#I can’t WAIT to visit my friend in Michigan and get my world completely rocked the first time I smoke weed again

[roylustang]

I’m saying it again I miss weed so much…..

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Hearthway Hollow Chef Ryker Chapter 3

And at last, here’s the last part of my bastardized version of my commission from @momolady​ has been awesome in letting me post it and doing the commission in the first place and if you want your own werewolf in the idealic picturesque Hearthway Hollow or whatever other universes she has- COMMISSION HER please for the love of chocolate and all that is holy do it, she’s awesome and amazing - in the name of the smores- specifically the chocolate, the marshmallow and grahmcracker amen. 

I have been saving these pictures for forever. especially of that kitchen with the blue countertops that is my dream kitchen right there and when you get a foodie home cook marrying a chef- their kitchen is going to be off the charts amazing. I mean look at that pantry and that spice nook. Come on. Doesn’t that make you want to cook? It makes me want to cook. Thanks for reading. 

“I think that’s the very last box,” I sigh as I hand the box over to the mover before I take one last look around the old place to make sure I got everything, all the memories I had of this house seemingly to dance in my memory as I look it over as I realize- it was just a house that was my home but now I’m going to my new home and I can’t open a new chapter of my life without closing the last one and with the last shut of my door- it’s like the place transforms and it’s just a house again- ready for a new family to call it home- a family that isn’t mine and I feel a sense of relief and excitement. Del is staying with my parents while the move is going and they’ll bring her down to Hearthway Hollow once things are done.

The idea of the move came as a shock to my friends and family, but it wasn’t a completely unexpected one but where I was moving to was, being from Michigan, where most of my sisters still were, they expected me to move up north, instead- I was moving further south, my baby sister who was in Tenessee was the happiest because now we were closer together. Ever since Del and I took the vacation to Hearthway Hollow, we had both had been enamored by the place and I took it as a sign because the car that had died there was something that Michael had said that ‘it would get me from point A to B.’ And Hearthway was the very last point B. And I wasn’t going to argue with fate on that. But it also didn’t help me gain any support from my inlaw’s side of the family that I had met someone while I was there. Ryker Guillermo was the head chef of his own restaurant in the town as well as being one of the many werewolves there. For the few weeks I stayed, Ryker and I had grown very close and were practically inseparable. After Del and I went home, Ryker and I continued to talk, we texted constantly. Video chatted a lot, and he had even come up to visit for a long weekend to meet everyone and had even gone to Cedar Point with Del and I in our first ‘new family tryouts’ which actually went much better than we thought it would because Del warmed right up to him and my family welcomed him with open arms which was to me- most of what mattered. 

Despite this, we had agreed to go slow due to all the circumstances surrounding me, I had Del, I was still grieving the passing of my husband, plus my overprotective “extended family” and “friends” on my husbands’ side who had their issues with me ‘moving on too quickly’,  not to mention I wanted to give Ryker a chance to understand my health issues and mental state. But he never wavered, not once. 

So after giving it a lot of careful thought and discussing it with Del, we decided to move to Hearthway Hollow. Ryker was my rock through everything, he got me all the info I needed, he had a custom built house that had just gotten finished a week before I moved down and that was my dream house come to life and he didn’t hesitate to put my name as a cosigner so that it was our house and had me make a few changes to it to really make it mine too meant the world to me. Pluse he added me as a cosigner on his checking and savings accounts too before I moved my own accounts over to the local bank and credit union, although to find out how much I really had to my name was a pleasant surprise but he didn’t get dollar signs in his eyes like everyone else had feared, if anything he looked at the way I had invested it and helped me to restructure it so that all that money was working better for me and he just made this whole stressful situation a breeze and surprisingly pain free. Del was signed up for school in the fall and was looking forward to it since she had made so many friends while she was down there, especially at camp. 

Just as I was getting ready to leave the house my phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hi,” Ryker sighs. “How is everything going on your end?”

I break into a big grin. “Just getting ready to head out with the movers,” I tell him. “How are things on your end?”

“Really good, thank you for sending the beer, I sure hope you’re not planning on drinking a lot of it by the time you get down here,” he chuckles. “Shahan and I just finished emptying the last truck you sent. It’s heading on back now.”

“Y'all work fast,” I chuckle.

“Yeah well, Billy and a bunch of others came over to help out, thus why there won’t be much beer, they’re all very pleased by that provision, thank you.” Ryker grunts and I hear the crackle of plastic and him saying his goodbyes in the background as the others say ‘hi’ and ‘thanks for the beer!’ in the background which makes me smile because I had gone to Jungle Jims and had gotten a freaking palate of different kinds of beer, with the way Ryker helped me restructure my investments including making a new one that was paying out way better than the old, I could definitely afford the splurge. “You are really going to owe me that massage now Beautiful.” Ryker grins as I hear him shut the door and lock it.  

I laugh as my cheeks blossom bright red. “Did you talk to Kai yet?” I ask. “About the job?”

“Oh yeah, he’s extremely excited to have you join the team. Says he can take more time off for his boyfriend now,” Ryker laughs. “But he says he’s ready to have you start in the fall when Del goes back to school just like you asked.”

I sigh with relief. “It’ll be nice to get back to work again. While Del is in school I won’t know what to do with myself.” I walk out of the house and head towards the moving truck.

“Well uh,” Ryker starts off slowly, “you do know you’ll have a boyfriend right?”

My stomach flip flops around again, you’d think I’d be used to it after the last couple of months but no, meanwhile my heart jumps into my throat. “Do I?” I giggle breathlessly, although part of me is hoping that term boyfriend would get upgraded to ‘fiance’ sooner than later. 

“Oh yeah,” he chuckles. “One that’s going to cook for you and take care of you and everything.”

“Oh?” I get into my car to start the procession to Hearthway Hollow. “And what is everything?” I start the car and the phone connects to the bluetooth.

“Well, if you’re ready, I figured we’d mate,” Ryker’s husky voice comes through the speakers loud and clear. 

I was relieved the movers were in the truck so they didn’t hear Ryker boom over the speakers. I hurriedly turn down the volume and catch my breath. “I’m not that kind massage therapist, you know. I’m legitimate, I could lose my license.” I tease to dissuade my excitement.

Ryker laughs. “Well what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom ain’t none of the board’s business and besides, I’m not going to be a client, I’ll happily just be your whatever you need me to be.” Ryker argues and I’m just praying he’s alone and no one else is listening to this. 

I try to hold back a delighted squeal and fail as I cover my blushing face with my hands and shake my head at a stop light for a quick second. “Rye! I’m trying to drive! You need to behave just a little bit so I can get us out of here and home to you sooner than later.” I whine. 

“I’ll let you be then, because I’m way too excited and I won’t behave at all so-” he sighs. “Be safe, Zara. I can’t wait to see you.” He cooes. 

“Me too,” I murmur softly. “I’ll be home soon.” I hang up the phone and lead the movers towards Hearthway Hollow. We do a straight shot, stopping a few times for the usual food and bathroom break, but we end up in Hearthway Hollow late that night. 

Ryker comes out of the house with a great big grin on his face, having tracked my progress on a GPS map. He rushes out, grabbing me in a great big hug while lifting me up in the air. “I’m so glad to see you!” He kisses me, and I have not felt this good since the last time I was with him. He makes me feel young and new again, and safe and protected and cared for and treasured and loved and adored and sexy and I could go on and on for days. 

“I’m so tired!” I whine. “And hungry.”

Ryker kisses my cheeks. “I have all that covered.” He leads me inside where he has a small table set up with chairs. There’s food laid out on top with candles and drinks. “It was a little difficult timing when to take the food out of the oven, I didn’t want it to get cold. But I think I got it just right.” Ryker grins proudly. 

Ryker pulls my chair out for me as I sit down. “Oh wow,” I gasp. “This is so nice! Thank you!” I tilt my chin up to meet another kiss.

“I also have the bed set up for you too. I have not found where you packed your blankets and sheets so I had Amelie help me pick some out.” He sits down beside me to serve food. He loads my plate with some sort of orzo dish, kebabs, and some sort of cheesy melting ooze that I’m sure Del would go nuts for.

“This is so sweet,” I say with tears in my eyes. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

Ryker beams as he pours me more wine. “I wanted to make it up to you,” he murmurs. “I didn’t get to do the courtship ritual as planned, but I wanted to do something.” He sits back in his chair. “I couldn’t just get off scottfree.”

“You’ve done so much though.” I take hold of his hand. “I don’t mind missing out on a few dead deer. Although, I wouldn’t say no to those, now that we have a freezer to put them in.” I add as I waggle my eyebrows suggestively.  

Ryker grins as he laces his fingers with mine. “Well, it’s more than that,” he murmurs. “It’s about showing your mate how you can provide for them and take care of them.” He kisses the back of my hand. “It isn’t just you I have to prove myself to, it’s Del as well.”

“Del already thinks the world of you,” I say shaking my head. 

“Still, I don’t want her to question anything or have any doubts.” Ryker nods towards the hallway. “I got her something special made. When you’re done I’ll show you.”

I finish off my last bit of wine then stand up. “I’m good, let me see.”

Ryker takes me to Del’s new room that had just gotten painted a lovely pastel lilac purple only days before- where the boxes are still stacked in the middle of the room, but her bed is set up already and the frame around it has been made to look like a shark. 

“Oh my gosh!” I gasp, laughing softly. 

The shark is huge with a hole in the side where Del can get into her bed, beside it there is a small step ladder leading to a flat landing at the top.

“I figured we can either put another bed here or Del can use it as a play area.” Ryker pats the top. “The mouth part has a small closet area for her clothes of whatever she wants.”

“Where did you get this?” I gasp in awe. 

“Billy’s daughter Ellie made it for me, she’s a whiz with stuff like this,” Ryker says with a proud grin. His expression then morphs into one of anxiety. “Do you think Del will like it?”

I run into his arms, hugging him tight and nuzzling my face against his chest. “She’s going to love this!” As I look up at Ryker, we kiss. His soft lips brush against mine and his moustache tickles my upper lip but I’ve gotten used to it. I moan softly as his hands rub down my back then squeeze around my soft waist.

“Sorry,” he chuckles. “You’re probably exhausted from the trip. Come on, I’ll tuck you in.” He leads me to the master bedroom where he has my bed set up with brand new crisp sheets and a new comforter that’s gorgeous. 

“This is nice,” I sigh as I get undressed. “I don’t get a shark bed?” I tease. 

Ryker snorts, his eyes lingering on me as I slip my shorts off. His strong hand touches my bare thigh as he fingers trace the line of my panties. “I figured you’d be happy having a wolf in your bed.” He rumbles. 

My heart is hammering fast. “Well when you put it like that,” I sigh.

Ryker kisses me. He then places a shirt in my hands. “I brought you one of my shirts, will that suit you?”

I bring the shirt up to my face, smelling his detergent with a whiff of spices. “It will.”

Ryker kisses me. “I’m going to go clean up. I’ll hop into bed with you when I’m done.” He turns the light out as he leaves.

I slip on his shirt and take my nightly meds and lay down in bed. I relax, but just enough to let my body sag. I didn’t want to fall asleep right away, I wanted to be awake when Ryker came to bed. Unfortunately, exhaustion won out so I passed out hard before I even heard the sink turn on.

I woke up in the morning as a crisp breeze drifted over me. As I opened my eyes I saw the window was open, letting in the brisk air. Ryker wasn’t in bed, but his side of the bed was still messy. I got out of bed and stretched until my back popped. Ryker shirt rose up over my belly and I tugged it down.

I went out of the bedroom, smelling coffee, pancakes and bacon as I went into the living room. In the kitchen I heard Ryker moving around so I peeked around the corner. He was half naked in the kitchen, just in his underwear. His broad and tattooed back was turned to me so I could see it flex as he moved, for as hairy as his chest and forearms and legs were, it was really nice that his back wasn’t. His underwear hugged around his butt, giving me a great view.

“I know you’re back there,” Ryker chuckles. He glances over his shoulder at me with a wink. “Good morning.”

“Muh-morning.” I step in. I see he’s wearing an apron as he cooks to protect his front at least. “You didn’t have to do this all by yourself, I could have helped.” I say as I walk into the kitchen.

“Nonsense. It’s the least I can do.” He grins at me. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a rock.” I walk up behind him,wrapping my arms around his waist while he cooks. I kiss his bare back, in the middle of his back and a shudder goes down his spine.

“You’ve found my weak spot,” Ryker chuckles nervously as I giggle before I kiss it again, my lips just a little open before I pull my hands from around him and start scratching his back before Ryker groaned and practically melted into a puddle in front of the huge stove. 

“Your back huh?” I giggle. “Really? That’s a coincidence.” I hum as I watch his reaction as I scratch his back and find his ‘itchy spots’ which are on the inside edges of his shoulder blades and the middle of his upper back and down his spine and I see that gooseflesh has broken out over his arms as he breathes a few shuddering breaths and pushes into my hands so that I’m scratching harder which I happily oblige. 

He nods with a cute, awkward smile on his face. “I’m sensitive there, especially the nape of my neck and lower back.”

“That won’t affect your massage will it?” I brush my fingertips with a featherlight touch on his sides before moving to his lower back just to watch him squirm as I grinned evilly. 

Ryker bites down on his bottom lip then gives me a softened glare over his shoulder before I stop and continue with my scratching. “It might.”

I kiss his back some more. “Do you have work today?” I ask.

Ryker shakes his head. “Today and tomorrow I have off. I wanted to make sure you got everything moved in.”

“You’re so sweet.” I finally release him so he can finish cooking. I get myself a big cup of orange juice then sit down in the breakfast nook and I’m delighted when he serves me breakfast. After 15 years of serving Michael every meal I ever made him, it’s Ryker who serves me for a change. Such a small gesture but meaning so much. 

After breakfast we get everything unloaded from the moving truck. A bunch of people come by to help, so it makes everything go by so much easier. By the end of the day I have all the boxes placed in the rooms they belonged in. And it was hilarious when Ryker was unpacking the vases I had made at art therapy before he found Michael’s urn and thought it was just another vase. 

“Wow this is gorgeous Zara!” Ryker had praised as he turned it over in his hands and appreciated the details I had put into the vase as the others stopped to see it and gave their stamps of approval too. 

