#i am actively planning a trip to visit more lighthouses now that i live on the coast | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

surveys-at-your-service · 3 years ago

Text

Survey #435

from yesterday, don’t feel like updating the answers. :^)

When you get married what do you think you’ll put most of your focus and money into? Uhhh. I really don't know... I mean maybe doing all I can do avoid debt? That's what my parents mostly argued about, and I know financial strain can really affect a couple. I never want that burden. Who in your life causes you the most stress or negative feelings? My damn self. Have you ever had a teacher that also taught your parents? No; my parents didn't grow up here. Wait! I THINK Mom had one of my college professors? I don't recall for sure, and I definitely don't remember who it was. Are you the type of person who seeks out revenge? Nah. Are there any songs that inspire you? Certainly, such as "Life Won't Wait" by Ozzy Osbourne, "Get Up" by Shinedown, and more. How do you feel about celebrities getting involved in politics? Do you think that the celebrity world and the political world should be kept apart? Not at all; everyone has the right to share their opinion and should not feel like it's necessary to censor it. Let them be people with morals and beliefs, too. I'm totally fine with them CHOOSING to be quiet about controversial subjects, but they're more than welcome to share their thoughts on any topic. What is one pro of living where you do, and what is one con? What is a pro and a con of living where you wished you lived? I guess the only real pro (and this is horrible to be the first thought) is that we're under the radar; like, not really a target for terrorism or anything, lol. I'd get kinda nervous if I lived in, like, Washington D.C. or something. We have A LOT of cons: there is NOTHING to do, we're essentially a hub for crime, the scenery is boring and bland as fuck... I could go on for a long time. I'd love to live in many areas in North America, but I'll go with Alaska, since that would absolute RULE. A strong pro would definitely be the cold climate and the sights, but it would definitely be a con to me when that relentless dark era lasts for months on end. I need the sun (from inside anyway, ha ha) sometimes, because it being dark for what, half a year?, would really damage my happiness. What is your favorite episode of your favorite TV show? Referring to Meerkat Manor, it's actually the one where Mozart dies, I think, even though it destroyed my heart. I just think the writer portrayed it as so beautifully tragic, and the clips shown were so pretty. Does having others watch you do things make you uncomfortable? What sorts of things make you extremely uncomfortable if you are watched while doing them? Are there any things that give you confidence to do if you have an audience? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. Do NOT watch me on the computer (especially when writing), I literally will not draw if someone's watching (inevitably besides in Art classes, I think Sara is legit the only person who's watched me draw a bit), I really don't like people watching me edit photography, I'm nooot a fan of others seeing me exercise (though I kinda have to suck that up with having a personal trainer), etc. etc. Just don't watch me do anything, lol. I don't know what actually boosts my confidence if I'm being observed. Does someone in your house speak a different language on a regular basis? No. Do you follow or care about any big sports events? Not at all. Are there any activities people normally do together that you prefer doing alone? Hm. I dunno. If you are going somewhere where you’ll have to wait for a while (i.e. a doctor’s office), do you bring something to occupy yourself? My phone, yeah. How long is your favorite song? I checked, and it's almost six minutes. Do you think you’d ever want to be “internet famous”? I'll admit I've somewhat thought about it, only because my career choices are running so dry, and I'd be able to do it alone. However, I've got noooo idea what I'd actually do, and I also don't think I could handle ridicule or anything like that for any reason. Having a spotlight on me would stress me out. Who was the main cook of your Thanksgiving meal last year? My older sister. What moment in your life have you been most scared? Probably this one occasion where Dad had to pick my sister and me up from school one day and make the 30-minute drive home. Well. He was clearly in a hellish mood because he was flying. He ran stop signs and red lights, passed people illegally... I was in the passenger's seat and absolutely convinced we were going to crash. I can barely believe we didn't. Who was the last person you slow danced with? -_- Do you prefer headphones or earbuds? Earbuds. I like how they block out external sound better, and they don't hurt my ears like headphones do. What person/people do you trust the most? My mom. Who in your life do you care about more than yourself? My parents, sisters, my nieces and nephew, Sara... A lot of people, if I'm being honest. I don't value my life as much as I should. Which wild animal would you most like to have as a pet? I am DESPERATE to rescue an opossum one day. :''''( What teacher did all the high school boys/girls have a crush on? I have no idea. Have you ever felt seriously violated? No. Do you watch American Horror Story? I adore(d) the first season; it was mine and Jason's "show." We watched most of season two as well, but I lost interest in the later half of it. I haven't really watched it since, save for the pilot episode of some season I forgot. Does your hometown have any urban legends/scary stories? Not to my knowledge. What’s the scariest nightmare you remember having? Something involving my dad that I won't speak about. Pancakes or French toast? Oh my god, French toast. That sounds delicious rn. Are there any apps you’re addicted to? Not addicted, nah. Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? Yes; it was a bunny holding a multicolor polka-dotted blanket. Do you still collect stuffed animals? Hell yeah. Have you ever had eggs cooked over a campfire? No. What colors of mascara have you worn on your lashes? Just black. What font do you usually use? I mean, it depends on what I'm doing. Is it supposed to appear professional? Aesthetically pleasing? It varies too much to answer this with one font. What about font colors? Usually just black, but again, it depends on what I'm writing. Are you good at making graphics or designing layouts? Ha, no. Do you put gel or mousse in your hair? No. Sleep with just one pillow? No, I use two. I am VERY uncomfortable with just one. Ever woke up crying? Yeah, from nightmares. Do you like big dogs or small dogs better? It depends on the breed and their energy level. I don't really prefer one over the other as a general judgment. Are you going to graduate high school on time? I did. Been to the zoo lately? No, but I'd love to go. :/ Now that I'd consider myself at least a pretty decent photographer, I'd love to see what shots I could take. I LOVE photographing animals with how unpredictable they are. It's like playing the lottery; you really don't know what you're going to get, but you have the chance for seriously priceless moments. Even if we could afford the trip, though, I know I wouldn't last long whatsoever with my legs being as weak as gelatine. I know especially that there's a notable incline in the path, and I'd never make it up it. I really, really look forward to the day where I can really start feeling a difference in my body thanks to the gym. Have you ever been to Mississippi? No. What did you do for your last birthday? We went to The Cheesecake Factory. Do you like to cook? No. What is the worst thing that has happened to you in your entire life? If I'm looking at the big picture and what truly damaged my pleasure in life the most, it'd be developing depression and such intense anxiety. I've given up so much and changed so negatively because of it. Do you know when your next family reunion will be? We've never had one. My family is too spread out. What is your favorite thing to do with your significant other? I'm single, but even in a relationship, I love playing video games together. I've got multiple memories of just having a great time doing that. Where is “home” for you? Wherever Mom is. Is there an animal that creeps you out? Whale sharks, maggots and other bug larvae, centipedes, many beetles, and some other bugs. What is the name of the last band you discovered? Uhhh.. good question. I admittedly don't listen to new music a lot. I tend to stick to the stuff I know. Do you prefer group projects, or would you prefer to work alone? I would rather kick my ankle against a Razer scooter than do a group project. Have you ever been to Hooters? No. Do you have a brother? What’s his name? Yeah, Robert, but everyone calls him "Bobby." Have you ever thought that your life was so bad you wanted to give up? About a billion times. I still do sometimes. Do you have a ceiling fan located in your bedroom? Yes. Have you ever been in a lighthouse? No, but I was supposed to visit one in the fourth grade. The water was way too aggressive that day, though, so we had a change of plans and went to a closer island. Hell, it might have been the better option, because it had horses. I remember collecting seashells, too, and just watching the power of the ocean hammer at the shores. It was really pretty. Have you ever been bitten by an animal? Only playfully, like by a cat. Well wait, I think my old baby iguana may have bitten me once (he sure tried to, ha ha), but I don't remember for sure. Did it rain today? Yes. It rains pretty much every afternoon here in the late summer. What was the name of the last dog you pet? Zeke, my sister's German shepherd. He's adorable. Has your luggage ever been lost at the airport? Did you get it back? No. Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? I pretty much always hug my friends when I see them. I'm a big hugger. Have you ever witnessed a tornado? No, thank the fucking Lord. Who is your favorite person to talk to when you’re down? Sara. What are you listening to right now? "Blood For Blood" by Powerwolf. Can you get over people easy? Hell no. I do NOT handle loss well AT ALL. And not just romantically. What was the last thing you carried to your room? A drink. Do you drink water that comes from your sink? Only once it's been filtered. Have you ever prank called the police? That is fucking awful. No. What’s your LEAST favorite smiley? XD looks so stupid to me I'm sorry lmao xD reigns supreme. Do you like Italian food? Yeah, more than I used to. Have you ever put red lipstick on just to make lip marks on something? No. Do you watch Shane Dawson on YouTube? Isn't his career pretty much toast now? I DID used to love his videos, though. I still occasionally watch his fiance, though, and he pops up sometimes. Regardless of everything, I still think he's funny as fuck. Would you ever spend a day to see what it’s like to be homeless? NOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO. I am TERRIFIED of living on the streets someday. I want NO idea what it's like. Is the house you’re currently living in over 50 years old? I highly doubt that. Have you ever had a yard sale? Many. What is your favorite color? Baby pink. Did you have a good day or a bad day? Today was extreeeemely dull and felt like it lasted eons. Do you know anyone that has/had cancer? I sadly know maaaaany. Have you ever read somebody else’s diary? No, that is incredibly rude. Do you enjoy going to school? I hated it from start to end. Like I have good memories, but overall, I hated school. Were you a big jump roper back in the day? OHHHH YES. I almost learned how to double-dutch, even. I could jump with two ropes, but not jump in with two. Are you a local celebrity? Definitely not. Do you eat candy daily? No. I'm already fat dude, I don't need candy. I avoid candy as best as I can. Do you get nervous with public speaking? Like you would not believe. How old were you when you got your driver's license (if you have it)? I'm 25 and still don't have it. Has someone of the opposite sex ever told you they loved you? Yes. What memory are you most afraid of losing? Meh, I don't know. A lot of what I consider my "favorite" memories I'd honestly be better off losing, probably. Who accompanied you to your first concert? My mom, younger sister, and Jason. Would you rather have tickets to see your favorite band in concert, or $100 to go shopping? TAKE ME TO THE OZZY CONCERT. What do you usually eat for breakfast? It really varies. I'd say cereal most often, probably? Do you wish you were more outgoing? Yeah. Do you know anyone who wears a hearing aid? I don't think so?

#survey #surveys #random questions

1 note · View note

grgop · 5 years ago

Text

Welcome to Dugi otok

It's been my wish for quiet some time to visit Dugi otok (Long Island), the long and the most distant of the Croatian islands located in the center of Croatian part of the Adriatic sea. Actually, I visited one part of it – the Nature Park Telašćica, when I was a kid more than 15 years ago…but never other places and with the new purpose. However, my wish had been granted surpassing all the expectation I had about this trip.

The main reason why I wanted to travel there was to find and record the locals who speak the local idioms. For those of you who've been following me for the last couple of years and especially my YouTube channel you know that this was a super exciting trip for me. These native speakers represent a national and cultural treasure in terms of lingusitic heritage and a history of the litoral and maritime people living here for centuries, with some of them being isolated or with little touch to the land (terraferma). Thus the excitement to hear the living past and a nice blend of the Croatian Slavic culture and the Mediterranean Latin influence.

Apart from finding the native speakers I was excited to find out more about being and living as an islander. So I had to chance to record, hear and take photos of stories and experiences of the local people from several villages including both youth and seniors.

How it all started

I was super lucky to be given the opportunity to stay for four days on the island and meet many people whose help I never expected. I got the accommodation for free at the local monastery of St Michael in Zaglav which was thrilling enough and especially valuable since they allowed me to stay during the festive days around Easter. As soon as I got the confirmation that it's not a hallutination but a reality I looked for help among friends and acquaintaes who could aide me in getting to know the island and the locals. Without them this trip would have looked totally different as I knew practically nobody there. In the end I made lots of friends and had plenty of fun while doing my mission. I spent literally days and hourse right before the trip to get the additional camera equipment, gather as much as valuable information about the locals as possible, creating my own map of the potential people for the intervju and preparing the daily routes.

But before we dive into the adventures here's a some info about the island.

About Dugi otok

What do you need to know about this paradise? Dugi otok is the largest of the North-Dalmatian islands situated in the central part of the Croatian Adriatic. Iti s also the last island before the open sea and Italy on the other side of the Adriatic bay. Just like the majoritiy of our islands it has many hills and small bays with its highest peak of Vela Straža at 338m. The island is around 45 km long (hence the name) but at some points its width ranges between 1 and 4 km. This contrast was especially visible when I was driving a car from the south and at one point I stopped and looked to my right – there you see the islands towards Zadar and Velebit mountain. Then you turn to the left and see the nothing except for the blue sky, horizon and the deep blue Adriatic sea. However, during the crystal day and with a good eye sight one can see the eastern Italian coast, more precisely – the Apenine mountains. After all, Italy is less than 200 km away across the sea.

Its western coastline bordering the open sea characterize the sharp contrasts: the southern part around the Nature Park Telašćica is surrounded with impressive cliffs that go up to 80m in height. Telašćica is one of the most beautiful place sin Zadar county and frequently visited by numerous tourists each year.

On contrary, on the other side of the island you can find more peaceful bays. The two most notable beaches are Sakarun and Veli Žal where Sakarun is the most famous one. However, last years due to growing number of visitors and greediness it no longer looks and is as it was 10 years ago. I also never went there but visited Veli Žal instead. All in all, the nature on this island is incredible and as the locals say – you hardly notice any seasonal change. It always looks as if the time had stopped between spring and early autumn. Always green and no leafs falling. In terms of nature this island will be a perfect place to escape the reality and the stress of the modern lifestyle spent in larger urban areas. Clean sea, peaceful nature and the welcoming locals.

