The Tales of Kimberly: A Collection

mydesignphilosophy

2011-01-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!

So I need a little help....

My little design blog is getting a big makeover and lots of needed attention! The big picture is to ultimately create a place where you can be inspired and learn all about design! Look forward to give-aways, tricks of the trade, how to's, and inspiration boards created by yours truly!

My little blog is just on its way so I need your support more than ever!

I would love for you to follow and maybe even leave a comment or two! :)

mydesignphilosophy.blogspot.com

Thanks & Love!

*I'm on twitter too! Let the tweets begin! Kimmor1.

*New posts & pictures of the hubby and me here.

New post

2010-11-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

New post on the Moore Family website!

Check it HERE!

New Posts! Finally!

2010-08-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

So most of my blogging will be done from our family blog now. Go check it out - a few good stories on there!

www.theworldandmoore.com

A few teasers for what's on there:

Wedding contest update

Zion update

The proposal update

2010-07-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Dear blog -

Sorry for neglecting you. Unfortunately, 30 hour work weeks, a full load of classes + homework, and planning a wedding have taken over my life. I do have some fantastic updates though! Somehow I've managed to find pockets of time to fit new adventures in. A few updates I will include at some point:

- A new job

- Book reports, essays, and labs every week. A word to the wise: don't go to school during Summer!

- Shooting a gun for the first time! I have impeccable aim...not.

- Getting engaged to the love of my life!

- Finding a dress and our first apartment within two weeks of saying yes to the proposal! (The two things I thought might take a few MONTHS!)

- Canyoneering in Zion's National Park

- Being one of the top two couples considered for winning an entire WEDDING (many details and videos to follow)

It has been an exciting, happy, stressful, amazing, few weeks...and more to come.

Florida

2010-06-14T00:40:00.001-07:00

We were able to go down to Florida for a few days which was so fun! Jesse was the photographer for his friend's wedding reception but we also got to hang out with his family, eat yummy Southern BBQ and seafood, and even hit the beaches before the oil did.

Henderson Beach in Destin

I got over my fear of the ocean a little bit more and did some body surfing, boogie boarding, and snorkeling.

Jesse actually knew what he was doing...

And I kind of got the hang of it...

There were a few good Southern storms.

We made a quick trip to Seaside where parts of the Truman Show were filmed, and we found the actual house they lived in...check the sign.

Thanks to his family, we took out the wave runner so we could tube and knee board!

Our time there was definitely too short but now it's back to business...finals!

Ok enough pictures of us...I'll get a few more interesting subjects for the next update.

Moab Trip #1

2010-06-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Oh Moab. Memorial Day came around and we couldn't let the day off go to waste! So we headed down to Moab for a nice 24 hour adventure. This time around the adventure team included James, Alyssa, and Vanessa too.

We made it in good time with enough daylight to set up camp. Problem #1 - we didn't reserve a campsite. Memorial Day Weekend + deciding to go to Moab on a whim = NOTHING AVAILABLE. We knew it would be busy...but we just figured it would add to the adventure. Well, it added, that's for sure. The next two hours of searching is a story I'll reserve for another time. As we contemplated sleeping in the parking lot of a gas station, the owner told us about a HUGE music festival, Desert Rocks, going on about 20 miles up the road. Apparently, 2,000 people were in attendance and no one was reserving campsites out there in the middle of nowhere! Finally we found it and I couldn't have been more excited. There, out in the boonies was a full stage set up, tons of booths with hippies selling stickers and Bob Marley t-shirts, and a rockin' concert going on! PLUS we found the best campsite just a few miles down the road. Win.

The next day we just played around Arches National Park.

Photo cred: Jesse

Photo cred: Jesse
Photo cred: Jesse

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

Here's the gang...

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

We saw way too many signs like this...

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

Or ones saying "this is not a designated campground area." I guess we aren't the only ones who've been desperate for a campsite!

I think I fell on my face right after this picture.

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

We wanted to hit Delicate Arch at sunset, but we also knew we'd be starving by then, so Jesse loaded his Osprey backpack with all of the essentials and we started the hike up.

Photo cred: Jesse

The wind is SUPER loud in this one so just turn down the volume...but it's worth it to watch just to see what surprises came out of Jesse's pack.

So... on top of Delicate Arch, we cooked 3 different types of soup/chili in our jet boiler, roasted marshmallows, shared an entire watermelon with our new friends around us, and watched the sun set over the arch!

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

New salesman for Jet Boil?

Photo cred: Vanessa Oler

We all decided this would be the best way to cut the watermelon...

Viva Moab! We'll see you again for the Massive Moab Trip! TBC.

Little Sahara

2010-06-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

Utah is full of so many random places to see and experience. Milla & Austin told us about Little Sahara which is just a couple hours South of Provo. Explanation coming...

On our drive down we saw this deserted factory/storehouse sitting up on the hill and had to go explore. As we walked towards it we made friends with a couple old chaps just as curious as we were.

The view was pretty sweet once we got to the top of the rubble.

We still have no idea what it was but there were tons of photo ops.

We continued our journey through podunk towns (a few of which would be perfect settings for horror movies), passed by cattle herders rounding up the gangs, and finally made it to Little Sahara. Basically, it is hundreds of acres of sand dunes! A word to the wise: don't go unless you have ATV's to play around on!

It was an experience just driving around this giant sand box watching the thousands of people (of all ages) riding ATV's, dune buggies, and dirt bikes.

If you know me you are aware that I love to people watch. This place is high on the list. I'll just say that rat tails and wife-beater tanks are welcome....do you have a visual yet?

We kept hearing about Sand Mountain so we went to find it...and it is exactly as it sounds - a sand mountain. This is where the party was.

It's hard to see just how big it was, but basically the riders would gun it up this thing then slide back down still at full speed. Nuts.

Little Sahara is just something you need to see for yourself. We'll be back...with ATV's!

Stewart Falls

2010-06-13T16:57:00.001-07:00

Ok- I'm way behind on blogging. So sorry.Who reads this anyways?!

Well, for those of you who do, this is what we've been up to!

Jesse and I were crazy enough to take classes during Spring (and I'll be pushing through Summer as well). Really, it hasn't been too bad. It's nice to be on campus with so few others (except the EFY kids...ah). Yet amidst our studies we've managed to fit in a few fun adventures with more to come.

About a month ago we hiked up to Stewart Falls just above Sundance.

Because the snow is still melting, and the runoff isn't as strong, we were able to hike up a little closer.
We made our way to Salt Lake for dinner at Biaggi's - an excellent choice for anyone craving Italian. The atmosphere is classy and the food is so so good.

More Seattle-from Jesse's Camera

2010-05-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Jesse has so many hobbies - photography being one of them. In 2 years he has successfully learned the art and turned it into a business (with his roommate James). Check out their website, Icon Memories! He edited a few of his shots from our Seattle trip. One of his favorite techniques is HDR (labeled). Blogger has kind of destroyed the quality on a few, but check them out! (Click on the images to make them bigger, the quality will be better...)

HDR Snoqualmie Falls

HDR Seattle

HDR West Seattle

HDR

Hello Seattle

2010-04-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Warning:

A. Some may find this post to be sappy or cheesy or way too long.

B. I was having so much fun editing these photos in Lightroom, hence the excessive use of filters and effects!

C. If you'd rather read about my streak of bad luck just scroll to the bottom...you'll have a good laugh guaranteed.

So I went home for a few days in-between semesters and I brought Jesse with me to show him around Seattle! I got to play tourist for a week which was fun. I was reminded how much I love this city! Jesse got some incredible HDR shots and thanks to the tri-pod we got a few decent shots of us running around town.

After an intense finals week of many late nights studying in the library (someday I'll write another post about the odd things that go on in the library past midnight) we couldn't have gotten out of Provo quicker!

Day 1 started with a Mariner's game! Baseball games bring all types of people out of the woodwork, which I love! At any given time you can look around and find at least 1 mullet, plumbers crack, or group of goobers wasted, yelling who knows what. Am I not right?

I love my parents! It was fun to just hang out with them for the night!

Day 2 began at Seward Park. We found on some website that this park was rated among the top ten for cool hikes. I had never been there so we thought we'd check it out. Well, maybe we just didn't see what the experts see, because this random parrot statue was the most interesting thing we found.

Moving on. You can't go to Seattle and NOT visit the Space Needle! After a 46 second ride we were 600+ feet in the air looking over the beautiful view.

West Seattle has become one of my favorite parts of the city.

You get one of the most incredible views of the city scape, barges coming into the shipyard, ferry boats, kayakers and scuba divers chillin in the bay.

I took Jesse up to Husky's Deli. My dad grew up nearby and frequently visited it. I guess he's passed the bug onto me cause I love to go there every time I'm home! It's a fun little European market where you can find your choice of jam, cheese, hot sauce, chocolate etc. I always go for the amazing sandwiches and ice cream...

Before I go on I have to tell you about our quest. Jesse and I have a lot in common, you know, the important things. Early on we found out that be we both love a good milkshake. This quickly became a commonality that we deemed "important" and that we would dedicate much effort and thought and time to (hopefully you pick up on the sarcasm?). But seriously. It has become our quest. We have tried shakes all over the world, and Jesse is convinced that Singapore held the title for World's Best Milkshake. I trusted his judgement and we started there- to find a milkshake that would beat Singapore.

That was a roundabout way of saying Husky's had a decent milkshake, good size, but not enough flavor. Next!

Lincoln Park in West Seattle is a must. Not necessarily the park itself but the trails that go down to the waterfront (yes, this is a tri-pod shot- call us goobers if you want).

Gotta love Washington beaches- driftwood and little pebbles. It was fun to just hang for a while and enjoy the view. Some sort of creature kept popping its head up out of the water to say hi. It was probably a sea lion or an otter... but maybe the loch ness monster?!

We headed back to the Seattle Center to hang out for a while before the Beatles Laser Show! Sooooho good.

International Fountain. We met some people here who owned a chug. Let me continue. A chug is a pug/chihuahua mix. I thought if I pet it too hard with my pinky finger I might break it. Really. I don't know about you guys but I don't consider that a "dog." Plus its eyes were looking different ways. Ew.

Day 3 began with a monorail ride to Pike's Place Market! It is such a fun experience. It reminds me so much of all of the markets I ran into in Europe. Local vendors sell all sorts of goods (jewelry, fruits and vegetables, artwork, and of course flowers). Plus you can get your fill of cheeses, Parisian baked goods, Grecian gyros and baklava, and seafood of course. You can visit the very first Starbucks, listen to the man who serenades tourists from the upright piano he rolls out every day, or....

watch nasty fish being thrown across a counter.

Thank you Ryan for not letting a fish slip through your hands that would undoubtedly result in a broken lens...

I was so happy to find one of my favorite Italian desserts- a Cannoli! Hmm.

On our way back to the monorail we noticed a cute little gelato/chocolate/espresso shop. It looked too high-class to sell milkshakes so we almost didn't go in but at the last second we thought we might as well see...good thing.

