#i woke up early this morning and spent all day at a museum with my niece

[greppelheks]

WHAT mental illness? WHAT autism? WHERE?

[pbandjesse]

Today was a really productive day. I had a nice time. It felt good to get a lot done.

I had really intense dreams again. But I was able to fall asleep pretty early. So then I woke up at 8 without an alarm and felt pretty good. Honestly the mornings I have been feeling the best. I work myself up with worry about falling apart again but I am trying to enjoy just feeling okay for as long as I can.

James had left me a sandwich again because they are great. After I got dressed I sat downstairs and ate that but pretty quickly I was off and on the road. People were driving crazy today but I got to camp safely.

I went to the art building first. I spent an hour going through the NAFT boxes, making lists of things I needed to fix or replace. And labeling things. Just trying to streamline as much as possible.

At like 945 I went down to the office. Sarah and Elizabeth were getting in around that same time. But I was very focused. I had my headphones on and I was researching.

I was in research mode a lot today. Making an Amazon list and finding products and doing research on different tools. I just cannot find somewhere we can buy a functional stone ax that isn't hundreds of dollars. I would find one for $70 but I just felt like it would break and it wouldn't serve the program.

So after running out of steam searching I would send Walter, who used to run this program, an email asking for help. To see if he has a resource or could help us make new ones. Hopefully he responds.

I would take my lunch break. I chatted with Louisa. I watched kitchen nightmare on my phone. I did more research. It was a nice day.

I would make a few walks back to art. I collected all the old lessons and made sure they were accurate to the new layout of the program. I would do a lot of printing and laminating and sorting. It was nice to have a specific task. I cannot stand just sitting there. If there is nothing for me to do I just want to leave.

I did speak to Alexi about my fall schedule. That I will be working mainly 3 days a week. And that I'm going to base that off of camp needs and my schedule with the museum. I think that will focus my usefulness and give myself space outside to do other things. I think it's for the best.

I would spend the afternoon researching ideas for next summer. I found 8 projects I like but I'm not committed yet. It was nice to have something to focus on.

I would take a break though and went to lay in my hammock for a little. Left my phone inside to charge and just laid and watched the trees for a while. But eventually I went back to the office to continue to work.

Eventually Alicia asked if I could drive her to the mall. She's heading back to the UK tomorrow and just wanted a last little American hoorah. And I was absolutely done for the day so that worked out. I let Alexi know she was right when she asked if I was leaving at 3. And then we were off.

We would get stuck in some pretty horrible traffic. A 20 minute drive turned into almost an hour. But it was fine. We had a nice conversation. She told me about her going back to school and what she wants to do. She asked about my life and house and it was a nice conversation even if the traffic was annoying.

I would drop her off and headed home. Thankfully no more traffic on my way back. And I arrived around 415.

I brought the mail in and put some things away. I went upstairs to work on some knitting. I checked my phone and saw my package was delivered! But I went outside and couldn't find it? I was so upset. It had been delivered 10 minutes ago. Did someone take it in that short time??

So I was pretty upset. I let James know. And they promised to look too. And when they got home Mary Washington, our sweet neighbor, had my package! My new fleece coat. I was so happy.

It's so soft. And has moose on it. I had a moose coat in Minnesota that I regret giving away. But that was much much thicker. So this feels like a good middle ground. And I am just really thrilled with this $15 purchase.

I was also just really happy to see James. They would make me a vegan chicken sandwich before they would jump on a call with their friends for a little while. And I knit for that hour. I made four squares! This looks is a little small and not as comfortable in my hand but I am still enjoying it.

When James was done with their call they laid in bed with me for a little. But soon we were out. We went to get a milkshake (we had a gift card so they were free). The wait was long but worth it. And then we went to Harris teeter to get a few groceries before going home. It was just nice being out for a little bit together.

When we got back here I cleaned the tanks. Moved around Crabcake's decor. I would vacuum and clean the frog tank. Avocado and omelette were floating around the top and climbing on the leaves. Which is a new behavior I haven't seen them do before so that's interesting. James helped me dump out the water while I collected snails and scrubbed eggs off of the plastic plant. Just trying to make it nice.

We hung out in the living room for a long time. Sweetp laid with me and it was really comfortable and nice. James is working on a long research project which is fun for them. I'm glad they have a project.

Eventually I came upstairs and took a shower. I am very tired. And very much ready to go to bed.

I am staying home tomorrow. Just going to rest and work on projects and take care of the house. I am hoping it will be a nice day.

I hope you all have a great night. Sleep well. I love you all. Goodnight!

[headspaceinanutshell]

Hopeful

It seems like Sunday blogging is becoming my thing. It’s like the weeks events all boils down to the one day that I can truly reflect on how I feel.

I actually had something to look forward to this week which was supposed to be today.

On a Monday at work, people sit, sip their hot drink and make small talk about what they got up to on the weekend. Last Monday, I heard how one of my colleagues went to a lovely restaurant and spent the day child free enjoying their partners company. It raised a question in me as if to say… “Why don’t I have those nice moments to talk about on a Monday?”

Most evenings afterwork consist of a glass of wine, cans of beer and hours of watching The Chase before bed. In the summer, we were active and out walking. I honestly cannot wait for those days again where it stays light, maybe it will bring us closer.

I sent my partner a message and suggested that we arrange a long overdue date day soon. Which happen to fall on today. I suggested bowling and some lunch somewhere. To be honest, it’s not even the activities I was pushing for, it was the quality time alone together. On Saturday, we discussed a plan to potentially get the 9:40 train to Liverpool, visit the natural history museum and grab some lunch with a voucher we had received for Christmas.

So naturally, as he seemed keen, my hopes were high and I was super excited but in the back of my mind, it was like I already knew this wasn’t going to happen. I had felt this anticipation before and had something get in the way. It’s like I emotionally prepared myself for hurdle to stop this from happening.

This morning, I woke up early trying hard not to wake him from his deep sleep. Crept downstairs to get ready and sort the dogs out with breakfast etc. I did my makeup and hair with the knowing of going out to a nice restaurant together and potential photo memories being taken. I left him sleeping quite late, the past 2 nights he had been struggling with his sinuses so he needed as much rest as possible.

I watched the clock once ready, I had gotten ready 2 hours in advance to ensure that as soon as he was up and ready we could go. As the clock moved forward, we reached 9:30am. I knew the Liverpool plan would not be going ahead but was hopeful for a later start to do something else.

He eventually came downstairs, and from the moment I saw him, it was confirmed that we were not going to be doing anything. It looked like he hadn’t slept. Like I said, I had prepared myself for this to happen so I just suggested we stay at home and forget the plan. It's as if I had come to terms with this, way before it was even spoken about.

We did manage to get to the supermarket for some weekly supplies but the whole time, I could see that he was irritated and wanted to just get home. To be honest, I picked up on this and just wanted to get back myself.

Jump to now, he’s in bed. Clearly exhausted and not well. I was laying next to him, I turned to kiss his head whilst he lay there, the only physical contact we’d had all day. He mumbled, “Stop smothering me.” With that sentence, I was gone.

