take the weather with you

thursday things

2012-02-09T08:07:00.001-05:00

1. FINE. I am a blogging delinquent.
I apologize. I could blame it on the craptastic Internet I have in my apartment or I could just own it. I promise to be better...to the 5 people who read my mostly-scattered thoughts.

2. Apparently cutting my hair is the only thing worth talking about, but I have done a few other interesting/fun/maybe only fun to me things since then. Which I will now list, in random order of importance.

3. I have been given way more opportunities to write, which is awesome and has kept me very occupied. I am working on two bigger stories that I am excited about seeing unfold.

4. After scaling back my daily coffee consumption by half (I don't want to say how much is half. A little ridiculous) and experiencing two weeks of intense headaches, I am proud to say I am over the hump of caffeine withdrawal.

5. I took the online test to be a Jeopardy contestant. I love trivia. I am so weird. It made sense. Stay tuned.

6. One friend moved away and one friend is moving back. Emma, my lovely Canadian, is now laughing at all of us still in the throes of winter from her apartment in summery Brisbane, Australia. Way to take on for the team, Em. On the flip side, however, is my lovely friend Stephanie moving back to the motherland from NC! It’s about dang time, is all I have to say.

7. And speaking of friends I made in college, I got to visit my roommmate from freshman year in Hess Hall, Taylor, a few weekends ago in Atlanta! She has been working there right around two years and I hadn’t gotten to see her face since Sept. 2010. TOO. LONG. We had a great time reminiscing our days as 18-year-old roommates and wondering where our twenty-something selves will be in the future.

8. The Fellowship and friends are headed up to the mountains for the weekend, which I could not be more excited about.

9. Actually, I might be more excited about these little pieces of heaven I’m making on Saturday. Oh, excuse me while I wipe slobber off my keyboard.

10. I would like this bout of cold weather to produce some snow, and then it can get warmish like last week. Was it not just so beautiful that you wanted to eat it?

chop chop

2012-01-17T12:00:00.002-05:00

Until about 2 weeks ago, I had been growing my hair out for about a year and a half to donate.

It was the winter-induced-static-cling, 20-minute blowdrys and general hard-to-manage-ness that sent me over the edge and prompted the CHOP.

I've never shown this much of the back of my neck before. I'm loving it.

The Last Ponytail

CHOP

What had been attached to my head.

holiday catch up

2012-01-16T13:45:00.001-05:00

2011

This is my belated nod to the holiday season. I think it went faster this year?

Well, even if it didn't, I've been comparing pictures of all the cousins at the traditional Christmas Day at Granny's house. I realized we didn't take a customary cousins-on-the-couch picture this year, mostly because there was a baby asleep on it, but we have made the Blue Couch picture for many years. Here are a few of the most recent...


2005


2006


2007


2008

2009


2010

the worst

2011-12-28T15:50:00.001-05:00

I have made this statement several times to different audiences and I will continue to stand by it.:
3:30-4:30 p.m. is THE worst hour of the day.

Here are the facts:

1. It’s the weird time between lunch and dinner. If you eat lunch during this hour because you got busy earlier in the day, you can forget being ready for dinner at a normal time. So you just continue to be hungry until you hit up senior citizen dinner at 5.

2. When you had a snow day, this is the hour in which your attitude goes from "NO SCHOOL TODAY!!" to "Crap, we have to go to school tomorrow."

3. It’s right when you would get home from school and the only thing on TV are Japanese cartoons and melodramatic talk shows.

4. It’s the time after lunch, but not quite quitting time at work that your brain starts checking out of everything and/or nothing makes sense anymore.

I could think of some more but I’m currently in the throes of the worst hour of the day.

america's hat

2011-12-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

This is what Canada is like, eh Emma?

She can ride a moose ya'll. I've seen it.

chills

2011-12-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

My sister Bethany always finds the BEST videos of the Avetts. She has done it again. This was about 2 weeks after we saw them. I would have loved to have seen this live. Just beautiful.

thanksgiving day

2011-11-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

morning porch sit

grandma's house

feeding time

happy baby

no kid table this year

grandchildren

pumpkin cupcakes

it's that time of year

2011-11-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember, the Priode family listens to Alice's Restaurant at noon on Thanksgiving Day. I mean it's such a long-running tradition that the one year the radio station was late, Dad definitley called them to make sure they were going to play it. I have a strange family.

Pumped for tomorrow with said strange family, some good porch sitting, rest, sweet potatoes and the beginning of the holiday season.

Sitting here with the December Southern Living, Christmas in the Smoky Mountains on the speakers just feeling very blessed and thankful

thursday things.

2011-11-17T19:42:00.003-05:00

1. Daylight Savings Time is killing me. I am ready for bed at 6 o’clock every night because it’s dark. Not gonna work.

2. I am loving reconnecting with old (not age) friends lately. Phone dates with out of town friends have filled almost every day this week.

3. I make myself sick at how much I say I’m busy every day. Everybody is busy. Grow up Melissa. Wah wah

4. I love Christmas and family traditions, but thinking about it right now makes me kindasorta panic. Not. Ready.

5. Speaking of Christmas, I can’t decide if our family (meaning, me, mom, dad and Bethany) need to send a picture-Christmas-card this year. It’s funny to think about people putting our card on their fridge, BAM, two 20-year-ish olds in the middle next to all the young couples and adorable babies. Weird. So I think we should end on last years.

6. I don’t really like wearing shoes, but I have 3 pairs that I don’t mind and therefore-wear them all the time. Sad news: they have all decided to fall apart at the same time. Crap.

7. Very excited about the 2 stories I’m working on right now. Stay tuned

8. Listen to New Old Hymns. Today.

9. Weekends go too fast. But I am trying to take Sundays as a semi-Sabbath and just say no to stuff and rest. I recommend it.

10. This? Um, yum. That’s all.

{update. 11. Friends. Life tip. When it comes to floss, spend 2 more dollars. The 79 cent stuff is garbage. You're welcome.}

unlikely lessons

2011-11-10T21:26:00.003-05:00

I lead a small group of middle school girls who have a flair for theatrics. (I know right? Middle school and drama. Groundbreaking)

I spend close two hours with the group, normally between 4-6 girls, through the JustLead program at the Emerald Youth Foundation. I would like to think that I am imparting some great truth on them and molding their young minds weekly, but I think a more accurate claim would be that they are the ones doing the teaching.

Week after week, they remind me of how much I cannot rely on myself for anything. I come to them straight from 8 hours of work, worn out, good and distracted, and thinking about going to my own small group after I leave them; most of the time I literally have nothing to offer. Which is why it’s ridiculous that I even think they are learning anything at all from me. None of it is from me.

I was on a roll last night, reading Phillipians, talking about trust and friends and hoping I would get some kind of response. But instead of epiphanies, revelations or really any kind of indication they were listening at all, I am met with a total fabrication of the truth, told straight to my face. This is a recurring theme in our group, the bending-of-truth boy stories and the twisted tales of fights at school, but I still haven’t pinned down why.

I don’t know if these girls think they have to stretch the truth of their young lives to impress me or if it’s to get attention from the rest of the group, but either way, I was immediately brought off my scripture-reading showboat and back down to Earth.

Have I set impossibly high standards for their young, and sometimes nonexistent, faith? Have I found my own glory in the amount of conversation we engage in, instead of giving it to the Lord? Do I consider the night a loss if no deep questions are asked and the worksheets are left, forgotten on the floor? The answer is pretty much yes to all of these.

It’s about consistency that some of them don’t have in their family and unconditional acceptance that they don’t get at school. It’s about trust and openness and honesty. It’s not so I can feel good about myself and feel good about my ability to crowd-control a bunch of 12-year-olds.

Those kids teach me that every week. They are so much smarter than me.

I just read a selection from Henri Nouwen's essay Hospitality and I was particularly taken by this passage:

"Hospitality means primarily the creation of a space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. It is not an attempt to change people, but to offer the free space where change can take place. It is not a technique to bring men and women over to my side, but to offer freedom undisturbed by dividing lines, It is not a call to drive my neighbor into a corner where he has no alternatives left, but to open a wide spectrum for options asking for choice and commitment...Hospitality is not a subtle invitation to adopt the lifestyle of the host, but the gift of a chance to allow the guest to find his own."

So between listening to the middle schoolers and putting Nouwen's words to work in my life, I have a lot to think about.

two things.

2011-11-03T11:03:00.000-04:00

be like the fountain that overflows,

not like the cistern that merely contains.

close some doors today.

not because of pride,

incapacity or arrogance,

but simply because

they lead you nowhere

paolo coelho

disclaimer

2011-10-27T23:19:00.000-04:00

{alright, I really don't want this to turn into a place where I am only posting youtube videos, thus contributing to the slippery slope that destroys the rare actual conversation and ruins social situations...I digress, but I feel like I need to share this one. Probably not the last one, but just bear with me. That is all}

I have a crush on Keith Richards.

2011-10-24T21:28:00.000-04:00

After a very reflective weekend and a fairly lazy Monday, I kind of feel like the first 14 seconds of this song right now.

Hope that makes sense.

ps: just a tip, ignore the shaky video and just listen to the guitar solo instead.

R & R

2011-10-20T17:46:00.002-04:00

Been looking forward to this weekend all month. Headed out on a Fellows Sabbath retreat with this on the front of my mind...

Solitude is the place where we can reach the profound bond that is deeper than the emergency bonds of fear and anger. Although fear and anger can indeed drive us together, they cannot give rise to a common witness. In solitude we can come to the realization that we are not driven together but brought together.

In solitude we come to know our fellow human beings not as partners who can satisfy our deepest needs, but as brothers and sisters with whom we are called to give visibility to God's all-embracing love. In solitude we discover that community is not a common ideology, but a response to a common call. In solitude we indeed realize that community is not made but given.

Solitude, then, is not private time in contrast to time together, nor a time to restore our tired minds. Solitude is very different from a time-out from community life.

Solitude is the ground from which community grows. When we pray alone, study, read, write, or simply spend quiet time away from the places where we interact with each other directly, we enter into a deeper intimacy with each other. It is a fallacy to think that we grow closer to each other only when we talk, play, or work together. Much growth certainly occurs in such human interactions, but these interactions derive their fruit from solitude, because in solitude our intimacy with each other is deepened.

nouwen, clowning in rome

sweet heavenly day

2011-10-12T21:24:00.000-04:00

I can't remember which Pandora station played this for me today, but I think it changed my life. Yes. I am confident in saying it changed my life. Mercy.

a lot of shifting going on

2011-10-10T22:45:00.001-04:00

There were more than a few times last week at work that I just wanted to cry. Or yell. Or sit in my car and blast 90s music, heavy on the Wallflowers, until my blood pressure returned to normal human levels. Maybe I did all three...

I hated that each day left me feeling like I had survived, but not much else. It really bothered me that I was letting work affect me as much as it was, and so I decided to squash that nonsense before it got out of hand.

It's amazing what a restful weekend, family time and getting enough sleep and exercise can do for a major attitude shift. Today was like I had a new job or something. It was a great day; full of getting things done, some quiet alone time at lunch, a long run by the river and a free cupcake at dinner, win!

These 2 pieces of Jeremiah have been with me all day today, reminding me to continue seeking rest in the mundane parts of life.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
-jeremiah 29:11

For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.
-jeremiah 31:25

built for this.

