he was sure John repaid the favour in some ways he wasn't aware of, or very aware of in the case of tonight.

Exhaustion hit like a strong wave once Ringo finally got back to his own place. He kicked off his shoes carelessly in the hallway and staggered into his bedroom; he didn't dare look at the time before he slid into bed, just chucked his phone into the furthest corner hoping that he'd remembered to set his alarm for the following morning. As soon as his head hit the pillow he expected to fall asleep almost instantly but his brain had other ideas. His body was definitely ready for sleep, his eyes were stinging and his muscles ached a little yet his mind was racing. This didn't happen a lot. Ringo was notoriously known for how well he slept and how loudly he snored but tonight that wasn't the case. He couldn't shake the images of the night from his mind or how warm Spike's skin had felt beneath his fingertips or the inviting smell of him. Ringo let out a groan as he tossed and turned, as though vigorous movement would throw the thoughts out of his head. The last thing he wanted to do was give into the urge but the first thing he wanted to do was sleep, and it was a pretty strong urge. Was there any better way to get to sleep than a quick orgasm? Probably. Ringo just had to tell himself that he was doing this purely for that purpose, as he wanked himself off under the covers with his eyes scrunched tightly and his brain filled with thoughts of Spike.

The following day was fairly uneventful, Ringo was up on time to sit eating breakfast in front of the television for an hour before he had to head out for work. It was his weekly lesson with a kid called Peter, he was nice enough and his parents were more than pleasant if not a little stupid. He'd been working with Peter for almost a year and while he'd made a great deal of progress since their first lesson he wasn't showing a massive amount of promise, but at least he was trying. Sometimes Ringo felt like speaking to his parents privately and breaking the news that their son wasn't going to become a world famous drummer, probably not even a locally famous one, but he needed the money too much. Peter was better than a lot of Ringo's students, most of which had watched Whiplash a few too many times and decided they wanted to be the next John Bonham only to give up in two months because it was 'too hard'.

After their lesson ended Ringo decided to walk around town for a little while, usually he'd be out in search of lunch by now but Peter's parents always prepared him some food which he was never too polite to refuse - after all smoked salmon was considerably more appetising than a tepid sausage roll from Greggs. He decided to pop into his favourite record shop, although it wasn't like there were many others to choose from. Despite the accessibility to music his phone provided, Ringo always had a deep love for vinyl records; they were nostalgic somehow, even if they had no significance to his own childhood. Like most record shops, this one sold a fair bit of vintage clothing too although Ringo was never too interested in that. He didn't really have any particular record in mind as he walked in so ended up browsing through the plethora of options. There was only one other person in the shop, excluding the owner who sat behind the counter and gave Ringo a welcoming smile, but it sounded like there were a couple of people downstairs in the clothing section. As Ringo began to flick through some of the records his phone buzzed in his pocket.

        can you bring me coffee???

It was John, which was a little surprising considering he usually didn't wake up until far later in the afternoon if he'd been drinking heavily the night before.

         hello to you too

        i dont have time for formalities i need COFFEE

         why dont you have any coffee in your house

         i dont have time for questions either

         any coffee in particular my liege?

         ha ha          just get me one from maccies pleaseeee

         fine im just in town atm can you wait like 10 mins

         suppose ill have to

         suddenly im too busy

         shut up just bring me coffee ill love you forever and all that

         i should bloody think so too

Ringo chuckled to himself quietly as he put his phone back into his pocket, he took a final quick look at the stack of records then began making his way outside. Before he could make it to the door he suddenly collided with someone who had been turning up from the staircase, which resulted in a few pieces of clothing flying upwards and landing on the ground. Ringo began apologising immediately, crouching down to pick up the clothes to hand them back over. As he straightened back up to apologise for perhaps the fourth time he froze upon seeing exactly who he'd bumped into.

"Spike." Ringo blurted out, his brain had decided to throw the name out as soon as it crossed his mind.

"Only after 9." He responded instantaneously, it must've been a frequent line he used "Do I... Oh! It's you."

"The very same." Ringo chuckled nervously, he wondered whether he'd actually recognised him or was just being polite - Ringo couldn't decide which one he'd prefer.

It was very strange seeing him like this, so normal that it was abnormal. He was wearing a dark blue turtleneck which framed his sharp jaw and hugged his slim body nicely. Over that lay a yellow beaded necklace and his trousers were a dark suede material; he looked good, somehow more alluring when he was fully clothed. Ringo noticed he was staring, he only hoped that Spike hadn't noticed but it was impossible to tell with the unreadable darkness of his eyes. He cleared his throat, as if he couldn't get any more obvious, then held out the patterned shirt he'd picked up so Spike could take it from him. Their hands brushed slightly at the exchange and Ringo felt the hairs on his arm standing up.

"They're nice, er- Nice clothes." Ringo stammered, yanking his hand back to his side.

"Suppose I should be thanking you for them." Spike replied, there was a faint smile on his lips.

"Oh?" Ringo heard the pitch of his voice rising slightly.

"You helped pay for them." Spike explained, the smile grew.

"Well John paid, really. But he does owe me money so I guess I did pay in a way. Glad to see the money's going somewhere good either way." Ringo rambled, once again his mouth was moving before his brain could stop it.

"Right." Spike said, his tone was very final yet he didn't move to leave.

"I best be getting out of your way so you can actually pay for those." Ringo shuffled sideways towards the door, expecting Spike to step backwards to give him some room but he just stood there looking at him - was it not enough to make him suffer at the club, did he have to punish him now too?

"Are you always this nervous?" Spike grinned.

"No I- You just caught me by surprise is all." Ringo forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Okay." Spike squinted his eyes slightly then turned to head towards the counter.

Ringo was surprised he was able to get back to his car without collapsing, all the tension leaving his body as soon as Spike's eyes were off him made him feel practically boneless. Spike didn't look back at him but Ringo supposed he didn't have to, he would've known he was staring at him. Ringo gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove, somehow managing to make it to the drive-through without consciously driving there. He ordered a coffee for John and a milkshake for himself, he figured he could do with a pick-me-up after that atrocious encounter. Not once in all the times he'd gone to that shop had he seen Spike there, and it couldn't have been a case of merely not noticing him before because Ringo definitely would've noticed someone looking like that walking around. It felt like God was playing some cruel trick on him, but in reality it was nothing more than a coincidence married with Spike's cruelty which produced that painful exchange. Ringo tried not to think about it as he drove over to John's but his brain had apparently decided to betray him, just as his mouth had done earlier.

John had took a while to answer the door and Ringo began to worry that he'd fallen back asleep - it was times like this that he figured he may as well have a key to his place. When the door swung open, Ringo burst in a little too aggressively and knocked John backwards slightly.

"Jesus, what's crawled up your arse?" John chuckled as he closed the door "Don't tell me the ice cream machine was broken again."

John's presence calmed Ringo significantly but he couldn't shake the tension in his body completely "Guess who I just bumped into." He set the drinks down on John's kitchen table and took a seat.

"Ooh was it that guy from the train station? Or how about-" John took a seat opposite him and gripped the coffee eagerly.

"You're not actually meant to guess." Ringo interrupted, he tried to sound commanding but it was a little difficult when he was holding a strawberry milkshake.

"Then don't say 'guess' you git. The English language is wasted on you." John put his feet up on the table "Who was it then?"

"Spike." Ringo widened his eyes.

"No shit. Really?" John cackled "What happened?"

"I was at that record shop and he was coming up from the basement and I walked straight into him." Ringo explained.

"Nothing straight about it." John mumbled behind his coffee.

"Funny." Ringo glared "It was so fucking embarrassing, I could hardly speak."

"What did he say?" John asked.

"Nothing really. He probably said about three words so I figured he didn't want to talk to me but he just stood there. I didn't want to be rude and just rush out but looking back I probably should've." Ringo sighed.

"Yeah, you probably should've." John snickered.

"Not helping."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I dunno... I'm sure it wasn't that bad or something."

"Well, was it that bad?"

"He asked me if I was always so nervous."

John burst into laughter "Jesus, Ringo. That's pretty bad."

"Guess that's the last time I'll be going to the strip club, or the record shop for that matter."

"Don't be so dramatic. So you were a little awkward in front of him, who cares?"

"I care."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want him thinking I'm some sort of loser."

"Why do you give a shit what he thinks?"

Ringo didn't say anything, he just held his cup tightly and looked at John straight in the eye.

"Look, you've got nothing to get so worked up about. If he thought you were so pathetic he wouldn't have even spoken to you." John lifted his feet off the table and leaned forward in his seat "He's just messing with you, probably thinks it's funny."

"He was smiling." Ringo mumbled.

"Well there you go." John reached his hand forward and poked at Ringo's arm "You're being ridiculous. Chances are you won't bump into him again, you've gone your whole life without doing it before."

"But-" Ringo began.

"No buts! Unless they're butts on the stage covered in leather I don't wanna hear it." John interrupted "Bottom line is you like watching this guy strip right?"

"Well, yeah-" Ringo tried again.

"So what's the problem? It's not like you found out he's your cousin or one of your students, is it?" John smiled warmly.

"Suppose not." Ringo couldn't help smiling too.

"We really need to get you laid, it's making you crazy. I'm supposed to be the crazy one, don't try and take that away from me." John leaned back in his chair again.

"I don't intend to." Ringo chuckled looking down at his feet.

"So... Same time next week?" John raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"You really hate me, don't you?"

"On the contrary! I love you very much, my dear Ringo. That's exactly why I'm gonna take you back there so you can prove you're not some pathetic weirdo."

"How exactly?"

"Just be yourself, you can manage that can't you?"

"Not quite sure I want to."

"Oh hush. Leave the self-deprecation to me if you don't mind." John paused to sip his coffee "This time next week you'll have forgotten all about this, and I'm sure he will too."

"I guess you're right."

But John hadn't been right. Ringo had thought about that small exchange for days. He found himself picking apart every small moment and trying to rationalise it in his mind: had Spike actually recognised him? Why did he just stand there while Ringo tried to squeeze past? Why had been smiling so strangely the whole time? No matter how many answers Ringo tried to give to himself, the whole situation only became more confusing. He felt like a teenager again, stumbling over his words and blushing at the tiniest bit of contact. It was pathetic, shameful really. Maybe if he just took John's advice and actually went and slept with someone all these weird feelings would just be gone. But he didn't want just someone, he wanted him.

[aoibaratraveler]

UK Road Trip Week 2

Day 8:

We woke up and quickly packed up our stuff not wanting to spend another second in this airbnb especially since the bf got such a bad kink in his neck. We headed to Bournemouth as soon as we bought lunch and there we relaxed on the beach and ate it. The city centre of Bournemouth was unexpectedly busy but it makes sense since the beach there is so nice. We walked around for a couple of hours and played with the new feature on Pokemon go. After leaving Bournemouth, we took a detour to our next campsite and stopped at Lulworth Cove. This area was gorgeous and relaxing to sit and watch the waves at the top of a cliff but it was also packed and after an hour we decided to pitch up at the Osmington Mills campsite. This was the most beautiful campsite we had been to by far It had amazing views of a valley and rolling hills so it was understandably full of people. We pitched up and then drove into the nearby town of Weymouth for burgers. We enjoyed the beach views after dinner while writing a scathing review of our previous airbnb and then headed back to the campsite to tuck in for the night since we were exhausted.

Day 9:

Today I woke up feeling super excited because it meant that I got to see Kevin, the bf’s grandparent’s dog! I have been really looking forward to it! I got up at about 6:30 after having the most uncomfortable sleep by far (was tossing and turning all night) in the tent, got refreshed, looked in amazement at the gorgeous beach with a mini waterfall and there was hardly anyone there, win-win!! We explored for awhile and let the sounds of the ocean waves relax us. At about 11 we decided to head off to the Isle of Portland after getting the bf’s starbucks, we only had about 4-5 hours to explore and sightsee before getting to the airbnb cottage outside of Yeovil where I would be staying with the bf and his family as they prepare for his cousin’s wedding. We drove to the very top of a hill/cliff at the Isle of Portland and it was just fantastic, the sky was mostly clear with nothing but a few pure white fluffy clouds. There were also olympic rings up there since apparently this was the sight of the 2012 London Summer olympics. There was even an old torch which was cool. We explored the cliff area and found a rocky area that seemed to be the remnants of a Roman fort, it had a mysterious and intriguing atmosphere and felt like a rocky canyon of sorts as we walked through it before deciding to scramble up the rocks. The bf and I agreed that we both love a good scramble and talked about possibly doing a climb in Italy together called a via Ferrata which I’m very excited about. We decided it was time to head to the cottage which would be an hour and a half drive away. The cottage itself was beautiful with many rooms and washrooms and a lovely garden, i don’t know about you though but when family photos are up everywhere in a place you’re staying just staring at you, it can make you feel a but unnerved. When the rest of the bf’s family arrived we ended up having to settle for a room with two single beds because the only other option had a sofa bed which was too uncomfortable. The bf’s grandmother thoroughly disliked the cottage because of all the rules, I was just bummed because I couldn’t wash my clothes since apparently the washing machine was off limits. Oh, I forgot to mention Kevin, yes the moment I saw him I was so happy and couldn’t wait to play with him but he was much too energetic to focus on me and just wanted to run circles around the garden but who could blame him after spending four hours in a car. For lunch, the bf’s grandmother made a very carby, delicious assortment of foods. There was a potato salad, a rice salad, boiled potatoes, breaded chicken, and a trifle for dessert. After lunch, the four of us, the bf, his sister (R), and her husband (S), and I went grocery shopping, The bf and I were complete goofballs and had too much fun just messing about and being silly while getting cereal and milk. When we got back we all just talked for awhile in the kitchen and I thought we’d play games but by 21:30/22:00 i was super tired and the bf, R, S, and the bf’s grandad had all gone to the living room from the kitchen and were looking at Netflix while their grandmother and I stayed in there. i’m not sure why but I didn’t want to join them and I was so tired that I just wanted to be alone so I went upstairs, listened to some ASMR and fell asleep. I woke up about an hour later and noticed that the bf had moved some stuff around the room so I decided to get up and brush my teeth, properly say goodnight to everyone and then return to the land of sleep.

Day 10:

Today started off with a rush of excitement as I woke up early and I thought to myself that I needed to be productive and get all of the little things I wanted to get done like planning my blog and reading before going on our hike to Cheddar Gorge which I thought would earlier on in the morning than it ended up being but well everyone else seemed to be taking their time which I mean is understandable but I was just very keen to go and we didn’t end up leaving until 11. When we got there it was packed full of people which made me remember that it was a Sunday so of course it was busy. I had gone in S’s car, R’s husband, so I could sit with Kevin the dog but we got there too fast so we had lost sight of the bf and R and spent a good half hour trying to find them via phone and text but with poor signal all while defending a parking spot for the bf in a layby parking area that we found. I say defending because people were being very aggressive and trying to take it and I know it’s a faux paus to hold a spot but where else was he supposed to park in this madness. We eventually started the walk at 13:00 after finding them and boy was the beginning steep! But what a great butt workout! It was Kevin’s first time in this kind of situation so he refused to have anyone walking in front of him from our group otherwise he’d give out a very nervous sounding, high pitched sort of bark. He needed to lead the pack. Once at the top, the views were spectacular and the winds refreshing. The walk was supposed to take 1hour and 30 mins but we took our time and the 4 mile walk took about 2 hours and 30 mins. We hurried to the cheese shops before they were to close and bought a nice big chunk of extra mature cheddar cheese as a souvenir before heading back. Once we got back, i was delighted to see that the sleeping mats I ordered had arrived. I opened one up to test it out and then the 4 of us, the bf, R, S, and I sat around the table to play card games until dinner and afterwards until the evening.

Day 11:

Today I woke up knowing that it would be an uneventful day because the bf and his family were going to his cousin’s wedding. It was an easy going morning with them leaving at about 12:30. I spent the rest of the day with Kevin and got some things done from my to do list including uploading the first week of my blog! I read my book, had dinner and then took Kevin out for a nice long walk, so just a chill solo day.

Day 12:

Barely slept and woke up feeling exhausted at 6 in the morning because the bf came back drunk from the wedding at midnight yesterday and this was the most drunk I had ever seen him. He inevitably spent the night vomiting so I did what I could to help him and then spent the rest of the morning packing up both of our things while he rested but then I also got my period and felt just as crummy as he did because I was always have the most painful cramps. We had breakfast with R and S after leaving the cottage and then the rest of the day was a struggle for us both until we got to our campsite.

Day 13:

We both woke up freezing today, the weather seems to have turned it’s back on us. Our trip started off very warm, day or night, but the rain has been following us since we left the cottage which makes the nights cold and the days hot and humid. Today the weather wasn’t too good for sightseeing so since we had to anyway, we stopped in a Starbucks to plan the next portion of our trip. We unfortunately had to take the whole of Ireland out of our plan because the costs of this trip are starting to add up and truth be told, a month and 3 weeks isn’t enough time for us to do all that we want to do in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and The Republic of Ireland and we were foolish to think it would be enough time. I’d say more like 2 and a half months to 3 months would be enough time to really see everything and take our time but we just don’t have that or the savings to be able to do so. So we’ll explore England, Wales, and Scotland this time and dedicate an entire trip for Northern/Republic of Ireland later on...once we had wrapped up our planning, we headed to the lush and filled with rolling hills Dartmoor National Park to camp for the night.