The gelato quickly caught our attention and we finally realized they did indeed sell shakes! Win. We decided on a Stracciatella milkshake. Jesse being the friendly person that he is quickly made friends with the employees and told them all about our quest. They suggested the chocolate whip cream on top and gave us an extra scoop of ice cream. Believe it or not this one gave Singapore a run for its money. The combination of rich chocolate whip cream and legit Stracciatella gelato made for a perfect combo. We were in heaven...and got a second!

So, seriously, next time you're in Seattle visit the Chocolate Box just up the street from the Public Market sign! You won't regret it! Seattle may hold the new title. We'll be back.

Day 4 started at the EMP (or the blob - it really is so ugly). I hadn't been there since 7th grade and they were exhibiting some of the best rock n' roll photography so naturally Jesse was intrigued.

I still hold the opinion that it is cool, but not a must. Moving on.

Last semester Jesse had the chance to photograph with one of Seattle's best, Chase Jarvis. His studio is right above Gasworks Park so we made a quick stop by.

Afterwards we played at the park for a while. As usual there were people flying kites, walking dogs, and rolling down the hills. Seriously. At one point we found a lone camera sitting in the grass, so naturally, we picked it up with the intent to take a few shots of ourselves so when the owner came back for it they'd have a nice surprise! Right as we were turning it on I turned around to find a middle-aged woman running at full speed towards us. She gasped and said, "Oh! You found it! Thank you so much! I was rolling down the hill and it must have fallen out of my pocket!" She had a nose ring so I guess that makes her cool enough to roll down hills too.

The Fremont area is another fun part of Seattle. It is super trendy and full of quirky shops and restaurants. Oh and there is a large troll under the bridge. Such a tourist move but Jesse had to see it! We didn't go to my favorite Vegan Cafe with the yummy gluten-free treats, but we did stop by a sweet vintage shop.

The Chocolate Box employees were nice enough to suggest another place to try a milkshake, Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream in the Wallingford neighborhood. We got there and figured it MUST be good because the line was out the door! It took us a half hour to get in. Jesse got the Theo Chocolate milkshake and deemed it "good" but not the "best." It was still a really unique place that I'd love to visit again! Some of their other flavors included: "Starburst," "Salted Caramel," "Honey Lavendar," "Rosemary Meyer Lemon," "Cardamom," and "Balsamic Strawberry" (which, by the way, tasted exactly as it sounds).

Afterwards we rushed to the piers to catch a ferry. We didn't really have a place in mind to go because a ferry ride is more about the scenic experience. In the end we decided on Bainbridge which is a quaint little island. We found a cute place to have a nice sit-down dinner before turning around and getting back on the ferry.

Day 5 was a Sunday so after church we went for a nice drive out to Snoqualmie Falls, just minutes from my home.

We hiked down to the bottom...

Jesse photographed (and got one of the coolest HDR photos of the trip- I'll post a link later)...

and concluded such a fun trip and much-needed break from PROVO!

If you made it to the end of this post I salute you! But wait! There's more!

They say that bad things come in threes. I second this statement. Apparently it was my turn for some bad luck.

It all began at the airport on our way back to Utah. Jesse and I were flying on different airlines but we planned our flights around the same time. All was going according to plan: I got on my plane, analyzed the crying baby situation and thought I'd found a decent spot with ample space between me and said children, and started to doze off as we taxi'd down the runway. The plane stops. We wait. We wait some more. The hilarious flight attendant gets on and notifies us that there is some mechanical problem and we'll be heading back to the gate for a fix. We then sat at the gate for about 45 minutes waiting for the one mechanic in charge of the entire airport to come fix the problem! Ultimately they decided to put us all on a different plane. Soooo, we all got off and back on the plane sitting next to us. About 20 minutes later we were able to take off. An hour delay is unfortunate but not horrible. Those things happen. The part that made it difficult was that I hadn't realized how many babies were on this flight, until they all started crying in unison. Why does that happen? Not only were they upset but a few were SCREAMING like I've never heard before, and they didn't stop the entire flight! Those poor moms.

Everyone was itching to get off that plane once we landed, including me! I was excited to just get home. By this point I hadn't eaten in several hours, which didn't help my crankiness! I got to the Highland area and hit a wall of traffic. A dead stop. I played the stop and go game for about 40 minutes til it finally opened up. The only thing that kept me entertained was this guy in front of me who was freaking out because a bee flew into his car. I finally made it home, threw my stuff down and ran out the door again to go to my friends bridal shower!

(Feel free to laugh a lot during this next part)

We went to CPK for dinner. I was so hungry by this point and couldn't wait to eat my Chicken Waldorf Salad...with walnuts. About 3 bites into it I swallowed one of those dang walnuts whole. It was either that or choke and make a big scene! Bad idea. I have never been in sooooo much pain from a piece of food being lodged in my throat! I knew it wasn't going to go down easy so I drank about 8 glasses of water. I felt so ridiculous complaining but I was fighting back the tears it hurt so bad! Any slight movement made my chest hurt! I contemplated going to the hospital...but decided I was tougher than that. The real problem was that I didn't want to eat anything more out of fear, so my hunger ensued. Ugh. I decided that I just needed to go home and sleep off the rest of this bad luck streak. Easier said than done.

I got back to my friends apartment complex, walked back to where my car should have been, and found it nowhere in sight. Towed. I had parked in this part of the parking lot before and hadn't had problems. Well I guess someone snitched on me this time. I thank you. Now really fighting back the tears I called Jesse who came to my rescue. He was so sweet and helped me to find humor in this whole situation.

I hope that I've had by share of bad luck to last me for a while...

They Say It's Your Birthday!

2010-04-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Even with finals looming down on us, I wasn't going to let Jesse's birthday pass without a fantastic day of celebrating! It was full of all things he loves!

After a morning of studying we set out for our first adventure- hiking in the Spanish Fork Canyon. But first we made a quick stop at Sammy's for a sampling of milk shakes. (If you go don't get the Snickers- it tasted like plastic. Go for the Peanut Butter Cup or Raspberry...cause I knew you were wondering...?)

Red Ledges is more of a park but it's full of red rocks that you can hike and play around on! We went as high as we could and stopped to enjoy the view, oh and avoid the cactus? Wasn't expecting that. It feels so good to finally get outside again.

The drive alone was gorgeous too. I highly recommend driving through those canyons with the windows rolled down, blasting a little Black Eyed Peas.

Next was dinner at Jesse's favorite- Guru's. Alyssa, James, Dan and V came along which guaranteed some good laughs.

I needed time to stall while V and others got everything together for the end of the night. How did I do this? Borders Travel Section. We sat and looked through photography books.

I finally got the go ahead from V to come back to the club house in his apartment complex. I made up some lame excuse so we could end up in the club house where a bunch of his close friends had come to surprise him!

I can't believe we pulled it off because when we created the Facebook invite, he accidentally ended up on the guest list! SOMEHOW he didn't see the invite OR the e-mail notification. He also didn't pick up on anything after I sent him a text alluding to the party. Ha. I'm amazed.

Love these people. Thanks to them for helping to pull it off.

Despite the fact that we were soooo full from Guru's, there was enough sugar there to last us a month! Thank you to Monica for helping me make:

Peanut butter cookies

Oreo truffles

Funfetti cupcakes

Thin mint ice cream pie

Number 1.

2010-04-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have never won anything in my life...ever. No t-shirts at games, no stupid memorabilia some company is trying to get rid of, not even a stuffed animal at a carnival. Well, my luck has finally changed.

Two weeks ago the iOscars were hosted by the BYU Mac User's Group. The theme was "Hello, I'm a Cougar, and I'm a Ute." It was a competition to see who could come up with the most creative video (3 minutes max) using this theme and Apple's iMovie software. Jesse is an Apple Campus Rep (and part of the Mac User's Group) so he wasn't allowed to enter the competition. It wouldn't have been such a big deal...but the 1st place winner got an iPad! Ok, now it was a big deal! We found a quick solution to this dilemma...I'll enter one. Thank goodness for girlfriends. So in one afternoon we put together our masterpiece.

(If you haven't seen the Old Spice commercials, you MUST watch this video before watching ours!)

Now ours:

(For the record...I don't call him pumpkin.)

On the night of the event we thought "Cougatar" might have us beat, but it turns out people were looking for a good laugh, and WE WON!

On a completely different note, last weekend I had to say goodbye to my best friend for 18 months! She is leaving in a few weeks to serve a mission in Joao Pessoa, Brazil! As much as I'll miss her here I am so excited for her. She will be an amazing missionary and help so many people come to know our Savior. I was able to go to her farewell party and have a few last good laughs with her and other friends who came.

Good luck Steph! Love you!

2010-03-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have to say one thing real quick- four weeks of school left (+ finals...)! I can't wait for this summer! It is going to be the best (despite the fact that I'll be taking a full load of classes).

The weather is getting warmer! We were finally able to take a stroll and hang out in the park without jackets. Finally.

Jesse was doing the photo booth at the dance hosted by Alpine Village. He was busy working but Monica and I stopped by for a few minutes to say hi (and dance of course).

A few quick pictures with the photographer himself.

Saturday we celebrated our 1 month! Haha! Feels like it's been way longer than a month. We ate at Tucano's till we were literally in pain. We got in the car and both just laid back in our seats-unable to move. The worst part was that we started laughing...and couldn't stop. Not something that should happen when you already feel like you might...see your dinner again...

Thank You so much Jesse!

Filmore Hot Springs

2010-03-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was really needing an adventure. Who better to call than my dear pal, Amber! She is always up for a good adventure- we've had quite a few! Our destination this time: Filmore Hot Springs. So, Jesse and I loaded the CRV with all things fun: the tunes of Lady Gaga, a 20 pound bag of pretzels (ok not 20 pounds but it was the Costco family size....), an underwater camera, glow sticks (but we somehow failed to bring flashlights), and a little portable stove to make hot chocolate. We picked up Amber and spouse, Danny, and set off!

FINALLY we arrive at the hot springs and were greeted by a lovely bunch of the local hicks, drunk, literally falling out of their jacked up truck. Classic. We had driven an hour and a half though so we weren't going to let them ruin our night.

This is how the rest of the night went down: We run the 50 yards or so to the springs. Amber steps in a huge mud puddle along the way. The pool is full of said hick's friends (some over the age of 60). Cool. Amber convinces a few of our new friends that all she does in life is travel around to explore hot springs. They were convinced she was rich.

Soon after arriving, Jesse and I noticed a guy sitting alone in the shadows behind us. Not going to lie, I found it a little creepy at first. Regardless, we decided to make friends with him. His name was Leif, and he was one of the coolest guys. We couldn't figure out why he kept diving waaayyy down to the bottom for extended periods of time. Later we found out he was picking up all of the beer cans off the bottom. What a guy. He literally has traveled around visiting hot springs (according to him, Filmore is the best). Win. He had a few snorkeling masks and flashlights that he let us play around with (my pictures are out of order but Jesse is exploring in the first one). Leif showed us how to blow bubbles in the shape of rings (I have a video but it's not loading. Sad.) He gave us some good tips on scuba certification which is another adventure we'll be having this summer if anyone wants to join!