“Thanks, be careful with that one though, it’s Michael’s urn.” I told him before he spazzed a little himself and nearly dropped it before the others went to rush to try and grab it before it smashed on the ground as I cackled before they managed to secure it and I took it from them and put it away in Del’s room on her bookshelf as Ryker was congratulated for being ‘so smooth’ but a quick kiss and reassurance from me and he was good, after that he regaled himself to the grill to grill up some hamburgers, hot dogs and brats for everyone who had come to help.  

“Del’s room, the bathroom, and the kitchen will need unpacking first,” I sigh to myself as I make a plan as I make notes in my notebook and try to organize my thoughts. 

“When does Lady Del get delivered?” Ryker asks as he collapses next to me and downs a bottle of water. 

“Next week,” I sigh. “So getting her things moved in and ready is the first thing.” I sit down on the sofa and slouch. “It all seems like so much.”

Ryker sits down beside me and puts his arm around me. “It’ll be easy once you get started. Just seems like so much right now because it’s all new. Just take breaks so you don’t get overwhelmed and I’ll help as much as I can.” He gently advises. 

I rest my head on his shoulder. “You’re so amazing. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you.”

Ryker kisses the top of my head, gently brushing my hair aside. “I think I know,” he murmurs. “You don’t have to say anything.”

I place my hand on his thigh. “My massage table was unloaded,” I say. “How about I give you that long promised massage tomorrow, I need to recover from today.”

Ryker’s cheeks grow dark red and he clears his throat. “You sure? It can wait. I know you’re tired and you want to get things done so-” I silence him by kissing him.

“It’ll be a nice little break for both of us.” I run my fingers through his amazing dark thick hair. “You’ve earned several of them anyway.”

Ryker’s smile is soft as he looks at me. “Only if you’re sure.”

“Positive,” I say with a grin.

The next day I wake up with Ryker’s arms wrapped tightly around me. As I start to move he squeezes and buries his face against my neck. He whines softly, not wanting me to get up.

“Good morning,” I sigh wistfully. “Sleep well?”

His hot breath on my neck makes me shiver but his teeth as they drag down my skin makes me weak. His hand moves up, squeezing my breasts gently for a moment and I melt. 

“Oh Ryker,” I moan as I move my head back to offer more of my neck to him and push my butt into his groin and grin when there’s something very large and very hard poking my butt. 

“Sorry,” he chuckles softly. His hand moves away and rubs my belly tenderly. “Got a bit excited.” He kisses my neck. “The wolf started to come out.” He moves his hips away so he’s not pressing into me. 

I squeeze my thighs together, feeling a heat start to tingle. “You could have let it out, morning sex is never a bad thing,” I whined. 

Ryker squeezes me again. “Not yet,” he sighs. He then releases me and sits up. “I’ll go start breakfast.” He gives me a quick kiss. “Get a shower and enjoy your morning.”

I pout at him. “I would have enjoyed you.”

Ryker grins. “I’m not my best until I’ve had a good meal. You deserve me at my peak.” He kisses me again. “If you’re ready though, I’m ready.” He presses his forehead to mine. 

“After breakfast,” I say as I sit up. “I’ll give you your massage and for the first time and last time in my career I’ll consider a happy ending but it just can't be on the table itself. Because I have intergrety and I can’t have you thinking I’ll fuck any other man on my table.” I insist. 

“Of course not, besides you’re my mate and you’re already strongly scented, they’d be a fool to even try.” Ryker agreed as he grabs me and pulls me to him suggestively. 

I bite my lip as I stroke my hand down his hairy chest. “Then we’ll see what arises.”

“It’ll arise, trust me,” Ryker scoffs. He kisses me again before forcing himself to go into the kitchen.

I get a shower then set up the table so after we eat it’ll be an instant thing to get to. Once breakfast is over, Ryker gets his own shower. I then set up my supplies, laying a flannel sheet set and a light blanket over the table, lighting a candle, dimming the lights, and turning on some soothing music.

As I’m warming up my hands and the massage lotion on them, Ryker comes out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist. “So uhm-” he says unsurely. “Do I just get up there...as is?”

“If you’d like,” I say with a smile. “No sense in getting dressed since it’s just me. Plus you’ll have this to keep you modest.” I say as fold down the light blanket and sheet as he comes over. 

“Just you,” he scoffs. He then drops the towel and hops up on the table before I lay it over his lower half so his back is exposed to me. As muscular and amazing as it is. 

My whole body has burst into flames. I only got a quick peek before he laid down, but I am pretty sure the werewolf isn’t the only monster in the room.

“What smells good?” Ryker asks.

“Candles,” I reply quickly. “It’s a lemon and basil scent.”

“Mm, I love that,” Ryker sighs. He then gasps as I take my hands to his back.

“Any problem spots?” I ask him as I rub the lotion into his skin and get a feel for what I’m working with. Fantastic strong muscle tone meets my hands. 

Ryker groans in his chest. “I uhm…” he lets out a warbled moan as I reach his lower back. “Shoulders and lower back,” his voice goes darker and I’m pretty sure he’s trying not to drool through the face rest. 

“Thought so.” I start to rub slowly. “So do you want a nice relaxing massage or do you want me to fix this?” I ask as I pick out the knots in his shoulders and between his shoulder blades. 

“Please fix it.” Ryker pleaded. 

“You got it, now obviously I’m heavy handed so if it gets to be too much, just tell me to ease up and I will.” I reassure him then start in, going for the deeper pressure and more focused work because I’m heavy handed and a problem solver and when I had told Ryker that I spoke muscle, he had no idea how fluent I was in it. 

Ryker lets out a whimpering cry as I coach him to breathe with me when I find the first knot then groans as I get the knot out and the muscle submits and relaxes before I continue on before it’s more moans and good groans instead of whimpers as he drops into the parasympathetic cycle. As I move down his back to his legs, I notice him squirming a bit.

“Everything ok?” I ask. “You’re moving quite a bit, I need you to keep still and relaxed.” I rub my hand down his thigh.

“Sorry it’s just uhm-” he pants. “A bit of discomfort.”

“Discomfort?” I gasp in shock. “Where? I told you to tell me if I’m rubbing too hard.”

Ryker chuckles. “Oh my god, don’t make me say it, Zara!”

I then realize what he’s talking about. “Oh!” I let out a soft giggle. “Oh.” I kiss his shoulder as my hand moves between his legs. “Do you like it that much?” I purr. 

Ryker grunts as my fingers squeeze along his inner thigh and up towards his butt. “It’s you,” he moans. “Even if you had been poking me with a stick it would have happened.”

“Roll over then,” I moan into his ear. “Let me take care of you My Love.”

His whole body shivers but he does as I command. He lays on his back, pressing his forearm over his eyes and his cheeks are as red as mine. He bites down on his bottom lip, waiting for my reaction as I move the blanket down to see my prize. 

I glide my eyes down his chest, his belly. I then see his cock laying against his stomach. It’s thick, very thick, with nice veins running along it. It quivers for a moment, lifting off his belly for a second before laying back against it. He’s so much bigger than Michael could ever hope to be in his wildest dreams. Hopefully Ryker knows how to use this monster well. 

“Is this what they meant by big bad wolf?” I take his cock into my hand, squeezing at the base before I stroke up. I lean forward, kissing his chest and darting my tongue over his nipple. 

“Zara,” Ryker moans loudly as he fists his hand into the sheets. 

I kiss his neck, moving my hand faster on his shaft. Ryker’s mouth hangs open and he moves his arm away from his face. He sits up, capturing my face between his palms to kiss me. He bites my lip sighing into my mouth as I pump his cock. 

“Get on the bed,” he snarls into my ear. “Now.”

My nipples get hard instantly at his low, raspy growl. He stands off the table, pushing me down onto the mattress. He rips away my underwear and pushes up the shirt I’m wearing before I take it off. He kisses between my breasts, gently nipping my soft skin as he spread my thighs which eagerly part for him. 

“Ryker,” I mewl softly.

“It’s ok right?” He pants. 

“Of course,” I whisper. “I can’t wait any longer.”

A big smile breaks over his face. He dips down, kissing me as one of his hands finds purchase on my hip. He growls into my mouth as his fingers from his other hand slip around in my growing wetness. His mouth moves down me until his head is buried between my thighs. I already notice he’s starting to shift, changing ever so slowly. Sharp teeth drag on my thighs and I let out a loud whimper. His tongue presses inside me and I reach down to grab the top of his head, his glorious hair threading between my fingers. 

A low growl vibrates through me, making my eyes roll back. Ryker snarls and slurps, pressing his tongue inside then licking over me. Once his fingers join the mix, I’m done for. They rub circles around my clit, my back arches off the bed, and I let out a long, pleasured yell as my first orgasm floods me with euphoria. 

Ryker rises up, his sharp blue eyes gazing at me as he licks his chops. “My mate,” he whispers. He cups his hand around my cheek. “Are you ready?”

I whimper as I nod emphatically as his cock rubs against my slit. I reach down, opening myself up with my fingers. “Yes,” I breathe. “I need you.”

Ryker crouches down, guiding himself inside as he kisses me. I lose my breath as he stretches me. I wrap my arms tight around him, as do my legs, letting him rock me with the pulse of his hips. My toes curl and I lose my voice. I have not felt this good in...ever, he’s filling me to the max and it’s wonderful. Ryker’s dark growls in my ear, and his soft fur presses against my skin and some of his massive weight starts to push me into the bed but I love it, it’s making me feel safe and desired and dominated in the best way possible. He pulses in me, sending a warmth through my body that causes my legs to spasm and my vision to go blurry because my second orgasm is just that good. 

He continues to snarl, rutting harder. I feel the knot at the base of his cock rub against my folds, slowly finding purchase before locking into place inside me. I bury my face in his neck as my hands claw down his back and chest in my third orgasm. Ryker shivers, throwing his head back with a powerful howl as he releases inside me and I feel it in my bones and every fibre of my being. 

For a moment, I’m gone, I’ve left this world to enter the next. It isn’t until Ryker is kissing me I return. I gaze up into his gentle blue eyes as tears slide down my cheeks.

“You ok?” He gasps as he fears he’s hurt me.

I nod and whimper. “I’m just so happy,” I sniffle

“I love you, Zara,” he whispers into my ear. “I’ll do everything I can to make you happy and I’ll take care of you, I love you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” I cry.

We make love again not long after that, then again, and again and again, I don’t get as much work as I want done that week, but I am still able to unpack Del’s room and my room and the bathrooms and of course the kitchen. Her grandparents bring her home and have a tour of the new house.

Del just about goes feral when she sees her new bed. She instantly climbs on top and hugs Ryker around his neck.

“Thank you! Thank you!” She squeals excitedly. “I love you Ryker!”

It’s enough to make me cry, but Ryker has to control himself from full on sobbing. “I love you too, Lady Delilah.” 

Ryker proposes and takes “The Daddy Oath” with Del and moves in a few months later, giving Del and I time to get used to our home. Not like he wasn’t there constantly anyways. In fact, it was Del who asked him to move in with us and that was the cue we were looking for. 

“You should stay forever,” she had said with a nod. “It only makes sense. After all, you and Mom will have a baby sooner than later.”

We both had a laugh, after all, as much as I wanted another child I thought it just wasn’t in the cards for me. But I should have trusted how perceptive Del was, because not long after Ryker moved in, I got the shock of my life.

The news came from my doctor, who I was having my first check up with who had run some blood work. “You should have told me your were pregnant Zara. It surprised me!” She chuckles.

“I’m what?” I ask. “That can’t be right.” Because I was there to get birthcontrol. And I hadn’t been off of it for...oh. Whoops. 

“Oh,” she looks me over. “So it’s a surprise for you too? Well then, lets go over this now.” We have a long talk and tweak my meds a little. Before it was thought I couldn’t have a baby again, but apparently, Hearthway Hollow has a way of working out miracles because the pregnancy was already stable and I was beyond happy about it. 

Ryker was so excited when I told him the news, he started crying and hugging me tight. Del was acting smug, pleased as punch she had predicted this happening.

Ryker asked Del for permission to marry me sooner than later, which Del agreed to under the strict rule he not die of a heart attack which Ryker reassured her by showing her his own blood work and his own heart scan that his heart was perfectly fine which was reassuring to Del and I. We had a quick marriage at the courthouse, figuring we would have something nicer once the baby was born.

After that Ryker went into nesting mode and all those dead deer and other animals I was supposed to have gotten during the courtship- I was getting them now and Ryker was torn between working extra hard at the restaurant and wanting to be with me constantly and cooking up feasts big enough to feed a dozen people when he wasn’t touching me if not carressing me and the growing bump too and put on quite a bit of sympathy weight.  

Late in April, our son came two weeks early. He came out with a full head of hair and the softest, smallest cries I have ever heard. Del could kill with her screams as a baby, but our little Gavin was so gentle. Despite being a little early, he was a record weight and very healthy which made me think they may have gotten my due date wrong. It took me a while to recover, just like with Del, but soon we were all home.

I woke up one morning to find Del curled up beside me while Gavin was asleep on Ryker’s chest with our dog Max sleeping at the foot of the bed while the cats slept on the bench of the master bedroom’s bay window. I felt so at peace, so happy, I almost thought for a moment I was dreaming.

“I’ll make breakfast in a second, I don’t wanna bother them.” Ryker grins at me. 

“I can stay here forever,” I whisper. “It’s ok.”

“I can’t,” Del grumbles. “Dad, I’m hungry.”

The smile that blooms on Rykers face is more than I can bear. I was warned, Hearthway Hollow has a way of trapping you, but it also can perform miracles.

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @everchanginginks!

AN: My very first Sterek fic and my first published proper fanfic in like four years! Very exciting. This is a Sterek Secret Santa 2k18 gift for the incomparable everchanginginks, so I hope I have done everything she could ever want in this.

