Sail away

Day #15
Picture of something you want to do before you die

I recently created a pretty extensive bucket list that I'm pretty excited about...

So far this year, I have crossed off going to Europe and several others.  Now if I can just run Bloomsday in under an hour?!  haha....not this year.

I know I couldn't possibly be disappointed with my life once my time comes....I'm planning on going somewhere far better than here...but there is one thing that I feel is totally necessary to do in my lifetime.  (And for the record....getting married and having kids probably beats this out, but that's pretty typical)



I desperately want to take a cruise of the Mediterranean.

Most cruises here take off from Barcelona which is pretty much 2nd on my list of places to visit in my lifetime.  I took four years of Spanish in high school, and my teacher was a huge fan of Barcelona.  Really the architecture is incredible (Gaudi!), the food is impressive, the weather is beautiful, and its SPAIN.  What more can you ask for?

So it starts off amazing....the only problem is that you have to get from Spokane to Barcelona...which is pretty pricey, and then you have to pay for the cruise on top of it.  YIKES!

Then most cruises hit Italy, Greece, Monaco, Turkey, Egypt.....oh man.  So much history and so much beauty.

Maybe I should start saving now?

You have my heart so please don't break it!

Day #14
Picture of someone you can't imagine life without

Wow.....if someone could really narrow themselves down to one person for this one..they don't get out much.  It seems that my life has been so changed and impacted by so many people.  I think the challenge here is finding a picture that sums this up, and I'm absolutely sure I don't have one.

So, instead I'm going to pose four pictures of the four places that have captured pieces of my heart. These are the four places that represent the most important people in my life (aside from the outliers - like my sister and family in Georgia....they matter just as much too!)
1) Cheney, WA


This place was very good to me, and the people were even better!  I met some of the best people I've ever come across here, and all because we forfeited a grand degree from a high class university for the cheap education of Eastern Washington University!  Best decision I've ever made.  I am blessed with best friends, good acquaintances, some of the best co-workers, and a network of people that would have my back in an instant if I needed it.  Love them, and love this place!

#2) Spokane, WA


Nothing like a little hometown action.  First of all, I couldn't imagine life without my parents....and since they reside here, this makes the list.  Not to mention my best friends from high school and my wild and crazy co-workers from every little job I've held since I was 16 and first punched the timeclock.  I also have been fortunate enough to have found a solid church community in my college years at New Community, and recently have landed in the hands of an equally incredible group from Vintage Faith.  This city has a lot to offer, and a lot of people that I couldn't do without!

#3) South Lake Tahoe, CA


I've said it once, and I'll say it again and again.  I love Lake Tahoe.  And I especially love the 85 people that became a part of my extended family the summer that I lived there.  We literally came from every walk of life and every possible experience before Tahoe, and we all experienced the summer of a lifetime there.  Time and distance has changed relationships....as it does in every situation, but I still thank God on a regular basis for these individuals in my life and the impact they have left.

#4) Moses Lake, WA


There isn't even a good picture of Moses Lake on Google Images.  That's how bad this city is....but on the other hand...if you drive with me on I-90 past this place....you will probably end up hearing about how much I love it for 10 miles before we see the signs and 10 miles after.  The summer after I graduated college, I worked for about 6 weeks here as a resident advisor for the College Bound Summer Program at Big Bend Community College.  I went into it thinking it would just be a job, and it turns out I fell in love with the program and fell in love with those kids and my staff friends.  We were a tight knit group that had a lot of laughs and a lot of memorable moments.  I need to write a whole blog on this place sometime....its too much to cover at 11:00 at night! 

There you have it....now throw in the family members that live on the outskirts and the friends that fall somewhere outside of these categories, and you have it all.

Finally feeling normal this week after a ridiculous bout of jet lag last week!  Finally!

Back with a vengence!

Hello!! 

Finally a day where I'm not totally taken over with jet lag and I have a chance to share a bit about my trip to Ireland and jump back into my 30 Day Challenge for photos.

Let's do the photo first....its least exciting.