2011-10-08T12:36:00.001-04:00

built for this.
ben sollee

hang your worries on my thin Kentucky frame
lay your fears on my chest
place a reach on my careless fingertip
and chase the morning light

we were built for this
we were built for this

rest your troubles on my unforgiving back
lift your pain upon my death
rub your hands with your faith and trust their path
and trace the morning light

we were built for this
we were built for this

speak with words that you gathered from the ground
hold a light up to the sky
give the dove just one more chance to sing
and replace the morning light

facing your fears to live your dreams

2011-10-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

facing your fears to live your dreams, donald miller
july 2011
text here

We don’t normally face our fears willingly. Usually, God has to woo us into the desert. We are either chasing love or some other desire, and we find ourselves in the midst of a situation in which we have very little control. And when we lose control, we go into a mild form of trauma. But the good news is the greatest stories are lived in the desert. The great lives are lived in the places we most fear. If we fear being rejected, the great story has us standing at the door with flowers in our hands, if we fear losing love, the great stories have us letting that person go rather than clinging to them. If we fear taking a chance on a dream, the great stories have us quitting our jobs.

My friend Jeremy Cowart moved from Nashville to LA recently but decided to tell a better story with his move. Rather than packing up the family and making a long, boring drive, he called Jamie Tworkowski from To Write Love on her Arms and made a Fears Vs Dreams tour out of the move. They’d pull the moving van into a town, set up a table, and ask people to write down their fears and dreams on a piece of paper. The result was magical. Andy Davis joined in for a while and soon enough it was a mini-caravan of folks who were no longer interested in running from their fears, but willing to face them in order to live a better story.

So, what is your greatest fear? And don’t you know, the life you want involves taking that huge risk. It’s scary I know, because the truth is it might end in tragedy. But then again, half of Shakespeare’s plays are tragedies, and nobody thinks of him as a fool. He was brilliant.

May half your stories be tragedies too. And may the other half be comedies that work out great. And may they all be beautiful.

fears v. dreams

don't ever forget you are never alone

2011-09-26T20:00:00.000-04:00

So I love this video. I want to live in it. Does that make sense? Sweet children, family, solar flare and big fields. All things that I love in my life.

the way I feel

2011-09-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

My mind is reeling after a week of service in the remote town of Eagan, Tennessee-smack in the middle of poverty-ridden Appalachia. I'm still processing a lot of what I saw, but here are a few things I know for sure:

1. I have done absolutley nothing to deserve the mounds of blessings I have, starting with being born where I was and to the family I was with the life I have. Nothing. Pure act of God. End of story.

2. Pride is a hateful thing and a slippery slope. I found myself wanting to feel sorry for the people who I was serving instead of building a relationship with them. That one totally took me for a loop and nagged at me for the entire 8 days.

A huge theme in my life for the past few months has been LIGHT; being the light in a dark place, keeping things in the light, basking in the Light, sharing light and most of all-being the light of the world and a city set on a hill. I swear, everywhere I turn and every verse I read is smacking me in the face with some light.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

My heart is so heavy from the stories I heard, the homes I worked in, the families I saw and the lack of hope I felt, and I just pray that the Fellows' brief presence in Eagan brought some much-needed light and truth to a dark community.

In the midst of being quite shaken, torn between wanting to get rid of all my stuff and resisting the urge to "fix" the town where I just was, I am trying to wait, process and find my rest in God alone.

wednesday (ok actually Thursday) things.

2011-09-08T00:21:00.001-04:00

1. It has been so gross and rainy the past few days but I’m telling you, I’m loving it. Summer has really worn me out yet again and I am so energized by a change in season and cooler weather.

2. The Fellows are hilarious. I love that we can pull pranks and bounce jokes off each other, group gchat and have Boy Meets World marathons during Boomsday. I am just loving my life being filled with such a genuinely fun group of friends.

3. True to Priode form, my new cousin who was supposed to be born anytime last week but ultimately by yesterday...is still not here. I am so ready to kiss his little head! Stay tuned!

4. Three weeks of leading a small group of inner-city middle school girls has already been extremely rewarding and valuable, as far as keeping myself accountable. I see them and remember how lost I was during those years and it makes me want to just squeeze them.

5. Um hello, where is my free time going? I have Monday evenings free during the week and I have consistently found myself trying to cram too much into that time and I end up worn out, frazzled and unaccomplished. I am having the hardest time saying no to every opportunity for hangout time, which resulted in me feeling terrible and sick-ish all of last weekend. Womp womp

6. I am WAY excited about the possibility of my lovely and amazing friend EMMA getting to come back to Tennessee! This is big news!

7. I just finished my 3rd story at work, which was the hardest so far. I spent probably five days just trying to get it to make sense. Very frustrating. It will run next week so once again, stay tuned...

something to tickle your ears

2011-08-23T11:56:00.000-04:00

Everything about this makes me happy. I listen to it at least once a day.

this.

2011-08-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

where I am

2011-08-16T07:57:00.000-04:00

I hate using the "I'm too busy" excuse. It is SO lame and pretentious. I know how I feel when people use it against me, I know how it sounds and I hate that I am doing that right now.

I'm not gonna lie, I do love being busy...but it really has been a challenge over the past few weeks not to fall back on those three words.

I know I have only been in this new role for a few weeks, but I am already reaping so many benefits of this unique community we have formed in the heart of this city. I have been so blessed with new friendships, honest conversation and genuine interest from people in my same stage of life. I have already been learning new things about the way I deal with things and feel like I am more in tune with myself than I have ever been.

But I am also in a constant balancing struggle between my existing responsibility and my new, Fellows-relates ones. I made the hard call not to resume leading my Girl Scout troop this year because I don't feel like I will be able to give the sweet girls the attention they deserve. I love the new aspects of my life, but that makes me sad every time I think about it.

This week we start leading small groups for inner-city kids through Just Lead at the Emerald Youth Foundation. We began classes last week and I am so pleased with how we all mesh in a classroom setting and how I feel so "heard."

In (literally) other news, my second story in the News Sentinel came out today!

toe tappin' good times

2011-08-10T08:19:00.000-04:00

prepare to have this in your head all day. happy wednesday!

troy and abed in the morning!

2011-08-09T07:26:00.000-04:00

life has been a bit of a whirlwind the past few weeks. until I sit down for a full update, here is something to tide you over...

new love

2011-07-28T07:31:00.001-04:00

I wish it hadn't taken me so long to listen to Abigail Washburn.

validation.

2011-07-23T18:14:00.002-04:00

After a year and a half of wandering and doubting, today I was reminded of why I went to college in the first place. What an incredible feeling to have made something I am proud of and to feel fulfillment in work.

Read it here!

waaaaaallll-eeee

2011-07-22T14:38:00.000-04:00

these little guys just make me smile. here's to letting go of needing to clean up all the time.

happy friday!

junior

2011-07-20T07:37:00.000-04:00

happy wednesday!

we named the dog indiana!

starstruck

2011-07-13T07:38:00.001-04:00

You know that "six degrees of separation" game?

Well, I recently learned a fact that shortened the separation by one degree between me...and one of my favorite actors of all time. He may or may not be in one of the most iconic scifi movies made so far.

I have had a crush on him since I was 10 years old. I'm hoping we might run into each other one day.

viral video film school.

2011-07-10T09:25:00.000-04:00

Viral Video Film School, produced by Current TV, is easily one my favorite things on the Internet. Yep, the ENTIRE Internet.

On our family beach trip last week, my cousin Grant (who has gotten super funny over the past year) showed me the Summer Blockbusters edition. I mean, I think it's hilarious-but watch it and decide for yourself.

AND if you like it and want more VVFS...you should probably start with these, and just be prepared to invest an hour or two after that because you can't just watch ONE more.

Jerk Animals
Fireworks
Valentine's Day
Stunt Cats
Internet's Worst Parents

tree of life.

2011-07-09T20:07:00.000-04:00

unless you love, life will flash you by.

the perfect space

2011-06-30T11:00:00.005-04:00

I wanna have pride like my mother has,

And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.

-avetts

this is a great day. it's coffee friday on thursday at work, there are cheerwine doughnuts in the breakroom and i am almost on vacation.

#oops

2011-06-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Today there are two printed errors in the paper that are my fault. Almost immediately after looking at them and feeling stupid about it, I get a call from the front desk that someone is here to see me.

In my head, it is one of the people affected by my error and they are here to chew me out. Give me a break, I'm thinking, I get a few free ones!

So the whole time I'm walking downstairs, I'm making a speech inside my head that I plan on saying as soon as I see the mean guy so he can't say anything smart.

Turns out, I'm a drama queen...and it's a sweet old man from Lenoir City who came to drop off an announcement about a benefit golf tournament.

Close one.

stuck in my head

2011-06-28T21:40:00.000-04:00

I was introduced to this sweet song last weekend on the way to/from Jacksonville with my friends Emily and Mollie. I had seen Elenowen on the Voice and knew of their local ties, but I had not heard their single! I'm pretty hooked.

It's been on a two-day loop with this and this. (Hey, never say never, but I think I like a T. Swift song)

honey come home
elenowen

let me pour you a glass of red
to get your mind off the things I said
i'd say sorry, you know I would
but my pride tastes too damn good

let me pour you a glass of white
so you forget all of my lies
and I'd say sorry for what I've done
but I can't let go of what I want

so, please have mercy on me

honey come home, you know I love you
and even when it breaks, my heart will beat for you
oh my love, you're all I want
i know that it's never gonna come easy
but I would never even dream of leavin'
you're not alone, so come back home

let our walls crash to the ground
let our greed and pride fall down
lets take a hand, run straight through the door
invite love in to be our floor

oh please, won't you stand beside me

honey come home, you know I love you
even when it breaks, my heart will beat for you
oh my love, you're all I want
i know that it's never gonna come easy
but I would never even dream of leavin'
you're not alone, so come back home

let's raise our glass to a new beginning
forget our past and start forgiving

honey come home, you know I love you
even when it breaks, my heart will beat for you
oh my love, you're all I want
i know that it's never gonna come easy
i would never even dream of leavin'
you're not alone, so come back home
you're not alone, so come back home

insert clever title here

2011-06-27T22:56:00.000-04:00

After a month at my job, I think I can finally say I am starting to feel comfortable. The biggest challenge for me has been for me to accept correction as instruction and learning to swallow my pride and ask for help.

But here's how I know I'm in the right place:

I can probably tell you the meaning of almost every acronym-ed club or organization in Knoxville and when they installed their latest officers, I edit signs as I pass them, my desk calendar is stained with newsprint and I have finally mastered the art of spotting extra spaces, misplaced semicolons and pretending to be interested when someone calls with a “story I should investigate"...

A little bit of me still sometimes feels like a random kid in the newsroom. Probably because I crack myself up at my desk thinking about stuff like this. Oh, and sometimes this.

texas forever.

2011-06-22T22:54:00.001-04:00

I'm not usually one to make bold statements, but I would like to go on record that

a)Friday Night Lights is hands-down my favorite show of all time.
and
b)Friday Night Lights is (was) the best show on television.

You can now quote me on that.

Just watch it. But don't search Youtube for videos because then you will find fan-made montages of Coach Taylor set to Tim McGraw. Yeesh.

clear eyes full hearts

stuff from that time and those places

2011-06-20T19:28:00.002-04:00

1. My most commonly used phrase as of late is "I'm just trying to be where I'm at." This grammatically incorrect sentence is brought to you by my cousin Lauren, who is full of other nonsensical knowledge and witty wisdoms.

2. This picture of a popsicle. Yum.

3. The movie Bridesmaids-I have now seen it twice. Bethany and I went for the second time around this past Saturday and created yet another scene in the theater. At one point I think we were the only two people laughing. There is a scene on an airplane that I think is literally One of the. Funniest things. I have ever seen.

4. Adele power ballads. Namely One and Only. Also, this song, that is most definitely NOT a power ballad, but makes me laugh every time I hear it.

5. Rewatching Friday Night Lights season 1- that was just purchased for 10 bucks at Target-will be keeping me busy this week, along with...