Day 14:

Woke up freezing again today at 4 am because I went to sleep without extra layers, very foolish mistake. Tried to do what I could to warm up, thought about staying awake for a bit, but then went to the car to try and and warm up to no avail. In the end, I put on some extra socks and forced myself back to sleep. Woke up two hours later to the morning chorus of “baaa” and “neigh”. To accompany this lovely tune was the sweltering heat from the sun that the tent has captured which was a signal to the bf and me that it was time to pack up and leave. From there we headed to Plymouth to exchange two camping gas canisters bought the day before. While we were there we perused the nearby Waterstones and then bought a delicious steak pasty to share before heading to St. Austell. Once we arrived, we bought flowers for Vanessa’s family and parked out on the road of her house and was greeted by Vanessa’s mother. We put our stuff in the room that we would be staying in and then walked down to Porthpean beach. The bf had been wanting to go to the beach for the longest time and was glad to finally dip his head in the water. On the walk to the beach, we bumped into Vanessa’s twin sister. I had never met her before, and even though I had seen photos before and was able to tell the difference then, I was surprised by how truly identical they are in person. At the beach, the bf played around in the water for a bit and we then skipped stones for a while before heading back. Vanessa’s mother had cooked a vegan lasagne for us all to have for dinner and we chatted with her and  Vanessa’s twin until Vanessa got back from work. We then gathered some snacks, took the hood off their jeep wrangler and went to Caerhays beach for a late night drive in showing of Grease. It was the bf’s first time seeing the film and he found it ridiculous. 

[kizakuza-blog1]

DKs Van Life Take 1: The test

Last year, two weeks before Drew, my partner, and I were ready to set off on our first official overseas trip together, I was admitted to hospital for a week and then told I couldn’t fly.

That feeling of being trapped set in about a month later, when my condition was being managed and I realised I had been told I couldn’t do the one thing I live for – exploring the world.

So what does one do when they are grounded from flying? Camper Van it!! Drew was in love with the idea instantly and we started planning. Wondering whether  buy a van straight up or should we hire first? We decided to do a test trip before we buy and here we are.

The Test. 10 Days going South of Sydney heading to the Great Ocean Road and back through the Barossa Valley. 3,548kms will be travelled in total.

Our hot tips for a van life. Season vanlifers, I’m sure already know these, though for any newbies out there we highly recommend making note:

1.       Baby wipe baths. When you have no idea where you’ll be setting up camp or where the next shower is, baby wipe baths is one way to stay fresh.

2.       Head torches. Even when you have light in the van, it’s never quite enough. When you’re parked in a remote area or if you want to go for some night exploring. These babies are your best friends.

3.       Bucket Toilet. Now when this was first suggested to me I was like, umm really!! But ladies I assure you, in the middle of the night when you’ve parked your van in the most beautiful spot you can find, but there are no facilities, the bucket toilet is your saviour. Whether you make your own or do what we did and invest in one from your local camping store. I promise you’ll be most grateful you did.

Day 1: Heading to our first stay. We chose Tumut, a cute little place with a free camp site, nestled between the mountains and a trout filled river. It was a little in-land as day two takes us to the Milawa Cheese Company before heading down to the Mornington Peninsular. 

Here we are, head touches on, setting up the van for the first time. It’s about 8pm, the roof is popped and I start transferring our things up in the top storage section in preparation to make up the bed. Drew starts prepping to cook up a storm on our little Webber......Then it hit me..….we forgot the doona/quilt/duvet!! Basically we had sheets and a blanket to keep us warm on our first night….Snuggle time!!

For anyone vanning down the east coast of OZ looking for a free camp site. No facilities, however plenty of wood to make a little camp fire, simply put ‘The Tumut Wetlands’ into your GPS. It’ll take you approx. 4hrs 25 mins South of Sydney.

Day 2: After a chilli night, we wake up to a crisp morning and the sounds of the running river. We pack up and head into town for a coffee and to buy a doona. Next stop The Milawa Cheese Company, approx. 3hrs away. We highly recommend stopping in and tasting their cheese. They do sampling between 9am and 4pm and I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Our Favourite, the King River Gold.

From there we start our hardcore drive to Barwon Heads to meet up for a few drinks with. Just over 6hrs drive away.

We had planned to get an unpowered site at the caravan park situated right on the water, but we arrived to late, they were already closed. Good news though, there is a long car park that runs behind it, better view and another score for a free place to set up. As an added bonus it’s a 2 minute stroll to the local pub.

If you’re heading down that way the street name is Ewing Blyth Drive, Barwon Heads.

Day 3: Bells Beach Australia!! Even if you’re not a surfer, everyone has seen the movie and knows about the Classic Bells Beach and the 50 year storm – even though the movie wasn’t filmed at the real Bells Beach, it’s still a destination to visit. Just a short 8 minute drive out of Torquay’s town center. 

This beautiful beach hosts the Rip Curl Pro surf comp every Easter bringing professional surfers from all over the world. Unfortunately, it’s not a Van friendly town, so you need to be strategic when selecting where you set up for the night. There are many breath-taking places, you’ll be right.

Day 4: We consider this our real first day on our little trip, as neither of us have been past this point. We decided to have no real plan, to just take each moment as it comes. For me who is a massive planner, this was the first time ever I was just going with it. And I am loving every minute.

Drew is a massive coffee drinker, can’t start his day without one and recommends popping into the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery before heading on to your next destination. 

Heading down the Great Ocean Road we were both craving a hot shower. Baby wipe baths are great and all, however as we all know, nothing beats a nice hot shower. If you’re driving through Lorne Victoria. Lorne Sea Baths. $10.50 entry, if you have some extra time you can have fun in their pool, relax in the spa and steam room. Although if you’re like us and just in need of a hot shower, this is the place to stop.

Although Lorne provided a great spot to stop for a shower, we decided to move on to Apollo Bay.

The road to Apollo Bay is striking. Winding up and down on the side of the high cliffs, before making your way down to the humble little town on the other side. 

Another town that isn’t camper van friendly, however we were lucky to get a hot tip from a local that told us about a little spot, right next to the beach, where we could set up for the night. And we’re going to share the secret... As you’re driving into the town, with Lorne behind you, take the first left into a little tree covered car park, just before the Big4 Caravan park up on the right.

We love Apollo Bay, it reminds us of the North Shore in Hawaii with stunning mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, the perfect balance of earth and water living side by side.

Day 5: There are many sites to see around Apollo Bay. If you’re into Hiking and seeing the ancient trees and waterfalls, make sure you give yourself time to explore. We took a little 30 minute forest walk through Maits Rest, getting a shameless tourist picture in the famous tree belly, before heading off down the Great Ocean Road to see the remaining 12 Apostles.

It’s wondrous how some eroded rocks being shaped by the battering sea, can attract so many people to see them. As we turn into the first look out, at Castle Cove, we are marvelled, just as the others before us. Mesmerised, watching the sea crash into the bottom of the rocks we start to understand why these awe-inspiring natural structures draw such big crowds every day.

Stopping at every look out to take photos we finished the day at the little community town Port Campbell. We are delighted to hear they had a bush style camping ground for both powered and unpowered sites. Full outside kitchen and hot showers. Unpowered sites are only $10pp. Powered sites $20pp with all proceeds going towards the community. You can also hire fire barrels for $20 deposit and $25 for a bag of wood. Just punch in Port Campbell Recreation Reserve into your GPS. It’s close to town so if you want to eat out, it’s just a 5 minute, easy walk in. After you’ve showered and picked your camp spot for the night. 

Don’t forget your head torches. Although the sky is filled with stars, it’s a dark walk back.

Day 6: As we make our way to the Coonawarra down the remaining Great Ocean Road, we are breath-taken by the structures on the other side of the 12 Apostles. It’s strange no one talks as much about this side of the Great Ocean Road, we think this spectacular coastline, with more sea battered structures are equally, if not better than the reaming 12 Apostles. We highly recommend stopping at every look out to take a peak and many photos. All except the Grotto, you won’t miss anything if you skip that one.

Another place you can skip is ‘Cheese World’. Don’t get excited. It is the smallest world of cheese we’ve ever come across, and really not worth the stop, unless you’re busting for the bathroom.

We pull into the Coonawarra, the town is actually called Penola, punch this into your GPS, not the Coonawarra wine region. We arrived a few minutes before the information center closed and was please to be told there is another bush style camping ground just up the road. This one was nestled amongst the vineyards. It has tepee style tents and one of those igloo ones. $10pp for unpowered sites. $25pp for powered/glamping sites.

Day 7: To the Barossa, after doing a little wine tasting along the Coonawarra strip. More Drew tasting, but a tiny sip was had by myself and with great delight I discovered my new favorite winery. Penley Estate. They have the most exquisite glasses, which are available for purchase. We bought four. Best impulse stop ever.

We decided to stay at the Murray Bridge, before the Barossa. We had set off later than expected and we were in no rush.

Day 8: The Barossa is about 3 hours from the Coonawarra and there’s not too much along the way. So crank that stereo and sing your way through it.

The town was full of people. There was some festival on, it was crazy. We find a side street to park in and walk through the streets towards the sounds of an auction. They were auctioning weird stuff, like a sacks of potatoes at the bargain price of $50. Anyway!! We made our way to find were we had booked a delightful degustation dinner at Appellation. I was so excited, this would be our first degustation. Drew’s more into the hardy meaty meals so the moment he suggested finding a great place for dinner, I was onto it.

Little did I know, he had a plan. I can’t believe I had no idea.

We found where we were going to set up for the night, close the restaurant. We discovered one of my favorite mid week wines ‘The running with the Bulls’, was made by Yalumba so we headed out to their vineyard to see if we could snap a good cellar door price. Unfortunately, no, the price was pretty much the same as I can get at home. Lets go to lunch and find a hot shower.   We found a hot shower and got ready for our amazing dinner. 

The Restaurant had a bar which overlooked the thousands of grape vines scattered amongst the small hills below.   As we sipped out first drink, Drew noticed they had a life size chess set. He loves a competition and we had some time to kill before our reservation. As the sun started to set Drew says he needs his sunnies and went out to the car. I stood there sipping beautiful wine out of a gorgeous Ridel stemless glass, freezing my ass off. Drew comes make, makes a move and then goes in to get more drinks. By this time I was wondering why he wasn’t concentrating on the game and trying to win. 

He urged me to abandon the game and come for a walk in the vines to watch the sun set. And the next thing I know Drew pulls a ring box from his pocket and is down on one knee.   I said yes.   

Wearing my sparkly new ring I couldn’t stop staring at it as we were seated for dinner. The waitress picked up on it and congratulated us with a glass of Champagne. We choose the 4 course degustation menu and were delighted to know that you don’t have to have all four sections. This was perfect for us as we don’t eat dessert. So we worked out how we could try most of the menu in the four courses.   The flavour combinations and presentation was spectacular and the absolute perfect place to celebrate our engagement.   

Day 9: The trek back home begins. There’s not a lot to see today. There’s a whole lot of nothing over the dry plains except for sheep, the odd emu and kangaroo. After 7 hrs of solid driving, we decided to stay at another bush style camp ground at Hay. $10pp, nice hot showers and our last dinner in the van.   

Day 10: It’s time to hand Johnno back. Up bright and early to detail him then back to Sydney we go. We had stopped into Robertson to have dinner with Drew’s mom and celebrate our engagement with his sister and cute little niece and nephew. What an amazing journey. The test score was in…..we will be buying a van.    

Thanks for coming on the ride with us on our first van life adventure. Follow our other travel adventures @kizakuza on Instagram.

[gobigorgohome2016]

Fitness Check: Tobacco Road Half Marathon

Race weekends are so weird. I will never understand how time can move so quickly, yet so slowly, in the span of 48 hours.  

Today I raced the Tobacco Road Half Marathon in Cary, North Carolina.  Everything about this weekend seemed to embody the dichotomy of fast and slow.  

I arrived in NC early Friday afternoon, around 11 AM.  I think this race was first on my radar because my teammate, Andie Cozzarelli, lives in Raleigh and mentioned it to me the last time she raced the Indy Monumental Marathon.  My main motivation for choosing races this year was to choose ones where I could win money.

In the past chasing cash has scared me, because I have been afraid of the gnawing anger / frustration / embarrassment / resentment when the race doesn’t go the way I had hoped, and I don’t win the money I had anticipated.  There is also a factor where trying to win money, and then losing it, makes it feel more real, and scary in a way.  Which is something I need to confront.  

Friday was a lot of fun. Andie and I went for a run, watched approximately 30,000 episodes of Friends, then went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in downtown Raleigh.  I had possibly the best seafood risotto I have ever tasted, paired with a delicious red wine.  Afterwards we watched more Friends.  What I love about my Haute Volee teammates is that they have pretty seamlessly filled the gap that was left after college during racing weekends.  Whenever Andie and I are together we run, do a little bit of work, watch some tv, eat, and talk to the point of exhaustion – just like my college days with my roommates.

Saturday I joined Andie for the end of her long run, then we headed over to the cutest coffee shop I have ever seen for a volee meet up.  A friend of mine who I hadn’t seen since high school lives in Raleigh, and we got together for lunch at a Japanese restaurant.  I ordered pho, solely for the reason that this time last year I went out to dinner with the ZAP Fitness team in Jacksonville and ate pho before running a PR.  

After parting ways with my friend, I took an uber to my hotel.  One of very few perks of Dave traveling all the time is that he can hook me up with Mariott hotels when I am out of town.  I was able to have a suite with a kitchen.  By the time I checked in at 2 PM, I only had 3 hours before the expo closed and I had to pick up my packet (no race day packet pick up).  I still needed another short run, and the expo was 2.5 miles away, so I naturally ran there.  Except, there was no sidewalk.  So I ran on the shoulder of a super busy and scary road.  #fail

By the time I got back to my hotel, I was pretty exhausted.  Even though I had really done nothing in the past 24 hours, I also felt like I had done everything.   I still needed to find some groceries, because I had already eaten the pre-race breakfast I had packed.  #secondfail

Grocery stores were really far away, but, Instacart exists in Cary!  Many struggles and 45 minutes of indecision later, I finally place my order for 18 larabars (literally), yogurt, two blood oranges, a box of instant oatmeal, 3 bananas, a beer, a dark chocolate bar, two kombuchas, and a small carton of orange juice.  Why did I order 18 larabars?  Well, I either could choose to pay $10 for delivery, or reach a certain threshold for free delivery.  18 larabars it was.  

I watched Loyola upset Tennessee, then excitedly got ready for bed because I was SO TIRED.  I had no idea the race was at 7 AM, which meant a 4 AM wake up call.  I turned off the lights at 9, but then COULDN’T FALL ASLEEP.  Normally, sleeping the night before a race is not a problem for me.  I wasn’t even thinking about the race, I just couldn’t fall asleep once I turned out the lights.  First the room was too hot.  Then I had to switch around my pillows.  Then I had to go to the bathroom.  Then the room was too cold.  Then every single person who walked down the hallway sounded like an elephant.  Then I started my period and was having cramps (seriously, my last 10 of 14 races I have started my period within 24 hours of the race.  It’s bizarre).  I remember looking at the clock at 2 AM and thinking to myself, just get 90 minutes of sleep.  

Even though I didn’t get a good night’s rest, I woke up feeling pretty good.  I had my breakfast and watched MTV.  I’ve had to give up coffee before races because I don’t think it does anything for me.  Instead, I drink green tea.  I packed a hand-made tea bag of roasted green tea that I bought in San Francisco for my morning cuppa.  

My friend, Tim, picked me up at 5 AM to head over to the start.  You know what’s cool about racing competitively?  You accumulate friends all across the country who are willing to do things like drive out of their way to pick you up.  

The next part is pretty standard:  talk with your runner friends while waiting for the start, use the porta potty 30 times, run warm up, do drills, take off clothes, pee in the woods because the porta potty line is too long, do some strides, get nervous, gun goes off, fall into rhythm.

Funny story:  the Tobacco Road is a crushed gravel trail. Basically, this race weekend was the most type B weekend of my life.  I had no idea it was a trail race because I didn’t read the website.  Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have done the race had I realized, but fortunately “trail” meant a nice crushed limestone / hard-packed dirt, tree-lined path.  

The course elevation map looked hilly.  I thought the race was going to be hilly.  Then people told me, no!  the course if very fast and flat!  I have determined that when you have a race in your hometown, you decide it is either the hardest, hilliest race in the country, or the flattest and fastest. Well, this race was neither.  The first 2.5 miles (and subsequently the final 2.5 miles) were moderate rollers, while the middle miles on the tobacco trail were long, gradual inclines / declines.  There were a few areas that were more treacherous than others, but nothing worse than that random gravel path we had to run down at the Trials.  

My plan had been to start at 5:45 effort and make adjustments as necessary.  Fortunately we warmed up on the first mile of the course so I realized that 5:45 effort was going to be significantly slower, because of both the wind and the hill.  My first mile was ~5:52 (I think).  I had overheard eventual race winner talking on the line with someone and make plans to go for 73ish min.  My plan was to let her go, then reassess the situation at 4 miles and figure out what I needed to do to catch her.  Meanwhile, within the first mile it became apparent there was going to be a struggle for second.  A woman was right with me, and surging hard to try and drop me.  

photo cred:  Andie.  Taken ~2.5 mi into the race before the wheels fell off

A big goal of mine this year has been to compete more.  To be honest, I don’t love this situation.  I am very comfortable running alone.  I don’t love to do battle at the time (of course if I come out on top I’ll tell you otherwise).  So, every time she made a surge, I went with her and then put in a surge of my own.  I did this 4 or 5 times before dropping her for good, around the 6 mile mark. Splits that I remember:  3 miles, 17:30, 4 miles:  23:04; 5 miles:  28:50, 6.6 miles:  38:00. The way back was a death march of sorts. I’m not sure what happened. Certainly the way back had more long, gradual climbs, which are not as easy for me as steep hills (they never have been; I think it’s just the way my body is built and the fact that I grew up training in the dunes).  Also, I definitely thought the wind was in my face on the way out, but it turns out it was most certainly in my face after the turnaround (there was talk of a shifting wind conspiracy.  I would have to agree).  

Something I noticed during the race was that I was far less concerned about where I was on the course because my only goal in the short term was to stay in 2nd place. I knew that I was gaining on first, but I was also on the struggle bus myself.  There was a very real feeling at mile 8 of just get through 1k at a time.  

Final finishing time: 1:17:43.  