People, customs and history

Speaking of locals the island has a population of roughly 1500 inhabitants spread in around 12 local villages. The largest of them is Sali in the southeastern part of Dugi otok with the population of around 800. On contrary, places such as Dragove or Veli Rat in the north have between 40-70 inhabitants statistically. However, accoridng to the stories, there's far less people who actually live for the whole year. The sad truth and reality is that these places will become ghost towns within 10-20 years as the majority of these locals are seniors over 80 years old. The thing is – apart from them most of the visitors are so called „weekenders“ – the islanders who live on the land (e.g. in Zadar) who come there over the weekend…or the other part that's present during the summer are the diaspora. These are the people whose parents, grandparents or further ancestors emmigrated to the United States, Southern America or Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century or around the years of the WW2 in search for better opportunities and life across the sea. There are even some remains left of the WW2 bunkers and ship tunnels that I am going to describe you later (I couldn't resists visiting some of them). And even today one can find near the central part of the island a restricted zone which belongs to the military whose base is on top of the hill. It's said it used to watch over the potential threat that comes from the south or across the Adriatic sea.

The population of the island was thus much larger, actually surprisingly larger. However, the Great War in 1918 and the Second World War had taken the toll with great consequences. Many of the islanders died or were killed during those time, especially the young people, men, who were meant to start new families. Those who survived either stayed or moved to new places. Some places used to have a lot of children attending the schools. Now some say it's „a success“ when they managed to gather up to 10 children of the elementary school in total. And they come from different villages.

Being on the island many of the locals have traditionally been turned towards the sea and what it offers. It's not unusal to find people who have spent their lives sailing around the world. Some have been fishermen. Some are into agricultulre and what it offers. Unlike us who live on the mainland here you can't have super large fields but smaller ones where you take care of goods and cultures such as figs, oranges, lemomns, tomatoes, potatoes, salad and olives. In Sali there is a fish factory which provides employment for good amount of the locals. There is another important factor in the lives of the islanders and that is the Church and religion. It's not unusual to find many of them to be (kinda) devoted Catholics who go to the church every Sunday. After all, as some explained me, it's also a social thing or event, when you think about it. And living there for centuries, relatively isolated and surrounded by nature and vast sea surface, one shouldn't be surprised to see faith and religion rooted deeply in the locals. And being an islander does not mean living an easy life, as you are going to find out. Speaking of religion there is this Franciscan monastery of St Michael in Zaglav with a church that was built in mid-15th century. That's the place I stayed at.

The places on the island are connected with one main road from which you have amazing views over the surrounding islands and area. The island has also got quiet good connection with the mainland via trajects and speedboats (catamaran). There are four catamaran lines that go daily from Zadar to Dugi otok. If you are planning a trip on Dugi otok by car you will arrive by traject to Brbinj in the northern part of the island. The same goes if you want to leave the island by car. Speaking of cars the only gas station on the whole island is located in Zaglav in the south. That's also the place I arrived to and stayed at for four days.

What else to add? During the summer season many are some festivals related to religious events, local music and traditional kitchen. Those who prefer to spend their time actively they can go exploring the area, follow many hiking roads, visit the caves, Park Telašćica or National Park Kornati. If you are more into sports then I suggest finding some diving locations or courses, try running, trekking, biking, trail, sailing etc. At the northernmost point of the island at Veli Rat there is another landmark of Dugi otok - the lighthouse of Veli Rat.

I forgot to mention some of the older history of the island. Here are a few interesting things to know. The island was already inhabited with settlers in the early ages in paleolithic and mesolythic. Several years ago scients discovered the human skelleton that date back to 11 000 years BC. This discovered male Dalmatian known as „Šime“ died unnatural death at the peak of his retirement age of 40.

One can find the remains of the settlements and stuff of the ancient Illryians. There are also several caves on the island and around Telašćica park one can find tomb hills dating back to Iron age 800-400 BC. The last thing I'd add here is the Grpašćak Fortress on the western coast above the cliffs of Telašćica. It was built in 1911 by the Austro Hungarian Monarchy which served as a military patrol base. I came close by my first evening on the island but more about it in the next post..

Time for a break

Alright! I hope you have some idea about Dugi otok. More in details on specific topis as we surf through the days. Grgo

4 notes · View notes

lavieboheme930 · 5 years ago

Text

773-I Am The Walrus

Out of all 24 hours, which one is your favourite? night in general Have you ever been in a lighthouse? Yes What are the names of the neighbours to your right? I don’t know. Left? I don’t know. When’s the last time you actually sat down and watched the sun set? I don’t

Are you on a laptop or desktop? Laptop. Do you ever make your own surveys? No. What colour is your shower? White. Where do you order your pizza from? Dominos When is the last time you had a serious talk with someone? Saturday What time are you planning on going to bed tonight? I don’t know How old are you, your parents and your siblings combined? I don’t feel like figuring it out The last time you went out of town was? It’s been awhile And where did you go? Walmart Have you ever been bit by an animal? No Where is the person you miss the most right now? in another state Have you been paying attention to the Olympics much? only winter ones How often do you take naps? all the time I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but when do you go back to school? I’m done with school. Did it rain today? No. What was the name of the last dog you pet? my dog, Breezy Do you find that you have a certain meal you eat every time you go to certain restaurants? Nope Are you constantly judging people? No Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Yes. Think back to your freshman year in high school, what was the first class period on your first day of school? Global What colour is your bike? I don’t have one. What word can you not stand to hear people say? I don’t know When was the last time the power went out at your house and how long was it out for? I don’t remember What room of your house are you in? Mine. When there’s a full moon, does it make your room really bright for a few days? No What is the temperature in your city right now? No idea Which would you rather, a snowy day, sunny day, rainy day or cloudy day?: None of the above How long have you ever spent away from home? a few days Ever had to get any stitches? Yes When did you last use a post-it-note? Don’t remember Would you ever want to own your own restaurant? No. Do you have a fan in your bedroom? Yes Have you ever seen the White House? Yep How about Niagara Falls? No What about the four corners, have you ever been there? No Have you ever played any variation of the padiddle game in a car a night? If not, you should wikipedia it and play it. It can be fun with the right people? Never heard of it The most recent staircase you went down, what did it lead to? my apartment Have you ever thought about what life would be like if we all slept during the day and were active at night? No What colours are the counter tops in your kitchen? black Has your luggage ever been lost at the airport? Did you get it back? N/A Which major body of water do you live by? Hudson River Who is the last person that you took a picture with? Mom What type of food do you eat the most? No idea When is the last time you were stuck in a fairly long traffic jam? It’s been a long time Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? Yes What do you enjoy most about your life? Just everything When was your most recent trip to an aquarium? ages ago What do you like in your salads and what dressing do you prefer? Depends on my mood Last time you changed the light bulb to the lamp that you use in your bedroom? Months aho Does sleeping past 12 or 1 in the afternoon make you feel like you’ve wasted a lot of your day or do you enjoy the extra hours of sleep? I hate when I sleep that long What is your state most famous for? It’s NY so alot of stuff What was the last thing you signed your name in cursive on? No idea How many times in your life have you seen a shooting star? Zero. Have you ever witnessed a tornado? No. How many times a year do you go out of state? Never anymore. Has your best friend ever moved away? Yes If it has one, do you ever use the notepad function in your phone? Yes What website do you visit the most often? Facebook How good would you say your memory is? Pretty good. About how many times during the night do you wake up from your sleep? Depends Are there any air fresheners in your house? What kinds? No, they get me sick What scent of candle do you burn the most? None

For what reason did you last cry? Rocketman. I always cry watching it What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve done recently? Ordered a VIP ticket for Elton’s concert. How long have you been taking surveys? No idea it’s been a long time What kind of surveys do you wish there were more of? random questions that aren’t stupid..

#surveys

1 note · View note

toomanysurveys9 · 6 years ago

Text

Out of all 24 hours, which one is your favourite? i don’t think i have a favorite hour. Have you ever been in a lighthouse? i have not. What are the names of the neighbours to your right? i’m not sure, to be honest. Left? i don’t know. i think one is mike? When’s the last time you actually sat down and watched the sun set? it’s been a very long time since i did that. i can’t even remember when.

Are you on a laptop or desktop? laptop. i’m not even sure people used desktops anymore (just kidding obviously). Do you ever make your own surveys? i do not. i just answer other people’s. What colour is your shower? the curtains are white and teal. the shower/tube itself is a weird yellow/white color. Where do you order your pizza from? pizza hut or papa john’s. When is the past time you had a serious talk with someone? jade this past weekend. What time are you planning on going to bed tonight? as early as wyatt (and everyone else) lets me even though it’s christmas. i am exhausted. lol. How old are you, your parents and your siblings combined? i don’t feel like doing the math at the moment. The last time you went out of town was? it’s been awhile. we’ll be going to jacob’s grandpa’s in a few weeks though. And where did you go? i don’t even remember. Have you ever been bit by an animal? nothing serious, but yes. Where is the person you miss the most right now? i’m not missing anyone right this second. Have you been paying attention to the Olympics much? i never do. it’s kind of boring to me. How often do you take naps? almost every day if the kids do. i don’t really sleep at night anymore.. I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but when do you go back to school? i’m done with school for the time being, but i think i want to get my masters sometime in the not TOO distant future. Did it rain today? nope. at least, not that i know of. What was the name of the last dog you pet? blaez. Do you find that you have a certain meal you eat every time you go to certain restaurants? yeah. i find one thing i really like and i get that every time after that. Are you constantly judging people? i don’t think so. Have you ever had anything stolen from you? yeah. books. money. Think back to your freshman year in high school, what was the first class period on your first day of school? i don’t remember. i couldn’t even give you a guess. What colour is your bike? i don’t have one anymore. What word can you not stand to hear people say? cunt.. When was the last time the power went out at your house and how long was it out for? i don’t remember. What room of your house are you in? living room. When there’s a full moon, does it make your room really bright for a few days? don’t think so, no. What is the temperature in your city right now? wyatt has my phone, and google on my laptop is taking forever so you’re out of luck. Which would you rather, a snowy day, sunny day, rainy day or cloudy day?: rainy or cloudy. sun hurts my eyes. How long have you ever spent away from home? since moving into our new home, never more than a day or two (we stay at jon and jade’s house sometime). Ever had to get any stitches? yeah. a few times. When did you last use a post-it-note? it has been at least six months though. we don’t keep post-its around here but jake’s mom had some she left at the trailer when she moved out i would jot things down on occasionally. Would you ever want to own your own restaurant? i mean. i don’t know that i would want to do all of the cooking but maybe. Do you have a fan in your bedroom? yeah. a ceiling fan and one we put on the floor.. Have you ever seen the White House? not in person. How about Niagara Falls? not in person. What about the four corners, have you ever been there? i have not. Have you ever played any variation of the padiddle game in a car a night? If not, you should wikipedia it and play it. It can be fun with the right people? i haven’t played it. i don’t know what it is. and google is going very slow so i’m not looking it up right now. The most recent staircase you went down, what did it lead to? the upstairs of our house, where our room is. Have you ever thought about what life would be like if we all slept during the day and were active at night? i haven’t thought about it, no.. What colours are the counter tops in your kitchen? greenish-blue with some white swirly stuff. Has your luggage ever been lost at the airport? Did you get it back? i’ve only been to an airport twice, and i did not lose my luggage. Which major body of water do you live by? none. lol. Who is the last person that you took a picture with? eliana. What type of food do you eat the most? i don’t know, to be honest. probably burgers.ha. When is the last time you were stuck in a fairly long traffic jam? it’s been a long time because we don’t really have long traffic jams where i live. Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? not when i see them, but when i leave, yes. What do you enjoy most about your life? my kids. for sure. they make me happier than i have ever been in my life. When was your most recent trip to an aquarium? earlier in the year. What do you like in your salads and what dressing do you prefer? lettuce, spinach, shredded carrot, tomatoes, shredded cheese, croutons, hard-boiled eggs, and ranch. Last time you changed the light bulb to the lamp that you use in your bedroom? we haven’t had to change our light in there yet. it’s a ceiling light, not really a lamp though. Does sleeping past 12 or 1 in the afternoon make you feel like you’ve wasted a lot of your day or do you enjoy the extra hours of sleep? i don’t ever sleep in like that. not anymore anyways. lol. kids get up way before then. What is your state most famous for? i don’t really know. What was the last thing you signed your name in cursive on? a receipt. How many times in your life have you seen a shooting star? i’ve probably never actually seen a real one. Have you ever witnessed a tornado? in the distance. How many times a year do you go out of state? we try to go once a year. Has your best friend ever moved away? yeah. but it worked out for the best in the end because she met the love of her life and has three kids now. If it has one, do you ever use the notepad function in your phone? sometimes. What website do you visit the most often? on my computer, tumblr. How good would you say your memory is? it’s alright i think. About how many times during the night do you wake up from your sleep? every couple hours to feed ellie, give or take. Are there any air fresheners in your house? What kinds? yeah. i don’t remember the scent but i don’t really like it. What scent of candle do you burn the most? i don’t burn any so far. i have a few in my room, but i’m not in there enough. the only times i am in there is when i’m going to sleep with the kiddos. For what reason did you last cry? phe, cocoa, and buffy just got in a fight. and it was horrible. and buffy ended up hurt again, although luckily we don’t have to go to the emergency vet this time. we can handle the wound at home. but wy was SO CLOSE to the fight, not that he seemed to care (he was on the floor facing away from the fight eating blueberries), but he could have gotten seriously hurt way too easily. and i have no idea what the right thing to do here is. my brother said he will take cocoa by a month’s time, so hopefully that will solve things. i just. i don’t know. my heart hurts because i love my dogs SO MUCH. but my kids are my world and they come first. they will always come first. they even come before me.. What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve done recently? i don’t know, to be honest. How long have you been taking surveys? for quite a long time. since i first discovered surveys when i was younger and myspace was a big thing. What kind of surveys do you wish there were more of? i like ones with good questions and require more than a yes or no answer.