Day #13
Picture of your favorite band

This is going to sound annoying and like I'm not trying, but I honestly don't have a favorite band! 

But....a picture must be had....so.....



In all seriousness....I like so many bands that I can't narrow it down.  I'm not obsessed with any one thing.  I am pretty infatuated with a few old bands (Lifehouse, Until June, Rascal Flatts, Coldplay, Thousand Foot Krutch, etc...), and a few that are a little newer in my book (The Decemberists, Mumford and Sons, The Script, etc...).  But no favorite.

As for Ireland.....

We had a really beautiful time there.  Our itinerary included a really long delay in Seattle which caused us to be a day late to Dublin (thank you Horizon airlines), one day in Dublin, one day in Cork and at the Blarney Castle, two days in Killarney, one day in Limerick, two days in Galway, one more day in Dublin, and a 12 hour layover in ol' Paris.

I have tons of pictures that I'm attempting to get up on Facebook (that is one of my goals for tonight), so I'll leave those for some of the smaller stories, but here is a quick synopsis of each city and my experience there!

Dublin at first glance was not my favorite, as it was raining....hard to navigate....and sort of ugly.  It was definitely bustling and busy.  The first day that we were there, we went to visit the Guinness Storehouse and visited a viking museum called Dublinia.  We ate dinner at a pub and stayed in this hostel that was pretty dumpy.  I was also sick all night, so Dublin the first time around....not on my top list of favorites in the trip.  The second time to Dublin, we had more time to explore.  I had a lot of souvenir shopping to do....and I spent a lot of time exploring the other parts of downtown.  Temple Bar is a big hot spot with a ton of cute pubs.  I also visited several museums, St. Stephen's Green, Trinity College, and rode on a double decker bus!  Much of Dublin was spent either arriving and feeling jet lagged and gross.....or preparing to go back home.  Not my favorite spot on the journey, but definitely a good time.

Cork was next in the line after Dublin, and this was one of my favorite spots!  It is on the Southern tip of Ireland and is green and beautiful and feels smaller.  We stayed in an apartment here, which was great because Mollie made us some homemade Shepard Pie...and it allowed us our own space.  We went to the Blarney Castle while we were here, and also did a lot of shopping.  There was a great spot that we passed through called the English Market...which sold all sorts of fresh food and gift items. 

Killarney was next on the tour, and was definitely my top favorite spot.  We stayed one of our cleaner hostels here, and found that this town has a lot to offer.  It is smaller than either of the first two, but was really stereotypical.  I felt like I was in a little Irish village that the US would try to recreate....like a Leavenworth.  It was also the jumping off point for the Ring of Kerry, which we explored via a guided bus tour with a hilarious tour guide.  Beautiful! 

Limerick is Spokane's sister city, and was a good stop on the way.  Mollie, Christie and I got a hotel so that the married couples could have their time and so that we could all have a breather from the big group setting....and had a great time.  We three explored the city....drank milkshakes....walked along the river....talked to swans......found a super old castle....and watched Two Weeks Notice in our hotel room. Good thing we got good sleep here, because next it was on to the noisiest place on earth....Galway on St. Patricks Day.

Galway is on Ireland's West Coast and this was our home base for the St. Patty's Day celebration.  We got there mid-day because of a late bus ride and our hostel left a bit to be desired.  We knew we were in for a long few days when we got in the room and realized how noisy it was inside with all the windows closed....in the middle of the day.  We went out that night to the pubs and mingled with the crowd, but it was crazier than anything I've ever seen in the States.  There was trash everywhere in the streets...little 18 year olds were passed out and puking in the streets (the drinking age is lower there).  It was totally disgusting.  However we did happen across a band that was playing at Kings Head that played covers of Kings of Leon....so it ended up being a pretty solid night.  We also went dancing a little later on to a whole bunch of country music and typical American rap.  Funny that on St. Patty's Day in Spokane....they play a bunch of Irish folk music.  In Ireland though, they play as much American music as possible.....backwards.

