#i have been feeling really dis-regulated the last few months with all the extra stuff going on + the world burning

[famewolf]

feeling really burnt out recently with how rough it's been at work, but the summer game fest this week is streaming before my shift! it'll be fun to watch along and see stuff to be excited about and look forward to!

[johnkrrasinski]

Take You Home

full masterlist

Pairings: CEO!Sam Wilson x reader au

Word count: 3,095

Warning: mentions of alcohol, mention of sex.

Summary: you work as Samuel Wilson's personal assistant who was always arrogant and unequivocal to you and things changed after he ordered you to attend the office Christmas party.

a/n: this is my first time to write a fic so please be kind. Let me know what you think! By the way, this was inspired by this drabble so thank you for inspiring me to write my first fic ever!

Your alarm rang loudly next to your bed and you dismissed it. You groaned as your head began to throb, this reoccurring headache has been greeting you every morning since you started consuming a glass of wine every night after you took off your heels, stripped off your work clothes and sat on the worn grey couch in your living room and cry to whatever cheesy Netflix rom-com movie you found that night. 

Your fiancee, well, ex fiancee now, Adrian, broke up with you a month ago over the phone because he thought he wasn’t ready to spend the rest of his life with you. You dated for 3 years then on the night of your three years anniversary, he proposed to you at the restaurant that you went to for your first date. But 5 months later, things changed after you began working for the Wilson Enterprises Holdings Inc., as your boss’ personal assistant, Samuel Wilson. 

He said that your work had occupying every aspect of your personal life. You missed his birthday because you had to stay until late night to prepare the upcoming eco manufacturing program that was about to be announced. You also changed the way you dress, you used to be this carefree girl when it comes to how you look, but that changed since you got this lifetime opportunity to work in one of the biggest companies in America. 

You’d also come late to date nights because you had to spend extra time in the office to discuss whatever that needed to be discussed with your boss. You even stood him up once because Samuel Wilson, the CEO of his own empire that he built from nothing won’t take no for an answer, especially when  it comes to his job.

You’d often ignore his calls because you were too exhausted to talk on the phone and you just really wanted to take a warm shower and go straight to bed. He said that he couldn’t no longer be with you if you weren’t going to dedicate your life to him. He made you choose between your job or him. You chose your job. But it still hurt. It still broke your heart to pieces when that call ended.

Days went by like normal but there was a big part of your life that was missing. You felt incomplete without him. But you weren’t some dependent, broken girl. You weren’t going to let him destroy what you have worked so hard for. So you invested all your energy in your job. No matter how low you feel because of him, you had to get up again. 

A week before Christmas eve, your co-worker, Wanda, asked you what you were going to wear for the Christmas party. You told her that honestly you hadn't put much thought into it. You had been so caught up in your job and when you are not thinking of your job you were thinking of... Well, Adrian.

You were planning to skip it and just stay at home in your pyjamas and watch cheesy rom-com movies. Honestly, you didn't have much energy to socialize with the people that you are not so close to and pretend that you're in a cheery Christmas mood. Everything had been so plain since Adrian left.

Later that day, your boss called you to his office to bring him some files. As usual, you always straighten your skirt before you enter because you don't wanna look like a mess before he saw you. You handed him over the files and watched him meticulously study them. He was wearing his usual black suit that fits his broad shoulders so perfectly. You couldn't help but stare at those muscles covered in that Giorgio Armani suit. After a few seconds, you realized that you had been standing there awkwardly, then you asked him: "is there anything else I can help you with, sir?"

He looked up and looked a little taken aback as if he hadn't noticed you standing there at all.

"Yes, are you coming to the Christmas party?"

"Um, i'm not sure yet, sir."

"You are. It's part of the regulation. You need to earn your place"

You chucked in disbelief and stared at him as if he had just grown two heads. This is the God knows how many time he ordered you around by starting with a question as if he was attempting a small talk.

"How is earning my place by attending a Christmas party relevant at all?"

"Because that's how we do things around here. Everyone must show up. If you're not going to put effort into being part of this company, then you shouldn't be working here at all. There are hundreds of women lining up to get to your place right now, and if you're not willing to work hard to keep your position, then you can walk yourself out."

That felt like a slap on the face. Your face grew hot and you were ready to curse him on his face. But you stopped yourself. You took a deep breath and calmed yourself down. He was right about one thing, that there are hundreds of women lining up to get to where you are.

You were once one of those women. You put your money, time and effort into your study to get a degree. You worked your ass off to prove that you are worthy to be even be considered to be Samuel Wilson's personal assistant. You clawed your way up to show them that you are capable.

"yes, I will come to the Christmas party, sir."

"Good. Then we're done here."

"Thank you, sir."

You chose this little red dress for the Christmas party. It had been awhile since you last wore that red dress. The last time you wore it was when you celebrated Valentine's day with Adrian. He had kissed you in that dress, he had held you in that dress and he made love to you before he stripped you out of that dress. But you stopped yourself before you were going too far down the memory lane.

You had 3 hours left to get ready. You took a shower, put on some makeup, and put on the dress. You were ready to go.

Your office Christmas party wasn't so bad. It was more quite than the usual Christmas parties. There were champagne, wine, and few other drink options available at the bar. Everyone dressed so classily. No one looked like they didn't wanna be here otherwise, well, they probably wouldn't even be here. There was some Christmas music playing and there's even a DJ. It wasn't some wild party full of drunken people, it was more like a small gathering.

Wanda, your co-worker who you actually consider a friend rather than just an acquaintance, accompanied you throughout the night. She's wearing a blue sparkly dress that shows all her curves.

"Hey, you look great!"

"Thanks, honestly I just threw on the first thing I found in my closet."

"Well, you better not tell the boss that because if he knows that you don't wanna be here then you're never coming ever."

"Yeah, so I've heard. He threatened to fire me if I don't show up today."

"He did? And you're still allowed to work at Wilson Enterprises Holdings?!"

"Well, yeah, I mean... I told him that I will show up. It's not like I disobeyed him."

"That wasn't the case with his last assistant, honey. She got fired simply because she didn't pick up his phone call once because her phone died."

"What?! Simply because of one phone call?"

"Mhm, and the next day she had her stuff thrown out by the security."