Am I happy with that? No.  To be honest, I am pretty disappointed.  But, I also realize I am incredibly fortunate to be able to say that a sub-78 minute half marathon is a “disappointment,” especially when I earned enough money to cover a student loan payment, a car payment, and a couple weeks of groceries.  It’s also a matter of perspective.  When I was training for my PR marathon, I ran a 5 mile road race 7 weeks before Twin Cities. I ran 28:45 and was beyond ecstatic with a new PR.  Today, I went through 5 miles in 28:50 and still had 8.1 miles to go.  7 weeks out from the trials I ran 1:17:19 on a course that was flat and didn’t have gravel.  To quote Brene Brown, the middle is messy, but that’s where the magic happens.  

I have had quite a few setbacks recently.  It’s hard to acknowledge setbacks, but also not allow them to let you feel like you’re spiraling out of control.   

My coach reminded me today that I strive way too hard for perfection, when all I have to be is good.

Regardless, I asked Coach Dean if I could set up an appointment with him this week, because I think a mental game tune-up never hurts.  

Even though I consider myself a highly Type A person, I did a whole lot of Type B things this weekend:

-have no idea I was running a trail race

-have no idea what time the trail race started (there was a point in time where I banned myself from running 7 AM races because it requires waking up at 4 AM…)

-wait to get my bib number until the last possible minute, then get stuck running down a highway

-forget to grab my gels when I went to the starting line

The great thing, though, is that none of this bothered me.  I think there was a point in time where I would have freaked the f*ck out if any one of these things happened, let alone all of them.  

So, what would I have done differently?  Absolutely nothing.  77:43 is where I’m at right now.  It’s not the worst place in the world to be, that’s for sure.  I wish I was faster, but all I can do about that is keep working and making the right investments into my training.  

[abyssopelagic-alexithymia]

Instinct&Mystic Adventures

So I got my roommate playing Pokemon Go, and we’re moving from a mostly Instinct town to a town of mostly Valor and a few Mystic. Few Instinct so far, it seems.  I’m Instinct, and he’s Mystic. We have been friends for seven years but we’ve never lived together before (and because we get asked a lot--no, we’re not romantically involved with each other, though we are both poly). 

I’ve been noticing a few funny things while we move slowly over the month and set up the new apartment. 

1. I live most of my life on gut feeling. I’m also the one good at finding things out of all our friends. Thus I was put in charge of apartment hunting. There were days I didn’t look at all, and there were days I looked for long hours because I knew there was something perfect out there waiting for me to find it. On one such day I found a few good ones to look at and asked my roommate to make the calls (I have a day job where I can’t have my phone, he doesn’t). I had debated about putting an apartment on the list that was out of our price range, but there was just SOMETHING about the place. I put it on and took it off the list three times before I finally just added it. 2. My roommate made some calls and while we were able to get one showing on a weekend, the other two were on a weekday so I couldn’t go and the others hadn’t called him back. Now, attendance at my job is a big deal, but the closer and closer we got to the date the more antsy I was that I HAD to be there. One of my partners was going too, because they’d know what I’d look for in an apartment and I trusted them to pick one I’d like (they’re Valor, by the way haha). But I just HAD to be there. So the day before I told my boss I’d probably call out the next day because I need a place to live, and I did so. We get there and the first place is absolutely terrible. My partner is asking good questions neither of us thought to ask and the whole place feels like a trap. The second place we show up and they basically say “oh yeah you do have an appointment but we can’t do it today, sorry”. (Had the appt for a week.) We’re sitting with my partner while they have their car appointment that was that day (and the reason they had that Tues off) and I get that feeling again. Tell my roommate “call up the other places, tell them we happen to be in town and do they have ANYTHING we can look at? Try the weekend place too. Apologize for the short notice”. We get ahold of the people we’re supposed to meet up with that weekend, and they say to come on over.  3. We end up looking at the apartment that’s been taken off the list three times due to price. It looks better in person than it did online. As we’re walking around the landlady goes “oh yeah and they’ve just decided to come down on the price *lists off suddenly affordable rent*”. We let them show us one more place but we basically say we want that one on the spot. We fill out the application and I get the call next morning that we got the place. (Wouldn’t have even looked if I hadn’t been there that day, my roommate told me he wouldn’t have thought of asking--and that place would have been gone by the weekend for the price we got.)

4. My roommate finds my hunches amusing. We’ve been taking our time moving in on weekends because we can, and I woke up one weekend morning thinking “I should check Craigslist for furniture” (we’ve been sorta furniture hunting for good deals in the area). I hop on and I’ve been looking for a new bureau because I’ve never had one that isn’t a hand-me-down and my current one is falling apart after passing to me through my mom and some other relative. I end up finding a converted armoire that has been upcycled (I love upcycled stuff) with a color that matches the new bedroom and is a 15 min drive from our new place. The ad was posted a couple hours before, and I’m the first responder. (I got it. I can’t wait to actually use it haha.) My roommate mentioned that he needed to find a desk too. As we’re driving to the place that has the armoire, they also happen to be selling a desk (it wasn’t the size he wanted, but was painted in two of my favorite colors so I snagged both for a deal) and we ended up finding a desk for him on the same road, out in someone’s driveway with a sign that it was for sale. Roommate got a deal on his too, because the thing is heavy and large and the guy wants it gone. It barely fit in the car or up the stairs, but we got it haha. I think after this whole experience and the years we’ve known each other he’s just starting to take the gut feelings as fact.

5. When hanging pictures my roommate likes to line things up with the moulding on the doorframes, or the tops of furniture (such as lining a picture above a short bookcase up with the top of the tall bookcase next to it), where everything is square and neat. I, on the other hand, like to play around with shapes and various heights and match things by color into an interesting pattern. He had never really seen this done before, and was somewhat fascinated. Where it works, we line things up with the walls and furniture, but we also play around. We’re both happy with the walls so far. 

6. I’ve been dubbed the decorator because he has openly admitted that he doesn’t know what he’s doing, nor does he understand what makes a place “homey” vs “oh look a person kinda lives here”. (Neither of us believe this is because he’s a man, by the way. He just doesn’t understand decorations.) I’m good at building nests. 7. We agree on a lot of politics, but not all. While the discussion stays respectful (we are good friends, after all) I’ve noticed I’m the one to get more emotional about it and I’m the one to usually change the subject after a while to something we both enjoy. He’d be content to delve deeper into the subject, but I get bored or want to change up what I’m feeling.  8. We can both appreciate the same thing but for different aspects of it. Our new living room is directly off of the entry way. Knowing myself, while living basically alone the couch was a prime sex spot for one of my friends with benefits and I. I mentioned the possibility of hanging a curtain on the doorway that leads into the entry from the living room, so that whomever is in the living room has privacy if stuff starts happening and one of us come home. He loved the idea, 1. because he knows me and 2. because he found it a very logical and practical solution. I love that he loved it 1. because I’ve already made use of the curtain and 2. he rationally knows me as a person and doesn’t expect me to change something that doesn’t negatively impact anything in either of our lives. (We actually have pretty open discussions about sex, that’s how our friendship kinda started--”oh, you like talking about this ‘taboo’ subject too because you also find it fascinating and also believe communication is important?”--that’s basically how it started haha.) 9. He has already had to remind me not to bring any more pets home now that we’ll be living (and I may be working) near a pet store. 10. As the most responsible one, he is in charge of bills.

[odetoilette]

I miss maps! Or the amazing race.

Today was a day of exploration, frustration, confusion and exhaustion. I am calling it my amazing race day. You know when you watch the show and they struggle with the language and the driving. Well today was that day...then throw in technology. In reflection I understand now why the contestants aren't given phones or gps...because they can be totally useless!

We are travelling in 2 cars...there is no race (well except anyone who knows me knows everything is competitive). But we do not want to keep people waiting right?

First difficulty...exiting a parking lot. I know sounds simple...but if you can't read the screen instructions is it simple? Frustration begins to mount...the lever won't rise did we pay twice the ticket won't come out where is the receipt...😣

Success!! We exit thrown immediately into traffic with Google maps that struggled to adjust quickly enough for the reality of the streets. We stop observing our surroundings...sorry mom and dad for mocking you and your gps when we traveled across Canada. We relied on technology...first mistake. Why did I not pick up a map??

The drive should be 15 min. We miss the crucial turn...I enter the wrong destination (the town name instead of the site). We end up on a big highway...no exit for 10 km. I start trying to get a map on my phone looking for the route number I need. We drive past the next exit. Meanwhile google lady keeps giving directions. I plot out a new route. We ignore google for now. We settle down. We arrive at the town about 50 min. later...other car texts where are we? 3 min away I say. But we can't find the abbey. I search frantically for a new address. Then our car gps...which has been silent thus far as we can not get it to accept any destinations, starts barking orders. 2 automated voices 2 different instructions 1 frustrated navigator 1 frustrated driver I know what you are thinking you wish you were with us, right? 😜

Car 2 sends a link....we are 15 min. North. We switch directions. Finally 75 min after we left we arrive only 60 min late. They beat us by about an hour and they had taken 10 min to get out of the parking lot!

We get out...run to the loo quickly glance around the abbey and head to the only restaurant in town that is open...holiday monday. We eat a delightful lunch. Funniest question asked by C to me upon arrival...how is the marriage doing? Followed by a laugh. Confession time..not so good followed by another laugh and a suggestion that maybe spouses should not be driver and navigator.

We set our course for the next abbey. No problemo. We had driven this way before. And...S disabled the gps voice sonow we have one only. Stress knotch goes down 1 level. Uneventful.

Because of our delay it is now late afternoon. I ask should we skip the next town and head to our accomodation after all we have about 3 more hours of driving ahead. A quick discussion no we will keep to the plan. We set the same route into Google maps and arrive at the same time...well car 2 pulled into the lot first...and then joked beat you again. We wander enjoy a lovely dinner with a charming waitress who had a smattering amount of english but a gregarious personality that helped us understand.

Dang these late dinners...restaurants don't serve dinner until after 7 pm. So we have about an hour and 45 min drive ahead and we are leaving the restaurant at 9:15. Google maps is set in both cars. No problemo right??

Wrong. 2 permanent road closures that google maps does not seem to know about. Google girl keeps yelling, okay maybe she didn't yell but it feels that way as she keeps sending us back. I frantically try again to get the big picture of the lay of the land on a tiny phone....I NEED A MAP!!! I reroute us. Google girl recalculates...back on track. Well until we take D112 instead of D112A. So the error here...voice said take second roundabout exit screen said take D112...not the same. We of course took the wrong one. The good thing is that both cars are together at this point and Google has another way. We adjust...on a long dark country road...single lane. We come to a town and we are directed down a skinny lane with walls on each side...no really is this a road? All our instincts are screaming...NO! But we go..it turns out okay. We manage to get to our destination...I had unknowingly booked in a pedestrian only area. So at 11:30 at night we struggle with parking and getting unloaded.

S and I run ahead to unlock the house. No problemo right? I am a lock master...I know codes. Easy peasy. We find the backyard. I unlock the lock box extract the 🔑 place it in the lock and voila! We are in! Not! The key won't unlock the door....hmm maybe this is why the owner wanted to know when we arrived. But being problem solvers we decide maybe the key is to the front foor. I know brilliant aren't we! Well except the 🔑 is now stuck in the lock. Seriously?! We can not get it out. I call the owner my call is rejected. I message he responds I need to find the lock box and enter the number. Really you don't say. S decides to go grab the others and get luggage. I send a couple more messages about the lock...he says call...i tell him i did...phone battery is 12%. I struggle with the 🔑....miracle it comes out! Hallelujah! I run to the front door....there is no door knob on the front. Defeat. But...it is now 11:45 and I will never give up...so back to the back and try the dang key again...it works (insert angels singing here or Bre dancing to never give up). I message the owner...we are in.

The tired and wound up travellers arrive. We sort out rooms in this quirky old house. Then sit down to unwind to either with wine coffee or tea, whatever you needed. Off to bed.

Lesson of the day: maps are our friends.

Lesson 2: the phone with the european sim card was better able to navigate than the roaming one. We were one step behind.

[goodluckkatie]

King of the Hill

Part 4

Now where were we, oh that’s right.. we were drinking a beer at 10:30 AM!

Now a few things were going through my head at this point. First being “Um, its 10:30 in the morning, is he really about to start drinking that?” Which is answered immediately as he pops the cap and nearly finishes the entire thing in one swift swig. But then I think “Well clearly he is not that broke since he was able to purchase beer on his way up here.”

He looks at me after finishing the beer and says, “You want to get up and get ready and we will head into town before the movie? You can show me around the area.”

Again, I’m confused, but that tends to be a reoccurring thing at this point. As he is opening his second beer (at 10:35am) I say “Sure.” I am still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. He hasn’t been up to this area so showing him around seemed like a good idea. So, I got up and started getting ready.

After four beers in for him and me showered and ready to be seen in public I ask, “Do you want to eat lunch here before we leave, the movie isn’t for a few hours and we aren’t eating till after?” He says “Nah” and assures me he isn’t hungry and will be good till after the movie.

He finishes his fifth beer for the morning and we head out.

We vape our way into town like normal and I start showing him around. Not even 20 mins into town and he says, “Babe lets go eat somewhere, I’m starving. What’s good around here?” I think to myself “SURELY, if this man is bringing up lunch after I already offered to eat at home he is going to pay…Right!? He can’t possibly stick me with another tab.”

I ramble off a few places and he chooses a Mexican restaurant we are close to.

We get in and seated and start to place our orders. Low and behold, he orders a beer. At this point…I just can’t.  NO MORE BEER COUNTING!

We finish our lunch, he downs another beer and 2 mimosas, and it comes. The check. The waiter sits it at the edge of the table. At this point I know I am not reaching for it. I figure two can play this game!

Something I need to point out- I am usually a very open and verbal person. I don’t mind speaking my mind. I don’t mind making an ass out of myself when needed. I don’t mind standing up for myself and I sure as hell don’t mind telling someone when they are wrong. HOWEVER, something I have come to realize in my dating experiences the last 3 years, I am the complete opposite with men and relationships per say. I am submissive and tend to follow in line with the very old fashion roles. I find myself unable to speak in moments like this. EVERYTHING runs through my mind but to actually say it out loud does not come easy for me. I can’t stand the thought of being rude or disrespectful to that person. I can’t stand the feeling of taking that man’s balls, so to say.  I basically become a mute in these moments. (I’m working on it ladies, no judgments! Remember!)

So, with all that being said, 20 minutes pass and I can’t take it any longer. I grab the damn check, hoping he will say, “No I got this” but knowing better at this point. He says nothing. I pay for the damn food and start heading for my car not even looking to see if he is behind me.

I was furious with him. I was furious with myself. How could I have let him put me in this position and not even speak for myself? I wanted this weekend to be over with!

I drive to Walgreen's to pick up a bottle of water for the movie that was starting soon. I browse the candy aisle for a few minutes and head to the register, basically ignoring I have company with me. I set my stuff down to pay and, well you guessed it.... My little scrub (because he has officially eared that title by this point) puts his stuff down as well and starts looking around, completely obvious he is avoiding the important part of what comes next…PAYMENT! Once again… I pay.

At this point I want to throat punch myself and shove his Douche Flute down his.

As we sit down in the movie and I am fuming from all of this, he begins to tell me how excited he is to see the movie. I let out a little laugh at this point (what else can I do).

Now I won’t give any spoilers but for those of you who have seen Avengers End Game… will understand the irony of this movie and his love for Iron Man.

It was like my little small piece of karma in that moment. (Petty, I know but I was taking whatever I could get at that point.)

Three hours pass and the movie ends. I am refreshed and calmed down. We start to walk outside, and I am in no shape or form hungry. I ask him if he was still wanting to go to dinner since we had such a big lunch, and OF COURSE he says yes. I think to myself, “I AM NOT PAYING. No way shape or form am I going to allow this to happen again!”  So, with a smile on my face I agree.

Now this burger place we go to is a little different. You order as you walk in, they hand you cups, you pay and then you go get your drink and sit down. We order, the lady behind the desk hands us our cups and tells us the total. Next thing I know, this man is GONE! GONE! He had done took his cup and headed straight for the coke machine leaving me standing there with a line of people behind me. I am shocked. As I hand my card to the lady at the register I say, “I picked a real winner, didn’t I. Dumb fuck.” (Excuse the language.) She gives me a look of pity and hands me my card back.

I catch up to my scrub and we sit down. Now at this point, I am not even talking anymore. He is admiring all the beers they have available and I stare at the wall like he isn’t even in the room.

Our food arrives, and I start picking at mine. I wasn’t hardly hungry, so I didn’t get much and at this point I had lost all my appetite. He begins eating and after finishing only half of his burger, that’s right HALF, he proceeds to tell me he is full.

…………….

Do I even need to point out what is wrong with this picture? No? I didn’t think so… but I will.

This scrub insists on going out to eat again, bails on paying again, and then has the audacity to only eat HALF of the damn food?

Women have KILLED men for less than this shit! Seriously, look it up!

At this point, I just get up and start walking out. I figured maybe if I was lucky I could make it to my car before he does, and I could leave him there. But as I am getting in, my little scrub is making himself comfortable in the passenger seat.

I drive. I just drive as fast as I can home. The sooner I can separate myself from this man the better.

The entire way to my house he talks about the floods that were currently happening between his house and mine. He expresses his concern about not making it back home the next day. Even makes the comment, “I guess I can stay up here till they go down the end of next week.”

“OH HELL NAH”

A light goes off in my head. THIS IS IT. This is my chance to get rid of him TONIGHT!

Absolutely NO WAY is this man staying another night.

I eagerly say, “You should leave tonight. Yeah as soon as we get back you should leave.”

He of course has no clue why I want him to leave, he assumes I am worried about his well being. Hell NO! I am worried about him being stuck at my house! About having to support this scrub for a second longer.

As soon as we arrive to my house I am pushing him out the door. He debates and goes back and forth about leaving. I ignored everything he was saying. Can’t even honestly tell you what all he rambled off. All I was concerned about was making sure he had all of his stuff (I could not risk him leaving anything behind and him having to come back for it). I encouraged him to get on the road as fast as he could and started taking his bag to the car. Next thing I knew, I had loaded up all his belongings in his car… even his beer cooler!  I am not even sure he set down at my house between the time we arrived, and the time I had him packed!

He gets in his car.