6. The Hunger Games' second installment, Catching Fire. Holy distopia these books are so fun!

7. Counting down days until I can eat my weight in hushpuppies Hudson's on the Docks on vacation in a few weeks.

I think that's enough random items for now.

dreams

2011-06-19T08:28:00.003-04:00

Well last night/this morning, I dreamed that I was dressed as R2D2 in some kind of Star Wars re-creation that was taking place at Disney World. Oh and the Super Bowl was also going on. Also, I was not allowed to ride some swing-type ride because of my costume. Clearly.

I had a pretty significant amount of sugar before bed, so I figured something like this would happen. I have been having crazy vivid dreams lately and can remember every detail when I wake up. Flip side? I don't feel like I've rested at all. I was too busy fighting off linebackers and Storm Troopers.

Meaning?

happy dance

2011-06-09T07:57:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday! Cut a little rug! No really!

Here, watch this for some inspiration...

43 years ago...

2011-06-05T10:00:00.084-04:00

...Robert Francis Kennedy was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in LA, shortly after winning the California primary. Twenty-six hours later RFK died, just 5 years after his older brother Jack was assassinated in Dallas.

I became interested in all things Kennedy when I was a junior in high school. We held a night honoring the 40th anniversary of JFK's death and other events that transpired in the volatile 1960s. I worked for months and months researching Jackie Kennedy and I have absolutely consumed anything I can read about the Camelot couple and their renown family ever since.

{Ok, ok, call me a nutjob, but I love a good conspiracy theory. AND if you have half an hour I will gladly share my thoughts about the JFK assassination and the absurdity of the Magic Bullet theory. And I digress.}

RFK gave just a speech in Cleveland, Ohio exactly 2 months before his death. It is unfortunate and somewhat haunting that this particaular speech was about violence.

I think that by reading the text you will see that a lot of the same issues that America faced in 1968 still plague us today. People still don't get along, there is still war and there is still hatred and ignorance.

Let the final sentence move you. Who doesn't swell with pride when they hear the word countrymen?

Remarks of Senator Robert F. Kennedy to the Cleveland City Club

Cleveland, Ohio, April 5, 1968

This is a time of shame and sorrow It is not a day for politics. I have saved this one opportunity to speak briefly to you about this mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives.

It is not the concern of any one race The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed No one - no matter where he lives or what he does - can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed And yet it goes on and on.

Why? What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by his assassin's bullet.

No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people.

Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily - whether it is done in the name of the law or in the defiance of law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence - whenever we tear at the fabric of life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded.

"Among free men," said Abraham Lincoln, “there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet; and those who take such appeal are sure to lose their cause and pay the costs."

Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire weapons and ammunition they desire.

Too often we honor swagger and bluster and the wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach nonviolence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.

Some looks for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear; violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleaning of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly, destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is a slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.

This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all. I have not come here to propose a set of specific remedies nor is there a single set. For a broad and adequate outline we know what must be done. When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies - to be met not with cooperation but with conquest, to be subjugated and mastered.

We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community, men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear - only a common desire to retreat from each other - only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this there are no final answers.

Yet we know what we must do. It is to achieve true justice among our fellow citizens. The question is now what programs we should seek to enact. The question is whether we can find in our own midst and in our own hearts that leadership of human purpose that will recognize the terrible truths of our existence.

We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of all. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.

Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanish it with a program, nor with a resolution.

But we can perhaps remember - even if only for a time - that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short movement of life, that they seek - as we do - nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.

Surely this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something.

Surely we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our hearts brothers and countrymen once again.

***

Text and audio found here

sunny days, chasing the clouds away

2011-05-30T18:04:00.001-04:00

So before I had a sister, I had Sesame Street. I would like to personally thank Maria, Mr. Hooper, Grover and of course Ernie and Bert for teaching me to love alphabet soup and about the importance of the letter W.

After spending a few days revisiting some of our favorite clips from Sesame Street episodes of years past, Bethany and I have come up with a list of the best.

Put down the duckie
One Banana
The Ladybugs Picnic
Jellyman Kelly
Old MacDonald Cantata

And apparently Sesame Street is on their 40-something season and now have Jimmy Fallon and Paul Rudd on the show. Who knew?

This, however, is probably the classiest bit I have ever seen come from that famous address.

Enjoy.

(and for anyone who is just in a nostalgic 90's mood, click here. Do not judge. It was before he was a creeper, although you probably can't tell from this clip)

it runs in the family

2011-05-27T18:58:00.001-04:00

Well if you haven't noticed my obsession with the Avett Brothers yet-you are probably not paying attention.

Their Youtube channel posts videos of Seth and Scott doing random acoustic covers every once and again and when they do, I sit and watch these gems-mesemerized at the raw musical talent of these brothers...and of Seth's amazing hair and mustache transformations. (A Change is Gonna Come and Movin Out are both pretty epic.)

Here is one I watched today and was reminded of how much I love this song.

Wait, I have a...job?

2011-05-26T23:44:00.001-04:00

I have successfully completed my first 3 days at the Knoxville News Sentinel!

I owe so much to the current Fellow who spent this time training me and bestowing all her tricks and tips onto me. I literally do not think I can take in any new information for the next 3 days. I'm a little afraid to go to sleep between now and Monday because I think everything I learned will just fall right out of my head.

I am the staff writer and editorial assistant in the Features department for the School Matters and YourNews sections, which run in print on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I am also sorting through all of the user-submitted stories and photos on the YourNews section of knoxnews.com!

While it has been sufficiently overwhelming to try and remember all this new info, I could not be more excited for this challenge and the opportunity to make so many great connections.

All this to say, if you notice more errors than usual in those particular sections over the next week or 2...I'm behind it. But I'm learning as fast as I can!

2 things.

2011-05-20T00:31:00.001-04:00

1. beach trip=over a month away. Not okay.
2. this is my favorite Avett Brothers song.

if it's the beaches.

Don't say it's over
Cause that's the worst news
I could hear I swear that I will
Do my best to be here
just the way you like it
Even though its hard to hide
Push my feelings all aside
I will rearrange my plans and
change for you

If I could go back
That's the first thing I would do
I swear that I would
Do my best to follow through
Come up with a master plan
A homerun hit, a winning stand
A guarantee and not a promise
That I'll never let your love
slip from my hands

If it's the beaches
If it's the beaches' sands you want
Then you will have them
If it's the mountains' bending rivers
Then you will have them
If it's the wish to run away
Then I will grant it
Take whatever you think of
While I go gas up the truck
Pack the old love letters up
We will read them when
we forget why we left here

here is a live version.

uncharted.

2011-05-16T12:50:00.000-04:00

compare where you are to where you want to be and you'll get nowhere.

-sara bareilles

captivating.

2011-05-15T22:57:00.001-04:00

I don't know why I haven't read this before. Here are some of my favorite truths from this great book...and I've only read the 1st chapter. Stay tuned...

every woman I've ever met feels it [not being good enough]-something deeper than just the sense of failing at what she does. An underlying, gut feeling of failing at who she is. I am not enough, and I am too much at the same time.

We long to be the Beauty of some great story. But the desires set deep in our hearts seem like a luxury, granted only to those women who get their acts together.

We were made to be part of a great adventure. An adventure that is shared. We do not want adventures merely for adventure's sake but for what it requires of us for others. We don't want to be alone in it; we want to be in it with others.

We desire to possess a beauty that is worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are.

Is someone reading my mind? Why does this make so much sense?

be still and know

2011-04-27T01:14:00.001-04:00

I have been going through a pretty great daily devotional book called Jesus Calling for about a year now. It's a short thought for the day and a few verses to go with it. It's a super way to start or end the day.

As I have gotten older, my Type A personality has seemed to intensify and I have to work harder and harder to be "in the moment." I am one of those people who feels uneasy when there is too much stuff/piles/clutter/chaos/etc and I find it hard to relax when I have lefy dishes out or my floor messy. I can function so much better with a to do list in hand and I get the best feeling from cleaning out closets and getting rid of things.

Two days in the past week have, I am convinced, been written specifically for me.

Example A:

April 22
Walk with Me in holy trust, responding to My initiatives rather than trying to make things fit your plans. I died to set you free, and this includes freedom from compulsive planning. When your mind spins with a multitude of thoughts, you cannot hear My voice. A mind preoccupied with planning pays homage to the idol of control. Turn from the idolatry back to Me and live abundantly.

Proverbs 19: 21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

AND

April 22
I am always with you, so you have no reason to be afraid. Your fear often manifests itself in excessive planning. Your mind if so accustomed to this pattern of thinking that you are only now becoming aware of how pervasive it is and how much it hinders your intimacy with Me.

As I read these, I felt almost ashamed, like when you have been caught doing something and there is no way out. Mainly because I know that I always feel panicked and anxious about things I can't control. And I always try to handle these meltdowns on my own. Which is impossible.

I have been actively trying to break myself of this habit lately since I am back at home for a bit and am surrounded by such a gorgeous view and landscape. I love that I can stand outside at night, look up at the stars and have no streetlights in my face and can only hear frogs and crickets (and the neighbor's pool filter if you really listen hard). Those moments remind me to give up control, focus my mind on one thing at a time, and remember that I am not in charge. Thank goodness!

It seems fitting that I am up after midnight writing this post. My mind is so loud and jumbled sometimes that it's hard to quiet it long enough for me to fall asleep, and tonight is one of those nights.

There is a great song by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors called Live Forever, and the words have really been resounding with me lately! Especially this line:

"Some say faith is a childish game. Well,play on children, like it's Christmas day."

girl scout camp tonight!

2011-04-15T11:10:00.000-04:00

...and there is rain in the forecast. And for tomorrow.

Prayers appreciated for all of New Visions council to have a safe and dry night!

Be Prepared! The Girl Scout motto! This really just means lugging around a bunch of stuff you probably won't need, but just in case I have lots of ponchos and towels for soggy Brownies!

Stay tuned...

ch ch ch changes

2011-04-04T14:48:00.002-04:00

Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the current moment. This is shaping up to be busy-but eventful-month.

A few changes on the horizon, including Wednesday being my last day at Bliss. I will be starting at the Knoxville News Sentinel next month through the amazing program known as the Knoxville Fellows! I could not be more excited to FINALLY use my degree and grow in my faith at the same time. This is such a great opportunity for me to be able to integrate my faith into work, serve my community and be challenged daily by 11 other recent(ish) graduates. I think this is the direction I have been searching for so earnestly since finishing school over a year ago.

Also, just this past weekend I lost my lovely roommate Mollie to job-searching in Nashville, so it looks like another move is in the works! I think this makes 7? I have been where I am only since August but with my record that seems to be a long time. I'll be moving to Market Square at the end of July so it doesn't make much sense to look for another roommate...hence back to Strawberry Plains I go for a few months!

AND coming up next weekend is my very first experience as a Girl Scout leader at Camp Tanasi...{insert nervous nailbiting here} I have 7 girls going and we are staying in the nice indoor lodge with 2 other Brownie troops, bringing the total to close to 45 girls. Ages 8-9. Yeesh. Getting a little antsy about this one. Stay tuned...

BUT yesterday I set out to complete my 2nd half marathon and emerged victorious! Even though the adrenaline has all worn off now and I can barely walk, I could not be more pleased with how it went. I took 12 minutes off of my 2009 time and I enjoyed the experience much, much more.

Unrelated to any of the above things is this SNL sketch. I have been revisiting it pretty frequently and cracking myself up. Just claaaaasic!

shout out to my reader. yep, singular.

2011-03-31T08:30:00.002-04:00

cades cove. I'm guessing 94

Wellll if you haven't figured out by now, I have an sister and her name is Bethany. I may be older but she is definitely wiser. And she is taller, as she has pointed out recently. (am I shrinking?)

I have a freakishly good memory. To the point where sometimes I pretend to forget things and events because I feel like I creep people out. I was 3 when Bethany was born and I can honestly say that my very first memories all center around her arrival.

