#i would absolutely adore an actual useful rail system in this country

[kariganleclair]

It always baffles me when people say things like there's no money in rail and it's so slow. Clearly (and I really shouldn't be surprised by this) they have forgotten that many of those Gilded Age business tycoons they hold up as paragons of capitalism built the empires they had on railways, both by building them and using them. Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was richer than Bill Gates ever thought of being, was a shipping and railroad magnate. His youngest son, George Vanderbilt, who inherited a paltry $10 million from his father built the damn Biltmore Estate with railroad money. You want to know what is literally just on the other side of the river from that? That's right a large railyard that has several large freight trains that go through it on a regular basis. Asheville as we know it today was built around the railroad and transportation industry which allowed for TOURISM to become a major industry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by MAKING IT EASIER AND MORE AFFORDABLE for people to go places and have money to spend. Hey look, more economical impact. But since the rail industry has faded into the golden glow of nostalgia, relegated to being conceived as a quaint, slow, dying industry and Americans are all about the next new shiny thing (if ever there was a poster child country for ADD it's us), it's easy enough to go along with the governments need for fast cash for the short term rather than taking the time and effort to invest in long term endeavors that would actually benefit us well into the future, but since they are largely old, rich, white guys who are looking at living only another decade or so, they don't give a damn about the rest of us or one of the industries that built this country, for both good and bad. No, I am not salty about this at all.

So do people realize that we aren't building new train tracks when we expand the amteak network, I have multiple times seen people say that we shouldn't expand the network because it would destroy protected lands, which would be a fair criticism but Amtrak doesn't build new tracks, we use existing tracks. We are not destroying protected lands, we are using land that has already been clear for a century

[youreacowgirllikeme]

Objection

Note: I’m a sucker for AUs, so here is a Lawyer!Chris fic nobody asked for, the plot (or whatever) is veery loosely inspired by this book I’m reading atm (The Hating Game) and by the the fact that Chris talking about lawyer stuff is incredibly hot to me

Warning: swearing (a lot), smut, Chris bashing (for the story line, pls don’t take this seriously, I adore this man to death), NSFW, slight exhibitionism

Plus another warning, I am not a lawyer or trained in any other legal profession, so if there are inaccuracies in the way I used certain terms I am sorry

„Objection, your honor, this is hearsay!” you shouted, shooting a furious glance over to the defense table, and to the absolute menace standing in front of it.

Chris Cuomo. The most obnoxious, arrogant, loud-mouthed asshole you ever had the misfortune to meet in court. He was a senior partner at one of New York’s most prestigious law firms, specialized on getting their wealthy clients out of everything from tax fraud to outright corruption.

This man stood for everything that, in your opinion, was wrong with the justice system and this country in general. Everything about him screamed elitist, boarding school, frat boy, preppy rich guy that had everything handed to him on a silver platter. He flaunted his famous last name around whenever he had the chance and it got him right to the top of the business.

You, on the opposite, went to law school on a scholarship, worked your ass of and now practiced law working for the district attorney to prosecute and convict the very people Cuomo tried to kept out of jail to afford the ridiculous Upper East Side Penthouse he probably had. You tried to push the fact that he was one of the most brilliant lawyers you knew aside, because you just hated him. No respect, no admiration for his legal genius, he was the bane of your existence fair and square.

You clashed heads in court more than once, and by now he knew exactly how to rile you up, smug bastard. His current client was accused of tax and investment fraud of incredible extent, and there he was, trying to discredit your main witness in front of the jury with some ridiculous accusations about them having a personal vendetta against the defendant. You saw your case crumbling in front of you as the witness got tangled up in Cuomo’s relentless questioning, stumbling over their own words, their credibility shrinking with each minute.

He did what he did best, lulling in people with his charm and striking when they least expected it. And he always did it with his disgusting smile on his disgustingly handsome face. Yes, of course he had to be a hot, fit, well-built asshole, making your professional life miserable at every chance he got.

Sometimes, he even had the audacity to wink at you. In court. During a trial. You wanted to punch him in his perfect face more than anything else.

The judge disrupted your thoughts.

“Dismissed, Ms. Y/L/N, and mind your tone in my courtroom. And Mr. Cuomo, please keep your questions professional or this interrogation will be over.” The judge said, shooting the both of you a warning glance.

“No more questions anyway, your honor, I think the jury heard it all.” Cuomo said, and almost strutted back to the defense table. And with a look over to the jury, you knew he was probably right. They eyed your witness suspiciously, and you almost wanted to stomp down out of pure rage. The fucker just destroyed your chance for a swift conviction right in front of your eyes. You needed more time to gather new evidence, or this would be over.

“Your honor, the prosecution is asking the court for adjournment.” You said, trying your best to not let your frustration show.

“Granted, the trial will be continued tomorrow. Court is dismissed.”

You put the case files into your bag and practically stormed out of the court room, passing the defense table without as much as a sideward glance.

But he caught up with you in the parking deck of the building.

“You’re aware you can’t win this one, right, Y/L/N? It’s all circumstantial, even you should see that.” His smug voice suddenly said from behind you as you were just about to get into your car.

You whirled around, pulse hammering in your chest out of pure anger.

“This is unprofessional even by your standards, Cuomo, I’m not discussing this case with you in a parking lot. Now why don’t you get into this environmental nightmare you call a car and leave me the hell alone.” You hissed, pointing over to where his obnoxiously big SUV was standing.

“Don’t talk to me like that, Y/L/N, just because you can’t handle yourself in court.” He said, smirk still firmly in place. His hands were playing with the car keys, and you were mesmerized for a second by how large his hands were. They looked like shovels.

“Whatever you’re plotting in that weird little brain of yours, stop staring at me.” Cuomo said, actually sounding a bit unsettled. You snapped out of it and went right back into anger mode.

“Staring at you? God, you’re so fucking full of yourself, aren’t you, you condescending prick? Not everything revolves around you and your spoiled ass, Cuomo.”

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to, girl?” he snapped, raising his voice now. You clearly got to him, and seeing a crack in his arrogant façade gave you a satisfying sense of triumph. You couldn’t stop now, even if his angry face was screaming danger.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, your highness, are you used to people worshipping the ground you walk on because you had the dumb luck to be born with the Cuomo name? Fun fact, nobody cares, you’re still an asshole, just with a fancy suit.” You really threw all caution away, and one look at Cuomo told you that you’ve definitely gone too far.

Because he was livid. There was a vein on his temple that was literally pulsating, his hands were balled to fists at his side and his blue eyes were so full of fury that you were scared to look directly at him.

He took two giant steps in your direction, backing you up against your car. You were caught, Cuomo’s giant frame in front of you with no way to escape his wrath.

You looked up at him, daring to meet his eyes directly. He looked at you like he was about to kill you. You tried to recall your fury from some seconds ago, but the heat radiating from his body and the way his huge arms had you trapped on both sides of your head were making it impossible for you to focus. Damn him for being so attractive. You wanted to fight him, but you also wanted to press yourself against his body and feel what was underneath that suit.

“You presumptuous little…” he spat, stopping himself before saying something truly insulting. He took a deep breath, and looked at you again. And then he saw it.

The way you were biting your lip, the way your pupils were dilated.

And he smiled, a cruel smirk that send shivers down your spine. He brought his face even closer to yours and dropped his voice.

“You know, I got really good at reading people, comes with the job, I guess. But you are making it so easy for me, Y/L/N, look at you?” His mouth was at your ear now, his hot breath tickling your neck.

“Do you really want me to leave you alone? Doesn’t seem like it to me.”

You could barely think straight anymore, you wanted to tell him to fuck off, but it just came out as an embarrassing, needy whimper.

He chuckled darkly, and goosebumps broke out all over your body. Why did this man, that you hated more than almost anyone else, reduce to a state of arousal you had never experienced before just by whispering in your ear? Your panties were already soaked, and he didn’t even touch you. With your last few functioning brain cells, you cursed your needy, weak body, before you tiled your head to the side, baring your neck to Chris mouth.

He breathed over your skin, teasing you without actually touching. You felt like you were going insane.

“Please.” You whispered.

“What? Use your words, darling.”

“Kiss my neck, touch me, anything, just do it, asshole.” You hissed, glad you were able to form a coherent sentence.

“So impolite.” He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of your neck before starting to suck lightly. You moaned softly and pressed your pelvis into his. You could feel his hardness through his slacks, his unaffected behavior was clearly an act, he was just as aroused as you were.

One of his hands went down to squeeze your ass hard, bringing another surge of wetness to your panties.

Seeing him getting into this gave you some of your courage back, and you started to grind against him, making him growl against your neck.

“Is that everything you got, Cuomo.” You asked, trying to rile him up a bit. You really enjoyed the way he was manhandling you, as much as it pained you to admit it. But his hands were wandering under your skirt now, so you might as well just go with it.

Your provocative behavior clearly had the desired effect on him, because he grabbed your waist in a bruising grip, spun you around and pinned you against your car, his erection pressing against your ass. He yanked up your skirt and tore off your panties, leaving your lower body completely bare.

By now, you were glad that you picked the parking spot on the top floor, because your two cars were the only ones left and no one would come up here at this hour to catch you, about to be railed against your vehicle by Chris Cuomo.

“My, my, Y/L/N, this really turns you on, doesn’t it?” You could hear his breathy voice from behind you, and then felt a thick finger slowly being pressed into your aching pussy, followed by a sharp intake of breath. “Fuck, you already are so wet for me.” Chris growled.

“Are you going to fuck me soon, or do I have to take care of it myself?” You asked, teasingly.

He swore under his breath and gave your ass a sharp slap, making you welp.

You heard the sound of his zipper, and the rustle of foil.

“You really brought a condom to court, Cuomo? Wow, you are even more shameless than I imagined.”

“Shut up.” He growled, and you did, because he lined up his cock and slowly started pressing into you. He was big, and you had to bury your face into your arm to muffle the obscene sounds coming out of your mouth at the feeling of being stretched like this. He bottomed out with a low moan, and immediately started a fast, hard pace, pushing you against your car with every move of his hips.

You turned your head around to look at him. His face was flushed, and his eyes were fixed on the sight of his cock sliding in and out of you.

The friction was delicious, and he was hitting a perfect spot deep inside you with every thrust. Your moans became louder and louder, and he pressed one of his large hands over your mouth.