I’m sitting on the sofa, feeling.. well, I don’t know how I’m feeling. Every time I sit here and type, I have tears in my eyes. Empty is the only descriptive word I have right now.

[mistydeyes]

hi! i hope you are having a really nice day 🫶🏻

i love how you do the pairings and i was wondering if i could get one with our cod boys!

i’m a girl (she/her) and my mbti is isfj. i don’t really consider myself as shy or timid, but i truly prefer the calmness. i’m getting into the stem’s camp, and i like reading, baking, going to the gym and overall that kind of simple hobbies!

with regard to the physical, i’m 1’66 cm (i think is about 5’5) with a slim body. i have fair skin, my hair is armpit-lenght, very straight and light brown, as my eyes. i like clothes with comfortable materials, soft colors and floral prints, also lace, kind of a romantic yet simple style!

i tend to be attracted to gentle, sweet guys who make you feel safe and protected if you know what i mean (sorry if this sounds weird 😭) i’m not a loner at all, yet i prefer the comfortable presence of someone i care for rather than small talk

thank you for reading, your writing is awesome and you are always so accurate! again, i hope you have a wonderful day ♡

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick (a/n hi anon thank you for submitting and for your kind words :) hope you have a wonderful day as well)

How you met: Civilian "Alright here we go, Garrick," Kyle said to himself in an attempt to get himself into a positive mindset. Despite being young, handsome, and having a great sense of style (which itself is questionable because he always wears the same hat), he lacked someone to write letters and come home to. So he accepted the offer for a blind date from a close friend at the Metro Department. But now he was nervously standing at the hostess stand, as he looked at you. You were even more beautiful than in the pictures, your light brown hair and eyes perfectly added an air of comfort to your appearance. He also noted the delicate floral dress you wore and how the blue details made you look like a Victorian tea set. "She's over there, like I said sir," the hostess said which pulled him out of his gaze. He was planning on standing like that for a few more moments until you looked up from the menu and excitedly waved him over.

"Sorry I was late," he said as he sat down and tried to preserve the nice dining set in front of him. "It's no worries, I wasn't here long," you said politely, "have you been here before?" "No I haven't, let's see if anything is good," he replied and scanned the menu. Not that Kyle didn't appreciate the pleasantries but he wondered if that's all the date would be. However, as the night continued on, you both spent hours talking to each other and sharing your similar interests. From the same favorite books to gym routines, he was happy he had accepted the blind date offer. By the end of it, he walked a way with a lipstick kiss on his cheek and a promise for a second date.

A peek into your relationship: As you opened your eyes to the morning sunlight, you felt the strong arm of your boyfriend on your chest. You peeled him off of you as he woke up with a smile. "Good morning, love," he said softly in a bit of a deeper voice due to the early morning hours. "Morning," you replied and gave him a gentle kiss. Even on leave, you and Kyle fell into a routine of making a healthy breakfast, going to the gym, and then enjoying the afternoon at book cafes or museums. However, this morning all you wanted to do was spend a lazy day in bed. "Ready for the gym?" he asked as he began to get up but you tugged his arm back to you. "How about we break the routine today?" you smiled and he looked at you as you devised a plan. "I'm thinking breakfast in bed and maybe a good novel?" you offered and you watched as the thought for a moment. "But what about-" "Forget the gym, Kyle, let's just enjoy each other's presence for a little while," with that statement and your pleading eyes, he settled back next to you. "A lazy day it is, my love," he replied before kissing your forehead gently, "I'll make us breakfast, soon enough."

[chaletnz]

Farewell Central America

Again I woke up early and went for a painful, stone cold shower to start my day. I gave the hostel cat a little pat good morning and then headed out for a walk around Barrio Escalante to see the Santa Teresita church and some street art. I ended up walking past a large train station and into a park, so I figured I had reached the city centre by this point and I was ready to turn around and head back. The entire walk I'd been searching for a post box to send off a few post cards but hadn't had any luck. I dropped by the museum and a lady there tried to direct me to a post office but it was going to be way too far out of the way so I resigned to sending them from home in Colorado. My final meal was french toast and a flat white at Cafeoteca which was delightful but a little bit too much food for me pre-flight. Nonetheless it was relaxing to sit there in the garden and recover from my walk before returning to the hostel to pack up my bag and check out. I took my second Uber trip ever (the first was in South Africa with Elinor) and Alex arrived right on time in his Kia Picanto to drive me to the airport. He spoke English well and seemed chatty, he told me about how Covid had affected tourism and as a local of San Jose's east side he was happy to be able to see tourists returning to the country. We struck a bit of traffic on the highway and ended up crawling along for a few minutes. Opportunistic street vendors were walking between the traffic with racks of plantain chips, bags of drinks, and ice blocks that were somehow still frozen despite being in 28 degree heat. After this busy stretch it was a smooth journey to the airport and I arrived to the airport well ahead of time. I tipped Alex the rest of my local currency bills and then headed into the terminal where there conveniently was a post box! I spent some time browsing the souvenirs but nothing had a price sticker on it. I approached the coffee area where a very pushy salesman was trying to get me to buy 4 bags for the price of 3, I led him on a bit to get some free samples and finally got to try the sloth blend that I'd been eyeing up in other souvenir shops around the country. It was nice but not worth the $14.50 - I could buy cheaper and better coffee (imported) in the US. My flight ended up being delayed for about an hour since they said the airport in Texas or wherever was closed due to weather currently. I'd had a bad feeling about this flight from the moment I booked it, since they had changed the times at least 3 times since I booked. But I made it to Dallas with a baby behind me all the way. The connection was tight, but I made it through the immigration and security and then took a little train to the right terminal. I saw the sign flashing for final call as I was running up and I slipped in just in time - there were even people behind me still faffing around trying to open their mobile boarding pass. I arrived in Denver very late, and spent the night in a hostel there, making my way back up to the familiar elevation of Copper Mountain the next day.

[nebulousneuroticism]

It's been a busy few days.

Friday went pretty smoothly. I woke on time, talked to my mom briefly, finished packing, and left for the airport. My flights were on time and uneventful. When I arrived at my destination, we had some dinner, and then we checked into the hotel to rest.

The next day, we slept in a bit. We had a light breakfast/lunch, and then walked around a park for a while. We visited a grocery store to buy some snacks for a game night, and as we were leaving, a homeless man cornered me to beg for money. I ended up panicking and giving him some, both because he had cornered me and because that cute girl was there and I always worry she finds me miserly. Then after we returned to her house, I spent an hour or so having a panic attack, which involved dissociating, staring into space, and softly crying.

That night, we had a game night with that cute girl's D&D group. We played Cyberpunk Red, which was fine. I didn't find it to be a terribly interesting system, but it was a fun setting and I had a decent time, even though I was playing with strangers. That went pretty late, and we went straight to bed after we got back.

On Sunday, we left pretty early and drove for a few hours to the city. We spent the afternoon visiting a modern art museum, which had a lot of very strange installation and performance art. It was not my favorite art, to be honest, but I enjoyed it all the same. That night, that cute girl treated me to a very nice dinner.

The next morning, that cute girl had a job interview, so I lay in bed while she did that. Then, we visited the beach for a few hours. It was quite pleasant, warm sun and cool water. But then, it was time to say goodbye, and she drove off back to her home.