And just like that, I watched him pull away. He was gone! And then I danced. Yep, I did a happy dance right there in my door way!

Now I know what you are thinking, “That’s it? She didn’t yell at him? She didn’t shove his douche flute down his throat?”

No, to all!

At this point I was done. I had no intentions of seeing him again however, I would like to finally share some GREAT news with everyone!

WE ARE ENGAGED!!!

………

HAHAHAHAHAHA Kidding, come on now! 

He left, and I have not seen him since.

Later that evening, he messaged me saying how much he missed me. My response was, “We need to talk about what happened this weekend, I am very upset about having to pay for everything.”

He responds with “Let’s talk about it later after I get home and settled.”

Now at this point I think speaking about it on the phone is better than in text, so I agree.

I don’t hear from him the rest of the night.

Next day comes and he hardly says two words to me.

At this point I am putting no effort in. I have fully checked out and could care less if I hear from him again.

A few days pass and he messages me randomly. He starts the conversation with asking me why I got so mad at him over something so petty. I take this opportunity to finally vent all those frustrations I have had built up. I lay everything out on the line and tell him exactly how incredibly messed up everything he did was.

His response…. That I was the most “conceited” person he had ever met.

I can’t even make this shit up! 

Now in this moment I felt that confusion again.

I say “Um…. I am not sure you understand what that word actually means but regardless I am not going argue with you. I am done. Best of luck.”

“Bye” he replies.

I felt relieved, I was finally done with this entire nightmare.

But then…..30 minutes later.

I receive another message from him. “I don’t care anyways. I have a date tonight.”

IF you could of only have seen the eye role at this point. My teenage daughter would have been like “Dayyyyyyuuummmm momma still got it!”

I respond (against my better judgement) “Clearly you still do because you are still messaging me but either way…Best of luck on that date tonight! Hope it goes great for you two.”

He then replies with “OHH it will. She lives here so I won’t have to make a 200-mile round trip to just be criticized the entire time.”

Then he sends...

And that was it ladies and gents. A 27-day streak ended with a thumbs up!

Notes to self:

1-If he pulls out a douche flute….RUN

2-If he cracks open a beer at 10:30AM…..RUN

3-If he is OKAY with letting you cover him financially…….RRRRRUUUUUUNNNN

You deserve better than a scrub….and so do I!

THE END

[thewanderindiaus-blog]

Trekking In Amarnath Holy Cave - Lord Shiva

It was route back in the year 2002 when I originally found out about "Amarnath Yatra" from my maternal uncle, who previously visited the place of worship quite a while in the past at that point. I was captivated by his story making out of "day off", "chilly", "excellent mountains", "wonderful views" and some more. Not even in my teenagers at that point, I concluded that one day I will likewise scale the statures of that great home.

From that point forward, such a significant number of years passed. In 2018, I understand, I need to visit the sacred Amarnath cavern and consequently I went to my maternal uncle. This time for gathering specialized subtleties and prerequisite for the said trek. In any case, my uncle grinned at me and said with this constitution, I can't finish that course, which I thought was directly as I was 90 Kgs at that point. Be that as it may, uncle's words squeezed me parcel and now I accept this as a test to finish this trek.

So one fine morning of December-2018, myself with my two partners chose to visit Amarnath heavenly cavern. I was most eager as it was my first trek in the Himalayas around then. Yet, a hurried choice of trekking in the Himalayas without planning can be risky, So I began to take a shot at my wellness from the following morning and free very nearly 10 Kgs till July-2014 and furthermore adequately picking up stamina and perseverance, which prepares myself for the trek. I likewise purchased a couple of new trekking shoes for me from online store.

Presently the genuine procedure of coming to Amarnath cavern starts. We got ourselves enlisted for the yatra on the web, as it is a yearly occasion for explicit period and that too in a rough Himalayan territory. For one to take this journey, he had not exclusively to enroll himself for the yatra, yet he needed to acquire a medicinally fit declaration from assigned emergency clinics/specialists of "Shri Amarnath ji Shrine Board" and afterward need to get a license from Designated J&K Bank or Punjab National Bank. We done all these official works by our own costing around Rs. 300/ - per individual.

Day-1 "Beginning from Nagpur"

We three prepared for the outing, boarded a medium-term train at Nagpur (Maharashtra) on and arrived at New Delhi on sixth by 01:30 PM. From that point we go to our rest rooms at New Delhi railroad station, where we spruce up, had our lunch and take rest for the remainder of the time. We boarded our next train around evening time, which will take us to Jammu by next morning.

Day-2 "Coming to Jammu and drive to Pahalgam"

We reach Jammu at 06:00 AM. In the wake of having shower and spruce up we prepare ourselves for the lengthy drive to Pahalgam from Jammu, which is in excess of 250 Kms and which is all on National Highway 1A. The magnificence on the way is immaculate. Can't be portrayed except if visiting the area by and by. The rich green mountain valleys, wild mountain blossoms like a bright floor covering on mountain side and sparkling snow topped pinnacles of the Mighty "Pir Panjal" mountain ranges. Around then, that was my second visit to the lovely state. I recently visited J&K in 2018 with my family and after that too we had taken a similar course, however the magnificence of these scenes are worth numerous visits and I had just two around then. In the wake of intersection the Jawahar Tunnel (longest street burrow in India) we came to Pahalgam by 07:00 PM on that day. By then it was practically dim there and the climate there is chilling. We rapidly de-boarded our vehicle and get into our room and under those blankets as the temperature there is two low. After some time, when we become accustomed to the temperature, we haul out our comfortable garments from the rucksack and put them on to go for a stroll in the Pahalgam town. It was an excellent encounter. After a lengthy drive and meandering around walk, we feel extremely eager, so we return to our inn, had our supper and by putting our cell phones in charging, went under the blankets to have a sound rest, with the goal that we can get up right on time and begin our adventure towards Chandanwari from where we will begin our trek towards the "Heavenly Cave"

Day-3 "Pahalgam to Chandanwari and to Sheshnag"

Following day, we get up all around promptly toward the beginning of the day and after spruce up, we take our vehicle at 04:30 AM, which will drop us at Chandanwari. Here I simply needs to make reference to one thing that early wake up and flight for Chandanwari is exceptionally suggested as in light of the fact that as the day advances, heaping up of vehicles for the yatra makes congested road, which could postpone the arranged trekking program. Despite the fact that we get up ahead of schedule, there is a smidgen of jam at the check post. We reach Chandanwari at about 05:30 AM

In the wake of remaining in a line for almost 60 minutes, we at long last touched base at the check post, where we demonstrated our yatra license and subsequent to doing with the security check, we can really started our trek just at 07:00 AM.

(Day 1 of the trek):- 

Day one of the trek should take us from Chandanwari to Sheshnag, the primary campground of our arranged trek. By the gift of ruler Shiva, the climate that day was pleasant. Splendid daylight welcomes us directly from the beginning check post, which was a superb thing as great climate during trekking in the Himalayas is a powerful shelter and furthermore the beautiful magnificence can be delighted in to its full.

For coming to Sheshnag from Chandanwari which is at 9500 Ft from MSL, we needed to trek for around 12 Kms. Be that as it may, the bend in the story is that, the initial 3 Kms from Chandanwari to Pissu Top is a precarious rise. There is a rough way which is tight and soak, to aggravate the issue increasingly, liquefying snow during that time makes heaps of mud and slop in the track. One should be exceptionally cautious in this segment as horse's and steeds are likewise employing on a similar track, many time we got hit by those too. Be that as it may, despite the fact that there are loads of challenges during this underlying 3 Kms, we at long last came to the "Pissu Top". We were depleted, however subsequent to coming to there and seeing the amazing perspective on snow clad mountain we feel restored once more.

Subsequent to taking 15 minutes rest there, we began once more. The trail from Pissu Top isn't intense, a continuous climb to Zojibal and an exceptionally slow slide to arrive at Nag Koti. The excellence of these spots can't be depicted on paper, simply look these snaps.

In the wake of resting for around 10 Mins, we began our trek once more. The trail upto "Sheshnag" is somewhat troublesome, however not an extremely intense one. Somebody with great wellness can without much of a stretch make it. There is no further ceasing point after one crosses Nag Koti and furthermore there is no authorization for outdoors in the middle of till Sheshnag. So we need to reach Sheshnag at the soonest with the goal that we can have a sound rest and set ourselves up for following day's intense trail.

At about 1:00 PM on that day, we had our first look on the sheshnag gathering of mountains and the Sheshnag lake in the middle of them. By encountering that see, we nearly strolling energetically on the mountain trail to reach there. We came to Sheshnag campground at stature of 11700 Ft at about 01:30 PM. Furthermore, after rapidly having our lunch in the free langars (which are abundant in numbers along the whole trek course, with menus including 4 to 5 course everything being equal (Breakfast, lunch and supper)) we rapidly get inside our tents and set down ourselves on the beds. Tents with beds can without much of a stretch be reserved by paying Rs.200/ - per head every night at the campground as it were.

Day-4 (Day 2 of the trek) "Sheshnag to Holy Cave by means of Panchatarani"

In the wake of encountering my longest rest (i.e from 2:30 PM to 04:00 AM ) I was especially prepared to trek further towards the Holy Cave. However, Alas ! adversity strikes ! One of our individuals has endured a medical problem and was not ready to trek without anyone else. So we chose to pass by horse till Panchatarani.

The trail from Sheshnag to Panchatarani should be a difficult one, as there is no water point and the whole trail was loaded with day off. So it is fitting o convey adequate water in rucksack.

Sitting on the back of horse, we initially rise steeply from 11700 Ft to 14500 Ft to reach Mahagunas top, on the way we crosses Warbal and the most delightful Mahagunas Pass.

In the wake of intersection Mahagunas top, while coming to Pabibal, my Pony's one of the leg got struck in day off the creature twists forward and the force of the ride puts me off the horse and I descended vigorously, fortunately for me I fall on a delicate day off, I didn't get injured. I rapidly get up and proceeds with our ride till Panchatarani (12700 Ft). at about 11:30 AM. Be that as it may, it is worth to make reference to that the trail from Sheshnag to Panchatarani is a significant intense one and riding a horse is a decent decision as the full cold trail and chilling breeze of Mahagunas pass could make life troublesome during the trek.

Leaving every one of those setbacks, hardships, tiredness behind, we immersed ourselves in those captivating perspectives on knolls and mountains. While tasting some espressos, are in all respects exorbitant, which is clear in this landscape, we investigate Panchatarani and we as a whole got astonished by the magnificence of that place. Panchatarani is directly at the base of "Bhairav Mount". The perspective on that spot is perfect, brilliant or whatever we can say is little for that place. So a few pictures are clicked to catch recollections of that.

The separation of Holy Cave from Panchatarani is 6 Kms. At about 11:30 AM, we begun from Panchatarani, this time individually. We first crosses a stream, which is extremely shallow, however a decent quality water verification trekking shoes are exceptionally prudent, in light of the fact that the chilling water can cause genuine consequences for feet. After that we ascended steeply for couple of hundred meters and in the wake of intersection a tough mountain landscape for just about an hour , we had our first look at the "Blessed Cave" "Amarnath Ji". I can't avoid myself to take a depiction.

The look at the Holy Cave and the Chants of "Har Mahadev" invigorates us to arrive at that spot considerably more rapidly. In any case, again the territory from here is the whole distance canvassed in snow till the "Sacred Cave". We proceeded with our voyage in all respects gradually and cautiously over the day off through the market to a point pretty much 500 Mtr from the Holy Cave, where on should left the entirety of his assets, for example, knapsack, water bottles, shoes, sticks and so on in an assigned asylum and get a token from that point free of cost, which can be stored at the season of reclaiming the effects after darshan of the Ice Lingam inside the Holy Cave.

We were presently couple of feet away of seeing something uncommon in our life, we went to the stairs that prompts the Holy Cave. At about 04:30 PM, we had our eyes stale of the Ice Lingam for few moments till a security me requested that we push ahead. Yet, those couple of moments are precious as anything, "Recollections of Lifetime". All our torment, weariness, tiredness disappears inside split seconds after the Darshan.

From the outset, we had intended to remain in a camp close to the Holy Cave, however when we had our darshan, it begins drizzling, So we chose to trek back to Baltal as downpour can be risky in Himalayas. So despite the fact that the downpour does not proceeds with further, following a couple of minutes of photograph shoot we began back. Baltal is on the opposite side of the Holy Cave, most pioneers take this course to return. However, this track does not go to Pahalgam, rather it goes to Sonmarg from where our taxi was reserved to drop us at Shrinagar.

The trail from Holy cavern to Baltal is limited and brimming with free rocks, while slight shortcoming in strolling can make genuine wounds legs (as going down is more testing than coming up as holding in stones is troublesome). At any rate the rock trail closes at "Domail" (09 Kms from Holy Cave). After that the trail is expansive, step by step slipping and simple.

At about 10:30 PM we arrive at our last campground at Baltal and afterward I make a call to my dearest spouse, and we both are on tears by the way that I have done it. We can't keep our tears down.

Furthermore, presently craving strikes we all. However, nothing to stress, Free Langars with numerous course of dinners are prepared to serve you. Today we went to our particular beds at about 11:30 PM.

Day-5 "Back to Shrinagar through Sonmarg Valley"

We wake up that day at about 07:00 AM, after spruce up with frigid water and subsequent to stimulating ourselves with sound breakfast and espresso, we boarded our vehicle at about 08:30 AM. By then I began feeling torment in my shoulder, which was because of that fall at Pabibal, which was deteriorating as the day advances. We at long last reach Shrinagar at about 12:00 Noon. I immediately hurried to my lodging and lay myself down. The chief of that lodging is useful. He rapidly gave me a gel and orchestrate me a warm pack which gives me some help till night.

After the night snacks, we simply meander in Shrinagar city and had our supper rapidly and got to our particular beds in all respects promptly in the night around at 09:30 PM

Day-6 "Returning to Nagpur Via Amritsar"

In the wake of completing a smidgen of sight scenes in Shrinagar, we head back to Jammu, leaving those powerful mountains, snow-topped pinnacles and rich green valleys behind and reclaiming long lasting recollections of what we accomplished and saw over the span of past 4-5 days.

We came to Jammu at about 05:00 PM and boarded our train at about 08:30 PM for Amritsar.

Day-7 "In Amritsar "

We came to Amritsar at about 2:30 AM and seen definite inverse climate. From the previous couple of days, we are in seriously chilly climate with loads of snow around us, however now we are here seeing extremely hot and moist conditions. Subsequent to drawing in ourselves for sight scenes enduring whole day and covering spots like Golden Temple, Jalianwala Bagh, Durgiana Temple and Wagha Border we take rest around evening time with an early supper and attempted to revive our recollections from the outing.

Day-8 "Going to Nagpur"

After Amritsar, we head back to our living spot/work place "Nagpur" by boarding an early train at Amritsar, we arrived at New Delhi by 03:00 PM. Later we get our train at about 06:00 PM to return to Nagpur which denoted the part of the arrangement the most lovely trek and voyage through my life.

It was a cherishable memory for a lifetime. Likewise who can overlook "Azam" the horse wala and our guide till Panchatarani and the lodging administrator, who helped me to dispose of my shoulder torment which without a doubt causes us to arrive at home securely and sufficiently.

[aureliasaid]

Parking it in the Parks - All My Sistas with Me

PACIFIC NORTHWEST, SEPTEMBER 2017

Quick downlow aka Itinerary: (skip and read afterwards for more detailed accounting)

Thursday, 9/7

Whidby Island, Puget Sound, WA - Mukilteo is the place to catch the ferry to Whidby Island, (no reservation needed) one of the main Puget Sound islands along with Bainbridge and Vashon.  BUT Mukilteo is also home to Boeing Aircraft HQ - take a tour.  

Arrived Clinton, Whidby Island, WA and drove 10 mins to the delightful little town of Langley and the Inn at Langley.  Dinner at Saltwater Cafe

Friday, 9/8 

Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, WA - Hit the road for Coupeville to get the ferry (reservation required) from Fort Casey State Park to go to Port Townsend. Olympic National Park about 1.5 hrs away to Hurricane Ridge and over to Lake Crescent Lodge, which is a rustic, quaint, typical National Park Inn about 45 minutes away. Dinner at the Lodge.

Saturday, Sept 9 

Lake Quinault, Olympic National Forest, WA - The Sol Duc Falls is a fab hike 1 mile through the forest. On to the Hoh Rainforest on the southwest part of the park before parking it at Lake Quinault Lodge.  The 1 mile Hall of Mosses Loop at the visitor center is a must the Hoh Rainforest trail. It was about a 2 hr drive to Lake Quinault Lodge. Dinner at the Lodge.

Sunday, September 10  

Lake Quinault, Olympic National Forest, WA - Backtracked up Hwy 101 about 1.5 hours away to Second Beach. Nice little 1 mile trek to the beach. Cleaned up for an evening drive on the Lake Quinault Rainforest Loop. Dinner was at The Salmon House just down the road.  

Monday, September 11 

Paradise, Mt. Rainer National Park, WA - Spilt for Mt. Rainer National Park, 3.5 hours away. We arrived at the Paradise Inn (6000 feet) and Visitor’s Center and immediately took off for the Skyline Trail which is about a 5 mile loop up the base of Mt. Rainer. Dinner at the Lodge.

Tuesday, September 12  

Mt. Rainer National Park, WA - Alas, original plans were to head to Sunrise in the Northeast area of the park, but forest fires had closed much of the northern parts of the Park. So, we regrouped and went to the Stevens Canyon area. Dinner at the Lodge.                                                     

Wednesday, September 13

Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon - Set Waze for 3 hr drive to Mt. St. Helens and then after a 3 hr drive to Mt Hood National Forest and the Timberline Lodge. Dinner there in the famed Cascade Dining Room.

Thursday, September 14

Cannon Beach, OR - Uncontained wildfires all along the Columbia River Gorge had closed any access to the area, so off to Astoria before arriving at Cannon Beach. It was a 3.5 hr drive to Astoria from Mt Hood to Astoria. Next up: Cannon Beach which is a delightful gray shingled small beach town about 40 minutes from Astoria with the famed Haystack rock formation. The Ocean Lodge was just outside of town. Dinner at The Bistro.