“Be quiet, you don’t want someone to catch little Miss Righteous being screwed in the parking lot by big, bad Cuomo, don’t you?” he whispered in your ear between husky breaths, and you could only cry out against his palm as he was speeding up his thrusts. The idea of someone catching you here was as arousing as it was terrifying.

Suddenly, Chris other hand sneaked around you to press on your clit, hard, and you screamed into his hand as your orgasm hit you like a punch to the gut, your walls gripping his cock like a vice while he was still fucking you through your climax.

“That’s it, darling, come for me. Fuck.” He groaned, before suddenly going tense as he reached his peak as well, cock buried deep inside you.

You slumped against your car with a huff, and the brief glimpse you caught of your reflection in the window made you question what you just did even more. Not only did you have (amazing, mind-blowing) sex with the opposing lawyer, he also absolutely wrecked you, you looked like you just had the roughest night ever with your hair undone, your makeup smudged and your panties in shreds on the floor of the parking lot. You hastily pulled down your skit again and tried to fix your hair as much as possible to get a minimum of decorum back.

Chris was just disposing the condom into a nearby bin, already looking calm and composed again. You hated him for that, and for the broad, self-satisfied grin that was all over his face again. And still, your heart gave a little flip as he approached you.

“That was fun.” He smirked, “We should definitely do that again. But not today, I’m busy. See you in court.”

He started to make his way to his car, and there was definitely a spring in his step.

“In your dreams, Cuomo.” You mumbled after him but couldn’t suppress a smile. That was, until you looked into the side mirror of your car to check your makeup and saw the giant, purple bruise on the side of your neck.

“Cuomo!” you screamed. “Come back here right now, you imbecile, you gave me a fucking hickey!”

“Better wear a scarf then tomorrow!” he called, entering his car. “And don’t make plans for after the trial, I’m taking you to dinner to celebrate my victory. And I mean that.”

And with that, he drove off. And as much as you hated yourself to admit it, you were really looking forward to having dinner with this idiot. After you destroyed him in court, of course.

[marshmallow-phd]

Charming Instruction

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au

Pairing: Junmyeon x Reader

Summary: You were just an average, everyday college student desperately trying to graduate. Only one more year stood between you and that celebratory walk. However, due to an oversight by your adviser, it seemed that the one class you never wanted to take was required to take that walk. It wasn’t the subject matter that made you uncomfortable. It was the teacher. Your heart sped up every time you saw him and you didn’t want that distraction in your life, attractive or not. With meeting him now an inevitability, you swore that you would keep your hormones in check. But after your first day of class, a series of hi jinks and weird situations lead you to discovering the secret of your professor and why he seemed to bombard your every thought.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I Final

**

“Do you realize how worried we’ve been?”

“You didn’t answer any of our texts or phone calls.”

“It was dark out and you weren’t home.”

“Why didn’t you just tell us where you were?”

“Oh, my god, enough!” You jumped up off the couch, fists clenched at your sides. “You guys are not my parents. I can go out if I want to.”

“Okay, that’s true,” Gemma huffed as she crossed her arms. “But still. This was completely out of character for you. Can you blame us for being worried?”

You looked at both of your best friends. Their worry was understandable, but this was just too much. “I’m fine. Next time, I’ll send you guys a text that I’ll be out late. Just lay off, please.”

“Where did you go?” Cam asked.

Chewing on your bottom lip, you tried to come up with a good lie. The library was out as you were sure they probably checked there. Saying you went to the woods to find your professor or a pack of wolves that may also be human would bring up way too many questions. And Professor Kim trusted you. He didn’t freak out when he saw you. He didn’t try to bargain with you or threaten you. He’d simply accepted that you knew now. So you refused to betray that trust.

“I found a random coffee I’d never been, too,” you shrugged. “My phone was still on silent from class and in the bottom of my bag. I was reading so I wasn’t paying attention to the time. I’m sorry.”

Gemma clicked her tongue. “Alright. As long as you weren’t out gallivanting in a dangerous place.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Really? You think I’d do something crazy like that?”

“She’s got a point,” Cam chuckled.

“Exactly.” You yawned. “Now that the interrogation is over, can I go to bed? I have class tomorrow morning.”

Gemma waved you off. “Yeah, sure. Sorry about the third degree.”

“You tend to panic,” you laughed. “I think I’m used to it by now.”

“And that’s my cue to leave,” Cam said before disappearing into her room.

You rolled your eyes, also ducking out of the room before Gemma started arguing about how she never panicked as if that would change the fact that she very much did.

Very much to your own surprise, you managed to get a good night’s rest. You still groaned when your alarm went off and lied there in the dark for a few minutes, letting yourself wake up a bit. But you’d slept through the night, passing out nearly the second you head hit the pillow.

But you had class with Professor Kim today. How were you going to get through class without constantly picturing your teacher covered in hair and sporting long fangs?

You got dressed and put your things together for class. Cam was up already, sitting on the couch with her laptop balancing on her knees. She only gave you a small wave before you ducked out of the apartment and headed for the university.

Like the previous class period, you sat up front, taking some other poor student’s seat. Professor Kim wasn’t surprised this time seeing you closer to where he was. In fact, he even smiled at you a little bit. Yes, definitely a strange reaction from a werewolf who had just been exposed. But, then again, you didn’t exactly behave like someone who’s world was completely turned on its head.

Well, actually, was your world that drastically changed?

So you knew your professor could shift into a dog. Big deal. That didn’t mean that your life changed. You just had to make sure you didn’t accidentally tell anybody. You could do that.

Concentrating in class was a little easier, although every few minutes your mind decided to remind you of the fact that you had now seen your teacher naked. Bad, brain, bad.

Before Professor Kim had dismissed you all, he informed the class that the papers had been graded and were available for pick up. A mass flood of students pooled around his desk as he searched the giant pile in front of him and gave them to the correct student.

You waited for about ninety-percent of the students to clear out before you got up from your seat and approached the desk.

Professor Kim was still smiling at you when you walked up. He held out your paper for you, “Good job, (y/n).”

“Thank you,” you whispered, clearing your throat. Without even looking at the grade, you took the paper and left.

Once a good distance away, you sat down on a bench and looked over the paper since you had a good half hour before your next class. You pouted.

An eighty-nine.

From Professor Kim’s congratulating remark, you thought you had done much better. Way for him to get your hopes up. Just barely not an A. Jerk.

The little notes dotted around the pages were helpful, praising you in some areas while raising important questions on your thoughts in others. Fine. You couldn’t be mad about that. You’d just have to do better next time.

Before you could shove the paper away in your bag, you noticed an additional note in the bottom right hand corner of the third page written in black ink rather than the red everywhere else. It was tiny and barely noticeable. You had to squint a little bit, even with your glasses. It was a small set of directions, giving you the name of a road, telling you when to turn off to another as well as a date and time. Tomorrow at ten in the morning.

Sitting back on the bench, you laughed to yourself a little bit. Professor Kim was telling you to meet him somewhere - out of town by the looks of the directions - but for what?

Then you got excited. Did he want to talk to about last night?

Maybe you’d get to learn more about his… condition. You could ask questions, maybe even see his transformation. And you didn’t even have to push or suggest the meet up yourself. Since when was luck on your side?

**

You shouldn’t be this excited jumping in the car to drive to the middle of the woods to meet your werewolf professor. No, you didn’t think he was going to kill you or make you disappear, but it still didn’t seem like a good idea on paper.

As far as Cam and Gemma were concerned, you were going to be spending the day in that same little coffee shop that you couldn’t remember the name of doing homework. That should give you a good enough alibi for a few hours, at least.

The night before, you looked up the vague location following a satellite view of the road, but as far as the world was concerned, there was nothing but woods out there. It would take you at least an hour to get to the meet up point, so you woke up unnaturally early for a Saturday, making sure you had a filling breakfast before getting dressed. You took extra care in your outfit to the point where you were even judging yourself. After losing count of the amount of times you’d changed or discarded what you were trying on, you settled for comfort. The t-shirt you had on was simple with a little pocket on the left side of your chest and the skinny jeans were practically brand new.

You kicked yourself as you grabbed your purse and headed out the door. Putting this much thought into what you were going to wear was absolutely ridiculous. It didn’t matter what clothes you had on. You were simply meeting your professor hopefully for a deeper explanation of his little secret.

The car ride didn’t do anything to calm your nerves.

As you sped down the country road that was flanked by miles of trees on either side, your heart stayed up there on the bpm scale. Every nerve was on edge and you could feel the nausea building in your stomach. When you turned onto the road that the directions told you to, you leaned forward in the seat as if that would help improve your vision or calm your system.

Finally, after another ten minutes of driving down that way, the trees broke and you gasped. A giant farmhouse came into view, sitting in the middle of clearing with a detached garage almost as large. One of the taller boys that you recognized sporting silver hair from the group of Professor Kim’s “cousins” (you highly doubted that they were all actually related), was leaning against the white railing of the porch with his forearms. As you put the car in park a few feet away from the steps, the boy waved and walked into the house. Were you supposed to follow him?

Getting out of the car, you took a deep breath and started towards the steps. The front porch door opened up again. Smiling down at you was Professor Kim. The grin that decorated his lips was different that the ones that he’d given you in the past. They were usually more reserved, like he was holding back or unsure about something. Now… now he was practically beaming. He wasn’t wearing his glasses that he typically had on in class, but he still looked just as adorable with crescent moon eyes. You could feel your cheeks getting warm. Great. You were blushing just because he was smiling at you.

“Hi, (y/n).”

**

Junmyeon was trying to remain stoic and calm. As the clock hanging in the kitchen ticked closer to ten, he could feel himself getting antsy. Would you actually show up? Did his little note come across as too creepy? What if you got the wrong idea?

Burying his face in his hands, Junmyeon let out a long and hefty sigh. His right leg bounced uncontrollably, the only outlet for all his pent up energy.

“Morning, hyung!” Chanyeol’s deep, cheerful greeting made the alpha jump in surprise. The giant just laughed.

“Good morning, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon grumbled.

Chanyeol titled his head, a jug of milk hanging in his hand as he stared at Junmyeon with the fridge wide open. “What’s wrong?”

“Technically, nothing’s wrong,” he answered honestly. “It’s just….”

“Are you worried your mate might tell someone about seeing you in the woods?”

Junmyeon smiled to himself.