We decided we'd had enough fun with our new friends. Jesse hit the mud puddle on the way out. We saw an unfortunate sight that I will spare you the details of. We listened to the Beatles the whole way home.

Adventure = success.

More to come.

Happy Sabbath.

2010-03-07T15:26:00.001-08:00

Music and the Spoken Word up in Salt Lake. So great. I think my favorite song was "Zadok The Priest" by Handel. Very powerful. Oh and "Peace Like A River."

More Good Things.

2010-03-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Vanessa invited us to her wards formal dinner. Jesse was capturing the event and I got to just come along for the ride (and the food...) The event was complete with seating charts, name tags, formal evening attire (we were probably on the casual side), and a catered dinner. Paella! Yum.

This weekend has been full of more good things including:

More Arrested Development

Homemade pizza

Celebrating birthdays

Drives up the Canyon

Getting back at the punk who threw snowballs at us

Mexican hot chocolate

The Utah Symphony! (Monica and I decided to go kind of for class but more just cause it is something you have to experience).

The Arts Center up in SL is really beautiful!

They performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 and Bruckner's Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major. Wow. I wasn't familiar with Bruckner but I loved this piece!

2010-02-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend was packed with so many good moments. A few include:

Arrested Development

El Salvadorian Pupusas yummm

Ice Skating

Avatar in 3D. (Yes. I saw it despite how much I made fun of it. Yes. It was very pretty. No. I wouldn't see it again. We got some sweet glasses out of the deal though!)

A formal etiquette dinner

Doing the photo booth for one of the Preference Dances

More pictures to come!

2010-02-20T23:27:00.000-08:00

Life is definitely unexpected. I had the best weekend. I've fallen behind on my updates...more to come soon.

Here's a little preview. Cross Country Skiing up at Aspen Grove. I wish I could say I took this shot but no way- this is the work of Jesse Moore.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T23:24:00.000-08:00

Go here. You won't be disappointed by this gang of blokes.

http://www.pumahardchorus.com/

Happy Valentine's Day.

2010-02-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

I missed this place a lot today. Not a thing to worry about here.

Mallorca, Spain.

Sundance & Brighton

2010-01-31T15:06:00.000-08:00

My weekend started on Thursday. A few of my friends have been volunteering up at the Sundance Film Festival and had a bunch of extra passes. So Thursday night we went to the midnight showing of Buried. It was literally 90 minutes of Ryan Reynolds...buried in a box! Sound boring? It wasn't! The cinematography was really well done but do not see it if you are at all claustrophobic.

The script and screen writers stayed for a Q&A session after the viewing. They were quite comical.

*****

On Friday a few friends and I headed up to Brighton because they had 2 for 1 passes. I decided to try snowboarding again. I hadn't strapped on a board for almost 6 years because the last time I did it resulted in a broken wrist. Hm. Lesson learned? Not quite. I figured instead of putting my hands out every time I ate it I would use the natural cushioning we are blessed with...well...somewhere in there my logic became faulty. Second run of the night I took a good fall, and as I remained, sprawled out in the snow, I realized that "cushioning" failed me. I knew I was done for, but I wasn't about to give up! I kept boarding but I became "that person," you know, the one who everybody on the run tries to avoid because a.) she is going soooo slow b.) she may or may not just stop unexpectedly c.) you cannot predict her next move. Anyways, regardless of my pain I had a blast being with friends and being out on the mountain, but I think I'll stick to skiing.

*****

Saturday morning (ok afternoon) rolled around and I slowly got out of bed. I convinced Monica to go up to Sundance with me cause once again my friends had some extra tickets. This time, The Company Men. It's so funny to just watch the crowds that go to the Film Festival- a.k.a. the rich people walking around in their furs and bling...wow.

lots to think about...

2010-01-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

If all goes according to plan, I'll be done with my Bachelor's Degree in December. That is such a weird thought.

So what's next?

Within the next year I'll probably end up in either:

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Washington D.C.

I have no idea which one. Any thoughts?

photos via: here and here.

Just another post.

2010-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend was so fun. It included:

El Salvadorian food

Miniature golf

Denny's in Draper at 2 a.m. (story to come shortly)

Snow shoeing up to Stewart Falls (about 6 miles total)

Tim Tam Slams (just know that Australian cookies and hot chocolate are involved)

So...let me explain.

Denny's: A friend of mine needed to waste some gasoline (not something you experience often), but he needed work done on his car and the tank could be no more than half full. Naturally, some friends and I decided to help him out. So we took off late one night- no destination in mind- and half a tank of gas to waste. Problem- what is open in Utah past 9:00 p.m.? Nothing. Seeing as it was about midnight we chose the only option available...Denny's. Fine dining indeed. Anyone who has been to Denny's (especially at night) knows you always come away feeling...amazed. I know I did. This is why: We noticed a couple sitting several booths away from us. They were your typical Denny's frequenters enjoying a night out. They had a kid- a 3 year old girl. Something did not seem right with this situation. Perhaps it was the fact that a 3 year old was chillin at Denny's at 1:00 a.m.? No... maybe it was the fact that her parents were oblivious to her the whole time? Not quite. It was what she was doing (which her parents were oblivious to) that struck us as odd. She, a 3 year old child mind you, was DOWNING the sugar packets provided at each table. One after another, just opening her mouth and taking it all down! I'm almost positive she had a few salt packets in there too. The sugar was clearly taking affect and the girl was slightly crazed, now downing sugar even faster. When we walked by on our way out I saw the remnants of what appeared to be between 12-15 sugar packets littering the table and floor. How do you react to this?

Anyways, on a different note, snow shoeing was a blast. I really have become addicted to it. Living in a cold place, such as Utah, during the winter months can make you go crazy UNLESS you take advantage of the snow! This is one of my new favorite ways.

A new found hobby...

2010-01-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Amber asked if I wanted to go snow shoeing with a group of friends. I've never been before so naturally... I was all for it. We drove up to Big Cotton Wood Canyon, found a part of the mountain to climb on, and started hiking up. It was a decent incline but I was determined to get up high enough for a good view. There were only a couple of us that got up to the top of this cliff but it was worth it. Being night time we could see the star which was so peaceful to me. Coming down was the best though- I basically just fell/slid down the mountain. I will be doing this again very soon.

(Thank you Amby for the pictures!)

Home for the Holidays

2010-01-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

I've really got to get on this blogging thing again...

Christmas 2009. Seattle.

The whole gang was home +1 new 8 month old addition. I must say it was a fantastic break full of relaxation, food and family. I caught up on plenty of tv shows and you tubes that will help me achieve nothing, aside from some good laughs.

I was the first to get in town and was able to see 'A Christmas Carol,' on stage with my parents for a work function. It was in the round, something I've never experienced before! I loved it despite the fact that Scrooge spit when he talked...a lot...

I met up with a couple friends and ate at a vegan bakery and rummaged around a vintage shop or two (can't find too many of those around Provo).

For the past, oh, 14 years my family has had the tradition of eating at the Space Needle for Christmas Eve dinner. We eat early so we can watch the sun set and all of the city lights come on. It's something that always look forward too! This year we had perfect weather. I had salmon. Being in the North West, I order seafood at any chance I get!

Here's the gang...

I'm pretty sure we started this tradition...maybe not...but it's been there as long as I can remember! Let me explain. The restaurant floor of the Space Needle rotates. Some kid had the bright idea to put a little note on the ledge of the window. Obviously, as the floor rotates, the notes get passed on for all of the other diners to enjoy. We always become close with others in the restaurant through a crayon and sticky note. Some typical messages that I've seen pass by:

"Anyone having the stuffed chicken?"

"I'd avoid the chicken, go for the steak..."

"All I want for Christmas is a boyfriend."

"I'm from Fiji! Where are you from?" A likely story...

Business cards...

You get the idea. There have been a couple years where the waiters try to keep a handle on the notes...usually with little success.

We get the same dessert every year. As a kid it was just the coolest thing...now it's just tradition. It's called the lunar orbiter. All it is, is a dish of ice cream, BUT it sits in a bigger dish which is full of dry ice and hot water.

The views are just hard to beat.

For the past couple of years I've started making crepes for breakfast on Christmas morning. yum.

We went on a ton of walks...trying not to let the Holidays (and the sugar that comes with them) get the best of us! Maria slept through most of them...

We rode a ferry through the Puget Sound to go visit some family. Ferries are always an exciting event...you just never know who (or what) you're going to encounter. Sometimes it's people with cotton balls safety-pinned to 90% of their clothing, others in cow costumes, having it stall like 20 yards from the landing dock, and occasionally you run into the bum sleeping on one of the benches.

Regardless you get to see some of the beautiful tree-covered islands that make up the Puget Sound.

New Year's was exciting. My brother and I drove around down town simply to people watch. We weren't dissapointed in the slightest.

On to 2010. Bring it on.

Giving Thanks.

2009-11-27T14:39:00.001-08:00

This last year and a half has been quite a ride for me...but finally, finally, things are starting to look up. With that being said I have a few things to be thankful for:

- Better health

- A supportive & loving family

- Patience beyond my own

- A God who has known just the right people & events to put into my life to get me where I am today

[I have been so blessed]

Another update...

2009-11-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

My roommate and good friend Camilla got married on the 21st. It was so fun to be a part of the big day...congrats girl!
Gotta have the Martha Stewart Poms for a bridal shower...

The spread for the shower! Megs made the cute towel cake.

So it's been a while.

2009-11-03T11:30:00.001-08:00

Well...here are a few updates from the last couple...months...

I came back to Provo after an 8 month absence. Weird. Very weird. But it was fun to be with the old gang again.

Camilla and I took up a new hobby- for our inspiration watch this. If it doesn't work just youtube nena daconte- tenia tanto que darte

Birthday Weekend: I've always wanted to go up to the Alpine Slides so for my birthday two of my good friends took me up to Park City for an afternoon. The drive was beautiful with all of the leaves changing.

On the chairlift ride up...

Waiting for our turn...

aannnd Seth screaming through the finish line...

I got a free ride because I told them it was my birthday, but the best part was when I got to the bottom they were playing THE BIRTHDAY SONG by the Beatles!!

We walked around Park City a little and found this awesome shoe tree!

On my actual birthday the gang went to PF Changs

BOB DYLAN: Words cannot describe how excited I was to see this man in concert! He is 68 and STILL rockin. It was loud! So not what I expected...

I brought my camera but was caught and told that NO photos were allowed (per Bob's request...) buuuuuut sorry Bob, it's just something we had to.