"Oh my god, that poor girl. I never even met her but I kinda feel bad for her."

"You should. We all do. She was good at what she did, but there is no messing up with Sam Wilson. It's either his way or the highway."

All of the sudden, the energy around the room had shifted. From laid back to formal. You were so lost in your conversation with Wanda about your boss that you didn't even notice that he had walked into the room. He was wearing a dapper maroon suit because of course, this man doesn't wear nothing else but suits.

He gave a little speech, greeted all of his employees and told everyone to enjoy themselves. Everyone cheered and clapped after he was done.

He walked over to the bar where you and Wanda were standing and you couldn't help but feel nervous. He made eye contact with you before he stood right by your side to order a drink.

"It's good to see you clean up real nice and show up. We don't need lazy employees here."

"Well, i'm here, aren't I? If that's not the exact opposite of lazy i don't know what is."

"Don't talk back. I'm your boss. If i ask you to do something, you do it. If i ask you to be somewhere, you better be there 15 minutes early. I don't like to wait. Got it?"

"Yes, boss."

"Good girl."

He walked away and disappeared into the crowd with that smug attitude. You couldn't help but feel your chest rising and you were ready to throw the champagne glass you were holding to the back of his head. Wanda's voice brought you back to reality.

"Damn, that was intense."

"Yeah, imagine a daily dose of that."

"I know he can be a pain of the ass most of the time but, he's not so bad though, you know Nancy from accounting right?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She was crying in the bathroom once and he happened to be there as well. When she walked out, she told him that her mother had just been tested positive breast cancer. And you know what he did? He sent her home so she could take care of her mother and covered all of her medical bills."

"All of it? Are you serious? That doesn't sound like the Sam Wilson I know."

"It's not the Sam Wilson you know but it's the Sam Wilson that the very few people know."

"Then how did you know?"

"Because Nancy told me even though she was told to keep this a secret. Bad little Nancy, but sometimes we just can't help but share a few stories when the boss' not around, you know?"

You were having a hard time in absorbing this but you believed Wanda. Although, it made you a little curious, who is actually Sam Wilson behind that resolute boss who wears expensive suits all the time?

You are an adult baby type of drunker. You were mumbling incoherent noises and you were crying and laughing at the same time. You could barely stand in your heels and you felt like you were about to throw up every 5 minutes. Wanda, like the good friend she is, tried to hold you up and order you an Uber. Everyone else had gone home and you were both the last people at the party because you kept insisting Wanda to dance even when no one else was really dancing.

After a few drinks, you started to feel dizzy. Yep, you were drunk. You needed lots of them tonight after dealing with your stern boss and the misery of missing your ex.

Or so you thought.

Sam Wilson had walked out to walk to where his luxurious sports car was parked when he saw Wanda struggling to hold you up. She was also struggling to order an Uber because you kept doing stupid things that forced her to stop you.

Sam was amused to see how different you were compared to your usual self in the office. You were reckless and carefree. It made him chuckle.

He approached to where you and Wanda were standing and he greeted you both. "Good evening, ladies. Why aren't you both home yet?"

Wanda immediately went into professional mode and straightened her posture. "I'm just trying to get y/n an Uber sir, after that, I'll be right on my way."

"It's late and it's not safe for a girl to be riding an Uber alone especially in this state. I'm gonna take her home."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. If something were to happen to her, I'm not gonna be sued by her family so, I'll give her a ride home."

"Okay, thank you, sir. Please make sure she gets home safe."

"I've driven myself for over 20 years, Wanda. No need to worry about getting anyone home safely."

Wanda handed you over to him so he could put you in the passenger seat of his car. He put on some soft jazz music as he put on your seatbelt. You were giggling and mumbling words that he couldn't understand on the way. Then he just remembered that Wanda didn't tell him where you lived. He tried to ask you but you were too drunk to answer and you even booped his nose.

You could call Wanda and ask her where she lives... Sam thought. He hesitantly took out his phone to dial her number but, deep down he knew he didn't wanna do that. He wanted to bring you home so you could sleep in his luxurious guest room. He kept trying to make up reasons of why he didn't ask Wanda for your address to convince himself that no, he's just being a good boss. Yep. That's what it is. It's not because he has a tiny crush on you or had been thinking about you for awhile but didn't know how to talk to you. Nope. Definitely not.

You fell asleep to the soft music playing on the radio. After you arrived, Sam carried you in a bridal style to his guest bedroom. He wanted to change your clothes and gave you something much more comfortable to sleep in but it would be inappropriate. So he took off your shoes, put them on the floor and covered you with the warm blanket.

He took a shower, changed into his tank top and boxer. Turned off the lights then went to bed. He tried to close his eyes but he couldn't with you being only a few feet away from him. He fought the urge to walk over to the guest bedroom and hold you against his chest by pulling his cock out of his boxer and, wrapped his hand around it and started jerking himself up and down until he was a sweating, groaning mess. He chanted your name like a prayer as he cums. 

So much for trying to get you out of his head...

The next morning you woke up feeling groggy and woozy by how bright the sun was assaulting your vision. You don't remember much of last night. You went to your office Christmas party, talked to Wanda, had an encounter with your irritating boss and then... Blank. You were really shit faced.

You realized you were still wearing the red dress wore last night. You looked around the room and you realized you weren't in your own. You were in someone's room that was sure to have a hell lot of money. You started to feel scared. Were you kidnapped? Did someone drug you? Did someone rape you?

But you reached under your dress and you still felt your underwear there. Thank God. Then you heard Frank Sinatra playing from somewhere outside of the bedroom.

I've got you under my skin

I have got you, deep in the heart of me

You walked out and stumbled on your own shoes and you quickly grabbed it and carefully opened the door. The delicious smell of egg and bacon greeted you and you immediately went downstairs. You weren't sure what you were going to find but you were starving. The sound of the music couldn't overpower the growling that your stomach makes.

You found your way to the stark white kitchen and what you saw had you dumbfounded more than anything else. You saw Sam Wilson in his purple Nike shirt. You were stunned by the image of Sam Wilson wearing something else other than suit. He was making himself breakfast before he noticed you.

"Good morning. You want some breakfast?" He casually asked. He looked at you then went back to cooking.