Wasn't too keen on Galway after this introduction, but we went to spend some time at the Cliffs of Moher which were stunning!  Christie and I also discovered the real Galway by walking down to the bay and out to the ocean!  Definitely worth the cold and the sore legs....so beautiful!  We also had some yummy food at a restaurant called Mustard on our last night there!

Then we looped our way back to Dublin for that last chunk of time where we stayed at a hostel run by a Japanese couple.  It was immaculate, warm, and comfortable....best hostel experience by far!  We were also in town for the big Ireland vs. England rugby match, so the place was buzzing with excitement!

We flew out of Ireland on the 20th at 7:00 pm and had a 12 hour layover in Paris.  This was INCREDIBLE........expensive, but so worth it.  We ended up spending 25 euro each for taxis, but I got to see the Notre Dame cathedral, the Lourve, the Eiffle Tower, and everything inbetween.  We also ate crepes at a sidewalk cafe on the Siene River....what more can you ask for?   We had an 11 hour plane ride to Salt Lake and a quick skip home.....and then the week of jet lag ensued!  Finally feeling back to normal and excited for spring to be here finally!!

:)  Check Facebook for more (I'll put good captions on the pictures!)

Love is a many splendid thing...

Day #12
A picture of something you love

Again....hard to decide.  Less definitive than my distaste for cilantro.  Love is kind of a bad way to describe these things anyways, because I love God.....I love my family......I love my friends.  There is no way in the world that I can compare my favorite "loves" to any of these things.  It doesn't come close to adding up.  However, there are a few things in life aside from the things listed above that I adore.....and that bring a lot of joy to my heart simply because they are beautiful or delicious or otherwise have been created in a ridiculously awesome way.  God had the best of intentions when he created these next few items or when he created people who could create these amazing items....and yes, I mean a few.  I couldn't narrow this one.

#1)  Cantaloupe



Um....yum.  My favorite months of the year also directly correspond with the season that cantaloupe is at its finest.  Coincidence?  No.

Why have they not come up with a cantaloupe ice cream??  I would buy stock in that.

#2) Flowers



I love receiving them, I love looking at them, I love drawing them, I love designs that have them in them, I love clothes that have them on them, I really love flowers.  I guess my favorite form of flowers is definitely being on the receiving end of them.   I think that although they die quickly, it is a sweet gesture!  I'm a sucker....what can I say?  I was in a wedding in September and I tried to make my bouquet last for as long as possible....it actually started to rot.  I have even considered putting money aside every month while I'm still single to buy myself flowers.  Just because I don't have a guy pursuing me doesn't mean that I don't deserve to remember that I'm special and loved and worthy of a pretty bunch of flowers every couple of weeks.  Even if it comes from me....haha.

#3 BBQ Food/Hawaiian Food



Different genres, but I love them so much equally that I can't decide which one belongs here.  If there is pulled pork on a menu, I will automatically turn to that.  I love it sooo much.  And the best part is that every place makes it different and I love it all.  I think I was meant to live in Texas or Kansas City or someplace that values BBQ food as much as I do.  I also have a very real love affair with Kahlua Pork...the Hawaiians do pig right.  Good thing I don't follow old Jewish law.

4) This cat!

I frequently get made fun of for being a cat lover....and I have even been accused of being a crazy cat lady.  I have never liked the popular thing....I never like sports teams that are necessarily popular (hello!?!!  Mariners fan!)...I wasn't into being cool in high school....so why is is surprising that I would go for the animal that most people think it stupid and annoying? 

This cat is Sassy....she is my 12 year old asthmatic and physically disabled cat that I have had since I was in junior high!  She was the first animal that I named and got to take ownership of, so I forceably made her bond with me.  I got in her face a lot and picked her up a lot and terrorized her a ton, and somehow these days she thinks that I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread!  Success! 

She has had asthma for years, so we haven't used candles in our house for as long as I can remember!  She also somehow dislocated her kneecap when she was little (we think it was from a fall from our stairs), so she has a screw in her knee and now has a pretty hearty case of arthritis.  She has stairs to help her get on my bed, courtesy of Aunt Allison.

