#both caught in the wild via sandwich hunting

[usagi-zakura]

I wanted to unite my 3 Lycanrocs (well... technically I have 4 now...) but two of them are stuck in HOME-limbo so I just drew them together instead :3

Hel and Fenris came from Alola. I forget which version exactly... or which one came from which source but I know one was Masuda-bred and the other was caught via SOS battles.  Faolán was also Masuda-bred in Scarlet and Violet, because actually hunting Dusk Lycanroc is a pain in the ass as they only spawn for 3 minutes per in-game day...which is over an hour. (I drew him with a floppy ear because since he’s the mid-point between Dawn and Midnight he should have a floppy ear darnit!)

I do realize I kinda fell off the naming theme... since Hel and Fenris both got their names from Norse Mythology, while Faolán is an old Irish name meaning “Little wolf”... I literally named him after my own OC... because I thought the name was cute. 

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #289

“life by life / waste to waste / i’m the harbinger, the master of decay”

How often do you watch the news? Never. Would you rather read the news online? Yeah. Speaking of being online, what website do you visit the most? YouTube. Have you ever held a snake? Plenty. Ever caught a turtle? What about a crawfish? Turtles, yes, as a kid. Please do not take animals out of the wild for no good reason, people. I never touched crawfish because they looked scary lmao. Have you ever eaten gumbo? Idk what that is. Or do you not like spicy food? I enjoy spicy food, but not nearly as much as when I was a teen. Back then, I loved the adrenaline rush, now I just wanna enjoy my food like a normal person, lol. Do you own a bottle of hand sanitizer? Do you like how it smells? Does anyone NOT at this time? Or even before, really? But anyway, no, I don't like the smell. Do you own a pool table? What about an air hockey table? Or a foosball table? Okay so one of the coolest things we had when I was younger was this table that had different "tops" to change out to turn it into various games like these. Like, it was all in one. I don't THINK we still have it? Do you live with your parents? Are you cool with that? I live with my mom, and right now, it's the better idea for many reasons. I feel like shit about it, though. I'm nearly 25. Even if I was financially independent though, I would not be able to handle living all alone with my depression and all. When did/when do you want to move out? Hopefully when I have a stable job and long-term relationship. Have you ever been on a cruise? No. Are you better at catching or throwing? Probably throwing. I can't catch for shit. Do you ever play computer games? Just WoW nowadays. Did you used to have a lunchbox? Yeah, I went through a few. How often do you/did you bring your lunch to school? Whenever I didn't like what was on the menu. And mind you, I was and still am very picky. What was/is your favorite school lunch? I think the chicken sandwiches. When was the last time you wore a hat? What kind of hat was it? Oh yikes, who on Earth knows. It has to have been years. Maybe a Carolina Hurricanes one to a hockey game I went to with Dad. I don't really wear hats. Have you ever tried to ghost hunt? If so, did you catch anything? No. Do you prefer gold or silver? What about diamonds or pearls? Earrings or bracelets? Necklace or rings? Or are you not a jewelry person? Gold; diamonds; earrings; rings (I think). I don't care all that much about jewelry, though. Have you ever made jewelry? Not really, just kiddy crafts stuff. Do you have any unique hobbies? Meerkat RP. Have you ever broken a window? If so, what with? I don't believe so, no. Have you ever had surgery? If so, what on? Yeah. I had tubes put in my ears as a kid, and I had a cyst removed from... directly above my ass lmaoooo. Pilonidal cysts are awesome. Do you know any boys named Ashley or Lesley or Lynn? I don't believe so. Do you prefer coffee or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate, for sure. Do you like green tea? Tea is gross. Do you like to play Freecell? What about Hearts? Or Mahjong? I only know Mahjong, and I've never played that. I used to watch Mom play it on the computer as a kid, though. Idr the rules. Does your family own guns? No. Have you ever been given flowers? Were they from a relative or someone special? Both. Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle? No, and I doubt I will. I'm not like... really scared of them, as a matter of fact they seem really fun, they're just too risky for my liking. Have you ever seen a dead body? At an open-casket wake, yes. What does your umbrella look like? It's just an ordinary black one. Is anyone you know pregnant? HOLY FUCK, I think 90% of my Facebook friends are preggo. It seems like EVERYONE is expecting. Ha, one of my closest friends is legit pregnant with triplets after JUST having a son... She's in for a ride. Does your family do reunion gatherings? No, we're too spread out. What would you order to drink if you were in a bar right now? A strawberry sangria sounds pretty great. When was the last time you had a first kiss? I'm guessing you mean like, my first kiss with the last person I was with? A few summers ago when we were out on the porch making s'mores and dancing like some cheesy fucks lmao. How