#survey #surveys #personal #question #questions #random

1 note · View note

adelaster · 7 years ago

Text

8 Months, 21 Potential Blog Posts

Happy November! Rachel here. Somehow it is Thanksgiving already. Somehow a summer in Maine has come and gone. Theo and I thought we’d be blogging all the way through it, but instead we ended up just living it - and now we’ve already said farewell for the season.

In June, I did start a post that already had become irrelevant by July. In August, I rewrote the post and almost put it up, but then it suddenly became September and so much more had happened. Throughout the summer, I would find notes in Theo’s handwriting toward posts that he intended to write, but they all seemed to turn into grocery and hardware shop lists instead.

Given the sweet chaotic sprawl of our lives, it’s possibly impossible that we will ever keep up this blog as regularly as we originally envisioned. At least, for now. But we’re not abandoning ship – we’ll just post as we’re able, sporadically, here and there.

In the meantime, here is a list of blog posts that I would have loved to write over the past eight months:

1) A post about all the big changes in our lives this past winter and spring. In a nutshell, Theo dove into a new job at Spring Lake Ranch, an amazing therapeutic work community in Vermont, and finished the first draft of a new play commission. I held down our homestead in Minneapolis and worked on transitioning to fully freelance life, a shift that (as of July) now is being supported by a Playwrights’ Center McKnight Fellowship! Bit by bit, along the way, we got pieces in place toward our goal of spending a large portion of the summer in Maine.

2) A post about the Alliance of Artists Communities’ Emerging Program Institute, which I had the honor of attending in Washington D.C. this past April. It was so good. I learned so many things. I got so many ideas. I met so many incredible humans. I want to tell you about all of them.

3) A post about my road trip out to Maine in June, picking up Theo from Vermont along the way, and all of our experiences getting settled in - like installing a mailbox (it’s more complicated than one might think) and learning the delightful fact that the New Portland post office is only open for two hours in the early morning and two hours in the afternoon daily.

4) A post about the trip to Asheville that I took in June, for a cousin’s wedding, where I got inspired all over again by my family and that city and Black Mountain College.

5) A post about Healing the Wounds of Turtle Island at Nibezun in July. Theo and I still haven’t found adequate words to talk about that incredible experience. Perhaps you should save the date for July 13-16, 2018 and plan to join the next one (all are welcome). This ceremony will happen annually for 21 years! h/t Jennie Hahn for the initial invitation.

6) A post about the two dozen brilliant souls, family and friends and colleagues, who visited us in New Portland throughout the summer, many of whom came for informal artist residencies lasting a few days to a few weeks (for some remarkable examples of work made during this time, click here, here, and here). Everyone was so kind and patient with our very raw work spaces, a couple momentary power outages, and even the failure of the water pump (which meant fetching water from a well with a bucket for more than a week until it was replaced)! Everyone contributed to the space and its future in some beautiful way, from collaborative brainstorming, researching, and problem-solving to taking on house projects, chores, groceries, and cooking. THANK YOU Rae Simpson, Bob Whitten, Sarah Myers, Steven Wright, Leigh Hendrix, Karen Cellini, Erica Hassink Logan, Theo Langason, Amy DeLap, Andrew Jendrzejewski, Emily Mendelsohn, Kate Dakota Kremer, Jonathan Crimmins, Jennie Hahn, Cory Tamler, Henry Peck, Meara Sharma, Casey Llewellyn, Terry Hempfling, Meghan Frederick, Jon Grayboyes, Josie the Dog, Jeffrey Wells, A Wonderful Person Who Shall Remain Anonymous, and Hannah Geil-Neufeld!

7) A post about house projects galore. We did a few this summer and have a long list of more we’d like to do. The actual completion of a task as simple as installing makeshift shelves in the bathroom somehow ends up adding five more tasks to the list; and the research required toward any given larger task, like renovating the barn, easily could take years. (As my mom once noted, paraphrasing a neighbor, caring for a house is like caring for a person’s health – a constant process, ongoing, over a lifetime.) We had a delightful time getting to know numerous local contractors this summer, and we’re so hugely humbly grateful for the many ways in which our visitors contributed labor and consultation.

8) Related: A post about the valuable Skype consultation that we had with Cameran Bailey to discuss future heat and alternative energy possibilities. We were reminded that what we’re doing is no small undertaking and that it’s very important to take a holistic view, in assessing what to tackle first. Cameran is an incredibly generous, patient, brilliant human (highly recommended if you need a consultant in this arena)!! We’ve got a whole lot of good homework to do...

9) A post about the remarkable lectures by Torkwase Dyson and Wu Tsang that some of us attended at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, just 30 minutes away from New Portland - a pretty excellent neighbor.

10) A post about meeting the intrepid founders of the Barn Arts Collective (located in Bass Harbor, Maine) and seeing their latest delightful children’s theater production. h/t Mallery Avidon and Meghan Frederick for the introduction!

11) A post about visiting my collaborator Terry Hempfling at the dreamy Lighthouse Works residency on Fishers Island, New York, and learning about how they operate. So much thoughtful goodness there.

12) A post about the labor of making a space for making. Related: Mierle Laderman Ukeles and “Maintenance Art” (h/t Emily Gastineau). This project’s combination of “development” and “maintenance.” Related: how to interact with the summer’s expenses on our books and taxes next year? The assessment of whether any given financial transaction is “business” or “personal” can feel so absurd when these realities are, in fact, inextricably woven together.

13) A post about the natural environment all around us in New Portland. The trees and bugs and deer and foxes and sky. How different it feels to be so much closer to and aware of nature on a daily basis, compared to being in the city. How clear it becomes that nature ultimately is in charge.

14) A post addressing this question we keep getting of “What’s your vision for this space?” On the practice of staying open as we research and gather and listen and brainstorm and simmer on what is needed (in the field, in this state, in this country and beyond) in tandem with what makes sense for us and our lives. When people ask us this question, “What’s your vision?” we keep saying things like, “We don’t have a singular vision right now” - which feels both vulnerable (it is super tempting to wish we had a more specific, concrete, satisfying elevator speech ready to go) and exciting (we’re swimming through so many wondrous possibilities). Of course, we also keep being reminded that staying open and undefined is, in fact, also a vision. I’m reminded how much active work it is, to stay in a space of not knowing, to trust a process over time.

15) Related: Casey Llewellyn gifted a copy of Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown to us. I am reading it now, and it is so crucial and good. A post, probably multiple posts, about reading that book.

16) A post about what it was like to be in such a quiet rural place all summer as Charlottesville and other atrocities unfolded throughout the country and world. We are continually considering how the work of cultivating this space intersects with social justice and equity work already happening in Maine and nationwide. How it might meaningfully support existing efforts, how it might offer crucial rest and rejuvenation, how it might become a hub for imagining new ways forward, how it might serve different functions at different moments, how it might surprise us with new functions along the way, how we need to keep listening hard.

17) A post about how we’re recognizing that we’re fluidly moving into a new phase of this process: one that involves a rapidly growing network of people. From the start, Theo and I have known that the project of building this space has to be bigger than the two of us; and now that we’re here, taking the next step, that truth rings loud and clear in our bodies. We really can’t do it all by ourselves, and that is so entirely appropriate. Ultimately we know this project will only make sense for us if it’s useful beyond us, if a community* forms around it to help inform it and conceive it and shape it. And that’s already happening - has been happening - slowly, steadily, bit by bit. It’s kind of blowing our minds.

18) *A post about Against the Romance of Community by Miranda Joseph, another relevant book I finally started reading at long last (h/t Lara Nielsen, five years later). I’m not very far in yet, but I can tell it’s gonna be good.

19) A post about my monthlong residency at MASS MoCA in September - the wonder of thinking about residencies while doing one. The structure of that program and how it compares to others. The place of North Adams. The place of the Berkshires. The people I met.

20) A post about a phone call I had with Carlos Uriona of Double Edge Theatre, over a year ago already, about how the company was founded and how their farm base operates now – and then an amazing site visit that Theo and I had with Carlos and Cariel and others in September! Also another call, quite awhile back, with Nick Slie of Mondo Bizarro talking about the collaborative development of Catapult in New Orleans - the challenges of building a space while also making art, and that perhaps sometimes building a space should be the art for awhile, the sole project of focus, rather than trying to juggle it all at once.

21) A post to ask: Where/how do you think we should capture everything we’re processing and learning!? We have been gathering literally hundreds of resources and ideas and contacts that generous people have been sharing with us along the way, in our email and in a Google Drive and on our phones and in notebooks and on scratch pieces of paper everywhere. Once upon a time, we thought this blog would be The Place to gather all this wisdom, but clearly there’s more wisdom than we have capacity to organize and post. So we wonder: Do you have any suggestions? Any preferred platforms, organizing systems, archival impulses, hot tips?

To sign up for periodic email updates about this endeavor (very periodic – confession, we haven’t even sent out the first one yet! – but it’s coming), click here.

To learn about some ways you can get involved from afar or in Maine next summer, click here. (It’s an old post, but all the stuff we wrote leading up to this summer still is relevant, more or less.)

To see more photos from this past summer, click here.

All images taken by Rachel in New Portland, Maine, 2017.

Previous Post: How to Get Involved

1 note · View note

pinkguacamole · 8 years ago

Photo

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Garden Route, South Africa

Another Wrong-Side-of-the-Road-Trip

When I left Afrikaburn, I did not have anything planned. I’d been in the desert for 11 days with no internet. I did not even know when I would be leaving Afrikaburn because the car I’d come in had a bit of a mishap and my friends and I were waiting for a new rental car to arrive. I figured I’d somehow find a place to stay in Capetown when the time was right.

The car arrived late Sunday evening, and on Monday morning, my South African friends Ryan, J, and Monica, and I piled in, sore and dusty, finally leaving the Tankwa Karoo and 11 incredible days behind us.

On our way back to the “default world,” the dusty road soon became majestic rocky mountains and cell phone reception eventually returned. We ate a gluttonous meal at a very racist restaurant called Spurs. (The theme is Native American -WTF? It is a chain all over South Africa). We just wanted warm food and cold drinks desperately. During the meal, one of my friends, Monica, talked to her dad who has a house in the beach town of Hermanus and he invited us to come to his home and decompress!

All of us were euphoric to accept the offer. A nice house! With warm showers! A home cooked meal! A beautiful beach town! It was exactly what we needed.

When we arrived at Monica’s family home, we all took time to clean up and relax. Her father loved Jazz and played standards from his iPad all night, urging me to sing along. We ate a traditional South African Braai- a barbecue of many meats and thankfully many vegetarian options as well. After a night of singing and the color coming back to our chalky cheeks, we all had a nice, hard sleep.

The next day I did laundry using the family’s washer and dryer (it’s the small victories!) and then Monica’s father drove us around Hermanus, showing us the gorgeous beach scenes from down below, and up above on one of the rocky mountains. It was a perfect day.

That afternoon, my South African friends had to leave to fly back to Johannesburg and I needed to find a place to stay in Capetown. As I was researching where to go, my Canadian friend Sam, whom I spent a lot of time hanging out with at Afrikaburn, messaged me and asked if I wanted to join her and her friend Josh on a road trip on the Garden Route for a few days. I said I couldn’t be back in Capetown in time. She asked where I was and it turns out Hermanus was on the way! So once my South African friends departed, I waited by the beach for my Canadian friends to scoop me up. Talk about serendipity!

That evening our team of North Americans drove to a quiet beach town near Agulhas National Park where the Southern-Most tip of Africa is located. We stayed at a sweet Airbnb and attempted to cook canned-food in the microwave. Not too bad.

The next morning, we walked through Agulhas National Park, along the coast. The pebbled-shore was glowing nicely in the morning light. There was a lighthouse looking out over the point and it shone brightly against a misty view. We found the southern-most tip of Africa and the accompanying landmark, climbed on the rocks, and took some photos.

Then we drove for a really long time. We saw some elephants along the road at one point! We listened to music that was popular before 2011, because Josh’s phone deleted everything current. There was some One Direction in the mix. It was your typical road trip music…

By late afternoon we made it to Wilderness, South Africa. Yes, that is the name of the town. It wasn’t as abandoned as it sounds, but it was surrounded by gorgeous beaches and dense forest. The afternoon was foggy and we frolicked on the cold and misty beach. It looked so much like my foggy coastal Californian home; it almost made me homesick.

That evening when we went out for dinner, we met a cool South African guy who was looking to move to Canada. My Canadian friends gave him all the tips he needed and he in turn told us all about Wilderness.

The next day we entered Garden Route National park. We rented some kayaks and paddled down the Touwsrivier to the waterfall at the end of Giant King Fisher Trail. I was double kayaking with Sam and as we were mostly in-sync, she encouraged me to sing Pocahontas songs while we rolled through the morning haze. My life has pretty much become the musical I always hoped it would be. No complaints.

We hiked through the damp forest at the end of the river and climbed to the waterfall. Everything was beautiful. And everything still reminded me of California. This all looked like Pescadero State Park where I spent my childhood at Girl Scout Camp.