She also had developed a new nervous habit of chewing her fur off, so she is old, sick, and ugly now!  Yes!

#5 Hoopfest



Best weekend of the year hands down!  I've never played, but the nervous energy in this city when Hoopfest hits is the greatest.  I spent a couple summers away from Spokane and then this last year I worked a hellish schedule during Hoopfest, so I'm excited to get to play a more active role in it this year!

Satan's favorite food

Day #11
Picture of something you hate

I think that hate is a really strong word.....and I would never go so far as to hate someone....because I know that is wrong.  However, I will very much stand by my hatred for inanimate objects that deserve a good hating.  I have several things that I really can't stand, but one thing just hands a huge smackdown to the rest.

CILANTRO



I never knew that one little flavor could hold so much capacity to ruin everything....

They say you either love or hate this....and honestly I don't understand how you could love it.  I think all of your taste buds would have to be distorted.

I did a little research, because that's what I do best, and I discovered that they actually believe that those that don't like cilantro reject the flavor because it is too similar to poison.  To me the stuff tastes like dirty lemon flavored dishwater (yeah....mull that one around in your brain)...and most that don't like it agree that it tastes soapy.  Well, you aren't meant to eat soap, so your brain automatically determines that it is a poison, hence the REALLY strong dislike.  This makes sense to me, because there are other flavors that I dislike, but that don't make me react so strongly.  Take rosemary for instance.  The stuff is nasty.  BUT....never could it be compared on the same level as cilantro.

Side note....went to Thai last night with my intern friends and started in on this awesome looking curry, only to find out (once I had an enormous bite in my mouth) that it contained its fair share of cilantro.  Deciding that it was neither the time or the place to make a scene, I swallowed it.  Longest 30 seconds of my life.  SICK.

Overly dramatic?  Yes.  So?

That's Pretty Messed Up!

Day #10
Picture of the person you do the most messed up things with....

Definitely can't narrow this one down to just one person.

I have the best friends in the entire world.  You know how sometimes people talk too much about their significant other....I talk too much about my friends.  Let me tell you...I am friends with the cream of the crop.  We are all so different but so like-minded in some ways.  Half of us are social workers, the other half are going to save the environment or make huge differences in the lives of others.  We talk about the most ridiculous things, but we also have deep conversations about God and about life and how the Gospel is being played out.  There are not many people that I feel I can totally be myself around....but these girls bring the real me out.  There is never a stupid question, never a confession that I can't make, never a moment of pain that they don't meet me in, and never a moment of happiness that they don't celebrate with me.  I get advice that I hate to follow but that I know is good for me, I get experiences that I'd never be brave enough to try on my own (like flying to Ireland with no plans and not a lot of money! ), and I get memories that I can't wait to retell to my kids! 

Now I have a pretty full stack of best friends in my life....but the ones that I do the most messed up things with are pictured above.  Mollie, Allison, Christie, Marisa, Whitney...you have won the top award. 

Mollie: I actually think everything that I've ever done with you has been messed up....skinny dipping, ghost hunting, peeing in Depends (I'm still embarrassed you talked me into that one)....you are definitely the mastermind and ringleader of all things ridiculous in my life.

Allison: You get dragged along into doing the messed up things along with me....we are the two that normally would say no, but always get peer pressured.  Thank you for being on my level!  :)

Christie: All my good prankster moments were caused by you.  You are reckless and unflinchingly brave, and I love it.  Please don't blow off the edge of the Cliffs in Ireland, because that would be totally messed up.

Marisa: Dirty dirty.....preacher's kid who although being the most rational in the group, also has done some pretty messed up things.   When I think back on the most ridiculous moments that I had with you guys, your laugh usually is mixed in there somewhere.  And I love that you are the champion of "Pin the Macho on the Man"....at every bachelorette party!