many homes have you ever lived in? If you don't count the apartment I wasn't an official resident of or staying with a friend for a month due to homelessness, we just moved into our fifth. Or sixth. It's too early when I'm taking this for math. Have you ever donated money to charity? Yeah. What’s your favourite type of exercise? Swimming. How many jobs have you had? Three or four... I'm not even sure because they were so incredibly short because fuck me and my anxiety, right? Who do you stalk the most through Facebook? Nobody. Have you ever deleted your Facebook, then brought it back? No. Write the first song that pops into your head: Well, I'm listening to "Freak On a Leash" right now. Has anything interesting come for you in the mail lately, besides bills? Nah. What is your main responsibility each day? Making sure my cat has food, water, and a clean litterbox. Do you feel like you fulfill those responsibilities? Yeah. I've slacked on the box before on bad mental health days where I can barely force myself to do anything, but I'm usually on top of it. Were you in the wrong during your last argument with someone? I don't recall what my last argument was. I think something w/ Mom. What bands did you used to love, that you don’t listen to much anymore? Hm. It's pretty rare I leave behind bands I've LOVED, so. Are you counting down to anything? tomorrow crihmus When was the last time you used spray paint? Oh, I have no idea. Maybe for an art project in HS? What color are the chairs at your kitchen table? Brown. Have you ever or do you plan on donating to any charities? Which ones? I've donated to some you would like pass by in the store if I had some spare coins or dollars on me, and when I cut my hair to as short as it is now, I donated it all to Children With Hair Loss. One of my most cherished memories is getting the certificate that it was used. I'm sure there's more, especially for school, but idr them. I 110% want to donate to charity streams when I have my own income source. Do you believe that life only gets harder or easier? I mean, this depends on your unique life. Do you know the middle name of the last person you kissed? Hm. I don't think Girt has a middle name, and I don't think Tyler ever told me because he was embarrassed by it. I know Sara's. Have you ever had sex with 2 different people in the same week? No. Who is the friendliest person you know? Probably my friend Girt. Last song you listened to? "Milk and Cookies" by Melanie Martinez is on rn. Something that annoys you about summer: Just ONE thing???? Just about everything does. The only thing I enjoy is all the flowers. Well hell, that's even mostly a spring thing. It's mostly just... plain green in the summer. At least here. Too hot for damn flowers to survive. Something that annoys you about winter: The fact that if it snows here, we get barely anything at all. e_e Are the doors of your fridge side by side or on top of one another? Side by side. When was the last time you burned a body part other than your hands/fingers? I actually just burned the roof of my mouth yesterday. If you’ve moved out of the house you were born in, do you know the people who live in that house now? Nope. What’s one food that you eat more than twice a week? Definitely some form of bread. Do you like zombie movies? No opinion, really. What's the grossest/worst thing you’ve ever seen in a public restroom? UGH. This one time I was in the bathroom with Colleen (it's a girl thing lmao) at a gas station, she did what she normally does and checks under the seat, aND IT WAS COVERED IN BLOOD. It was fucking disgusting. What’s the most wasteful thing you regularly do? Ugh... use plastic bags when disposing of Roman's "business" in the litterbox. I feel absolutely awful using one every other day. If I wait any longer than that, Mom gets mad. What’s the most difficult apology you’ve ever had to give? Probably to Jason via that letter. That honestly wasn't that difficult after having fully accepted I fucked up too, though. I don't generally find it hard to apologize when I know I was wrong. Have you ever volunteered in a hospital? If not, would you ever want to? Fuck no. They depress the hell out of me. What was your worst Halloween costume? Idk, I don't remember almost any of mine. When was the first time you can remember feeling mature? When I checked into the doctor by myself. Yes, I know how sad that is at nearly 25. Have you ever had a disappointing Christmas, or any disappointing holiday if you don’t celebrate Christmas? As a kid, there was just one where I was disappointed in what I got. SO fucking ungrateful looking back on that shit. I can't even imagine feeling anything like that now. I cherish Christmas deeply, especially now with nieces and a nephew who experience such joy at Christmastime, and I get to see my dad and his wife and stepson, too. At this age, it truly is about family to me. Do you have any character bandaids in your house right now, or just plain ones? I think we may have some princess ones and some "boy" kind for if the kids are ever over. AKA never because their dad is far more concerned about only including his family in their lives. I don't think Ryder's ever even visited our house, and he's like, four years old. My sister's husband's parents live directly down their road, but still. It hurts