That left you even more bewildered. Is he really acting like this is normal? Like you were supposed to be his girlfriend who lives here and just woke up from a deep slumber?

You put the puzzle together and you realized... This was his home. Your arrogant, stern boss, Samuel Wilson. You couldn't help but went straight to the question that had been lingering loudly in your head; "why am I here?"

He turned off the stove and put the egg & bacon into a plate. "You were drunk last night then I wanted to give you a ride home. But I didn't know where you live so, I took you to mine."

You were so drunk last night that you felt like you were probably still drunk because none of this makes any sense.

Then your stomach began to grumbled for the second time as if it was complaining for you to fill it with food now.

You had a lot of questions but right now, all you wanted to do was eat. Then you can talk more later.

You walked to where the dining table was and said "yes, please, i'll take that breakfast offer."

Sam smirked and pulled out a chair for you to sit in. And now he's pulling chairs for you? What the hell happened during your drunken state?!

He took out a fork and a knife for you but he accidentally dropped the fork when he was trying to give it to you. He bent over and you got an exclusive front seat view of his ass and how thick it was. "Not bad, Mr. Wilson."

You had said that louder than you planned.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I said nice kitchen, Mr Wilson."

"Drop the formalities. Call me Sam, we are not in the office right now."

He handed you over the fork and the knife after he cleaned them up.

There were worse ways to spend your hangover than having breakfast with Sam Wilson after all...

[pcttrailsidereader]

April is the Worst Time to Start the PCT . . . Here’s Why

This is a perennial question that has no right answer.  That being said, it is an important decision for each individual to make based upon snow pack, skill level, tolerance for crowds and need for solitude, pace, and, of course, when you need to be done. Daniel Winsor offers his perspective and outlines a number of considerations.

This post seems an appropriate follow-up to the October 29 post about the changes to the permit system for 2020.  It will become increasingly important because these changes will make skipping the High Sierra and returning later more difficult given new permit regulations.

By Daniel “Beta” Winsor

…ok, ok, so maybe it’s not the absolute worst time. December, for instance, probably deserves that title.

I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017, starting on March 26th. But if I did it again, I’d start a week earlier.

Heresy, I know.

Because April 15th, plus or minus a few days, has traditionally been THE time to get on the trail headed north. Last season, those permit dates were the first to go, within minutes of the permits opening up. You ask a group online for their opinion, they’ll tell you mid-April. You read a book on the PCT, you’ll get the same answer.

It’s not a very good answer.

Now I’m not saying it can’t be done, obviously many people have started in April over the years and did just fine. I’m proposing that more people think about starting in March, specifically the last two weeks of March. Here’s a few of the rationales behind starting in April, and why March is almost always a better answer.

1. Snow in Southern California

Specifically Fuller Ridge near Mt. San Jacinto and then Mt. Baden-Powell later on. Honestly, there’s not much too worry about here.

I went through Fuller Ridge on April 5th on one of the highest snow years in recent history… and it was about five miles of low angle snow. People were getting through without any snow gear (not recommended). For me, it was slow, but manageable, in microspikes. Hikers with crampons used words like “cake” and “joke” enough to make me wish I had crampons.

People summit Mt. San Jacinto in the winter. You just hiked over a hundred miles to get to Fuller Ridge. You can most likely handle walking along a peripheral ridge for a few miles in the spring.

Mt. Baden-Powell is along the same lines as San Jacinto. The snow is steeper, but only slightly, and longer, about ten miles. Many of us managed just fine with microspikes, but those with crampons ran across with a common theme of “was that it?” once they were off snow again.

If there’s ANY snow in the Sierra you’ll be dealing with (a.k.a. every year that isn’t an extreme drought year), don’t fear the small patches of snow in SoCal. Get your ice axe and crampons out and go boost your confidence. Never used those things before? Go learn! It’s a great opportunity to figure out if you feel ready to tackle Sierra snow or if you need to flip up north to avoid the white stuff.

There is MUCH chatter about those first snowy obstacles. This is the first time you’ll likely see the word “impassible” crop up online…

Low angle snow is never impassible with the right gear.

2. Snow in the Sierra Nevada

If you start the PCT in March, then there will be a ton of snow in the Sierra, right?? Yes and no, it really depends on the snow year.

During high snow years:

…such as 2011 and 2017 (and 2019), starting in March puts you in Kennedy Meadows in late April or early May. Most people will need a few days to put their gear together before entering the snow, then you’ll enter into the Sierra in the first or second week of May. At a comfortable pace in the hard, firm snow, you’ll exit the Sierra in the first couple weeks of June.

Does that sound early? It is, BUT you get to leave the Sierra before the melt happens in mid-to-late June when crossing creeks becomes a harrowing, dangerous obstacle. Traveling on snow isn’t (terribly) dangerous, crossing creeks is dangerous. Snow is slow, but you’ll keep moving safely forward. Swollen creeks have the potential to turn you around or even kill you. Many of the creeks, up to 80% of them, are possible to cross on snow bridges during the month of May after heavy winters.

Unfortunately, a well known rule-of-thumb is to leave Kennedy Meadows on “Ray Day”, which is June 15th. Hikers who followed this guidance in 2017 damn near gave themselves a death sentence. Most who went into the Sierra in the month of June were forced to bail. Some even died.

Go when the snow is still snow.

During low snow years:

…such as the drought years from 2012 to 2016, March is still the better answer. You aren’t racing to get to the Sierra before the melt happens, but seeing the Sierra in at least some snow and solitude before the crowds move in on the John Muir Trail portion of the PCT will be the highlight of your hike.

An earlier start gives you the gift of time also. The Sierra is an incredible place, most hikers consider it their favorite section of the whole trail. Nobody should be running through it. There’s plenty of monotonous hiking in the hundreds of miles ahead to push mileage.

There’s great trail towns and side trips all along the Sierra also, take more zeros! Like Bishop, California? Stay there a couple extra days. Mammoth is great spot to go skiing in June! You’ll hike right by Yosemite Valley, an incredible side trip to go play tourist for a day or two.

3. It’s too cold.

I’d actually flip this concern and consider it too hot to start hiking in April.