Three very happy people after an awesome concert. The line-up was great, Bob pulled out a few dance moves, and his back-up was awesome.

Halloween: A few friends and I carved pumpkins a few days before Halloween. This is what we came up with...

Mike's "Carroll" from Where the Wild Things Are was definitely the best.

I've been getting a little crafty (more pictures to come). I found this old trunk at D.I. and with a little mod podge glue I came up with this...

Festival of India

2009-08-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I went to Kumbhamela 2009 at the Vedic Cultural Center just a few miles from my house. It's the most cultured thing we've got going on in this town! A couple of years ago the Krsna Temple was complete and to say the least, its pink exterior didn't quite blend with its surroundings, but I'm glad it's there!

This picture of the exterior came from here because the one I took of the outside didn't turn out.

One of my favorite parts was the giant inflatable cow outside! (unfortunately, the lighting wasn't very good for the outside shots)

This was inside the Prayer Room, where we also listened to live music -- the traditional music played in the presence of God.

We walked through the displays outside that depicted the story of Krsna.

We also listened to the national anthem being sung, and ate lots of curry!

My Design Philosophy

2009-08-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

I started a new blog. In the near future I hope to start my own interior design business. Though I'm not actively designing/decorating right now, I'm always looking at magazines, blogs and websites. I decided to start featuring the things I love most in the design world...in hopes that my own work will be on there some day. Everyone has their own tastes, opinions and viewpoints when it comes to design, but here are a few of mine.

http://mydesignphilosophy.blogspot.com/

Enjoy--

Ride the Ducks with Captain Fun-Tastic!

2009-08-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

On July 31st, we celebrated my Mom's birthday. We spent most of the afternoon downtown just hangin out, walking around the Seattle Center. However, on this day, I had one of the most unique tourist experiences I've had...in my life. Ever since I can remember, every time we went into Seattle, we saw the signs and the parking lot for 'Ride the Ducks of Seattle.' We've never done it due to it's cheesy CHEESY nature, however, on this day we said, 'why not.' It's a unique way to tour the city because:

- You are in a bus/boat-like vehicle that works both on land...and in the water.

- You get to see the best of Seattle (Pike's Place, The Piers, Gasworks Park, the Floating House where Sleepless in Seattle was filmed...)

But what really makes this tour worth it is the bus driver himself.

I had the privilege of driving around Seattle with Marvin (aka Captain Fun-Tastic). Marvin was nuts (but if you ever do get a chance to Ride the Ducks, ask for him) He reminded me a little bit of Bill Cosby and he kept us (and innocent bystanders on the streets) entertained by:

1. Making us say "Cha-ching!" everytime we passed a Starbucks (it got annoying real quick...)

2. Wearing a 70's disco fro wig (the poor man was sweating profusely by the end...)

3. Waaavviinngg to eveerryyy pedestrian then tilting his head back and screaming, "I luh my job!"

4. Rocking back and forward in his seat that bounced right along with him, with his fro wig blowing in the wind...

Sooooo we cruised around Seattle and he'd blast tunes like Stayin Alive so people standing on the street corners could get their disco on (and people actually did...)

By the time we hit the water, I was cracking up. He had one individual on the boat/bus (whatever it is) particularly excited about the whole ordeal. I think he was most excited when the theme song for Sponge Bob came on. I heard this mumbling "mmuuuuddmmmuunnddermmmsseeaa," then in a loud, rather zealous voice, " SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS!" This grown, white male sitting behind me proceeded to sing the entire song without a lull of enthusiasm. I felt bad for the poor Chinese man sitting next to him, who I don't think knew a word of English!

I suppose my point is that Seattle is full of quirks, and here is yet another one.

Milk Carton Derby

2009-07-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to one of the annual Seafair events. Every year at Green Lake they hold the Milk Carton Derby. Pretty much anyone can enter this race. Every entry has to utilize milk cartons in some form or fashion. It's seriously something I look forward to every year, I mean, have you ever seen a milk carton derby?! I forgot my camera once again (what is happening to me?) but I'll post these from a couple years ago...

Some entries are more worried about the engineering aspect...(above)

Some are there just to get a laugh...(above)

Some are there to show off (rightfully so. A duck made out of milk cartons is impressive, is it not?)

And some just take it way to seriously! There are milk cartons in there somewhere.

What would your entry look like?

To sister!

2009-07-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today is July 9th. Today, Tom Hanks, Courtney Love, and Fred Savage are celebrating their birthdays, oh and O.J. Simpson (playin a little jailhouse rock...). However, none of them hold a candle to someone else born on this day:

MY sister, Christy!

I've been blessed to have a person like her in my life! She has always been an example for good to me. She's been my accomplice, my advocate and my friend. She never ceases to amaze with her accomplishments, drive, and ability to work hard. She is extremely talented; she sings opera, plays the piano, has her own wedding photography business, is very athletic, is mastering the art of healthy eating, and has recently become a wonderful mother, and she's beautiful on top of it all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTY!

With love,

Your little sister.

On the 4th day of July...

2009-07-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

This year my 4th of July was conventional, in an unconventional way.

Instead of heading into Seattle to find the biggest crowds and the best fireworks display, we headed the other direction, the country!

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I missed out on so many good photo ops; hopefully I can do the day justice with my words.

There's just nothing like a small town parade. Our destination...Carnation! It's the total storybook small town: one main street with ma & pa shops lining both sides, houses with white picket fences and screens on their front doors, trucks and corn fields. (And Starbucks)

I could write a blog and a half about the great chances you get to people watch at parades...but I wont.

The parade was basically free advertising for local business, but I'll mention the things that I loved about this one:

- The only float was a giant tooth ...

- The kid riding in a canoe on the flatbed of a truck, head on hand with an expression of total disgust, when he should have been chanting some tribal song...

- I saw a mule for the first time...

-The city council member trying to ride a Segway...

- The squad of antique...tractors.

- The jacked up fire truck...

- The Mariachi band...

- Mexican horses doing this fancy trot called a piaffe- it's legit. I had to look it up because I thought the horses were just totally uncoordinated. I still think some of them where...

I felt like it wouldn't be the 4th of July unless we had BBQ, or grilled something! Well...Since we don't have either, I did the best I could. A couple months ago I decided to invest in a George Foreman Grill. This little machine has changed my life. I have found a renewed enjoyment of cooking.

Here is the meal I made for Father's Day!

Anyways I brought my George Foreman outside, plugged it in (with the help of extension chords) and fired up the grill!! While the chicken cooked I blasted Ray Charles singing America, the Beautiful, and took in the warm summer evening, the music and the chicken on the grill! Ha! With a little BBQ sauce, we had a legit 4th of July meal. (Along with corn on the cob, watermelon, and a blue cheese, pear, and walnut mixed green salad with a vinaigrette dressing)

We headed back out to Carnation for the fireworks. As we waited for the show to begin... a local band serenaded the crowd with covers of those...forgettable bands such as Blondie, Bad Company, Styx, and a few other disco bands that seem to have slipped my mind...Maybe it was the feather boas wrapped around the microphones that I just couldn't get over? Hm.

This year had all of the best elements of a 4th of July...each unique to say the least...I wouldn't have it any other way!

So what now?

2009-07-05T19:17:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it has been almost 2 1/2 months since I got back from Europe! Time has flown and all I can say is that life is full of surprises. Here's a quick update on what I've been doing.

First of all, I have to say that interior design is my passion. It is what I've chosen as my career, it is the hobby I love most, and it just makes me happy!

At a young age I started looking for opportunities (beyond my own bedroom) to decorate and design! I was lucky enough to work for a Realtor/Designer team who would "stage" homes for sale. Not only did I get to witness the process of it all, I actually got to decorate here and there.

Ever since then I've taken every opportunity to design, decorate and redecorate any space I could!

I came home from Europe hoping another opportunity would arise. I started searching locally here for interior designers/decorators. I found Kathy Hamilton of Hamilton Redesigns. She agreed to let me assist her on her projects until she stopped for the summer months.

Needless to say, I loved it! Kathy was fantastic to work with and let me jump right in to perfecting the "final touches" of her projects. The first main project I worked on was a multi-million dollar apartment overlooking Pike's Place Market downtown. I didn't take my camera, but I wish I would have! The view from a high-rise apartment overlooking Seattle is something else.

The second project was in its final stages. I helped a lot with the small details: the accessorizing and furniture configuration. Here are a few pictures to enjoy! (FYI the homeowner wanted to hang their own artwork...hence the bare walls.)

For kicks I thought I'd add a few shots from projects I've done in the past:

Two years ago I redecorated my bedroom at home. I'm planning on making a few new changes but I decided to throw these in. The pictures are all originals from a family trip to Europe.

I got plexiglass custom cut to fit this desk. Not only does it protect the surface but provides a whole new approach to displaying pictures! I reorganized these shelves adding a few new gems from my semester abroad.
This was a fun one. I lived in this apartment for less than 3 months but my roommates and I wanted to do something fun. It was Spring, the weather was getting nicer and all we wanted was color! If I had more of a budget, for the wall art I would have stretched fabric over canvas boards to give it more dimension. Sometimes you just have to get creative...

This was a holiday decoration from another apartment. Again, I tried to just use what I had. The little details can make all the difference.

Happy Birthday Milla!

2009-06-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

M I L L A ~

if I may, let me ramble on for a second or two about why the age TWOZERO is so great! I was just thinking about it, we should really appreciate this age because after it we will never ever be able to count our age using our FINGERS AND TOES! We no-longer have to attach a ‘teen’ to the number that defines how long we have been BLINKING. However, we are still right in the middle between 10 and 30, so I am of the opinion that it is still acceptable to RUN AROUND TOWN dressed as whatever we deem necessary, for whatever holiday (existent or not!) STILETTOS are still an essential part of our wardrobe. We’re not OVER THE HILL YET so we can still get a little cardio in here and there ONLY IF we blast the song Paper Planes and sing the lyrics wrong (even if they sound better our way!) What is the difference of making a FORT in our apartment when we’re 19 or when we’re 20?! The number twenty just sounds sophisticated if you accentuate the second T…I will stop here but if you don’t get the picture yet I’d be happy to expound!

The point is I want to wish HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my best friends, Camilla! Love you girl and thanks for all of the fun memories!!

An eventful Homecoming

2009-05-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

The 48 hours prior to flying back to the U.S. of A was incredibly intense as we tried to catch all of our planes, trains and automobiles. We made it back to Madrid late at night and had about 4 hours to repack and head out to the airport to fly home! I definitely didn't get any sleep that night and despite the exhaustion I felt, I only slept 2 hours on the plane! So needless to say, I was a little delirious when I landed in Provo. I can't explain the feeling of accomplishment and relief when I realized what all I had just seen and done! But more importantly, I was just so excited to be with my family again and finally meet my new niece, Maria! She is such a perfect little baby, I love getting to be her Aunt! I loved being with my sister and family and getting to share this special time in all of our lives.