He couldn’t believe his luck that Thursday night. Yes, you had accidentally seen him shift from wolf to human. Well, actually, from the way you spoke, you’d intentionally sought him out. Not only did he not have to figure out a way to tell you the truth about what he was, but you weren’t scared of him. There was no screaming or running or rushed explanations.

Yes, very lucky indeed, especially compared to some of his brothers.

“No,” he finally answered. “I’m not worried about that at all.”

“Then why so tense?” Chanyeol slid into the booth across from him.

Junmyeon cleared his throat. “She’s coming over today. Maybe.”

That nearly made Chanyeol choke on the milking he was currently chugging. “How did you manage that?”

“Uh, well,” Junmyeon cringed. This was not going to sound as innocent as it did in his head. “I wrote a little note on her paper. How to get here and what time to come.”

And there was the explosion.

Chanyeol was laughing so hard he was pounding his palm against the table, rattling the now half-empty glass. It felt like a good five minutes before he was able to catch his breath. Wiping tears away from his eyes, Chanyeol took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“So, you wrote her a note?”

Junmyeon frowned. “I couldn’t exactly pull her to the side after class and say ‘hey, this is my address, come over Saturday morning so I can explain the details of me being a werewolf and how you’re my mate’? Not exactly the best thing to say when other students are around.”

“Good point.” Chanyeol glanced over at the clock. “What time is she supposed to be coming over?”

“Ten,” Junmyeon replied. “I don’t know if she’ll actually show, though.”

“So, why don’t you go outside and wait for her?”

“I don’t want to weird her out.”

Jumping up from the booth, Chanyeol headed for the entrance that led to the rest of the house.

“Where are you going?” Junmyeon asked.

“Going to watch for her,” Chanyeol explained. “Since you’re too chicken.”

“Chanyeol, no-”

Too late. Chanyeol was already out of the kitchen and on his way to the front porch. To be honest, Junmyeon was a little relieved. He still wasn’t sure exactly if you’d show up, but it made him feel better to not be the one sitting on the porch waiting for you to pull up in your car. It would take a lot of self control for him not to ambush you as soon as you got out of your vehicle.

Fifteen minutes later, Chanyeol came back into the kitchen, a huge grin on his face. No explanation needed, Junmyeon jumped up and ran to the living room. Just before he opened the front door, he took a deep breath.

Don’t look too eager. Don’t look to eager.

Turning the handle, he stepped out just in time for you to exit your car. He couldn’t hold back the smile that stretched across his face. You came. You really came.

“Hi, (y/n).”

You fixed your glasses in an oh-too-adorable fashion. It was obvious that you were just as nervous as he felt. The wolf in him growled, urging him to move closer to you.

“Hi, Professor Kim.” You gave him a little wave.

“Please,” Junmyeon tried not to trip as he quickly went down the porch steps, “call me Junmyeon. At least here.”

“That’s,” you frowned, pulling your eyebrows together, “weird.”

The smile slipped from Junmyeon’s face. No, no, no, that wasn’t good. He needed to make you comfortable around him.

Noticing the dimming of his face, you stuttered, “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! Thank you! For, um, giving me permission to, uh-”

Junmyeon waved his hands in front of him. “No, it’s okay! I just… don’t want to be formal. Not here, in my home. Come on.”

He grabbed your hand and pulled you back up the porch and into the house. He kept going until he made it into the kitchen. Then, by your shocked face, he let go of your hand. Oops. Too much contact too fast.

Clearing his throat, Junmyeon motioned for you to sit down at the breakfast booth before walking over to the coffee machine. “How do you like your coffee?”

“Oh, no, I’m good,” you said as you slid into the booth. “Thanks.”

Junmyeon frowned. “Do you want anything to drink?”

You shook your head. “No, that’s okay.”

“Oh, okay.” Junmyeon turned the coffee maker off before joining you on the other side of the booth.

After a minute or so of an awkward silence, you settled your hands into your lap. “Why did you invite me here?”

Junmyeon shrugged. “I thought you might have some questions after Thursday.” Chuckling a little, he ran a hand through his hair. “You know, about… me and what I am.”

The corners of your lips twitched. “Really?” Junmyeon nodded. “Okay. Um, wow. I don’t really know where to start.”

“Let me help.” Junmyeon scooted forward in his seat, settling his arms on the table, close to you but still giving you your space. “Yes, we’re born this way. No, you can’t become one by being bitten.”

You laughed. “Yeah, that is a good place to beginning.” You, too, shuffled a little closer, leaning in towards him. “But what about-” You stopped. “Nevermind.”

“No, what is it?” Junmyeon urged.

“Well…,” you clicked your tongue. “Do you turn into an actual wolf or is it more of the creepy hybrid type?”

Junmyeon couldn’t help the boisterous laughter. He’d never been asked what kind of werewolf he was. That wasn’t the type of question he’d been expecting.

“We turn into wolves,” he replied, getting control of himself. “Four paws and a tail. We’re just a little bigger than your average wolf.”

An eager shine glinted in your eye. “Can I see you as a wolf?”

Clumsy, quick steps tripped down the stairs. Junmyeon turned around in his seat in time to see a girl come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs where they spilled into the kitchen. Her hair was matted and messy. Make up was smudged under her eyes and she clung to her purse like it was a shield as she stared wide-eyed in horror at being caught. Kris came down after her.

“Uh, hey, Junmyeon,” Kris waved awkwardly. Placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder, he guided her out of the kitchen quickly.

“Who was that?” you asked.

Turning back around, Junmyeon chuckle lightly to himself. Kris had let him know last night that he would have a guest over. He hadn’t asked for the details, but it seemed one of them had had a rough night and hadn’t expected to wake up here. Junmyeon wished Kris luck with that one.

“That, uh, that was Kris. He’s one of the leaders of the pack.”

Your eyes widened. “One of them?”

Junmyeon nodded slowly. “Yes…. I’m the other one.”

“Like an alpha?” you grinned.

“Yes,” he laughed. “I’m an alpha.”

“Wow,” you blinked, obviously impressed. “That’s cool.”

That just made him laugh even more. “I think that’s the first time I’ve been associated with the word ‘cool’.”

You chewed on your bottom lip, ignoring his self-deprecating joke. “So… who was the girl?”

Junmyeon stopped smiling. “It’s… complicated.”

“Complicated how?” you inquired.

More footsteps - slower and heavier and a larger number of them - were headed for the steps. It seemed more of his pack was finally getting up for the day. He really didn’t want to be hovered over or let them eavesdrop while he eases his mate into his world.

“I’ll explain in a bit.” Junmyeon stood up, grabbing your hand again just to get you to your feet before letting it go again. “Let’s go for a walk.”

You lit up. “So I can see the wolf?”

Junmyeon smiled. “Yeah. I’ll let you see the wolf. Come on.”

Heading out the back door, Junmyeon heard his pack members arrive in the kitchen, loud and happy for just waking up. Escaped just in time.

The two of you headed for the woods, Junmyeon keeping you close beside him. He’d only scratched the surface in telling you about himself. Now is when the scary part came to life.

[followingmywanderlust]

Taking A Bite Out of The Big Apple

I have never been a city person. As a kid the tall structures and heavy population made me anxious and I always preferred the countryside. I was intimidated by the honking of the cars throughout the night, the narrow sidewalks filled with people, the dozens of different scents from the restaurants that lined the streets, and the sounds of various street performers. Going to the city was a sensory overload for me and I often left a little bit spooked.

My recent trip to New York City, however, changed my mind. NYC is an excellent place to travel to and there are activities and beautiful spots that are always within walking distance of you. I am fortunate enough to have friends who share a passion for travel and adventure, but as college students we often find ourselves limited by money. We found plenty of activities to do to fill our three days in the city without spending hundreds of dollars. NYC is an enormous city and I only got to experience some of it,  but based off of what I saw, the Big Apple is a place you should add to your bucket list. Below I have outlined the highlights of my trip, and things you should know before you take on the city.

JERSEY CITY

We started our journey in Jersey City which is where we stayed overnight. After sleeping two nights in this city, I realized it is a great place to both escape and experience NYC. Many younger people who work in Manhattan often stay in Jersey City because of cheaper rents. Just across the street from the apartment complex we were staying at was a beautiful view of the city. The streets in Jersey City were a lot quieter, and only a trolley would pass every once in a while. In comparison to NYC's crowded sidewalks, Jersey City is a lot quieter. Those individuals who are out seem to be heading to the subway to get to the city and are not looking to walk around. NYC is just a short subway or ferry ride away, so if you need to escape the busy city life at night, Jersey City is right next door.

TRANSPORTATION

During our trip we only took the subway and walked in order to save as much money as possible. The subways were usually very crowded and at one point we had to run along the platform to find a car that the three of us could fit into (we made it though!). The subways were fairly affordable but after going back and forth to Jersey City every day and other locations in NYC, the costs added up. A one-way fare from Jersey City to Manhattan is $2.75. We bought our tickets at the station's PATH vending machine with both cash and cards and only ran into trouble when one of the vending machines didn't work (to learn more about the PATH fares click  here). The subways are very clean and efficient and we took one in every day from Jersey City to  The Oculus. The Oculus houses the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in Manhattan for the PATH system. The Oculus is located right next to the 9/11 Memorial, and subways depart from and arrive at The Oculus from multiple locations. Of course in the city in addition to the subway there are taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts, but we opted to walk instead.

THE MOST ICONIC SPOTS

THE OCULUS

Opened in 2016, The Oculus has the most interesting architecture I have seen. The Oculus is located in lower Manhattan next to the 9/11 Memorial and serves as a hub for Manhattan. I took the subway into The Oculus from Jersey City every morning and departed from there every night, so I got to experience a lot of the cool features that the building has. The subway ride between the two cities took around 7 minutes and flew by. It is a very open concept with beautiful lighting at night. It is entirely white which felt like the train station straight out of the last Harry Potter movie. The Oculus has a variety of small stores for visitors to go to. For the most part, my experience with the building was getting in and out so I didn't get the chance to shop, but I did take the stairs to the top level of the structure which provides a very beautiful view of the building's entirety. From the outside, the building looks even more unique as it contrasts against the black, tall buildings that surround it.