Mom and I a lot that we don't seem to matter when it comes to visiting *us*. Have you ever had to give a pet away? Yeah, plenty of times with our old cat nest. What's the junkiest junk food you’ve ever eaten? I dunno, probably something at Disney as a kid. Did you play pretend a lot as a child? Were there any recurring plots or themes? Yeah. I had my "good guys" - a family of alligators, deer (um they were married and had kids don't ask me, man), and some Pokemon figurines - and three big dinos that were the "bad guys." How do you feel about runny egg yolks? Egg yolk is fucking repulsive. The one and only way it's going down my throat is in scrambled eggs. Has a teacher ever tried to teach you something that was undeniably wrong? Not that I remember. If for some reason you had to give up one of your hobbies, which would you choose? I dunno, I have so few already... Maybe World of Warcraft? I almost quit it recently anyway because I was bored and yet it took up so much of my time, but it'd be hard now with a new expansion having just come out with soooo much to do. Man... I dunno. Have you ever hidden a relationship from your family? No. How much do you know about first aid? No more than the average joe, really. Which of your relatives do you know the least about? Sadly, probably my dad's oldest daughter. I know only two things about her with certainty. Have you ever meditated? If so, did it do anything for you? Yes, and all it does is make me fidgety and lets me think too much. When was the last time you got ice cream from a truck? Hm... maybe when I was at a beach when I was on vacation with a friend? I was like, a pre-teen then though, so it's been forever. Do you know any sex workers? If so, how do they feel about their job? Not that I'm aware of. And honestly, I have mixed feelings, but I think I lean more towards it being just fine so long as boundaries are set and there are very clear understandings with each other. And you ABSOLUTELY need to be safe about it. I'd far rather people get off with a consenting individual than in... y'know, other ways. It's not my business, anyway. What’s the biggest art project you’ve ever attempted? How did it go? In high school, I did a huge acrylic painting on burlap of meerkats grooming. I am to this day still so proud of it; I worked so hard on it. I love how the fur came out, especially. I do wish I could do over the background, though. What kind of wild animals do you see most frequently where you live? Excluding the obvious birds, there are tons of squirrels, and you see opossum and racoon roadkill a lot, tragically... Every now and then, you'll see deer in fields in the morning or dusk. Have you ever cooked anything other than s’mores over a fire? Yeah, hot dog.s Are there any items in your house that you use for something other than its intended purpose? I'm positive there's something. Probably everyone has an example. OH! Looking in just my room, Venus' terrarium has saran wrap covering the top to help keep humidity in. What do you hope the afterlife is like? Really, I go back and forth between hoping it's like... this state of nirvana and where you reunite with loved ones and experience infinite peace if deserved, or just the entire lack of existence anymore. I wonder sometimes if I'd want to be sentient forever. But, with me believing in a spirit realm, I don't think the latter is the case. What’s the worst behavior you’ve ever seen from a child? I think I once saw a kid smack their parent's arm or something? I don't really know. Have you ever planned an act of revenge? "No, but i daydream about it." <<<< Ha, yeah, I have. Do you and your parents share any of the same hobbies? Yeah. Mom surprised me when she told me she likes writing (even though I never see her do it), and Dad likes video games. Do you have any physical photo albums? Yes. Would you feel comfortable working at a sex shop? NOPE. Who was the worst friend you ever had? It's funny, Colleen did incredible things for me, but she also fits this description, too... Have you ever campaigned for a political candidate, or otherwise played an active role in an election? I mean, I voted, does that count? What’s the coolest hand-me-down you’ve ever gotten? What about the best one you’ve ever given? I have no idea. Do your parents and grandparents get along with each other? Dad got along perfectly fine with his parents, but my mom and her mother had a rocky history. Grammy treated her awfully sometimes. They'd been fine for many, many years, but Mom could never forget some things and always felt like she wasn't "good enough" in her eyes. I'm pretty sure Mom got along just fine with her dad. Do you have any framed photos of your pet(s)? Yes. Do you share photos of your pet(s) on social media? Um, duh. In 3 words, describe the last male you talked to. Who WAS the last guy I talked to... Do you own any of your favorite films on DVD? Which one(s)? No. Have you watched anything on Netflix lately? No. The last thing I did on Netflix was watch the first episode of The Witcher, and even though I liked it, I didn't continue. I just... don't enjoy watching TV, especially if it really requires you to pay attention. Have you ever heard someone snoring and thought it sounded cute? Besides animals, no. Are you particular about what you eat? In what way(s)? Yeah, I'm VERY