Whitney: It may be because you lived with Mollie, but you have ranked pretty high on the wild and crazy scale as well!  You guys masterminded a lot of stuff in your prime, and although marriage is suiting you well and you have embraced adulthood, I love that you also embrace your crazy on a pretty regular basis! 

 

A little early for Mother's Day

Day #9
A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

There are some people in this world who deserve sainthood....at least the title.  My mom is one of them.  To say that I was an easy child would be the biggest lie I've ever told.  But one of the biggest truths that I can tell is that my mom is one of the most patient and loving people I've ever met and she is one of the biggest blessings in my life.  Let me tell you about my mom....

This lady is one of the hardest workers I know. She wasn't a stay at home mom when we were little because my family couldn't afford for her to be, and I really respect that.  They worked out a schedule so that my mom worked days and my dad worked nights so that they could provide a childhood that wasn't filled with daycares and passing us off to random babysitters.  Basically for them it meant never seeing each other though, and all so that we always had a parent at home.  I think that's incredible, and I feel blessed that they valued my upbringing enough to sacrifice that time for us.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been my best friend.  If I'm having a bad day or if I'm having the best day ever, she is the first person I call.  Recently she has been taking trips to Canada for work and I feel like big things always happen when she isn't within cell phone range...haha.  She has gotten me through the absolute hardest times in my life...anxiety, heartache, anger, frustration, sadness....she has covered the spectrum.  She is a good listener (thank goodness, because I talk a lot) and also a pretty solid advice giver (although I'm just now starting to recognize that one!). :)  She always reminds me of the value that I bring to the table, prays for me, encourages me in my passions, supports my career and the choices I'm making in life, and is my number one weekend buddy. 

So that picture is the greatest lady that I know, and one person that I thank God for constantly.  He knew what he was doing when he hand-placed me in this family! 

Anyone seen my pocket protector?

Good thing I don't have kids, I'd probably forget to feed them.  Ok....I realize that is pretty dramatic for the situation, but I have forgotten to blog two days in a row....not showing my abilities to multi-task and remember things here!  So....lets play some catch up!

Day # (what day is this now?)
A Picture that Makes you Laugh

THE HALF SNEEZE @ Nerd Night

Let me start this off by explaining who I hung out with in college.  I definitely ran with a pretty conservative crowd of people, and basically got the "Christian college experience" while going to a public school.  We ended up doing a lot of ridiculous things that other college students would probably look on as "not fun" or "stupid" or "annoying".....but it was memory making and I have a lot of fun memories from my time at Eastern.  One of our ridiculous expeditions happened to be Nerd Night.  I'm not sure how the idea sparked, but someone called me and told me to dress up in my best nerd gear and get ready for a hot night on the town.  We gathered whoever was brave enough to take part and went to eat dinner in Spokane at Red Robin.  I'm no good at acting, so I just looked like a regular kid wearing nerd clothes, but a few of my co-horts made it seem like we should have just come from the Star Trek convention. Brian brought along his computer books from his major classes and calculated things....it was just ridiculous.  This makes me cringe a little bit now to explain it, because this is already something I would hesitate to do today.  haha.  I guess that is what growing up gets you!

The funny picture is Brand (my dear friend Allison's now-husband) doing his nerd face, which is essentially a sneeze that he stops halfway through...  Always makes me laugh....never fails.

The gang's all here!

Real World

Nerd World

There were no squirrels on Nantucket until 1989.	There were no Nerds in the Bahamas until the annual Star Trek convention was held there in 1995.
Giraffes have no vocal cords.	Nerds have no sense of fashion whatsoever.
In Chinese, the words for crisis and opportunity are the same.	In ancient Egyptian, the word for genius and socially awkward is Nerd.
The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.	While Nerds aren't officially mentioned in the Bible, the words "develop" and "code" do appear, so Nerds were clearly a part of the culture.

Can't help who you love!