Within: Fluff, There Was Only One Bed, friends to lovers, and magic!Stiles, which is 4/5 of the prompts I was given! If I had 10k to work with I could have encompassed the fifth of enemies to lovers, but we do what we can. I'm already WELL OVER the 5k limit I am so sorry SSS it just happened like that orz

Read on AO3

******

Wędrowiec

Hey -SS

Hey -SS

Hey -SS

What -DH

What’s your address. The loft. -SS

Why do you need it -DH

Well I can’t just ask the postal service “hey what zip code are Derek Hale’s eyebrows” -SS

I mean I could but it wouldn’t get me anywhere -SS

Why do you need it -DH

I’m going to be in Michigan for Christmas so I can’t be there on the 25th to give you your present so I wanted to send it to you, if you must know -SS

You don’t have to get me anything -DH

Well you embarrassed me by getting me a way-too-nice present last year so yeah I actually kind of do. We have spending limits for a reason!!!!!!!!!!!!! -SS

That wasn’t a Christmas gift, and your laptop was nearing meltdown. We need you technologically capable to keep the packs safe and up to date. It was a necessity. It just happened to be around Christmas -DH

My Christmas gift was within the spending limits. That was the laptop case. -DH

Why are you going to Michigan? -DH

My mom’s family wants to see us again, apparently they’ve gotten over the spat happened between my uncles and my dad and they want us all together -SS

Really I think it’s because they figure it’s my grandfather’s last Christmas so they want us to pretend that everything’s fine for his sake -SS

I’m sorry to hear that -DH

Oh I don’t really give a fuck it’s just free food and free gossip about my cousins as far as I’m concerned -SS

I’ll just be bored to tears because they don’t have any fuckin technology. Just a frozen ass lake and a frozen ass town in a frozen ass state. How do they survive in a house with NO WIFI?!??!?!! -SS

Guess you’ll just have to die, then -DH

The typing indicator went up for a few seconds before a full half a minute’s pause, then Derek’s ringtone played as Stiles was now calling him. It was Derek’s preferred method of communication anyway, tone was completely lacking over text and he kind of needed some sort of cue to figure out what people meant.

“That was a fffucking meme you’re so full of shit when you pretend not to know what I’m talking about!!!” Stiles was trying to sound some form of mad, but there was way too much of a smile in his voice. “So full of shit. Fuck you.” Stiles’ verbiage towards Derek had gotten crasser and somehow even more confrontational since he’d gone off to college, but paradoxically more affectionate.

“Mhmm.” Derek didn’t give him much to go off of, but figured that Stiles had something else to talk about with him rather than just to whine about his alleged meme knowledge. Honestly, he’d just heard Isaac say it once and it garnered a positive reaction from others, so he filed it away for later use.

That wasn’t exactly what Stiles was hoping for, but he wasn’t going to let something as trivial as Derek’s resistance to banter stop him from talking. “So what are your plans for Christmas?” He still hadn’t gotten that address out of him, but if Derek had plans to be somewhere, he wanted to find out what.

“Nothing.”

Stiles stopped in his pace around his room, “Wait, nothing? What about Cora ‘n Erica ‘n Boyd ‘n Isaac ‘n Scott?” he listed off the people Derek was close enough to be around without too much annoyance in either direction.

“Cora’s down in Peru with her old pack, she’s pretty excited for their plans there, and it didn’t come with an invite, I figured I’d let her be. It’s…” He trailed off, grateful that Stiles held his tongue so he could find his words. “We’re siblings, but those six years of thinking the other dead and her pack being hundreds of miles away, we’re just not that close. I’ll call her on Christmas and I’ve sent her a couple things, it’s enough. Boyd and Erica are visiting Boyd’s grandmother in South Carolina, since his mom got a nice Christmas bonus in her paycheck.”

“Christmas bonus, huh.” Stiles’ tone was completely not buying the story.

“Christmas bonus.” Derek reaffirmed, not addressing Stiles’ suspicions in the least. It’s not that he was wrong, but Boyd was the hardest to convince to accept his financial support, so he had to resort to more sneaky measures to help him out. “And Scott and Isaac are with Ms. McCall.”

“Which also didn’t come with an invite.” Stiles filled the blank for him. It prickled at him that everyone just forgot Derek, even the ones staying in the area. “Hell, man, if I knew you got fucked over like that I’d have stayed, screw the free food ‘n everything, but we already said we’d go. I could have made you watch all of the Christmas movies that you missed out on living under a rock. And my famous hot chocolate.”

“Your famous hot chocolate, which is powdered hot chocolate mix made with whole milk, a Lindt truffle at the bottom, and a half a can of whipped cream?”

Stiles glared at the phone like the screen had personally insulted him, his ancestors, and the entirety of the Power Rangers all in one sentence. “Who told you.”

Derek was smiling despite the topic being how alone he was on the holiday. “Lydia warned me of the sugarbomb.”

“Traitor.” Stiles had an idea in his head. “Hey…..I’m gonna be bored as hell over in Michigan, and it won’t be much fun without technology, you wanna come with? You can convince them that I actually have friends and you won’t be listening to the pipes clanging in that loft all by yourself.”

“I couldn’t impose on-“

“Fuck that, they’re my family and they barely like me anyway, they’ll love you and that way I’ll at least have someone I can talk to aside from my dad, who’ll probably be bickering with my uncles, and my grandfather, who mostly speaks Polish and is about as social as a wombat.”

Derek squinted at the simile. He had to ask, even if it was stupid. “How social are wombats, exactly?”

“Hell if I know.”

Derek thought for a moment. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to at least have somewhere to go instead of staring at empty walls. “Check with them if they’re alright with you bringing someone you want to kill half the time, and if they say yes, I’ll pay my way and get a hotel.”

“No, no no, you’re staying in the house. They have a pretty big house, they got it decades and decades ago and it’s right on the lake, it’s really nice. I haven’t been there since I was…” Stiles counted on his fingers for a few seconds before giving up and ballparking it. “…Like twelve but yeah. I’ll tell ‘em I’m bringing a friend, I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. Should be grateful my fine ass will even be showing up at all.”

Derek rolled his eyes only part of the way. “See what they say, but don’t push. I won’t die if I’m on my own for Christmas.”

“Yeah but I might if I’m bored for too long out there.”

“I guess harassing me is entertainment.” He could concede that as Stiles’ motivation, it was easier than accepting a invitation offered out of guilt to bother his family by intruding on their Christmas

“Ever since I trespassed on your property, it’s been my favorite pastime.”

“Talk to you later, Stiles.” Derek wanted the conversation over before Stiles got too wrapped up in the parley and didn’t start asking, which was a basic courtesy before bringing someone they didn’t even know all the way there to stay in their house and eat their food and intrude on their family Christmas. He didn’t have high hopes, but even just the offer was enough to make him feel a little less alone.

*~*

Stiles was still blinking in shock at being awake at the ungodly hour that he was awake at, sitting in San Francisco Airport, when his father put a coffee in his hand. John was making something that was as close to small talk as Derek could get as they waited for the plane at the gate. How the both of them could stand to be so conscious before 7am was beyond him. How dare they. Didn’t they know that 5:55 am was a fake time of day and that being awoken at 3 in the morning was tantamount to a Geneva convention violation?!?

“Nhghhhgngh.” Stiles mumbled in response, shaking hands lifting the cup to his face and putting all of his faith in muscle memory to navigate the rest of it. It worked well enough, liquid went down the right tube and not down his shirt.

“C’mon, get that down so you can cram Dramamine in your face and when you wake up we’ll be in O’Hare.” John’s tone of voice was surprisingly warm and sincere despite a sentence which could easily be condescending. Maybe it was the whole Christmas spirit getting through to him, or maybe it was that Stiles was way too groggy to backsass him at this hour of the day and he was enjoying it as much as he could.

They got Stiles upright enough to get him on the plane and negotiated seating, Derek wanted on the aisle for easy escape from a compacted tube full of a ton of people and noise and smells and recycled air, which John couldn’t fault him for, and given that Stiles was going to be unconscious shortly, it was better he was on the window, so Stiles was next to Derek on the two seat side and John across the aisle from them.

Derek figured Stiles would just curl up on the window and fall asleep and he could read on his tablet in peace, so it was a mild surprise that Stiles, buckled in and half gone already, leaned on his shoulder and nuzzled in, breathing steadied and as comfortable as anything.

John leaned over to check on his son, and though wildly perplexed, he leaned back and decided that as long as Derek wasn’t strangling his kid for touching him, it was fine by him.

*~*

The arrival to Gerald Ford Airport in Michigan was, to say the least, a wakeup call for the youngest of the trio’d travelers.

“Jesus fucking Christ, oh my god, why is it so cold?” He asked as the pilot announced that the temperature in Grand Rapids was a balmy twenty-five with flurries all day. Barbaric.

“Stiles, you know it’s gonna be like, ten degrees and windstorms in Michigan the whole week, right?” Derek’s eyebrow rose at the double hoodies and vest Stiles was sporting, that Stiles had not taken out anything warmer from his luggage. That wouldn’t be nearly enough for wind straight from Canada’s frozen wastelands. Derek had done his research into where he’d be heading before packing his luggage, you know, like an adult.

“This is what I got!” Stiles shrugged, a California native that did his schooling in D.C. and Virginia, where neither place got REAL snow on the regular.

“Well, as it turns out, I expected as much.” Derek pulled out his carry-on duffle and extracted three coats, one light brown, one navy, and one black. He handed the brown to John in the middle of their row, and the navy across to Stiles. “Figured you guys wouldn’t have remembered how cold it gets in real northern places.” He said as he shrugged the black coat on himself, a slave to aesthetics.

“Hell, Derek, you didn’t have to…“ John did have a halfway warm enough coat, it wasn’t- oh, it was actually pretty nice. “How much was this?” He’d be really weirded out if Derek was dropping stacks on him and his son, he was already confused at the gift of a laptop the previous year, it’s not like he couldn’t afford a laptop for his son. He couldn’t have afforded the one Derek got him, but he didn’t want to be upstaged in taking care of Stiles. The other kids could take advantage of Derek’s money all they wanted, but the Stilinskis had pride. They didn’t accept charity from rich boy werewolves.

“Not nearly enough for either of you to worry about it.” Derek said, sliding his sunglasses on and leaning back, not interested in carrying on the conversation any longer.

John, unable to turn down the gift but weirded out by Derek both anticipating this need at all, actually going to the trouble to getting these, and sacrificing space in his carry on to bring them on the plane all for this specific scene along with buying him gifts, pulled it on all the same. What a fucking drama queen. “Thanks, Derek.”

Stiles had rolled his eyes at yet another extravagant present from Derek that was way too much to accept but he was trapped by it, since he did desperately need it and couldn’t say no. Well, he’d saved Derek from being the saddest bastard in all of California on Christmas, so maybe this was recompense. “It’s not like I can’t warm myself up.” He grumbled. Heat spells were elementary on the roster of the things any spark worth his salt would know. And Stiles was the saltiest of all.

“Yeah, Stiles, go ahead and slightly set yourself on fire through the whole week.” Derek’s deadpan delivery could easily be mistaken for sincerity, which did well enough to disguise the fact that he was actually really impressed that Stiles had been getting far enough with his magic to do some interesting and sometimes even useful things. “You’ll be our Yule Log. Very seasonal self-immolation.”

John expected Stiles to look pissed at that level of smack-talk, but Stiles looked oddly gratified by the response, like getting Derek to make fun of him was his goal all along.

“Such a good alpha provider, takes such good care of us. Thaaaank you Dereeeek.”

There might have been just a twitch of a smile at the corner of Derek’s mouth, but it could have just been a trick of the lights as cabin prepared for landing.

*~*

Stiles was giving Derek a rundown of the family members he’d have to keep straight while there, cousins and uncles and aunts and people that were peripheral to the family but close enough to be considered part of the group, the bits and pieces of them that he’d pulled together. He hadn’t seen them in a decade, so much of what he knew was informed by Facebook posts and a few Instagram bits that let him know who was who and look at least a little less like he didn’t remember jack shit about his cousins. Which he did, just they were also around 8-14 so it’s been a while, alright? Some of ‘em had gone to college, some of ‘em got jobs, hell, one of ‘em was married with a kid. Wild.

“Shortlist of the important family to know: Nelia, grandpa’s wife. My grandmother died a few years after my mom, but Nelia’s a pretty nice woman, she’s got a really thick accent so if you don’t understand what she’s saying you can ask one of us to translate, we all speak Polish to some degree.”

“I don’t.” John added, at the driver’s seat of the rented car. Derek would rent a car in town, they figured that arriving together would be easier, and then no one was alone for the ride from the airport to the family house.

“Well, Dad doesn’t, but there you go, you and him can be awkward together when we talk shit about you guys, it’ll be great.” Stiles was in the passenger seat, texting people at lightning speed about how this was going to be the most hilarious week of his life and it was all because Derek was going to have to be exposed to a TRADITIONAL FAMILY CHRISTMAS. Did you pack Benadryl? -ER

Why? -SS

For when he breaks out in hives from people expressing genuine emotion around him -ER

“Then there’s Grandpa, I call him the Polish term for it, Dziadek, you’re probably best off with Mr. Gajos. I think I’ve heard a grand total of ten words out of him my whole life, so you don’t have to worry much about him.”

Derek’s eyes were fixed on something in the distance, and casually added, “He’s who you’re named after, right?”

Stiles went stiff and turned around to look at Derek. “Who told you.” Much less humorous than the previous inquisition about the hot chocolate, he seemed properly displeased about it.

Derek only mildly smiled and made no other answer. Stiles made an aggravated noise but wasn’t going to try and interrogate Derek. He continued his familial explanation but sounded much more irritated at everyone in it. “Then there are my cousins, there are a bunch and some new ones I’ve never met, but you pretty much only have to know Nika, who’s two years older than me. She’s the only one that sort of kept in touch and therefore the only one I care about. The uncles are …well you don’t care, and I bet they won’t mess with you much. Now, the whole drama with them, Dad, if you wanna take the lead on explaining why we haven’t talked to ‘em in over a decade.”

John gave Stiles a meaningful glance, but didn’t explain it. “Well, after Claudia died, I had a hard time of it for a while. They thought that I should have handled her, and Stiles, differently than I did.” Derek realized the glance was begging Stiles not to ask John to air his most closely guarded shames right in front of Derek, who signed up for a little getaway and not to hear all their most private secrets.

“They were firm believers that ADHD was cured by beatings and were annoyed that I was a bit of a holy terror.” Stiles translated.

John grimaced a little. “They wanted to take Stiles in, raise him properly. I admit I wasn’t perfect. They weren’t right to say it, but I understand why they did.”

Derek could connect the dots laid out before him. They saw John as a useless drunk and Stiles as a neglected brat and thought they could do better. “So now you’re talking again?” He asked, desperate to save John from further agonies.