I was so excited when mom and dad (cue Mom's oversized glasses and Dad's short-sleeved button ups) brought her home in August of 1990, that I now have to take full responsibly for Bethany's lack of need in the personal space department. I had to always be thisclose to her and talking right in her face

So clearly as soon as she goes to sleep at home for the 1st time, I have to take a peek at my new baby sister. One thing I don't remember is being short, but as a 3 year old I suppose I was, so I had to stand on my tiptoes and grab hold of the bassinet to see inside. As I strain to look at the sleeping, black-haired baby, my young-Wonderwoman strength is too much for the bed to handle and I turn the bassinet over...spilling 2 day old Bethany into the floor.

Mom says I ran into the kitchen crying "I didn't mean to!," so she ran to inspect the damage and found Bethany on floor-but still asleep in a ball. Crisis averted!

see? no personal space.

Mom and Dad should have learned a few things from this very first incident of ours.
1. I overreact all the time
2. Bethany is incredibly tough

She is currently in the Education program at UT Knoxville and after getting her degree next May, she will go on to teach middle school English. She is going to be amazing at this level because out of the two of us, she got 99.5% of the patience and level-headedness and pretty much of the ability to remain calm under stress.

We may be alike in almost every other way (weird sense of humor, long limbs, big teeth, crazy toes etc. etc.) but I can tell you that instead of flying off the handle like I would the first time an adolescent brat backtalked me, she will be the bigger person and keep her cool. The kid is tough

a little avett brothers singalong on Christmas morning

More recently though, Bpriode just up and bought a banjo and taught herself to play it. I am amazed every day with the things I can learn from her.


summer 2007. pretty typical

jimmy buffett, 2008

badlands national park, 2009

christmas 2009

love you, white lily!

-brown sugar

good things

2011-03-28T14:13:00.006-04:00

Just because I am so overly confident about my musical tastes (elitist? Nahhhh), I feel the need to shed a little light on a Knoxville band that you need to listen to today.

The Dirty Guv'nahs.
As an educated, talented and charismatic group of rock and roll performers, they pretty much shatter any outsiders' views of Tennesseans. (ie: we don't wear shoes, we can't form sentences without using ain't and yens...that sort of thing). The Guvs are a ridiculously great southern rock band, talented way beyond their years, that formed out of random circumstances 5 years ago.

The Guvs are made up of 6 dedicated southern gentlemen who genuinely love what they are doing. And it shows. Check out their website and get to to their next concert to see for yourself!

And while you are downloading their latest album, Youth is in Our Blood, from Itunes-you should watch the videos for Baby We Were Young and We'll Be the Light!

Bottom line: if you hate good music, don't listen to them.

Lastly, If you are a Tennessee sports fan of any kind, I don't know how you could have made it through the past few years without seeing this...but just in case, you should probably check this out.

You're welcome in advance.

frittering away my Friday

2011-03-25T13:45:00.007-04:00

I have been noticing a pattern in all of my favorite actors and TV characters: they are all adorable funnymen.

Tell me you don't just love...

john krasinski, aka jim halpert


josh radnor, aka ted mosby

adam scott, aka ben wyatt


rob lowe, aka chris

jimmy fallon


joel mchale, aka jeff winger

jason bateman, aka michael bluth


ok, seth and scott aren't tv characters, but listen to denouncing november blues and tell me they aren't hilarious pictures all found by googling actors' names

right now

2011-03-23T10:57:00.002-04:00

i am...

::watching this month absolutely fly by. Where is the time going?!

::loving the warmer weather and being able to NOT wear socks. I hate socks

::wanting to go on an overnight hiking trip or a daylong kayaking trip. My feet are starting to get the usual itch to GOOOOOOOO!

::reading Little Bee, a story about a Nigerian refugee in the UK. It's incredibly moving. Also working on finishing Friday Night Lights and don't waste your life

::preparing for my second half marathon on April 3. I'm a bit nervous about this one because I remember how much pain I was in after the last. Hopefully the joints are toughened up! Stay tuned...

::learning how to accomplish the most out of every hour. I mostly get to practice this on Monday nights at Girl Scout meetings, where I find myself zooming through my planned activities and not observing the tender innocence of the girls in my troop. They are only 8 years old, but they keep me real.

::waiting on May 24 to get here! Big things are going down. Times are a changin'

::enjoying some delicious (and expensiveeeee) Fresh Market Georgia Pecan coffee. It was a treat to myself for not being late last week. It's the small victories people.

::surprising myself by getting through my first Girl Scout cookie sale with only one minor meltdown. Progress!

::feeling calmer and more "directed" than I have in a long time. My life plans mean nothing...why should I stress myself out when they don't go as I'd hoped?

::hoping I'm not the weird and old outcast when I begin my new endeavor this August...details later!

::planning a magnificent Knoxville-DC-New York trip that Bethany and I are taking when she finishes finals in May! New York on my 24th birthday?! Maybe!

::listening to the things my dreams have been telling me lately. I have never been one to analyze dreams, but with some of the ones I've had lately-there has to be something there.

::searching for scriptural confirmation for each decision I make

::finding that even though I would rather not, it's okay to ask for help.

just a hint of sarcasm

2011-03-21T10:31:00.000-04:00

What's the saying about being treating others the way you would like to be treated? Oh yeah, that you should TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.

Oh, that one. Someone once thought it was important enough to be called "Golden." Imagine that.

Now I have bad days just like anyone else, but when they come 3 or 4 times a week, that bad mood could just be categorized under "being rude to others" or "thinking everyone else is incompetent and unimportant." In my experience, it seems like you get more accomplished when you are polite to people. BONUS! You are also more likely to receive help.

Call me crazy. It's nice to be important. But it's more important to be nice.

i need a vacation.

2011-03-14T16:42:00.001-04:00

So this is spring break for Knox County and UT students. I'm experiencing some serious envy via Facebook and Twitter for those who are somewhere exotic this week.

Heck, it doesn't even have to be exotic, just somewhere that is not here.

Whine whine whine. I just want to be warm. I'm pretending I'm here...

Breathe in, breathe out, move on. Tomorrow is another day.

hello spring

2011-03-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

I don't know how many people agree with me, but I am more than ready to put this winter in the books. The excess of snow and rain, the crazy drivers, biting cold wind and the whole getting dark at 5pm thing...SO ready for them to be over. I normally like a cooldown after the brutal Tennessee summer humidity, but this one took a lot out of me.

It's Just a gross time of year, all gray and dead looking. This winter convinced me that I have that "Seasonal Affective Disorder"...but at times I am also convinced I have Restless Leg Syndrome. Ah, and I digress.

But finally! The promise of spring is right around the corner, the hours of sunshine are increasing and a new season brings a renewed sense of motivation and purpose.

I have been listening to this song by the Avett Brothers a LOT lately. It's just plain good. The harmonies, the words, the meaning...everything.

the weight of lies.

Disappear from you hometown
Go and find the people that you know
Show them all you good parts
Leave town when bad ones start to show

Go and wed a woman
A pretty girl that you’ve never met
Make sure she knows you love her well
But don’t make any other promises

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town
Cause nothing happens here that doesn’t happen there
So when you run make sure you run
To something and not away from
Cause lies don’t need an aeroplane to chase you anywhere

I once heard the worse thing
A man could do is draw a hungry crowd
Tell everyone his name, pride, and confidence
But leaving out his doubt

I’m not sure I bought those words
When I was young I knew most everything
These words have never met so much to anyone
As they now mean to me

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town
Cause nothing happens here that doesn’t happen there
So when you run make sure you run
To something and not away from
Cause lies don’t need an aeroplane to chase you down

great version of this song here

and here is a cover by Seth Avett I have been obsessed with lately.

i love...

2011-01-26T12:41:00.000-05:00

how looking at a snow-covered yard makes you want to be quiet. listening to this song while driving at night. reading something that so perfectly applies to my life, like 1 Corinthians 7:17. having tv marathons with my sister when I'm home. taking my shoes off at the end of the day and putting on comfy pants. when things finally start falling into place. crossing things off of lists. making something with my hands. reading blogs...lots and lots of blogs. getting rid of stuff. legal pads. vacuuming. eating too many baked goods. the smell of peanut butter as soon as you pull the seal off. following through. feeling heard. feeling like I accomplished something. wondering what the future holds.

I had a one of the most encouraging nights in awhile last night with a new Bible study group and I'm feeling very blessed today. Gotta love the little things

too much information?

2011-01-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

One of my very best friends, Emma, blogs about how she always forgets to blog and I totally agree with her. It's hard to remember to post on here but then sometimes I just don't think I have anything intuitive to say.

Sometimes I wonder if this blog is what I like to call an "overshare"...ie: the kind of thing you read on Twitter or facebook and find yourself saying in your head "Why did this person think I needed to know this?"

Sometimes I wonder if it's purely narcissistic, and that it looks like I think my thoughts are so delightfully witty or strangely insightful that everyone ought to know them.

I'm kind of in a funk over this. It started after I read this article that my beautiful friend Erin posted. As I was reading, I began to feel more and more exposed. I mean, yeah I've cropped myself out of a picture before to use as a default. It really is like our own magic mirror, except we can control the reflection that others see.

(the following contains a slight soapbox)
Here is something I don't quite see the need for on the FB:Relationship statuses. Unless you are married (which is seemingly permanent) what is the big deal with letting people know who you are in a relationship with? Because the worst part is when it's over...and your bidness is splayed all over the News Feed. Isn't this something you would rather deal with privately instead of oversharing all over the Internet? If, for personal reasons, you need Facebook confirmation that you are indeed In a Relationship with someone...maybe you shouldn't be in the first place? Just a thought.

I'm in a very question-y mood today. And I just sat here for 10 minutes before posting this trying to decide if it was worth it. Not a good day for decisions, apparently.

resolutions.

2010-12-28T16:39:00.000-05:00

Pray and reflect more.
Worry less.

Read more.
Write more.

Eat more veggies.
Eat less sugar.

Exercise more.
Train for and run another half marathon.

Learn to knit. Again.
Finish projects.

Take more pictures.
Organize pictures I already have.

Cut myself some slack.
But somehow at the same time, figure my life out. (continued from last year)

christmastime was here!

2010-12-27T11:40:00.003-05:00

Hello hello! Well somehow the Christmas holiday has already passed and the New Year is upon us!

This year was a bit different in the Priode household per request of Bethany and me. We normally have to squeeze a family Christmas morning and breakfast and 2 grandparents' house visits in to one day. I have said before that I wished that just once on Christmas we would not have to rush around and I could lay around all day in my pajamas and read.

SO we did our family Christmas morning and Dad's banana pancakes on Christmas Eve and I stayed in my red and white flannel p-jams until 4pm. We had family over on Christmas Eve, including our new baby cousin Lochlyn!

Her eyes are open! Merry First Christmas!

Bethany has been teaching herself the banjo this year, so I got her an Avett-brothers themed gift. A plaid shirt, navy bandanna, banjo ornament and the Avett's newest live album! I'm pretty pleased with how it went over:)


Three words that became hard to say...

I also had little Gimli at Mom and Dad's who loved all the attention from relatives who wanted to pick him up and snuggle. AND yesterday was his 5th birthday! I never give him people food, but yesterday we gave the little guy some leftover turkey:)

blizzard

2010-12-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

We here in east Tennessee know the drill when it comes to winter weather.

Weather forecast says wintry mix. Everybody freaks out. I think the word "mix" is what sends people over the edge.

This could mean anything! A mix of snow and...what exactly ? Tennis balls? Dry spaghetti noodles? Tires? Empty cans? Who cares! Get to the nearest grocery store and buy as much bread and milk as you can! For what? Milk sandwiches, of course!