After we made it back to our starting point and returned the kayaks, we stopped in town for a nice meal and to see our South African friend again. Then we drove off, back west towards the Cape of Good Hope. We continued to gawk at the views along the way. It was sunny now and the beach had a whole new persona. On the way, we had passed through Mitchell’s Plain, which is apparently one of the most dangerous townships in South Africa. It was dark and a bit eerie, but we were fine.

That evening we arrived in a small town called Glencairn. The name sounds Scottish and the town resembled a northern Scottish fishing village. We were staying at an old hotel that was apparently haunted. Despite the ghosts, it was well-priced and a clean, spacious retreat. There was live music at the bar one night and the guy who ran the place took a special interest in us because we were from out of town. He gave us free drinks as he tried to discuss Donald Trump and America with me. I was so burnt out of this damn conversation and my Canadian friends did a great job defending me. It was bleh. But hey, free drinks…

On our second to last day of the trip we took it slow. We had a leisurely breakfast at a local cafe and then drove a few minutes into Simon’s Town to see… PENGUINS at Boulders Beach. The penguins were so cute and silly as they waddled around, posing for zillions of photos as hoards of tourists packed along the beach with selfie sticks and DSLRs.

After we got our fill of adorableness, we continued down the coast to The Cape of Good Hope in Table Mountain National Park. After paying another entrance fee, we drove to the Cape as the weather turned windy and rainy.

At the Cape, we climbed up on some cliffs but the rocks were slippery and the wind was insane. Then we went back to the bottom to wait as buses of tourists funneled out of the area so we could get a photo with the “Cape of Good Hope” sign. All the important things.

Then Josh and Sam took a tram up into the mist for some more views as I sat on the edge of the world with some pizza. I was craving melted cheese. So were some of the birds nearby. Not once, but twice, did two birds flap by and grab some pizza right out of my hand. They are pros. I felt like the fat guy from Lilo and Stitch who is always dropping his ice cream. Let’s be real, I am that fat guy.

Once we left the bottom of the world, we stopped in Simon’s Town for a sweet cafe meal and then drove to Long Beach Kommetjie. This was a little beach town covered in white cottages. The beach was spectacular, resting under the glorious mountains of Chapman’s Peak. By this point, we were all becoming over stimulated by the ridiculous amount of INCREDIBLE scenery we had seen in the past few days. We were surrounded by “neature” as the Canadians say. We hopped around taking photos. We were joined for a while by two cute little terrier dogs running on the beach. They were so excited and it was hard to not feel my heart exploding. We left the beach in a satisfied daze.

The next morning we were to return to Capetown, via the Chapman’s Peak road. And my goodness, the views just got prettier from there. The mountains epically sloped into the ocean as a layer of mist hugged each peak. I have hundreds of photos; it was impossible to select 10 for this post. We stopped the car every few feet to take more photos and drink in the majesty. It was absurd.

We ended our trip with a charming breakfast and Mimosa Toast next to Hout’s Bay.

That afternoon, I split with the Canadians and moved into a hostel in Capetown in an attempt to process my fantastic and fast-paced month in South Africa and prepare for my travels in Namibia and onward. I organized some photos and ran some errands. I even explored a bit. Luckily I had a hostel dorm all to myself! My solitude didn’t last long, though. Two of my brothers from Peace Corps Madagascar were in Capetown and I went out with them a few times, then on my last day in South Africa, I met an American girl and we visited Table Mountain, one of the prime attractions in Capetown. We took a tram to the top of the windy mountain and spent an hour walking around the top doing my new standard activity of “gawking at grandiose views.”

Once we’d thoroughly appreciated the glory of Table Mountain and the view of rocky hills, the sea, and the city below, we decided to walk back down. The path was steep and long and rocky, and I was in flip flops… but I am a” super human” -according to many people we passed along the way- (I would have just gone with “stupid and under-prepared…”) But I made it down without any issues!

After some more chill time with some friends, old and new, I packed up my bag to head into the next leg of my trip: Namibia.

My time in South Africa was nothing short of phenomenal. I was completely surrounded by amazing people and scenery every step of the way. It was the perfect “choose your own adventure story” but I learned that I could literally not make any wrong moves in South Africa. Everywhere I went was breath-taking and fantastic.

Oddly enough though, I felt like I was in a bubble. Traveling in rental cars for days at a time is not how I normally travel. I saw a lot but I felt like I was on “vacation” and I could feel my wallet groaning. I am happy to be on my own, out of South Africa, so I can travel more simply -by taking public transportation and camping and meeting locals along the way.

South Africa has left me feeling revitalized and so excited for the adventures to come. I am feeling completely free and completely in my element. Thank you SA and thank you to all of my wonderful friends that I spent the last month exploring with!

#travel #southafrica #garden route #nature #scenery #road trip #adventures #neature #travelafrica

12 notes · View notes

bruisedpeachx-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Raw Honesty

When I wake up tomorrow it will be two days until I fly out of this beautiful country and begin a new adventure. Leaving Brisbane has become so difficult because of how situated and comfortable I’ve become, and although I’m cutting this adventure short, I know that Australia has served an incredible purpose for me and changed me as a person. Today at work I was speaking about what I was going to miss, and all I could say is that I hope that who I am right now sticks with me and that I don’t ever revert to who I was when I first landed. When I first landed in Australia I was critical, insecure, quick to compare, quick to judge, and underneath all of the positive photos and videos, I was unhappy. I came to this country with a person that I didn’t trust, who I felt never truly communicated with me, and someone that was very different from me in a lot of very important ways. That isn’t to say that the end of our relationship was one sided, because it definitely wasn’t, but it took the relationship ending to realize just how different myself and that person are, and what that relationship turned me into. I hope that I can go home and continue to feel this enlightened and positive, and I hope that I can continue to feel this much love towards myself and towards others. I want to be able to radiate positivity and continue to help and inspire other people. I want to travel to different countries and cities, I want to feel small in art galleries, and I want to feel every emotion as thoroughly as possible. I want to continue to work on this relationship that I have with myself, and I want to come out of this the best possible version of myself that I can. Leaving Brisbane is so bittersweet, but I couldn’t be more excited to live in New West, see suspension bridges, see lighthouses, travel to the sea wall, sit in cute coffee shops, sit on rocky beaches, get caught in cold rain, and meet amazing new people. In a lot of ways I feel unsettled and uncomfortable leaving Brisbane, but I want to channel those emotions and those feelings, let them visit, and feel confident with my decision to leave.

Today when I was trying to explain how it feels to leave, I found the perfect analogy. Leaving feels like Spring. As I sat in a bar tonight and I explained this feeling to my Australian friends, I realized that it’s something so beautiful that I have taken for granted every single time that I’ve experienced it. A Canadian winter is a challenging thing - especially in Alberta. The sky goes dark, the air is dry and cold, the wind is sharp, the snow on the ground turns brown from the cars, it’s dark in the morning when you leave your house and it’s dark in the evening when you come home from work. There are days where you don’t see the sun, you don’t go outside, and you’re stuck in your apartment and in your head. Your music taste changes, your mood changes, and socializing and doing activities becomes more difficult. But then Spring comes. The weather gets warmer and the sun comes out from behind clouds. The snow melts off of the road, and you start to see all of the things that the snow has been covering for the last six months. You walk outside wearing a hoodie or a tshirt, your music becomes more positive, and all of the days that you felt mentally exhausted just seem so worthwhile. You walk to the beat of the music you’re listening to, and when you see a thin layer of ice with water underneath it, you step on the ice and let the water break through the cracks, and it’s somehow one of the most satisfying things you might ever do. Not only is that the perfect analogy for how I feel, but I realized that it might be one of my favourite feelings that in the past I’ve taken for granted.

I wanted to make a blog post and talk about all of the amazing things that I’ve done over the past few days, but instead I hope that when I read back on this post I remember how I feel in this exact moment while I’m writing this. I want to focus on this feeling and I want to remember how at terms I feel in this exact moment with going home. I want to remember how much thought I put into this decision, and how important the people at home are to me. I messaged my best friend tonight and I initially let her know that I was thankful to my ex for what he’s put me through. I wanted to thank him for handling himself so poorly, and for breaking the person who did so much for him and tried so hard for him, because it ultimately made me realize who I am, what makes me happy, and how capable I am. But then I realized that he’s not responsible for this growth. He’s not responsible for the success that I made out of this journey, and he’s not responsible for the self love and self appreciation I feel right now. I hope this feeling continues to grow, and stays for good.

We received news from the doctors back home with my aunt, and they’re saying that she’s exhibiting signs of the final days of her life. She’s exhausted, sleeping most of the time, unable to eat, confused, and unable to hold extensive conversations. I know that it will break my heart if she passes before I make it home, but I also know that it’s her wish for me to travel and see as much as I possibly can. She wasn’t able to travel as much as she wanted to, and a huge part of me moving to the Rocky Mountains is because of her. Her last wish was to be able to go to British Columbia and enjoy the mountains and the beautiful scenery just one more time. She never made it and she never will. But I can make it, and I can go and I can take it all in the way that she wanted to, and I know that she can live on through me. I know that experiencing this loss will be hard for me, but I also know that as much as I want her to stay and be a part of my life, it isn’t fair of me to wish that anymore.

Tonight I planned a trip to Toronto the see my best friend. I couldn’t be more excited to see him and I couldn’t be more excited to explore a new city. I’ve only been to Toronto once while I was being trained for work, and I didn’t see or do much because I was so intimidated by the city. I am so excited to go back with a different mentality and see an amazing city, full of amazing people. Tonight we worked out the details and we’re going to rent a car, go to New York City (where I’ve never been!), see Niagra Falls, and do as much as we possibly can. I am so excited to have so many trips planned, and to see as much of Canada as I possibly can.

I’ve made an amazing list of things to see and do while I’m in Calgary for ten days, and I can’t wait to approach the city I’ve lived in for my entire life - as a tourist. I want to see as much as I possibly can, and do as much as I possibly can in those ten days. I am so excited to see all of the amazing people that make up that city, and I am so excited to make so many new memories with all of you before I leave to Vancouver. I am so excited to see my old coworkers, to see my best friends, celebrate birthdays, celebrate a life, get tea at my favourite tea house, and tell/ show everyone in my life how much I appreciate them and how much I value their presence in my life.

I am so thankful to every single person who has sent me a message, called me, FaceTimed me, came over in the middle of the night when I wasn’t sure that I was going to make it, and just loved me unconditionally. I am so thankful for all of the people who didn’t give up on me, and who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I am so grateful for this new perspective, and I am so grateful to love so many people so openly and fully because of this.

To the person who decided that I wasn’t even worth a text message, when throughout the entirety of our relationship that was the only communication you could offer me - I don’t resent you. I don’t resent you for deciding that you didn’t love me anymore, and I don’t resent you for leaving a relationship that didn’t make you happy anymore. You were entitled to those feelings and to make those decisions. That being said, I will forgive you for how you handled yourself, but I will never think that it was okay. I don’t think that you’re a good person. I don’t think that you’re mature enough to understand the consequences of your actions, and I don’t believe that a birthday makes you any older than you’ve proven you are. I will never be your friend, I will never be here for you, and I will never again feel any love towards you. I hope that one day you truly understand what you put another person through, because you wanted to focus on yourself. I hope you one day realize the other ways you could have done what you did, all while exercising compassion and care for another person. I’m not sad anymore, I’m numb towards you. I feel nothing when I hear your name, I feel nothing when I think about our relationship. I hope one day that passes and that I can look at you as an experience that made me grow, but for now I forgive your actions, even though I can’t understand them. One day I think you will understand how much you owed me a face to face conversation - but you will never see me again and you don’t deserve to.

Two days until this beautiful adventure with myself begins. Two days until a new chapter starts, and this chapter comes to a close.

#Australia #Travel Memoirs #Personal

3 notes · View notes

yearofpauli · 8 years ago

Text

Life in a Holiday -town

So, for the past month we have been living and working in a little town all the way up the top of the north island, called Kerikeri. We weren’t planning coming all the way up here for more than a small visit, but as sometimes happens in life; one email changed all of our plans. During Christmas-holidays when we were still in Wellington, we made a quick visit to a library where I checked out couple of job-sites just to see what was going on there.. A cute little ad caught my eye in which a small town holiday park –owners were looking for energetic couple to help them out. The ad was so interesting that I decided to send them a short application telling about us and what we had been doing for the past few months.

We didn’t hear anything back and I kind of forgot the whole application. We made our roadtrip around the north island, visiting friends near Auckland and checking out Rotorua’s volcanic activity. But me and my boyfriend were both getting a bit tired living in campsites and packing and upacking our things all the time so we decided to find a place where we would be looking for work and flat for a while. We ended up in Tauranga – a medium-sized city in the north/east coast of the north island and started checking out some flats to rent out. We had just decided to take a room in a sharehouse when I received an email from the owners of this holiday park asking whether we would like to have a chat about the job. After a small pondering we emailed back to the owners and said that we would like to hear more about the work. After couple of phone calls with the owners we decided to jump in the car and drive about 6 hours to the town where we are now and take the risk to see how it would be; anyway we didn’t really have anything to loose since we hadn’t found work yet anywhere else. And as it happened, we started working the next day! Month later and I still couldn’t be happier about our decision; in fact we have decided to skip our other winery-harvest work that we were meant to start in the middle of March and instead stay here until the end of our time in New Zealand.