My parents picked me up shortly afterward, and we went to have another nice dinner--this time, I was the one treating them. It was delicious, but very expensive.

Now, at last, I am home (at my parents' house). I slept well last night, much better than I had been sleeping with that cute girl, and had a pleasant and relaxing day today. In the evening, my parents and I went to a local concert, where a small local band played some passable country music.

I think I'm getting sick, unfortunately. I'm so fatigued, and I have nasal drip irritating my throat. So very exhausted. I would like to stay awake, but I don't think I can, and I have to be energized enough to see a baseball game tomorrow. It's been a lot of activity lately.

[umichenginabroad]

WEEK 7: AMSTERDAM

Hallo everyone!! The end is so near, and I’m starting to feel very sentimental about leaving my host city of Prague. As our final trip together, my roomies and I headed to Amsterdam. I spent most of this past week in this amazing, vibrant, and perfect city, so this blog is dedicated to my experience in Amsterdam!!

With four Eurail pass days left, I made the (horrible but money-conscious) decision to train from Prague to Amsterdam. So 14 hours and 3 train transfers later, I arrived on Wednesday morning. Right off the bat, I was stunned by the layout of the city with rivers cutting through, the endless amount of bikers, the stylish fashion on the streets, and the diverse selection of restaurants and shops. I knew that biking was big in Amsterdam, but I was shocked to learn how bikeable the city was, with bike lanes existing on every street and the right-of-way favoring cyclists. Biking also cut our travel times to anywhere very significantly. From one place to another, walking might’ve taken around 30 minutes; tramming would be around 20 minutes; and biking was a pleasant 5 to 10 minutes.

On Wednesday, we explored the city and got our first taste of Amsterdam’s vibes. We went to Foodhallen Market for lunch, shopped around for a bit, and then chilled out in Vondelpark. Vondelpark is a picturesque and massive park that really exemplifies how lovely Amsterdam is. There were families playing games, couples enjoying picnics, ducks swimming in ponds, friends laughing and bathing in the sun. For dinner, we biked over to Linguini Jordaan for a delicious Italian meal. 

We woke up early on Thursday morning to get bagels and iced matchas. There are so many cool museums in Amsterdam, and the first one we hit was the Rijksmuseum. The collections of Vermeer paintings, miniature dollhouses, realism works, and Asian art caught my eye. The highlighted Van Gogh exhibition was also a great prelude to our Van Gogh Museum visit the next day. After shopping until we dropped again and making a pit stop at the Albert Cuyp Market, our reservations to a French restaurant called our names. Fresh oysters, grilled asparagus, a lamb steak, and a few glasses of wine revived me before we biked over to the river for a boat cruise. Our canal ride gave us a tour of the city’s rich history and beautiful sunset views. 

On Friday, we had another jam-packed day of more food, museums, and shopping. A huge highlight of this day was the Van Gogh Museum; it was probably one of the best art museums I’ve ever visited. Not only were his paintings beyond amazing, but the sheer volume of how many he painted in his lifetime, the layout of the whole museum, and the special exhibitions on display were just as impressive. Compared to the other cities that I’ve traveled to, Amsterdam easily takes the top spot for the most expensive place. In hindsight, I should’ve budgeted a little better for this trip, but I think that all the souvenirs, clothes, foods, and tickets that I bought here were well worth it. Checking my bank account on Friday hurt my soul a little, but it quickly passed with some Korean fried chicken and a loaded fruit bingsu dessert (this dinner satisfied my desperate cravings for Korean food). 

We filled Saturday with a visit to the Anne Frank house, a 15+ mile bike ride through Amsterdam’s countryside, and an authentic Dutch dinner at ‘T Heemelrijck. The long bike ride allowed me to reconnect with nature and appreciate the beautiful scenery straight out of a storybook. It also gave me another reason to love Amsterdam: biking just 15 minutes outside of the city center takes you to a whole other world. On Sunday, I grabbed an Italian sandwich to prepare for my 20 hour trip back to Prague. One bus and two trains successfully brought me back at 5 AM Monday morning. 

After spending five days in Amsterdam, I have come to the conclusion that I love this city so, so much. If I were to do another study abroad semester in the future (which is very likely), Amsterdam is definitely up there. Besides the high prices, I felt like the city was very liveable with lots of things to see and do. I would love to find myself in this city again, but for now, I will soak up the last bits of Prague for this final upcoming week! 

Jules Hwang

Industrial and Operations Engineering

Engineering in Prague

[jasminebutintaiwansojiemin]

July 16th, 2024 - The Palace Museum, Mongolian BBQ, Chiang Kai Shek’s residence

I really enjoyed today’s programming. I surprisingly like museums a lot, and the one today was no . It was really cool getting to see all the historical artifacts dating back hundreds, if not thousands of years.

I woke up this morning around 4am and ended up in a meeting at 6am that none of my friends or coordinator thought I’d be at, but then bullied me for being awake so early haha. After my meeting (and getting GREAT news), I went down and got breakfast where I ate whilst being on FaceTime with my friends. Afterwards, I went to he hotel’s gym and recorded some dance tutorials for the dance I’m choreographing for the Asian American Student Assembly in late August. It was mildly frustrating because my phone/ipad kept running out of space but i got most of part 1 filmed. The uploading was also pissing me off so I left it till later.

I then went and took a quick shower before hopping onto the bus for the day’ activities. We first went to the Palace Museum and got to see a lot of beautiful artifacts. I ended up buying a acupuncture folder for my mom, a koi fish print, and two pairs of chopsticks. After the museum, we went to a Mongolian BBQ + Hotpot place. It was pretty cool watching them cook on the flat top stoves and the food was really good (that reminds me that i still have guava in my backpack that i should probably take out before I forget. After lunch, we headed to Chiang Kai Shek’s residence where we got to see a lot of his house and compound. It reminded me a lot of my grandmother’s house, especially with it being in lush tropical mountainside. We then took the bus back to hotel.

After a bit of resting and working on homework, I went with some classmates back to Ximendi to go to do some shopping and get dinner. We first stopped at this two-story thrift store that was filled with name brand expensive pieces, but we left without anything because the prices were astronomical. Then we went to H&M, where I proceeded to get myself STUCK in a dress and quite literally rip myself out (I thought I was gonna die in it). After checking out, we went and got chicken at this supposedly fried chicken shop nearby (we lowkey started beefing with one the guys who worked there) before hitting a Watson’s really quick to buy eyelashes for tomorrow’s bar crawl. Then we took the train home where we may or may have not encountered a fellow classmate with an unusual lack of clothing perched on a piece of furniture in a interesting place…..Then i took a shower and got ready for bed.

Academic Reflection

The reading by Yi-Chi Huang talked about the imagined national identity of Taiwan, which I thought a lot about while visiting the museums and memorials we’ve been to lately. In my major (international studies), I’ve spent a lot of time learning about and interacting with discourse on imagined communities and identities (such as being ethnically Han Chinese or what it means to be “Japanese”). I’ve also written a couple essays on the history of Formosa and the different foreign occupations of Taiwan. Therefore to me, it’s only natural that the country would have a mixed identity with it’s unique history.