BROOKLYN BRIDGE

At over 1.1 miles long, the bridge makes an excellent walk with a view on both sides of the city as it leaves Manhattan and crosses over the East River to Brooklyn. The bridge is typically very crowded as it is a tourist attraction, so be aware that there will be people on either side of you at almost all times. Don't be like me and wear heels to walk across this bridge, as you will be much more comfortable in sneakers or tennis shoes. There is the option to bike across the bridge as well but it may be difficult considering the amount of people walking on the bridge.  Make sure to bring your camera because along the bridge are some beautiful views - you can even see the Statue of Liberty if you look closely (it looks tiny from the bridge). While walking the bridge you'll see almost everyone stopping for photos and climbing (safely) on the rails to get the best pictures. Just be aware of your surroundings so that you do not bump into anyone!

Once off the bridge there are plenty of spots that make for excellent views from afar -- all you have to do is walk around! We found  Soho House, a tall brick building near Main Street Park, where we climbed to the top floor where we discovered an outdoor space with beautiful brick arcs that framed the bridge perfectly. In front of the house is a picture-perfect walkway with a stunning view of Brooklyn Bridge on the water - a great spot for photos without crowds of people in the background. There are various parks surrounding the bridge such as Main Street Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park that have carousels and gorgeous views of the city and bridge.

STATUE OF LIBERTY

I did not get the chance to actually go to the Statue of Liberty, but while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge I was able to see it. I used my camera to zoom in on the statue to get a better view and I was able to take the photo below. Next time I go to NYC I will be sure to visit the statue as it holds such historical significance for our country.

DUMBO

One of the best photo spots for the Brooklyn Bridge is at a place called Dumbo; and no, it has nothing to do with the elephant that can fly from Disney. Dumbo is actually short for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass" - cool, right! Dumbo is located in Brooklyn, and the iconic photo spot is located at the intersection of Washington and Front Streets. Influencers, bloggers, and tourists all love this spot for the perfect framing of the bridge between two brick buildings. Your photo may not come out picture perfect as there are crowds of people and cars, but it still is a great spot to see.

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

I visited New York City right after Christmas which was the perfect time to visit the Rockefeller Center. Rockefeller Center is located in Midtown Manhattan and has many places to shop, eat, and see the city. Because of the time of year, the center was packed with people almost everywhere. The Christmas tree is bigger than any Christmas tree I have seen before - It's hard to miss! Additionally, right near St. Patrick's Cathedral there was a light show that lasted only a few minutes but went along to different songs. We grabbed Ben & Jerry's ice cream at a complex located right next to the tree for a yummy desert before we headed back to Jersey City.

ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL

I was astounded when I first saw this cathedral because the beautiful architecture and color stood out in the midst of black skyscrapers and the dark sky. St. Patrick's Cathedral is one of the most interesting buildings I have seen and I was only able to experience it from the outside. The white, rigid structure has beautiful sculptings and patterns within the windows, and archways exaggerated the older yet polished exterior. The cathedral is very long and its brilliant design is not just visible in the front. I was able to walk along the outside of the cathedral and though I did not get the chance to go inside I can only imagine that the inside matches the beauty of the outside.

TIMES SQUARE

Despite only experiencing Times Square from afar, I could tell that it was a hub of the city. Times Square is only an 8 minute walk from the Rockefeller Center and even from afar you can see that people are crowded everywhere. Electronic billboards and neon signs lined the streets making for some great photographs. We didn't go to the center of Times Square, but I was able to experience it at a glimpse at the intersection of W 49 St. and Broadway. I plan to return to Times Square in the future in order to truly experience the beauty of all of the buildings and shops that surround the area.

FOOD

CHICONNIS

Located right off of the Brooklyn Bridge and outside of Main Street Park in Brooklyn sits  Cecconi, a higher-end restaurant that has a beautiful view. The interior of the restaurant is extremely luxurious with white brick walls, different colored comfortable seating, and beautiful art that lines the walls. We were given the brunch menu and I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try something new. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana which was delicious, but also super filling - I couldn't finish it! I also decided to treat myself and get a juice as well (which was on the pricier side), but the customer service that came along with it was excellent. A waiter came out with a glass and opened the juice and poured it in for me, and gave me the rest in the bottle for later. I got the watermelon juice which had a very strong gingery taste which I could only drink a little at a time, but for experienced juice-drinkers (if that is a thing!) I think this juice would be delicious. I am not a coffee drinker, but my friends absolutely adored their lattes, and they even came with a little biscuit on the side. Overall, this restaurant had great customer service once we sat down and our food was made swiftly. The only issue we had was our wait time even after making a reservation; the restaurant was incredibly busy when we went and even though we made a reservation we had to wait around a half hour to be seated. I think the food and quality customer service made up for it though! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone for a nice meal in a beautiful spot as long as they make a reservation ahead of time.

THE STANDARD GRILL

The Standard Grill is attached to The Standard hotel in the Meatpacking District which is located in the west side of Manhattan. We went to the grill for brunch and we were met with a surprisingly extensive menu which can be seen  here. We struggled to pick our food with so many delicious options, but we were able to make some good choices in the end. While we were waiting for our food we were able to admire the beautiful space that let in a lot of natural light and was lined with green plants that made the atmosphere welcoming and comfortable. I got the Smoked Salmon Platter which was TO DIE FOR. The food was so yummy that we couldn't fit in room for dessert. My platter was arranged very nicely as I was able to construct my own sandwich, and the customer service was excellent as well. In the downstairs of the grill (where the bathrooms are) there was a small photo booth that we felt like we had to take advantage of and we were even sent a digital copy afterwards. I'm no restaurant connoisseur, but this restaurant was a little more on the pricey side for a brunch meal, but the quality of the food definitely lines up with the price - you get what you pay for! The grill wasn't nearly as popular as the Cecconi restaurant so we had no wait time at all which was a huge plus especially after walking a few miles through the city and wanting to sit down.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

ROOFTOP VIEW 

While walking around the Meatpacking District, we stumbled upon this perfect rooftop view located in Restoration Hardware, an interior design store. We walked through the store and saw some stunning furniture (which we definitely couldn't afford) and we climbed the stairs to the top level where there are sliders that open up to an open view. We weren't even sure if the sliders opened, but we decided to give it a try. No one else was on the overlook giving us the freedom to enjoy the view and take photos on our own. This store was a great place for some classic city photos without the crowds. Remember to keep your eyes open for spots like these when you're exploring the city, you never know what you will find!

COLORED WALLS

During my visit we stumbled upon a bunch of very artistic walls located outside of The Oculus that made for some excellent photos. There were neon colors, different patterns, black and white, and overall a great place to snap some pics with a cool backdrop. These walls were a part of The Reflection Project by Yoko Ono in which the walls aim to invite people off of the streets to engage with their "personal reflection."

WALKING

Because we wanted to save some money, we walked almost everywhere through the city. Every day we walked at least 5 miles (one day we walked 7!) which was totally worth the sore feet. If you choose to walk, make sure you dress comfortably with sneakers that can help you get to your destination painlessly. We got to see the city from the ground level and walking allowed us to find some great photo spots along the way. During our stay we totally lucked out with the weather being almost 50° every day which made my experience so much better. Traveling on your own two feet gives you the ability to adventure a little bit and go off the roads to find some pretty unique spots. Now, you don't have to walk 5 miles, but make sure to walk around when you're in the city to find some great places for pictures with stunning views.

CONCLUSION

New York City definitely surprised me. I was able to walk throughout the city freely and I saw some pretty amazing art, views, and architecture all the while getting some great exercise. The child who was once scared of skyscrapers and crowds had disappeared. I found myself in the crowds looking at all of the families trying to scramble together and take a picture, couples that were hugging underneath the christmas tree, and photographers yelling out to strangers trying to take their photos. I was able to see all different types of people and rather than anxiously pushing through crowds to get some fresh air as I had when I was a kid, I took a step back and observed my surroundings. Instead of getting dizzy looking at tall buildings, I glanced inside the windows and saw beautifully arranged apartments, people partying, and individuals looking out telescopes. As a photographer I found the city to be photographable at almost any location, but I realized the importance of retracting my eye from the viewfinder of my camera and taking in the city life. Being with my two best friends made this adventure infinitely better as I had people I could trust and make memories with for the duration of my stay. I highly recommend traveling to NYC to experience the stunning architecture, unexpected discoveries, and delicious food. Now go find some friends and schedule a trip to NYC!

for more content visit: https://kyliebreenphotography.com/2020/04/18/taking-a-bite-out-of-the-big-apple/

[impossiblyqualitypanda]

Disney- All 4 Parks- All 1 Day

Crazy? Ambitious maybe!

Monday (3/18/19) was a pretty monumental day for my inner child. I did the one thing I have always dreamed of. 

Ever since the promo right before The Lion King begins on VHS (VHS were tapes before we had DVDs and Blu-Rays for any youngsters reading), I have dreamt of going to Disney World. You know the clip I am speaking of? It is two brothers packing their bags as they prepared for a trip of a lifetime.

Here’s the promo I am speaking of for a little nostalgia in your life: https://youtu.be/gs1s11Y_RjM

This week I was finally able to make that dream happen. At 28 years old, I finally made it to Disney World! I knew this opportunity may not happen again so I took full advantage and purchased the Park Hopper pass (Access to all 4 parks for one day). It was now or never. Although, after this trip, I already have a hankering to go back, so it is safe to say that Disney is forever, and I will be back again and again and again...

Tip: Download the My Disney Experience App. It is a must! You can purchase your tickets, reserve your fast passes, look up all the park maps including ride wait times, character, spottings and so much more. It works like your GPS so you can actually see where you are at in the park while looking for your destination.

Tickets and Fast Passes

I recommend purchasing your tickets through the app. Once you purchase your tickets, they will email you your barcode, use that at the ticket gate and they give you your own card to use for the rest of the park entries as well as Fast Passes. Super easy without waiting in line to purchase or pick up tickets at the park. 

Fast Passes are free! You get three to start, which can only be reserved in one park at a time. They will basically hold your place in line, and you just show up at the time it states. You will get right through with a very little wait time. If you are planning ahead of time, you can reserve rides up to 60 days in advance. 

Once your initial three are used, you can use one fast pass at a time. Fast Pass ride options do update throughout the day so be sure to check it often in the app. 

My Dream Come True

Here is what my day at Disney looked like. Including times, tips, and don’ts that I learned the hard way (wasn’t too bad for a first timer- I’d say).