Next step: forget how to drive. Pretend you have never seen a steering wheel before and that operating it is like driving a Panser into the line of fire.

Weather forecast says snow. We all laugh at the meteorologist. Kids call the superintendent stupid and mean for not closing school. They do a snow dance and wear their p-jams inside out...or whatever the cool thing to do these days to summon the elusive precipitation to the ground from where it is clinging so tightly to the clouds.

Next step: wake up in the morning and investigate. Creep to the window and peek outside. Cautiously at first and then flinging open the curtains to see...brown grass.

90% of the time it does not snow. I don't know why we think it will be different.

However, in 1993 the forecast did not say snow...and it snowed. Blizzard-ed, to be exact.

It was March and I was only 5. (I have no idea how I remember this. It's kind of weird) It was my parent's 10th anniversary and they were spending the weekend in the mountains and Bethany and I, who was 2, spent the weekend with one of our aunt and uncle.

Long story short, we wake up to more snow than anyone in east TN has seen in a LONG TIME. Like a foot more, to be exact.

There was no power, so we headed over to my uncle's parent's house where there WAS power. Don't remember how we got there, so we'll say we snowshoed over.

I spent the day playing with various grandchildren who were also taking refuge from the Blizzard and Bethany played with a dog that was about 3 times her size all day long. Barely even noticing that our parents were stuck in the mountains and didn't know how they would get back, but it was okay because I was introduced to snow cream.

My parents eventually escaped the mountains and got back to Knoxville to take Bethany and I home. The thing is, we live at the top of a 1/4 mile gravel, uphill, driveway. There is no way to get up but walk. Once we got in the house, it turned out we didn't have any power either. All 4 of us ended up sleeping on the living room floor in front of the fireplace, Little House in the Big Woods style.

I have always wanted to live in a state that gets lots of snow. I am fascinated by New England and their white Christmases, LLBean snow boots and quiet, snow covered landscapes. Maybe one day I will see this much snow again, but until then I will watch the home videos that we made during the Blizzard of 93 and laugh at my and Bethany's uber-country accents.

My favorite line of Bethany's "When we waked up, it was snow time!!"

the year I learned Santa was fake

2010-12-03T15:42:00.004-05:00

{spoiler: Santa is fake}

The year was 1995. We had a giant IBM computer and Windows 95, which basically meant we were SET. Well, until Mom would pick up the phone and disconnect the Internet.

Dad had discovered this website called called SantaClaus.net and it would "track" to see when Santa would pass over our house. AMAZING, right? We would play for hours (only because it took that long to navigate around) typing our names into the Naughty or Nice List and playing Christmas flash games.

After we returned home from Christmas Eve festivities, Bethany and I put on our matching Christmas p-jams, Dad read us 2 versions of Twas the Night Before Christmas (original and Muppet, with voices) and then we scampered off to bed.

Every year prior to this, I would tidy up my room before going to sleep, just in case Santa wanted to come tell me Merry Christmas. I don't know why I thought he would want to do this. Probably saw it on a Hallmark commercial or something.

But this year would be different.

This would be the year I would know if the whole "be good all year if you want presents" and "get to bed so Santa can come" propaganda was for real. You see, this website had sparked a thought in my 9 year old brain. If this new, magic, website could see when Santa would be AT OUR HOUSE, he had to be real...right?

I devised a plan to test the authenticity of Santa Claus.

Mom and Dad were still saying no to my pleas for a dog at this point. Jolly Old Saint Nick, however, had to be merciful and would bring a well-behaved little girl a puppy.

I asked Santa for a dog in a very nicely worded note, which I left next to the customary milk and cookies. I even left a box next to the fireplace with newspaper in the bottom for Santa to leave he/she in.

The next morning, Bethany came in to wake me up and we ran down the hall into the living room to check out the spread. Santa had been there! He brought me clothes for my American Girl doll, probably some Pet Shops or Polly Pockets and other assorted toys that a 9 year old would play with. This might be the year I got the Quilt Sewing Kit or the Hair Scrunchy Maker. I was pretty big into arts and crafts.

There was a note in my newspaper-lined box. Written on yellow notepaper from my dad's desk. In my mom's handwriting.

"Santa doesn't have puppies on his sled."

Santa Myth: BUSTED

25 days of embarassing childhood stories

2010-12-01T11:33:00.000-05:00

I have grown up with the most amazing and fun sister ever. We have annoying inside jokes, the same long and uncoordinated arms and legs and a pretty weird sense of combined humor. We were so lucky to have a family full of cousins; out of 8 grandkids, there were 7 girls and we were all fairly close in age. This made any family function or holiday heaps of fun!

Bethany and I have been reminiscing a lot lately over the weird things we would do as kids when we all got together. I cannot believe the imagination I used to have.

When we were kids, Mom read us Little House in the Big Woods, one chapter at a time before bed. My favorite chapter was about the Christmases they spent in their tiny cabin in Wisconsin, all covered in snow. The girls got mittens and peppermint sticks in their stockings and Laura got a special rag doll one year.

Bethany and I "played" our own version of this story once, and it can best be described as "Poor Christmas."

During the holidays we have always put electric candles in all of the windows at the front of the house. We would turn out the lights in Bethany's room and plug in the candle and pretend that was the only light we had.

We kept a little bit of fake money in a pitcher and sometimes we would "go to the general store to buy food" (aka the Fisher Price kitchen in the playroom) and come back with a fake loaf of bread and an apple wrapped in a dish towel. Maybe some cheese, if it was a good day. This was our only food.

Then it would be Christmas Eve and we would wonder if Santa would bring us anything since we were poor. We put on nightgowns and of course we hung up socks and pretended they were stockings, and I remember getting an empty perfume bottle in my stocking from Santa.

I think this game also came from an early exposure to American Girl books and to the movie Little Women, which continues to be a holiday tradition and one of the most-quoted movies amongst the older cousins.

"Butter! Oh isn't butter divinity? Oh God thank you for this breakfast!"

we'll take a cup of kindness yet

2010-11-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

I'm so so so so ready to end this year and begin 2011 with renewed perspective. I can honestly say this has been the most downright confusing, discouraging and overall frustrating year to date. I would like to leave these things buried in the past...

negativity, cynicism, bitterness, anxiety, uncertainty, doubt, pessimism and worry
my guilt over marking All As Read on Google Reader/not finishing to-do lists
passive-aggressiveness and not asserting myself
rushing while driving
death of The Conversation, due to texting, facebooking and twitter-ing.
forgetting that exercise+endorphins=happy Melissa
too much indoors. Also vitamin D=happy Melissa
not making time to read, journal, slow down, I don't know, breathe?
not cutting myself some slack.
overuse of the word "awkward"
wearing my heart on my sleeve
frustration over things/events/people/situations I can't control
being late, which often sets the tone for the entire day.
being bothered by little things that have no matter. Even though unnecessary abbreviations in texts and emails drive me UP THE WALL

I think that's all for now. Until then, I am surrounding myself with the blessings of family and Christmas and the happiest time of the year!

Band Kid: reprise

2010-11-10T12:26:00.000-05:00

To any UT alumni out there, this Saturday is Homecoming! It's my first as an actual alumna and I am excited to be spending the day in rather spectacular fashion.

Two things about Homecoming:
a) former members of UT's band are invited to come back and be in the VolWalk and halftime shows as the Alumni Band
b)both of my parents were in UT's band while students. My Dad played tenor saxophone (not the girly Kenny G one) and my Mom was in the color guard.

The Pride of the Southland's Homecoming 2010 theme is Generations of the Pride. And since it just so happens that my Bethany and I are a Band Kid's Kids...we are MARCHING in the VolWalk and halftime shows with Dad!

(We technically did this several times when we were kids, because Mom and Dad had nowhere else to put us while they marched to the stadium from the bandroom. Back then, we were both still pretty short and could hide behind the tall people holding sousaphones)

I'm planning pretending I'm in Drumline the entire time and creating a scene, so if you see me please wave. I'll be wearing orange overalls if it's not too cold. And if you see me fall, please don't laugh.

free hour!

2010-11-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

In honor of having an extra hour yesterday, Mollie and I set out to hike the Catalooche Divide in Waynesville, NC. After some tricky directions and a turnaround (only to find out we had been about 50 feet from our destination) we tackled the SNOW covered trail. One thing I love SO MUCH is having a cold face and yesterday was perfect for that! (Weird? NO. It makes me think or early morning running, skiing and camping!) There was probably 2-3 inches of snow covering the trees, fences and most of the trail. It was absolutely gorgeous and put me in the best mood! After about an hour and a half, we found a clearing with no snow where we sat and ate lunch and miiiiggght have taken a little nap. The sun was so warm on our faces it was impossible not to doze off! I had never hiked this trail before but I definitely recommend it!

Here are some pictures of our day...

If Knoxville gets none, I have already seen my snow:)


Our lunch and nap spot!

Catalooche Valley

Silence

Mollie!


Thanks, self-timer!

If I had that extra hour every day I would...

*Sit down to have coffee, instead of trying to drink it while blow drying my hair

*Read a few chapters from one of the 6 books I have stacked next to my bed.

*Hang out with my little seester!

*Make a birthday card instead of buying one.

*Watch some Mad Men!

*Go for a walk or run! I have no excuse since it's an extra hour! HA

*Go to Barnes and Noble and get lost in the Biography section

*Wander through the downtown library and find some good (free!) books

*Listen to the 98 podcasts I currently have in my Itunes. Yeesh

*Finally look back through the pages I have dogeared in my Real Simple and Martha Stewart magazines

*Make something sweet. Maybe this spiced applesauce cake?!

*Skype with Emma! My Canadian best friend!

*Upload and order prints of my Australia pictures...finally

Clearly the free hour deal comes but only once a year, soooo I guess this list will wait for the next free Saturday I have :)

trunk or treat

2010-11-01T12:43:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I attended my very first Trunk or Treat! For those who don’t know (I didn’t) the concept, it’s to decorate the trunk/tailgate of your car in a parking lot somewhere and kids go from car to car Trick or Treating!

A former co-worker of my dad’s used to tell him he looked like Woody from Toy Story. He got Dad a Woody doll one year for Christmas and we kept the joke rolling by making Dad get his picture made with Woody when we went to Disney World in 2007 (which I would post but I have it on a different computer)

All that to say it only made sense that we were Toy Story at Trunk or Treat. Bethany made our Andy’s-bedroom backdrop and my sheep and it looked great! Trunk or Treat=success!

You’ve got a friend in me!

boom bothered

2010-10-20T12:19:00.000-04:00

This is a pretty old website-viral-video craze, but Robert is Bothered helps describe the mood I am in today: BOTHERED.

Mostly just by by this 2-day long headache I have going on, combined with sneezing fits and itchy eyes. Womp womp.

And by this. It's sad. It always reminded me of something from the Great Gatsby.

I have found that lately this Sugarland song makes me smile instantly and want to do my finger-point dance. And cut my hair short.

happy things

2010-10-18T13:21:00.001-04:00

1. I understand that some people have an aversion to all things Christmas before Thanksgiving (Halloween?). I am not one of them. The month of December FLIES by and so does the day itself, so why limit it to one month? I was not feeling particulary chipper the other day after work, so I dropped by my neighborhood Hobby Lobby, did a lap through the Christmas section and BOOM ROASTED! Instant good mood. I might have bought some plaid ribbon, too.

The Priode family is also pretty well-stocked on Christmas cds, ranging from the Partidge family, Vince Guaraldi, the classic Mannheim Steamroller and my personal favorites: Appalachian Instrumentals and Christmas with the Rat Pack. I think we probably have around 30 cds which is way too much for just December.

Christmas is in 68 days. I can't wait to start making decorations and hopefully make some of these.