Day #7
Your Most Treasured Item

Some people might have to play out the fire scenario for this one....you know the one!  "What would you grab if your house was on fire?"  Pretty hard to consider really because there are so many things I'd be pretty devastated to lose!  Pictures, my book collection, my favorite pair of running shoes, etc...Amazing how much stuff you can form an attachment with, even though in reality it really is just STUFF.  But there is one thing that I wouldn't even consider allowing to be lost in flames....only one object in my life that I can honestly say is priceless in my eyes. 



Yeah, I'm not talking about the guy holding that poster although he is a great friend and deserves his own blog...I'm talking that little bundle of love on the poster!  So my mom and dad took me to a little drugstore around the block from their house when I was 10 months old, with the purpose of getting me a stuffed animal.  There were an assortment of cute ones that I could have chosen, but jokingly my mom grabbed onto this ugly thing and waved it in front of my face.  She grabbed it because it looked just like BooBoo Kitty (Shirley's stuffed animal on Laverne and Shirley...see below)

and while she was making some comment about it to my dad, I grabbed onto him.  Long story short, I wouldn't let my mom put him back on the shelf and they had no choice but to buy the ugliest stuffed animal on the shelf.  My parents named him BooBoo, since I was too young to talk, let alone name a toy. We have pictures all throughout my childhood carting BooBoo along under my arm.  My parents knew how much I loved him and how great the likelihood was that I would ruin him if I were allowed to take him everywhere with me, so I was only allowed to take him outside of the house when I was going to a sleepover.  He has survived a lot.  He has been thrown up on, he has lost a majority of his hair, his tail and bowtie have been sewn back on multiple times, and his eyeballs and nose have been totally worn off.  He also used to have whiskers, and if I'm remembering correctly...he doesn't anymore.  I still sleep with him every night and have a hard time sleeping if he isn't there.  He is going in my carry on for my upcoming trip to Ireland....embarrassing?  Maybe?  Worth taking him to be able to get to sleep once I fight through the jet lag...definitely!

(Explanation of the picture...my dear friend Stephanie started dating this guy named Mike when we were seniors in high school.  Mike quickly became one of my best friends as well, and it was only a matter of time before he discovered this ugly secret I slept with every night.  He definitely wasn't supportive, so for his birthday one year, I made him a poster of BooBoo.  Just so he could enjoy him as much as I did!  Ha!)

So there you have it...the main man in my life is balding, ugly, and smells bad.  Pretty typical.

Rain Rain Go Away

Day #6
A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day



Oh to be that carefree little kid again!  And I don't own a sweet rain jacket like this anymore, although this picture inspires me to go find one! 

You Making Fun of Me?

Day #5
Picture of your favorite memory

First of all, I'm a day late on this.  Epic fail of the challenge.  I knew I would forget it at least one day....

And this particular one is really hard because I have so many happy memories to choose from.  I had a handful that were contenders and I narrowed it down to this one.

In case you missed it, I worked as a resident advisor for a program called College Bound in Moses Lake the summer after I graduated from college.  College Bound is a government funded educational program that seeks to provide promising high school students from underprivileged backgrounds with the academic and social support that they need to head to the next stage in their education.  In the case of the students in Moses Lake, a good number of my students were from families where one or both of their parents didn't speak English.  Moral of the story is that these kids are brilliant and were a huge blessing in my life, and honestly this job absolutely made me fall in love with the idea of social work.  I was an RA for the recent high school graduates who were headed to all different corners of the state to attend college.....and I just enjoyed the chance to learn from them and help them in any way that I could during this transitional period in their lives!  Not only that, but I fell in love with my staff.  I was the token white girl both on staff and out of the whole population, but they really embraced me and my lack of knowledge about Hispanic culture and helped give me the experience of a lifetime.

We planned activity nights every weekday night after their summer classes, and one of our activities was a huge talent show.  There were a lot of laughs and a lot of talented kids, but the part that made this my favorite memory was the show that the staff ladies put on.  We decided it would be fun to make a skit that mocked our male co-horts...and it turned out to be probably the most hilarious thing that I have ever helped mastermind.  I wish we had caught it on tape.  The only real painful thing about this was donning the UW jersey to play Chuy, our smarty-pants engineering major.