Starting in late March means you’ll be hiking through Southern California section mostly in April. The hottest and most waterless sections of the PCT happen 3-4 weeks after you start, just before getting to Kennedy Meadows.

Water is a big factor here too. Seasonal water sources in Southern California start dwindling in early May, some even earlier. Without those intermittent water sources, you have to carry more water. Some stretches can be 7-8 liters, even more if you’re hiking slow. The most I had to carry was five liters, which turned out to be excessive.

Water caches are a personal enemy of mine (more on that later), but they are a (wrongly) heavily relied on source through those hottest sections, sometimes getting hikers in trouble. Caches tend to be well stocked very early in the season, even before they’re really necessary, but many run dry as the folks who were maintaining the caches don’t have the time/energy/money to keep them stocked the whole season. Earlier hikers have a better chance coming across water in the water caches.

TO BE CLEAR: NOBODY SHOULD BE RELYING ON WATER CACHES.

I apologize for all the capitol letters, how annoying. But anyways…

If you start in April, you’ll be walking through 90F days in May with disappearing seasonal water sources and questionable water caches. Starting in March, you’ll be walking through 70F days in April with every seasonal water source flowing and freshly stocked water caches.

One of those sounds a bit better than the other, right?

Oh, but you can just hike through the night to beat the heat? Uh. There’s cool stuff to look at out there. Why would you want to miss it? You could just stick a treadmill in your basement, stop showering, and turn off the lights if that’s all you wanted out of your thru-hike.

…although you’d also have to pencil in some off-treadmill time for the psychiatrist.

As for the cold, if you have a 20F sleeping bag, you’ll be fine. My coldest morning in Southern California was 23F near Big Bear. But then I was sleeping back in the 20’s the last few days in Washington! If I had started later, I’d have been spending the last weeks on the trail even colder, through snow storms and other garbage that NO ONE wants to backpack through in the final weeks of such and long, exhausting trip. The beginning of any thru-hike is the time to be uncomfortable, not the end.

4. There aren’t any trail angels or trail magic around in March.

Wrong. One of the best parts of hiking in the early season is that you’re one of the first PCT faces most people are seeing. You’re ahead of the “herd” of hikers, so businesses are still happy to see you. No asshat thru-hikers (yes, these exist) have come along to put a bad taste in anyone’s mouth yet. You’re still a novelty in trail towns. You’re the ONLY hiker at bars and restaurants. People haven’t seen PCTers in a while, so they want to say hi and buy you beers and give you rides. You know what people want to do when they walk into a bar with 20 thru-hikers? Probably leave after they throw up, because why would a hiker shower first when there’s hot food waiting?!

Big trail angel stops are still psyched on the season starting. You’re in places like Hiker Heaven and Hiker Town with less than 10 other people, not 50 or 60.

Just like thru-hikers, trail angels get worn out as the season goes on. By the end of the “herd”, there’s fewer and fewer trail angels around. Earlier season hikers easily have it the best when it comes to trail angels, and this continues all the way up to Canada.

5. I’ll miss the bubble of hikers if I start in March!

Uh. Good.

Not that all thru-hikers aren’t amazing people, I made many incredible friends on my thru, but think about what happens when there’s 50 people starting the trail every day for weeks before you and weeks after…

What are the odds that perfect campsite is free at the end of the day?

When someone leaves a couple six-packs of IPA’s as trail magic, what are the odds there will be one left for you?

Ever tried hitch-hiking along a road with 20 other hitch-hikers?

You like solitude? Hopefully you’ll get over that.

I don’t mean to say that a ton of thru-hikers on the trail is a bad thing, but some people like it, some people don’t. I prefer a tight-knit group of hikers I can get to know, but spend as much time alone as I want. That’s what I got by starting in March.

Final Consideration: Permits

Note: See the updates to the Permit system in the October 29 post. These changes have occurred after Daniel Winsor wrote this piece.

This upcoming year is the first time permits will be given out in November, before anyone has any idea what will happen during the upcoming winter! This is understandably frustrating for 2018 thru-hikers.

So what’s the safe bet if you’re not particularly good at telling the future? Once again: March.

If you go with an April permit and we have a dry winter, you’re in for a hot, waterless desert section. If we see another high snow year, an April permit will put you in the Sierra right when the rivers get dangerous.

If you go with a March permit and we have a dry winter, you’re in for a pleasant desert hike with decent water sources. If we see another high snow year, a March permit will give you choices: head straight through the Sierra on hard snow before the melt, flip up to Hat Creek Rim while it’s still pleasant, or drink beer in Bishop hoping it all melts (which this year, it oddly did).

The earlier permit thing sucks. No way around that. But if you’d like to play it safe, March is the way to go. The beautiful advantage to starting early is that you can always take more zeros. If you start too late, you can’t insert time into your hike if you need more.

All considered, you have to choose your starting date based around many more factors. Time off from work, time away from loved ones, financial limitations etc. The most important thing about choosing a start date is to allow as much time as possible for your journey. Nobody wants to death march through such an amazing trail. Take your time, stay uninjured, and go camp next to that gorgeous lake! A core regret of many thru-hikers is not allowing themselves time to thoroughly enjoy the trail.

Starting in March will give you that time.

[hellobengski]

THAILAND: POST COLLEGE ADVENTURE 2017

The last time I felt clouds in my presence was in the year 2012, month of December, in which the airplane landed to Hong Kong. The dilemma of life and death in an open space was merely forgotten, where everything you could see was tranquility. I never wanted to stop looking at cottony clouds. They made me feel safe. It was 5 years later when I felt it again.  I remember how it feels to fly without wings, appreciating the beauty of nature beyond what I imagine.

           Thailand was the next stop on my travel bucket list all over Southeast Asia. It was a place that had similar atmosphere with my very own country. EDSA was the first thing that came into my mind when I walked outside the airport. I heard various honking of buses and cars, but in a more disciplined way, I guess. But more than that, I had a view of a new horizon of tradition and culture.