However, when visiting the Palace museum today, I but reflect on how Chinese everything felt. Of course, the items in the museum came from the Forbidden City in Mainland China. Yet as I toured the museum, it felt like the pieces made it seem like it was also Taiwan’s history. If one didn’t know any better, they’d think that Chinese culture is Taiwan’s only culture—which is not necessarily true. Taiwan is a mix of Indigenous, Chinese, and other foreign cultures all mashed together. Even walking down the street in Taipei, I sometimes forget that I’m in Taiwan and not some miscellaneous U.S. city. Yet, after learning more about Chiang Kai-shek and his supporters on this trip, I feel like maybe that’s the point. Perhaps the intention is to promote Chinese culture as Taiwan’s native culture. It’s definitely interesting to think about, especially in relation to other countries with big issues with ethnic erasure—such as Japan, Australia, and Mainland China.

[theninjasanctuary]

It's a bit sad how little I've managed to post in May and June, considering I've mostly been having a good time, and it would be good to recap that so I can remember later.

Threw myself a late birthday garden party towards the end of May, when the apple trees were still in bloom, the weather was lovely, as were my friends and fam who showed up, and we had nice food and a good time. This also served as summer garden party season prep, finding all the gear, dusting it off, etc. And so it was pretty easy to set up the solstice celebration garden party yesterday - pretty low-key, but sweet, with lovely weather and lots of blooming peonies. The ones I planted last August are not blooming yet this year, just gaining strength and hopefully growing strong roots in all the good soil, perhaps I can hope for a few blossoms next summer?

Thought to myself that the current year seems to be pretty good to me, all things considered. I'm making decent amounts of money, work is going okay-ish, and I'm not super-stressed about my prospects at the moment, Mom's doing okay, keeping busy, taking care of her place and enjoying life, and can cat-sit when we travel. I'm aware all of this might not last, I'm obviously in line to be the primary caretaker should Mom's health decline, and I cannot be too certain about my career outlook. And, well, apparently my big brother's marriage is in crisis and the drama might spill over even though they live in a different country, so who knows, might not have the peaceful second half of the year I hoped for.

The work trip to NYC and New Haven went kind of well. I didn't get sick, which alone is a massive upgrade compared to the last time I went to the US. The flight experience was so-so; picking a seat yourself is now ridiculously expensive (40+ €, do fuck off with that, Finnair), so I went with randomly assigned seat each direction, and of course they were in the middle 4-seat section of the cabin. On the flight over, had the middle row 4 seats all to myself, which wasn't too bad, but on the way back, the plane was pretty full, and I'd been placed into the extra legroom row in one of the middle seats, and after boarding was completed, a random dude made a beeline for the empty middle seat next to me because of the extra legroom, so then I was sandwiched between him and a hefty lady for the entirety of the flight; I was fuming internally, but also exhausted, and somehow managed to sleep for most of the nearly 9 hours. Another grumble about Finnair, they've cut the meal service so you get one meal for the transatlantic flight, and then a round of coffee or tea with an option of buying snacks - and the selection is really unappealing. On the way over, I had packed a couple of snacks, which helped. The leg back home left 11ish in the evening, and the served a warm meal at midnight NYC time or early morning destination time, and loads of people actually refused that, probably without realizing this would be the only meal on offer, because transatlantic overnight flights always used to serve breakfast before. I woke up enough to eat, although the food was less than impressive. It's a good thing we'd had a decent dinner at a Thai restaurant before leaving for the airport.

I had a work friend on the same flights, staying at the same hotel, which was even better than I expected, since it turns out he's a bit of an alpha dog when it comes to travelling, does his homework, knows exactly where to go, etc. Usually I have to do all of that, so having someone else lead the way was an interesting change. And he's chill, and a foodie, so it was nice to have someone to go to dinner with. We didn't hang out the entire time though. I shopped a little bit and very blandly (this is highly on brand), but mostly spent time diligently visiting art museums. Spent an entire day at the Met, but I think even so I only saw about 70% of their display, and that's with just walking through a lot of the rooms. Overall, more relaxed and less anxious than previous trips to the US have made me. The last time I'd been to NYC was 10 years ago, and it was stressful, with a work friend who I've since confirmed dislikes me, so it felt good to get a do-over with far less worries.

Stayed in three hotels; the NYC one was the smallest and most expensive, but clean, neat and fine, and very conveniently located, I'd gladly go back. At New Haven, the first two nights were at a four-star hotel, and they gave me an upgrade (I'm assuming they were overbooked for standard rooms and had to bump some people up; I'm cute, well spoken and take the trouble to sign up to memberships, which presumably helps). So I had a plush corner room with two walls of windows and a giant bed all to myself, it was bigger than the first apartment the boyf and I rented together. And I ordered room service one night, too, fish tacos with finger limes, I think it was the best thing I ate all trip and my mouth waters just thinking about it. Had to move hotels for the final night to a three-star one, and that was a standard room, but also rather nice. My body was trying to sabotage the entire thing by rescheduling my period, and I actually managed to leak through a tampon & Uniqlo period panties whilst sleeping there - not much, and it was on the sheets, not mattress or duvet, so I had to do some very-early-morning, half-asleep emergency washing in the sink, but hey, an anxious overpacker like me had brought a tiny bottle of stain remover that's very effective against blood stains (it's been in my travel bathroom kit just in case for a while). So that was another example of a dreaded thing actually happening to me, and managing to deal with it and move on.

All three hotels had flattering bathroom mirrors. And then I came home and weighed myself and set a new record. OTL

And it would be nice to get the expenses paid on location refunded to me ASAP (submitting all the paperwork was a hassle, but I hope everything is acceptable).

[ireceived-p8250000]

April 20-26, 2014

It’s Easter, so there wasn’t much going on. We stayed at home practically the whole time. Mom and I made dumplings. I told Roxanne to apologize to Dad. She did, but Dad wasn’t happy with it.

My driving lessons resumed for two days only, until Tuesday. Then I had my teeth cleaned and my hair waxed by a professional.

Dad and Roxanne were really not getting along.

I was now welcome at Mansoor’s home, so I went there. His parents were out for work, so we were just in his bedroom. We were exploring some websites and watched a movie. Then we found ourselves kissing again. He started touching my breasts again. We got heated and was almost naked. Just with my bra and jeans.

Friday was my flight to Hanoi. So Thursday morning, I set out to travel to Pasay.

I traveled and arrived at 8 PM. I had to ride an express bus to the airport. By 9 PM, I checked in and all I had to do was wait.

On Friday, I boarded the flight at 1 AM. The flight was only 4 hours. I arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, but I had to find my hostel. The main transportation options were taxi or motorcycle.

I went to sleep ahead. I woke up and went to explore the city.

Saturday, I went around for the last time before taking a sleeper train to Ho Chi Minh City.

April 25-26, 2014: Exploring Hanoi

After arriving at Noi Bai International Airport early Friday morning, I quickly found a taxi to my hostel in Hanoi. Despite the early hour, the city was already buzzing with activity. After checking in, I took a quick nap to recharge before setting out to explore.