Friday, September 15

Cannon Beach, Oregon - Oswald State Park to do the Falcon Trail as well as Ecole State Park. Dinner that night was at The Stephanie Inn.

Saturday, September 16  

Portland, Oregon - Toured the neighborhoods and had dinner at Q.

Want Dets and Pics?? Read more….

Thursday, 9/7 - Whidby Island, Puget Sound, WA

All flights went well though had to do a mild sprint through CLT when our PGV flt was late. Arrived SeaTac, got the Sienna minivan and headed out. First stop: Mukilteo, about 45 mins north of SeaTac. (Great view of Seattle since you go right through it on I-5, though no view of anything else as the forest fires haze and smoke blocked any vista that might be there.) 

Mukilteo is the place to catch the ferry to Whidby Island (no reservation needed), one of the main Puget Sound islands along with Bainbridge and Vashon.  BUT Mukilteo is also home to Boeing Aircraft HQ and a tour was in order.  This is a serious tour that is 90 minutes, involves buses, security, etc., and it is so cool to see the 787, 747 and 777’s being made, understand the history of aviation and the MASSIVE campus.  A must.

Afterwards, we hopped the minivan and went to the ferry which was delayed because of an ambulance on the incoming ferry, (interesting to see) and then boarded for the 20 minute ride. In the small world serendipity category, the car beside us, a commuter as most were, laughed at our antics and loud accents, which lead the next commuter to ask where in NC we were from and BAM…she was from Rutherfordton and was in Janie’s class!!!!!!  Cindy Crowder. Wild.

Arrived Clinton, Whidby Island and drove 10 mins to the delightful little town of Langley and the Inn at Langley.  RIght on the Puget Sound, it is two streets of restaurants, galleries, coffee shops and basic needs. The Inn is a lovely FLW type structure with every room having a private waterfront balcony practically extending over the water’s edge (no worries for Hurricanes and erosion, but tsunmais yes!) Large rooms and bathroom with waterfront tub, it is known for its restaurant. It only serves on the weekends however, but breakfast is included and it is a divine, understated gourmet experience.

Walked up the street, surveyed the restaurants and chose the new seafood spot, Saltwater, that was small and very jovial. Perched in the window table, we gorged on WA state oysters and various local seafoods. In bed by 9:30. Slept with the porch door open to hear the water. (No AC in these environs.)

#aintgoingifitaintboeing     ##lookatmyhairnowbecause #areyousuretherearemountainsoutthere  #hillbillyelegy  #Irma

Friday, 9/8 Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, WA

Hit the road for Coupeville to get the ferry from Fort Casey State Park to go to Port Townsend, which is where we originally thought to stay until the Wooden Boat Festival squashed that.  "People book their hotels 7 years out.“ But frankly, happier with how it worked out. PT is a charming town too, known for its Victorian meets Boho vibe. We cruised the festival, which was actually fascinating to see everything in wood, sailboats, motor boats of every size and personality, plus paddle boards, kayaks, etc. It’s a Thing clearly. Lunched at the Silverwater Cafe and onward to Olympic National Park about 1.5 hrs away to Hurricane Ridge, which is supposed (key word here) to be a park highlight, but alas, it was socked in from rain and fog this time, not smoke.  Nevertheless, it cleared some to get a glimpse of the mtns and we hiked the minor paths around the visitors center. (Tip: Should have gone 5 mins more to hike Hurricane Hill.)  Drove down and over to Lake Crescent Lodge, which is a typical National Park Inn about 45 minutes away. Rustic and quaint, the main lodge is small and totally charming with burning fire, front enclosed porch on the lake and a hodge podge of newer room additions scattered around the grounds.  We flipped for the small room with no private bath (gotta love a Nat’l Park Inn) in the lodge as opposed to the motor lodge style Marymere freestanding building with 2 queen beds and private bath. 

The lake is known for it azure blue waters and 600+ feet deep. Late evening made it was hard to see this, but still a bucolic setting with killer sunset.  The restaurant is known for its food and prices reflect that. Fantastic selection of food, all local fare and good wines list from around the PNW.

#Paulsbirthday  #yougetit?  #cannabis  #CHECK  #patches

Saturday, Sept 9  - Lake Quinault, Olympic National Forest, WA

Rain greeted our awakening.  After a big breakfast, we piled in the minivan and headed to the Sol Duc Falls hike about a 40 minute drive from Lake Crescent. Debated the Marymere Falls hike right at Lake Crescent, but with sights on reaching the Hoh Rainforest, we punted. "Ducked” into the Sol Duc Lodge to see the hot springs, which are contained in a pool setting. Ick, but great for families. Lake Crescent is preferable for us sorts.

The Sol Duc Falls is a fab hike 1 mile through the forest which was our first taste of a temperate rainforest where beautiful meshes with eerie. Huge towering maples, firs, spruce, and hemlock are draped in moss with the entire forest floor covered in waist high ferns. The falls are a creek going through a narrow canyon that is covered in moss and the basalt rocks are smoothed to rival a Harry Moore sculpture.  Def worth the trip.

Original plans were to head to the coast around Hwy 101 to see Shi Shi Beach, but the weather and tides rerouted us to the Hoh Rainforest on the southwest part of the park before parking it at Lake Quinault Lodge.  The rainforest, famed for the filming of a Star Wars movie, is a wonder for the eyes and the rainy mist only added to the atmosphere. The 1 mile Hall of Mosses Loop at the visitor center is a highlight as the lush and massive vegetation is mesmerizing. From there, we went on to the Hoh Rainforest trail which can be as much as 18 miles and on into Mount Olympus is you want, but we did 3 miles in to Tom’s Creek and turned back for a wonderful 6 miler along the Hoh River in the depths of the rainforest.

It was about a 2 hr drive to Lake Quinault Lodge (with a quick turn-in to the world’s largest cedar….underwhelming and decaying, there also seems to be a number of the world’s largest some kind of tree in the park) on the edge of the park in the Olympic National Forest and right on the Lake. Built in two months in the 20’s, it is beautiful cedar shingled lodge with a huge green lawn spilling into the lake’s shore and lots of activities from horseshoes to paddle boards and kayaks and always a fire in the large fireplace.  Dinner in the lodge was fine, but not on par with Lake Crescent. If you go, consider taking one of the rooms in the outer buildings.  The lodge walls are clearly the same plywood from 1920 and you can hear every breath on every side.

#Yougotit  #namethattune  #worldsbiggestcedar

Sunday, September 10 - Lake Quinault, Olympic National Forest, WA

Bingo…we hedged our bets on the weather to save for the coast and the low tide and we were rewarded with a crystal blue and warm sunny day.  On the road at 8:30 after a great breakfast Sammy at the LQ Mercantile across the street. We backtracked up 101 about 1.5 hours away to Second Beach. Nice little 1 mile trek to the beach which was low tide and dotted with tidal pools, sea stacks rock outcroppings and tents in the tree strewn shores. Fun to see a different terrain and different from the east coast beaches. The rock stacks were carpeted in periwinkles, mussels, colorful anemones and an occasional sea star (starfish.) Weathered tree trucks line the sandy shore with carved pieces for the perfect driftwood. Popped up to First beach/Rialto beach which is mostly home to one of the 8 Indian tribes reservations on the peninsula, and headed back to LQ. Note: we probably could have done the closer beaches of Number 1, 2 3 and 4 beaches near Ruby Beach and been just as happy.

Once back, the clan scattered to walk to LQ nature trail, kayak in the lake or chill with the Panthers. The adirondack chairs (LQ chairs?) and blue skies beckoned for a cold beer and toes in the grass.

Cleaned up for an evening drive on the Lake Quinault Rainforest Loop, which goes by the lake into the headwaters of the Quinault River and looping around through the Quinault Rainforest and opposite lake shore back to the lodge.  The hope was to spot wildlife at dusk, which only produced a sighting of Sasquatch and the spooky fern and moss habitat.  It was fab.  Def a must. Note: this would be a great bike ride that is mostly flat with one challenging spot. Mainly a dirt road, it is best for mountain bike or hybrid bikes.  Probably a 15 mile route.

Dinner was at The Salmon House just down the road.  True to the area’s basic interior decor, it is known for salmon every way.  If you are prone to smoked salmon, this is the way to go, as it is made in house, but baked, blackened, etc beckons as well.  There are other seafood and land food for those wary of salmon. Martinis go particularly well with salmon.

#Forksgasstationburritos  #panthersdown49ers  #kidsmenu  #wildolympicsactjennifer #lunchslump

Monday, September 11 - Paradise, Mt. Rainer National Park, WA

Cranked up the Sienna and spilt for Mt. Rainer National Park, 3.5 hours away and at 14,600 ft is the highest in the Cascades and 5th highest in the lower 48 states.  Stopped in Asheford before entering the Park and had lunch at a great open air spot called Basecamp Bar and Grill which is a multipurpose spot for guides, retail and rooms esp for those interested in summiting Mt. Rainer (maybe not.) We arrived at Paradise Inn (6000 feet) and Visitor’s Center and immediately took off for the Skyline Trail which is about a 5 mile loop up the base of Mt. Rainer, at 7200 feet, though you can continue without a permit to Muir Base Camp at 9000 ft.  We lucked out as it was a gorgeous and warm day and the Mtn was in its full glory, and this is not always the case as people have been there a week and never seen it.

This is a flat out fabulous hike. One of the best I have ever done. It is a 1200 ft rise (no doubt its the altitude, not being out of shape that is making you huff and puff!), but there were all sorts of sizes and ages doing the hike. Take the left side of the trail as it has the Mtn visible the whole time and the right side of the loop does not and your back would be to it when returning the other side. Breathtaking and varied in terrain. It took about 3 hours to hike.

The Paradise Inn is also a must as it is the first of the rustic, natural materials style that others such as Old Faithful and the Awhanee were fashioned after. It is a wonderful space of a large, open common space/lobby surrounded by a relatively private mezzanine. The dining room is basic, but the food is good. Note however, that the Inn is undergoing major renovations to secure the foundation and all the rooms in the wing with private baths are closed which is supposed to go on for the next 4 years. The rooms that we were in were with 2 singles in a minute road with a sink. The showers were down the hall and the bathrooms were down the hall and around the corner. Rooms were provided with robes and footies for germaphobes. The Inn and roads close in mid-October for the winter which gets up to 800 inches of snow in a season.

Dinner was in the decent enough dining room unless you want to drive steep, curvy canyon roads for 30 mins, which plenty of locals do, including our dinner guest, Park Ranger Nan Pace from Raleigh.

#happybirthdaydaddy  #adorablerooms  

Tuesday, September 12 - Mt. Rainer National Park, WA

Alas, original plans were to head to Sunrise in the Northeast area of the park, but forest fires had closed much of the northern parts of the Park. So, we regrouped and took the advice from Nan and went to the Stevens Canyon area.  First stop was Box Canyon and then to Reflection Lake to take the Pinnacle Peak trail.  A short, but steep trail up to a peak in the Tatoush Mtns, this was a trail flanked on all sides by wild blueberry bushes full of the fruit. Locals bring their containers to pick the allotted pint per week. With the brushes came lots of bear hair as well. The views at the top are outstanding with a full view of Mt. Rainer and opposite of Mt. Adams and also Hood in the far distance.

At the bottom, we took the Lakes Trail to the left, up to the High Lakes Trail and around for a fantastic vista over Louise Lake and Reflection Lake before descending back to the parking lot, in total about 3 miles.

Lunch was at the Box Canyon overlook as we drove onto the Grove of the Patriarchs, an easy 1.3 mile loop in an old forest growth with huge trees over 1000 years old.  A must if possible.

Always overzealous, dust and whooped legs curbed usual enthusiasm to do the Silver Falls Trail and we zoomed up the Stevens Canyon Rd towards showers and martinis. Another dinner in the Dining Room and nightcaps in the mezzanine sadly toasting the Sellers last night.                                                                                                                                                              

Wednesday, September 13 - Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon

Hugged the Sellers so long and set Waze for Mt. St. Helens. After 2 hours, we stopped at the Mt. St. Helen’s Visitor Center, which while good, can be skipped if you are going to the David Johnson Memorial Observatory which is spectacular, 5 miles from the Mtn. Base. This is about 45 miles from the Visitor Center and beyond worth it.

The Observatory, so named for the Geologist who was at this location as they studied MSH and killed when it blew in the ensuing landslide, is excellent with displays, survivor stories and two excellent movies on the actual event and why and then on ecological results. All fantastic, mind-blowing and hard to comprehend. The before and after are amazing and 37 years later is still the stark, razed landscape, though with the return of the emerging wildlife and forest.

Options for hikes also start here, but we were out of time since we were driving on to Mt Hood and more forest fires on the Columbia River Gorge had closed the fastest route.

Arrived late after a three hr drive at the Timberline Lodge for dinner at the famed Cascade Dining Room. The Lodge is a treat for the eyes and the soul, both inside and out with 360 degree views of Mt Hood and the Cascades/Columbia River Gorge. Every part of the lodge was hand made and constructed by the WPA from 1935-1937. The story is fascinating and the results are beautiful. It is a basically a museum, but a very active place for all seasons as Roosevelt hoped. Craftsman taught out-of-work and unskilled workers crafts from weaving the curtains and rugs to making the furniture, carvings on the handrails, iron works for every hinge and decor in doors, handrails, beds, andirons, etc. Unknown artists were hired to do paintings, murals, mosaics, and wall carvings.  Everything is stunning and a marvel to admire.

The Lodge is right at the base of Mt Hood and first and foremost is a ski lodge, but hikes including the Pacific Crest Trail and the Timberline Trail go right by it.

Dinner is in the cozy and small Cascade dining room which is known for its truly artesian and gourmet fare by a renowned chef.  It did NOT disappoint.  The wine list was pages and pages long and all the food in keeping with the theme of the hotel of combining the natural environment with artistic expression.  There are several other cafes and bars around which were not open for the month of Sept, but a must to see for the art. The mezzanine Ram’s Club bar works very well for an open, yet intimate setting. This place is incredible.

Tip: Ate lunch in Toutle at Dale’s Grocery as advised by the Visitor Center since the Observatory has little in the food option category.

#DQ  

Thursday, September 14 - Cannon Beach, OR

Uncontained wildfires all along the Columbia River Gorge had closed any access to the area, with I-84 closed in both directions and smoke permeating the air and sky. The air quality had gotten much worse from the previous day when we still had fantastic views. The same mountains were hazy today and the air was smoked smelling.  We did an fairly short, but intense vertical hike midway up the mtn to 7000 feet and left, abandoning plans to even go to Hood River which would have been an ash-filled waste of time.

So off to Astoria before arriving at Cannon Beach. It was a solid 3.5 hr drive to Astoria from Mt Hood and Astoria itself is not the gem of the coastline. It does however have a great maritime museum which is worth going to. Very interesting to learn about the Columbia River bar, which is where the huge Columbia River meets the Pacific and has constantly shifting sand bars and wicked weather.

Next up: Cannon Beach which is a delightful gray shingled small beach town about 40 minutes from Astoria. The famed Haystack rock formation appears gargantuan as you round the curve up on the hillside towards The Ocean Lodge just outside of town was worrisome to read the rustic description in the guide book, but alas, that moron meant a rustic motif, not in actuality. It was quite lovely, with upscale everything, small kitchenette, fireplaces, big bathrooms and oceanfront balcony.

A stroll down the beach to see the rock formations, seagulls pulling dungeness crabs from the shallow waters and back in time to be ready for a gorgeous west coast sunset before heading in town for a most buzzy dinner with NC friends Tim Warmath and partner Ed.

#8pmlastseating??   #Tsunamizone

Friday, September 15 - Cannon Beach, Oregon

Based on Timmy and Ed’s recs, we left for Oswald State Park to do the Falcon Trail along the forested coastline to incredible shoreline vistas.  Picnicked at another excellent State Park called Ecole State Park at Indian Beach climbing on the rock formations at low tide. The Pacific Coast trail goes through all of these parks if you are so inclined.

We hung up our hiking shoes and cruised Cannon Beach town, feeling a mix of Nantucket and Atlantic Beach. A pre-sunset barefoot walk on the beach revealed just exactly how numbingly cold the water really is.  

Dinner that night was at The Stephanie Inn, happily right next door to us and to which both restaurant and inn are supposed to be all that.  The food was outstanding, but we were underwhelmed with the property and happy with our digs.

Tip: Great grocery market called The Fresh Market, just down from the Hotel on Hemlock. Pick up a picnic there.

Saturday, September 16 - Portland, Oregon

Timmy and Ed laid out our 1 day itinerary in Portland for us which is as follows:

Get settled at the Kimpton and then walk thru downtown to Powell’s and to the Pearl District ( be sure to walk the three squares: Jamison; Tanner Springs; the Fields) then have lunch on the roof of 10 Barrels Brewing or at Paragon. Also pop into the coffee shop called Barista - best coffee ever ( NW 13th Ave)

Then take an uber up to the Japanese Gardens; Hoyt Arboretum & Rose Gardens - beautiful gardens & views.

Depending on your timing, From there I would go to Chapman Elementary school to see the Swifts return to the smokestack - so beautiful and a real Portland scene ( take a bottle of wine and sit on the hillside watching the birds & sunset ) You need to be there from about 7:00 pm to 7:40 or so - the birds literally descend in (by the thousands) just after sunset.

Then stroll down to NW 23rd Ave and enjoy the many restaurants & shops. We liked the Fireside for drinks and don’t miss Salt & Straw for an ice cream. The lines are long but that is because everyone gets unlimited tastings and it is part of the fun.  

Then hop on the Portland Streetcar ( the green line called the NS line) and it takes you right back to your hotel.

We actually adapted this to our needs and all in all Portland was a great change up. Walked a lot doing most of the above, but also tossed in a jaunt to Nordstrom’s and a excellent dinner at Q restaurant and of course an educational pit stop at the gluten free cannabis store. All were highlights for a great ending to an outstanding and varied trip!