To start, I tried my best to get to Disney as soon as the parking lots were open. Unfortunately, due to my excitement the night before, I only got about 5 hours of sleep and a partially late start to my morning. I finally hit the rode and made it to Disney around 7:45am (Magic Kingdom Parking opens at 7:30am).

Here I am, pulling up to Disney, seeing the signs and my eyes well up with tears. This is it. This is finally happening!

I knew I wanted to end my day at Magic Kingdom for the Happily Ever After Firework show, so I decided parking there would be the easiest for my ride home.

I paid for regular parking, and because I was so early I got a pretty awesome spot within walking distance to the monorail for the park. Win!

Tip: In addition to taking a picture of the parking sign, make sure your phone has pinned your parking spot. I took a picture of my beautiful Aladdin sign, but after a 15 hour day at Disney, Aladdin was nowhere to be found. Thankfully my Apple Maps had my back and automatically marked my parking spot. Apple for the win!

I made my way to the Monorail to go to Animal Kingdom. Here is where I got totally confused! I followed the signs, got on the train, and the train goes to Magic Kingdom. Um what? Okay? Here I am, still sleepy, thinking “maybe the next stop will be Animal Kingdom. You know, like the way the rail systems work in an airport?...full circle..” NOPE. The monorail goes right back to the parking lot. So I get off the train, see the friendly Cast Member that I saw the first time, she kind of chuckled and let me know that I should hop back on, get off at Magic Kingdom and THEN take a bus to Animal Kingdom. Go figure. 

The worst part? I even had a friend tell me that this is exactly what I would have to do, I even wrote it down in my Notes on my phone!! That is what little sleep and excitement will do to you..

Tip: Plan out your trip, your times, most preferred rides, ect. Use the Notes feature on your phone to keep track and take notes. Oh, and READ the notes.

Park #1: Animal Kingdom 8:30am-11:00am

I was hoping to get to the park before Rope Drop (opening of the park), in hopes I could make it to Flight of Passage (Pandora) before the line became 3 hours long (no exageration). Unfortunately with Disney’s Magic Hours (opening an hour early for resort guests) the line was already at a 3 hour wait time by the time they let us commoners in. Thanks to my handy App for letting me know before I walked all that way to stand in line!

Since Flight of Passage was a no-go, I checked out my app to find rides that were most approachable without a long wait time (I have 4 parks to hit after all). Expedition Everest was highly recommended by friends, just my luck, it was only a 20 minute wait. 

Tip: Some rides offer a Single Rider line. If you don’t mind going solo, jump in this line, it often times goes by much faster!

After Everest, I had a fast pass for It’s Tough to be a Bug. I made my way over and quickly realized, even with a Fast Pass, some rides are not worth the time. 

Don’t get me wrong, it was a very cute feature, pretty cool 3D animation, with smells and squirts of water to go with it. Kids would LOVE it...or be terrified in one kid’s case...mom had to rush him out of the feature as he was screaming and crying. I don’t blame him, Hopper was pretty huge and intimidating. So younger kids be advised...

All that being said, I still have 3 more parks to hit, this ride was not worth my time. Next time I will research rides a little better and only settle for the best. ;)

From there I did some exploring and did my best to see the entire park. I did get to see an amazing Parrot show and KEVIN from Up! 

I made sure to go visit the Pandora area of the park. It was very beautiful to see Avatar come to life.

Tip: Anytime I made a purchase at Animal Kingdom I was asked to donate to the Wildlife Conservation, which Disney will match your donation. I donated twice and each time I got an adorable tiger pin, which was pretty exciting. 

Park #2: Epcot 11:00am-2:15pm

My original plan was to hit Hollywood Studios before Epcot, but as I made my way to the buses, the Epcot bus was already there waiting. I took advantage and hopped on! Anything to save time right? 

Epcot is pretty awesome with a tour of the world. I would say it is definitely an adult favorite. I may be an adult, but my inner child is much bigger, so while I enjoyed the park, it was my least favorite. That isn’t to say much though as all the parks are incredible and magical in their own ways.

I stopped in France for a duck dish that I couldn’t tell you what it was named. Then I stopped in America for a huge, huge donut like the one in Zootopia.

One of the best things I loved about Epcot were the flower/plant sculptures of our favorite characters. The craftsmanship is just beautiful.

And my all time favorite...

As I was getting ready to head out of Epcot and on to Hollywood Studios, I had a friend strongly recommend Soarin’. I have never heard of this ride or knew what it had in store. The wait time was 80 minutes at this point. When I got up to the gate, I asked the Cast Member if the ride was worth the wait. He saw that I was by myself, so he actually let me go through the Fast Pass line! Score!

Tip: Don’t be afraid to talk to the Cast Members. Try my new found trick and see if they offer to let you go in the Fast Pass lane. ;)

You guys....Soarin’ was the most spectacular ride I have ever experienced! (Although I have heard Flight of Passage is like Soarin on steroids- I will have to discover that ride another time). For those that don’t know, Soarin’ takes you up into the air (giant movie theatre) and makes you feel like you are flying over the world. You go through all these countries and it looks sooooo real. They have the wind blowing in your face and even have smells from the scenes! I was in absolute awe.

Park #3: Hollywood Studios 2:15pm-7:15pm

As you can see from my original schedule...I kind of threw away my plans, because Hollywood Studios was just TOO GOOD! There were so many Star Wars features...so many! I got to see pretty much every character. I made time to watch the Jedi Training which was just precious. Watching those kids go after Vader was awesome. Not to mention I got to meet CHEWY annnnndddd I got a hug. Have you ever hugged a Wookiee? I highly recommend it before you die..

They also had a steady schedule of Star Wars presentations. Getting to see a Stormtrooper in person was rather intimidating but thrilling!!

After my Star Wars high, I had a Fast Pass for Indiana Jones. I selected this feature, because well, it was available. I couldn’t help but think of the Full House Episode where DJ was missing Steve at Disney World and she was seeing him everywhere, including Indiana. I had to go now, right??

Well I am glad I did! It was one of the coolest things. It was portrayed like an actual movie studio. They did several stunts and even pulled some volunteers from the audience to be extras. Funny thing...people will do anything to be picked, including myself... I was jumping, dancing, trying to act all crazy. Even though I was only on the third row...I had no luck of getting picked! What are you gonna do?

After the show, as everyone was leaving, I noticed the stunt doubles towards the front of the stage talking with a family. I was surprised that not many others were around them. As I am walking out, I grew nervous. I really wanted to meet them, but going at it alone is a scary thing. I walked passed them, stopped, and turned back around. I did it! I conquered my fears and asked for a photo. Such a dork I know.. It was worth it though! They were all so kind, not to mention the guys...have mercy...

After that, I had to make a quick stop to check out Toy Story Land. This is a MUST. To see everything in such a giant form was sooooo coool! I had a chance to meet Buzz, Woody and Jessie, but I had already spent so much time with my Star Wars buddies, I just didn’t have the time to meet my other childhood idols.

Park #4: Magic Kingdom 7:15pm 8:15pm-10:00pm

Notice the time change there? Well that was one of my “Don’ts” of this trip. As I am walking my tired self to the bus stop from Hollywood Studios...I found myself a bit lost. I followed the signs to the buses, but could not figure out where I needed to go. It just so happened that the bus stops were still operating in the parking lot...well...they also had their typical bus stops that I was used to using...so here I am trying to get past the gated area to get to this bus stop. I am all by myself, NO ONE else waiting in line and I am just wondering when the next bus was coming. At least 15 minutes (probably longer) go by and finally a construction worker drives up and asks if I needed help....apparently this bus stop wasn’t opening until the next day and I was totally in the wrong spot! Good grief! We had a little laugh, he was very kind and drove me to the proper bus stop area. At this point my feet are killing me, so any lift was greatly appreciated. 

Waited even longer for a bus, and we’re off to Magic Kingdom! By this time the sun was already setting. Another “Don’t” of this trip: while I wanted to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom, I had originally planned to get there earlier to enjoy the rest of the sights. While it is pretty at night, I wasn’t able to enjoy near as much as I would had it been daylight. I think the next time I do this trip I will start with MK, do the other three parks and then end with MK for the fireworks. 

My time was pretty limited at MK. The only ride I really had on my list was It’s a Small World. I have gotten mixed reviews from friends so I had to see for myself. It was a pretty adorable boat ride, through all the countries and little puppet people singing “It’s a Small World” in all the different languages. I am glad I got to experience it because I feel like it is a part of the Disney World experience. I would say it would have been way more fun as a kid. Will I ever ride it again? Maybe with my one day (maybe) kids, but not by myself. 

After this ride, the fireworks were approaching so I made my way back to Cinderella’s Castle. Boy was it packed! Go figure... Thankfully, you can pretty much be anywhere and have a great view, as long as you don’t have a Dad in front of you, with a kid on their shoulders...that didn’t happen to me but it came close.

Here’s the deal, I had NO idea how spectacular this show was...I knew it would be a cool firework show but it is so much more!! I am honestly disappointed in all my Facebook friends who have seen this show, but never shared pictures! It is fireworks, it is your favorite disney songs, and the best part? The amazing projections on Cinderella’s castle, that transformed the entire castle into scenes, and characters! The shows starts and ends with a monolog about following your dreams which pulls your heart strings that much more.

Tip: IPhone Live Photo is perfect for this event. I took some killer shots that look amazing once they are looped. I am not tech savvy enough to show you on here, but take my word for it- very cool!

The firework show starts at 9:15pm and ended around 9:35pm. At this point, the park closes at 10:00pm. I checked my app and tried to find the ride with the least wait time in hopes of squeezing in one last ride before I go. Pirates of the Caribbean had a short line, so I made my long run to the ride just before closing. It was another boat ride, but very very cool. Jack Sparrow looked unbelievable real in many scenes. The first time I thought he was real!

Tip: At one point in the ride you will get lightly splashed...your seat from the previous ride may also be wet, so double check that...and don’t have a wet butt like I did. 

After Pirates, I had about 10 minutes before the park closed. I made a mad dash to Buzz Lighter’s corner of the park. Only to get there and see that all the rides were closed, bummer. 

As I made my way back towards the front of the park, they still had music and animations playing on the castle. They were all slow songs, likely to put the kids to sleep as they head home for the night. 