2. The Sufjan Stevens and Mumford and Sons concerts are right around the corner! They are within a 3-day span of each other, which is safe to say will be the hippest and whitest 3 days of my life. If you have not heard of either of these, LEARN NOW...and listen to Little Lion Man. ASAP. Really loud.

3. Tonight I am attempting to make the most delicous looking pumpkin swirl brownies I think I have ever seen. Pretty happy that the weather is cooling down. Why? Because that means I can wear layers to conceal the fact that I will probably eat the entire batch tonight.

4. Still loving Crazylove. Please read it.

5. November 19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1!!

sounds of silence

2010-10-15T00:19:00.000-04:00

Woooo! 2 posts in one week. Maybe I'm getting back into this blogging business.

Here are some random thoughts that are tumbling around in my brain lately...

I am reading this awesome book called Crazylove, that was recommended to me by my Dad and my sister, Bethany. Simply put: it is awesome. I am only about 4 chapters in and I have already been shaken by a lot of what the author, Francis Chan, has to say. What I have read so far is about the lukewarm American churchgoer that fits God into their life as it is convenient for them. An minute here, a prayer there, continuing on with our much-more-important lives in disregard for the Creator who gave us everything. Chan makes a great point when he says that God is not humble. He KNOWS he deserves our attention and that he should be the center of our lives.

I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like I fit that description to a T. I have my routine:

get up, rush to work, work all day, rush to Girl Scouts/church/dinner with friends/home to watch shows and hang out with my dog and roommate, look at piles of laundry to put away/books to read/crafts to make in my room, realize I have stayed up too late, crash into my bed, defeated...and repeat.

My quiet time and reading time are squished in between all of the above, as time permits. During the day, I have very little time where I am quiet and even less when I am still. I fill my driving time to and from work with podcasts and music. I can't even sleep in the quiet, I have to run a fan or some other form of white noise.

As a people, we fill silence with talking on cell phones, listening to Ipods, watching TV and the like and we fill our stillness with the need to text and email and be available to talk to ANYONE at ANYTIME. Our attention cannot be kept, we have to be constantly entertained and we generally "don't have the time" for anything. I am GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY of this.

I want to feel like I have made time for something worthwhile during the day and I'm not just "getting through." My worrying and need to plan have both led me to doubt God's plan for my life. Why is it so hard for me to give up control even in these times when I need answers so badly.

This is an old hymn that I'm sure everyone has heard, or heard of. Listen again, and let yourself feel small.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.

hello october

2010-10-11T11:18:00.000-04:00

Well to state the obvious, it's already October! I love the fall! I especially am enjoying this one because last year I didn't get a fall, but 2 winters instead. I have been parking further away from work and getting a nice little walk in while it's still chilly outside.

It's so trite so say, but I feel like this year has positively zipped by. Before I know it October 30th will be here and and won't have done any of the fun fall crafts I want to complete, or gone to a corn maze or carved a pumpkin. Not sure where my time seems to be going lately.

I'm very pleased with how Girl Scouts is going so far! I have 4 little Brownies who are so much fun. We have already completed one Try-It and have 3 more in progress! I love that I have something I can pour into and plan for and see results from.

I have been feeling pretty antsy about a lot of things lately, the main one being the constant wonder of what I am supposed to be doing with my life. It's hard not to feel like I'm wasting my time when I have a proverbial list of things I WANT to be doing, but am in a completely different situation instead. Sometimes I feel like I just missed my calling and that's why I'm stuck in this place of indecision, uncertainty and unrest.

Big questions with no answers. That's been the summary of these past couple months.

trip to the great white north!

2010-08-27T14:43:00.000-04:00

If you read my blog at all while I was in Australia, you will remember the names Emma and Ayla. If not, here is an abbreviated version of who these lovely ladies are:

AYLA is from Toronto and we met my very first night in Canberra! We spent many nights watching Weeds and Entourage, many trips to Lighty and Belco mall AND got to take an incredible 3-week backpacking trip up the East Coast.

One of our trips to Sydney! What a beautiful city.

Learning how to surf at Seven Mile Beach! Hang ten!


Ayla and I going to Res Ball at our Uni in Canberra!

EMMA is from Niagara Falls on the Canadian side! We met at the exchange student orientation and over the course of 4 months, discovered that we are the exact same person. Except she is blond and I am not:) We had so many pancake-for-dinner nights, Office and AD quote wars and not to mention our awesome Halloween party!


One of our many eventful trips to Civic!


our pumpkins on Halloween! We were dressed as Bogans. Definition here.


At the French school's fete!

Why the reminiscing? Because I am GOING TO CANADA to see these 2 awesome girls on SUNDAY! I am spending 3 days in Niagara with Emma and her family, and then she and I are driving to Toronto to visit with Ayla and her friends and family!

Also in the works is a reunion with 2 other UC alumnae, Bridget and Amanda from New York! We are hoping to meet up with them at the end of the week around the Falls!


Bridget, Amanda, me and Ayla on the gondola ride into Taronga Zoo in Sydney!

Even though we have emailed, Facebook chatted, text messaged, called and Skyped...it seems like it has been way longer than 9 months that I have been away from these girls! I am so beyond excited to see them!

Gimli! My new dog!

2010-08-20T11:37:00.002-04:00

As of yesterday…I have a dog!

How it happened…

There is a wonderful couple who go to church with me that started house/dog sitting for this year. They have an adorable little girl who will be 1 soon and 2 little dogs; a Yorkie named Lucy and a Maltese named Gimli.

Amy called me on Wednesday to tell me that Gimli does not seem happy around their little girl. He has been hiding a lot and acting like he is sad because he does not get all the attention! She asked if I knew anyone who would give him a happy and loving home and I said YES! Of course I knew someone because I wanted to take him!

After staying at their house almost the entire month of June, I absolutely fell in love with this precious little doggie! He is 4 years old and is a tiny ball of white fur! He is soooo well behaved and is the best of both worlds: he will sit in your lap and cuddle but he also likes to sleep in his own bed and do his own thing.

I picked him up last night and Mollie and had so much fun with him letting him get used to his new home! I am so excited to take care of him and love him!

Gimli!

frequent mover miles?

2010-08-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

1. August 2005. Move from Mom and Dad’s to floor k6 of Hess Hall. Have awful first roommate but in November, move down the hall and have awesome roommate! Stay until May 2006.

2. August 2006. Move to Crossing Place apartments with Stephanie, Emily and Jessie.

3. August 2007. Move from Crossing Place back to Mom and Dad’s.

4. August 2008. Move from Mom and Dad’s to Quarry Trail apartments with Stephanie, Mollie and Kathryn.

5. July 2009. Pack my stuff up at Quarry Trail apartments and go back (again) to Mom and Dad’s while I am in Australia.

6. August 2010. Move from Mom and Dad’s (last time?) to North Knoxville condo with Mollie.

Yikessss. Lots of packing tape, newspaper, trips up stairs and trips to Goodwill. For someone whose parents have lived in the same house my entire existence, I am definitely making up for the lack of moving now.

This current move (as in last week and yesterday, today, and probably next week, too) has been quite an…experience.

My dad’s sister and my awesome aunt Celeste, has owned a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo right off of Emory Road for 10ish years. For the past 2 , no one has lived there so it needed a fair amount of work to get it ready for my friend Mollie and I. My crafty and talented Grandma has repainted, refinished, scrubbed and cleaned that place top to bottom for us to live in! Last Sunday, our brand new downstairs floors were finally finished! Last Monday, I took a Craigslist-purchased desk over to the new place to check out the floors and unload some stuff. The very next day, our neighbor’s water heater burst…and ruined our brand-new, 2 days old floors. Oh dear.

We have been dealing with insurance and such the past few days and hopefully by the beginning of next week, there will be a check in hand to order new wood and re-do our floors in the living room and Mollie’s room. Miraculously nothing was ruined, only dampened a little bit, but all of our furniture AND all of Mollie’s stuff that was on the floors is ok. Whew!

It has been so exciting to see this place come together and I know that when it’s all finished it is going to look so pretty! I am excited to hang stuff up and do craft projects with Mollie to decorate our new home!

my Julia update!

2010-06-21T15:19:00.012-04:00

Hello friends!

I have been slightly delinquent at my baking because I am currently house sitting and displaced from the mixer! Since I last posted, I made a yummmmmmyyyy chocolate cheesecake for my aunt Michelle's birthday. For my first actual cheesecake (ie: not the Jell-O kind in a box) it turned out wonderfully! I was pretty proud. It was almost as good as Grandma's chocolate cake with cream cheese icing that we also had for Michelle's birthday :)

Since my mom sold Pampered Chef for several years in the past, we have all sorts of pans and kitchen gadgets that have come in handy on this project. I used the PC Food Chopper to chop the semisweet chocolate sqaures and white chocolate chips (thanks for the tip, Bethany!), the Double Boiler to melt all the chocolate and the Springform Pan for the actual cake!

I had several helpers this night, because we had some cousins over for the Glee finale. Thanks Lauren, Abby and Daniel for being good stirrers and tasters!

Chopping chocolate in my lovely apron! Made my Taylor Wilburn, available at Bliss:)

Bethany crumbling the graham crackers for the yummy homemade chocolate crust!

AND last night I had a whimsy to cook something yummy AND 4 bananas that were extremely ripe BUT no eggs. So I looked up a recipe for vegan banana bread, because there would be no eggs needed, and it turned out SO good! There was no vanilla or allspice to be found in the kitchen of the house I am staying at, so I substituted maple syrup and nutmeg. I also tossed in a sprinkle of ginger for some spice. Delicious! I had a piece for breakfast this morning:)

my sweet teeth

2010-06-06T18:26:00.001-04:00

If you know me, and you know me well, you know that I have a mouthful of sweet tooth-s. Cake, pie, cookies, brownies, ice cream, pudding, tart, cobbler, breads, bars...you name it, and I probably love it. Know those people who have aversions to coconut, nuts or certain types of fruit or chocolate? Not me. I love them all.

I recently bought a cookbook that we carry at work called The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook. When I first opened it, I turned to a recipe for Peaches n Cream cupcakes and decided that would be the first one I would make. Now that I have gotten started, the goal is to make ALL the desserts in the cookbook, Julie and Julia style, before the end of the year!

On Friday night I made a batch of Peaches n Cream cupcakes that turned out splendidly! They had slices of peach in the bottom and a bread-like cake over top of them. I made a yummy vanilla frosting for them, which gave me a little trouble because apparently I need a "paddle attachment" on my mixer?

I also made Banana Chocolate cupcakes, because I had a banana that was about to go off and was pretty much already mashed. They were also oh so yummy and had lots of cinnamon and ginger in them. I ran out of confectioner's sugar while making the chocolate frosting BUT I improvised by using more chocolate baking powder:)

My testers included Mom, Dad, Bethany, Granny and Pop Pop, and various people at church who ate them at lunch today.

I am a HUGE fan of Key Lime Pie, but had always made it with using a pre-bottled lime juice. Today, I zested and juiced the guts out of 5 limes for my 3rd recipe! The only setback I experienced was that the pie is a little more on the yellow side instead of the lime green side. Oh well, I know for next time!

Coming up this week...Chocolate cheesecake! And coming soon at the request of Bethany...Chocolate Raspberry bars!

the frosted Peach and Banana cupcakes!

my gutted limes! Haha

Oh. Hello. Didn't see you there.

2010-05-15T16:34:00.002-04:00

Well Internets, I have done a pretty awesome job at updating here. I'm sure my 5 readers are all disappointed...