picky, especially with textures. Is anyone close to you particular about what they eat? In what way(s)? Yes, my niece. She's autistic and has the symptom of being incredibly picky with things like textures, too. She is the one child I have ever known that doesn't really like eating. Is there someone in your life who can always make you smile? Always, no. Have you worn lipstick at any time recently? What color? No. I last wore black forever ago just to take pictures. Do you like wearing eyeshadow to match the color of your clothes? No; in the very rare instance I put on makeup, the eyeshadow is always black. What song reminds you of your childhood? Jesse McCartney songs, for sure. And Backstreet Boys. What’s your least favorite month? Maybe August. I'm sick and beyond tired of summer by that point. Nothing exciting going on. What do you do when you’re bored in class and not paying attention to the teacher? When I was in school, I honestly always paid attention because I wanted to pass. Have you ever baked a pie? No. Last person you shared food with? Mom. Do you know any mechanical stuff about cars? Definitely not. Were you smiling in the last picture taken of you? I don't think so, if that witchy photoshoot was the last time I had a pic taken of me. Do you answer the phones at your job? I did at two old jobs. Were you a hyper or mellow kid? I was kinda hyper. What are you drinking? Would you believe me if I answered "water"????? Did you get any compliments today? No. What last made you laugh? I think a moment in a WoW stream I was watching last night. Which of your friends is the easiest to talk to? Sara. What was your best summer ever? /shrug Do you have a favourite sibling? No. What color is the blanket/quilt on your bed? Navy and black. Favorite milkshake flavour? Just chocolate. Sometimes I'm in the mood for vanilla, though. Best year of your life? 2017. It's funny how that year started with a suicide attempt but wound up being the best year of my life. NEVER hestitate to reach out for help when you need it. How loud do you like your music in the car? Too loud lmao. Prefer to write or read? Write. Favourite apps? Pokemon GO, haha. What is a fruit you refuse to eat? Absolutely refuse? Maybe like, cantaloupe. Would you rather gain weight or lose weight? It'd to fuckin fantastic if I could lose 100 pounds. :^) I gained like thirty since moving... Would you rather gain height or lose height? Gain a tiny bit, I guess? But I'm fine with where I'm at. Are both your eyes the same color? Yes. Do you like glittery things? Yes, but not touching them and getting glitter everywhere. Ever watched a play in the theatre? Yes, at Disney World and also for school field trips. How many followers do you have on instagram? A depressing amount for someone desperately trying to be a photographer lmaooo. I mean I don't post on it a lot, so that doesn't help, but yeah. My secondary photography account (for roadkill/vulture culture stuff) has more than my main one. How about twitter? Don't use it. How much would I have to pay you to get you to do karaoke? I don't know, I'd be terrified of embarrassing myself. Last time you went ice skating? Never. Painting or drawing? Drawing, by far. Art or science? Now that's tough, but art. Dancing or singing? Dancing. History or geography? Geography is interesting. Favourite season? Autumn. Do you watch Supernatural? I did up to the end of Season 6. I loved it, I just was losing interest in TV, and also Jason and I broke up (we always watched it together) so I didn't want to watch something triggering memories. If you could change your eye color would you? Yes, to either a pure sapphire blue or emerald green. Are both your ears pierced? Yes. Are you lying down? Yes. Is there a tv in your room? No. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Yeah. Do you like fortune cookies? Yeah, they're oddly tasty. Do you have anxiety? You fuckin bet I do. Favorite clothing shop? RebelsMarket. How do you feel about peeing in a cup at the hospital? Is it embarrassing? No? It's too normal to be embarrassing. I mean I wrap toilet paper around it so you don't actually see, y'know, but I'm not embarrassed carrying that. Do you prefer fruit or vegetables? Fruit, by a long shot. What do you hate being called? "Bee." An old best friend who did nothing but lie about her entire life called me that. What color is the last car you were in? White. Ever studied abroad? No. Ever pulled out a tooth? Yeah, when I was a kid. Three celebrity crushes? Mark Fischbach, Link Neal, Hannah Hart. Ever been married? No. Are you proud of yourself? In most ways, no. Do you like grapes? Yep. How often do you cook for your family? Never. Is anyone in your family a lawyer? My cousin is, actually. Is anyone in your family an architect? Don't think so. Own any crystals? No. Favourite thing to write with? (pen, pencil, highlighter) Pencil. Top 5 favourite alcoholic drinks? I don't know, I haven't tried enough that I actually enjoy. Would you date someone bald? Yeah. Would you date someone who doesn’t want kids? I don't want kids either, so that's the only kind of person I'd date. That's something you can't really disagree on if you plan on lasting. Do you like candles? Sure. Favorite memory with a sibling? I dunno, probably something from when we were little kids playing together.