“Enough that they didn’t threaten to play family politics chess and try to make Stiles’ grandparents chose which children they liked better this year.”

“We did alright on our own.” Stiles declared with a defiant smile, clearly not about to entertain the notion of understanding their position whatsoever.

It was hard for Derek to wrap his head around a family fracturing so easily like that, Hale lines ran so deep that even someone as gone as Peter could find his way back in Derek’s heart if he worked for it. To cut someone off so cleanly on either side was alien to him. But it wasn’t his family, and frankly none of his business anyway.

*~*

They stood outside of a surprisingly expansive house on the edge of Silver Lake on the western side of the Michigan mitten, the gray sky above their heads threatening to dump yet more snow on them as they waited for someone to reach the door. Derek could hear a collection of heartbeats and voices within. Two of them old, one arrhythmic. A couple more adults, a few younger voices, a decent family gathering. There was apple, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg in the air, someone made mulled cider. It was only the 22nd, this was just a small contingent perhaps, or at least not held to the same importance as Christmas Eve.

The door opened, and a short, stout woman with steel curls and a smile that felt like home stood in the doorway to welcome them. “Mieczyslaaaw!“ She reached forward and pulled him down to kiss both of his cheeks and hug him tightly. She hadn’t seen him since they all attended the funeral of their grandmother. As a longtime family friend in the area, it was an easy transition for the family to absorb Nelia in the fold. “Oh, my sweet child. Look at you, how you’ve grown. My love.” She ushered him inside to embrace John as well, but paused a little in surprise when she saw Derek. “Nelia, this is my friend Derek.” Stiles said, looking almost proud to bring home such a fine friend to his step-grandmother. Almost as if he was proving to everyone that he wasn’t a complete social pariah, that he had people who liked him enough to come all the way out to Michigan with him. Nelia looked surprised at the man before her, but to her credit recovered quickly, holding a hand out for him to shake. “So nice to meet you, Derek. Please, come in.” For all of Stiles’ warning of an accent, it really wasn’t that bad. Clearly not her first language, but perfectly understandable. Though Derek had taught himself Polish when you are very rich you have a fair bit of time on your hands, he knew that he could only tell Stiles that he could speak it once, and he was saving that card for later. Unless Nelia was struggling on something, he’d keep his fluency to himself. She pulled him in with a hand on his shoulder as well, closing the door to the cold.

The house was warm and alive, a strong furnace and people comfortable staying there. Derek was able to pick up on more than the others and could hear a side conversation between two men.

“Your other grandson and John are here.” An adult man, a husky voice, probably a smoker, speaking quietly in a distant room. There were footsteps coming towards the Stilinskis and Derek at the door, but the voice stayed put. Whoever was talking wasn’t moving a muscle to meet them.

“Good! Good. I want to see them. It’s been too long.” The responding voice was hoarse, stilted slightly, and far older. It almost reminded Derek of Vito Corleone, a man assured of his position as patriarch.Who wouldn’t have his opinion questioned.

"It’s a disgrace.”

"I have tolerated the insult of your war against them long enough. Silence.” An authoritative end to a conversation, before a creak of wheels coming toward them.

Stiles was going through family, stiff handshakes with the assorted uncles, trying to communicate through grip and direct eye contact that he knew precisely what they said about him and his dad, and that given the opportunity, he’d fight them. He then had to give hugs of varying sincerity with the cousins. The ones he knew from his childhood he could embrace with genuine emotion, the ones he’d never met was more of an uncomfortable formality, performed for the sake of appearances. Once finished, he saw his grandfather for the first time in years. It was a lance through his heart to see the once tall man reduced to a withered shadow in a wheelchair. “Hi Dziadek.” He said, bending down to put an arm around him.

“Oh, Mischief.” The older man put shaking hands around Stiles’ face. “You look so much like Claudia.”

Stiles nodded sadly as his grandfather patted his face and let him return to full height again. Mentions of his mother didn’t hurt as much as they used to, but he didn’t remember her face as much as the others did, it seemed. When he looked in the mirror, he didn’t see a ghost looking out like the others could.

Derek was awkwardly explaining who he was to some people there who also seemed confused, when the cousin he saw Nelia talking to earlier took his arm. “Derek, we were under the impression when Stiles said he was bringing a friend that you’d be a girlfriend.” She finally explained outright.

Derek blinked a few times and was grateful for all the years of keeping a straight face under pressure to now not give any sign of a reaction. He put his thoughts into a response after a moment’s recovery. “That does explain why Nelia was confused. I’m just a friend who didn’t have plans for Christmas and Stiles offered. If it’s a problem at all I could absolutely stay some-“

“Oh, no, staying here is fine.” The girl saved him from talking. “I’m Nika, by the way.” She fixed him with an odd look that he’d seen sometimes in Stiles, a sort of curious, searching look that a raptor might give while wondering if something was prey or a toy. “Just that originally, when you were a girlfriend, you’d have been staying in my room and Stiles was with my brother. But that’s clearly not going to be a thing. So you and my brother will be switching, so you’re with Stiles and my brother’s with me. He had to go move his stuff. You and Stiles should come up and see the room, I think we have some things to discuss.”

She was tossing around so many red flags in Derek’s head she could be a one person color guard. He didn’t know what the hell she was, but there was something very very very wrong with this whole situation. He might not have an intuitive evil detector like Stiles’ spidey sense, but he had a healthy dose of paranoia, and it was telling him that there was all kinds of trouble about to occur. Maybe she was going to ritually sacrifice them up there. Maybe this was the Polish Get Out. Wyjść. It was a little catchy.

The adults had started passing around drinks and returned to their original conversations, and Nika made some excuse about room arrangements and putting luggage up to drag Stiles away from the grandparents glad to be reunited with their prodigal grandson.

Stiles peeled away from them and caught the  Am I Going To Be Flayed Alive look in Derek’s big green stupidly pretty eyes and almost laughed. “Relax, Ice Man, you’re fine.” He clapped him on the shoulder as they went outside to get the suitcases from the car. “It’s Nika. She’s my absolute fave cousin, and if something happened to her or she meant any kind of ill will, I’d know. Trust me. She’s fine.”

Nika lead them upstairs to a small room with a full size bed, dark blue walls, no decorations but a nightstand and rug. Hadn’t been lived in for months, given the dead air in the room. “So, Stiles. How about you tell me when your spark woke, and why you brought a werewolf all the way over here.”

Stiles choked on either air or an immediate response, either way he sounded like an ostrich getting throttled. Derek wasn’t making out much better mentally, but he only raised his eyebrows.

Nika smiled as she sat on the bed. “Come on, Stiles, where’d you think you got the gift from? Aunt Claudia never used her talents much, but she was one of us.” She picked up the candle on the nightstand and blew on the wick, a flame lighting to fill the room with some warmth. “I’ve never met a werewolf before, but you were sensing shit like Legolas out there, Derek, it wasn’t too subtle, and a set of ears and or nose like that, out of Beacon Hills aka Werewolf Wonderland?”

“More like nightmareland.” Stiles snorted. “So, holy shit, like five revelations at once and I wanna come back to like….all of them, but…uh….how many of ‘em know, downstairs?!” He asked, shocking Derek by asking an actually relevant, useful question.

“The three brothers know their mother and their sister were “”””out there”””” and that you’re insane and I’m a lost cause. Dziadek knew that Babcia was a superstitious woman and that the wild comes through sometimes. Oh, sorry Derek, Dziadek and Babcia are grandfather and grandmother respectively.” Nika explained. “Babcia did small things, mostly stuff with herbs and intent, like thumping a car engine and telling it to run, or aggressively sweeping bad energy out of the house, or putting bundles above doorways to keep evil intent out. Even the mistletoe around the house was hers.” She set the candle back onto the nightstand, the fire flickering with the movement. “Werewolves are very family oriented, in general, it’s unusual to break away from the family to join another entirely alien one for a holiday like Christmas. I’m just curious.”

“He’s way too nice and let his pack totally forget about him.” Stiles wasn’t remotely afraid of being as bitter about it as Derek tried to deny that he felt.

Nika digested the statement for a moment and gave them a vague smile. “Maybe not all of them.” She got up and left the room as if that would give her the last word. Clearly, she didn’t recall from her childhood who Stiles was, as he followed her as quickly as his gazelle legs could with an indignant “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?”

*~*

Stiles had been so wrapped up in realizing that there was a whole family history of witchery that he’d completely missed out on the fact that Derek and him were actually now supposed to share a bed until it was one in the morning and he finally arrived in the room. To find Derek sitting on his suitcase reading. “Hey, thought you came up here a while ago.”

“I did, but…” Derek half winced and locked his tablet. “We only got the one bed, and..”

“Bro, you used to live in the burned-out husk of your family’s old house I am not about to buy that you’re such a snob that you can’t share a bed for a few nights.” Stiles yanked his shirt off and tossed it in the vague direction of his suitcase. “It’s just a few nights and I even have sleep pants if you wanna go all no homo on me.”

“What? No, n- that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean.” The belt careened through the air in an ark as Stiles continued the process.

Derek was going to have to talk quickly if he wanted to get out anything. “I can’t sleep next to people.”

“What? Why?” Stiles paused, button of his jeans undone.

Derek was looking at a particularly fascinating piece of lint on the ground. “Just never works out right. I didn’t want to just disappear on you, so I was waiting for you to get back before I went to find a hotel or crash on the couch.”

“No, why. I wanna know why.”

Derek contemplated crawling out of the window to escape Stiles’ eyes, which even in the low light of the room burned into his skull. “I just can’t, alright?”

“Nope. Not alright. Fess up.”

“I’m a sleep cuddler.” Derek said it so quickly and refused to look up no matter what Stiles did.

Stiles was quiet for a few odd moments while he had a face odyssey. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Derek could feel the blush on his face and was actively willing it to go away forever. “Ever since I was a kid, if there’s someone next to me I always end up wrapped around ‘em. It’s not conscious, it just happens. So.”

“Jesus tittyfuckin’ Christ, Derek I thought it was something serious. I’m not gonna die if you give me a lil hug. Don’t be so dramatic.” Stiles finally flung his jeans off and crawled under the covers, the little tone of his phone plugging in to charge playing as he settled in. “G’night, Der.” He mumbled sleepily.

Derek had no choice. If Stiles told anyone about this, they’d never find his body. Whose body would go missing was up for debate.

*~*

Derek was a filthy liar when he tried to say it didn’t work out, and he knew it. He slept better than he had in months that night. When he awoke, Stiles was playing some mobile game, and Derek was spooning him pretty hardcore, legs tangled and an arm over his stomach. He moved away the instant he came to consciousness again. “Sorry.” He mumbled, only the ghosts of vowels in the slurred word.

“Hell, if it was a problem I’d have crawled out, but uh, you don’t get too much sleep and seeing as you knocked out for a solid nine hours there, I thought it best to let you wake up on your own.” Stiles was all nonchalance, but Derek could hear something like omission from his words. It’s not that he was wrong, it was just adjacent to the truth.

“Who told you I don’t sleep?”

“The fact that you text me back about Edda translations at three in the morning on Tuesday nights tells me that you’re not sleeping much. Now c’mon, we missed the breakfast train but if we make puppy eyes at Nelia enough she’ll probably cave and feed us. Or smack us lightly and call us lazy. One of the two.”

*~*

“Stiles, your friend is so handsome, how does he not have a girlfriend?” Nelia asked, perfectly comfortable to talk all kinds of terrible things as Derek was helping fold pierogi with Nika and Stiles. “He’d make a fine husband. He should find a good wife.”

Stiles gawked for a second, and had no clue how to respond. This would in no way stop him from doing so anyway. “He’s had a difficult time for a while, he’s helping his family right now, college, supporting them.” Stiles’ Polish was pretty rusty, he hadn’t been practicing much in the last several years.

“He has children?”

“No. Not exactly. More friends that he kind of brought inside because no one was helping them right.”

“Hmm. Nika, he’s handsome, isn’t he?”

Nika did not want to get dragged into this conversation. “Very, but it isn’t nice to talk about people in front of them.”

Nelia went to check on the uncles as they were all apparently having a slight discussion with John on the front lawn and was fully prepared to drag each of them back in by their ear and give them a firm education on the meaning of Christmas. This of course left the cousins and Derek all alone in the kitchen, the others of the family dispersed for their individual amusements.

“So, Stiles, are you…..and Derek….?”

Stiles blinked, sealing the dough around the potato and onion. “Are we what”

“Boyfriends.” She said it like it wasn’t kind of a bombshell of a word to utter.

“Nooo.” Flour and bits of dough scattered as he waved his hands to emphasize how NO that was. Absolutely not. Had she even seen Derek? He was so out of his league it physically and emotionally pained him. “ No. We’re just friends. Truly.”

“Okay, okay, I was just wondering. I wasn’t going to tell anyone.”

“I’m not gay.”

“I didn’t ask if you were.”

“You were asking a little bit.”

“But I wasn’t.”

“Derek’s also not gay”

“I wasn’t asking!”

“But he does have terrible….choice in women. Every time he gets a girlfriend she tries to kill us.”

That was enough of that. Derek had developed some thick skin about the litany of traumas he’d incurred and would give Stiles a little leave to talk shit about Jennifer, but that was taking it a little more casually than he’d like. “That’s a little mean, Stiles.” He said in perfect Polish.

Stiles turned so many colors that there was a risk he might burst a blood vessel. He fled before anyone could grab hold of him and make him accountable for his actions. Nika at least muttered an apology before scurrying off.

Derek wondered if his deep-seated need to be dramatic may contrasting with his desire to not be such a colossal dick to people he actually liked.

*~*

Stiles successfully avoided Derek by busying himself with everything possible for the rest of the day, but of course, after the day, must come the night, and thus the sleep. In the same bed. With the guy he brutally insulted and exposed just hours ago. Fuck.

Maybe if Derek was already asleep he could just curl up in the closet and evaporate entirely before anyone noticed he existed. Fuck. Why did this have to happen. Why did he have to open his big stupid mouth and say the stupidest thing that he’d ever uttered in his life.

He didn’t see light coming from under the door as he went, but knew that Derek would wake up if the doorknob made even the slightest sound. He rubbed his hands enough to warm the bony fingers and waved his hand slowly around the doorframe, collecting the sound from that space before snatching it all. Just long enough to open it silently.