My mom, sister, and aunt had to travel 2 hours away from the airport so we could check in to the hotel where my sister booked through the online. I was assuming somehow it could be near a quiet place, or maybe a road of consecutive coffee shops, but I failed. It was entirely different than what I anticipated. Khao San Road was a place where small bars and party houses were all located. Abstract shirts, different items with elephant designs were displayed along the narrow road of which tourists could experience a good bargain with merchants. I have seen discrete races all over the world who stayed for quite some time in their respective hotels. I could turn my head 360 and whichever direction I bumped into, I could always see unfamiliar but lovely faces.

We met Ms. Nancy, our tour guide for the 1st day. She had a medium short hair, showed a very long glittery eyelashes in her face, and a pale pink lipstick on her mouth. She had a pleasing personality, I could say, or maybe she needed to be because it was part of her job. She was shorter than me, maybe an inch, and was in her typical shirt and pants with Chuck Taylor shoes to stay comfy.

I only had 2 hours to prepare and fix my baggage before I travel with Ms. Nancy. I swiped the card through the doorknob, allowing me to embrace a very relaxing and convenient 1 single room with 2 large soft beds and pillows. I put my sister’s make-up kit in front of the mirror with a hairdryer beside it. My personal hygiene necessities were located just outside our bedroom, in the midpoint of two comfort rooms, so it would be easier to grab just in case we’re in a hurry to take a bath. My aunt placed some leftover biscuits all the way from Philippines next to the huge flat screen TV. My mom being my mom, tried to clean some of her stuff, but there was no enough time left. Angela, my sister, did some of her retouch on her face to make her feel fresh even when she already felt exhausted. We left the room and ate one of the most popular Thai food called, “Pad-Thai” along the road.

The value of respect of Thai people for their King was the very first thing I ever noticed. As I was riding in an outsized van, I spotted some black and white colored curtains hanged outside the gigantic temples of the individual kings who passed away, and for the royals who are still living. Ms. Nancy shared some of her ideas about Thai’s history, telling us that these long curtains represent grief and condolences for the King who died due to his old age. And this will last for a year, until they go back to the feeling of relief.

I went inside historical temples of different images of Buddha, taking pictures for a remembrance to my relatives when I get back home. I tried eating coconut ice cream for P50 baht, which savored my starving throat into something refreshing. Tuk Tuk, a classic Thai vehicle, impressed me with its three wheels, although Ms. Nancy recommended us not to ride on it. Even if I wanted to stay longer in a certain place, we only had limited time to grasp some of the stories that were in there.

Alarm clocks in our own phone woke up us too early. I didn’t have enough sleep. Maybe because of too much excitement, or maybe because of the extreme coldness inside our room. I woke up at 4 in the morning holding my phone, checking some news and updates in the Philippines. It was a never-ending extra judicial killings on my newsfeed, letting me feel the frustration and agitation for my government’s administration. And few days from now, ironically, I would be home in a place where I wouldn’t feel safe. I didn’t want to think about overthinking, so I tried to wake up my mom. I went directly to the bathroom, thinking about the plans and places Ms. Nancy listed for us the day before she left us in the hotel. Everyone else seemed to be freaking out when I finished taking a bath, considering the only time we had to eat for a buffet breakfast. I chose to wear an orange shirt and shorts with floral design, supposing it would match the places we would be visiting.

Just by the time the restaurant open its door, I hurriedly walked into the different kinds of food. I was truly overwhelmed seeing complete set of breakfast that made my stomach perfectly full.  Sausages on my left, croissants and toasted bread on my right, a problem of choosing between fried rice or pasta, and slices of watermelons and pineapples were put into my plate. I wasn’t even contented at all, I made my own coffee to match my croissants, even bother to get cucumber juice just in case coffee wouldn’t give me satisfaction. The question of time never crossed my mind when all these food were prepared in front of me. Although it was a must to rush, a Thai man, who works with Ms. Nancy in the same travel agency, fetched us. It was a group tour, consisted of two couples, one from America, and the other from Malaysia.

The tour started by introducing Mr. Thai’s name. I forgot, though. He considered making jokes out of telling stories, associated with historical Thai’s exotic food too. He is a 55-year old man, who has 3 kids. All I could remember was every time he gets to see me smiling, the memory of his daughter blissfully retains in his mind. He shared about how he got involved into a travel agency, which I think a lot of Thai people are working at. He was not as chatty as Ms. Nancy, nevertheless, he was entertaining. He showed us the famous Floating Market in Thailand, where tourists needed to ride on a boat to purchase some stuff. I have seen amazing paintings in all sizes, carved vases, coconut ice cream with nuts for its toppings, “lansones” which was sold by an 85-year old woman, weaved hats, and a lot more. The biggest Eureka moment was, all I thought Thailand has only one floating market. By the time we had to leave the place, Mr. I forgot-the-name actually revealed that in every town, has its own one. Well, not a thing was bought during the boating experience, all I know was my heart was fulfilled seeing people enjoying moments that could only last once in a life time.

The magical performance in theater happened at night after the tour in Floating Market. We entered a huge closed room with people wanting to witness such beauty in arts and entertainment.    Siam Niramit, is a state-of-the art theater yielding one of the largest stage productions in the world. It’s a captivating adventure through Thailand’s history and culture in high-flying fashion, with live elephants, acrobatics, pyrotechnics and stunts – all performed by a troupe made up of thousands  of performers adorned in great costumes. I would never forget my mom’s unexplainable reaction and experience throughout the entire show. She wanted to cry out of joy most of the time. It’s as if she didn’t want to go home in the hotel. I never saw rejection from her face, telling me that next time she comes back, it would be with my dad. We captured moments with several actors and actresses after, leaving us a souvenir with elephants, making this as her favorite art of the travel.

Off my bucket list was also riding an elephant. One of the many animals I have always wanted to experience, carabao was supposed to be the first. I think elephants were made to listen closely to everything, to everyone. They were made to be friends with people most especially when you treat them with care and respect. They love watermelons and coconuts. They like being splashed with water after taking us into a routine. They were also trained to take pictures with various poses of their trunks, and that’s how they get to be attractive for locals and foreigners.

The famous Thai massage will never be forgotten. So my brother’s friend who happens to work in Bangkok accompanied us after a very long day in market. This has got to be the most effective massage in my whole life. At first I thought it was brutal, since it was my first time the legit Thai massage. I was taking it easy for the first few minutes but later on, it kinda felt horrible. In a matter of seconds, the compress became weapon and I was literally cringing under the pressure. I actually found myself concentrating on regulating my breathing. The way they provide Thai massages are with entire body. They leverage their own body weight with certain movements in order to provide enough pressure to the body. I did fall asleep several times but still ended with a very soothing cup of tea.