Sunday, September 17 

4:30 am alarm clock. Boo hiss.

[chefbstrikesagain]

MY PARENTS IN MALAYSIA

I feel like a shell of the human I used to be after a marathon of a week with my parents. Desperate for some sort of routine and 2 years of sleep I'm slowly adjusting back to life without them. What I didn't realize was how exhausting entertaining for a week would be. Explaining and translating a new language, ordering food, figuring out suitable accommodations, talking about my future, and so so so much driving are just the beginning of the trip. However, that being said, it was such a fun time showing them around my home for the last 8 months in the country that i've grown to know and love despite its abundance of geckos and lack of western toilets. I'll give you an idea of what our days looked like but remember, this are only a small glimpse into what actually happened. Documenting cultural exchange, moments of appreciation for life back home, or a new developed sense of understanding are all things hard to explain in words so you'll have to ask my parents about it!

DAY 1: The date was August 31 and it was brutally sunny and humid, yet again, in good ole' Malaysia. I made my way to the airport feeling oddly nervous to see my parents after the last 8 months of being apart. Fortunately, the airport in the city is fairly small (with only 2 terminals) which makes it really easy to park and pick people up at their gates like you see in movies! I had a 50/50 shot of getting the right gate and was unfortunately waiting at the wrong one. After just 10 short minutes I bee bopped to the other gate and there they were! Luggage in tow and surprisingly looking great. I imagined them in a rough state after their 18 hours of travel but I think the adrenaline took over and they seemed ready to explore a new country on the other side of the world. We loaded up the bags in the car and my dad went to get in (but opened the wrong door) I think they forgot about driving on the opposite side of the road here- and they marvelled at the Nissan Almera. Just kidding, but they were surprised how much room the car had for having a sewing machine for an engine. We made our way out of the parking lot to the hotel which was just a short 15 min drive.

We listened to Malaysian radio on the way back from the airport and took the scenic route along the waterfront. Malaysian and Sabah flags flew proudly everywhere as the day they flew in was 'Merdeka Day' aka Freedom day which lasts for one month in Malaysia. I told them to keep their expectations low for this vacation, as on their last vacation, they were in 3 giant cities in Spain. This was definitely going to be a more rugged, change of pace than walking around Park Guell in Spain with a glass of wine. We changed in the hotel room into our bathing suits and made our way down to the pool. Mom and Dad were surprised at how nice the Hotel was... We stayed at the Hyatt in Kota Kinabalu and it was one of the only 5 star hotels in the area. At the pool we played catch up and Dan Moore started yelling about drinks. About an hour in, my parents realized how strong the equatorial sun really is as they were both burned. It's not like going to the beach in New England where you can stay all day no problem. We left the pool, showered, and got ready to grab an early dinner. We went to El Centro, one of my favorite places, for pizza and margaritas. Afterwards, we headed to a rooftop to watch the sunset sink down into the South China Sea. Dmoore was falling asleep in his chair watching the sunset and he ended up sleeping at 7:30pm.

Day 2: We woke up really early on day 2, mostly due to the fact that dmoore was up and impatiently bopping around the room. I wanted to take them to my favourite curry restaurant for traditional food- but realized everything in town was closed! It was second raya or Eid which meant that it was a public holiday and everyone was at home celebrating with family. We walked to the waterfront where dmoore leaped across a storm drain gap (approx. 3 feet) where his legs gave out from underneath him. He coined the nickname DJ reckless for the rest of the trip and certainly lived up to the name with the hospital trip...something I'll get to later. We walked back to the hotel for breakfast where we had an incredible buffet full of noodles and even some western food. Mom and dad both tried mee hoon soup with vegetables and dad also had nasi lemak- the national dish of Malaysia. We changed into our bathing suits and booked island tours off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. It was another great day for island hopping and we spent about 4 hours total on 2 separate islands. We stood in the water, which was pretty much empty, as all the Korean and Chinese tourists were staying to stay out of the sun to stay pale and beautiful. After a few hours of lounging we grabbed lunch and took the boat back to our hotel. We changed quickly and I took mom and Dad to the City Mosque.

The mosque is a giant floating structure that overlooks the ocean. It's coloured with cobalt blue tiles and is entirely white- definitely a sight for sore eyes. In order for my mom to enter, she had to cover completely, which meant renting a tundong (Malay word for Hijab). Check out the pictures- she certainly rocked the outfit! We didn't spend too much time at the mosque as prayer was happening soon so we left and headed towards the mall. We grabbed sushi for dinner which was incredible. I force-fed mom and made her try the smallest bite of sushi which she openly protested but in the end I think she liked it.... My dad was shocked at the cost of the whole dinner which came out to be 12USD or 4USD per person. In the US, that much sushi would have easily been $60. This was a theme for the rest of the trip. Every meal was converted and my parents faces would light up when they realized they spent 4USD to feed the three of us as well as 1 of my friends.

Later that night, my mom and I explored the hotel and found the hidden gym and then grabbed drinks while DJ reckless had a business call to make at 8:30. Joey joined us for drinks around 10:30 and we stayed up until midnight which was late for them.

Day 3: We checked out of the hotel around 9:30am and made the 3 hour drive up to The Tip of Borneo where we would stay for 2 nights. We listened to a bunch of podcasts and made easy conversation about things we passed along the way including cows, stray dogs, and why the gas stations were always so full. When we finally reached our destination, called 9 Huts on a Hill, we pulled in and were surrounded by geese, chickens, and bamboo huts. The cutest little woman greeted us at check-in and had us sit down while she offered us some water. Mom broke out into a laughing attack from trying to take in everything (chickens and bamboo huts) and had to put her sunglasses on to conceal her tears. It looked like she was having a nervous breakdown. I understand because it was definitely a downgrade from the 5 star hotel but the accommodations turned out way better than the first impression.

The huts were pretty much open air concept as the front wall could be broken down. There was a queen sized bed with a mosquito net over the top and an A/C unit and fan to keep you cool at night. Each hut had its own bathroom and shower which was a huge plus (not a squatty potty) so Cathy was happy. After settling in we ate dinner and explored the complex. We were on a big hill right above the ocean, complete with a giant yoga platform, a kitchen, and a 'chill zone' that had a bunch of hammocks to hangout in. We dragged a fan out from a room and drank beers and finished a bottle of wine while watching the sunset. Pretty great first night. We turned in around 10pm for some much needed rest in our comfortable beds.

Day 4: We woke early (around 7:30) no surprise there...and headed into town for our first Malay breakfast!!! I ordered mom and dad roti tulur (egg bread with curry) and tea tarik which is tea mixed with condensed milk. They loved it so much they each ordered 2 glasses of tea. They were also pleasantly surprised with the roti they had for breakfast. We paid (3 USD) for breakfast and made our way to my friend Robbie's beach at the secret place. We spent the whole day drinking at Robbies in the water and marvelling at the beauty and just how untouched the land was. I'll let them describe to you how amazing this place was because I talk about it all the time- but ask them!

We grabbed dinner again at the curry house after we showered and said goodbye to Robbie and his family. We finished the second bottle of wine that night under the yoga platform where it monsooned shortly after sunset for the rest of the night. Definitely a recipe for a great nights sleep which we needed to prepare for the marathon days we were going to have in Ranau and the rest of the trip.

Day 5: We checked out of 9 huts and made the dangerous drive from the Tip of Borneo to my small town in Ranau. It's dangerous because we were driving up and down mountains, some roads were non-existent, and landslides were everywhere. The signs said the hills were on average 16% grade either going up or down - if that means anything to you. Despite the dangerous drive it made for incredible views. You could see so far and just how mountainous the area I live in really is. We arrived to my house around 2pm where 40 of my students greeted my Mom and Dad! They were so excited to meet them and of course, take selfies. After about 5 hours of small talk and pictures, we left the open house with two of my students and grabbed some food in town at restaurant Muslim. We talked about ghost stories, possessions, and how the street I live on is haunted- just normal dinner conversation. We dropped off the students around 9:30pm and headed back to my street where we parted ways for 9 hours until the next morning when we had school.

Day 6: If you've made it this far into the blog post, congratulations! I'm exhausted and distracted just from writing this so if you're still reading one thing is sure- you definitely don't have ADD! Wahooo. Anyways, Tuesday morning, day 6, was probably the craziest day my parents had while in Malaysia and they were such troopers the entire time. We woke up around 7am to get to school by 8 which was my first class. My class is with form 1 and 2 girls (ages 12/13) and who all live at the school. They don't have good English at all so we usually do some sort of art as a medium to communicate with one another. My parents brought sidewalk chalk to school and we drew the city of Boston's skyline. This was a great medium and the art turned out beautiful. My mom even had some of the girls lay down on the ground holding hands and she traced them all. She told them that when I was little she would trace me and I would colour in my body with clothes and hair and a face. Dmoore wasn’t as approachable and some of the girls told me in Malay that he’s so serious. It’s tough to communicate with young children when you don’t know the language. Their shyness can be misinterpreted as disinterest, which is usually the farthest thing from what they actually want. After saying goodbye, we had class with 4 Bersih- which is one of my favourite classes. These students are older and already have a good foundation in English which means I can teach more intricate lessons that go deeper than colors or numbers. I split the class up into 4 groups and gave them all category titles. Seasons, Food, Sports, and Slang all having to do with Boston. The students then had to interview my parents to get the necessary information and do a short, creative presentation on what they learned. They all did a great job and some of the presentations were hilarious - especially the Boston Slang.

After school, we left and grabbed lunch before our paragliding session! I convinced them both to jump off a mountain which I never thought would happen....After paragliding we went to a fish farm where you stick your feet in a river and a bunch of fish swim over and supposedly suck the dead skin off of your feet. Mom was freaking out the whole time and barely put one toe in the water. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at the Sabah Tea plantation where we overlooked vast green tea fields and Asian mountains. Mom and Dad ordered more Tea Tarik and achieved a new level of sugar high before we had to leave for our next event. After a dinner of butter chicken and vegetables we made our way back to our house to shower and get ready for drinks out on the town. We had about an hour to relax before I picked them up and made our way to the 'Kolam'. In the middle of the jungle there is a fish pond place where you can order lots of food and drinks. My parents were shocked that there was any sort of habitable life that far in the jungle and not one mosquito. They were able to try Lihing, which is the local traditional rice wine, and they seemed to really like it. Doreen got them a cake that said ‘Welcome to Ranau Mr. and Mrs. Moore’ which was really nice of her. After eating some quick we decided that we should leave as the drinking was really starting to go downhill.

Day 7: After waking up tired and hungover we made our way to school for the last day. My first class on Wednesday’s is arguably the best class of the week with the special needs students. They always get so excited to see me and just all around have great energy. My parents had a warm welcome by the Teachers and worked with a small group of students on practicing the letters ‘I’ and the letter ‘S’. While working with the students the teachers were setting up for a small breakfast in the kitchen. They had coffee and small finger food, known as quey, for my parents to try. It was so nice of them to organize this- I had no idea they were going to do that! After making small talk about our trip and what life was like in America we said our thank yous and goodbyes. We left class and then headed to my next class with form 4 amanah which we were a little late for. The students are all crazy, in the best way possible, and I talked with them before about teaching my parents a traditional dance that we do in Sabah called the Sumazau. The students moved the desks and led my parents to the center of the dance floor where they instructed them how to dance while I blasted the music. I got some great videos on my go-pro and will be sure to post some pictures. We left that class after giving out some chocolate coins, and headed to a form 6 class who are all pre-university and about 18 years old. This class was harder to plan for as they are less willing to be really outgoing, so we did a lesson on Malaysia where they taught my parents about the major Holidays observed. This class sort of dragged on and I could tell my parents were getting tired so we ended class early and with a giant selfie.

After school, we grabbed a quick lunch of martabak sayur and headed to the famous Poring Hot Springs. We enjoyed a butterfly garden, tree-top canopy walkways, and a short hike to a 50 foot waterfall! Poring was great but it was such a hot and humid day we were just ready to relax. We headed home and I got to nap for 2 hours before Doreen asked us to dinner. When we showed up to dinner I just expected Doreen and maybe her husband to be there. I was not prepared for 10 teachers including the principal to show up. There was a big buffet and mom couldn’t stop talking about the pumpkin soup. All in all, Doreen really pulled out all of the stops while they were here- I really appreciate everything she did. Shortly after dinner, when all of the muslims left, we drove to a bar down the street with Ravi, Rose, Zeddy, and the three of us started drinking Tiger. Ravi kept ordering set after set  and him and my dad were really getting along. Two kindred spirits for sure. After making a deal with Ravi that we could leave when all the beers were done, and no more sets to be ordered, we escaped and said our goodbyes to everyone as that was the last time my parents would see them. We laughed on the drive home about how funny the night was and were all looking forward to sleeping in the next morning.

Day 8: Dan Moore woke up super early, no surprise there, and was itching for me to connect my phone to his so he could browse the internet. With tired eyes and an attitude, I quickly connected our phones and closed my eyes for another much needed hour of sleep. We woke up and headed to the sports complex where we got ready to rent ATV’s. The paths the guide was taking us on were super overgrown, bumpy, and on the side of a mountain. All of these factors made it really hard to control the ATV. Dmoore was driving like an absolute savage and the guide and I kept exchanging worried looks when he would slam the gas instead of the break and narrowly avoided hitting one of us. Inevitably, something went wrong and we found ourselves in the emergency room for DJ reckless. In hindsight, it’s all really funny now but at the time I was nervous how this was going to impact our plans - especially if his ankle was broken! The hospital did an x-ray and said they didn’t think it was broken… but they would need an MRI to be sure about any other injuries. We asked for crutches and they told us that they were ‘finished’ no more crutches left.

We left Ranau with DJ reckless in the backseat and headed towards Kota Belud for a Proboscis river monkey tour and to grab lunch with my friends Janna and Kelsey. We found crutches at a Pharmacy in their town which really saved the day and made dmoore much more mobile and less hoppy. We ate lunch on a lake about a 10 minute drive from the ocean where we talked about the future, my parents trip, and the elephant in the room - dmoore’s swollen ankle. After lunch we went to my friend Jessi’s house where she lives with a Malay family and had tea and quey while we waited to go on the river monkey tour. We boarded a small boat and set off down a muddy river surrounded by jungle on all sides. We saw a giant monitor lizard, mud crabs, and the monkeys! It was hard to see the monkeys because they were so far but it was great to see them in the wild and in their natural habitat vs. a Zoo. The tour was really cool but I was really looking forward to firefly tour which we had to cancel because it was getting late and would be hard to fit dinner in with Claire later on. After saying goodbye to Jessi we grabbed a quick dinner with Claire before continuing the trek on into the city. We arrived at our hotel and we got ice for DJ recklesses ankle and gave into our craving for Western food and ordered pizza hut. Mom and Dad were so happy to be back in a clean, air-conditioned hotel room, while I was trying to live up the last few days before going back to reality (dirty water and fried rice). Mom and I went souvenir shopping and then we all turned in early that night.

Day 9: The last dayyyyy. We were able to sleep in until 9! We gathered our tired and sore bodies and headed to the hotel breakfast. The buffet overlooked the ocean and you could see all the small ferry boats shuttling people from island island to island like scurrying ants. We took extra coffee and tea from the buffet and brought it to the rooftop where we sat in the shade and tried to digest everything we’ve done over the last week. This inevitably led to DJ reckless ordering a healthy drink (coconut and cucumber juice) with a twist - just add vodka. We spent pretty much the whole day at the rooftop pool in and out of the water and shade ordering food and drinks. Dan and Cathy needed to get as much sun as possible as this is ‘it’ until next summer. Live music began around 7pm and was this awesome band doing covers of really mellow music- Maroon 5, The Carpenters, etc to give you the vibe. With an ocean breeze ruffling our hair, drinks in hand, and soft music in the background I knew we did good and was so happy everyone made it through the week alive. We definitely had some close calls with DJ reckless but nonetheless, a great time. Mom had been craving frozen yogurt all day and used our drunkenness to get us down to the first floor of the hotel where the mall connected to the hotel. Dmoore and I ordered tea in the piano lounge where a performer was just wrapping up playing. I waited until he was well out of earshot and began to play- it had been over a year! We ended with a really choppy version of Billy Joel’s piano man while dmoore was on vocals singing into his frozen yogurt like a microphone.

Overall, the week long trip felt like an eternity but also I blinked and then it was over. I feel so grateful that Mom and Dad flew all the way across the world to see me. It really validates my whole experience here and I know when I go home I can talk about it and someone will understand what I mean, or be able to relate past ‘oh that sounds cool’. I have really made a home for myself here and integrated myself into the community and it will not be easy to leave- especially with my students. I am also so happy they were able to come with open minds and hearts and experience a Muslim country in a time where it is unsafe to practice Islam in America. I hope they can help be a voice for the misunderstood and an ally against discrimination where it has become so normalised in the media to highlight a minority for their issues. Malaysia has become apart of me over this past year and I’m so happy the people that are closest to me are able to understand how this country and culture has shaped me.

[travelafter55]

Time to go home after a month in Spain and Portugal 2017

My partner Greta and I have been in Spain for two weeks and then Portugal for the last two weeks. Before we knew it, it was time for us to be making our way back from Estoi, Portugual, to the Madrid Airport, from which we were scheduled to depart on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.

Our stay in Portugual was unique and very special. We did a home exchange (homeexchange.com) with a couple from Munich, Germany, who own a vacation home about five miles from Estoi, which is about five miles from Faro, the main city in the Algarve Region of Portugal.

The home was called Casa Sams, and was located off a remote road in the hills about Estoi. The views from Casa Sams were spectacular; the house incredible.

Casa Sams near Estoi Portugal - heaven in the hills

View from Casa Sams--the Atlantic Ocean is in the far distance

We decided to start making our way back to the airport on Sunday, May 15, to ensure we didn’t have to rush to make our 8:35 a.m. departure on Tuesday.

While the trip back to the airport was enjoyable, it reminded us that one of the most important benefits of travel is that it forces people to use their brains, which helps keeps them young. How did it make us use our brains on this short return to the Madrid Airport?