[aventuresderin]

Vacances de Toussaint: Ireland and Northern Ireland

I knew my family was of Irish descent but seeing all the road and business names here, I’m really grasping the extent of it. Erin’s and Joan’s and Luke’s and Sullivan’s and (a lot) of Murphy’s

Seeing as I still haven’t written down the happenings of the whole second half of my trip in my proper travel journal, I’m going to summarize some of the highlights and include some photos on here. To know more, pls contact me for further information via facebook or over Christmas dinner @myfamily. 

Basically, I flew in and out of Dublin, so I spent one day and night in Dublin, then 2-4 days each in Cork, Galway, and Belfast before the last few once again in Dublin before my flight.

Dublin: My arrival day brought with it wind and rain, so after dropping my stuff at my hostel, I went to O’ Neills pub for a nice sandwich to fill me up after another crap French breakfast of coffee and pastries. Waited there until the rain let up and did some wandering around the city. In the evening, I went on the “new Dublin pubcrawl” which went to 3 pubs and a club. Had a blast!

Cork: Stayed in a hostel above a pub and got upgraded from a 6-bed to a 4-bed room (and ended up having it all to myself the first night). Got chatting with two Australian girls over breakfast and went with them to see Blarney castle and kiss the stone, then went out for probably the best pulled pork sandwich of my life. They headed off to their next stop, and I spent the afternoon shopping like the lazy tourist I am. 

*PEI encounter 1/3: matched with someone I went to elementary and junior high school with on Tinder and met him for a drink to catch up on all the island gossip. He’s studying at University College Cork.

Galway: Met up with Ingram, fellow language assistant, and explored the town a bit. Had a pint and seafood pie for dinner (can’t not have a pint) and then went to another pub that had live music. Got chatting with the girls sitting beside us (one Canadian, one American), bringing us to..

**PEI encounter 2/3: The Canadian girl dated someone who went on my bus for 6 years and who I did my high school musical with. Small frickin world!

- Day 2 in Galway was actually not in Galway, but in Westport, Newport, Mulranny and Achill Island via bicycle. I stopped midway between Newport and Mulranny (I was happy with my 22km after not riding a bike in 10 years) but Ingram completed it. We rented bikes at a bike shop in Westport, and part of the price we paid was a pickup/roadside assistance so there wasn’t pressure to do the whole thing. It was such an awesome way to see the countryside: sheep and cows along the way, sheep actually blocking the paths until we got pretty close to them, and rivers to go over and woods to go through. We went out for pints and fish and chips that evening, and then went to Matt Malloy’s pub to see the grammys in person and get (another) pint. We stayed at a little B&B in Westport (St. Anthony’s Riverside B&B) which was beautiful, had comfortable beds, luxurious bathrooms, and a delicious full Irish breakfast the next morning! I’m super glad we decided to splurge a little bit and do a B&B one night because it’s a typical Irish visitor experience, and it was a very welcome break from hostel beds, showers, and breakfasts.