Plus, my brother-in-law graduated from the BYU school of Business, with honors. What a huge accomplishment and congrats to him! Maria was a trooper through it all, and even adorned a pink graduation cap my mom made for her. So cuuuuuuttteee!

Looking through London

2009-05-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last city: London A foggy day in London Town...Houses of Parliament. I loved these vintage taxis! ParliamentBIG BEN! Eye of London, biggest Ferris Wheel in Europe! Street performers are all over. That kid was just too cute!The one thing I really wanted to do in London was see a play! So...we saw two...in one day! Our first one was Les Miserables, one of my FAVORITE plays. London didn't let me down, it was incredible! The actor who played Jean Valjean was fantastic. Sierra and I both left with jaws dropped. Second play of the day: Wicked which was a bit more lighthearted! I had never seen it before and only knew a few of the songs. In the end, I loved it! The costuming and staging was just fun and who doesn't love the song "loathing?"
Classic!

This is in the Kensington Gardens, not too far from the palace. Thar gardens connect with Hyde park which is an awesome park.

Streets of London. Very ideal.

We had to see the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It's very different from the one in D.C. but it was still fun! Somehow I managed to grab this shot! We were actually standing amongst a very packed group of people. I stuck my arm above the crowd with camera in hand and hoped for a good shot, this is what came out! (after a few unsuccessful attempts of course...)

Perusing through Paris

2009-05-05T21:27:00.001-07:00

Next city: Paris.

We had so much fun here!!

The Champs Elysees. As you walk down it half of it is tree-lined and just so beautiful. Being April in Paris, everything was in bloom and the trees were so incredibly green. I'm from Washington the greenest state in the U.S. and even I was amazed! The other half of the street is lined with shops and just busy with people. Along here (with the recommendation by a good friend, Em) we found Paul, one of the best bakery/pastry shops in town! We had to try the vanilla macaroons (another recommendation). Oh my goodness. so tasty.

The Arc de Triomphe. It really is SO BIG. From the top of the Eiffel Tower it totally stuck out. It's also a roundabout, one I would not want to attempt driving in. I really think once I got in the circle of cars I wouldn't be able to get out!

The Louvre. Despite the fact that my legs were about to fall off from all of the walking we had done, I loved getting lost in this museum. (yes, we actually got lost...) Out of all of the collections, the paintings were my favorite. I was so excited to see the Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David. And of course we had to see the Mona Lisa. It was pretty amazing to see how everyone just skimmed by other incredible art and headed straight for the Mona Lisa. I enjoyed seeing it, but I wasn't a fan of the pushing and shoving of the mob of people trying to get a closer look! Overall, I was so impressed by the variety of collections in the Louvre. Much like the Prado, it could take days to fully see it all. Once again, I'm just going to have to make a trip back!

Underneath the glass pyramid of the Louvre.

Château de Versailles. We took a tour through the palace which was cool. I feel like I need to go watch the move Marie Antoinette again. The Hall of Mirrors was impressive which, if I'm correct, still has most of the original glass? wow. The frescos alone were enough to keep your eyes busy.

perhaps the most impressive part of this property is the hundreds of acres of gardens. Running through a huge portion of it is the Grand Canal, full of row boats and swans. Some of the finely kept hedges created mazes and cool designs. The farther you got out the more it looked like the picture above with the trees creating a tunnel above our heads. Most of the tourists stuck to closer to the palace which was nice because back here it was so peaceful! Tucked back in the gardens is Marie Antoinette's little get away. There is just no question that Versailles is a must see when visiting Paris. Notre Dame!

Love the flying buttresses...

Just can't get enough pictures of this one.

Walking through the Champ de Mars back to the hotel.

In the Jardin de Luxembourg where it was a common site to see old men playing bocce ball or....ping pong?

Lacking an alliteration for Venice

2009-05-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Venice. I don’t even know where to start! It’s weird to think that there is not a single car, moped or bus on this island! Only the roar of boat engines. We took the water “bus” to St. Marks and without a map found our hotel! (Quite an accomplishment considering the labyrinth that Venice is) Our hotel was right alongside a canal (as pretty much everything is) and just a few minutes from St. Marks.

We had several days in Venice so we just took our time. We wandered all around the tiny little streets. We shopped about all of the stores full of masquerade masks, jewelry and glass art.

St. Mark's was...well... overrun by tourists! My favorite time to visit it was at night when most of the people were gone and the clusters of string quartets were still playing. During the day it is so busy and the pigeons are just out of control. Really. They don't shy away from humans, and if you have food in your hand, they'll come and land RIGHT ON YOU. After feeling the wings of one flutter across the side of my face one time, I was done with them. There are a few little cafes in the square that are notorious for being ridiculously overpriced...so don't sit down unless you're prepared to pay 5 euros for a 1/4 liter of water!

Chelsea was leaving us the next day so we had to get on a gondola before she left! As cliche as it might seem, it really is so fun. There is just nothing like it.

Our gondolier was a riot. I just picture him to be more of a Harley guy instead of delicately maneuvering a gondolier!

The gondolier took us out onto the Grand Canal. In the background is the Rialto Bridge, probably the most famous of them all.

Love the stripes.

It's just weird to think that this city is sinking 2 inches a decade! Not far from here Sierra, Chels and I were just chillin on a dock when a small delivery boat docked beside us. We didn't think much of it, until one of the guys started talking to us. He knew some English from living in the U.S. doing what? Boat driving of course! We became instant friends. It was probably one of the funniest conversations I've ever had with a stranger. We went from talking about the sewage in Venice, to Gnocchi (my all-time FAVORITE Italian dish) to how he became a boat driver. Basically, it's just like us and driving a car. It's just kind of innate within us. He said he's been "rowing since he was in the womb" His buddy came back and we said farewell! Those are the moments I love most. It's fun being a tourist, but getting to know more about the day-to-day life is what really fascinates me.

Sierra and I spent the next few days getting lost. We'd sit on the edges of a canal and serenade the gondolas floating by in our best opera voices. (all the while getting pictures taken of us by Chinese people?) We found our favorite bridge which was actually just close to our hotel. It was much less populated so we'd sit there for hours just watching gondola after gondola go by. Sometimes we'd even rate the looks, form and technique of the gondolier. I think we're close to experts on the subject by now. At times one would come down with a guy singing and playing the accordion! Venice is literally what you imagine it to be and more. Plus, I set out to do two things: find the best tasting Gnocchi and find my cannoli! Since day one I'd been on the hunt for this amazing Italian dessert. Well, on our last day there I FOUND my cannoli! And in conclusion, I ate some amazing Gnocchi but the best I've ever had was at La Vella in NYC. I guess I'll just have to make a trip back there again...

Flying through Florence

2009-05-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Once again, time was an issue, so we made the best of it in Florence. We took a guided tour which was our best decision here! It was so fascinating! I didn’t know what to expect from Florence, but learning the history really brought it alive.

The Arno River, floating all the way to Pisa

On my "Top 3 Cathedrals in Europe" list. Though rather modest on the inside, you wouldn't assume it from the exterior.
Oooooook. Gelato.

We took a quick train ride out to Pisa! It's true, the tower leans...

aaaand...don't judge, it's just something you have to do.

Running through Rome

2009-05-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I packed my life for the next 18 days into a small duffel and thus the journey began. Sierra was my traveling comrade through it all, along with Chelsea who unfortunately could only be with us through Italy! But I’d have to say we made quite the team as we took on traveling through Europe.

Our first stop was Rome and RUNNING we were. We had two days to see it all, TWO DAYS! We seriously didn’t waste a minute. It didn’t take us long to notice that distinct Italian accent, the insane drivers and well, let’s face it…good looking men!

The place we stayed was located just feet away from the Spanish Steps. I'm embarrassed to say that it took us more than a few hours to realize it, we just could not figure out WHAT was going on and WHY so many people were sitting on these steps? Honestly, they're only famous for being in some movie, so I really don't feel too bad.

Our first stop was the Vatican. With long lines everywhere we just picked one and wondered where it would take us. The picture above was the end result: St. Peter's Basilica. It. Is. MASSIVE. It's just hard to explain until you actually see it, but my neck hurt after looking up so much! We were lucky enough to be there right as a mass began. To hear the singing echo throughout the place was incredible.

We walked all along the river, hitting several piazzas on our way. One thing I can confirm is that Rome is really truly FULL of mopeds, and the drivers are fearless.

Perhaps this looks a little familiar. The Colosseum, built in around 70 a.d. Though a mere shell of what once was a structure covered in marble, it still remains so stately. Once inside I saw that maze where so many gladiators risked their lives. Just crazy. I'm glad to be born in this century!

Up above the Colosseum is Palatine Hill, which was once covered by palaces but is now just a hilltop full of gardens and fragments of ancient villas. The shot above is of the Roman Forums (also where we ran into my roommate from Spain, Lara and her mom! Really, out of the HUNDREDS of people who visit Rome each day, we happened to be in the same place at the same time)

Next: the Pantheon! This is an incredible structure that is STILL standing in it's entirety. It's rounded dome is an architectural wonder.

We couldn't leave Rome without seeing it by night! We (for the second time) walked by the Colosseum, Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon. There is a little piazza right in front of the Pantheon that is lined with little cafes. As we walked through we joined a crowd of bystanders watching a man (wearing tights...) serenading the diners! He was singing some of the classics of Bocelli, how fitting. He had a descent opera voice, but I think I'd give him more of an "A for effort..." The picture above was also one of our stops, the Trevi Fountain! Naturally we made a wish and threw a coin into the water. (That wish still hasn't come true...)

Perhaps I'm a little homesick for Spain

2009-05-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Alright. I've procrastinated long enough. I have quite a blogging task ahead of me to catch up! I supposed I'd like to start first with one last blog about Spain. (Disregard this blog if you are tired of hearing about Spain!!) Here it goes. I couldn't sleep one night a few weeks before I left Spain. I got on my laptop and just started typing. Anyways here's a bit from what came of that:

I've loved just feeling like a part of everyday life here. I loved just sitting at the dinner table chatting with Luisa (madre) about random (and sometimes insignificant) things such as mopping floors, or why we love our dogs. I loved joking around with Juama (hermano) as we talked about dating. (some hilarious conversations certainly came from this topic…) I loved walking down the streets of Alcalá watching the locals bringing home their groceries in their little karts- pan (or a baguette) always in hand. I think I saw at least ten people each day walking with just a bag full of bread. I loved riding the bus without having to hold my breath every time the driver screamed by a parked car with literally half an inch to spare, or riding in the back because it’s much more like a roller coaster ride when we make the hair pin turns (barely missing citizens). I loved the challenge of the language barrier. Every day brought new opportunities to communicate whether it be asking for a different color shirt in a clothing store, a sample of ice cream, or directions (and trying to understand the answer even more so.) I loved visiting the Monday market (where I could buy anything from lingerie to fruit) with hundreds of other locals and vendors screaming prices in my face. I loved just walking on my own, listening to others converse, finding a park bench to sit on and watch the elderly enjoy their retirement, the “punkies” feeling so cool as they lit up, the masses of locals both young and old playing an intense game of soccer or the millions of Spaniards walking their little dogs adorned in sweaters or some sort of fashion. I loved watching the little kids navigate their way through life carrying a backpack almost the size of their body, or walking alongside a sibling, both clothed in matching dresses, tights, and the essential bows in the hair. I loved getting into the music scene both old and new. I loved making friends with locals to practice my Spanish over tapas at a local café. I loved cooking in the kitchen with Luisa, learning the ways of a true Spanish housewife! I loved riding the train to Madrid with other Spaniards coming from all walks of life. I loved figuring out the metro system. I loved checking off item after item on my “Spain Bucket List” such as taking Salsa lessons at a local discoteca. All of this has shown me how independent I am. True I came with 23 other BYU students, and even though we all saw a lot of the same things, the experience was still unique and personal to each and every one of us. This experience taught me so much (I'll spare you all of that blah blah) but one thing I will say is that though I enjoy history (somewhat) I enjoy experiencing culture in real-time. There is nothing like being a part of it, being able to see it, hear it and even smell it first-hand. Though I only spent a few short months there, Spain will forever be a part of me.