When he saw Derek sitting up in bed with just the candle on the nightstand and his tablet in hand, Stiles had half a thought to make a run for it. But Derek had already looked up with a raised eyebrow. There was no escaping.

“How’d you do that that quietly?” Derek asked, not addressing the parade of elephants doing the merengue in the room.

“I, uh, didn’t want to wake you up. So I just took the sound away from it.” Stiles answered, stepping inside and looking pointedly away from anywhere near the bed.

Derek locked his tablet and set it aside. “That’s pretty impressive.” Was all he said in reply, but it was gushing praise given who it was coming from.

Stiles couldn’t stand it anymore. “Derek I am so sorry I said that, I never should have even thought it, I just-“ his words were running on top of each other and he felt like King Trashbag of the proud nation of Shitfriendia.

“Relax.”

Stiles hated being told to relax by anyone, but he had to be very nice to Derek for the rest of their concurrent lives and there was something so calm about the way Derek said it that made it less insulting. He hazarded a glance up, but Derek wasn’t wearing a shirt and even in the low light of the room he could see chest hair and he had to look away immediately or he might die.

“You have a family member who understands you on a level none of the rest of us do. She’s becoming a fast friend and you’re very comfortable with her. It wasn’t the nicest thing to say,” and it was pretty damn private, but Derek was trying to make Stiles feel better so he wouldn’t bring it up, “but I know you didn’t mean to hurt me by it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” This was probably the most adult conversation that either of them had ever engaged in, it was frankly shocking. Derek had called Boyd to help process his emotions and figure out what to say in a way that was a little more level headed than he might have done on his own.

Stiles nodded, knowing that Derek wouldn’t appreciate further self-flagellation from him and that he just would have to accept being a terrible person for the rest of his life. When he crawled into bed, he lied awake, staring at the wall across from his face and mulled it over and over. He could hear Derek’s breathing settle as he fell asleep, and an hour later a couple wiggles and there was a nose pressing against his neck and a hand over his stomach. Stiles sighed at the warm heat against him, and finally could fall asleep.

*~*

Nelia checked the codfish in the oven, monitoring the temperature carefully. “Still not ready. Mieczyslaw, could you help set the table, please?” She asked, setting some rolled napkins and a handful of forks onto the table.

It was Christmas Eve, and the whole family was sitting down soon for Wigilia, the main feast. Usually eaten before going to Midnight Mass, beginning at around eleven and finishing at midnight proper. Despite its importance, the grandparents had not gone since the grandfather had been confined to his wheelchair and their local church loved its beautiful stone steps so much. As a religious building that was remarkably old, it was exempt from the ADA act requiring public buildings to be wheelchair accessible.

They still held the meal, though Nelia and the older Mieczyslaw went to bed and the others of the family were encouraged to go and say their prayers for them. The young children were kept at home with the grandparents to watch them and make sure no one got out of their bed to try and catch Santa Claus.

Stiles was carrying various accoutrements from the fridge and counters to the table, and counted the place settings. Exactly enough for everyone, though this alerted him. “Wait, Nelia, we’re missing one. The spot for the wanderer.”

In many other cultures, an empty place setting at a family meal might be in remembrance of someone who had passed, or who could not be present at the table due to extenuating circumstances. It meant that something was missing, and some wanted to honor that with a missing place for them at the table. However, in Polish tradition at Wigilia, there is an empty place setting for an unexpected guest, or wanderer. A wędrowiec.

Nelia gave Stiles a meaningful look, one that he couldn’t decipher. He was so used to these kinds of looks being paired with massive eyebrows and kaleidoscope green eyes that trying to do it for other people was more difficult. “Think on it.” She said, slicing challah bread into a basket and wrapping the napkin over it to keep them warm.

Stiles puzzled and puzzled til his puzzler was sore, then it dawned on him. He wondered why it hadn’t before. “Derek.”

Nelia chuckled as she started slicing a loaf of challah bread. “Such a smart boy you are, Mieczyslaw.” Bringing a friend who had nowhere else to go so soon beforehand was certainly an unexpected traveler, though she didn’t know that Derek had been a wanderer for much longer than just that winter.

*~*

As John wasn’t Catholic, Stiles hadn’t even been Confirmed, and Derek didn’t want to go without Stiles, they all hung back while the others went off to the Midnight Mass. Since they knew that with kiddos younger than eight, Christmas begins absurdly early for everyone, they went to bed after seeing everyone off for the church about 20 minutes from the house.

Stiles lied awake, waiting for Derek to properly fall asleep so he’d get that heavy warm weight against him, that even though it’d only been a few nights, he found it hard to fall asleep without that. He loved the excuse they both got for it, this unconscious habit, but he hoped, he wished that Derek wasn’t regretting that he woke up with an armful of Stiles.

But he didn’t. He lay there for a few hours before getting out of bed and leaving the room. Stiles thought he was going to the bathroom or something, but after ten whole awful minutes of not having Derek next to him, he had to investigate. Checking his phone, the screen said 11:57PM. The whole gang of adults would be out at Mass for a while yet, the service had barely just started and apparently the priest loved his speechifying when the whole congregation was actually there for once during the year as his captive audience.

Stiles crept downstairs looking for his friend, finding Derek in the kitchen, watching a mug rotate in the microwave. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

Derek glanced up. He’d heard Stiles coming down, but he didn’t really see the need to react beforehand. It’s not like his mom had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar or anything. “Kind of. And I wanted to set out some of the things I got for the kids who don’t have as much money as the others. Went out when you were trying to avoid me with their parents to make sure none of the kids felt left out.”

“Santa’s Lil Helper, huh?”

Derek pondered it. “A little. And it’s a Hale tradition. Or more, it’s a Derek Hale tradition, since I’m pretty much the one who spearheaded it.”

“What did your family used to do for Christmas?” They were speaking in hushed tones so as not to wake anyone up, but in the warm light of the kitchen Christmas lights, and the soft look of Derek in a beat-up tee and plaid sweatpants, he felt sentimental enough to ask.

“Christmas was always a little funny in the Hale house.” Derek admitted, stopping the microwave a moment before the chime would go off. “We didn’t do Santa Claus.”

“Did you do Santa Claws?” Stiles mimed some claws and fangs, knowing he’d earn an eyeroll at best.

Derek did not disappoint. “No, just a couple presents from Mom and Dad, and aunts and uncles would be later. They didn’t want us getting spoiled or thinking Santa loved us more because he gave us all kinds of stuff. But we didn’t open anything until at least noon.”

“Parents liked their sleep?” Stiles definitely remembered a firm ALL PRESENTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH CHORES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS IF THIS DOOR IS OPENED BEFORE 8:00 AM rule on Christmas morning. Of course, Stiles was jumping on his bed with excitement at five in the morning, anyway.

Derek shook his head, and his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Stiles squinted, who would be calling Derek at midnight? Moreover, why was Derek actually taking the call??

He stepped outside onto the porch, little snow drifts from their actual white Christmas shuffling aside for him with his mug. Stiles saw the bag of Lindt truffles and a little chocolate powder dust on the counter- that sonuvabitch made HIS secret recipe. Wait. WHAT.

Derek stepped back in a few minutes later with half a smile on his face.

“Who was that?” Stiles had to ask.

“Cora.”

“What’d she want?”

Derek looked mildly embarrassed. “As of,” he looked at his watch, which read 12:08AM “…five minutes ago, I’m thirty years old.”

Stiles’ jaw dropped just a bit as his mind whirled. “It’s your birthday!?” he hissed, needing to aggressively shout but not able to wake the kids.

Derek almost winced. “Yeah.”

“Well….happy birthday!” Shit. Shit shit shit. HE’D KNOWN DEREK FOR EIGHT YEARS AND HE NEVER KNEW THIS WAS HIS BIRTHDAY. Stiles had to go find his King Trashbag of Shitfriendia crown again and sit on his dumpster pile.

“I don’t like people knowing. It’s an awkward day to have a birthday.” Derek sipped his cocoa, clearly uncomfortable.

Stiles didn’t know how to deal with this. “So…is that why you guys didn’t do Christmas until the afternoon?” He felt like he was playing minesweeper, except he didn’t get to see the warning numbers.

“Yeah.” He looked down into the mug, it was easier to talk about things if he didn’t have to watch the face journey of sympathy on people’s faces when he talked about his family. But he missed them on his birthday especially, and he wanted to talk about it. And out of anyone, he wanted to talk to Stiles about it. He knew, at least to some degree, the feeling of empty spaces in your memories. “My mom used to wake me up at 12:03 to tell me happy birthday and bring me in the kitchen. She’d have a present on there that was a birthday present only. From her. She was the alpha, so it was…pretty much impossible to actually ever get her alone. Always busy with the whole pack, worrying about everyone else, worrying about…” He trailed off. Christmas was always such a hectic time for everyone, so much noise and stress and busy rushing everywhere. “So it was nice, to have that little moment with just her.”

Silence fell between them for a few moments. Stiles didn’t know what to do with himself. Then he realized; his present to Derek was bizarrely perfect. “Hold on. Hold right here.” He stole up to his room and came back down with a wrapped present, the tape shoddily put on. He thrust the box out to Derek, looking way too happy with himself. “Happy birthday, big guy.”

Derek looked between Stiles and the box a few times, but took it and quietly unstuck the tape to slide the box out and open it. “You fucking dick.” He laughed as he pulled out a sweater that said “BIRTHDAY BOY” on it, with a hideous looking Jesus. A true ugly Christmas sweater, with a bday twist.

Stiles was grinning like a loon as Derek pulled the sweater on over his tee, that amused glint in Derek’s eyes where Stiles’ idiot sense of humor hit him perfectly. He picked up his mug again, and felt that it’d turned cold. “Can I get a warm-up?”

Stiles could have just poked the mug in Derek’s hands, or even just pointed at it. But Stiles wrapped his hands around it, his hands glowing a little as the liquid heated within, and Derek’s cold hand too.

Derek’s eyebrow quirked slightly. “Thanks.” He took a sip. “Can y’do whipped cream too?”

Stiles stifled a snorted laugh poorly, but didn’t step back away.

Derek set the mug back onto the table and looked at Stiles for another quiet moment, this one much less tense. Without looking up, he broke the silence with “I swear to God if there’s mistletoe up there right n-mmf!”

Stiles had closed the gap to kiss him, his hands holding Derek’s face as he nearly crushed their noses together. They eventually managed to tilt their heads properly so it was less of a frantic smush and more of a proper kiss.

When they finally broke so Stiles could breathe, Derek had a smile on his face, one that didn’t leave in half a second. “So, is there any?”

Stiles was able to stifle that stupid laugh better. “C’mon, lets get those presents out there for them. They’ll be back eventually.”

They put some Christmas movies on the TV as they sorted the presents into neat piles for each family so everyone could sit with their group. They were on the couch, writing out the tags on each one, making sure that the way all the Santas were written exactly the same and all of the names were spelled exactly correct. Stealing kisses every once in a while devolved slowly over the course of one of the Rankin and Bass animated movies to Stiles pressing Derek into the couch, making out like a couple of teenagers with the Christmas spirit in them.

John was trudging downstairs to see if Santa had left any of those shortbread cookies, but heard something odd from the family room. He was about to investigate, but heard something that sounded very distinctly like a Stiles happy noise, and decided to have a coughing fit and remind those two that they were not only not alone in this abode, but that the assorted parents and cousins would be returning soon and unless Stiles wanted to come out to the family in the most aggressive way possible, they better take it upstairs.

Derek managed to blush harder than Stiles did, but both had received the message, and put away the tags and pens before retreating to their room sheepishly. But they knew that John had probably seen this coming, and wasn’t going to judge them for it.

When they crawled into bed, Stiles didn’t have to wait to feel that arm around him, the press of heat against him, safe and warm. Derek kissed the back of his neck, and he could feel the smile against his skin.

Derek heard the family come back from the Midnight Mass downstairs, doing their best to tiptoe through and not wake up anyone.

“Ah ah ah! Mistletoe!” one of the aunts cooed, before a smack of a kiss.

“Who puts mistletoe in the middle of the kitchen.” Grumbled someone who was not getting themselves a Christmas kiss, bah humbug and all that.

The last voice was Nika. “Babcia always said there’s magic in a kitchen.”

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #67: I Don’t Want the World to See Me (10/19/18)

I say “they’re back, they’re really back” every week, but I only say it because it’s true. Our band kicked off the first tour of the Trench Era with gusto this week, and that’s only just scratching the surface.

This Week’s TØPics:

The Bandito Tour Begins

Additional Tour Dates Announced

Jim Dun

More Interviews with the Band

And MORE!

Major News and Announcements:

Again, there’s not an awful lot of “news”, mostly just developments happening in real time. That said, there is one notable piece of intel, as the band added another three dates to the second North American leg of their tour: namely, a second show in Toronto, a concert in Newark to further serve that densely-populated metropolitan area, and a show in San Antonio to show Texas some love. You can register for those tickets now, so get to it!

The Shows:

The Bandito Tour kicked off in Nashville last Tuesday, and it was incredible. Of course, not everyone was totally pleased with it: Some people thought there were too few songs from Trench, while others were heartbroken that too many old favorites were knocked off. For that first point: nine out of fourteen of the new songs made their way onto the setlist, one more than the eight songs from Blurryface that landed on the first headlining show in Australia that era. Granted, those shows were significantly shorter than the current arena shows, but those songs also had much less competition for space. Point is, there’s still plenty of time for “Chlorine” to make it on the setlist, clikkies.

As for the second point... listen, I’m gutted for everyone who didn’t get a chance to sing “Migraine” or “Guns for Hands” this week. But if they could play “Taxi Cab” after five years of acting like it didn’t exist, they can- and will- play those songs again. I promise.

The setlist was comprised of:

Jumpsuit

Levitate

Fairly Local- The first full performance of the song since 2015, complete with a reveal of a scissor lift under Josh’s drum kit and a “Hometown”-disappearing act.

Stressed Out- Introduced by a cute video of a flying red beanie to give Tyler a chance to run back to the stage, culminating in it descending from the sky for Tyler to wear.

Heathens

We Don’t Believe What’s On TV- Complete with Nigel introducing Josh with a romantic poem and Tyler’s now-customary first speech to the crowd.

The Judge

Lane Boy- Josh’s flying drum platform gets an extra light display at the end.