- Day 3 in Galway was also technically not in Galway, but out to the burren, the cliffs of Moher, and a couple other 10 minute stops along the wild Atlantic way. We got back into Galway in the evening, had a delicious €2 veggie curry and then did the pubcrawl that the hostel puts on. It was lots of fun - met the most Canadians I’ve come across the whole trip, two of which had rented a car and were also headed back to Dublin the next day so we got a free ride from them.

Belfast: There’s no direct way to get from Galway up to Belfast, so we went back to Dublin then caught a bus up. We got settled at our hostel, met up with our third language assistant, Corinne, and our roommates (5 other language assistants from France, Germany, Austria, and Spain working in Ireland for the year - what’re the chances) and headed out for some food and drink. 1st stop: Boojum (burritos). 2nd stop: Kellys Cellars - Belfast’s oldest traditional pub. 3rd stop: The Harp Bar - where we met an old irishman who lived up to the rep of being v drunk. 4th stop: Lavery’s, where we met up with our language assistant roommates, and some Australians also at our hostel.

- Day 2: We did a day tour up to the Northern coast where we saw Carrickfergus castle, the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, Giant’s Causeway, and the dark hedges. Once we arrived back in Belfast, we pulled together some last minute costumes (since it was October 28th - the Saturday night before Halloween) and headed out on the town as 3 lumberjacks. That night, we went to The Points pub, where they had traditional Irish music and traditional Irish dancers, and then Lavery’s, where a lot of the University-aged crowd seemed to be. We were very glad we decided at the last minute to dress up, because we would have stuck out like sore thumbs in normal attire there!

- Day 3: We did a Black Taxi Tour in the morning, which was unreal and possibly my favourite part of the trip. Since it was before my time, I had no idea of the Troubles that occurred in Northern Ireland from the 60′s to the 90′s, and to hear about it firsthand from the taxi driver who lived it was really humbling. I’m now on the hunt for a book to learn more about it. After that, we all split up and I headed to the Titanic museum which was really interesting. 

Dublin: Finally, back to Dublin! We arrived about 2 PM and I immediately did laundry at the hostel because my jeans had been worn about 3 too many times by this point, 9 days into the trip. This is where we met up with our 4th French language assistant, Nicole. We picked up some pasta, sauce, veggies, and wine for dinner and cooked at the hostel, then headed out on the town (once again). We had attempted to see a Halloween parade of some kind but weren’t ready in time and missed it. Then, we did a pubcrawl - the same one as the first night because we already had the bracelets. 

- Day 2: Halloween. Guinness Storehouse, dinner, and (once again) out on the town. The storehouse was neat, but I’m not sure it was worth €18. It’s self-guided and they don’t actually brew beer there so you don’t get to see any of the actual process in realtime. Also, I probably should have known it wouldn’t be overly exciting for me because I’ve worked at a brewery and given tours in the past. That being said, it was cool to learn to pour a Guinness correctly, the food was great, and the view of the city from the top of the building was amazing. Stopped on the way back to the hostel to pick up last-minute costume stuff and some food for dinner, then ate, got ready, and (surprise surprise) headed out on the town. I went with Nicole to her friend’s school event which was at a pub/club. The college is apparently like 95% non-Irish people but I did manage to find an Irish guy to chat with. Did I mention I’m in love with the Irish accent?

- Day 3: Late start to the day, I mostly walked around and checked out some shops and took it easy. In the evening, Ingram, Nicole and I (Bye Corinne - off to England) went to a teeny little hole in the wall restaurant/pub where we got tapas and a pint. 

- Day 4: Last day. Ventured out to buy a gourmet donut, did a walking tour, and went to EPIC Ireland - the museum of Irish emigration. I highly recommend doing both a walking tour and hitting this museum. They were both really well done and really informative. Apparently the population of Ireland is ~4 million and there are 70 million people worldwide claiming to be of Irish descent. 

That’s about it! Information omitted from this post include the exact number of pints that were consumed, the number of convenience store sandwiches that were eaten, the names of pubs I don’t remember, the amount of times my heart broke while spending British pounds (the exchange is 0.60.. and I thought the euro was bad), and the names of any Irish men I basically fell in love with for short periods while listening to them talk. Photo post and reflection post to come about this trip, which I have a feeling is going to be pretty hard to beat in my upcoming travels this year :)