We had left over food at Casa Sams. Instead of discarding it, or giving it to neighbors, we made a picnic for the five or so hours we’d be in transit to our hotel in Madrid. We prepared everything the night before. Sandwiches and fruit became breakfast, consumed in the car. The coffee pot was ready to turn on. We had a check-off list ready for the morning:

-Feed the stray cats -Take trash to the public dumpster -Doors locked, alarm set -Padlock on the driveway gate -Leave house keys per owners instructions

At 8:15, wheels were in the well (an old Naval Air saying). Saying good bye to Casa Sams.

Two-hour drive to Sevilla. Found our way to the Rent-A-Car office at Santa Justa train station. Car turned in, no damage, no dents—only added charge was for gas fill up. Big relief. Reason for big relief? We took the full coverage insurance, on everything. If nothing bad happens to the car, no dent, no scratches, no accident, not stolen, etc., there is no cost.

But, if something happens, another 600 euros or so is added to the bill, so that is why I was relieved. And you should have seen some of the tiny city and town streets were found ourselves on, not to mention driving in Lisbon.

Train ticket office. Our non-refundable tickets for Monday could not be used toward purchase of tickets for Sunday so a travel lesson learned there—do not purchase non-refundable tickets in advance to save money—you might end up losing it. New tickets, 12:45 train. Three stops + Cordoba.

Arrive Atocha Train Station 3:15--drag suitcases to hotel--crap shoot to find because our phone GPS did not work there – hotel close to train station, got to front desk in 25 minutes.

Hotel Sleep ‘n Atocha – nice room, tiny, but adequate for one night. Reasonable, great front desk people--A’lvaro and Sonia. Friendly, helpful, smart.

Went to Café Reina in square adjacent to hotel for sangria and paella, calamari and potatoes with cheese, another glass of wine, sweet choc rolls. Joined in dance lesson on the square, took pics and videos

Dancing in Madrid--people of all ages came on Sunday night

Monday, May 15

Canceled auto tolls credit card for charges in Portugal, which I forgot to do the day before. This was so if rental car went back to Portugal our credit card would have paid the tolls for two more weeks. No added charges had been accrued.

Breakfast at hotel. Secured luggage in lockers so we could stroll around that part of Madrid for an hour or two. One euro per locker. Nice hotel feature as well.

Visited the gardens at the inside front of Atocha station. We had been there 13 years before to pay our respects at that time to the victims of the bombing that took place a week before we arrived there. I was starved, had a Whopper jr. at Burger King in the station.

Atocha Train Station Madrid looking toward the front. Gardens just inside

Atocha Train Station Madrid - Greta in the gardens near the front of station

Taxi mid-afternoon to hotel Hostal Viking in Barajas, near airport. Gave driver 3 Madrid Metro tickets with at least 16 rides on them remaining, which we had left over from our first week plus paid him 30 euros.

At our hotel, reserved the free shuttle ride for 5:30 a.m. from hotel to Barajas Airport, a 5-10 minute ride. A nice feature of this hotel. Rested in our nice room, only 57 euros for the night.

Walked five minutes to Town Square. Enjoyed leisurely dinner watching sound crew set up for 9 pm concert for Festival de Ignacio.

View of stage from our restaurant table Our last meal in Madrid (not counting coffee at the airport in the morning).

Tuesday May 16

Wake up call 4:30 am Shuttle 5:30 Easy check in at Iberia Airlines except confiscated our cork screw we bought in Madrid—was cute. I forgot it was in my red carry on bag.

Breakfast at airport – 2 hours early for flight to London Heathrow Airport.

                                     Trip Summary Lots of positives. Great food, great wine, friendly people (for the most part), no problems at all, weather was pleasant, not too hot, some rain.

C and C and C negative –cigarettes, cellphones and courtesy; people don’t look while walking and are on their cellphones and many don’t get out of the way, they expect you to move. But, after all, we are in their country so that is the way it is.

Portugal isn’t Spain. Very different countries. Drivers more aggressive in Portugal.

Give ourselves (Tom and Greta) a pat on back. Two mid-70s doing the trip on our own for a month; saw a lot; had great experiences.

Good for the brain. So much to figure out. Traffic rotaries. Directions, getting lost in Lisboa, even in Faro, and up to Casa Sams first 10 times. Mileage, money, language, don’t speak Spanish to Portuguese people—they don’t like it. All the Casa Sams things to learn. 5 different places to stay overall on the trip. Next time, get more euros in advance. We did change $100 (easily, no commission)in Lagos, Portugal, three days before we left. Kept phones on airplane mode most of the time so cost low.

The first Madrid taxi-from the airport to downtown--dropped us (and another couple had the same thing happen to them) at the wrong hotel.

Learned how to navigate Madrid Metro

Little purses made out of cork a nice gift from Portugal. Light to carry and very reasonable. Found them in Lagos and Quarteria (on Algarve Coast).

On our flights home:

Greta and I got checked in at Madrid Airport and thru security in minutes. Red Trader Joe’s insulated bag pulled aside. I had to empty all contents, dumped everything out. Guy says wine open. No, wine. He pulls a wine opener souvenir that we bought in Madrid out of bottom of red bag and he was pissed. I had forgotten it, we bought on day two in Madrid. Security behind us.

Two passport and boarding pass checks We were two hours early for our flight to London. Two-hour plus flight to London.

Heathrow Airport Security is very tight

Heathrow Airport was different. We landed at Terminal 4 but needed to connect at Terminal 3. It is a 10-minute shuttle bus ride to Terminal 4. We had a 2 hour 25 min. connection.

Security was tight. PP check. Liquids and gels go in a plastic bag. Everything must come out of pockets, even paper. Belt off. Computer out of bag. Nothing sharp. No water. Xray machine with arms up. Then, the “iron cross” position for more xrays. Pants falling down. Then step on a wooden stool and a magic magnetic wand checks each shoe.

Then to AAL connection desk. Wait in line, 20-25 minutes. Why? We are all checked through to LAX. All connecting flights. Passport check (pp) and bp check. Interviewed. How long in Europe, why here, to have fun, what work do you do? Teacher, what kind. She stamped boarding passes with green stamp. Then security again. To get to int’l departures. Pp and bp. Then red bag has liquid—2 partially full bottles of bug spray had forgotten—tossed it away because guy said he had to test it. Dumped red bag out again.

We get to Gate H 27 at about 1:15, 45 minutes to spare. I wonder how many connections are missed. There, have to show boarding pass and pp again to get into lounge area.

Then to enter jetway, pp and bp one last time.

Wowser. They are serious about airport security at Heathrow. We understand, that is a good thing. A Boeing 777 American Airlines flight to LAX. The Captain lands it softly and perfectly. It made me think of an AAL advertisement in a magazine, when I worked for AAL in the late 1960s. The caption showed a pilot and he said, “I think of my passengers as eggs.” Never forgot that. A big 777 just landed as softly as can be. We were home; we were safe, with our egg shells still in tact. It had been a great trip.

Andalusia horse at Cathedral of Sevilla in the rain

[mrdonaldclark86]

Real Estate’s 10-Min Guide to Facebook Advertising

Generating real estate leads can be stressful. You (and many others) have spent countless hours trying different marketing ideas and advertising campaigns, but you’re not seeing the results you want. You’re left wondering, “Why? How is Joe down the road doing this successfully and not me? Why isn’t this easier?”

    Today, we’re going to dive into Facebook advertising … specifically for real estate professionals. Real estate flyers and direct mailers seem a lot easier today, in comparison to digital advertising. Just a few years ago, the craze was all about Google AdWords and SEO. And now there’s social media.

But it’s not as hard as it seems. Facebook has done a good job building a platform that’s intuitive to use. So, I’m going to give you a hands-on tutorial.

  Getting Started with Facebook Advertising

Let’s start with expectations. Every real estate agent and broker (and you, of course) wants to know, “Are Facebook ads effective?” Answer is: yes. Sometimes, you can spend as little as $5 per day and see significant results. You just need to understand the type of lead you’re attracting.

Facebook advertising is different than Google AdWords and other marketing campaigns. With AdWords, you’re fulfilling demand. When someone searches San Diego homes for sale, your ad is placed to fulfill that search demand, i.e. an eager homebuyer looking for homes.

With Facebook, you’re creating demand. This means you’re convincing someone to look at homes for sale when they’re not actively looking (at the moment). This type of lead will most likely require more follow-up communication and nurturing.

What results will you see? Here are some ballpark numbers we’ve seen from real estate teams — keep in mind, it’s dependent on the MLS market and on economic forces (hence the range).

~11x return on ad spend

~55% of leads engage in two-way communication with an agent

~80% of leads had at least one form of valid contact information

Remember, these statistics will vary by market, season, economy, etc. There are market forces to calculate. But let’s say you spent $100 on Facebook advertising for the week. You generated 40 leads. Out of those 40 leads, 18 of them returned your email/text/call. From there, you found 2 people who are interested in buying a house today. In a few weeks, they both close on a house with an average price point of $300,000. Your commission from both properties is $18,000 (I know agents have to further split this; it’s an example). That’s a 180% return on investment (ROI). Of course, this is an example and more of a reference point, but you can see the potential.

  Pros and Cons of Facebook Advertising

Advertising on Facebook and setting aside budget for social media is a business decision. You need to weigh it against other choices. Some real estate agents love it; others do not — so, here’s a breakdown of Facebook’s pros and cons.

Pros:

Great channel for additional traffic/leads; see immediate influx of visitors

Complete control over your daily budget and maximum cost-per-click

Niche targeting options, such as likes/interests, cities, demographics, etc

CPC is relatively cheap

You can use images and videos within your ads

Cons:

You reach people early in the “buying cycle,” meaning a longer nurturing period for homebuyers and sellers

Depending on your targeting, the leads you attract can be irrelevant at times (i.e. homebuyers from a town you don’t service)

If you’re new to Facebook advertising, my suggestion is to test it for at least 3 months. See what results you get back, do your damndest nurturing those leads, and measure the ROI. If you need help calculating conversion rates, this blog post will help you.

Not in the mood for handling advertising? BoomTown will do it for you.

Before We Begin …

You’ll need a Facebook business page. If you haven’t created one already, we have a guide for that. Check out this page and watch the video below.

      Step-by-Step Guide to Facebook Ads

To access your Facebook ads dashboard, go to http://ift.tt/1LyIqL0 or click the dropdown arrow in the top-right corner of the navigation bar (as seen in the image below). Click “Manage Ads” from the menu drop-down.

    Once you’ve arrived at your Facebook ads dashboard, get familiar with the options and information at your disposal. See the image below for a simple knowledge guide:

    1Create a Campaign

For the first step, let’s create a campaign. You should see a button labeled “Create Campaign” on the left side of your dashboard. Click it.

You’ll then be directed to a page that looks like this:

    Choose a name for your campaign, then hit “conversions” as your marketing objective. This tells Facebook how to measure and allocate your ad spend. You want Facebook to prioritize conversions, since you’ll be driving people to real estate listings with hopes of capturing their contact information. You’ll then be prompted to click “Create Ad.”

  2Fill Out Campaign Details

You’ll be prompted to create a Facebook Pixel. Just follow the prompts. Once that is done, you can re-use it every time you want to create a new ad. Now, fill out the Audience, Placements, and Budget & Schedule.

If you want your ads to be hyper-tailored to a target audience, you can create a custom audience. But for the majority of real estate professionals, they just use the “locations” feature. Select the location you want the ads to display in and choose the radius (in mileage). My suggestion is to aim below 25 miles … any distance you’re willing to drive.

    You can also select what age range you want to target and if they’re a specific gender you want to advertise to. It’s up to you on how you want to target those areas.

For Placements, leave it as “Automatic Placements.” Facebook is really good at knowing who to show your ads to; trust them. Next set your budget and timeline in the Budget & Schedule section. Then hit “continue.”

  3Create a New Ad

The next screen is where you’ll create the actual Facebook ad. The descriptions for the ad types are pretty straightforward. Most people roll with “single image” when advertising a listing.

Choose an image. Dimensions are 1200×628. If you’re advertising a particular listing, use one of the property’s photos from your MLS. It should be a listing you are representing. (If you want to get creative, you can also create your own graphics. Canva is a good tool for that.)

Under “Page & Links” fill out which Facebook page you want the ad to represent (and Instagram account, if you have one). Fill out the url address you want the ad to go to. Then write your headline, text, and description.

    For the CTA, I suggest leaving it as “Learn More.” It doesn’t frighten people as much as “Sign Up” or “Contact Us.” (Remember, you’re creating demand. This lead will be in the early stages of house hunting.) You should be able to see a preview of the ad on the right side of your screen.

If you want to practice creating different ads, Facebook has a great tool called the Creative Hub for showing you what they’ll look like.

  4Place Order

Lastly, place your order and let the ads do their work. If you want to check on them, try not to find the actual ad and click on. You’ll just drive up your own costs. Instead, monitor its performance from your “Ads Manager” dashboard.

  Final Resources

If you want to learn more about Facebook advertising, check out their Ads Guide and visit their Creative Hub. When writing your ad copy, remember to keep it concise and straight to the point. Use descriptive adjectives, but don’t over-fluff it. Stephen King would be disappointed.

If you don’t see the results you want, test out new versions. Change up the ad copy or use a different image. Advertising is all about testing until you find what works. Perseverance is key. If you have questions or thoughts, feel free to let me know on BoomTown’s Facebook page.

  The post Real Estate’s 10-Min Guide to Facebook Advertising appeared first on BoomTown!.

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[matthewwilliamcharles]

Tour Journal 1/31 -2/7/2017

Hey all, here is the tour journal from my last tour.  Overall the tour was great, saw lot’s of old friends and met some new ones.  Most people I met at the shows had a positive attitude, always a couple bad apples but no major rock star ego’s. Mainly groups of artists enthusiastic about playing and supporting DIY music!!  

Tuesday January 31st / Driving day from Philadelphia, PA to Richmond, VA.  I packed up and left for tour Tuesday evening. No shows that night, I had four shows in North Carolina starting the next day. Richmond was an easy half way point for the first drive. My long time friend and ex band-mate Lewis let me crash at his place.  I got in around 10-10:30 pm. and we proceeded to drink beers and catch up through most of the night, although both of us were exhausted and cut ourselves off before heading into the wee hours.

Wednesday February 1st / Got up that morning and headed out to get coffee.  Lewis was going to run errands and meet back up with me.  It was only about 4 hours to Fayettville, NC were my first show was, and I didn’t need to be there until 7-8pm, so I wasn’t in a hurry.  I broke out my laptop in the cafe to catch up with emails.  To my dismay I got the early morning notification from the club, The Rock Shop, that the show had been cancelled.  The message was sent to my Facebook “Band Page” and stated “ What's up man? Are you good for playing Art Attack next week on the 8th. We have to close this week. Thanks”.  For those of you who don’t know, this is not how tours work. I had booked this tour months in advance, and had this show booked back in November.  I knew that having all my dates booked solid was too good to be true.  My first reply back to the club was, “ No, I'm on tour right now, I will not be anywhere close to Fayettville, NC on the 8th....I've been sending messages the last two weeks to get details, why am I only getting a message now?”  I didn’t receive a reply to this message.  When Lew met back up with me at the coffee shop I told him what happened.  He said, “Well I guess that means you don’t have to play tonight”.  But no, I had to look for another show, I take this time off to play music.  Granted a day lounging with my friends around Richmond sounds great, but there would be no way to ease my frustration than to search, and hopefully find another show.  I started researching online, first Richmond to see if there was anything I could likely hop on, but no luck.  I checked out surrounding areas, then in North Carolina.  It looked like there could be something I could squeeze on in Carborro, NC, possibly Chapel Hill.  I sent out some messages, we grabbed lunch and then I headed down to North Carolina.  First place I stopped was Carborro, NC, which for a small town it was extremely difficult to park on a Wednesday evening.  The venue 2nd Wind had a music showcase, but when I talked to the bartender it seemed like chances were slim and that the night was booked solid.  I went back to my car to regroup, I found a pop punk show in Chapel Hill.  I sped over there, basically the same town, and stopped at what I think was club 506.  I told the door guy my situation, and he was very sympathetic, having played music and been in the same situation before.  But the event was handled all by an outside promoter, and they had no pull.  I bounced around town for another hour or so and ended up a couple blocks down the street at The Cave.  I had heard about the Cave for years, and by the sight of the place, (dark dank punk rock dive) I thought my odds might be pretty good.  The bartender, who was a young punk kid, was super helpful with suggestions, but told me there was nothing he could do, if he had the authority to throw me on the show he would.  He was in charge of door and sound, no promoter in house, basically told me I was SOL.  I left and tried his suggestions, but nobody had any openings.  I returned to the Cave, basically having no where to else to go, hoping that maybe the situation in the Cave had somehow changed.  Same result, although he gave me some more ideas. I had found an open mic in Raleigh (45 min away) and he told me to try and hit up their sister bar Slim’s.  So I was off again, making my way to Slim’s, as that sounded like the best option.  I walked in the bar and struck up a conversation with the bartender..  I told him my situation, but there was nothing going on that night, but told me there was a show down the street at Kings.  Immediately though a patron that was sitting beside me heard my story and offered me a beer.  He said, “You lost your show, I know the road is tough, least I can do is buy you a beer”.  So I prolonged my attempt at trying to hit up Kings down the street and enjoyed a beer with my new friend.  After I took down the beer I walked a couple blocks to Kings, which for one had a $12 cover. I could also hear metal/hardcore bands playing in the distance, this was not a show I was going to be able to hop on.  I raised the white flag, and retreated to Slim’s.  I decided I would drink a couple more beers.  Money was tight this trip, and not having a show on the first day with no opportunity to sell my stuff or get some tips was a back breaker.  Granted I could have busked, I could have played my cards differently but this is what happened.  I moved on to my next game, which is known as “find a couch or floor for the night”.  I was in a bar with what seemed to be a friendly group, and I figured if I could start some conversation, make some friends that could offer me some hospitality.  I made some idle conversation with some folks, for the most part people were friendly but I could quickly tell this was going nowhere.  After beer number two I decided to find the nearest truck stop outside the city and set up there for the night.  After arriving at the truck stop and “settling in”, I started feeling frustrated about day number one of tour.  I decided to write the owner of the club one more time and make sure I let him know how much of an asshole he was.  Usually I don’t resort to this, not the first time it has happened to me, but usually I end up finding something!  Failing made me angry so I wrote,” Hey man, I have spent months organizing and putting this tour together. I spend hours everyday trying to piece this together, and have worked extra hours to finance this whole thing myself. To have a show cancelled the day of, without apology or any sense of regret is the shittiest thing you can do to a touring musician. I understand things happen, and that running a business, especially a bar/music venue is not easy and not always profitable. But to do this to me, without any time to throw something else together, and not even show sympathy is absolutely garbage. I discovered this message after driving hours towards Fayetville, exited to have the opportunity to play in front of some new people.  At the very least I deserved an apology or a legit explanation.”  Long story short he told me he had a death in the family and that’s why they closed, and then he somehow blamed me for cancelling the follow up gig.  He did apologize, and I apologized for giving him shit and showed sympathy for his loss, but said if he had just told me in the first place I would have never reacted the way that I did.