By mid-morning, I was ready to immerse myself in the sights and sounds of Hanoi. I started my day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a must-see landmark. The imposing structure was a testament to Vietnam's history, and the surrounding gardens provided a peaceful escape from the bustling city streets.

From there, I walked to the One Pillar Pagoda, one of Vietnam's most iconic temples. Its unique architecture and serene surroundings made for a calming experience. I continued my journey with a stop at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university. The beautiful courtyards and ancient buildings were a perfect backdrop for some quiet reflection.

Lunch was a delightful bowl of pho at a local street vendor. The flavors were incredible, and I could see why this dish is so beloved. With a full stomach, I headed to the Old Quarter, the heart of Hanoi. The narrow streets were filled with vendors selling everything from souvenirs to delicious street food. I couldn't resist buying a few trinkets to bring back home.

In the afternoon, I visited the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to learn more about the country's diverse cultures. The exhibits were fascinating, and I spent several hours exploring the museum. As the sun began to set, I made my way to Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake was beautiful at dusk, and the Ngoc Son Temple in the middle added to the picturesque scene.

For dinner, I treated myself to a meal at a small restaurant recommended by locals. The bun cha was delicious, and I enjoyed every bite. After dinner, I strolled around the lake again, this time enjoying the lively night market that had sprung up. The vibrant atmosphere was a perfect end to my first day in Hanoi.

Saturday morning, I decided to visit the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the "Hanoi Hilton." The museum offered a sobering glimpse into the country's history, and it was a poignant reminder of Vietnam's turbulent past.

Next, I visited the Hanoi Opera House, an architectural gem that showcased the city's French colonial influence. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos before heading to my next destination: the bustling Dong Xuan Market. The market was a sensory overload, with vendors shouting and the smell of fresh produce and spices filling the air. I picked up a few snacks for my upcoming journey.

In the afternoon, I took a cyclo ride around the French Quarter, marveling at the elegant buildings and tree-lined boulevards. The ride ended at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where I watched a traditional water puppet show. The performance was captivating, and it was a wonderful way to experience Vietnamese culture.

As the day came to a close, I headed back to my hostel to pack up my things. I grabbed a quick dinner at a nearby eatery, savoring my last meal in Hanoi. With my bags in hand, I made my way to the train station, ready for the next leg of my journey.

Boarding the sleeper train to Ho Chi Minh City, I settled into my berth and reflected on my time in Hanoi. The city had been a whirlwind of activity, culture, and history, and I couldn't wait to see what adventures awaited me in the south. As the train pulled out of the station, I fell asleep to the gentle rocking of the carriage, dreaming of the days ahead.

[wetladss]

Day 34 - Rome

We went for a morning walk and went looking for breakfast. Thalia wanted to get some pastry but the bakeries were average so I convinced her to go to the supermarket Carrfour and get a roast chicken instead. Good breakfast meal and actually ate a fair bit of it before heading to the airport. We arrived in Rome and caught the train into the city. Checked in and headed out for a walk. We headed off to find the best gelato and stopped at one nearby. It was delicious. Raspberry and peanut butter for me which was really nice but a bit pricey and small. But I did learn that good gelato either has lids or is really low down in the cooling system to keep it fresh. It also looks dense and would explore other gelato’s later. We saw the Trevi fountain afterwards which was packed but my professional photography keeps people out of the pics. We walked and saw the Pantheon which was pretty epic to see because it was 2000ish years old and still in good condition. Seemed to be the only building in great condition from that long ago. We got some great pizza. Square bases that are sold by weight. Really nice and crunchy base. Then I walked and saw the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. Speccy newer building celebrating the dude who united Italy. Then I had a look at the colosseum from the outside which was awesome to see and experience. Cool history all around. Really enjoyed that. Then head back home. Had some awfully rich pasta on the way back which wasn’t better than Dads carbonara. Then off to sleep.

Day 35

We headed off and walked around the city. I Stopped at a coffee spot Thalia liked and next to it was a cigarette and cigar shop next door which had more brands than I had ever seen. Headed off to look at the colosseum again that day and booked some tickets to go inside later. Walked around and checked out the old ruins a bit before getting a nice big breakfast of bacon and egg pancakes and a açai bowl. Then headed off to try a frozen coffee which was way too powerful for me and wrecked me a bit. It was cream and slushy coffee which was interesting. Thalia loved it. We peaked inside the pantheon before heading back to the accommodation to escape the midday heat a bit and cool down. We grabbed a gelato on the way which was near the Trevi fountain which was delicious. Best one yet. Flavors being pistachio and lemon. Later on we headed to the colosseum and went inside. Really cool to see and imagine it in its prime. Great mini museum inside as well to tell its history and show off some artifacts and models of it. We went and grabbed the best pizza in Rome from Florida pizza. This was delicious. Same as before where you pay by weight. Works out cheap and tasty. Crunchy bases. Carbonara type one. Pistachio and ham. Then a basil tomato one. Afterwards more gelato which was great and then spent the rest of the afternoon walking next to the river seeing the old castle and from a distance the popes house. We watched the sunset from a hill in the city then headed back home to sleep after a huge day.

Day 36 - Naples

We woke up and caught up with a friend from Tasmania whose lover was Italian so she had been living in Italy and was visiting Rome for the weekend. Had Breaky with them before heading off on a train to Naples. We arrived in the afternoon. City was a bit more loose. We had a lovely Airbnb in a dodgy bit of town. Great bakery nearby and experienced a delicious pastry which was really crunchy and filled with ricotta and cream. We then went for a walk and explored the city. Grab some classic Naples pizza. It was good but I enjoyed the Barcelona and Rome pizza more.

Day 37

We woke up and got more delicious pastries for breakfast provided by the hosts. It was way too rich the second time around though. Too early. We then caught a ferry to one of the nearby islands called Ischia. Brought some nice sandwiches which at the time seemed great but he put in like 6 huge mozzarella balls which was way too much but the rest of the filling was delicious. We headed to the other side of the island by bus as they had hot springs on a coastline between two hills which sat on a rocky beach. It was really nice. Hard to get consistent temperatures as you could feel some insanely hot spot steaming and then other spots kept changing due to the sea being connected to it all. Cool area. And the temperature difference between the coast and 10 meters away was very different so there must have been a lot of heat being pumped out. We ate sandwiches there and relaxed there for the day before heading back to Naples. We then went and got takeaway ragu for dinner which is like a slow cooked tomato based meat sauce on pasta or without tomato and just onion sauce. This was really delicious and I really enjoyed eating it.

Day 38

We rested a bit this day as I still had my lingering sickness a bit and really enjoyed the comforts of the Airbnb. We headed out around 1 and had some açai bowls and Breaky bowls before I went back to rest in Rome and Thalia went pole dancing. After that we grabbed some ragu again along with a pizza for takeaway and walked up the hill where the castle overlooks the city. We ate the food while watching the sunset. It was a really nice moment. Then we headed back to the accommodation.