Nico and the Niners- A runway out to the b-stage descends from the heavens and hangs over the crowd; Tyler performs the rap there and finishes at b.

Taxi Cab- Tyler Joseph asks the thousands of people in the audience to sit and listen to this nice piano song his dad likes, causing us to drown in our tears.

Neon Gravestones- A transparent curtain imposes giant ghostly images of the band over the b-stage, while a gorgeous moving light display hangs overhead.

Bandito- The debut of this song was accompanied by another incredible light show and displays of soaring vultures. Notably, the first verse was cut, seemingly just to keep up the pace.

Pet Cheetah- Tyler and Josh head back across the runway to finish the sick beats, the pit drops like nobody’s business.

Iris- The band brings out the openers to play this Goo Goo Dolls classic, infusing it with incredible emotion and a killer uke arrangement. So far, Tyler’s been introducing it as the soundtrack for Josh’s childhood “firsts” (first kiss, first Fun Dip, etc).

Hey Jude- The bands perform one of the greatest songs of all time.

Holding On To You- Now with more pretty stars

Ride- Now without a drum island

My Blood- Now with SKELETON HOODIES and holding on to the crowd harmony conducting from The Complete Diversion.

Morph- Tyler does his best rap thing while Josh busts out his most technical drum island yet.

Car Radio

Leave the City- Replacing “Goner” for the encore, Tyler leans in hard for audience participation.

Trees- Now with imagery reflecting Josh’s tree tattoo. The keyboard is also placed above the car, which rises dramatically from the ground in the middle of the song because Tyler’s just extra like that.

Tyler’s Trees Speech in Nashville was a full one. After acknowledging earlier in the show that he and Josh were really nervous about getting this one right, Tyler thanked the opening crowd for giving him the experience of hearing “Leave the City” sung back at him for the first time, lampshaded how ridiculous the production value of the shows has gotten, gave Nashville-native lighting director Shap some grief, and joked about how he only messed up the second verse from “Morph”, so there’s some room for improvement.

Interviews and Other Shenanigans:

The biggest interview from this week was the band’s feature with The New York Times, which did not go too awfully in-depth in terms of revealing information that we didn’t already know but was still one of the more well-written pieces on the band I’ve seen in some time. The article takes their art and artistry seriously, covering their oft-repeated backstory with reverence fitting a band that has proved themselves time and again to be worth that consideration. The descriptions of Tyler and Josh read as totally on-point to their personalities, and there’s a cool revelation that Tyler’s kept an encouraging voicemail from Chris Martin on his phone since 2016. The highlight for me, though, is the absolutely crushing ending where Tyler responds to a question of his mental health by answering “I’m OK today.” It’s a mature and sobering outlook on his future struggles with his mental health; I hope he stays OK for many years to come.

Oh, and Jim Dun’s Instagram page is now public, so you should definitely go splurge through a year’s worth of cute dog photos featuring Josh, cameos from Brendon Urie, and snarky comments from Mark, Brad, Debby, Jenna, Jordan, Abigail, and friends. Josh even gave a little interview with Global K9 Protection Services talking about his relationship with his pup. Jim will be joining the gang on tour, so we’re sure to get plenty more adorable puppy action in the weeks to come.

Chart Performance:

Well, it looks like my suspicions last week were correct: Trench fell just shy of securing a #1 spot in the States, losing out to A Star Is Born’s soundtrack. But that’s no reason to be gloomy- last week was still the band’s biggest sales week ever, selling 135,000 albums and earning an additional 40,000 equivalent units in streams and other avenues of listening. And hey, they were the #1 album in Australia! That’s pretty cool.

As far as individual songs go, things continue to look pretty rosy. The album release boosted “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners” back to the Hot 100 at #79 and #95, respectively, while “My Blood” was able to debut at #81 off of the music video. Below the Hot 100, “Morph” and “Chlorine” managed to sneak onto the Bubbling Under chart at #6 and #12 respectively.

The songs impressed more individually down on the Rock Charts. Every single track from the album made it onto the Hot Rock Songs chart, which combines every source of music consumption with a similar formula as the Hot 100. Most of this can be attributed to streaming- nine songs from Trench made their way onto the Rock Streaming chart versus only two new arrivals to Rock Sales. “My Blood” is also continuing to gain radio momentum; we’ll see if that’s enough to keep it around next week.

Upcoming Performances:

With the Bandito Tour fully underway, let’s look to the week ahead to see what communities the band will be sharing their music with and try to determine if we might expect any surprises.

Show 3: Enterprise Center, St Louis, Missouri (10/19)

Capacity: 22,000

Tonight, the band returns to St. Louis, a city they’ve visited many times in the past. They played this venue at their last show here in 2016, albeit when it was under the “Scottrade Center” name.

Show 4: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (10/20)

Capacity: 17,500

Twenty One Pilots have never played this venue before, because it didn’t exist the last time they toured; heck, it didn’t even exist when they announced this one! The brand-new Fiserv Forum, built as the new home for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, opened just last month with a concert from The Killers and has already hosted a number of other artists. It should make for an incredible show, even more so because it will be the band’s first ever arena show in the city. 

Show 5: XCel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota (10/21)

Capacity: 13,000

The band also played this venue in their last visit back in 2016. Not much else to say, so... moving on!

Show 6: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio (10/23)

Capacity: 20,000

Tuesday’s show in Cleveland will be the closest thing to a hometown show the band will play until their two announced concerts in Columbus next June, nearly nine months from now. As a result, expect to see plenty of family members in attendance (and maybe an on-stage cameo from Zach to perform his verse from “Kitchen Sink”). It’ll definitely be a real special night.

Show 7: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan (10/24)

Capacity: 22,000

Wrapping things up, Twenty One Pilots will be playing their first show in Detroit proper since 2015, and their first ever arena show in the general region. This is another relatively new facility that only opened in September of last year, the harshest season of the hiatus. Hopefully those Ohio boys put on a good show for my Michigan kin.

-

It was another incredible week. I can’t wait to see how these shows continue to grow and evolve in the weeks and months to come. Let me know when you all get the chance to see them. Until then, power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[meetmeinthesea]

6/9/17 To kick off this new blogging adventure, I had to do two things: 1) dust off this tiny iPad and keyboard that's served me so well on many other adventures across the globe (literally - NZ, Belize, and now the Great West), and 2) type out my very full, two week itinerary ahead. Sure, Courtney and I have been planning this trip for months on end, but up until this moment on the stuffy Spirit flight have I yet listed out our trip day by day, word for word. And man, I can confidently say it's going to be a good - no GREAT - one. So where are we headed? Let me fill you in. WEEK ONE Denver (Fri, 6.9 - Sun, 6.11) We'll touch down at roughly midnight and make our way to the magnificent *affordable* La Quinta Inn Central in Downtown Denver. Fast forward to one heaping serving of free continental breakfast, and we're out to explore the city - which mind you, I've yet to experience CO and all of it's glory. We'll explore the neighborhoods, drink plenty of hoppy beer and end up visiting with some old friends: Jeni, who I used to live with in Austin, and Joanna, who goes back to Courtney's high school days. Once Sunday morning arrives, we'll head out to pick up our sweet RAV4 and cruise on out to... Bighorn National Forest, WY (Sun, 6.11) Beginning the first leg of our road trip, we'll head directly north of Denver to the city of Ten Sleep, setting up camp at Leigh Creek State Park. We figured saving some time from zig-zagging around mountain roads would be better spent taking the more direct route to get to our most anticipated destination: Glacier. Glacier Nat'l Park, MT (Mon, 6.12 - Thur, 6.15) After getting a short and sweet taste of what nights under the western skies are like, we're on our way to Glacier National Park. This is a place that fills my outdoor daydreams, my adrenaline for adventure, and while I've yet to go, a feeling of 'home'. The night we arrive, we'll pitch our tent at Fish Creek Campground near Whitefish (thanks for the recommendation, Maria) and head out early in the morning to find a more remote Glacier experience. Heading NW up the "Road to the Sun," which I've heard is 10/10, we plan to pit-stop at a ranger station to fill in our backcountry camping forms, and then off we go on the trails for a couple of nights. More to details to come! WEEK TWO Missoula, MT (Thur, 6.15 - Sun, 6.18) After we make it out of the woods (pending any unexpected bear encounters) we'll head down to Missoula for the *big sha-bang* - Maria and Jesse's wedding! Our time in Missoula kicks off with a bachelorette canoe party, which I honestly can't wait for. Picture it: jumping into a cold, aluminum canoe. Glistening water so bright it makes your eyes squint. Tall grass surrounded by tall peaks. My cousin knows how to choose a bachelorette party! Another exciting note about this leg of our trip are the accommodations we'll be calling home for the 4 day's we're here. Courtney and I splurged on a one night stay at a "Glampsite" just west of Missoula at Sky Rock Resort. Our Glampsite is a canvas tent atop a wooden deck, complete with our own fire pit, porch and chairs, and a Instagram-worthy view of the forest and mountains. For the wedding portion of the trip, we're bunking up with my cousins (Tony, Alex, Bill and Andrea) for 2 nights in a converted train car at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest - where Maria and Jesse are getting married. Wedding Day! (Sat, 6.17) You know, the usual. Except not because this wedding is going to be so wonderfully quaint and serene in the Lubrecht Experimental Forest you won't even believe it. Glacier National Park (Round 2) (Sun, 6.18) We'll head up to Whitefish again to spend time with my Mom, Scott and the girls (Shannon and Bri). The fam's staying at a full-blown, mountain-side chalet. And Courtney and I have opted for the Whitefish Hostel just a couple miles away downtown. Really looking forward to going hiking with Shannon and Bri around the nearby trails and lakes. Big Sky, MT (Mon, 6.19) We'll head back to Missoula to meet up with Tony, Maria and Jesse - jumping on the road to Yellowstone. A heavily wooded and pine needle padded campsite is waiting for us at the Rainbow Point Campground just outside of Big Sky. Can't wait to take some warm mid-day hikes and cool evening dips in the lake. And also can't wait to spend some much needed time with the cousins. Yellowstone National Park, WY (Tues, 6.20 - Thur, 6.22) Another sure-to-be highlight of our trip is the time we'll spend in Yellowstone. This is the park we've researched the least, but know that no matter which way we head, we'll love it there. We hope to do a hike-in site, only about 5 or so miles, and set up camp for 2 nights sleeping in the park. I have to admit, the thought of bears and other real-life, non-Midwestern critters makes me a little uneasy. But don't worry - we've got bear spray, bear bags, long ropes and brains when it comes to these things (we'd still really appreciate your prayers here - and during the entire trip - haha). Fort Collins, CO (Thur, 6.22) I learned about Fort Collins from a good friend I met while living in Austin, TX. Kaylin grew up there, went to college there and still found her way back to this part of Colorado after adventuring around the world. I've gotta imagine for this reason, Fort Collins rocks. I've heard there's great beer (which I'm very excited about) and that the college town vibes are perfect. Tentative plans to stay with Kaylin, or perhaps camp one night. Still TBD. Boulder, CO (Fri, 6.23) I'm sure we'll be getting relatively sad that our trip is rounding out it's end, but we're going out with a BANG our last full night out West. A good friend, Andrew Sturtz, is a musician I met back at Michigan State. He's invited us to stay at his house (also full of musicians) and go to his concert at a local bar in Downtown Boulder. There's honestly no better way to end this trip than with some local beer, great friends and Colorado tunes. Fly home from Denver (Sat, 6.24) With tears in our eyes, memories in our minds and warmth in our hearts, we'll make our way to Denver to catch our flight home. It's with 100% confidence I will say at this point, this trip will have made my sincere of love of the outdoors only greater. Oh, and there's a chance I might not even board the plane, but instead, turn around and figure out where I'll be moving in. WOW. Well, that's it. One road trip, two weeks and three...million things to look forward to. Can't wait to capture as much of the adventure as I can! Cheers! Erica

[touristguidebuzz]

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, it takes a village to run this website. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people – and I think it’s time you formally met them all! So, without further ado, here’s team Nomadic Matt:

Erica

Erica has been working for me for over three and a half years and is my director of global operations i.e. right hand woman. She keeps this ship afloat. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

Living in a termite clay hut without electricity or running water in Zambia for six months was probably one of the most trying (and simple), exciting (and boring), and perspective-shifting experiences of my life.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

When I was 15, John Stamos kissed my cheek after I saw him in Cabaret on Broadway.

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans at the market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on the FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

I’ve attended a Qatari princess’s wedding sporting mink eyelashes.

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

I think Matt spends a majority of his day editing out my exclamation points from my research, emails, newsletters, etc! (Matt says: This is very true.)

Christopher O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and our soon-to-be-launched community platform, Nomadic Network. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers. When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or struggling to improve at chess.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 13 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I once ate an entire nine-course meal (I was the only person there to eat everything!).

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 12 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

Raimee

Raimee is the newest team member and does all our social media. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds our content calendar, and creates all our quote & Pinterest graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times, and, if I told you how many times, I’ve watched each of the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once “hung out” with Daniel Radcliffe at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the entire time.

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

The most fun I’ve had on a trip was on my first solo backpacking trip through Europe when I used Couchsurfing.

I used to play the saxophone.

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’m terrified of flying.

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after nine and half years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook — and I’m kinda good at it too!

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan and can’t wait for her new album!

Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor, and I’ve seen The Usual Suspects twenty times.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***Also, I’d like to acknowledge our part-timers too: Candice, who helps with admin and research; Richard, our fearless copyeditor (whose efforts I often ruin by changing posts last minute); Keith, our design genius; Brice and Julie, our user experience gurus; and Courtney, who keeps our charity, FLYTE, up in the air with her executive directing wizard ways!

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, it takes a village to run this website. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people – and I think it’s time you formally met them all! So, without further ado, here’s team Nomadic Matt:

Erica

Erica has been working for me for over three and a half years and is my director of global operations i.e. right hand woman. She keeps this ship afloat. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

Living in a termite clay hut without electricity or running water in Zambia for six months was probably one of the most trying (and simple), exciting (and boring), and perspective-shifting experiences of my life.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

When I was 15, John Stamos kissed my cheek after I saw him in Cabaret on Broadway.

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans at the market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on the FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

I’ve attended a Qatari princess’s wedding sporting mink eyelashes.