I consider myself super-lucky right now; I work in a relaxed reception-job with nice colleagues and customers and a big bonus of the job is our little cabin –accommodation right by the river with all the comforts that you could ask for. As the town is right at the top of the north island, we live in a subtropical “winterless” area where the climate is mild and fairly warm all year round – right now very warm actually as it is the middle of the summer here! I was even wondering if it ever rains here as we only got our first rain about a week ago in the middle of the night; by the morning the sun was shining again as if there had been not a single cloud in the sky at all.. I am sure we won’t get such a good weather until the end of our time here but I have to say that it is a nice change to the beginning of our time in this country (in Christchurch), to the times where I remember shivering inside our flat and waiting for one non-rainy day so that we could see some nice places around the area.

Our life right now in Kerikeri is pretty relaxed and simple. My normal work day includes waking up in the morning to do a little jog/yoga for half an hour before work (well, I’m already making it sound better than it really is; I don’t get up every morning to do this even though that is my goal, but still at least 2-3 times/week), have a cup of coffee and breakfast and go to work (which is about 3 minute walk away). We work quite long days but have a long break in between and there is a bit of variety for the content of the days as some days we help with the housekeeping if its busy, sometimes we drive the seasonal workers, who live in the park, to work and back, prepare their lunches, help with the office work besides the normal reception work. Some days after work I jump in the river for a swim, especially after really hot days and few days a week I do some studying. Even though I never saw myself as a language person, I have always wanted to speak at least three languages so I have started studying German with a RosettaStone –language program which I have nothing bad to say about! Studying with this program is more fun than anything else! I felt like I needed my own little project besides the work (which is not too demanding) and something that would be useful for me in the future too, so there we go.. I’ll see how much I will keep up with my study this time, though I will try my best and what’s a big plus; I have my own private local teacher right at home! In the evenings we always cook ourselves and lately our dinners have been often including fish since my boyfriend has started his own hobby which is spearfishing – and this is also very good area for that as there is a lot of underwater life in the sea here. What I also really appreciate now is sleeping in a real bed – in the end we spent almost 2 months sleeping in camping sites on top of thin blow-up mattresses. Even though at the beginning I had problems sleeping in a soft bed, now I sleep like a baby, though it is true that I could get up a bit earlier on the work days..

On our days off, we have been exploring the areas around Kerikeri. Last weekend we went all the way up to the top of New Zealand, a spot called Cape Reigna where the Pacific ocean and Tasman sea (the sea lining the west coast of the north island) meet. Cape Reigna doesen’t have much else than an old lighthouse – in fact we had trouble even finding a place to buy a bottle of water or food – but we managed to find a very quiet long beach by the ocean where we could run to the sea without any clothes (since we forgot our swimwear) as there was no-one around!

Today we have just come from a visit to a nearby bay, called Matauri Bay which is a bit busier beach with a holiday park right next to it (but again no shops, cafes or anything to buy drink or even a snack!). The bay was interesting because right by the other end of the beach is lined up dozens of quite long-term looking “temporary” dwellings such as campervans, big tents and wooden huts. You could see that most of the people have lived there at least a year or perhaps even years; one of the huts even had a horse tied to it right by the beach!

I like the town we live in also because this tiny place actually boasts several quite exotic restaurants and cafes which I wasn’t expecting since most of the towns here up north are pretty plain, only including couple of fish and chip –shops, Macca’s and overpriced cafes.

Here, however, we have already tried some amazing Mediterranean -vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, including the (mediterranean) café’s speciality which is eggs fried in a super –hot salsa served with amazing home-made cheese, pita bread and salad topped with yummy herbs. Last weekend we tried some very-reasonably priced local Indian fine-dining and I decided to be adventurous and try some delicious-sounding Punjabi-style lens-stew. We also ordered some lamb vindaloo and as the waitress asked us whether we would like these dishes hot or medium, we decided to play it safe and order them medium-spicy. Despite our ‘safe’ choice, we were delivered some extremely hot sauces – which, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved – but once again I got a reminder why I try to avoid certain foods, such as very spicy stuff, as I woke up the following night with a very unpleasant burning sensation in my stomach. Anyway, not more about my stomach –troubles, heh, there are still a few Thai-European restaurants that I really want to try but perhaps one of those restaurant-visits I’ll save for my birthday which (oh my..) is in about 4 weeks again!

Obviously, when it comes to our current life, this is not a totally normal situation since we don’t really know many people here, and right now to be honest, the only people we know are from a very different age-scale than us (the people who we work with). But I have to say that I don’t mind! I know that we only have a couple of months left here and otherwise we have everything that we need around us. I can’t wait to see my friends and relatives again but right now, my plan is to enjoy the relaxed life with its river dips, yoga and study-time and suck as many sunrays I can, inside me, hoping that the sunlight and D-vitamin -reserves will last until far over the next winter which I will be spending in a lot colder and darker surroundings..

We have also started to make a bit of new plans for our return-trip to Europe. As we both have seen quite a lot of Asia and are not overly –interested to stop there again so soon, we might be returning back home over the other way and at the same time check out some new areas around North-America! Mexico is at the moment definitely on the must-see list but there are still few other options too.. In about 3 and half months I’ll be back in Europe, and this time for a while, I can barely believe it but I am happy to be back after so long. So see you soon!

#new zealand #holiday #simplelife #yoga #beachlife #foodie #foodism #mediterranean #food #indian #love #nature #ocean #travel

1 note · View note

nehslebasi · 8 years ago

Text

2016, in pictures and text

This is going to be a very long post. A very very long post. A very very very long post.

I’m thankful this year happened. All the tears, laughs, travels, anxiety, everything. Hoping 2016 will shape me (positively) into who I’m meant to become in the future - 2017 and beyond.

January 2016

I honestly don’t remember anything I did this month lol. I was still consistently running. Outings with Crew. Outings with my (then) 8th grade girls. Visited Lighthouse in Torrance. All I have are good, if not neutral, feelings of this month.

February 2016

Let’s just say it turned out to be the worst month of this year, and I’ll never stop missing her and wondering how different this year would have been if she were still here. So what do you do? Drink it away with your friends on Valentine’s. Go to the beach. Play board games. Go to Zinc cafe and drink Blue Bottle. Pretend you’re fine until you’re fine.

March 2016

Clara’s birthday at Bestia, where we ran into one of our Sunday school kids, asked if we wanted to take shots through lamb bone marrow lol. The setting sun and deepening pink sky behind the LA skyline as we coasted by on the freeway. Driving down to Playa Del Rey and squeezing through their narrow lanes to an ADX alumni reunion by the beach. Jack Garratt concert with Jacky, losing myself in sound. A day of exhilaration and pressuring my friends to ride roller coasters at Knott’s, and pretty much failing at that haha.

April 2016

Coffee dates/study parties at Arts District. OC sushi and sake, where our waiter gave us complimentary sake and ice cream! Weekly Sunday lunches in Pasadena, always wearing a summery dress, always getting acai bowls. Multiple beach trips. Brunch at Perch with APR. Noah Gundersen at Hotel Cafe, where he answered a question I asked! Visited my sister’s work at Scripps even though I was dead-ass sick. And probably the #1 favorite concert I’ve ever been to, FOREVER, so much that I’m going to find them again every time they’re near me. Hullo Shadowboxers, hullo Hotel Cafe.

May 2016

Ran a half-marathon! (And couldn’t walk for days afterward) Turned 23. Treated to brunch at Republique and gifted a beautiful stick-figure drawing of us. Took a million jumping pictures by a fabric warehouse. Caught strep throat and a disgusting case of conjunctivitis. Election anxiety kicking in. Started taking this “applying to PA school” thing seriously.

June 2016

Took a break from running (read: got lazy). Upset that the Cavaliers won. In the library or coffee shop every weekend to work on PA school apps and write my personal statement. (Shout out to Bean Town, Nest Teahouse). A Koreatown night market, lots of smoke, lots of food, lots of red lipstick. Drove to San Diego for a large-scale sleepover/reunion (and screenshotted the pictures lol)! Oscar’s fish tacos, a rooftop bar, a Werewolf bar, more ramen and pork belly than we could stomach...

July 2017

One of my favorite, if not most stressful, months of 2016. Submitted my completed grad school application. Sushi and drinks with Angie in Pasadena. Sparklers and pyro activities at Jacky’s on the fourth. Roller-bladed by the sea with Bri from Santa Monica down to Venice, drank our way into a happy sunset buzz at a rooftop bar by the Pier, and rode the warm smooth buzz all the way back to USC on the Expo Line. Watched HP 1 with a live orchestra playing the score at the Hollywood Bowl. Ice cream and boy-stories in South Pas. Viv’s birthday right in our home turf. Started volunteering at my city’s hospital ER. Relient K released a new album. Started going to community group with Reality LA. Discussing political issues every Sunday with my friends, because I’m surrounding by men and women who care about them. Such a wonderful month :)

August 2016

Pizza and catch-ups at Old Town Pas, spilling about relationships with old friends. Exploring Santa Monica and walking for miles with the Crew in a looooong scavenger hunt that we have yet to complete! Frank Ocean drops his albums and changes my life, again. Oliver Sacks dies and I’m heartbroken. Drove through the winding Palos Verdes for a friend’s birthday. Crush on every young Murse. A wedding in San Diego, feeling regal in a borrowed navy dress and tall heels, a little too much to drink, as per usual haha.

September 2016

Crashed summer retreat at UCSD, ate too many tacos, more Tacos El Gordo, ate too much pho, just too much of everything in general lol. Crossed that rickety bridge. Binge watch Atlanta and Stranger Things. Start prepping for PA school interviews. Fly to New York for an interview at Cornell. Drag my little blue suitcase everywhere with me. It’s pouring rain the first day. Meet with Yenmin to eat Halal Guys, and Jaimie for udon and gelato. Navigating the city at night and running to catch the trains and buses. A couple nights in Jaimie’s beautiful apartment in Manhattan five stories up from the sidewalk, a brisk morning in my mom’s borrowed heels, a vegetable cream cheese bagel and coffee, a stressful interview at an ivy league, bleeding raw feet the whole day till I just had to give up and take them off. Walk through Central Park, the Met, coffee shops wearing Walgreens roll-up flats and business formal for 15+ miles till I can feel my feet bruising and my hair frizzing. Pizza and drinks with Jackie and Joyce in Soho. Little Italy’s night market. Frank Ocean, and a NY Times to and fro from NY--a beautiful city I won’t forget. JR JR/Saint Motel concert with Jess the night I land back in LA. Watched an ER patient get lungs drained, car dies in the hospital parking lot at midnight. Oh Wonder, Kevin Garrett concert with Feebs. Another memorable month :)

October 2016

Lightbulb/Third wheel dates with Clara and Justin begin (ok, unofficially in September, but officially in October)! Get a hit list of things to do in Chicago from ER guy. Fly to Chicago for an interview at Northwestern. Get picked up by Angie and drive toward her apartment in the city, become captivated by the skyline and sky. Eat my first Chicago dog. Absolutely enthralled by her cat Wrigley (and am now a cat person as a result). Venture out to Navy Pier and get caught in the pouring, storming rain. Deep dish at Giordano’s. Coffee and croissant before the interview, become attached to the program, would do ANYTHING to be accepted. Tacos at Del Seoul, some rain, Big Hero Six in pajamas as the wind blows and sun sets. Traverse through The Loop, see the Bean, the river, eat brunch/pancakes/everything, inspired by the running people preparing for the Chicago Marathon, in awe at the peace and clean grandeur of this place. It was difficult to leave. Cried after the second presidential debate because I couldn’t believe what my family was saying. Chop off my hair. Fly to Boston for an interview at MCPHS, immediately struck by the cold and beauty of this old city (and how much I suck at navigating its public transport system). Wrapped up with happiness and love while staying with my big. Walking by the Charles to the trains in the rain, a huge Bartleby’s burger and milkshake, a bookstore by Harvard U. A cloudy morning at a coffee shop with a bomb playlist and apple turnover and chai. Most amiable interview. Museum of Fine Arts, fresh seafood, another bookstore with a cafe in the middle, a long walk back home :). Coffee, the Library, Boston Commons and Boston public Gardens, a cemetery where many founders were buried, Flour bakery (nerded out about Joanne Chang), Quincy Market, Warren Anatomical Museum, JFK Library. I am in love with this city, it was also difficult to leave (plus Logan Airport had the nicest staff). And on the 31st, Hallelujah Night in a onesie.

November 2016

My friend Lynette gets engaged! We’re there to surprise her in the parking lot of the Huntington Gardens, and plan her engagement party. 11/8, the most wonderful and horrible day. I get the call that I was accepted to the school of my dreams. America elects a fool. Fly to New Jersey while listening to The Shins and watching the changing leaves through the airplane window. Stay with a gracious family during the interview at Rutgers and catch up with an old friend over Halal Guys. Kill time by reading Profiles in Courage. Realize that at this point, I’m a little burnt out with interviewing and flying back and forth across the country. Watch USC win the USC-UCLA game! Make my friends watch Stranger Things. Thanksgiving at Vincent’s. Relient K and Switchfoot concert of my DREAMS with drinks and fries before and during. Binge watch Gilmore Girls reboot and argue about who’s better: Jess or what’s-his-name, and how awful Rory and Lorelai are and how awful this reboot was!!