Day 39 - Pepe In Grani

We checked out and caught a train to the nearby town Caiazzo. We were a small town inland from Naples and it was really nice going to a quiet town after a big city like Naples which isn’t the cleanest and has a bit of poverty going on. Caiazzo was a beautiful little town on a hill surrounded by farms and nature. But the main thing is that it had one of the best pizzas in the world so we had a booking for that night. We didn’t eat much that day so we could eat more for dinner and lashed out a bit. Got a bottle of Italian wine and ordered 3 pizzas and 2 fried pizzas and one dessert. It was really enjoyable. The flavors being great mostly I recon due to the fresh ingredients from the area. My favorite being a blueberry blue cheese, honey and walnut. It was like a delicious cheese player on a pizza. The fried pizza was great as well and had the iconic Margherita pizza. Time flew by and we were there for a bit over 2 hours. Such a nice dinner and was the best pizza in the fresh delicious product. Also felt light and clean compared to other pizzas. We had a nice night.

[pbandjesse]

Were at my parent's house! And just like that, our Christmas trip begins.

I tried to be in good spirits today but it was. Hard. I was not as frazzled as yesterday but I wasn't feeling my best and was very quick to get upset. A lot of it was that I did not sleep great. It wasn't the worst ever but it wasn't very good. I woke up uncomfortable and feeling vaguely gross.

So I started the day with a very good shower and washing my hair. This helped the grossness and most of the uncomfortable. But I felt a little bit directionless. I didn't want to sit in waiting mode all day. I wanted to feel like I accomplished something. But this was hard.

After I got dressed I checked my bag and felt like I had everything. I would end up forgetting my fleece which has me a little upset. But there are worst things. I will be okay. We always forget something on a trip.

I had a roll for breakfast. I would end up having many rolls today. Food was entirely to hard. And then I went to fill my cup and I couldn't get the lid off and I was beside myself upset. And I know it was very silly but I was very very close to absolutely falling apart over this even thought I knew it was so not a big deal. But it felt like the end of the world.

I would calm down and try to be rational after hitting the cup on the counter a few times trying to loosen the lid. Instead of throwing the cup I got a different cup. It wasn't the same. But I would feel better after having some caffeine.

I decided to take my suitcase down to the car and then walk to the Walgreens. Get some fresh air. And on my way out I saw Mr Will was there and asked him if he could open my cup. And so he did!! He's the best.

He also carries my suitcase to the car. And I couldn't help but tell him about us moving. He said he would come and check it out when we have the keys. He's so happy for us. He also thought I said we were moving to Paris and that was very funny. He's such a sweet man.

We had to move around some stuff in the car to fit my suitcase. But we would figure that out together. And then I was off.

I walked to Walgreens and looked around for a bit. I for a few small things. And smelled the lotions and read packages. But then I was in my way back home. I had been texting my brother about handing over the gift I made him. He's been really struggling making time for things so I really hope he does come tomorrow morning. I haven't seen him in so long. I know life is crazy but I wish he could make the time. I just want the best for him. But selfishly I also want to see my brother.

When I got back home Mr Will was waiting for Ms Tina in the hallway. I stood and talked to him for a bit. And when Tina came in she was hugs all around. My neighbor Carson was on his way out. It was a very festive atmosphere. Everyone was in a good mood.

Tina would have chocolate and cards for every apartment. And she wished me and James safe travels for Christmas. I really appreciated that. She's a very good person.

Will would come in to disconnect our oven. Which was embarrassingly filthy but he said to not bother cleaning it because he is going to replace it soon. I went and got him a pair of vice grips to disconnect the gas. And after his pushed everything back in place he wished me a Happy Christmas and we had a big hug before he left. He did stop to play with sweetp for a while but Sweetp is great so this tracks.

I would spent the next couple hours reading and reading and trying to feel normal. I texted James that I wished we could leave for my parents earlier. So it was decided I would go meet them at the museum and we would leave right away. This made me really happy and excited.

Sweetp was sleeping. So for once getting him in thee carrier was not an absolute nightmare. He fought it a little but it was very quick and he was safely in the box. I gathered everything I knew I needed to grab. And then we were off to the museum to get James.

I had left a little early. And so when I got to the museum I went to fill up my water and ran into Stanley. I was very happy to see him. And Meril. And when James came back to the desk I was happy to see them too. Then I asked if they would like anything to eat for the road. And was off to get us sandwiches.

I would come back after getting our food and rearranged the car a little in the parking lot. I would eventually come up to the door and come inside to chat with Meril about the house while James finished up.

And then we were in the road! And we made great time.

We would discover pretty quickly the few small things we forgot. But it was fine. We will survive. It was not a bad ride at all. Sweetp had cried on the entire walk to the car but he was very quiet after that. Just sitting in his carrier. We listened to podcast. I ate my sandwich. When we eventually had some traffic to sit in, James would eat theirs. And it was not a bad drive at all.

We got here at 630. And I was so happy to see my parents. I don't know if it came across but I was thrilled to be here. And it was a lot of fun sitting and talking about house stuff and logistics and moving. The dogs were being kind of a lot. Scaring Sweetp. But he would hold his own and would be okay.

Mom would make dad a salad and me and James would have cereal and fruit, respectively. And it was just a really nice evening.

I got to show them our wedding book finally and it was fun to reminisce. But eventually everyone was getting tired. Dad would go to bed. And James would start to wind down.

I went to sit in the basement with my mom for a while. And we would talk about the animals and my ideas for building things and timelines for projects. How they are proud of me, of us, and that feels really good.

I also was encouraged to hear how their health is doing a little better or at least in the right direction. Dad's walking better. Mom's seeing a doctor. It's good. It gives me some amount of comfort.

Me and mom also talked about the plan for when her and my Aunt Nadine come to visit next month. I am very excited to host them but I also don't want to completely wear them out. So I think I have a solid plan that will fill the days but not be to much. I am excited to spend time with them. That's the only resource you can't get back. Time.

Eventually I decided it was time for me to get a shower and get to writing this post. And get ready to go to sleep. It was a long day.

And tomorrow will be even longer. So I hope I can get some sleep.

Happy Christmas Adam everyone. I love you all. Goodnight!

[travelena]

Greece 🇬🇷

Day 1 - Crete

Stayed in Chania near the port, it is so calm and beautiful in the mornings before things open up. Well worth a walk around in the mornings but don't expect restaurants to open until ~10.

Drove to Elafonisi Beach - the water was so gorgeous and blue. It is famous for pink sand but the sand wasn't that pink in real life. Still so worth a visit. We swam so much, make sure to walk all around including past to the other side of the sand dunes. We had an amazing dinner at Taverna Stomio on the way back, it had such a cute outdoor area with animals in the courtyard. The food was so fresh and it was clearly family run. Of course they followed customs with a shot of ouzzo after dinner and they brought lots of complimentary watermelon for dessert before we left.

Some good places in Chania that I researched: Bohéme (bar), Pallas (good rooftop fancy restaurant), Tamam (restaurant), Pulse vegan, Adespoto Music Taverna, The Well of the Turk, Salis, Chrisostomos, The Five Restaurant, Matzénta kuzina del sol, Maiami, Thalassino Ageri

Day 2 - Crete

Spent the day at Falassarna Beach - felt like more of a local vibe. Gorgeous clear water with stunning views of surrounding rock formations. Then spent the evening enjoying Chania including shopping at the markets and leather stores, walking around the water/old venetian port, getting drinks at Bohéme (cute garden bar), and enjoying a really nice dinner at Pallas on the rooftop.