There was a river parade outside of the park scheduled for 10:35pm. I hung around waiting for that. As it began, there were boats holding the American flag and some patriotic stars. After a few minutes nothing else appeared. I kind of laughed in my head thinking, “that was it”? I was too tired to wait at this point so I headed back to the buses to get to my car. Of course as I look back, here comes the full parade. It was pretty cute, nothing incredible, but a fun touch to the end of the night. 

Overall, it was one of the greatest days of my life! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. In summary, here are some lessons that I learned for next time.

1. Start with Magic Kingdom and end with Magic Kingdom.

2. Really prioritize the rides you want to go on, look into them and make sure they are worth the time.

3. If you are a Star Wars freak like I am, plan for a little extra time at Hollywood Studios.

4. Wear appropriate clothing. I lucked out with pretty great weather. I had a long sleeve sports shirt that was lightweight and breathable, with a Star Wars t-shirt underneath. It worked great to keep me warm and if I got hot I could take off my long sleeve. It really only got chilly at night which was a good excuse to buy a cute Mickey Sweatshirt that was perfect. 

5. Bring some kind of pain relief! I walked a total of 12 miles, and even with wearing Brooks, my feet were aching by mile 8. I had a Perk! stick from Perfectly Posh that worked really well. Admittedly, I had to shed my shoes and socks to apply the stick, but no shame, no pain. ;) Another great, high strength topical cream is Icy Hot. They even make Icy Hot in a roller form so it is mess free and doesn’t get all over your hands. It works wonders for your back, feet, really any part of your body EXCEPT the sensitive areas. ;)

6. Pack light, super light. I kept it very minimal. I had my Sling Back Bag from Thirty One. It is an over the shoulder backpack that is small but just big enough for the essentials. 

The things I carried: A reusable water bottle (water fountains are everywhere so I never had to pay for a drink), a charging pack for my phone, wallet, keys, and a Perk stick. That is it! It was kind of funny going through bag check. I would unzip my bag with two items (water and perk stick) in the main compartment, the looks on the security guard’s faces were priceless. 

This bag gets me through all my adventures. You can buy one here: https://www.mythirtyone.com/us/en/bgoinshopping/product/4538

7. Get there as early as possible. You will have better parking, better bus times, and the chance to ride more rides before the rest of the crowds show up.

8. Plan for about an hour between each park. Most of the time my bus waits were only about 20-30 minutes to get to the next park. The extra 30 minutes gives you room for error...like going to a non-operating bus stop. ;)

Disney World is truly filled with magic. From the rides, the characters, to the cast members, it is a place where happiness is born! Walt and his team did a fantastic job in the creation of this masterpiece. Sure, it costs quite a bit to go, but once you get there you will totally understand why. The details, the creativity, the imagination, the magic! There is no other place like it. 

I am so grateful I had the opportunity to experience this place. I absolutely can not wait to go back!

[sinangoral2017-blog]

[06.08.17] ohayō gozaimasu, from tokyo! i’ve been waiting for some time to write my first post from japan, simply because this country is so much to take in. today marks my fourth day in tokyo – four of six total days that i plan to stay here – and i just adore this place.

culture shock isn’t new to me – i have had the privilege of traveling throughout my life to some incredible places – but this country is something totally new to me. there are a lot of rules and ways of living that, understandably, i am very much unaccustomed to.

first and foremost, i sort of screwed up on the tattoo front. people give me strange looks. aghast looks. concerned looks. i guess that i am straight up banned from all public pools and gyms. being the tourist i am, i was pretty excited to see what the japanese hot springs were like. yeah, fat chance. two different baths i visited had huge signs deterring anyone with ‘excessive’ ink from going in. i definitely should have done my research on that front, beforehand. that being said, all things shibuya-related seem to be tattoo friendly, but i’ll get to that later in the post.

second, i feel like the epitome of a stupid, ignorant american. a minnesota friend asked me on whatsapp the other day what my ‘low’ so far was, and i told her about how, when i entered a charbucks to steal their internet for this blog, i apparently swung my drybag across someone’s table and destroyed their school notes with their iced latte. not the first time i’ve spilled an ice latte on someone (#laprima) but i guess i had no idea i even did it this time. i sat down, got to work, and was approached a full fifteen minutes after my drink-slaying by the victim. he asked me if i was unaware of what i had done, or if i knew and was passive aggressively ignoring him. needless to say, i was duly embarrassed - especially when he told me to try to be much more careful. i apologized profusely and proceeded to flee the hell out of there. imagine the inner-turmoil that poor guy probably faced in those fifteen minutes.

moments like those are unforgiving. i keep tripping over the stupid speed humps in the middle of the street. there are like three different subway systems and i keep buying the wrong tickets for the wrong network of lines. i don’t know what to look at on the subway when we’re all packed like sardines and i feel all the eyes on me and my sleeve of ink. maybe they’re counting the number of bobby pins in my hair?

thankfully, there IS an app for my blackberry that teaches preliminary japanese. that has proven quite helpful to distinguish basic salutations, iced and hot coffee preferences, and some other things. aside from that, however, i’m a blind, stupid, white american.  

just the other night, for example, i went to the shibuya crossing - a huge, four-way intersection akin to times square in new york city. after an insanely fun night of bar-hopping and exploring the area, i naturally had the munchies. ‘no problem,’ i told myself, after seeing a close by mcdonalds. ‘i’ve got an app for this.’

well, i’ll spare you the long story, but in the end, i accidentally ordered 3 big macs. three. big. macs. i guess that when i said ‘three,’ trying to confirm that the big mac was at around 300 yen, i ordered three, huge, big macs. i wish i could play it off cool, but i know that all eyes were on the slightly tipsy, visually exhausted and beardy faced american with short shorts and a tray with three big macs.

in addition to the whole language struggle, i’m having to rework the order of operations involved with everyday and common tasks. for example, the first time i entered a traditional ramen venue, i was met with continuous banter and excited arm movements urging me to go back outside (or so i thought). so i went outside. then the chef went outside and motioned for me to go in. so i went in. at this point, all customer eyes were on me, of course. well, it turns out, you’re always supposed to order your food from this atm-esque machine, get a ticket stub, and hand the stub to the chef or waiter.

this sense of automation is ubiquitous across tokyo. everything seems to be like an atm dispensary. cigarettes, tampons, ice cream, coffee, beer, ticket machines... what have you. that’s cool and all, but it just takes a lot to get used to it.

all of that aside, tokyo is gorgeous, and its people are wonderful. generally, people are very nice. i’ve learned to bow at least as low as the person who has bowed towards me during a salutation. everyone rides bicycles, and noone - i mean, noone - locks them. the bicycles are shaped pretty weird. think of a west coast customs styled, elongated chopper. but with tiny wheels, and baby seats on the handlebars and behind the rider’s seat. mothers ride these things like absolute bosses, carrying their toddlers around, weaving in and out of traffic. i love that. and generally, the age spectrum of riders is very, very wide. 70-85 year old women and men ride these things without worry. oh, and noone wears helmets - not even the police officers or firemen (they ride bicycles, too) - but i did witness, strangely enough, the ambulance drivers wearing badass, full-faced helmets.

i also quite enjoy the quirkiness of this city. i haven’t been able to ascertain whether it’s a city culture or national identity, but it’s certainly interesting. everything involves cute drawings. cats are everywhere. i can definitely see the influence of manga and anime on even everyday advertisements, instructionals, and precautionary street signs.

random moments of strange architecture keep things upbeat. in between two seemingly brutalist buildings, for example, will be hidden a cute, traditional style homed, but with rounded off windows - because why not? i quite enjoy this. it makes wandering the city a lot more fun.

7-elevens are also a quirky haven for me. everything is dirt cheap and i can always grab a mysterious lunch, whose meats i can’t identify, for less than 3-4 dollars. they also accept credit cards, which is a growing rarity in japan as i’ve come to realize.

from an urbanist’s perspective, tokyo is quite interesting. each hub of the city is centered around the subway stations. around these epicenters, there is a lot of commotion (something i’ve tried to capture in the photographs), both vehicular and pedestrian. a lot of noise and advertisements. but just take a walk, two or three blocks away from this node in any direction, and you quickly meet the quiet, slow life. people actually walk slower than i do, which is incredible, because i’m lazy. i quite enjoy this polarity between paces - fast and slow - all within an approachable distance. it makes for eclectic experiences which are all close to home.

color is an interesting thing to address, but i haven’t been able to quite yet wrap my head around it. at first, tokyo seems to be vibrant in bright colors, but upon closer inspection, these colors come not from infrastructure or architecture, but rather advertisements. advertisements, as the photographs likely will show, are everywhere. they smother everything. and any other natural color (by natural, i mean to reference color that spawns from anything that doesn’t try to incite shopping) comes from landscaping elements. you’d think that this would evoke something ugly, but strangely, it’s fun and quite pretty. perhaps it’s because i can’t read anything that i am comfortable with it. i’d likely be far more overwhelmed with all my surroundings if i could identify certain advertisements and their meanings - but in general, everything is washed into one, multicolored landscape. it is, certainly overwhelming at times. 

tomorrow i’ll be visiting a couple of museums and doing the whole touristy thing, but for the most part, i’ve been trying to blend into everyday civilian life. i’ve been walking my butt off for kilometers on end through the city, and have tried to avoid the rail system as much as possible. i seem to be more interested in the outskirts of tokyo (which don’t really exist, since the city is so large). so, i guess i like the interstitial zones, the back alleys, and the little markets i seem to run upon.

i’ve made a friend at the tiny hostel i’m staying at - she’s from australia, and she thankfully speaks a decent amount of japanese. other than conversation and having a good time, she has definitely proven to be an asset whenever we have gone out and i don’t know what i’m doing. it was with her that i survived the bar-hopping in shibuya and met some other people. i hope to meet several more people along the way. there’s something quite empathetic with meeting a fellow traveler. you don’t have any inhibitions or barriers, because whether you like to admit it or not, you’re both lost as hell. 

tonight i’ll be meeting up with some carnegie mellon kids who are also in tokyo, so it’ll be good to see some familiar faces. i’m pretty excited to go stalk sou fujimoto’s house NA later in the afternoon, and i think that it’ll definitely be a highlight of tokyo. i just have to wrap up some loose ends before i start traveling down south to yokohama!

[chrismdthings]

barcelona (part I)

pairing: chris dixon x reader warning(s): none note: listen to barcelona - ed sheeran while reading / part one of three / 3,635 words

Chris Dixon Barcelona, Catalonia

Day one of seven. Hour one of the one-hundred-sixty-eight possible. 