My life since Australia is sadly not as exciting, which was to be expected I suppose. So in order to aptly cover the past 5 months of my life, here is a chronological list of events from November to the present:

1. Came home from Australia.
2. Graduated. Christmas. Now it's 2010.
3. Thought about grad school.
4. Bought a GRE practice book.
5. Waffled on grad school.
6. Did not take the GRE. Still have the book, though.
7. Thought about the Coast Guard.
8. Changed my mind about the Coast Guard.
9. Doubted my reasons for getting a college degree.
10. Interviewed for HR job.
11. Did not get HR job.
12. Interviewed for administrative job.
13. Did not get administrative job.
14. Sustained major blow to self esteem, confidence, motivation and overall morale.
15. Watched 5 seasons of LOST in 2 months. (low point)
16. Finally unpacked everything from Australia. Rats.
17. Started planning my cat lady career path.
18. Interviewed for job at Bliss in Market Square (we are now in February, kids)
19. GOT part time job at Bliss in Market Square as sales associate
20. Part time job at Bliss turns into full time job at Bliss.
21. Started utilizing my degree by getting put to work on the Bliss website
22. Apply and get approved to be a Girl Scout leader in the fall for 3rd grade Brownies at Chilhowee Intermediate! Can't wait!
23. I turn 23.
23. I start the Instant Bliss blog.
24. Here we are!

I think that about covers it! Not much else happening in my world except trying to decide if I am going to cut my hair and getting pumped for family vacation in June, groundbreaking eh?

THE most exciting thing that is happening soon-ish is that I am going to CANADA to visit exchange girls! I miss EMMA JEAN so much! She and I basically became the same person and I have had an Emma void since November of 2009. I cannot WAIT to go see her and her hometown of Niagara in August!

Woo! That's all for now!

lucky 70!

2009-12-21T23:42:00.003-05:00

This is my 70th post! I don't know if 70 is perceived to be lucky like 7 but I hope so, because this is probably the most serious thing I have ever written about.

20 years ago, my uncle Danny needed a kidney transplant. He was able to get a matching kidney from his mom, and for two decades it worked great! It is great that it worked for as long as it did, but while I was in Australia he started going into kidney failure again. People on both sides of our family started getting tested to see if they could be potential donors for Danny.

It is harder to find a match this go around because of the 2 different kidneys, his and his mom's. My mom told me I would probably not be a match, but I wanted to make sure. I knew going into this that I have a history with needles and such, so it was no surprise to me when I passed out and woke up in the ER of UTMC with an IV. Great, just great. I was informed a week later by the nurse that I was not a match either which is a huge bummer.

There have been 2 new options for Danny. One was a nationwide donor "pool" which was basically a group of 9 people who all needed donors, and the donors were all close-ish matches. It fell through recently when one of the donors backed out. Also, bummer.

Currently, we are hoping that an experimental therapy in Maryland works out. What I understand (and how my mom explained it) is that they give him a drug that "tricks' his immune system into accepting the close matches, which there are 2 of here in Knoxville. It is all very preliminary right now and we are all hoping to hear more news soon.

Danny is an engineer and is married to my mom's youngest sister Devah, who teaches kindergarten. They have 2 awesome and hilarious kids. Chloe is in 7th grade and is a smiley, peppy little cheerleader! Molly is in 5th grade and reminds me so much of myself when I was younger. She calls me Big M and she, naturally, is Little M.

I can't even imagine to be going through what they are currently, and especially during the holidays. Anyone who reads this please keep my uncle Danny and his family in your thoughts and prayers that he finds a match soon and is healthy in 2010!

hey world

2009-12-07T00:33:00.004-05:00

I have been home almost a month now and I thought I would do a little wrap-up of sorts of my Australia trip.

I'm still not quite sure which adjectives to use to accurately describe it all. I LOVED being a temporary Australian! I love the people I met along the way and I can't wait to meet back up with them over the coming years. I definitely learned some lessons along the way.

Starting with it reinforced the fact that I have too much stuff. I took one suitcase and a backpack with me (granted it was pretty heavy...and I came back with 2 additional bags) and I could have left half of THAT stuff at home. I took clothes that I wore a lot, but never touched some things. In addition to clothes, I took 4 pairs of shoes, some assorted books and my laptop and such. Now that I am home and have a whole closet and more than 4 pairs of shoes to pick from it is a bit overwhelming. I have enough tshirts for probably 8-10 people. Oh my. Also, I had one towel and a shammy in Australia and I was fine. I have waaaaayyyy too many towels for one person.

I also learned that I honestly really love America. Not in an obnoxious flag-tshirt-wearing-bumper-sticker-on-my-SUV-sporting-we-are-better-than-any-other-country-in-the-world way, but in a genuinely interested and thankful way. I met people on exchange (and I won't say from which state) who knew absolutely nothing about the US. I am happy that my parents instilled a certain sense of history in my sister and I and it made me pretty happy to be able to explain things about America that people from other countries may not have known...like why we celebrate Thanksgiving and what's the deal with our flag. And what are chili fries...but that is another story :)

After being so far away, no distance will ever compare and I feel like I can handle literally anything that is thrown at me now. I don't feel as stressed as I used to and I find myself using Nah Worries on a daily basis.

Traveling the coast was BY FAR the best experience of the trip. It was so much fun to have a taste of backpacking, and I am ready to take off again! This time to Peru, wooooo! It was great fun to meet other travelers and hear their stories. So inspiring.

Since I have been back it has been way more difficult to get back in the groove than I had anticipated. I don't know what I was expecting or hoping for but it has definitley been different. Seeing my family and my friends has been awesome! But I'm not in class, like a lot of my friends, or needed at meetings/shows/group projects and finding a purpose once again has been pretty draining. I'm back with mom and dad for now, and I knew I wanted to stay at home through the holidays. I've been hoping to have a plan in motion by the beginning of the year.

And now Christmas is upon us! Even though I lost the fight for a real Christmas tree to my mom, the house sure looks lovely and festive! There was even some unheard-of snow yesterday! I'm enjoying this season and am holding on to Marley's words that every little thing's gonna be alright:) No worries, mate!

PS: I am very much enjoying being free from Voldemort, aka the very loud and inconsiderate neighbor I had for 4 months:) Bethany is much better; nice and quiet.

it's thankgsiving time

2009-11-26T21:58:00.002-05:00

Well the most gluttonous day of the American year has come and is almost over. We had my dad's side of the family over for lunch and spent the day talking, playing games, watching the Muppets and laughing.

I have always been a fan of this fall holiday, mostly because as a kid my cousins and I spent the day in the playroom or outside and-our favorite-spying on the adults.(We went through a big spying phase after we saw Harriet the Spy...) It brings back some great memories and today was no let down.

I say over and over how weird my family is, but I am so, so thankful for all of them. My two year old cousin Evelyn is growing up so fast and was running around everywhere and was talking everyone's ears off today. My aunts are so much fun and all make me laugh so much. And anytime I need a self-esteem boost I should go see my Grandma, because she says the sweetest things and can give anyone the warm fuzzies.

In the spirit of the holiday, here is a list of several other things I am very thankful for, some serious and some novel...

*my Mom and Dad, who always took my sister and I on vacations around the US, to Sunday school and VBS, came to our assorted recitals/competitions/games/concerts over the years and helped us both through college. They also didn't get cable or satellite at the house for 21 years, which I think had everything to do with how much we read.

*my sister, who I am convinced I share a brain with. I love when we say the same thing at the exact same time or when I ask for the "thing" and she comes with precisely what I was talking about. There are inside jokes we laugh about from so long ago I don't remember where they started. My very first memories are from when Bethany was a baby. She is so much smarter than me in some ways.

*my friends who keep me sane. I made some of the best friends while I was at UT, through living in the dorms, Young Life, TVC and going on break trips. I am so happy to be able to look back and remember all of the fun/weird things I have done with them over these 4 years.

*the little things like pictures from Australia to remind me it WAS real, being in America, Jodie Picoult books, my recycling pajama pants, Wifi, "dad" humor, our front porch and seeing the mountains, good coffee/tea and music with a message.

My sister's list goes like this:
Cereal, pajamas, family, warm house, that I didn't keep the freshman 15, roadtrips, online shopping, Christmas, traditions and musicals.

My parent's list goes like this:
That Melissa is home from Australia (ha ha ha), my dad'd new job and church family, Melissa and Bethany (of course), house is paid off/no debt and family!

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

the end is here

2009-11-07T03:32:00.002-05:00

Well my grand Australian adventure ends in the morning. Well, its so early in the morning it could still be classified as nighttime.

I am taking a bus from Canberra at 4am to Sydney, where my plane leaves for the US at 11:20. Apparently we might not de-plane in LA because it's only a crew change and re-fuel stop, in which case I will not be a happy camper. From there I will arrive in Atlanta around 3, take off again at 5 and hopefully be home by 6. Whewwww! I'm taking lots of my Drammamine and hope to be asleep (and not airsick) most of the time.

This has been one of the most beneficial things I have ever done in my life. I'm sure over the coming weeks that stories will be spilling out like crazy. I have no idea where to start when people ask me "How was Australia?" other than descriptive adjectives that seem so overused by now. I can't sum up my experience in just a few sentences. I'm sure that I will get my mind wrapped around it sooner or later and will come up with something very eloquent!

I'm excited to see everyone I miss from the States! Although, I wish they could just all join me here instead, haha! Last post from the far side of the world! More from the States!

letter from home

2009-10-31T18:08:00.003-04:00

hello friends!

It is hard to believe that I will be coming home a week from today. That literally does not even seem possible. I can't even think about it because it doesn't seem real yet.

Anyway, I have been sorting through stuff, throwing away things I know I won't take home with me, and trying to figure out how to not pay for a heavy suitcase this go around. I've been peeling through the layers on my bulletin board because thanks to wonderful friends and family I got SO MUCH MAIL since I have been here! It has been so awesome and I LOVE it. My sister wrote me the most amazing letter before I left and told me to read it on the plane.

I wouldn't normally share something like this with the Internets, but it really sums everything up. I read it again yesterday and wanted to laugh/cry all over again. If you know me and how much I am obsessed with Jimmy Buffett it will make sense...

There are jobs and chores and questions, and plates I need to twirl

But tonight I take my chances on the far side of the world

So it’s your last night on US turf for awhile and you are busy packing away. I however, wanted to give you a little advice that will hopefully make this transition a little easier. So yesterday you said you were worried about not having anybody in Australia, but that’s where you’re wrong. Little did you realize you have one of your best friends on your Ipod. That’s right, I’m taking about our pal Jimmy Buffett. I know we joke around about how much we love him, but the more I thought about it the more it’s true. Jimmy is the one thing that can always bring our family together no matter what-although it will always be too loud for Mom. So I thought I would point out a few tips I have picked up over the years.

1. Always label your salt shakers with contact information

2. Wear flowers in your hair at any occasion

3. Have friends in Zanzibar

4. Pencil thin mustaches are cool

5. And going barefoot in the rain is suggested

So while you are over there living it up on the far side of the world take advantage of the changes in attitude that come with the changes in latitudes, But watch out because the natives are restless! I hope to hear on the coconut telegraph what it’s like to see the Southern Cross because the closest I’m gong to get to anywhere cool is by doing some Havana daydreamin. But when you get lonely and wishing for Monday to come jut kick it in second wind and remember with a little love and luck you will get by.

PS: Don’t make any Jamaica Mistaicas because It’s your job to be better than the rest!

Well said, Bethany, well said.

life lately

2009-10-27T08:34:00.004-04:00

Ah hi friends!

Here are a few life highlights since I last blogged...

1. Last week at work an older gentleman asked me if I was from Kentucky. Ha, I should have said "No sir, I am much classier because I come from the great state of Tennessee," but instead I just laughed and said no. I keep running into random people who have been to Tennessee, which is so weird! My Spinning instructor was just in Tennessee and North Carolina last week for a wedding and I met a girl from Virginia who LOVES the Vols! I have also taken it upon myself to teach my fellow exchange students It's Great to be a Tennessee Vol, and some lucky select few have gotten the chance to hear Rocky Top. I heard the line "wild as a mink but sweet as soda pop" in a whole new light.