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

I think Matt spends a majority of his day editing out my exclamation points from my research, emails, newsletters, etc! (Matt says: This is very true.)

Christopher O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and our soon-to-be-launched community platform, Nomadic Network. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers. When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or struggling to improve at chess.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 13 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I once ate an entire nine-course meal (I was the only person there to eat everything!).

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 12 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

Raimee

Raimee is the newest team member and does all our social media. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds our content calendar, and creates all our quote & Pinterest graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times, and, if I told you how many times, I’ve watched each of the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once “hung out” with Daniel Radcliffe at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the entire time.

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

The most fun I’ve had on a trip was on my first solo backpacking trip through Europe when I used Couchsurfing.

I used to play the saxophone.

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’m terrified of flying.

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after nine and half years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook — and I’m kinda good at it too!

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan and can’t wait for her new album!

Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor, and I’ve seen The Usual Suspects twenty times.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***Also, I’d like to acknowledge our part-timers too: Candice, who helps with admin and research; Richard, our fearless copyeditor (whose efforts I often ruin by changing posts last minute); Keith, our design genius; Brice and Julie, our user experience gurus; and Courtney, who keeps our charity, FLYTE, up in the air with her executive directing wizard ways!

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2w7dY8V

[theladyjstyle]

From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, it takes a village to run this website. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people – and I think it’s time you formally met them all! So, without further ado, here’s team Nomadic Matt:

Erica

Erica has been working for me for over three and a half years and is my director of global operations i.e. right hand woman. She keeps this ship afloat. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

Living in a termite clay hut without electricity or running water in Zambia for six months was probably one of the most trying (and simple), exciting (and boring), and perspective-shifting experiences of my life.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

When I was 15, John Stamos kissed my cheek after I saw him in Cabaret on Broadway.

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans at the market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on the FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

I’ve attended a Qatari princess’s wedding sporting mink eyelashes.

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

I think Matt spends a majority of his day editing out my exclamation points from my research, emails, newsletters, etc! (Matt says: This is very true.)

Christopher O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and our soon-to-be-launched community platform, Nomadic Network. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers. When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or struggling to improve at chess.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 13 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I once ate an entire nine-course meal (I was the only person there to eat everything!).

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 12 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

Raimee

Raimee is the newest team member and does all our social media. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds our content calendar, and creates all our quote & Pinterest graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times, and, if I told you how many times, I’ve watched each of the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once “hung out” with Daniel Radcliffe at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the entire time.

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

The most fun I’ve had on a trip was on my first solo backpacking trip through Europe when I using Couchsurfing.

I used to play the saxophone.

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’m terrified of flying.

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after nine and half years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook — and I’m kinda good at it too!

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan and can’t wait for her new album!

Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor, and I’ve seen The Usual Suspects twenty times.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***Also, I’d like to acknowledge our part-timers too: Candice, who helps with admin and research; Richard, our fearless copyeditor (whose efforts I often ruin by changing posts last minute); Keith, our design genius; Brice and Julie, our user experience gurus; and Courtney, who keeps our charity, FLYTE, up in the air with her executive directing wizard ways!

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt http://ift.tt/2w7dY8V

[tamboradventure]

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, it takes a village to run this website. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people – and I think it’s time you formally met them all! So, without further ado, here’s team Nomadic Matt:

Erica

Erica has been working for me for over three and a half years and is my director of global operations i.e. right hand woman. She keeps this ship afloat. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

Living in a termite clay hut without electricity or running water in Zambia for six months was probably one of the most trying (and simple), exciting (and boring), and perspective-shifting experiences of my life.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

When I was 15, John Stamos kissed my cheek after I saw him in Cabaret on Broadway.

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans at the market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on the FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

I’ve attended a Qatari princess’s wedding sporting mink eyelashes.

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

I think Matt spends a majority of his day editing out my exclamation points from my research, emails, newsletters, etc! (Matt says: This is very true.)

Christopher O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and our soon-to-be-launched community platform, Nomadic Network. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers. When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or struggling to improve at chess.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 13 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I once ate an entire nine-course meal (I was the only person there to eat everything!).

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 12 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

Raimee

Raimee is the newest team member and does all our social media. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds our content calendar, and creates all our quote & Pinterest graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times, and, if I told you how many times, I’ve watched each of the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once “hung out” with Daniel Radcliffe at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the entire time.

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

The most fun I’ve had on a trip was on my first solo backpacking trip through Europe when I using Couchsurfing.

I used to play the saxophone.

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’m terrified of flying.

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after nine and half years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook — and I’m kinda good at it too!

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan and can’t wait for her new album!

Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor, and I’ve seen The Usual Suspects twenty times.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***Also, I’d like to acknowledge our part-timers too: Candice, who helps with admin and research; Richard, our fearless copyeditor (whose efforts I often ruin by changing posts last minute); Keith, our design genius; Brice and Julie, our user experience gurus; and Courtney, who keeps our charity, FLYTE, up in the air with her executive directing wizard ways!

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[zazogoeswest]

To The West!

6/9/17 To kick off this new blogging adventure, I had to do two things: 1) dust off this tiny iPad and keyboard that's served me so well on many other adventures across the globe (literally - NZ, Belize, and now the Great West), and 2) type out my very full, two week itinerary ahead. Sure, Courtney and I have been planning this trip for months on end, but up until this moment on the stuffy Spirit flight have I yet listed out our trip day by day, word for word. And man, I can confidently say it's going to be a good - no GREAT - one. So where are we headed? Let me fill you in. WEEK ONE Denver (Fri, 6.9 - Sun, 6.11) We'll touch down at roughly midnight and make our way to the magnificent *affordable* La Quinta Inn Central in Downtown Denver. Fast forward to one heaping serving of free continental breakfast, and we're out to explore the city - which mind you, I've yet to experience CO and all of it's glory. We'll explore the neighborhoods, drink plenty of hoppy beer and end up visiting with some old friends: Jeni, who I used to live with in Austin, and Joanna, who goes back to Courtney's high school days. Once Sunday morning arrives, we'll head out to pick up our sweet RAV4 and cruise on out to... Bighorn National Forest, WY (Sun, 6.11) Beginning the first leg of our road trip, we'll head directly north of Denver to the city of Ten Sleep, setting up camp at Leigh Creek State Park. We figured saving some time from zig-zagging around mountain roads would be better spent taking the more direct route to get to our most anticipated destination: Glacier. Glacier Nat'l Park, MT (Mon, 6.12 - Thur, 6.15) After getting a short and sweet taste of what nights under the western skies are like, we're on our way to Glacier National Park. This is a place that fills my outdoor daydreams, my adrenaline for adventure, and while I've yet to go, a feeling of 'home'. The night we arrive, we'll pitch our tent at Fish Creek Campground near Whitefish (thanks for the recommendation, Maria) and head out early in the morning to find a more remote Glacier experience. Heading NW up the "Road to the Sun," which I've heard is 10/10, we plan to pit-stop at a ranger station to fill in our backcountry camping forms, and then off we go on the trails for a couple of nights. More to details to come! WEEK TWO Missoula, MT (Thur, 6.15 - Sun, 6.18) After we make it out of the woods (pending any unexpected bear encounters) we'll head down to Missoula for the *big sha-bang* - Maria and Jesse's wedding! Our time in Missoula kicks off with a bachelorette canoe party, which I honestly can't wait for. Picture it: jumping into a cold, aluminum canoe. Glistening water so bright it makes your eyes squint. Tall grass surrounded by tall peaks. My cousin knows how to choose a bachelorette party! Another exciting note about this leg of our trip are the accommodations we'll be calling home for the 4 day's we're here. Courtney and I splurged on a one night stay at a "Glampsite" just west of Missoula at Sky Rock Resort. Our Glampsite is a canvas tent atop a wooden deck, complete with our own fire pit, porch and chairs, and a Instagram-worthy view of the forest and mountains. For the wedding portion of the trip, we're bunking up with my cousins (Tony, Alex, Bill and Andrea) for 2 nights in a converted train car at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest - where Maria and Jesse are getting married. Wedding Day! (Sat, 6.17) You know, the usual. Except not because this wedding is going to be so wonderfully quaint and serene in the Lubrecht Experimental Forest you won't even believe it. Glacier National Park (Round 2) (Sun, 6.18) We'll head up to Whitefish again to spend time with my Mom, Scott and the girls (Shannon and Bri). The fam's staying at a full-blown, mountain-side chalet. And Courtney and I have opted for the Whitefish Hostel just a couple miles away downtown. Really looking forward to going hiking with Shannon and Bri around the nearby trails and lakes. Big Sky, MT (Mon, 6.19) We'll head back to Missoula to meet up with Tony, Maria and Jesse - jumping on the road to Yellowstone. A heavily wooded and pine needle padded campsite is waiting for us at the Rainbow Point Campground just outside of Big Sky. Can't wait to take some warm mid-day hikes and cool evening dips in the lake. And also can't wait to spend some much needed time with the cousins. Yellowstone National Park, WY (Tues, 6.20 - Thur, 6.22) Another sure-to-be highlight of our trip is the time we'll spend in Yellowstone. This is the park we've researched the least, but know that no matter which way we head, we'll love it there. We hope to do a hike-in site, only about 5 or so miles, and set up camp for 2 nights sleeping in the park. I have to admit, the thought of bears and other real-life, non-Midwestern critters makes me a little uneasy. But don't worry - we've got bear spray, bear bags, long ropes and brains when it comes to these things (we'd still really appreciate your prayers here - and during the entire trip - haha). Fort Collins, CO (Thur, 6.22) I learned about Fort Collins from a good friend I met while living in Austin, TX. Kaylin grew up there, went to college there and still found her way back to this part of Colorado after adventuring around the world. I've gotta imagine for this reason, Fort Collins rocks. I've heard there's great beer (which I'm very excited about) and that the college town vibes are perfect. Tentative plans to stay with Kaylin, or perhaps camp one night. Still TBD. Boulder, CO (Fri, 6.23) I'm sure we'll be getting relatively sad that our trip is rounding out it's end, but we're going out with a BANG our last full night out West. A good friend, Andrew Sturtz, is a musician I met back at Michigan State. He's invited us to stay at his house (also full of musicians) and go to his concert at a local bar in Downtown Boulder. There's honestly no better way to end this trip than with some local beer, great friends and Colorado tunes. Fly home from Denver (Sat, 6.24) With tears in our eyes, memories in our minds and warmth in our hearts, we'll make our way to Denver to catch our flight home. It's with 100% confidence I will say at this point, this trip will have made my sincere of love of the outdoors only greater. Oh, and there's a chance I might not even board the plane, but instead, turn around and figure out where I'll be moving in. WOW. Well, that's it. One road trip, two weeks and three...million things to look forward to. Can't wait to capture as much of the adventure as I can! Cheers! Erica

[musingswritingsexplorations-blog]