Of course, our vacation wouldn’t be complete without the “party.” Prior to shopping in Chatuchak Market, my sister and I had been planning to socialize with people. We were really after drinks and fries, although it wasn’t our first time doing this, we wanted to make sure to at least meet good-looking guys from Europe. Our mom was subtle with her words but still she allowed us to explore. By the time we went down from our room, that’s when the party started. I thought we were courageous enough to do things beyond our control, but surprisingly, we were like high school students who just stayed in a corner of the street to observe how a street party works. There were people who literally danced as if it was their last day on earth, girls and guys French kissing each other while tossing their drinks, Asians and Americans twerking as if they’re showing off to every person they’d bump into. There was also robbery that happened in 7 Eleven Convenience store, unknowingly grabbing sodas and fresh milk from the fridge, to ease their drunkenness. After all, I saw emptiness. I felt emptiness. The superficiality of society where people wants to fit in to get accepted because after all, no one wants rejection. The façade of being proud “in” but in reality, they’re slowly dying. And for me, street party seemed to be an outlet of frustration, sadness, anxiety, and depression. People always long for something in the end.  But life should be more than a night of drinks and smoke. It should be more than meeting temporary people.

Four days and three nights was a short term goal achieved in knowing and living the life in Thailand. More insights were added to my unending learnings in life. It was more than the feeling of being grateful of what the life has more to offer for people like us who seek for journey mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Life is really full of surprises and adventures and I couldn’t wait for my next destination. Until next time, Thailand!

[antiagingsol-blog]

Utilizing Anti-aging Face Creams

 There is a time in every person 's life when our growing age comes to be a problem for us. This is the moment when even a little hope feels like a long-lasting guarantee and also we have the tendency to try numerous anti-aging formulas. The first noticeable indicator of your passing age is your initial giggling line i.e. extra frequently referred to as wrinkle. Typically these signs are experienced in your 30s or if you are lucky enough after that in your 40s. You could prolong your skin from aging using proper therapies at an earlier age. This is the moment when you look for an anti aging wrinkle cream. You could use anti aging crease creams also prior to creases begin to appear on your face. Even if you sanctuary ' t yet took care of it, you could still find a solution for it. It is advisable not to ignore these signs and symptoms. If you believe that ignoring is a great option to tackle with creases after that you can ' t obtain more incorrect. In today 's way of living one of the most inevitable sign of an aging skin is its look. With air pollution degrees climbing to its severe as well as hazardous toxins in the air are hazardous to our skin. Acne, abrasions and also various other skin diseases are several of its dangerous effects. Inning accordance with researches conducted by skin doctors, anti aging wrinkle lotions have many nutrients and also vitamins that help in decreasing the aging procedure. Additionally, you could prevent other harsh skin therapies if you use these creams. There are lots of items in the market labeled as anti aging but you need to select them utilizing little common feeling. Don ' t obtain tricked by the advertising and marketing techniques which guarantee much as well as rarely offer anything. Pass your instincts and choose wisely. For more details on skin creams visit http://www.reduce-age.com

never age you ever wish you could find that her secret well today I found women who literally look half the rage we put their pictures up online for America to see and we also asked their studio audience to guess their age and everybody guessed they were decades younger their woman just like you and they're ready to spill their secrets they could do it so can you you can defy your age y'all curious about this before I first you're gonna hang out like a secret eradicate wrinkles now America thought Donna was 34 years old but Donna's chronological age is 52 come on out Donna when I get a look careful I cannot believe you are 52 I am so what is it what are they single look at you people normally think I'm a lot younger especially men who try to hit on me around the hole got a nice feeling which is which is quite nice which is very nice so there it's shocked amazing you tell me your age yeah people for the most part think I'm usually in my mid to late thirties which is which is which is quite flattering I must say well you should be flat because you are a beautiful woman are you willing to reveal your secrets yes I am doctor open Rafi get your little toolbox here show us your age-defying trick it is it is white vinegar vinegar cinnamon and honey so I have this concoction that I make where I combined make my own exfoliating face mask with honey and cinnamon and I find that it takes off a lot of the dead skin cells and it makes my face more moisturize and it also makes it you know quite supple probably how you do it it seems so simple yeah so actually what I do is I combine the cinnamon with honey I mix it up and actually use this every night I leave it on for about 30 minutes and then I use white vinegar as an astringent which it's delicious as well you can also eat it absolutely I would even leftovers me and then you could use the astringent which kind of tightens your skin and prevents it from sagging yes how long you been using this for I've been actually using this for a few years but as I get older I use it more frequently I gotta say I'm amazed something so simple can make such a huge difference in your life do you want to try it yeah please okay I'll be there I'll go first that's a move like you I'll definitely do it yeah don't you feel it working a little bit well I'd like to lick it off I could it feels it feels cooling acting but you know I actually looked into these tips in fact I did for all the guests onto the show today the vinegar I love because it keeps yourselves hydrated which is always a valuable thing to prevent wrinkling but I specially love the cinnamon in the honey yeah and the cinnamon in particular is a fantastic exfoliant which is probably the best way out there to fight off wrinkles oh it's great so I've made you a little you look wonderful guys like this I guess hmm all right now I'm gonna show you why I think this is so cool I I built you a little replica of your skin okay it's uh what's that maybe it's a big replica of your skin your skin sort of looks like this this big parachute reflects what's going on in our bodies now you'll notice we have some audience members here and with all women um oh maybe a little bit weakly pretend you're weekly I know you're ready not all right and what happens is the collagen in our body starts to get weak and especially as we get older the hormones aren't quite perfect you don't have enough collagen to lift up this parachute then look at this front area over here it's completely worn through right there's not no collagen a that's a that's a big wrinkle right there but there was your exfoliate with cinnamon paste it changes everything cuz that's nice bringing these big burly men burly men come on in burly men pink Alfa college everyone pulled back hard as you can it reinforces your skin it gives you less wrinkles I'm not that is pretty spectacular you don't think you that kind of war over there that's why you don't have Rico I think thanks girly men I thought my audience members I appreciate like a secret government agent discoloration on your chest neck in hands now America thought Diane was 45 years old we checked her driver's license which says that she is you ready all its sixteen she having no sunspots um well I'm the only girl so and the boys don't count so um my mother lived to be 94 and I will say that when she died she didn't look a day over eighty that's pretty good I got that yeah so you say fifteen years they allow it because you don't have any discolorations at all I mean looking at all of your skin so what's your secret gonna show it to us sure okay first of all in the morning when I am making my coffee I take some lemon and I squeeze it over the backs of my hands and the decolletage a decoupage of course yes Latasha you know what that is yes it's and um the acid and in the lemon helps to bleach out any you know when we were kids we used to put it in our hair and go out in the Sun it does yeah so it bleaches out any kind of discoloration you may have of course I don't have it yeah you don't have any company might actually blocks melanin production you