Thursday February 2nd / After waking up at a Raleigh truck stop I made my way into the city.  I had pretty much all day to kill and my next show was in Raleigh.  I didn’t do much, except walk around a lot, finding cheap things to eat.  Thought about busking, but didn’t want to move my car from the free parking spot that I had found, and didn’t want to lug my heavy guitar case across town to the prime busking spots (which it’s illegal to busk in Raleigh without a permit, not sure how strict the enforcement is). I was glad to see musicians at the venue early, ready to load in.  I met Mikka and the Nevernauts, my internet friends of the past year, finally meeting up with them in person.  The door guy for the venue was upbeat and positive, respectful to the bands, telling jokes and keeping things lively.  All the bands were on time, and no bullshit when we talked about the lineup.  Deep South the Bar was the name of the place, and I would definitely play there again.  The bands had promoted the show, certainly wasn’t packed, but there were people there. In other words it blew the previous nights experience out of the water.  Raw Dog played first, and then they all stuck around for the rest of the show, standing up front for all of the bands.  I played second, a little rusty and out of sorts. I hadn’t played since Monday and it showed. Still felt great to play and I got my shit together by the end of the set.  Born Again Heathens played next, awesome Celtic punk, bagpipes and all.  Then Nevernauts headlined and those guys are awesome.  We all took a group picture at the end of the night, it was a solid experience.  I made some gas money, I had a couple opportunity's for places to stay from people I met at the show, but most likely would have been subjected to an all night party, and I wanted to be able to wake up and drive the next morning.  So I headed back on the highway and hit the next rest stop on the way to Asheville and crashed there for the night.

Friday February 3rd / I woke up from a truck stop on route 40 just outside of Raleigh for the second night in a row.  Got an early start so I could visit my cousins in Hickory, NC on the way.  Left Hickory around 3-4 pm, arrived in Asheville and met up with my friends Tom and Lauren around 6 pm.  Pretty much took it easy and relaxed until I headed to the Burger Bar a couple hours later.  The Burger Bar is a super tight space, and by tight I mean comfortably cramped, especially when you have musicians setting up their gear next to the bar.  The guys from Skunk Ruckus were extremely hospitable and offered any help I needed.  Burger Bar is basically do your own show, no sound guy, basically set things up the way you want to.  Lilli Jean opened up, she had a sax player for accompaniment and the drummer from Skunk Ruckus sat in on their set on a last minute offer.  The whole set sounded surprisingly good, the drummer knew just what to do.  He offered to do the same for my set, which I was honestly tempted but I decided to go ahead with my regular setup.  It was a good set, and some folks in the audience tipped me in “burger shots”, which is a shot of bloody Mary mix, followed by a shot of whisky, followed by a pickle back.  Skunk Ruckus, which I could only describe as a mix between mountain music and psychobilly, started playing and brought tons of energy to the small little Asheville Bar.  There set was a lot of fun, old folks, hippies and punks were all dancing together.  I had a $25 bar tab, and a friend who offered to drive me back to his house if I got too drunk.  Either way I took full advantage of both offers and the remainder of my night was a bit hazy.  

Saturday February 4th / As I said before the remainder of the night was hazy, but I had awoke to see that I was able to make it upstairs and take advantage of one of the beds that was offered to me (I wisely choose the bottom bunk).  My friends made me breakfast, and we spent most the day watching Rocky III and trying to recover from what I had perceived as a mild hangover.  Eventually Tom gave me a ride back to my car, at which point I started to realize, from the uneasiness in my stomach, that I was going to have more trouble functioning than I thought.  Once I got to my car, I decided to get supplies for my drive to Wilmington; gas, coffee and snacks.  I almost decided I needed a bloody mary, but thought better of it and got a V8 instead.  Leaving the town of Asheville turned out to be a challenge, the driving was making me nauseous and I was trying to mentally overcome it.  I made it back to route 40, slammed the rest of my V8 and pulled over at the next exit I could.  My body was turning itself off, I just wanted to stay awake long enough to make it to the truck stop.  I parked, turned off the car, reclined the drivers seat and took a much needed power nap.  I woke up an hour later, feeling revived, thankfully without any vomiting.  Now I could drive, and I made the 5 hour trek to Wilmington, NC.  The show that night was at The Zoo, a house show venue.  I had never played there but stayed at the house the last time I came through.  My buddy Dirt from Poking Holes set up the show.   Sidney Dively opened up, playing originals on guitar and Uke, reminding me at times of Mazzy Star and The Smiths.  Poking Holes played next, old timey folk/punk.  It was the first show as a two piece, adding a washboard player.  I played next, this was probably my favorite show of the whole tour, not the biggest turnout but everyone at the show came for the show, not just to party!  Rumble Tramp from Boone, NC closed the show out, really cool set, reminds me of bands like Rosa and other Planet X bands of the era.  

Sunday February 5th / I got some much needed rest and headed out to Richmond, VA the next morning.  I arrived around 3 pm and I met up with my friends at the GWAR bar around to corner from the show, which was at Condemned Island (house venue).  My buddy Matt through this show together. After we originally agreed to set the show up earlier that month lot’s of road blocks arose, so we knew it was not going to be the most ideal situation. This was just one of those shows. It was on Super Bowl Sunday, and apparently you can’t compete with that.  At one point I had asked,”Wasn’t Jim Ramirez supposed to play this show”, and I heard somebody reply, “Oh yeah, I think I was supposed to pick him up”.  My buddy Mike Jones played, who goes by Aged Out.  He was awesome as usual.  I was told I would go after the next act, which it was over an hour later before they went on and a couple of my friends had left by that point.  I played for a few people, one of my drunken friends successfully alienated what remained of the crowd by screaming at me about fellatio and other un-music related topics during my set.  My set turned into a jam session with me and Mike, trying to remember how to play various cover songs and songs from our old band.  At one point I believe we were told we had to sober up and leave. Granted we knew the show had to be over early because Matt’s band had to play a show downtown.  Either way leaving was difficult, but we managed to succeed, not without my drunken friend taking a leak in front of their house and getting yelled at (Yeah, you were “that guy”).  I’ll go ahead now and skip to the end.  We all ended up at Mike and Kensey’s house.  After people either got a cab home or went to bed, I tried to sleep while Mitch and Kensey stayed up listening to country music until 4:30 am.

Monday February 6th / Mike took me out to breakfast at 821 Cafe, then brought me back to pick up my car.  I had managed to get enough rest, so the 6 house drive to Charleston, WV wasn’t too bad.  The show was at the Empty Glass, a venue that has been around for a long time.  It was actually an open mic night and I was the featured act, getting to play a full set at whatever the prime time of the night would be.  This was a great open mic, people were super friendly and energetic.  People danced for all the acts, I got tipped out well and people bought me more drinks than I was able to drink (my stomach was starting to rebel against me at that point).  I got offered a place to crash no too far from the venue.  I had to decline the whisky and beer nightcap and I passed out easily on a recliner chair in their living room.

Tuesday February 7th / I woke up in a sweat, not because I was sick but because it was 70 degrees outside, extremely warm for Charlseton, WV in February.  They had turned off the heat at some point during the night, but I was still sleeping in my sleeping bag.  It was almost 10 am., and I had a lot of driving ahead of me so I got my stuff together quickly, said my goodbyes and was off.  Fairly uneventful drive, other than I didn’t have any service on my phone until I exited West Virginia.  I’m proud to say that unlike many humans nowadays, I am able to read a map and do not require a GPS system to tell me where to go!  The show was in Ashland, PA at The Drunken Monkey.  My buddy Tyler from Condition Oakland put this show on.  A pretty great line up, Ace & The Kings played first, a mix of originals and classic punk covers. Churches & Trains, another one man band act, who I will hopefully do a weekender with at some point, played next.  He does a similar stuff to me, but much more towards a folk/country end of the spectrum. I played next, and was followed by Tedd Hazzard who has an extensive collection of catchy, screamy folk punk songs.  Tyler - Condition Oakland played last. Me and Tyler had played together a lot recently, and he gave me the ok to take off early, which I was happy to do, although I did catch some of his set.  I’ll just say that all of these guys are worth a listen, all have albums (save Ace & The Kings) that you can stream/buy on bandcamp.  This was the 3rd time in three months I have played this area of Pennsylvania, I believe Wyoming Valley is what they call the region?  Either way I am starting to feel like a local, so this kind of served as my homecoming show, only a couple hours from Philadelphia.  At this point all parts of my body and mind had gained some tour tolerance and the 2 hour drive at nighttime back to my house in Philadelphia was a piece of cake.  I managed to get to bed by 2:30am, although waking up the next day proved to be rough. 

That’s the tour journal, no out of this world crazy stories.  I don’t typically attract that kind of mess.  For me it’s all about playing music and making connections with people.  Things don’t happen for me when I stay in one place, it’s not how I work and not how I like to live. 

I feel bad, so many past tour journals I have slacked on and never posted. I feel I should go back and pick through them and post them up too.  Time is always the issue, I’m always involved with several things at once, and it’s always a struggle for me to get everything I want to get done, done...Anyways stay posted and thanks for reading!

[jacknealephotography]

  Rain beats down with an unforgiving monotony as we trudge along the wet road to the coach stop in Dunedin. Since arriving the rain, or threat of rain here, has been non-stop. We spent a few days exploring the Otago peninsula just outside Dunedin, however I found the whole experience very strange; it was wild and remote yet almost like visiting a zoo with large restrictions and entry fees to gain access. I understand that the money all goes toward the protection of the wildlife in the area, however it was more the attitude of the the receptionists who did not really seem to give a rats arse about the wildlife or our experience.  On trying to gain some information about the area I was told that the only place to view Yellow eyed penguins in the world was within their reserve. When I replied with “I saw three yesterday walking up the beach while watching the sunset” the receptionist seemed shocked and did not really know how to reply. All in all I found most people to be very unhelpful toward us and our stay. This is except every single bus driver who we gleaned more information from than anyone on the whole trip, in fact it was pretty hard to get a word in on both our bus trips to and from the peninsula, and it was with a smile that we stepped of thinking how different these bus drivers were to the ones back in the UK.

Balclutha is a very small town on the outskirts of the Catlins and could be seen as the gateway to and from. This was the end of our link with the world of public transport, from here on it was just our feet and thumbs to travel our way through the remote Catlins coast. We stayed a night at Balclutha motor site where a very helpful man invited us in with open arms showing us around and generally making me regain my faith in humanity. It was with sadness that we left such a welcoming host but we had a 6 hour hike ahead of us if we couldn’t find a hitch. Cardboard sign in hand we hit the road to Kaka point. Whether it was Ali’s shorts riding up revealing her bum again or just the simple kindness of an old man we were picked up in seconds by him and his van, which towed a trailer of gravel.  While Ali sat in the back trying to avoid buckets of bleach and other carpet cleaning chemicals (her worst nightmare) I sat up front unaware of her distress blissfully chatting in true English style about the weather.

As we neared Kaka Point I found myself captivated by huge spray visible behind the dunes, driving over the brow of the hill an empty beach of pounding surf met my eyes and as we continued along the coast I was astonished at the vast array of points and reefs lighting up with clean lines and offshore winds with not a surfer in sight. Enough surf chat! We arrived at our campsite and saying farewell to our ride we went to the office to check in. It was closed with a note saying pitch up and pay later my faith in mankind now fully restored and feeling happy in the sunshine we set up camp and went exploring.

Sunrise at nugget point was something to behold, and for us with no transport it meant getting out of bed at 4am and making the 2 hour hike along the gravel road from Kaka to the nuggets. Luckily seeing as we hadn’t quite managed to get up in time we got a hitch from some kiwi bird watchers who were heading to the point in search of the rare Yellow Eyed Penguin, more on that later.

As the sun broke over the horizon our eyes were greeted by huge stacks of rock stretching out to sea from the lighthouse behind us. On one side great swell rolled in a light wind rippling over the face of the water, on the other side a calm sea lay at rest, very much like the 4 German tourist who we stubbled upon in sleeping bags at the point. What a great idea and I found myself wishing I had thought to sleep on the point under the starry nights sky followed by an awesome sunrise.

After a number of hitches and much walking the following day we found our selves at the most incredible campsite. Again it was raining however we were able to pitch our tent right on the beach tucked away in the shelter of a cliff. The campsite was run by DOC and on the honesty of the campers to pay and use the site responsibly. We watched as our ride drove off into the distance and it dawned on me that it was about a 7 mile walk back up to any kind of road and as far as I could see there was no one else around.

Now let me try to describe to you where we are. It is late afternoon and as I said before the rain is coming down in sheets, what I failed to mention was the wind which is gusting 100km sending sand skipping down the beach from the dunes to the ocean that heaved and pounded against the fine sand beach and tall steep cliffs at the far side of the bay. As the rain stopped the sun shone through the heavy  clouds with a piercing strength lighting up the spray from the waves with rainbows of colour. I realised I was somewhere truly magical. With a loud crack I was bought back to reality as one of our tent poles snapped in the wind! fan-bloody-tastic we are in the middle of nowhere with unpredictable weather and a broken shelter! luckily I was able to fashion together a slightly smaller but just as effective pole from the old one with some old string and some tape allowing me to get back to observing the landscape.

Forced to leave due to being out of drinking water and cash for the honesty payments we started a long trudge up the road in the rain stopping only to watch a baby Sealion trying to capture Black Backed gulls washing in the river. Luckily we managed to get a ride with one of the only cars to pass us up to the main road. When I say main road there was still only about 1 car every 10 mins but we had a good place to shelter from the elements and were soon picked up. Getting dropped of by a little store in Papatowai to pick up some supplies and gain some local information on the area we again hit the road. This time we had no luck with a ride so decided to go and check out a local artist who made art out of junk and exhibited it in an old bus. The only way I can describe it is quirky and incredible right down to the finest detail.

When we left the sun was shining again (Newzealand weather is so changeable) we hoisted our packs, asked a kissing couple if they had room for two, I meant in their car! and after being turned down started the uphill climb to the lookout over Tautuku beach.

We stopped on the beach and cooked some lunch in the sun before checking out lake Wilkie. From here we got a ride up to the whistling frog campsite for a chance to unwind and make the most of the facilities.

Mcclean falls were like walking into a magical land, Ali started seeing fairies everywhere she looked, making me wonder what was in the Orange juice she is always so keen to drink. Mosses and lichens hung like long bears from the damp branches. Ferns strived for light in the shadows of the branches and creepers twisted round one another. The low light of the sun reflected down through the canopy of leaves. The falls themselves cascaded down and with the high rain levels were much bigger and more impressive than any of the pictures I had seen. The downside to the high level of water was the amount of mist in the air creating a constant drizzle limiting angles for photographs.

We next managed to get a ride to Curio bay where we explored the fossil forest, this for me was one of the most fascinating experiences within the Catlins coast. When we first walked down onto the hard rocks I strolled around not really seeing what I was looking for. Suddenly it clicked and there at my feet was a tree turned to rock its grain and colour still visible in the stone. From there it was as though I was transported back to a swampy forest, where the waves washing over the rocks became fresh water rivers running through a boggy land of moss and grass. Embedded within the mud lie fallen trees rotting in the soggy soil. In a flash I am transported back to the present day, seeing the shapes as rock formations. The soggy soil is now hard rock with great wood like shapes running through. Small lumps (tree stumps)  stretch away into the distance and I am again looking at a boggy forrest. Fascinated and enjoying the subconscious switch of my brain I wonder over the rocks for quite some time stopping only to watch the waves crash against the edge sending spray shimmering in the light of a comforting warm sun after so many cold days.

Later that evening we sat watching the sunset when we found ourselves suddenly in the presence of not one but three of the elusive yellow eyed penguins that tourist from all around the world spend hours trying to spot even from a distance. Here we were with them waddling up the rocks to their nests right in front of us. As they returned to their nests we could here the chicks calling out for food. I felt so privileged to have experienced something so rare and a great way to end our trip through the Catlins.

We travelled though the Catlins in a very unusual way and a way that is not recommended in any guide book, hitching and trekking. It was very hard at times and quite testing with challenging weather. We did miss a couple of things such as the most southerly point, Slope point. However I feel that we experienced the Catlins in a much more unique way to most. We felt the rain and the wind on our skin and in our hair and we spent sleepless nights wondering if our tent was going to hold up in the wind but it made the whole experience.

Catching rides we were able to chat to other tourists and travellers about their experiences and I found it fascinating how much people missed. We spent a week  making our way from place to place and I still feel as though there was so much more to see. How people manage to pass through in a matter of hours, ticking of each attraction from the comfort of their cars I cannot understand.

If I could recommend anything to anyone traveling to the Catlins, it is to go to the places in between the points of interest in the guide books, then you will get a real idea of the remote and rugged land.

CATLINS Rain beats down with an unforgiving monotony as we trudge along the wet road to the coach stop in Dunedin.