All according to plan

Every decision you have ever made has led you to where you are now. That seems surreal but I can trace the path I've taken back to those choices. Let me get a bit personal here, because today is significant for me. This is gonna be long, but there's an important message for anyone who tends to be hard on themself or struggles to see the future in a positive light. Today is the day I should have graduated college; SUNY Fredonia class of 2017. I actually graduated in the class of 2016; on the 14th of May. So today I saw all my classmates from high school graduate. And I'm genuinely happy for them, because they did great. When I was a freshman, I made a decision that I was going to get my bachelor's in three years. It was because my boyfriend-at-the time (my high school sweetheart) was changing majors and transferring to Florida. I wanted to graduate faster to be with him. Today, I am thankful for that decision, even if for a dumb reason at the time. And at the end of my second year, when we broke up, I could have chose to stay the four years. I could have learned more, or done a study abroad. My second year, I started seeing my current boyfriend (I was in an open relationship with the high school guy, because long distance in college is very strenuous). He's older than me and graduated after I finished that second year. So I still wanted to graduate early to be with him. Call me stupid, but I know where my priorities are. And don't get me wrong. I worked my ass off in college. Involved in everything. I was in as many clubs as I could balance, I was an editor at the student newspaper where I mentored and led my own staff of writers. I went on business trips to Chicago, D.C. and L.A. for journalism conferences. I graduated cum laude. My thinking was that I would have less debt and more time to get into the work force. I guess I'm an eager beaver. I've always wanted to be an adult. My colleagues were crying at the thought of leaving; I couldn't get into the world fast enough. In retrospect, I should have maybe stayed at my parents' longer and saved up more money. But that's not how I roll. After graduation, I moved back to my parents' house. It took two months until I got a job offer. I was so depressed that I couldn't even enjoy my time off. I slept all day and applied for jobs and that's about it. But the offer came in July, and off I went to Albany for job training. Now that job was shitty, but I was writing, and it gave me the funds to take my next steps. Once I got my first paycheck in the mail -- for ten days' work -- I moved to Albany. A good midway point between Buffalo and NYC (Where my boyfriend is from) and also where many of my coworkers lived. I rented a room there for eight months, and I saved all my extra money. The first goal was to get a job, then to move out, then to move to NYC, then to get a real job. This first job was freelance with no security or benefits. Now, everything was going pretty well except that I was lonely and tired of only working out of my apartment remotely. (The girl I was renting from was a travel nurse and she was actually living in Buffalo). I'd go to see my boyfriend pretty often on weekends and sometimes he would come down and stay at my apartment. I wish I had gotten out more because Albany is beautiful and it was Fall. I should have spent more time in the Adirondacks but I was working all the time and saving all my money. In January, I went to visit my boyfriend for his birthday and we started looking for apartments in Long Island. We only looked at three before we fell in love with what would become our place. We got a beautiful (and expensive) renovated two bedroom apartment in Long Island next to the train station. We signed for it immediately and everything started to get real. At the end of the month I packed up my apartment and kissed Albany goodbye. That day I drove through the city for the first time. Then I took the train to Buffalo, rented a truck, and drove my furniture across the state to our new home. Now, let me stop here and explain a few things. I was raised in Western Michigan. I'm a country girl. Two years ago, I went to Long Island for the first time with my boyfriend on Spring Break. I was terrified of everything there: fast cars, trains, subways, mean people. I spent months arguing with my boyfriend, adamant that it was the last place on earth I'd ever want to live and that I would hate it. But I love him more, and I love the job market. Now my job started to get skeptical once I left Albany and I started to have more and more issues with them. I worked only part time in March, and in April they laid me off for looking for other work. I wasn't eligible for unemployment because I had been doing contract work. I didn't have much in savings and I had 1800 in bills to pay every month. But I didn't panic. I just started applying galore and had faith. I interviewed at place after place with no luck. I got angry and depressed again. Because the job market sucks. I'm only 22 but I'm about as qualified as I can be. And I wasn't getting any offers. I widened my search to include dirt-paying secretary jobs. My best friend recommended me at her place because she was getting promoted, and after two interviews I was rejected. I got rejected from the secretary jobs that didn't even require a college degree. I wanted to scream. And then I got a "marketing" job. My money was almost gone and my May bills were coming up, so I took it. And then realized it was a field sales job that paid $400 per week for 63+ hours, no breaks (that's like $6 per hour and the minimum wage is $10). I cried to my mother (who I had been keeping in the dark because I was ashamed to be unemployed) on the phone and she told me to quit. I felt totally defeated and silly. I had been holding this secret in from everyone because I didn't want anyone to know that I had been laid off. The next day after quitting that job, my mom flew me home because our cat of 20 years was dying. I stayed until Sunday and missed my early flight back to New York because my alarm mysteriously didn't go off. I rescheduled my flight, and the airport I met a woman who was hiring at Bloomingdales in NYC. She said I gave off a good vibe, so she gave me her information and I emailed her my resume on Monday. On Tuesday I took an assessment for Bloomingdales and Wednesday I went into the city for three in-person interviews. I got an offer while on the train home. On Friday I completed my new hire paperwork and background check and I'm starting on Monday, May 15. Which means I will have accomplished all these goals when I am supposed to (by society's timing) only just be a graduate today. I've beat myself down on so many occasions in this past year when I shouldn't have. I've gotten angry for not getting this job sooner. I've gotten depressed for being unemployed for four months of it. I've strained my relationship because of that anger and depression. And I've compared myself to others in the class of '16. My best friend was getting a promotion at her job while I was unemployed. But I wasn't even supposed to have a degree yet. The whole time I've been ahead of the game, and I've been exactly on track with my own goals. I don't like to toot my horn, but writing this makes me realize how amazing it is to accomplish all those things in one year. I'm proud of myself. And there's so many other things I've accomplished on the side. A year ago, I would have never dared to walk around New York City alone. I used to make my boyfriend meet me in Penn Station because I couldn't navigate the LIRR. Now I'm going to be a commuter, a New Yorker. I'm not afraid to drive here anymore. I'm not afraid to walk the city streets at night. I'm not afraid that I'll get lost on the subway. I'm not intimidated by rude people. I have overcome all those fears because I chose to take a plunge. I knew I'd never know unless I tried. I moved here on a leap of faith, and it's growing on me. This next chapter, I'm so excited for. This job isn't in my field but I'll always keep writing. This is a job with good pay, good benefits, health insurance and growth opportunities. I can't wait to show them what I can do. And maybe next year I'll be getting that promotion or transferring to the copy department. So there's lots of lessons here. -take chances and face your fears -work hard and it WILL pay off -don't ever compare yourself to others -DO compare yourself to your own goals -don't take job rejections personally I'm incredibly happy where I am now. And if I hadn't decided to graduate early, I wouldn't have any of this. I wouldn't have gotten that first job, which taught me many lessons. I wouldn't have lived in Albany for eight months. I probably wouldn't still be with my boyfriend, because we were on the rocks before I graduated last year. Now we're better than ever and nearing the three-year mark. And if we hadn't stayed together, I would still be stuck in Buffalo, with it's shit job market. I wouldn't have been able to move to NYC, and I wouldn't have faced any of those fears I never knew I had until I was in an unfamiliar place. So just do it. Do it for you, your parents, boyfriend, whatever. Take that chance, go to a new place and at the very least, you'll learn something about yourself or life. I'm incredibly lucky and I'm where I'm at not just because I worked hard and persevered, but also because I have an amazing support system. So this is me supporting you and everyone else. You CAN do whatever you put your mind to. It may not happen right away, but you'll chip away and make progress. You've got this.

[legsbpedaling-blog]

Chapter 5 Japan.

I'll admit the first group of Marines I interacted with at first weren't high up on the role model ladder. I did learn from their mistakes however. Not to drink too often, do what I'm told by my superiors and watch my attitude around people I did not know.

Base didn't have too many options for hobbies so I got into computers. Back when the Internet wasn't infiltrated with snot nosed script kiddies trying to look cool. Most of my evenings were spent pirating music and movies. My collection was becoming impressive. Marines knew who to go to if they wanted to fill a hard drive up.

Another guy in my unit was also into computers and we shared our knowledge. His name was Owens and he didn’t interact too much with people outside his computer and phone. Caught up in some long-distance relationship from a girl back home in Michigan.  Completely whipped.

On one of the rare outings we found ourselves at the mall. No specific reason for being there, perhaps a much-needed escape from base. Oddly enough, we ended up standing in a jewelry store.

“Are you getting a new watch or something?” I asked Owens.

“Not exactly” He replied. He kept pacing back and forth, all while avoiding eye contact with any of the sales people.

“Buy me a new one then!” I laughed.

“I’m checking out some rings. I’ve been thinking a lot about my girl back home and I’m going to ask her to marry me.” He said.

“Don’t do it! It’s a trap and you know as soon as you deploy she’s just going to fuck some other guy. Then drain your bank account and force you to pay child support for two decades bro.” That reply was drilled into our minds by Marines who have watched it happen on numerous occasions.

“Nah man, she’s not like the skanks you see around base. She’s a smart girl. She will be visiting soon and you’ll get to meet her.”

“Yeah considering all I know about her now, is she exists inside your damn phone. You’re whipped.” I laughed. I wasn’t trying to make him feel bad for asking his girl to marry him. I don’t know, to me it was a bad move this early in the Marines and all of us were too young. There was no persuading him. A few weeks after he bought the ring, they were engaged.

Time to gather up all the gear and board a plane for Japan! A paid vacation to a country a lot of people wish they could visit. Relieved in a way my first deployment wasn't going to be in an area where bombs were going off, then again all of this training and nothing to use it on was irritating. I was growing up in an artillery unit. It was in our nature to want to blow something up.

The trip seemed to take forever. Each time we were told to pick up our bags someone else would appear and tell us we had to standby. Owens and I entertained a small group of Marines by showing movies on small laptop screens. Movies or porn, depending on the wall space we could plug into.

We finally arrived at our new home, Okinawa, Japan. The building was bland with an empty parking lot in front of it. The company commander delivered our welcome briefing after we off loaded all our bags from the seven ton trucks.

The barracks were six stories high, the sixth floor being our new home. Each of our bags weighed anywhere from fifty to eighty pounds, and oh yeah, we weren't allowed to use the elevators.

One hundred and twelve Marines all crammed towards the doors trying to get to the stairs first, it was a mess. I noticed on the left side that it also had stairwells on the ends of the building. Picked up my bags and took the simple way to my room. Turns out the side doors were locked. Designed to be exit only in case of an emergency. I walked my happy ass back down the stairs and waited for the bottle neck of Marines to dissipate.

The hallway floors looked to be polished. So much so that we could look into it and see our reflections. They didn't always look that way, many of us took turns sweeping, mopping and buffing the floors. We tried to be slick and disable the buffer. Not a good plan. Our corporal made us get the same shiny results using tee shirts to polish the floors.

Living on a base in another country was like living in a bubble. Everything outside the gate was foreign and interesting. Everywhere we went we had to go on foot. I missed the speed of my bike.

During the first month, we made every effort to get out and explore. For some of the marines this was there second or third deployment. I didn't fully trust the advice given by them, because I wasn't sure if they were trying to keep us away from all the good spots.

We went out and trained often when we weren't losing our minds over boredom on base. We all hated our jobs, but continued to do them to not fuck over the other guy. I suppose that's how it is with any unit in the military. We knew when it came down to it, if we were to ever deploy to a combat zone we would be there to have each other’s backs.

In the coming months, we were privileged enough to visit some pretty amazing places. Spent a week, due to shitty sea weather that grounded us, in Nagasaki. It was interesting to stand on the landmark to the epicenter where the atomic bomb dropped. The atmosphere was still spooky in parts of the city. The trees grew at the same length which made sense.

Throughout the city, we could sense that the citizens didn't approve of our presence. To make matters worse, one of my friends kept making a whistling noise mimicking a bomb dropping. He was hilarious, but a sick bastard at heart.

“And you wonder why they still hate us.” I sighed.

“Did you see the look on their faces though?” He laughed. Still unable to control his inner asshole.

When the weather cleared up, we drifted over to Fuji. Such a beautiful part of earth. Aside from all the training we did blowing shit up, we had the opportunity to climb Mount Fuji. If you've never been let me describe it from a dumb Marines perspective. Owens, my friend Ski and I took off from the group to try to run up the side of the mountain. In our minds, we were going to be the first ones that day to the top. The damn mountain was a lot larger than we originally thought. The rocks were a mix of reds and browns. Rarely did we come across any vegetation, other than the base of the mountain.

We slowed down once reality caught up with us and continued to walk as fast as we could. Old women and children native to Japan started passing us. Each time we thought we were almost to the top a new section would appear. Took hours to reach the top. I made Mount Fuji my bitch.

The top was breathtaking! Some smart businessman put a gift shop at the top, full of merchandise covered in Mount Fuji advertising. Not sure what they make in sales, but I'd hate to be the guy making the deliveries.

Getting our second wind, we ran around taking pictures because when you can stand on top of the world you want to remember it. The excitement prevented me from wanting to sit and rest. I collected up several volcanic rocks and stuffed them into my back pack. Free souvenirs!

The Marines behind us made it up to the top, and with more energy left over. One of them told me that at the bottom of the other side there was a place to get ice cream. Time to head back down! The side of the mountain was made up of tiny loose rocks. Almost like stepping into a pile of sand with a little larger grain sizes. Going down was easier than the trip up, obviously.

We started lengthening our strides to make good time. Before long we were jogging down the side of Mount Fuji. Not the best idea we ever came up with, but it was exhilarating. As the speed increased so did our awareness it was impossible to slow ourselves down.

In the distance, I noticed a couple of large boulders in my direct path! I wasn't going to have enough time to dodge them so I did the next best thing, I jumped. The stupidest stunt ever performed on that mountain I'm sure.

My body left the earth and I became airborne. My head tilted forward until I was in a superman pose flying passed other climbers. I was in the air for about twenty feet before finally coming back down. My head landed first sending me into several somersaults. By the time I was able to stop I had traveled about one hundred feet from the damn large boulder. Needless to say, I took home a three-day headache along with my volcanic rocks.

Another guy from our unit opted not to climb the mountain. He went the group who hung out in Tokyo. He was our token alcoholic and ended up getting lost by himself somewhere in the city. Hell, it was rare to see him sober. Tales were told of a day or two among the unit. The commanding officer chewed all of our asses for losing him. The police eventually found him sitting on a sidewalk holding his arrive alive card. (Card with unit contact information) Got to hand it to him, even sloshed he knew how to get back to us.

We returned to Okinawa after our series of training operations. My birthday was fast approaching in November. No longer would I have to beg others to pick up alcohol for me. I would be able to go to the local bars without fear of being caught by my superiors. The week or so before turning twenty-one I would drink with a few friends in my barracks room. I guess you could say, we were prepping my body for a large amount of poisoning.

Happy Birthday! The entire day seemed to drag on forever. Some of my friends took out extra cash to make sure we had enough to properly reach a fucked-up stage. We left the base around eight, venturing into an area called Kinville. Or Sinville for those of you who know what I'm talking about. We walked into a tiny bar with two or three people and I ordered my first legal drink. A jack and coke.

Marines are assholes. Plain and simple. The next bar was packed and upon entering my friend yelled, "this Marine just turned twenty-one!" The drinks started appearing out of nowhere. Beer, shots, jack and cokes, rum and cokes and whatever else, I can't honestly remember.

“I’m going to regret all of this in the morning!” I yelled across the bar.

The last stop was in a bar called East Coast. Located on the second floor of a rundown building across from base. We didn't slow down. My last memory was being handed something called a rainbow shot. It was said to be so potent that it wasn't allowed to leave the bar once they lit it on fire. Step one, blow out the shot; step two, blackout.

The rest of the night was retold by my friends in the days to come. I'll share the adventure with you. I blew out the rainbow shot and downed the contents. From there I turned into the crowd grabbing other people's drinks and chugging them. The inevitable trip to the bathroom sent me hopping over a table, slapping a girl in the ass and tripping over a bar stool. Inside the bathroom was a shower stall, not sure why. I proceeded to throw up in the stall while people in the bathroom laughed at me.

Left the bathroom and told Owens it was time to leave. He followed behind me as I literally rolled my way down the stairs to the main street below. Stumbling the entire way up to the cross walk, my friends thought I was going to be put on restriction for being so intoxicated.

We approached the road directly across from the base main gate. I took a few deep breaths, remembered every James Bond movie ever made and reached for my military ID. Miraculously I went from trashed to seemingly sober in the time it took me to cross the road. I walked up to the gate without a stumble in my step, said good evening to the guard as he checked my ID and let me pass.

Forty or so feet after the gate I switched back to drunk. Fell into a bush and my friends had to walk me the remaining tenth of a mile to the barracks. Half hour later I was found lying down in the hallway with my key in the door and my hand still attached to it. Somewhere there exists a picture of the hallway scene. I have since lost track of it.

The next morning, I woke up in my bed, without a hangover. Not sure exactly how the hell I escaped fate, but I was appreciative. The following night was just as fun. More alcohol!

One of my best friends wanted to drink a few in the barracks because he wasn't able to join us for my birthday. Turns out he had a magical ability to get completely shit faced off four beers. This was back when Budweiser was releasing their four packs of aluminum bottles. Being the caring Marines as we always are, we took care of him.

First, we placed him in the bath tub and shaved one of his legs. Moot point to shave both of them. We then decorated him in sharpie art and followed him back into his room. Didn't take much to convince him of an impending dust storm. We put his goggles on him and tucked him into bed.

He kept mumbling something about being sick. We put great effort into getting him to throw up in his own Kevlar. (Helmet, for the nonmilitary folk.) Few months went by and it was time to pack up our shit and wait in line for another plane.