December 2016

Second Shadowboxer’s concert, which becomes my 2nd favorite concert ever, after my 1st favorite, which was also a Shadowboxers concert (I’m obsessed with them can you tell). Coworker shows me how to put on falsies. Dinner and stomachaches and being babysat in Old Town. The Paper Kites with Viv, and way too much food from friendly restaurant staff, and hand-banging fans who scream and clearly love The Paper Kites lol. Once more the Duke of Mediterranean Cafe. Last day volunteering. Jon’s Bday in Pas. A day in Little Tokyo and Arts District with Hannah. Vivian’s first sleepover. La La Land on Christmas Eve, dumplings on Christmas, no day off. Catch up drinks with gov kids. Administer my first Rocephin injection via dorsogluteal IM. Lots of visitors, including Yenmin and Jacky. Spend New Years Eve at Urgent Care, popping meds, and rereading A Swiftly Tilting Planet. :)

And that’s a wrap! This was supposed to be reflective and not a catalog of stuff... but welp that’s what it turned out to be. I’m grateful for surviving another year with inspiring and supportive people and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Thank you thank you thank you, because you guys make life more interesting and beautiful. :)

Favorite Books: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, Profiles in Courage by JFK

Here’s to a brighter 2017.

#real life post

4 notes · View notes

suckitsurveys · 6 years ago

Text

Out of all 24 hours, which one is your favourite? Midnight. Have you ever been in a lighthouse? Yes. What are the names of the neighbours to your right? I have no idea. Left? ^

When’s the last time you actually sat down and watched the sun set? It’s been a while. Are you on a laptop or desktop? Desktop, at work. Do you ever make your own surveys? I have before. What colour is your shower? White. The curtains are blue with yellow moons, stars, and suns. Where do you order your pizza from? Domino’s, Maries, Lou Malnati’s, Jets. Just depends on what we are in the mood for. When is the past time you had a serious talk with someone? Mark yesterday ish. What time are you planning on going to bed tonight? Hopefully by 10/10:30. I have a lot to do after work so hopefully I’ll passout early. How old are you, your parents and your siblings combined? 201. The last time you went out of town was? Technically I’m “out of town” right now at work. Other than that, I guess In August/September. And where did you go? Boston. Have you ever been bit by an animal? Yes. Where is the person you miss the most right now? Deceased. Have you been paying attention to the Olympics much? I never do. How often do you take naps? Never. I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but when do you go back to school? I’m done with school. Did it rain today? Nope. It did all day yesterday though. What was the name of the last dog you pet? Cosmo. Do you find that you have a certain meal you eat every time you go to certain restaurants? Sure. Are you constantly judging people? Lets be real, a little. Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Yup. Think back to your freshman year in high school, what was the first class period on your first day of school? Oh god. I have no idea. Maybe Biology? What colour is your bike? I have a broken purple one at my dad’s. What word can you not stand to hear people say? Tr*mp. When was the last time the power went out at your house and how long was it out for? Back in September. What room of your house are you in? I’m at work. When there’s a full moon, does it make your room really bright for a few days? No? Is that a thing. What is the temperature in your city right now? 43F Which would you rather, a snowy day, sunny day, rainy day or cloudy day?: A warm, rainy day. Unless I’m going to the beach. Then sunny. How long have you ever spent away from home? A week. Ever had to get any stitches? For my wisdom teeth. When did you last use a post-it-note? Today. I use them for work constantly. Would you ever want to own your own restaurant? Eh. Do you have a fan in your bedroom? Just a box fan. Have you ever seen the White House? Not in person. How about Niagara Falls? Not in person. What about the four corners, have you ever been there? I have not. Have you ever played any variation of the padiddle game in a car a night? If not, you should wikipedia it and play it. It can be fun with the right people? I haven’t. I’ve played punch buggy, though, which is kind of similar. The most recent staircase you went down, what did it lead to? The first floor of the building I work in. Have you ever thought about what life would be like if we all slept during the day and were active at night? No. What colours are the counter tops in your kitchen? Tan. Has your luggage ever been lost at the airport? Did you get it back? Nope. Which major body of water do you live by? Lake Michigan. Who is the last person that you took a picture with? Mark. What type of food do you eat the most? Chicken, probably. When is the last time you were stuck in a fairly long traffic jam? Maybe when Lydia and I drove to Indiana a few years ago and there was a giant accident that had us sitting there for at least an hour. Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? Yes. What do you enjoy most about your life? I have a very sweet husband, amazing lil nieces, cute kitties, and a couple good friends. When was your most recent trip to an aquarium? Yikes it’s been a while. What do you like in your salads and what dressing do you prefer? I like most kinds of salad. Bleu cheese or creamy garlic dressing are my favorite though. Last time you changed the light bulb to the lamp that you use in your bedroom? Valentine’s Day last year. I remember because when Mark changed it, a spider fell out of the fixture and on to me and he said “Happy Valentine’s Day! Lol. Does sleeping past 12 or 1 in the afternoon make you feel like you’ve wasted a lot of your day or do you enjoy the extra hours of sleep? Yes, I hate sleeping late now. What is your state most famous for? Probably Chicago. What was the last thing you signed your name in cursive on? A restaurant check. How many times in your life have you seen a shooting star? Never. Have you ever witnessed a tornado? Yes. How many times a year do you go out of state? At least once. Has your best friend ever moved away? Yeah. If it has one, do you ever use the notepad function in your phone? Yes, a lot. What website do you visit the most often? Idk. YouTube? How good would you say your memory is? It’s pretty good. About how many times during the night do you wake up from your sleep? It varies from night to night. Are there any air fresheners in your house? What kinds? Yeah. There’s an ocean scented on in the bathroom. We also have wax burners but we change the scents a lot. What scent of candle do you burn the most? We burn the wax burners more often than anything, and like I said, the scents change frequently. For what reason did you last cry? I am just an overwhelmed ball of stress and anxiety. What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve done recently? Joined this swim class. How long have you been taking surveys? Oh man, at least 15 years? What kind of surveys do you wish there were more of? I like themed ones every once in a while.

#surveys

0 notes

tauers-go-dutch · 6 years ago

Text

Africa Part II: Cape Town, the Capstone

After a horrendous breakfast at the Victoria Falls airport, we arrived in Cape Town. The drive into town is a bit hard, since you go past the townships (basically millions of shacks without insulation or running water) and see the true disparity of rich and poor). More on that later.

We checked into the hotel, and went out to explore a bit. We walked through the Company Gardens, a big public park with plants and animals from all over the world. We saw some very fat squirrels and some fuzzy baby ducks. Very cute. We made our way to a bar/restaurant and had some beers and wings (well, Mariah had a margherita pizza). We decided to head back for some milkshakes and an early night sleep. We stayed in the heart of the city, specifically Long Street. The little boutique hotel was cute, but we were quickly informed that we were in the bar district. The problem is, the bars don’t close until 4 am, and blast bass the entire time. So our plan for sleep went out the window pretty quickly.

Table Mountain

Mariah followed the ducklings for longer than she’d like to admit

A bit reminiscent of Bourbon Street. And just as loud... *this is a guess, as I’ve never been to Louisiana

The next morning we started out with some great brunch at Jason Bakery (egg-bacon-cheese-mushroom ragout sammie for me, plantain french toast for Mariah). Next up, a drive down to Boulders Beach, where we got to see all the penguins! I think this was easily Mariah’s favorite part of the trip. Not much more to say here, the pictures speak for themselves. We then continued onto the Cape of Good Hope. This was a highlight, as we spent several hours here, so we had the opportunity to hike up to the lighthouse and Cape Point. Again, this is just something where the pictures speak for themselves.

These little guys were not shy

On the way back we saw a wild ostrich on the side of the road. It’s kinda funny, cause the shape of its neck looks almost exactly like the Guinness ad. Once we got back, we explored the Watershed at the V&A Waterfront. This is a collective for local artisans to sell art, primarily made from people in the townships as an employment program. The coolest place we found was a shop that made art from used bags of tea. It was all really well done, and we picked some things for us and some as gifts. We explored the Waterfront a bit and then went down to a fancy Italian restaurant- True Italic- for dinner. It was very good, even though the only vegetarian option for Mariah was mushroom ravioli (she actually enjoyed quite a bit).

Cape of Good Hope

Lighthouse keeper’s quarters

The V&A Waterfront

The next day was the big one- the reason for the whole trip. First thing in the morning, we got up and hopped into a van and drove down south for about three and a half hours. Once we got down to Gansbaai, we grabbed some coffee and started our orientation. We were about to dive with sharks. Great Whites, to be precise.

The boat ride was short but choppy. It was fairly chilly, but we were fine in shorts and a hoodie. Once we were out in the deep, we changed into wetsuits. Mariah and I took the first dive into the water, climbing into the steel cage anchored on the side of the boat. The water was frigid and murky- we couldn’t see more a couple of feet in front of us. Luckily, the sharks came right away. Unfortunately they only made a few passes before leaving us for the better part of an hour. But they are majestic and very stealthy. They were on us before we would ever spot them, and that fin above the water is just for the movies. We kept looking for them (which had me a bit paranoid that they would pop up next to me at the end of the cage), but we called it and hopped out to warm up. We moved up to the top deck, and the sharks started to come back. The view on top of the boat was much better than in the cage. Again the speed and suddenness of the sharks was on display as a massive shark started hanging around the boat. I was unfortunately too slow to capture any good picture, but it is a memory I’ll keep for quite some time.

You’re gonna need a bigger boat

This guy was massive. I wish I had something in the photo for scale.

Bucket list: Check!

The suckers helped with the seasickness

There is also reason to return. While the sharks are able to be viewed throughout the year, they only jump during the winter (June through August) months. Apparently this is when the seal pups are swimming for the first time, coupled with the low orca activity due to colder water (I learned orca naturally hunt great whites). Also, the kelp bed in the area naturally funnels the seals (or sea lions, I don’t quite remember which are down there) through a corridor, making the waters sort of a smorgasbord. However, this is becoming more and more infrequent as the kelp is becoming overgrown, and the sharks have a harder time swimming through. Once back in Cape Town, we did find some great burgers and shakes before hopping in bed. I think we were tired enough to sleep through the club music this time.

Cheers to swimming with the great whites and living to tell the tale!

The next morning we started out on our food tour. We started out in Lady Bonin’s Tea, a quaint little tea house that combined traditional South African tea with the care and technique of Asian tea houses. We learned about rooibos, honeybush, and buchu tea. We had samples, and left with a few bags of tea to go. We also had a rooibos latte to go. Great stuff! After the tea house, the tour took a long, meandering stroll through the city. It was fine and all, learning about the city and the Company Gardens, including how it got its name (The Dutch East India Company used it as a stopping point on their route, and picked fresh produce to replenish the ship for their journey), but we hadn’t eaten in anticipation of food. The length of time between stuffing our faces was entirely too long. But the reward was worth it.

Mariah was in heaven

The Company Gardens. Still in use today!

We had lunch at this local spot called the Eastern Food Bazaar, which is basically this big cafeteria that specialized in various Asian fare. Ok, it sounds like it would be awful (and the picture of the food isn’t too appealing), but holy shit it was good. Bunny chow is basically delicious Indian curry in a white loaf of bread. I could do without the white bread, but the food is incredible. It was so good that we ended up going back later in the week. After lunch we went over to the Woodstock neighborhood and had some drinks at Woodstock brewery. We had a flight of their wares and tour of their brewery. They were in the process of digging their own well and coming off the water grid in the midst of the drought- a very good idea considering the incredible level of water used. We also left with a souvenir, which is now sitting in my cellar.

Way better than it looks

If I could remember what this was, I’d tell you. Even Mariah tried a bite.

We mosied over to the Biscuit Factory, a collection of shops in, you guessed it, an old biscuit factory. We looked around a bit, but ended up in a chocolate shop. They were incredible, especially the sesame dark chocolate. We sampled about everything and bought quite a bit (unfortunately they were oxidized in the flight back home). We also had a hot white chocolate, which is not usually my thing but this one was great. After a quick stop at a local butcher, we drove up to the Bo-Kaap neighborhood. This neighborhood is colorful; literally, the houses were colorful. But the thing is that this neighborhood is predominantly Islamic, and apparently suffers quite a lot of discrimination. It’s too bad, as we visited a spice shop and picked up some great stuff, and had some tasty sweets.

Your Dutch is showing

Bo-Kaap

The crew with our ridiculously sweet fried treats

To cap off the night, we partook in First Thursdays, which is a festival promoting drinks and food all throughout the city. We ended up going out with some friends from the food tour. It was a great time! We went to a gin bar, and then another swanky bar, then a shitty dive bar. Good times all around.

In the morning, we started to work off our hangover by waking up at 5:00 am to go for a hike up Table Mountain. I wasn’t hurting that bad, but Mariah probably would have liked to sleep in a little more. It didn’t help that the other two couples in our group were in excellent shape, so our pace was pretty fast. But we made it up, with our guide giving us great insight to the surrounding flora and history of the mountain. The views were beautiful. That evening we went to a beer bar to watch a World Cup match- Belgium vs Brazil. The Brazilians were lively but ultimately left disappointed.

Cape Town’s water supply

Made it!

Made some new friends

Go Belgium! I like your beer!

The next day we had a bike and wine tour in Stellenbosch, the oldest wine region in the country. It was great, since it was the off season and our tour became private by default. We went to four wineries: Neethlingshof, Skilpadvlei, LovanE, and Asara. The wines were fantastic, including the pinotage, which comes from a hybrid grape first developed in South Africa. The bike ride was great too, as we saw some great wild life, including a fish eagle perched on a fence by the side of the road (I couldn’t snag a photo in time, unfortunately). Our guide also gave us a lot of insight into life in South Africa. He explained that for all its troubles, it has the most opportunities of the surrounding countries. Immigrants flock to SA (from Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, etc.), often overwhelming the system. Immigrants are the ones who largely populate the townships. Townships often have no insulation, running water, heat, or toilets. The water comes from public fountains, and port-o-potties are brought in for the neighborhoods. The silver lining is that (most of) these neighborhoods have official standing in the government, and have representation within the local government. Unfortunately the government is not organized, is not well funded, and is corrupt, resulting in inadequate housing. These people don’t have jobs, or end up working minimum wage-esque jobs serving people (predominately white people) in the city. The optics of the racial divide are still quite clear and observable, unfortunately. The country still has hope, which is good. They recently elected a new leader who I’m told is reminiscent of Nelson Mandela. Hopefully that can bring on continued change.