Day 3 - Crete

Samaria Gorge hike! This was a doozy. We woke very early to start our hike when the park opened around 8AM. Very steep steps down for the first 1.5-2 hrs. About 1/2 way through the hike once in the gorge my mom fell twisting her ankle, which ended up being broken. The only options are hiking your way out or getting donkey to carry you out; they go twice a day. She ended up hiking her way out another 5 miles! Then we ended the hike at a very nice black sand beach Agia Roumeli with super blue water. Logistically pretty hard to coordinate because you need to reserve a ferry from the end of the hike (Agia Roumeli) to another town (Sougia) where you can catch a KTEL bus (from Sougia-Omalos) to the start of the hike and then we drove back in the dark which was treacherous because there were so many goats sitting in the road without any lights! A very crazy day. The gorge itself was nice, but we learned after the fact that people get very hurt there and someone ended up needing their leg amputated due to a rock slide crush injury. You should book tickets on the ferry and bus ahead of time because you don't want to be stranded!

Day 4 - Crete

We spent this day driving from Chania to Heraklion with a stop in Rethimno along the way. Could've spent more time exploring Rethimno, especially the Venetian Fortezza Castle! However, in terms of the old town and vibe I preferred Chania, Rethimno felt too touristy. There was a cute Rimondi Fountain there and a nice Neratze Mosque. Once in Heraklion we went to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum where they had the famous cuneiform tablet. We had a great dinner at Ippokampos near the water in town (Kastella next door also looked good).

Day 5 - Santorini

Caught a morning ferry from Heraklion to Santorini which took ~2h. Then got dropped off at our lodging in Fira. We walked around Fira a bit and then caught a bus to Oia where we walked some more, had a nice lunch and cocktail and caught a gorgeous sunset. Beware, people start lining up for sunset 2-3h early in Oia and the streets are mobbed.

Day 6 - Santorini

Had an absolutely perfect day in Santorini starting with the Fira to Oia walk which took a few hours and had gorgeous views throughout. Then we ended in Ammoudi Bay at Ammoudi Fish Tavern where we had a very fancy fish lunch where you pick out your whole fish and they cook it for you. Very much for the experience. This is the bay in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants where Lena draws and jumps in and also gets caught on the wire in the sea. I loved every second of it!! Then we took a donkey up the stairs - they call it Santorini Ferrari! Then we caught a bus back to Fira and enjoyed sunset on our balcony that had a great caldera view and a restaurant nearby with live music that floated up to us during the experience. There truly is no bad view in Santorini. However, the crowds and prices in Santorini are insane. There are cruise ships that dump hundreds of people every day who mob the streets.

Day 7 - Santorini

Woke up to see the sunrise from our balcony - sooooo nice! Then had some breakfast and coffee at Volkan on the Rocks which had a nice view and plays Mamma Mia nightly at their outdoor theater which I totally would've done if I knew! and want to the port to catch our ferry to Milos. unfortunately, the seas were very rough and our ferry was delayed by >3hr and was almost canceled. Thankfully we made it on but the seas were very rough. Ate at Nostos Seafood Experience

Day 8 - Milos

Wanted to go on a boat trip to Kleftiko to see the most amazing rock formations and swim in the bright blue water. However, the water was predicted to be very rough and after the ferry journey the night before we decided to forgo this trip. There is a hiking option there but my mom's ankle hindered us from doing that, we also heard there are venomous snakes on that hike. So we went to Venus de Milo (statue of aphrodite of Milos) and then walked around Klima at the bottom which was colorful and cute. Then we went to Sarakiniko beach which felt like we were on the moon!! It was so cool. Hard to hike up to the top parts though without sneakers. It was also super windy - I wished it was calmer so I could do some cliff jumping. Then we went to Firiplaka Beach which was so gorgeous and shallow with nice waves and red rock backdrop. Then we went to watch sunset in Plaka - the best place to view sunset is from is the back balcony of Church of Panagia Korfiatissa. Then we went to dinner at O! Hamos! which was one of the most memorable dinners. It was clearly family run and everything was very fresh. They gave a really nice submarine dessert at the end which was so cool, like a sweet taffy-like thing submerged in a cup of water.

We stayed at Santa Maria Village Resort & Spa and really liked it - had a great breakfast spread

Day 9 - Milos

Woke up and went to Firopotamos with very cool ruins of a doorway and super clear blue water. Then we went to Mandrakia where we could walk on the little boat ports that individual families have. Then we went to Paleochori Beach which was nice to swim in but got deep pretty fast and had bigger pebbles, but the sand had underground hot spring pockets which was such a cool natural feature. Then we had to catch a ferry to Athens. Once we got to Athens we had dinner at ***.

Day 10 - Athens

Spent the morning walking around the Plaka neighborhood and around the Acropolis. We didn't enter the Acropolis since there was so much construction but went to a lookout with the view of the main columns in the back. We also walked around the outside of Hadrian's Library. Could definitely spend more time exploring the ruins of Athens and more neighborhoods. Then headed to the airport.

Tips:

You MUST stay on the Caldera side when visiting Satorini

Bring zofran or motion sickness medicine if choosing the ferry option between islands. Beware of rough seas and cancellations/delays, allow extra time in your itinerary for logistic changes and consider flying instead but know that all flights between islands stop in athens which is so inconvenient

In Santorini it would be fun to go to an outdoor movie at Volkan on the Rocks at night!

Definitely go to O! Hamos! in Milos, there will def be a wait in the summer months but it is worth it for sure

Would have tried to go to some other famous Crete beaches such as Paralias Plaka,

[holidayvisa]

27 December 2023

I woke up early today, at 7am. This is the first morning in two weeks that I've woken up before 9am. I've been sleeping in every day the past two weeks. I set my alarm, and I got up and walked to the beach, hoping that I'd be able to attend the surf lesson today. I hadn't heard back from the surf shop about whether or not I was slotted in for the 8am surf lesson today. So, I showed up to Dee Why beach at 7:45am, hoping to find the surfing instructor, but no such luck. No worries! Since I was already up and at the beach, I went for a run. I ran all the way up and back down the beach, stopping to stretch. Once I got back to Dee Why, I decided to go for a swim in the ocean! It felt really nice to play in the waves and body-surf the waves. I lost my shorts a couple times 😂 but managed to get them back on without anyone seeing my full moon. I swam for about 30 or 40 minutes, and the cool water felt refreshing in the heat and sun. I went back to the house after 10am and video chatted with the Whitehouses. Josh arrived today, so everyone is there now. I chatted with them for a while, and they told me about their Christmas. It started thundering really loudly with bright flashes of lightning, and it even started to hail here. I ate some brunch, and I took a little nap. Around 4:30, after the thunder and rain and hail had stopped, I went for another run up and down Dee Why beach and another swim in the ocean. Oh my gosh, it feels so good to get exercise and sunlight and fresh air. I got back from my second run/swim after 7pm. Daniel made some more of his vegan pasta dish, which we all ate while watching some segment about a wax museum in the UK. We weren't really watching closely, mostly talking but we'd tune in for some of the fun parts. I learned that Marie used to be an iconographer, living in a monastery and making icons. Daniel told me about some of his Las Vegas adventures from when he was there this past year.