[Music] hey everybody its Angie and welcome to hot and flashy today's video is my year-end roundup of the best anti-agers of 2016 so these are the best things that I use this year to turn back the clock on Aging so in 2016 I tried lots of masks creams lotions potions sunscreens and a new injectable a new laser and some new makeup tricks you know I always say that 50 is a gift that keeps on giving and now that I'm getting closer to 55 it's giving me even more presence which I would like to be able to return but can't in the form of gray hair and sparse eyelashes and eyebrows and enlarged pores new wrinkles and new sagging my channel here hot and flashy the goal is to help me and help you to look the best that we can as we age people who watch me fall all over the spectrum of anti-aging some people want to go into it all natural some people only want to use topical some people want to do procedures and more aggressive intervention and so I like to investigate it all and so you can find it all here so let's start first off with the thing that I think has made the biggest change in my skin that I've seen over the year and of course over the last 4 years and that is prescription retin-a I am using the 0.1% tretinoin cream I started in four years ago with the 0.05% last year I bumped up to the strongest lengthy 0.1% so I now have a full year under my belt of using the 0.1% and I have to say it has been great I cannot really believe the changes that I've seen in my skin it is a long-term play you do have to use it for a long long time to see results I didn't really see any results until I've been using it six to nine months and then it just kept growing and growing so by the three-year mark I was like blown away at how you know the clock was turning backwards on my face it's been studied since the mid 80s it is the gold standard of anti-aging and this is great stuff if you can get your hands on unfortunately the more of us that figure out that this works the more demand it creates in the marketplace and then the pharmaceutical companies start jacking the price up so I have heard from viewers that this is retailing for anywhere from two hundred and fifty dollars to six hundred and fifty dollars for a 40 gram tube like this I paid $10 for this because for some reason my insurance company covered it a lot of people say that their insurance will not cover it I also know in some parts of Europe you can't get it at all in England and all this other stuff in other parts is over-the-counter I went to Spain last summer I bought two tubes for 12 bucks apiece in Mexico you can get it cheap at the airport so you know it's crazy how its regulated in some places not regulated in other places but Americans who couldn't get this I have great news for you there is an acne treatment that is a tretinoin dual derivative that is now available over-the-counter this is a new development 2016 it happened over the summer I just found out about it and that is that adapt alene brand name different is available over-the-counter this is another vitamin a derivative this is a synthetic but it does work much like tretinoin does this has been studied in a few studies also as a wrinkle cream so it has been shown to work as a wrinkle cream but with much less irritation than tretinoin this one was $29 for one point six ounces and this one was $14 for the half an ounce so if you had been wanting to try this and just couldn't get your hands on it here is a great new option for you as I mentioned before I do like a good procedure but because my tretinoin use I got to say I used some of the procedures that I had done in the past much much less this year so for example I had gotten filler a couple of times in the past this year I was completely filler free I didn't use any filler the filler that I had gotten before has completely worn off so my face is still are free but I feel like because of the tretinoin I don't really need it I feel like my skin is firmer and plumper looking and all that great stuff I do still continue to use Botox but I got to say I'm using it much much less than I used to just because I do like the preventative aspect of it so I'm going to put Botox as one of like the best anti-aging procedures that you can get the one thing that I did try this year is a Botox alternative is called Dysport I did like the Dysport better it's not as widely used as Botox but I feel like the main difference is that the Dysport does like spread a little bit more so it just softens the lines between where the injectable stops and your non paralyzed muscles start so I had a Fraxel dual laser treatment done and can I tell you that I absolutely loved it but for bang for your buck I still will say that Botox is like number one on my list and there is no downtime where this one laser treatment was $1500 it makes like micro channels of injuries in your skin it helps with collagen production with the laser there was like three or four days of downtime where my skin was just like fluffing and it was so impressive to see that and then it was oh my gosh it was beautiful like baby skin afterwards it was like velvet I just couldn't believe it unfortunately that velvet stage didn't really last that long for me it was definitely worth it because it did get rid of this actinic keratosis I have over here when I did my three-month check-in that wasn't gone yet and I was still hoping it took it about six months for that to really disappear but once it did I had had a scar there and like a little bump there that wouldn't go away and after about six months it finally did go away and now that skin is nice and smooth so I got to say that laser treatment really did take care of that so if you were a Sun worshiper and you're worried about skin cancer this is a treatment that can actually remove some of your skin cancers to come in the future it definitely got rid of a lot of my discolorations faded a lot of my age spots and brown spots this is a dual laser and my only criticism was of my provider that she only used one of the wavelengths there are two one is for surface discolorations and surface wrinkles and it did do some good stuff for my service wrinkles but the other one is a deeper laser that's more for texture like pores I don't really like this group Lee skin I have down here so I would like to have seen what the other lasers results would have been and that's why I'm actually thinking of getting it done again but having or use the other part of the wavelength so for the best over-the-counter skin care of 2016 there was a big splash when matrixyl synth-6 came out and I did try a matrixyl synth-6 product this is from timeless skincare this is their matrixyl synth-6 i put it in a test using it on my neck and i combined it with an over-the-counter retinol because i couldn't use my prescription tretinoin on my neck anymore and so i wanted to see if using a combination of ingredients would help with my neck and boy did it ever I did a video showing the results after I use the combination of these two for six months this is the Sarah V skin renewing cream serum this is their over-the-counter retinol I had used another retinol previously but it irritated my neck just as much as the prescription tretinoin but this combo and this in particular did not irritate my skin at all and so by the end of the six months my neck was looking fantastic I took the after pictures and I couldn't even believe how good they were and again that videos link will be in the information box below this one so the combination of these