We splurged for dinner at a Dutch inspired eatery, Kloof Street House. You should know that I usually think Dutch food is garbage, but this restaurant was tops (or top, as the Dutch say). My steak was capital, the frites smashing, and the desert decadent (I think I hit all the ole-timey English phrases there).

Turtle Valley Winery

The next day was our final one in Cape Town. It started on a solemn note, as we visited Robben Island, the chief prison used during apartheid and where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life. We learned of the history of the prison, and most of the tour was hosted by a former political prisoner that was held on the island. It is incredible to learn about what Mandela and the other leaders went through, and how they kept their faith and hope in a new ideal as they endured incredible hardships. It was powerful, and made you wish for more compassion from humanity.

The lime quarry where many prisoners spent their days working. That cave is where Mandela and many others would take a break and discuss current events without guards overhearing.

Our guide, a prisoner himself. He has to wear sunglasses all the time because of the damage working in the quarry did to his eyes. Taking a photo with the flash on would get your kicked off the tour, because it could be the final straw to blind him.

Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in this cell and 27 years imprisoned total

After reflecting on our morning, we went out to have the best of what South Africa could offer. We hit up a local food court and had some seriously good wraps. And a quesadilla. And a burger. Ok, the burger was overkill, but I had heard about this chain called Rocomamas. I had to try them in my perpetual search for the best burger on each continent. I got to say, this is the clear leader for Africa amid a pretty barren field. But really, this place holds up, and it would be a contender within Europe (it would be good by North American standards as well, but the competition is much more fierce that it would be on the lower tier of the AP rankings).

We grabbed an Uber straight from Rocomamas to the airport, ready for our African safari!

Safe travels, my friend

Tot ziens, for now!

#tauersgodutch #tauers go dutch #Cape Town #Whew that was a long one!

0 notes

lavieboheme930 · 6 years ago

Text

605- Making Love Out of Nothing at All

Out of all 24 hours, which one is your favourite? Beats me....I don’t have a favorite LOL

Have you ever been in a lighthouse? Yes

What are the names of the neighbours to your right? You know, I know them but not their names lol

Left? Same as above

When’s the last time you actually sat down and watched the sun set? I don’t remember.

Are you on a laptop or desktop? Laptop.

Do you ever make your own surveys? No

What colour is your shower? White.

Where do you order your pizza from? Pizza Nova

When is the past time you had a serious talk with someone? Yesterday

What time are you planning on going to bed tonight? Whenever.

How old are you, your parents and your siblings combined? Ugh I don’t feel like doing math

The last time you went out of town was? feels like ages ago.

And where did you go? I don’t even remember

Have you ever been bit by an animal? No

Where is the person you miss the most right now? No idea actually

Have you been paying attention to the Olympics much? Only when it’s the Winter Olympics.

How often do you take naps? Depends how tired I am

I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but when do go back to school? Done with school

Did it rain today? No.

What was the name of the last dog you pet? Breezy, my dog

Do you find that you have a certain meal you eat every time you go to certain restaurants? Yes

Are you constantly judging people? No.

Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Yes

Think back to your freshman year in high school, what was the first class period on your first day of school? Oh wow...that was in 1997, I don’t remember. For some reason I think global studies

What colour is your bike? I don’t have a bike

What word can you not stand to hear people say? Nothing I can think of

When was the last time the power went out at your house and how long was it out for? No idea

What room of your house are you in? bedroom

When there’s a full moon, does it make your room really bright for a few days? No.

What is the temperature in your city right now? no idea but it’s cold

Which would you rather, a snowy day, sunny day, rainy day or cloudy day?: sunny day

How long have you ever spent away from home? Not long really

Ever had to get any stitches? Yes

When did you last use a post-it-note? I don’t remember.

Would you ever want to own your own restaurant? No.

Do you have a fan in your bedroom? Yes

Have you ever seen the White House? Yes.

How about Niagara Falls? No

What about the four corners, have you ever been there? No.

Have you ever played any variation of the padiddle game in a car a night? If not, you should wikipedia it and play it. It can be fun with the right people? I’ve never heard of it.

The most recent staircase you went down, what did it lead to? my apartment

Have you ever thought about what life would be like if we all slept during the day and were active at night? No

What colours are the counter tops in your kitchen? black

Has your luggage ever been lost at the airport? Did you get it back? No.

Which major body of water do you live by? Hudson River

Who is the last person that you took a picture with? Jokers besties

What type of food do you eat the most? depends what I’m in the mood for. I eat anything.

When is the last time you were stuck in a fairly long traffic jam? I don’t drive

Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? Yes.

What do you enjoy most about your life? Everything

When was your most recent trip to an aquarium? Its been a long time

What do you like in your salads and what dressing do you prefer? Whatever I’m in the mood for at the time

Last time you changed the light bulb to the lamp that you use in your bedroom? Awhile ago

Does sleeping past 12 or 1 in the afternoon make you feel like you’ve wasted a lot of your day or do you enjoy the extra hours of sleep? Wasted a lot of time

What is your state most famous for? I live in NYC...what isn’t it famous for HAHA

What was the last thing you signed your name in cursive on? No idea

How many times in your life have you seen a shooting star? Never

Have you ever witnessed a tornado? No

How many times a year do you go out of state? Rarely ever

Has your best friend ever moved away? One has

If it has one, do you ever use the notepad function in your phone? Yes

What website do you visit the most often? Facebook

How good would you say your memory is? Pretty good I guess

About how many times during the night do you wake up from your sleep? depend

Are there any air fresheners in your house? What kinds? No. I get sick from them

What scent of candle do you burn the most? None

For what reason did you last cry? Just did.

What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve done recently? Go back to seeing Sal’s standup

How long have you been taking surveys? 10 years or more

What kind of surveys do you wish there were more of? Short answer but at medium length.

#surveys

0 notes

terkaznebes · 7 years ago

Text

The devil, my friends and other forces of nature

Long time since I reported to you (all of my twelve readers) with an update on my fantastic life. Recently our flat was full of friends for six weeks straight. Sounds good, doesn’t work. When they were all gone after the month and a half, my wonderful man lovingly rewrote the sign on our black board saying: welcome nobody.

Luky left for homeland one day in October and Radek arrived a day later. We only managed one yoga class, dinner at a vegan restaurant and a tiny walk around a beautiful waterfall and Dominika landed at the Brisbane airport. She was really stoked when I took her on a 25km hike in the Lamington National Park. She complained, but was grateful that thanks to this, she basically had no jetlag. The hike was beautiful, full of waterfalls, flowers and small lagoons. Of course I didn’t expect that it was going to be 25km long so I was a little bit stressed for the pork that was in the slow cooker. Turns out, six hours on high temperature is just right for the perfect pulled pork and we had a feast. Much needed after the long walk.

I have organised a small trip to Tasmania so Dominika would see a little bit of Australia since she came all the way and Radek has decided to join us. We had to wake up around 4AM or even earlier to make it to Brisbane on time for our low cost flight. For this special occasion I have organised a lift offered on a FB group. He was a bit of a talker for AM hours and his car smelled a little bit, but overall seemed like an alright fella and drove us to the airport on time. We had an average overpriced airport breakfast and with a lot of laughs we boarded our first plane of the trip. Upon arrival to Hobart, we picked up our road trip vehicle and off we went to our first location on the GPS, it read: the best brunch in Hobart, and it was fantastic. Poached eggs on a crunchy sourdough bread, with perfectly fried button head mushrooms, spinach and bacon. As if that wasn’t fantastic, I was already in love when they brought me a locally roasted single origin filter coffee. Unfortunately while we enjoyed our first Tasmanian meal, the weather outside changed for the worst and we had to make our way to the car in rain and wind. Luckily it turns out the weather can change within minutes, as it happens on small islands, and when we arrived in Port Arthur it was sunny again. We dropped our bags and after a lengthy conversation with an overly chatty hotel owner we set out to explore the port. The historical site – prison for convicts from the Commonwealth countries was massive and pretty impressive. It also had a vast potential for the guides to tell us stories that would give us goose bumps and teach us something about the bloody history. However all three tours, including the overpriced ghost tour, sounded like an excerpt from a Wikipedia article. Either way, we still enjoyed the place and its atmosphere.

The next day we went to see the remarkable cave in our woolly hats because it was so cold and windy. But the views were beautiful and so was the walk around the old mining site where we were completely alone. We ate massive burgers for lunch, got caught in the rain in a desperate search for a good coffee. In the end we found it in a small chocolate making factory. Unfortunately the girl had a hard time pushing buttons of the coffee machine and tried to explain to us that she is new and that she’s only just learned how to make a cappuccino and does not know how to make a short black coffee. Reason behind this left us all puzzled, but we managed to get somewhere on the caffeine front eventually and also raided her “tasting” plate when she left to the factory.

After the coffee saga the sun came back out and we had the greatest pleasure of meeting some samples of the Tasmanian devil population and it was brilliant. If you ever find yourself at the end of the world that is Tasmania, I highly recommend visiting the Unzoo in Port Arthur. We got to see the Tasmanian devil rip into his lunch and were educated about their population, lives and eating habits by the friendly staff. We also got to make friends with the kangaroos and I was lucky enough to cuddle a baby kangaroo, which was the cutest thing in the whole zoo. It wasn’t the same like the time I got to hold a baby lion back in Argentina, but my happiness was real.

Finally we made our way to Wineglass Bay to the coldest accommodation ever. Despite the fact that we turned our heating to a maximum, we still slept in all of the clothes we brought with us. We also had a great pizza for dinner at a local newly opened restaurant where Dominika charmed the bartenders into giving us the wifi password that was intended for business use only.

The next day we were woken up by the freezing cold, we cooked breakfast and our breath slowly became less and less visible as we drank tea and ate our bacon with eggs. After the coffee debacle the day before we didn’t want to risk it so our first stop was the delicious restaurant from the day before where we enjoyed sipping our coffee outside in the sun. The wineglass bay walk was great. Not to sound like our overly active friend Martin, it would have been better to run it. The route was nice and easy and the weather was just perfect for it. The beach was great and all, but what was even better was what came after.

The Devil’s Corner, finally a piece of that famous delicious Tasmanian cuisine. In the middle of nowhere, nothing but an extensive vineyard, winery and two different food stalls. We had a pizza, oysters, salmon and fish and chips and of course the wine. I was absolutely in my element only wishing that Luky was there because he would have loved it too. We spent the rest of the afternoon driving through country roads, dodging wallabies and kangaroos on the road, stopping at a few sites and making our way to Launceston. The city was beautiful, our motel was not, but a glass of local Tasmanian wine made the room much more acceptable.

Early morning start, airport breakfast and before we knew it we were landing in Sydney. This was a surprise stopover for Dominika, which I have planned so she would see the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge. I know that first time I was there, it was a spectacular sight and I wanted the same for her. We only had time for a great meal at the Social Brew Café recommended by Karolina and off we went to walk right into Darling Harbour, under the Harbour Bridge and all the way to the Opera. We snapped a few photos and went straight back to the airport.

Unfortunately I had to work the rest of the time Dominika was here, but I think we still managed to enjoy our afternoons on the beach and a weekend trip to Byron Bay, our breakfast in the highest building of the Southern Hemisphere, yoga classes and dinners.

Radek moved out, Luky’s friend moved in and before we knew it Lucie arrived at the flat. Not before our friends from Noosa managed to stay the night in between. I was almost starting to feel like a low budget traveller’s inn, but Lucie was a great company. We enjoyed a few longboard rides, beer on tap and a balcony joint during the week and finally on the weekend we went for a road trip. Starting with Fingal Head beach where we climbed all the way to the rocks. The dolphins came to visit as they always do when we go to Fingal. We continued to Byron Bay and stopped at the Farm, which is definitely my favourite restaurant and a café venue in the area. We had some lunch and continued to the walk to the lighthouse and the easternmost point of Australia and we finished the day off at the marketta for some live music. Sunday started with my favourite Acai bowl and after we picked up Radek and Stepan we continued into Springbrook national park to dance under the waterfalls and it was excellent. Her short visit ended at a taco Tuesday in Mexicali where I managed to get tipsy on one margarita so it was Luky who had to drive her to the train station. Short but sweet. After all of this we went to sleep at 8PM. It’s not the entertaining and visits the drained my energy, the killer of everything is a full time job, eight hours every day.

We are back to normal with Luky now and we are enjoying our time and our place even more than before. If I ever felt constant waves of happiness it’s now. Every time we take a long time to eat breakfast and every time I wake up next to him. Only nine more days to go before my last day at my job. Only ten more days to go before we leave to Thailand. Only nineteen days to go before this year is over. What an incredible year. I will elaborate on that in my next blog. Also photos in the next post.

0 notes

brendaruns · 7 years ago

Text

Monterey Bay Half Marathon / OceanView Challenge ( 5k & 1/2 Marathon) Review

I was really excited to return to beautiful Monterey, Ca again. I visited in 2014 when I ran Boston 2 Big Sur.

Packet Pickup and Expo was at the same location, in Old Downtown Monterey. I arrived Wed. evening, so I could play in the area, since there's so much to see and do.

Thursday I walked about 15 miles, I visited the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, which was hard to get good pictures on my iPhone, but the clusters of Monarchs were amazing. I met up with a friend and had some wonderful Mexican food for lunch, the food is all so fresh and yummy in Ca.