“Dixon, how long does it take you to get ready?”

“Long enough for you to start complaining, apparently.” Chris shot back as he checked his hair one last time in the mirror, washing his hands, and then smoothing out the wrinkles in his blue button-up.

The trick of rolling your clothes was good to save space, but not good when it came to keeping things neat and tidy. There was no time to turn on a hot shower and let the steam take out the wrinkles, nor was there time to search the condo for an iron. Chris was just forced to deal with it.

Hearing the footsteps, trail away and back down the hallway, Chris stepped out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom. He double-checked his pockets; wallet, check.. key, check... phone, check. After nearly an hour of “getting ready”, Chris was able to leave.

If you count “getting ready” as laying in bed and ignoring the fact that he was supposed to already be getting ready an hour ago while scrolling through his phone. That was his “getting ready”, and he was also the reason his friends were starving.

Less than two hours ago, the group of three arrived in Barcelona for the first day of their week. Their flight from London wasn’t too long, but they were exhausted after a night of no sleep. If it wasn’t for their stomachs nagging them to get dinner, Chris was sure all three of them would be passed out asleep in their respective beds, or maybe even on the sofas as they were the first comfortable surface they stumbled across.

Chris and his two friends, Vincent and Dean, we’re staying at an Airbnb just five minutes away from the booming city. It was a large villa with three bedrooms and a large living space, and had the nicest Belgian-Colombian host that made sure they felt at home for the week. It was the cheapest place, but the loveliest, and they hit the jackpot. 

The host also didn’t care about coming in at the ungodly hours of the morning, which was a definite plus as the group had intentions of staying out every night they were in the city.

Shutting off the light, Chris walked down the hallway and into the living room where both Vincent and Dean were waiting on him, sitting on the sofa and lounge chair. Chris looked at them and they glared at him in return, causing the Jersey native to immediately bow his head but slightly chuckle.

“Sorry about taking a bit longer to get ready.” He said sincerely.

“Chris you were getting ready for...” Vincent pulled back his sleeve to look at the watch on his wrist. “An hour.” 

Chris shrugged and Dean spoke up next; “It honestly took you longer to get ready than it usually does to post a photo to Instagram.. and that’s saying something.”

“Okay, let’s have a Chris-roasting-session, why not.” Chris groaned before walking towards the door. “Let’s go.” 

Flora Vivas Barcelona, Catalonia

Day sixteen our of numerous. Hour three-hundred-eighty-seven out of many, many more.

Running her fingers though her dark hair, Flora sighed and watched as the curls once again cascaded down her shoulders. She wished that she had the time, or dedication, to sit and fix her hair. However, after an early morning and no dedication to fix her hair what-so-ever, Flora let her hair be for the night. She wore it like that every day, so one night out couldn’t hurt anything.

“Flor, do you have any black heels I could wear?” Looking through the mirror, Flora’s eyes landed on her friend Anaïs. She leaned against the door frame and stared at the Catalan in front of her, and then Flora turned around to look at the outfit her best friend was wearing.

Flora pursed her lips and then spoke up. “Wear my silver Tom Ford heels.” She said. “They go better with your skin-tone than black-on-black.”

Anaïs didn’t argue against her word, instead walking over to the closet and grabbing the silver heels and trying them on. Flora continued her simple makeup routine in the bathroom whenever she heard her best friend speak up, “Flor you’re a lifesaver.” She said before rushing back out of the bedroom.

Every night the girls went out, for dinner or for drinks, that was the routine. One was desperate to find out something that matched their heels or dress or clutch, while the others tried everything to make it work. Flora had an eye for fashion, and knew exactly what pieced together perfectly. She could thank her mother and her mother’s old tendency to do the same things.

Plucking out a tube of faint pink lipstick from her bag, Flora ran the applicator along her bottom lip, and then her top before smacking her lips together and sealing the lipstick tube shut. Flora wanted to wear red lipstick, but the light denim jacket she suited for the night would clash with it, so she settled for a more subtle color.

Flora double-checked her outfit in the long mirror on the wall before shutting off the light and leaving the bathroom. She placed the lipstick in her purse and made sure she had her phone and wallet in here as well. 

Flora’s green eyes flickered up, looking at the digital clock on the wall, and reading off eight thirty. It was almost nine o’clock, which was her typical dinner hour. 

Most people didn’t understand Spain, or Catalonia’s, dinner times. Everyone ate dinner late and their nights ended later than most countries. Flora never questioned it as it was always her normal lifestyle, she didn’t know any different. 

“Are you two almost ready?!” Flora called out down the hallway, directing towards the other bathroom down the hall where Nela and Anaïs could be heard arguing over use of a mirror. 

“No!” 

“NO!”

Flora sighed dramatically and walked over to the balcony, sliding open the door and walking out into the warm Barcelona air. She took in a deep breath, smelling the faint Mediterranean sea water as the coast of Barceloneta Beach was a single street away from her. 

Even though Flora had spent eighteen years in the city, leaving this year to attend university, she still adored the city as if was the first time she seen it. It was her home, her paradise, and it always would be.

Flora loved the modernista feel, the art, the history, the people, the sights, and the food. It’s always where she felt calm and loved. All of her family, her friends, and her past was, and the city kept bringing her back no matter how far she traveled. 

Her hands gripping the cool metal railing, Flora felt the warm wind blow against her abdomen and then heard the heavy footsteps of her friends against the hardwood floors. The click of heels made her turn around, and she spotted Anaïs walking into the living room as she placed hooked her earrings in her ears. Nela was on her heels as they walked into the living room and kitchen to grab their things.

“FLORA LET’S GO.” 

“Don’t act like I am the one who took the longest to get ready here. I’m the starving one.”  

Chris Dixon Barcelona, Catalonia

Chuckling and shaking his head at an awful joke that Vincent made about the tapas he was consuming in a failed Spanish accent, Chris turned away. He shook his head and looked around.

The group of three chose a tapas bar just inside the city, it had a rustic style interior with dim lights hanging above the tables, deep red seats and ebony tables, and the long line of tapas across a bar that was enough to make your mouth water at first sight. That was the reason they ended up there, because it was close, and it looked too good to pass up.

Looking around the room, from family to couple, Chris heard the sound of the door opening in the mostly silent room and turned his eyes to the entrance. He saw a group of three girls walk in, all laughing and talking as they stepped inside and were escorted to a table adjacent to Chris and his friends.

He listened in to the group, it was actually hard not too as they were being so loud, and heard them speaking quickly. Their words did not sound Spanish, nor Portuguese, or any language he had heard of before. It was Catalan, and Chris had no idea what they were saying.

He had picked up here-and-there on Spanish in school but he was primarily taught French growing up in Jersey, so he had no idea of the entire Catalan language.

“Dixon, what are you looking at- oh.” Dean trailed off as he followed Chris’ gaze and to the group of girls feet away from them. Chris turned back immediately, looking away from the table, and to his friend. “They’re quite fit, huh?”

Chris nodded and cleared his throat, hoping to avoid the conversation. He knew how his friends were around girls, especially foreign ones. And with a drink or two in their systems, it was even worse than normal. 

And that’s the situation Chris was stuck in that night.

Vincent had one-too-many, actually two, beers in his system, and considered himself a total lad when it came to girls. However girls at bars or in clubs considered him to be a slimy bloke, even though he was rather quite good looking. His looks did not meet his actions.

And, of course, Vincent turned to the group of girls and looked at them. Chris watched him narrow his eyes and then turn back. “They’re Spanish.” He said. “Maybe they know a bit about Barcelona.” 

“What if they’re Portuguese, and they have no idea where they are.” Dean suggested the absolute worst.

Vincent shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.” He said before turning back to the girls, and Chris watched in horror as he called out for them across the room. After a semi-loud shout, and even a fucking whistle, Chris was watching between his fingers as the entire restaurant turned and stared at their table as he called out for the girls.

The girls that had walked in had just stood up, walking towards the tapas bar, but were halted when Vincent called out for them and then waved them over. 

“Oh God, oh God, oh God...” Chris trailed off as he tried to speak to them, but they walked over anyways, sharing grins and giggles between them.

But then the best came out of the situation... they didn’t think Vincent, or any of them, was creepy, and they spoke English. The best outcome Chris could have thought of.

“Are you three from around here?” Vincent asked slyly, resting his arm on the empty chair next to him. 

Chris turned and looked up at the girls, watching them nod. He looked at the girl whom stood closest to him, just a foot away from their table, as she spoke up first. “Yeah, all three of us were raised here.” 

“In Barcelona?” He asked and Chris rolled his eyes. Obviously, you idiot. The girls were much nicer than Chris though, and just simply nodded. Vincent shot them a grin, one that said he was one beer in too deep already. “Well my boys and I are here for the next week on a holiday. I was wondering if there were any good places to go, that you could tell us about?”

“Oh, absolutely.” The blonde in the middle spoke up. Chris looked at her, and then down to her silver heels and back up. “Do you mind if we go get our food and come back here and sit with you three?” She had a different accent than the first girl- it wasn’t too distinct, but obviously different.

Dean nodded hastily for Vincent and said; “of course! We’ll grab you three some chairs and you can join us.” He said with the best, smooth accent.

Chris mentally rolled his eyes again. His friends were being absolute lads tonight and he couldn’t stand it. They were always different around attractive girls.

A moment later the girls rushed off to the tapas bar and Vincent and Dean shot up from their seats, almost knocking over their chairs and the table completely, before rushing to an empty table and grabbing two other chairs for the table. Chris just sat in complete disbelief that his friends were already trying to pull girls on the first night. Another part of him wasn’t surprised.

The girls fetched their plates and drinks before walking over and settling down at the table. Chris watched one settle down across the table from him, next to Vincent, and then the other two took the chairs that had been grabbed just moments ago.

“So, tell us...” Vincent trailed off, turning to the girl seated next to him and shot her an award winning grin. “What are your names?” He asked.

The blonde across the table spoke up first and for her other two friends. “I am Anaïs, this is Nela..” she pointed to the girl next to her with light brown hair and a white top, “and this is Flora.” 

Chris watched her motion to the girl sitting next to him, she was sitting close their knees were grazing slightly under the table. She sat closer so Chris was able to see more of her than the others.