two are the best over-the-counter that I found this year so let's move on to the best temporary wrinkle treatment I tried a couple of different masks this year I try to mask with magnets in it I try to mask with gold in it I tried one of those temporary things that you put under your eyes that like makes a film over your skin and makes it so you can't even move your skin that thing we're great until you put makeup on and then poof away it went so the best of temporary wrinkle treatments is the de marche labs relaxing lift gold instant wrinkle smoothing mask with 24 karat gold I was sent this product I tried it in a try at Tuesday video and I was surprised at how well it worked it smooth on my under eye wrinkles it diminished my pores amazingly in just 10 minutes you put this stuff on it gold it goes on gold then it dries to white then you wash it off then you can put on makeup and the effect seemed to stay even when I was like smiling it kept my smile lines from crinkling up as much as they usually do it only lasted for a few hours I'm not going to say that it was like Chanel would last all day or anything but it did show some promise and I would use it in the future like if I was going to a party all right you guys know that I cannot talk antiaging without talking sunscreen and in 2016 I did another massive review of all mineral sunscreen the best sunscreen in 2016 was again the Hydra peptides solar defense this is an SPF 30 this is the best one under liquid makeup the other sunscreen that really is fabulous but doesn't work as well under liquid foundation is the exuberance sheer daily protector this is an SPF 50 PA plus plus plus plus which means it gives you full spectrum coverage over all the rays that cause aging and skin cancer but the big news that I learn in 2016 is that exuberance is parent company is NeoStrata and NeoStrata makes a sunscreen that is identical to exhuming it's for about half the price this one retails for $45 for and ounce this one's about 27 dollars an ounce and then right at the end of the year I of course started looking at sunscreens for the 2017 video and I found a couple of sunscreens that I'm loving I haven't done the full test to see how they are under makeup and everything but very few of them they look good on their own and there aren't days when I really don't want to wear any makeup but I still want to wear sunscreen and I don't want to look white or I don't want look super shiny or gray or weird so the one that I found miss here that is really great to wear on its own that I absolutely love is by skinceuticals it's their physical matte UV defense sunscreen broad-spectrum SPF 50 this is a beautiful sunscreen and it's so lightweight and fluffy it's almost like a whipped up texture and I just love it and it goes perfectly with my skin tone so I can wear it without having to put any makeup on over it it doesn't reflect any light so that is a great one for me another one that I have been using and loving lately is not a hundred percent mineral you know I do like the mineral sunscreens because the chemical sunscreens tend to irritate my skin especially the ones that were loaded up with like five or six different chemical sunscreens so if I turn it over it's got Abel Ben's own homo Sally��octonauts a you know on and on I kind of stay away from those because those are the ones that really burn my eyes but I found recently but the ones that just use zinc oxide and octa NOx a really don't irritate my skin as much so I picked this one up so this is Obagi medical sunshield matte broad-spectrum SPF 50 you get three ounces so the nice thing too if you're not going to run out anytime soon and it looks like your standard white sunscreen but when you rub it in it just disappears into your skin and it leaves a lovely matte not shiny finish so there you go it's been already it's not white it's not shiny I just love it it doesn't accentuate cores and wrinkles so it's a really great sunscreen and it doesn't really smell like anything it doesn't feel greasy to the touch it dries back it's very very nice alright the last two categories are hair related I know a lot of people my age where our hair is getting thinner our hair is getting grayer our eyebrows and eyelashes follow suit as well and in last couple of years I had tried Latisse and I had also tried rapid lash both of which work fabulously I didn't like Latisse because it hurt I couldn't stung my eyes and they were burning all the time I loved I loved rapid lash it was inexpensive it worked great for me my lashes grew my brows grew then all of a sudden they just stopped growing for no apparent reason it just stopped working so at that time I decided to switch it up and try a different one so I picked revitalash advanced and I've been using this one for about four or five months now and I got to say this has been working great for me this has the tiniest little brush delivery system so I really love that it's not cumbersome like the Latisse is you just take the brush and every night before you go to bed last step paint one swipe on each eye right where the eyelashes meet the eyelid then I also apply it to my eyebrows a couple of strokes in each eyebrow this tube is expensive but it lasts so if I only have to buy these a year it is so worth it my eyebrows have really been growing in like crazy much much better than the rapid lash and my eyelashes too are longer and they're also fuller so loving that product and then my you know last little discovery this year was that huh where my roots were coming in gray and I had to conceal those so I tried a lot of the powders and a lot of the different things but the ones that I prefer are the sprays and I had bought two of them over the course of the year this one is the Rita Hasan root concealer touch-up spray and the souther one is L'Oreal root cover-up temporary gray concealer spray these both contain almost the exact same ingredients they work just about almost exactly the same this one is more like 25 dollars this one is like ten dollars and I feel like they are interchangeable but yet I reach for this one more often I can't really explain why and this is new one that I did just buy but for covering up your roots and stuff is so convenient because you know you just spray it on there the only warning that I have for you is that it does tend to you know overspray and leave little dots on your forehead so after you spray your hair you might look in the mirror and be like oh my god do I have a new age spot today no just you know clean it off with a little spit and the nice thing about the mo is that once you get it on your roots it is waterproof it doesn't cost you go swimming it doesn't get come off you get caught in the rain it doesn't come off if you have a hot flash so you won't have it dribbling down your face so those are all the successes that I had in anti-aging this year I'd love to hear if you tried a new procedure or a new cream that you swear by something that you love feel free to leave me a comment below I'm sure everyone else would like to hear about it too because as you know I love to exchange ideas with you guys I can't do everything because I only have one face but I like to try to get through a lot of it so there's a lot more coming up in 2017 here on hot and flashy I hope you stay tuned and so that's the end of today's video so thanks everybody for your time you know I always appreciate your watching and have a great day and I'll see you next time bye

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