I then went off in the other direction to walk along the Fishermans Pier, and got excited to see the signs up for the race, and the beautiful course we would be running on Sat. and Sun. In the evening went for another walk to Fishermans Pier before it got dark, and was mesmerized by the cutest sea otter playing, then I went to an awesome talk with Peace Corps Members. 8 people talked for 10 minutes about their experiences and locations. I wish I had joined when I was younger, such a great experience.

Friday morning I went for a nice easy jog and walk before heading to the Expo at 11:30 where I volunteered for a few hours. I picked up my packet and shirts for the OceanView Challenge, a new challenge where you run the 5k Saturday and Half Marathon Sunday. There was plenty of helpful volunteers, poster size maps, race program, and information table for all your questions.

New this year the race added, Friday night Happy Hour 4-5:30pm It was a very nice program with wine tastings, and 5 tables to visit with new running technology and apps to try and talk to the reps.

It was such a treat to run into another BibRave Pro on the way to the 5k. Sat. Pacific Lighthouse 5k started at Lovers Point 8:00am, a beautiful coastal route, out and back. Post run there was plenty of supporters, volunteers, music, porto johns, and goodies...

Dole fruit cups and Pineapple juice, which was a treat. Also, bottle water, energy bars, and fruit. They also had a local organization preparing a 5.00 Pancake breakfast. It looked good, but after running I usually wait to eat until after my shower. We walked about 1.5 miles back to the hotel to shower and get more sightseeing in.

We went on the 17 mile scenic ride, visited Clint Eastwoods Ranch, walked around Big Sur and took photos at the Bixby Bridge :)

Sunday's Half Marathon started at 6:50 am for Elites, then every 5 minutes a corral would start. There was plenty of porto johns and space, so even with 7,000 runners you didn't feel confined or crowded in. The announcers were so enthusiastic and motivating, the female announcer was around during the expo and Sat. race, really got you pumped up and excited.

Start line; Old Town Monterey, right there by the Pier and beach. Such a gorgeous location! We started out on some local neighborhoods and there was a few people playing the keyboard and other musical instruments. We ran towards Pacific Grove and ran under the bridge on Lighthouse Ave, it was so cool because it was dark with multiple colored strobe lights and loud music playing, near the end was a T-Rex dancing, so I stepped up on the side walk and danced a little with him, I mean how often do you get to start the race running with a shark, and dancing with T- Rex a mile or so later :) Running along Cannery Row and the Aquarium was fun, also music playing and people out in costumes.

I love living in a hilly area, as I didn't see any hills, but some people talked about the bumps in the road. I took lots of photos, danced, videos, singing and still managed to get one of my best half marathon paces of the year, due to such a flat fast course. Running on Oceanside Blvd and Asilomar State Beach was so beautiful and serene. So many neighbors and spectators out with lots of enthusiasm. I'm usually not a fan of out and backs, or repeat courses, but I could run back and forth on this one all day long, so beautiful to see sailboats, surfers, scuba divers, walkers, and ocean views. I also really loved seeing the Elite runners on their way back to the finish, it always gives me the goosebumps, and gives me inspiration. I did slow down to video them passing me. I just felt like I was in heaven!

The last 3 miles or so was on the bike path, it was awesome to see people just out on their routine walk/jog cheer you on the end. I always get pumped up the last few miles, this was a beautiful easy finish. The finish line announcers again very motivating and enthusiastic, the volunteers gave us our medals!

MY FAVORITE MEDAL now, pink sea otter :) The medals are actually made by a local artist, and so darn cute. The Males received Yellow tech shirts and yellow medals, Females pink shirt and pink medals, which I love.

The Shirt is a beautiful Asics long sleeve tech pink shirt with a nice Monterey Bay HM logo on the front and back. Monterey Bay Half Marathon changed their logo and name to separate from Big Sur, since they are a non-profit race and give back to the Monterey Bay Community.

Post Celebration: Once you received your medal, there was heat sheets and water bottles. Then your post photo ops with the signs, off to the food tent where you picked up a box with more yummy Dole fruit cups, Pineapple juice, Choc. milk, Chips, banana and bar. They had hot soup which was a tomato spinach blend, I had 2 cups :) Live music which was upbeat ( more dancing) Treadmill Running store had a tent with free massaged, rollers and Normatec Boots.. Yes, I waited in line for the compression boots, since I tried previously after a long run and loved it. They also had a beer tent, with free beer, but I opted to wait until lunch/dinner to have alcohol.

MY NEW FAVORITE HALF MARATHON :)

Everything about the race organization and the course before, during and after was amazing!

Everyone needs to put this beautiful race on the list! Also, so much to do there. I didn't have time to fit it all in. I met a few new friends and was invited to scuba dive, kayak, and go on a boat ride... I'll be back for sure, and will fit in those activities I missed. Oh, the Aquarium is top notch, but I already visited on my first trip in 2014.

I could just go on and on with all the wonderful things Monterey has to offer :)

Follow them on Social Media and make a plan to bring the family or go with friends.

It was hard to say GoodBye to this beautiful place, but I was very fortunate to have the chance to visit, and I’ll be back in April 2018 for Big Sur! Until Then....

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to review as part of being a BIbRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BIbRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

#bibchat #bibravepro #MontereyBayHM

Link to this review

Edit Review

No one likes this y

0 notes

2traveldads-blog · 7 years ago

Text

We’re big on camping. Roughing it doesn’t scare us…because we are car-campers and only go where there are actual bathrooms and running water. Well, we’ve taken our oldest, Oliver, camping many times and he loves it. He’s such a trooper and could play in the dirt for days. We’re prepping to go on a big camping trip to Wyoming and Montana though and we needed to practice a bit before we ventured out. Also, our newest addition, Elliott, hadn’t spent a night in a tent yet, so there was a bit of a fear factor there.We did it. We took the boys out to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State and camped.

Our fear was that Koala wasn’t going to be able to sleep outside. You know, there’s the sound of random birds, other people talking, kids screaming somewhere, pots and pans at a neighboring campsite. The list of what could wake a baby is endless. Despite the cacophony of the night, both kids slept like rocks. And I don’t mean that they slept until 4:30 am and then got up with the sun, but slept until 7:15 and we actually got rest.

Beyond conquering sleep, there were other adventures to try out as a family of four, such as hiking, whale watching, swimming in the ocean, playing in the creek, tide-pooling… Of all of the things we did on the OP, here’s our list of the most enjoyable activities with both an infant and toddler.

Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula

The perfect start to an adventurous weekend on the Olympic Peninsula is with a day in PT. Established in the 1800s as the primary seaport for the Puget Sound (prior to the railroads declaring Seattle as such), the town was built to be beautiful and have all of the features of a keystone city: Victorian downtown, mansions uptown, amazing courthouse complete with looming bell tower…and a castle. Today, it’s got everything that a tourist could want. Local beer (PTBrewing), local wine (Fairwinds Winery) and cider (Alpenfire) are available throughout the town. The NorthwestMaritime Center is right on the water and ready to pull you into wooden boat culture. Fort Worden has beach, woods and WWII bunkers for exploring, as well as the Point Wilson lighthouse and the most amazing field for flying kites. I didn’t get into all of the shops in the downtown, because that’s its own day, but hit up what I just mentioned and kids and adults are set for fun.

Tip: there is a ferry that goes to PT from Whidbey Island. It’s a tiny boat and it gets full very quickly. The best route is to ferry from Seattle or Edmonds and then drive across the Hood Canal Bridge.

The Beach

We live by a beach, but we are really far into the Puget Sound, so there’s not actual ocean waves. Also there’s not a ton of sand. Cue the Olympic Peninsula… Such cool beaches: enormous drift wood at LaPush, the softest sand ever at Salt Creek, tide pools on the Strait of Juan de Fuca (see below). What makes the beaches here so different and fun is that they are playable. The sand isn’t dry and blasting your eyes with from the wind. The shore is gradual, so there’s lots of sandy space. The waves aren’t the size of tsunamis straight from Japan so you can actually play in them when it’s warm.

Also, when you go to the beach with an infant, chances are that there’s going to be a lot of time for one parent and the baby to just sit on the beach and play ON A BLANKET. These beaches are both great for that due to the beautiful views and flat surface.

Tip: bring binoculars year round to watch for passing grey, humpback and orca whales. We’ve been able to see grey and orca whales with the naked eye in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Tip 2: a baby at the beach will be sandy no matter how hard you try. Be okay with it in the moment, but be swift in addressing it when you leave the beach. Sand stuck in tiny baby fat rolls can be painful and wear at their skin. Bathe/shower them immediately for the happiest results.

Tip 3: remember back to when you were little and how tired you were after a day in the sun and sand. Know that kids will be worn out after this. Plan for tired kids and parents directly following exodus of said beach.

Tidepools on the Olympic Peninsula

I’m a bit obsessed with the ocean and not actually being a merman I have to enjoy it in ways other than living underwater. Luckily, our oldest son is the same way. He loves to play in the water and sand, but now he’s been exposed to something even better: tide pools! Tide pools, for those who don’t know, are the low spot in rock outcroppings that are full of water after the tide goes out. This means that there is an environment that can hold life even at low tide. For a child who loves the sea, this is the perfect spot to see all of the tiny friends that normally are out in the water. We saw hermit crabs, anemones, sculpin (fish), chitons, huge barnacles feeding… Also, the rocks are home to many pelagic seabirds, so it’s great for birdwatching. The tide pools on the Strait are really fantastic. They are easy to traverse as an adult, toddler or parent wearing a baby in a pack. Also, the rocks go far enough out that the danger of being caught in a wave is truly minimal.

Tip: the best shoes for tide pooling are sandal-type shoes with a little traction. They’ll provide good footing on the rocks and then dry fast.

Tip 2: if the Olympic Peninsula isn’t close enough when you’re visiting Seattle or Portland, check out Whidbey Island’s tide pools, or if you’re south, the Oregon Coast has a plethora of opportunities for them.

RULE: do not take anything from a tide pool. Example: an empty snail shell might actually be a hermit crab’s home. Would you want somebody to take yours?

Hiking on the OP

The Olympic Peninsula is where the mountains literally meet the sea. What this means is that you can either hike hike or walk hike. For hardcore folks they can traverse the Olympic Mountains from all sides, climbing Mt. Rose or heading up out of Staircase by Lake Cushman. For those of us with kids, we’ve got some other options. The Hoh Rainforest is one of my favorite places because it makes me feel like I’m walking with gnomes. I know, silly, but when you’ve got a 3 year old to entertain along the way, it’s nice to be able to look for gnomes.

The Hoh is so dense with moss and fallen trees that it’s almost like another planet. The streams are so fully of algae and other plants, the look like alien rivers. Other easy hiking includes heading to the beach areas for walks in the sand or if you’ve got the time and energy, trekking all of the way out to the Dungeness Spit lighthouse. There’s such a variety and with something different to see at each stop, you can’t go wrong. Hurricane Ridge is also a great day hiking spot, with views going all the way to Victoria, BC and Seattle. **beware of mountain goats at Hurricane Ridge. They’re not indigenous and are still angry about it, so they’re not friendly.

Tip: despite being called a temperate rainforest, the Hoh can actually be rather hot and dry. Be prepared with lots of water and the energy to carry little people, as the mugginess can be draining.

Tip 2: for younger kids, having an actual hiking pack is very helpful and will make you all feel much better about your adventure when you realize how much more comfortable it is than just a standard baby pack.

Whale Watching on the Salish Sea

There are a few approaches to whale watching. 1.) Set up a chair on a bluff or beach and wait for the whales to swim by, hoping to catch a glimpse. 2.) Hire a random guide in a marina in Sequim or Port Angeles to take you out on a small boat and hope that they are whale-wise and responsible. 3.) Spend the extra money to go on a whale watching expedition with a company that guarantees sightings.

It sounds weird that they can guarantee sightings, but here’s why: the reputable companies all work together to share whale locations, thus making for quicker sighting and more positive guest experiences, thus building their businesses and awareness of whales and their plight. It’s all a rather good set up. Since the tour companies are regulated and the Fish and Wildlife chaps are out in their boats monitoring, the whales are treated well and given wide berth for going their own way. The experience is great and there’s nothing like seeing the wonder in your child’s eyes when an orca jumps out of the water in front of them.

Tip: you can book whale watching either from the Olympic Peninsula or the mainland (Seattle/Everett). Excursions are typically 4-5 hours, but it’s worth the time to be on the water and see such beauty.

Tip 2: there’s no shame in being prepared with a little entertainment for younger kids, as boat travel isn’t always the most exciting part of the day.

There is, of course, far more to do and see on the Olympic Peninsula. Native American culture thrives in several areas, so watch for totem poles. The Twilight Saga was filmed on the OP and going out of Port Angeles and Forks, you can go on Twilight themed tours. There are some beautiful National Park lodges to visit or stay at, Lake Quinault, Kalaloch or Lake Crescent. Seriously, you could do a two week vacation here easily, and everybody in the family will have an amazing time.

To see more photos of Olympic National Park, the Salt Creek area, or other spots on the Olympic Peninsula, peek at other posts we’ve done! And to check out another great town, Port Ludlow, read our Behind the Picture post about this wonderful port town.

Here’s a quick sunset on the Strait of Juan de Fuca to leave you with:

The Olympic Peninsula: almost paradise in the PNW We’re big on camping. Roughing it doesn’t scare us…because we are car-campers and only go where there are actual bathrooms and running water.

#camping #day trips #family travel #gay dad #gay family #gay travel #glbt #hiking #national park #olympic peninsula #orcas #pnw travel #port townsend #tourism #victorian #washington state ferries #whale watching

0 notes