I'm grateful for the motivation to wake up early. I'm grateful for runs on the sand. I'm grateful to be able to play in the waves. I'm grateful for the time to video chat and laugh with my family in West Virginia. I'm grateful for Daniel's cooking. I feel so good that I got so much exercise today and spent so much time outside; I'm grateful for that feeling. I'm grateful for the sunlight and the fresh air.

[laurensjapanadventure]

May 28- Asakusa

It's crazy to believe that this was one of the best days of my life and it is only the first day in Japan. This morning I woke up (an hour too early on accident) and ate a Japanese-style breakfast. The food was really good, especially the miso soup. I was surprised how much I liked it considering I'm a very picky eater. We had a brief orientation and received our Suica cards for the train. We visited Asakusa and it was so beautiful. There were so many shops/vendor stands nearby. I purchased strawberry and chocolate mochi at one. The strawberries here are so fresh. I purchased a fortune (like I had seen on YouTube) and mine was labeled "medium" but it was pretty negative. It told me I wouldn't get a job, won't find what I'm looking for, won't find love and that I shouldn't travel. If that's "medium" I don't even want to know what bad would be. I bought two talismans (one for academic success and the other for my wishes to come true) to combat my negative fortune. I washed my hands with the fountain, gave 10 yen as an offering, and prayed to the temple. After this, Bianca, Emily, Brian and I went to get lunch. We went to the Farm Cafe, a vegan restaurant I had seen online. It was really small so we had to wait a long time to be seated. Once we did eat, it was really good. On the way there I got the best black tea strawberry smoothie.

We met up with the rest of the group after to head to the Edo museum. The Edo museum was really cool with loads of photo opportunities. They also had a cute cat mascot that had posters leading us all across the subway. Emily and I didn't realize that the cat was the mascot for the Edo museum and joked about how we were seeing it everywhere. Once I got there, I had to purchase a little keychain of the cat to commemorate it. The museum was really informative but brief. I really enjoyed the recreation of the Edo houses and got some great photos.

After the Edo Museum, Ana, Emily and I headed to the Tokyo Skytree. We were left behind by the group we wanted to go with, but it actually worked out perfectly because we found things we wouldn't have found otherwise. Once there, we realized it was like a huge shopping center. Ana and I spent all day shopping and visiting all the stores. I was so ecstatic to see the Studio Ghibli store and put loads of exclusive merchandise. After checking out, I was amazed how cheap everything was (especially considering what I had been paying online for similar merchandise). We ordered takeout at the Kirby cafe (I got pizza) and continued to shop. I bought a kuromi mofusand plush at the Sanrio store for way cheaper than I saw it online (it was also the last one). I went to the Shonen Jump store, it was nice to look at but none of the merchandise was super appealing. I got some small blind bag prints (I got Megumi, Gojo and Nobara so I was very happy). It was really cool to be in these spaces with other people who loved anime. I ran into the Ultraman store and bought my dad a few gifts and trinkets. I also finally got to use a gacha machine like I had seen online in order to get him a mini figure. I got another strawberry treat to finish the day with ice cream and a tart for later. Ana and I tried to head home but got lost on the train and ended up in Aoto but we found our way back. It was stressful but I was grateful to get home after an amazing day.

[3monthsineurope]

August 9, 2022

Tuesday morning Ingvar and I woke up early, around 5. We both had early morning flights/trains. I went over the directions one more time with Ingvar, and he felt confident with getting to the airport and meeting up with Nico. We both left some of our things at Zach’s apartment, since we would be only be gone about a day.

Ingvar got on his bus to the Ealing station, and then onto Heathrow and then Hanover to Nico. I left a little after Ingvar and heading to the Ealing Station, then onto King’s Cross, where I would catch the train to Edinburgh. I was so excited to go to Edinburgh because I hadn’t been somewhere new in ages! Iris had been to Edinburgh and so had Catherine, and both of them had loved it! I made it to King’s Cross and had time to grab coffee and a disappointing grilled cheese.

I sat around for a bit, and then it was time to board my train to Edinburgh! I had a reserved seat and settled in for about a four and a half hours train ride. I love riding on the train! I spent the time listening to music, looking out the window at the coastline, and blogging a bit. It was a really lovely ride.

I arrived in Edinburgh, so excited! I only had my carry on roller bag and purse. I had booked a hostel near the Royal Mile, the main tourist street that runs through Edinburgh from the Edinburgh Castle and the palace. I hiked up a really long ally of stairs, and pretty easily found my hostel. The hostel was an old jail, how cool is that?! I booked a pod in a six pod room. The bed was built into the wall, making a private pod for each person.

When I checked into the hostel, my room wasn’t actually ready. I left my luggage in the basement, in a locked room, and headed outside to find my tour. I had signed up for a walking tour of the city! 1pm was the last one available and I barely made it in time, but I did! The walking tour was with a large group and a Scottish man was our guide. The area was actually really busy, because apparently I was visiting during a huge art festival called “Fringe”. The walking tour was free and lasted about one and a half hours. It was a really beautiful day!

The waking tour took us all around the Royal Mile area. We saw a beautiful church and the cafe where J.K. Rowling continued to write the Harry Porter series. Our guide recommended some good restaurants, and we learned that Scotland’s flag has a unicorn on it, and Wales has a dragon. We learned a lot about Scotland and England’s history and relationship, and about Bobby the dog, a sort of mascot of Edinburgh.

After tipping the guide for his time (and since it was a free tour), I left the group and headed to the National Museum of Scotland. It was free to visit so I spent a bit of time exploring their seven floors. I went up to the roof and took photos of the city, then decided to head back to the hostel to actually check in and see my room. I changed and freshened up, then met two girls traveling separately in my room. I chatted with them for a bit, headed back out to explore. I spend a few hours exploring more of the Royal Mile. I walked down one side of the street, and up the other. I stopped in almost every touristy shop, and Starbucks for a mug for Mom and a small mug Christmas ornament for me. I stopped for a very sweet treat of an ice cream sandwich made with donuts! I got my favorite candy bar flavor, Kinder Bueno. It was so tasty! I explored a few side streets and loved how so many storefronts were decorated with fake flowers and vines.

I decided it was time for some dinner, so I went to a few restaurants, trying to get a meal. Since the Fringe festival was happening and it was a weekend, so many restaurants were full and on a wait. I ended up finding a spot at the bar in a bar called The Albanach. I chatted with a nice middle aged man, tried four different types of Scotch whiskey (wow, they were strong!), and ate some bangers and mash. I chatted with the really cool bartender and bought a shirt, then walked around a little bit more. I decided it was time to call it a night. I walked back to the hostel, had a beer in the lobby, and got ready for bed. I was bummed my day was over in Scotland, but I knew I would be coming back. I got cozy in my sleeping pod and fell right asleep. :]