For a grand total of 75 hours on the bus. Worth it? Every minute.

2009-03-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Someone calculated the time we spent on our tour bus over the last three months...75+ hours. Something to be proud of? I'd say so. In 3 months we got to see all of the cities that people usually come from around the globe to see PLUS all of the cities that people don't come to see so often.

Last week we made our final excursion. We left on Tuesday, only having to suffer through one day of school that week. How am I ever going to go back to classes every day of every week!

Our first stop was Avila. The wall in the picture below is the oldest standing wall in Spain...and we walked on top of it. We stayed the first night in Salamanca. For those of you who've seen the movie Vantage Point...this is it! We spent a good part of the day in this Plaza. It was here that I had the best meal of the trip with some of my favorite girls! We sat next to a window that looked out over the Plaza, watched the sunset and talked about anything and everything for hours. I'm going to miss these moments of Spain- just soaking up the culture.
The picture below is of the Galician countryside. Green. Rolling hills. It is so beautiful and so completely opposite of Southern Spain! There is a strong Celtic influence in this region, for example bagpipes are a very common instrument.

I now have to explain what a pilgrimage is. For hundreds of years Catholics have been making a pilgrimage to Santiago. They start at various places, some hundreds of kilometers away and hike their way along the French/Spain border. All along the way are villages for these pilgrims to stop and rest and get a stamp on their pilgrim passport (if you will) As we drove through the country we saw several modern day pilgrims with their fancy hiking boots and walking sticks.

We stopped in this teeny tiny village at the top of a hill on our way to Santiago. It was quite the experience. It was just us (24 awkward BYU students), the locals (all 5 of them- just going about their daily tasks- my favorite was the woman peeling the potatoes in the kitchen window...you just have to see the picture for this one), and the pilgrims who were taking a rest along the trail. Celtic music was blaring from somewhere and though we stuck out like a sore thumb, I felt like in the few moments that we were there we got to see the true countryside of Galicia.

Santiago de Compostela. This was probably my favorite stop during the week. This cathedral is the FINISH LINE for the pilgrims! While we were there we witnessed several taking their last few steps on the trail- what a cool sight. (I think a pilgrimage is in the future for me...I'm sure it's ok for a Mormon to make a Catholic pilgramage, right?) While we were there we attended the daily Mass, sitting amongst pilgrims. The whole day there was this guy sitting on the steps around the corner from the cathedral playing the bagpipes. (Another thing I'll miss so badly- everywhere we go whether it's the busy streets of the city, the quiet plazas or the crowded metro tunnels there are always performers playing basically every kind of instrument or singing. It adds so much to life.) We also had an amazing dinner here in Santiago, however the portion sizes lead me to believe that the restaurant was meant for pilgrims who had just finished the trail. Also, one night we went back to the cathedral because profe. had told us about a concert that night. The pews were full and the concert was beautiful, consisting of an orchestra and choir. Though I've been amazed by every cathedral I've seen, so often they are dark and sad. What a nice change it was to see the cathedral full of light and hear beautiful music echoing up to the tall ceilings!
Our last stop was in Leon. The picture below is of a cathedral...naturally...but the cool thing about this one is all of the stained glass. Supposedly there is more stained glass than bricks. Whether this is true I know not, but it's beautiful all the same. You can see the shadow of the flying buttresses through this window- which are necessary to sustain the walls due to all of the stained glass...

Outside of this cathedral was a plaza (of course!) We were there right at the BEST part of the day! School must have just gotten out because it was FULL of kids in their school uniforms and cute little jump suites. Though it was MASS CHAOS and we were constantly doging soccer balls it was so fun to be a part of it all!

Well this is my last post for a while. The next few will be full of new experiences from different countries, with different cultures and very different languages. I have so much to say about my time in Spain but that will have to wait as I am still in denial that it's almost over! So for now...wish me luck. Hasta luego.

A 24 hours unlike any other.

2009-03-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

Wow...this was possibly the most exciting 24 hours of my life here in Spain. We left at 7 in the a.m. on Thursday to go to Valencia to witness Las Fallas. This is a celebration that goes on for 2 weeks...and we were going to be there for the very last (and most insane) night.

At 2 in the afternoon EVERYONE crowded in the plaza to watch the fireworks that kind of initiated the day off. We could NOT move! It was just a sea of people in front and behind us- good thing I'm not claustrophobic! (To the right of the picture is a ninot. I'll explain more later...) The fireworks started and what made them incredible wasn't their colors or size...but the NOISE! It was the kind that you can feel in your whole body that literally makes your heart stop! It lasted for what seemed like forever. All day long we heard firecrackers going off. (Really loud firecrackers!) The best way to describe this day was like a mix between Disneyland + the 4th of July... x 10! We had all day to kill before the real show started...so we went to a Bull Fight! Valencia is known for having some pretty incredible fights, so we went for it. It was an experience like none other. The Spaniards eyes were literally glued to the fights- I didn't realize how important (still today) bull fighting is in the Spanish culture. In 2 1/2 hours we saw 6 fights made by 3 different matadors. They were all unique with different styles..but the second one was the most fun to watch. He was very dramatic in his movements, and you could tell that he just knew he was good.

Though it was at times gory and difficult to watch...I am so glad that I got to witness this. It is such a HUGE part of the Spanish culture- not only as a sport but as a form of art. The costuming, movements and processions during the bull fight were so classy (a word one might not associate with a bull fight...but it's true!)

This statue is called a ninot (or falla) All throughout the year organizations and companies work on creating these ninots. There are over 300 of them spread throughout Valencia. Some are small, some get as tall as a 4 story building! Traditionally las fallas was a time for all of the local people to bring out their winter trash and rubble to burn in preparation for Spring. Somehow it has escalated to this. These fallas can cost up to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of Euros. Only one is chosen as the best...and the rest...become a huge bonfire! The streets were FULL of vendors, performers, food stands selling Churros and Paella and PEOPLE.

We staked out our spot waiting for 1 a.m. to roll around to watch the falla (in the picture above) get put on fire. There were tons of firefighters washing down walls and trees in preparation. To initiate the fire there was a HUGE display of fireworks. We were RIGHT underneath it! The fireworks were not only so bright but once again there was the deafening sound that echoed all around the streets. Then all of the sudden the ninot burst into flames! This fire literally stood 5 stories tall. The heat was so intense! I have definitely NEVER experienced anything like this before. Once the show was over...we were again stuck. We couldn't move 5 inches. Somehow our group managed to stay together through the MASSES of people and back to the bus! We drove through the night and arrived back in Alcala just as the sun was rising- 24 hours after we'd left the morning before. What a night to remember.

País Vasco

2009-03-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

The month of march is nothing but traveling for us! Though at times it is exhausting to travel, the experiences I am having are well worth the hours spent on a bus.

This week we ventured to Bilbao. Along the way we made some pretty amazing stops. Our first stop was Burgos. We only spent the afternoon there but it was a nice break. The architecture was so quaint and it sat next to a river (which was just to the right of the picture below) We visited the Cathedral of Burgos which is a Gothic styled cathedral and the burial place of "El Cid."

Yes I did say this town was cute and quaint...but it was! This was just a small demonstration made by what looked like teenagers and young adults that none of us can quite figure out what it was about. I grabbed a few photos before the police told us to stop.

Our next stop was Pamplona. We were only there for the night but I have to make note that Pamplona is where the "running of the bulls" takes place. For those of you who don't know what that is... well it takes place in the summer and basically they let several bulls run loose through the streets of Pamplona. Anyone who is brave enough will get in the bulls path and try to outrun them! A site to see I'm sure!

Though we were literally less than an hour from the France border we had to keep moving to make it so our next stop...which was my FAVORITE.

San Sebastian! Apparently the weather had been terrible in the days prior...but somehow we got lucky enough to be there on a day that was beautiful! We all sat on the beach (some swam in the still freezing water) for so long just soaking up the sun. Some of us hiked to the top of a small hill to get this view.
I was amazed at how fast the tide came in! All of this sand had been dry literally a half hour before. Unfortunately, some beach goers didn't realize how quickly the water was rising. We watched as the water crept closer and close to one woman who had fallen asleep on top of her sleeping bag. Other people who saw the situation unfolding ran to tell her...but unfortunately it was too late! The water had surrounded her, soaking her sleeping bag, book and clothing. Grumbling she got up and slowly moved her stuff about 20 feet away and continued sun bathing. About 8 minutes later..the same thing happened. You'd think she would have learned her lesson after it happened 3 times!!

Our final stop was Bilbao! I wasn't sure what to expect. First of all, driving through the countryside was so beautiful! The hills were full of green trees, sheep and homes that reminded me more of Germany. We got to Bilbao which was set down in a valley. We came in above it so we got to see the whole city from above. Such a cool view.
The next morning we set out with one thing in mind...to find the Guggenheim!! It was just down the street from our hotel so we walked there along the river watching the rowers practicing. The Guggenheim was an incredible structure (it actually reminded me a lot of the EMP in Seattle) Unfortunately the batteries in my camera died..but I was able to get a few good shots!

Barcelona

2009-03-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind...so here is an update from about the last 2 weeks.

We spent the majority of the week before last in Barcelona. It was the first time we had really traveled far North of Madrid. It was quite different from the South to say the least. We had entered into the Catalonian region where they speak Catalan (a mix of Spanish and French). Here are a few of my favorite highlights from BARCELONA!

The Mercat - Mercado- Market...