Anaïs had distinct blonde hair and fair skin that was completely different than the other natives in the room. Nela had light brown hair that swayed at her shoulders, and she wore a white top with foreign words spread across the top in colorful letters. And Flora had black hair in tight curls that trailed down her back, and she had striking green eyes that shocked Chris when she turned to him with a warm smile.

Anaïs was in a conversation with Vincent, and Dean had spoken up to Nela, so Flora turned to him to spark up a word to keep the awkwardness at bay.

“So, what are you guys doing in Barcelona?” She asked, twirling the straw in her drink between her fingers.

“Just a holiday.” Chris said. “We had been everywhere else, and we were looking for somewhere warm and that we hadn’t been too.” 

Flora nodded. “It’s a great place to holiday, you know. There is loads to do here in the city itself.”

“Really? What do you guys like to do?”

She shrugged and they met eyes again. Chris looked into her striking icy green eyes and he felt cold, like he couldn’t turn away, but her smile was enough to warm him up. “It’s different for natives than for you tourist..” she said like an insult and they chuckled lightly. “No, but there is a lot of shopping, sight-seeing, food variety, there is everything for people who like to do different stuff.” She continued. “I mean, for you guys, you could visit La Ramblas not too far from here and see the shopping, or go to the beach and relax, tour Camp Nou or catch a match. That’s typically what most do.” 

Chris pursed his lips and nodded. “I would love to see a match in Camp Nou.” 

“You’re a fútbol boy.. I sensed it.” She laughed. Chris listened to her laugh for the moment- it was a hearty laugh, like she was genuinely happy and found delight in knowing that her assumption was true. It was a cute laugh, her lips were spread to reveal pearly whites, and he could listen to it forever.

“Really? How?”

“I don’t know. You just looked like a fan.” Flora shrugged and he grinned. “Do you like Barcelona, though? I mean..” 

“Not in particular, no. I like the squad, the club itself is so historic and phenomenal, but they aren’t my favorite.” 

“Who are your favorites then?”

“Arsenal,” Chris said proudly as if boasting the red and white colors at the moment. He always wore the Arsenal pride wherever he was, but this was an exception. 

“Shame,” Flora clicked her tongue. “It’s a shame that London is blue.” Chris snorted and threw his head back.

“Is Spain white then?” He tried to shoot back.

“Spain, sí, I assume so. Catalonia? Catalonia is forever blaugrana.” She said and Chris felt a pep in his heart at her football knowledge. They grinned at each other before laughing lightly. “It’s a shame you are a Gooner though, I could definitely direct you to the nearest stand that sells all the Barça merchandise possible. I’m talking kits, cups, flags, scarves, pins, forms to sign your soul away to the club... that shit.” 

Chris chuckled. He liked her sense of humor, and her thick accent was definitely a plus.

“So tell me...” Flora trailed off, raising a brow at him, and he knew she was searching for his name.

“Christopher, but you can call me Chris.” He said, leaning his chin on his knuckles and she nodded.

“Christopher..” she repeated, her accent straining the very beginning of his name, but Chris didn’t care. His name rolled off her tongue and it sounded beautiful. 

Damn her and the accent.

“Christopher, where are you from?” Flora asked, picking up an empanadilla from her plate and taking a bite. 

Chris watched her lick her lips before clearing his throat and shaking his head. Everything she did or said got into his head and he was being an absolute idiot around her.

“I’m from Jersey.” He nodded and watched Flora raise a brow. He quickly continued, “it’s a channel island, just off the coast of France.” He corrected and Flora nodded.

“Okay! I know now!” She laughed. “Is it beautiful there?”

Chris shrugged and teetered his head back and forth. “It’s okay, sometimes.” He said and they laughed. “It’s really small, but there are some beautiful sights, you just have to be in the right places.” 

Flora smiled at him. “That’s how Barcelona is.” She said. “Sometimes it’s not so pretty, but it’s what within the streets that matters.”

“Exactly,” he nodded. “There are cliffs, beaches, lighthouses, a few small castles.. it’s a beautiful place.” 

“It sounds gorgeous.” Flora said and took a quick sip of her drink. Chris took her pause to take a drink of his own order. “If I ever wind up there one random day, would you ever do me the favor of showing me around?”

“Absolutely,” he said and they smiled again before turning away from each other and to their respective plates.

Chris took a bite of his croqueta, which was a random food that resembled an egg roll so he picked it up, and nodded. After swallowing he took a sip of his drink and watched Flora pick up something off her plate, and something that looked completely odd to him. But she took a large bite out of it, nodding as if pleased, and placed the remain of the battered food back on her plate.

The Jersey native raised a brow; “what is that?”

Flora turned to him, watching him signal down to her plate, and then she realized what he was talking about. “It’s called chopito.” She said, the name rolling off her tongue, and Chris watched her pick up another piece of it off her plate. “Or sometimes called puntillitas.” She placed it on his nearly empty plate. “Try it,” 

“What is it?” Chris asked, picking it up a moment later and inspecting it. 

Flora just laughed, “just try it.” 

He shouldn’t have trusted a complete stranger who told him to eat a random piece of food, but Chris was feeling adventurous, and popped the entire thing into his mouth. Whatever it was, it had a rich flavor that reminded him of fish, but it was light, a bit crunchy, but overall delicious.

Flora watched Chris’ expression switch from tense to pleased, and he nodded. “Did you like it?” 

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad.” Chris admitted before sipping his drink. “What was it?”

“Squid.” She said casually before popping another into her mouth, and Chris choked at the first thought of him eating squid, and sent Flora into a fit of laughter. 

Hours had passed, and it was near eleven when both of the groups had decided their night had to end there.

Dinner had been full of laughs, random conversations that got everyone involved, and even more conversations between Chris and Flora. They sat at the edge of the table and delved into their own world, talking about life and even more teasing each other about football and accents, and Chris even trying to give her Catalan accent a shot that ended horribly with the both of them roaring in laughter.

Neither Chris nor Flora wanted the dinner to end. They were having so much fun together, just talking among themselves and laughing as their friends downed a round of beers.

So outside of the restaurant, in the middle of the street as the others tried to hail taxis, Flora and Chris made a pact to see each other again that week. They shared phone numbers even though they had no idea what that would leave to.

“Shoot me a text one morning and I’ll be up to show you guys around Barcelona, or bail you out of a Catalan jail.” Flora said as her friends jumped into a taxi and called out her name.

Chris laughed. “Hopefully the nights out won’t have to come out of that.” He said, watching her walk towards the taxi on the side of the street. “I’ll see you soon, Flora.” 

She nodded at him and smiled. “See you soon, Christopher.” 

[elisesole]

Kate Middleton's 'disgusting' shopping habit slammed by politician

The royal family is masterful when it comes to publicity, from managing images of Kate Middleton’s enviable style to news of her third pregnancy and of Prince Harry’s Hollywood romance with Meghan Markle. But their roles as diplomats are being questioned by a member of Parliament, who calls family members “ridiculous” and once compared the Middletons to the Kardashians.

During Monday’s labor conference, according to Sky News, Emma Dent Coad, a member of Parliament for Kensington, said of Middleton and Prince William, “Their MP thinks the system is ridiculous. We should not be funding them.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton are in the hot seat. (Photo: Getty Images)

She added that Middleton’s reported purchase of $200 dresses was “disgusting,” noting, “That’s a food bill for a family of four,” and “That’s absolutely outrageous.”

Sky News also reported that Dent Coad slammed the BBC’s coverage of the family, calling out what she said was “sickeningly gratuitous coverage of anything royal” and noting that the station was “very heavily directed by right-wing politics and the monarchy.”

“It is a piece of the whole propaganda machine,” she said.

The Kardashian crew. (Photo: Getty Images)

It’s not the first time Dent Coad has railed against the royals. In July, she compared Kate’s family — siblings Pippa and James Middleton and parents Carole and Michael — to the Kardashian family for their combined 17 appearances at Wimbleton, the style details of which were breathlessly reported.

“I say the Middletons are like the Kardashians now, because they are such film stars,” Dent Coad remarked to an anti-monarch campaign group, according to the Daily Mail. “It just shows how much it has all changed.”

And after Queen Elizabeth and Prince William visited survivors of Grenfell Tower, a building in West London that caught fire and killed 30 people in June, Dent Coad said it would not be a privilege to meet the queen and that she had once turned down the opportunity.

So how did the royal family evolve from an actual governing power to bona fide celebrities who sell stuffed corgis in the royal gift shop? Blame three significant 17th-century events, according to a detailed account published in the Atlantic: British Parliament began rising to power, kings transitioned from warriors to diplomats, and a class system was established, along with the practice of wealthy families — including the monarchy  — hosting social events.

Parliament member Emma Dent Coad. (Photo: Getty Images)

Fast-forward to the 1980s, when Diana, Princess of Wales, fondly known as the “People’s Princess,” revamped the role by focusing her charity work on unique issues such as HIV/AIDS and homelessness. And Middleton, a commoner before marrying Prince William in 2011, is carrying the torch with her down-to-earth charm (she poses for selfies with fans), affinity for budget brands Gap and Zara, and photogenic hair.

But the popularity of the royals tends to fluctuate. In May 2016, according to global marketing firm Ipsos Mori, public approval for Prince William declined by 11 percent from 2012, possibly due to Will’s so-called lax work ethic (he then worked 20 hours a week as an air ambulance pilot). However, one year later, a survey conducted by the Sun U.K. found that more than half of British citizens wanted William to take the throne above his father Prince Charles.

Middleton’s likableness has also been debated. In 2011, one percent of people said they would trade places with her and less than one-third said they would want to be her friend, per a Newsweek/YouGov poll. However, the public remains obsessed, dubbing her “best celebrity body” and “most influential style icon.”

The royal family generates its income — $386 million per year, according to the Telegraph — with private and public funding, such as the Sovereign Grant (paid for by the government), which covers travel and palace bills, and the Privy Purse, money from royal properties, such as Balmoral and Sandringham Estates, where Will and Kate spend much of their time.

Per the royal family’s official website, the role of the monarchy is to carry out more than 2,000 official engagements, including attending state banquets and garden parties, strengthen economic and diplomatic relations with other countries, and serve as patrons at various charities.

So who, if not the royal family, is best to fulfill these obligations? “I would say if we are going to have princes and princesses then I would rather it was the Beckhams,” Dent Coad said in July, “because they have earned their own money.”

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