It was similar to the one in Valencia in that it was just a mix of anything and everything. Though the Valencian market was bigger, this one was by far more exciting! The colors were brighter, and there were so many different types of fresh fruit, nuts, vegetables and spices, but most exciting of all was the fish. Everywhere I looked there were eyeballs staring back at me...the worst part of all was that some of the unidentifiable sea creatures were still alive, legs and arms moving all around! (I took plenty of pictures...but I'll spare you the grossness!)

The Sagrada Familia! After spending hours studying this cathedral in Humanities and Interior Design classes I finally got to see it in person! It's indescribable! Gaudi was the man with this dream. All of his inspiration came from nature and as you learn about the different influences, the cathedral becomes that much more amazing. He didn't want it to be "blocky" and linear like so many other churches. He preferred rounded, softer lines. The sad thing is that he was killed in a tragic accident before it could be completed. He hadn't really written down his ideas for the cathedral so the dream was basically lost. Those who have continued his work have had to kind of make it up as they go. I hate when there are cranes in my photos (which are ALL OVER Spain by the way...) but this time it was inevitable as they have been there for literally decades. Who knows when this masterpiece will be finished...or if it ever will! El Parque Güell- Another Gaudi gem. He loved this park so much he built his home in it. I felt like I was in Disneyland/a Dr. Seuss book! Gaudi is famous for his mosaic artwork which was all over the park. It was so fun to just enjoy the sunshine, the people and the musicians serenading us!

Plaza España-Every night the fountains in the Plaza España turn on for an incredible show! We watched it our last night in Barcelona and it was the best way to end our trip. The weather was awesome so we joined with hundreds of other people sitting on the stairs watching the fountain show put to some good tunes.

(It's hard to tell just how big this fountain actually was from this picture)

Mallorca

2009-03-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

After a long week of midterms I was so ready to get away! It was our "free weekend" for the month so a group of 7 of us decided to leave the Iberian Peninsula and head for the Balearic Islands! After a short 50 minute plane ride we landed in Mallorca. We took a short (but eventful) bus ride to Palma and looked around town. We couldn't pass by the opportunity to have some helado (ice cream) and try out the pastry most famous of Mallorca: Ensaimada. We looked around town some more but all we knew was that this weekend was going to be a cathedral/museum free weekend. All we wanted to do was enjoy the sun on the beaches of the Mediterranean.
We left Palma and headed for the Port De Pollenca (where we would be staying) We got there in the evening and first found our accommodations: Hostal Paris. (I'm not sure why it was called Hostal Paris when it was run by British people and it's located on a Spanish speaking island?) Regardless it was 100 meters from the beach! We looked around town a bit and grabbed some Chinese food for dinner. The next day we woke up and headed straight for the ocean! Because it's not the tourist season yet, we quickly realized that we basically had the island ENTIRELY to ourselves...EXCEPT...for our biker friends. Apparently the island of Mallorca is really popular for those training for the Tour d' France, so all day long we saw bikers in their fancy spandex riding around town. We got inspired and found some bikes for ourselves.

We spent all day on our bikes riding along the coast of Port De Pollenca. We picnicked on the beach, checked out all of the little towns and didn't have a care in the world. Our day ended with this beautiful sunset! It couldn't have been better.

A little of this and that

2009-02-23T13:18:00.001-08:00

The weather is getting better by the day. When we have a couple hours to kill Lara and I will go out and explore Alcala. Yesterday we went on another 2 hour walk. (it has become a little tradition of ours to just get lost around town every once in a while) On our little journey's we've walked down tons streets lined with quaint Spanish homes, discovered way too many appealing Pastelerias (pastry shops), laughed at all of the little (TINY) dogs dressed in sweaters, and been serenaded by random locals singing their "fight song" for whatever fútbol team (a combination of a little too much to drink and way too much pride for their fútbol team!) The other day we found a game going on in a local park. We took the opportunity to sit in the sun and watch a legit Spanish fútbol game. Though it was no Real-Madrid game...I still loved watching it.

Last Saturday several of us decided to hike around the hills just outside of Alcala. We walked along the river and finally found a trail that headed up to the top. These hills aren't too big so unfortunately after a short hike we were already there, however this is what we saw. The hill overlooked all of Alcala. We tossed around a Frisbee and just enjoyed the long Saturday afternoon. It was a perfect break from the studying that we should have been doing!

On Friday we took a day trip to El Escorial. On our way back we visited El Valle de los Caidos. It is a monument dedicated to Francisco Franco and is also his burial site. This cross can be seen from MILES away...and underneath this rocky hill is actually one of the biggest cathedrals I've ever seen. It was incredibly dark and intimidating but so fascinating and unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Unfortunately (once again) I couldn't take pictures inside!

A weekend close to home.

2009-02-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

So this weekend we stuck close to Madrid. We took a day trip to Segovia. We passed through some beautiful countryside (I didn't realize how much snow these little mountains near Madrid can get!) We took a tour through the palace in the picture above...we climbed to the top of the square tower. It was quite the workout going up the tiny, spiral staircase!
The aquaducts! So impressive how many years this has stood standing.
This is where I spent my Dia de San Valentino. Not bad. The day was absolutely GORGEOUS. No jackets needed...the weather was perfect. Several of us spent the entire day in the Parque de Buen Retiro (with about a million other Spaniards!) We sat in the sun eating lunch, tossing around a frisbee, walking through the markets looking at old books, eating Napolitanas (chocolate filled pastries), listening to street performers, people (and dog) watching, and my favorite part- boating in the pond. I saw way too much kissing...but beyond that the day just couldn't have been any better.

How will I ever get any studying done?!

A Week in Southern Spain

2009-02-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

This week was rough...let me tell you. We only had one day of school then we set off for southern Spain! Here are some highlights:

Our first stop: WINDMILLS! Don Quixote anyone? As we approached them Kami from our group read the passage out of the book...it gave us all a chuckle. The windmills sat on top of this hill, when we stepped off the bus I almost blew off! The wind was SO STRONG! We snapped a few pictures and that was about all that we could handle.

We spent a few more hours on windy roads but the countryside was beautiful- green rolling hills and thousands of olive trees! Andalucia is known for its olive oil. We finally made it to Granada. It quickly made its way to the top of my favorites list. It felt like we had left Spain completely because of the strong Islam influence there. The Alhambra (in the picture above) is a Moorish palace and one of the most famous Islamic historical sites. We were standing in the courtyard of a mosque and just minutes after we took this picture, a man went to the top of the mosques tower and performed the call to prayer. It gave me chills! We were so lucky to be right there when he did it! That night we ate at this INCREDIBLE Arab/Hindu restaurant. We ate hummus, samosas, kebabs, and crepes full of vegetables.

Our next stop was Cordoba! I have to say that other than seeing the Mezquita I didn't enjoy it as much because it rained, well more like POURED, the whole time- I was slightly miserable. However the Mezquita was incredible! It is almost an optical illusion with the hundreds of arches there are. It is interesting though because right in the middle of it is a cathedral (quite the religious statement...)

And finally...Sevilla. I truly LOVED this place. I wouldn't mind living there forever! It is so quaint. There is a river that runs through part of the city, with restaurants lining it and pathways to walk along, the streets were just full of people shopping, sitting outside in the sun eating a pastry and drinking a cafe, or riding bikes. It felt so safe and tranquila. I got to walk through my first bull fighting ring- hopefully I'll get to an actual bullfight when the season starts! The best memory I have from this place is sitting in the Plaza de Espana (picture above) It was built for the World Fair several years ago...and it was the most gorgeous plaza I've seen! Cause I'm sure everyone was wondering...apparently several scenes from one of the Star Wars movies were filmed here? Anyways, one of the days the sun was shining so bright. A bunch of us sat on these porcelain, tile covered benches for hours. The best part was that just a few feet away from us was a man/woman playing and singing flamenco. It was ideal!

Ok! Life in Sevilla really begins at night. It is also famous for its flamenco! One night we found our way through a bunch of winding streets to this tavern with a huge red wooden door. It was totally an old-school tavern with a wood burning fireplace and a bunch of old people hangin out at the bar. In the back we entered into a new part that is a lot more popular with the youth. Here we sat and watched flamenco. I LOVED the singers voice. The show was very low-key and impromptu...but very authentic. The next night we decided to find more of a real flamenco "show." We had gotten a suggestion for this one place so we grabbed some tickets and needless to say it was worth EVERY PENNY. First of all it took place in this small outdoor courtyard with vines running down the walls and birds flying around. There were lanterns with candles and flowers everywhere! It was a much more intimate setting...the audience sat on three sides of the stage. There was a singer and guitarist who played for both a man and woman dancer. Their facial expressions and the control of their footwork were just incredible! Unfortunately we couldn't take videos...but I grabbed a few pictures!

Toledo

2009-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is Mazapan. Toledo is famous for it. It looks like bread...but tastes nothing like it. It is basically pure sugar. One bite did me in! It is made in all shapes and sizes such as different fruits and even 2 foot tall castles. It was incredible to look at...not so yummy to eat. Toledo is also famous for its swords. All of the Lord of the Rings swords came from here! It is also famous for damascene: the art of decorating steel with gold, silver and copper thread. It is beautiful (there is a lot of Roman, Moorish and Jewish influence in Toledo) but save your nickels for it!

We wandered around for 2 days shopping and site seeing. This city is full of winding streets that are literally a maze. They are so narrow, yet to our surprise cars still drove through them (not slowly either!) MANY times we found ourselves scrambling for a doorway or plastering ourselves against a wall to avoid being killed. It was so fun just getting lost.

I could spend ages describing this place. Toledo. The entire city sits on top of a Castilian hilltop. It is surrounded by a river on three sides. It is the religious center of Spain. There was an incredible cathedral here (well several really) The burial place of Greco is here. There were monasteries and synagogues all over. I absolutely loved it! On our way there we made a little side detour to Aranjuez to visit a palace. This palace had a porcelain room which was like nothing I've ever seen before. (unfortunately we couldn't take pictures!) Apparently there is a small building around back that the Queen loved to go to and pretend to be a peasant like Marie Antoinette.

The first time Spain tastes no-bake cookies

2009-01-27T13:23:00.000-08:00

So maybe it wasn't the first time Spain has tasted no-bake cookies...but it was the first time Luisa tasted them! It was so fun! Almost everyday us three girls watch our favorite "cocinero" on the TV while we eat lunch. He is our favorite because he laughs at all of his own jokes and breaks out in full song throughout the program. For weeks we've been talking about making no-bake cookies...so today became the day! We introduced peanut butter to her the other day (luckily Lara my roommate had brought some from back home-thanks Lara!) We have found only ONE place in all of Alcala that sells it!

We had a blast cooking together (and trying to convert the measurements into the metric system...) I wish I could have filmed Luisa's reactions to everything- they were priceless! When she gets excited about something she makes this noise with her mouth (I don't know if it's typical of Spain or not...) but it sounds like this: oyoyoyoyoyoy (but say it really fast) It is hilarious! Me and Lara laugh about it all the time...and it has become a part of our own vocabulary.
(Luisa trying the warm no-bake mix. With wide eyes and a big grin she said: "No me gusta, no no no. ME ENCANTA!!")

Valencia!

2009-01-25T08:57:00.001-08:00

This was probably my favorite experience of the whole weekend. Paella de Marisco. Valencia is famous for its Paella...so we couldn't leave without getting a taste of it! We got a tip from another student in our group about this restaurant. There are several types of Paella...but we had to go for the seafood version. I have been exposed to tons of seafood...but not all of the ingredients that made up this dish. It consisted of: Mussels, shrimp, these mini lobster-like things, squid and octopus. Everything is still in-tact (eyes, legs, tails, etc.) I had a healthy serving and once I removed the less than desirable parts...I loved it!

Valencia is also known for its Horchata...naturally...we found an Horchateria and gave it a try too. It isn't like the Mexican Horchata I've had before...but it was fabulous.

Also, Valencia is home to one of the largest markets in the world. It is only open in the mornings but it is FULL of stands selling fresh fruits, nuts, meats, breads, etc. We took advantage of the fresh fruit for our Saturday morning breakfast. The clementines are to die for here!

On my facebook I have about a million pictures of this place...but I couldn't get over it. This is an arts and science museum. It houses a huge aquarium and so much more. Being poor students we had to bypass this one...but one day I'll get back to it.

As big as this city is...it really had a peaceful feeling to it! (At least the old part did) We stayed out as long as possible enjoying the warm weather, sights and sounds.

There were these two towers that looked like mini castles overlooking the old part of the city. We climbed to the top and spent way too much time taking pictures of the quaint streets. The city was full of incredible architecture, the museums were fabulous...and we dipped our toes in the Mediterranean!

This weekend we had a free weekend, so we planned a trip to Valencia! It is SW of Madrid, right along the coast. After a 51/2 hour train ride (the same rickety train as the one to Cuenca) we arrived in the 3rd largest city of Spain. We made our way to our sleeping accomodations- the Indigo Youth Hostel. This was my first time staying in a hostel! It wasn't half bad. Luckily, I was sharing a room only with girls from my group...others were less unfortunate and had to put up with travelers who hadn't showered in dddayyyyssss.

Obama's in the White House!

2009-01-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

It has been so interesting watching the news over here. (The TV is on during every meal-and most of the time it is about Madonna or American politics) I think that the presidential election was bigger over here than it was in the states!

Tonight the International Hotel in Madrid was hosting a party for Americans and Spaniards who wanted to watch the inauguration. The room was packed with English speakers (not just from the U.S.) This was a little weird for me to hear English coming out of so many mouths! They had live jazz music and tv's all over the place. Seeing the White House and D.C. on the TV made me realize for the first time just how far away I am from the states! It was so fascinating to watch not only the American citizens in that room, but the Spanish citizens as well who were celebrating this historical event. There were cameras from local news chanels all over the place...in fact tonight as we sat for dinner in front of the TV and watched the re-run of the event we saw a couple of the guys who were with us standing awkwardly in the background.

On a side note: I ate anchovies for dinner last night. It was weird.

Spain.

2009-01-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

An example of what was lining the narrow streets. Not far from here we ate at a little restaurant. We all decided to try Zarajos (a very traditional dish of Cuenca) also known as...lamb intestine. Yes. I tried it. Probably never again.

We walked up above the city...and the view was incredible. Getting up here we walked through all of the little side alley's, on old cobble-stone streets. Pictures just don't do this place justice.

We headed for Cuenca early Saturday morning. We watched the sun rise on the 2 1/2 hour train ride. It wasn't the most comfortable ride to say the least, but it was beautiful. The country side was just a sea of golden rolling hills. We finally made it to Cuenca and headed straight for the "old city." This picture is of what we found. "The hanging houses." It is what Cuenca is most famous for. These houses are litterally hanging off a cliff! As of late it was turned into a modern art museum.

We went to the Prado on Friday. I was overwhelmed. There is a term we throw around which is "sensory overload." You can literally only spend a couple hours at a time in a museum or see so many cathedrals in one day. Eventually you just can't take in any more! The prado (along with so many other places) could be visited 10 times and it still wouldn't be enough. I've come to know better some incredible artists such as Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Picaso...etc. At the Prado we saw so many famous masterpieces such as Goya's "Saturn" (it's a little disturbing), "The 2nd of May," and "The 3rd of May." Afterwards I sat outside in the sun, eating the Bocadilla my madre had made and listened to a man playing the Spanish guitar. It was ideal. Later that day we discovered the Parque del Buen Retiro (similar to NY Central Park) It was beautiful. Something I've noticed here is that EVERYONE dresses their dogs. They all wear sweaters! I found a guy sitting under a tree playing what looked like a didgeridoo, random...but I loved it all the same.

We found the temple the other day! Unfortunately it was overcast...but I'll get more pictures soon! We go to institute in Alcala...which is amazing. I look forward to it every week. This last week Brother Lopez said something that I loved. We were talking about the importance of keeping a journal... he said, "If you sit down one day and have nothing to write about...1 day is gone...then 2 days...20 days...gone. Eventually, you have not lived." Being here in Spain is a goal I've had for a long time and an unforgettable experience. I have the opportunity to keep these memories forever if I record them down, which I am doing. Meticulously!

Everyday it gets better!

2009-01-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

The other day we went into Madrid to go to the Museo de Reina Sofia. This is one of the world's most famous museums for contemporary/modern art. The building itself was a work of art...but the gem of the museum is Picasso's Guernica. It is huge...with so much history and political symbolism. Afterwards, while wandering around...we ran into some mariachi players (I felt like I was in Mexico?) but it was still fun all the same! That day I also tried my first Doner Kebab (a lot like a gyro) It was so good! The food here is great...luckily I haven't had to eat anything too weird!

Despite the cold, we ventured out again. This time we found the Madrid temple. It is gorgeous! I can't wait to take more pictures on a sunny day! After we wandered around Madrid again...visiting another museum with famous works by Goya.

snow...no es normal

2009-01-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to our mama excitedly saying mira! mira! (look! look!) It had snowed over night (not a ton) but for Spain this is rare. She was so excited and ran outside to go take pictures. We had our typical breakfast- either toast or crackers (that are basically cookies) with jam or nutella...and chocolate milk. I miss my oatmeal so much! I basically skip breakfast because...talk about a sugar overload! Then we were off for Madrid again. The day was great but slightly cold and wet! We came back to Alcala and went to a Chuerrilla. Ohhh mmyyyy goooddnnnesss. Basically, it is a small cup of pure melted chocolate, and a plate of churros to dip in it. Wow. Intense. A couple of us in the group decided we wanted to learn how to dance and there is a place nearby where we can take Flamenco lessons! I'm pretty sure we're going to sign up asap.

Madrid

2009-01-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

While wandering we found this little beauty. The Palacia Royal. A quaint little home if I do say so. Ha! Well the temperature had dropped to about 3 degrees below freezing so we decided to head back home, but today we were able to actually take a tour through this incredible palace!

We went into Madrid for the first time yesterday. It's only a 30 minute train ride from my home in Alcala. We came up from the metro to the Plaza del Sol...and this is what we saw! We began wandering around in awe of our surroundings! Madrid is HUGE- I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time there...not to mention the shopping is great! We found monestaries, cathedrals, monuments and (unfortunately) McDonalds. Gross. It is my goal to not eat in one American restaurant while I'm here! There are tons of places to eat, and many of them advertise their food in the window...at one point I found myself looking at a pig (with every part of it in-tact). It was dead of course but the restaurant decided to be humerous and place sun glasses over the pigs eyes...? There were many things I didn't recognize and other things that I think I'll try to avoid. ( giant squids and blood sausage- look it up online or something)

Spain

2009-01-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

Wow. I've only been here for 2 days but I've quickly realized how there will not be one dull moment here in Spain! It is beautiful. The town of Alcala is very quaint...with sooo much to see. My house is a 10 minute walk in one direction to the train station that takes me right into Madrid, or a 10 minute walk in the other direction to the Universidad de Alcala. It is a beautiful campus with so much history. (it was founded in around 1508). The Plaza de Cervantes sits right in the middle of it which is surrounded by little shops, bakeries and candy stands. The food is incredible...my host mama cooks us 3 meals a day and they've all been delicious! Last night she made flan but I haven't tasted it yet...definitely looking forward to that. Yesterday after school a couple friends and I went exploring...well it was more like getting lost for about 3 hours but it was a total adventure! Of course, us being Americans, forgot about the siesta time! So everything was closed down! But we ran into some Mormon missionaries from Utah, ha! I'm finally adjusting to the time...sinice I didn't sleep at all on my 10 our fligh to Frankfuhrt and only got 3 hours of sleep the first night, I have been dragging a little. My Spanish is already getting better, it's crazy! My host family speaks a total of 3 English words, and my host mama LOVES to talk so I'm getting some serious practice here, which I love! There is just so much to talk about...simply a blog is just not enough! Today a few of us are probably going to head into Madrid to explore and tomorrow we're going to the Prado! Hopefully some pictures will be coming soon! Hasta luego.

still trying to get used to this blog thing

2009-01-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

Since it has been about 5 months since I last posted anything, I figured I should try and pick this whole blogging thing back up. I feel like I lack in things to write about! Maybe my life is too dull?! Well, due to the fact that...tomorrow... I will be leaving to spend next semester in Spain...perhaps I will have a little more something to write about! I hope you enjoy the updates from a place very far away that I will soon be calling home.

home sweet home

2008-09-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last month at home. I just loved being with the family and helping out around the house. (dropping my phone in a can of paint was a highlight...) I realized how much I missed the city! It was great to be close to Seattle again. This is such a cliche, super "tourist-y" picture from a park up on Capitol Hill but it is one of the best views in town.

a small tribute.

2008-07-04T01:26:00.000-07:00

My beloved dog passed this month. He was a faithful friend... blessing our family with hours of entertainment and laughs! I've never seen an animal with more personality and attitude. He will be missed.

thai dye thursdays

2008-07-04T01:21:00.000-07:00

Part of our girls night, a.k.a. "thai dye thursday," was a trip to Thai Ruby's for some amazing Thai cuisine!

spring time = play time.

2008-07-04T01:17:00.000-07:00

We had a girls night one fine spring evening...making tie dye t's was a definite must.

a shower for the bride!

2008-07-04T01:14:00.000-07:00

My roommate Raquel is getting married this month...so we threw her a little surprise bridal shower! It was oh so much fun...I thought I'd show a few of the decorations I put together for this little event!

2008-05-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sleeping under the stars the first night was a definite highlight, despite the fact that our campsite was a patch of grass…NEXT…to the campgrounds! We blazed through Arches National Park, climbing over every rock, making friends with the lizards, and getting only slightly sunburned! (This being an understatement for me...)

adventures

2008-05-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

I LOVE adventures! Last weekend Nicole, Amber and I took off to spend the weekend in Moab!