2. People in Australia always relate life in America to the Simpsons. I have literally never watched an episode but have learned an immense amount about the show after being here nearly 4 months. That and the fact that the TV in our lounge barely works, and when it does...the Simpsons always seems to be on. I have had so many conversations where the other person will say "Oh! It's just like in the Simpsons!"

I ALSO learned that Knoxville is in an episode; Homer takes the fam to K-ville for the World's Fair, only to find that it has been over for a long time and the Sunsphere now sells wigs. Which also helped clear up my confusion over a Knoxville blog I read called "The Sunsphere is Not a Wigshop"; I never understood that allusion.

3. I am tired of feeling ripped off every time I leave the grocery store. Everything is WAY more expensive than back home. For instance: there is one grocery store in Civic that has Dr. Pepper, which is a fave of mine. I asked a guy who worked there how much a case would be and nearly fell over when he told me $48. Really? I have been making 99cent oatmeal and 59cent noodles go way further than they should and will be glad to have a clean kitchen to cook actual food in soon enough.

4. I am extra excited for the holiday season already. Aussies barely acknowledge Halloween and don't have a "Thanksgiving" so Christmas stuff has been in stores since the beginning of October. I'm not gonna lie, I got kind of excited to see a tree up at the mall the other day and have been listening to Transsiberian Orchestra and the Charlie Brown Christmas albums for a few weeks now. I am really looking forward to the holidays and the togetherness this year. AND I am hoping there is still some of my very favorite fall weather hanging around in a few weeks!

5. I finally figured out what I am doing here. It's about time, right?! What I have finally concluded is THIS...

I was really tired of UT. I was tired of crappy parking, early classes, boring assignments, Gen Ed requirements-ie Spanish, petitions, etc. etc. Having the opportunity to finish my degree away from all of the things that were irritating me has allowed me to finish on MUCH better terms. I am glad to be almost finished, don't get me wrong, but I am glad to be at peace with the Big Orange. I officially have no regrets when I graduate and am so happy I slipped this semester abroad in at the end. I have been informed that my graduation robe is hanging in my closet at home and that completely blew my mind!

Some of the girls here are so jealous I have gone to a big school where sports are big and there is lots of school spirit, and being away from all of that and going to a school with neither of those things has made me appreciate it so much more. I love all the tradition associated with it and how my entire family has gone there. I really have learned so much over my 4 years at UT, not just in the classrooms, and am so happy that I am a Tennesee Vol. That is so cheesy.

I also was really tired of being in the same place. I have spent 22 years in Knoxville and needed a change of scenery. I am not one of those people who plans on living my entire life and growing old in my hometown, but I have a renewed appreciation for the place I call home. Granted, taking off to a place 7,000 miles away didn't exactly ease me out of my comfort zone, and has been the biggest challenge I have ever experienced.

I was not expecting to feel homesick in the slightest, and was shocked when I found myself missing the familiarity of people and places at home. There were sometimes where I wondered what the heck I was doing here, but the awesome days have far outnumbered the sad ones. It was really hard to feel homesick because none of my friends want to go home...ever. I felt stupid for missing home because I felt like I shouldn't. I'm in Australia; why would I want to be back at home?! Holding all that in was a bad idea and ended up coming out in an explosion of sorts where I was mopey and sad for about a solid week earlier this month.

Being broken down in that way has made me feel like superwoman now because I feel like there is literally nothing I cannot do now. I have been living on my own in a foreign country and have made great friends when I came here knowing no one. I can't imagine not knowing Emma, Ayla, Amanda and Bridget now. I went on an amazing trip up and down the coast and spent a week traveling by myself. I have fallen in love with this massive and unique country-minus the amount of rain I have experienced. I have had a crazy and awesome adventure and I will never forget the lessons I have learned.

I came here a person who liked to plan and color code and organize. You should see my massive planner, its a tad ridiculous. I let insignificant things bother me and I let silly things stress me out and make me worry. I have been making conscious efforts to eradicate these habits and want to come back in a No Worries state of mind.

My nomad feet and wanderin' toes will be happy to be on American ground soon and will be even happier to start hopefully generating some income.

That's all for now mates. Off to bed, G'night!

small victories!

2009-10-15T02:42:00.003-04:00

Hello again friends!

It is SCARY how fast my time here has seemed to fly by. The semester is winding down, there are lots of fun end of the year social events happening and next week the international kids are having our first of a few farewell (?!) get togethers. I only have ONE assignment left in all of my undergraduate years! Wooooo! It's an essay that my teacher told me to turn in "whenever." I love being an exchange student.

I had the greatest night this week when I went to my friend Emma's boyfriend's house for dinner. His name is Jeremy and the two of them met while he was on exchange at her school in Canada. Anywho, his mom is born and raised French, and his dad is Australian...so it was a very interesting night culture-wise. We had a great dinner, talked about Tennessee and then played Cranium as a "family" for a few hours. Jeremy's sister Chloe and I were on the same team and were practically reading each other's minds, it was great! I made the comment that I never thought I would miss home and Jeremy's dad made a statement that has stuck with me, and seems to sum it all up: This is why we travel.

SO TRUE! I came here in the first place because I was sick of being in the same place for my whole life and wanted to see and live something fun and new. I appreciate home more than ever and have a massive respect for people who give up everything and leave their homes to travel the world. It is one thing to go visit a foreign place, but it is a completely different-and educational-thing to go live in a foreign place.

I met so many people who were my age while I was traveling over break last month who had been on the road for months and months. Their stories of how they came to be in Australia and where they had been were absolutley mind-blowing and so inspirational. There were more than a few moments when I wished I could sell all my belongings, throw my degree to the wind and live the life of a nomad. There are so many places I still want to see here and even more outside of Australia. I think I have the travel bug now.

Literally the ONLY thing I have to complain about is this bizarro weather! Lilli, our adviser, told us that is has been 2o years since she has had to turn on the heat in October and that its normally 20-25 degrees by now. That's 70's, for all us Farenheit snobs. There has also been a mass amount of rain, which is good for the drought, but terrible for us people who have no cars and are trying not to spend money. I have been watching quite a bit of TV, via laptop, and doing a lot of reading lately.

This is a big weekend! It's Res Ball tomorrow, which apparently is like prom for some of these Canberrans. It should be pretty fun!

Embassy excursion!

2009-10-10T06:28:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had the very unique opportunity to go to 3 Embassies here in Canberra with my International Political Communication class. We first went to Indonesia, then China then the US!

We were given a tour of the Indonesian cultural center and saw these massive instruments that they play called gamelans (eh, spelling?) We listened to a presentation and had a q and a, it was very informative and they were so hospitable.

The Chinese Embassy is gorgeous! The outside is very traditional and intricate and the inside is filled with artwork and sculptures. The diplomat who spoke to us was so well-spoken and answered all of our questions. Once again, so hospitable!

We broke for lunch and I tagged along with some girls from my class, Cat and Jen. We have sat near each other in class all semester and finally spent more than just classtime together! Jen loves anything Disney and Taylor Swift (haha!) asked me all sorts of questions. It was fun and I love making new friends :)

Lastly, we went to the Press Center to meet with the American diplomats. We couldn't go to the actual embassy because of space issues-our class is pretty large. Of course my teacher had to call me out on being the American, which was funny, and then the diplomats kept referring to me as "our friend from Tennessee." Oh America! They were open to talking to just about anything and took photos of us with a life-size Obama.

One thing we did agree on later was that the Americans were much more candid about things they did not agree with, and it was okay. At the Chinese embassy, the diplomat made the statement that in 2o years she hadn't disagreed with anything the Chinese government did. This was a very diplomatic (pun not intended) answer but I find that hard to believe, personally.

I liked that the American diplomats did not make it seem like we take ourselves too seriously OR think we are better than anyone; they cut up with he group but were serious and addressed not-so-fun issues as well. I'm glad we are friends with Australia!

Overall-such a great experience!

back in the new york groove

2009-10-07T04:23:00.003-04:00

Well hello friends,

After that last post I am happy to report that I am finally out of my bad-weekend funk. Whew it's good to feel like myself again.

Today was an exceptionally good day for no real reason. I had a great run around the lake this morning, it did NOT rain for the first time in weeks, my friends Bridget and Amanda are back from New Zealand, I had a great presentation of a new invention in a class, went to cycling and now am off for some tomato soup and grilled cheese with Emma. Grilled cheese are my FAVORITE.

I worked really hard on my essay and presentation that I turned in today and it felt great to be productive in the way of school. Good thing I don't have to go back to "real" school after this...there is no way I would make it!

My only complaint: my neighbor and I have this teeny paper thin wall that divides our rooms. It used to be one big room, but they threw up some sheetrock and called it two. Anywho, for 3 months now I have been very well aware of ALL of his habits including (but not limited to): talking on the phone insanely loud, spitting in his sink, belching and now his coming home from work between the hours of 2 and 3 am. It did not used to be like this and is quite inconvenient, because it always wakes me up when he slams his door and closet doors. That is no fun! I have to get some good sleep. I think I'm going to utilize the earplugs tonight and hope my body clock wakes me up in time for class tomorrow. Haha

Ah! On Friday I am visiting the Indonesian, Chinese and American Embassies with my Political Communications class. During O-week, we went on a bus tour by the Embassies and so I am pretty excited to get to go and see a few! This will be my 3rd field trip and I am really looking forward to it.

I'm also hoping to get one more trip to Floriade this weekend before it's over! The weather is looking clear so I'm hoping Canberra will hold off on the rain so I can get some more pictures!

I'm back! Back in the New York Groove!

and the award for the spazziest American goes to...

2009-10-02T23:24:00.006-04:00

So today has been what I like to call an "off" day. It's my fault; I drank a Coke Zero last night at dinner which was a HUGE mistake. I was absolutely wide awake and staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. I read, I wrote down everything that was preoccupying me, I listened to Jack Johnson/Jimmy Buffett (which normally works). But nothing did. Eventually I must have fallen asleep because at 7:30 this morning my alarm went off.

I should have known it would be an off day when I hit snooze twice. It's only once normally, if any at all. Then I got to work and the fun began.

For 5 1/2 hours today, I was not with it at ALL. I dropped things, spilled things, tripped and broke 2 glasses...you get the idea. I got orders wrong. I forgot to write things down. I couldn't carry more than one thing at a time. I took cups of coffee to tables and by the time I got there it was all sloshed over the sides. I spilled coffee all down my front. I burned my finger on a tea pot. I bumped people. I spilled an entire pitcher of water across a table. I got yelled at by a kitchen guy for being in the way.

Once it started it made me so flustered and caused me to continue this pattern of tripping and spilling my entire shift. I also had the hiccups for about an hour, which is also very atypical. Normally its two hiccups and its over. Ahhhhhhhhh what a day.

It's Saturday afternoon on a long weekend. Apparently there is no class on Monday, I just found out. It doesn't really affect me because I don't have class anyway.

I'm going to go for a run and hopefully shake whatever weird mood has come over me today. Quite a few people have gone home from my floor for the long weekend, so its nice and quiet.

After my run I think I'll lay on my bed and watch movies and try not to hurt anyone, or myself. Tomorrow is another day!

things that I love HEAPS about Australia

2009-09-29T00:37:00.003-04:00

I have been here almost 3 months! Crazy! Here are some things I have grown to love about Oz.

in no particular order...

Tim Tams, Weet-Bix, Solo soda and ice cream on pancakes
These chocolate biscuits, yummy cereal, lemonade soda and the fact that Aussies put a big scoop of ice cream on top of pancakes have ALL been a joy to experience.

Public transportation
I cannot count how many bus rides I have taken since being here. Yes, sometimes it is a pain not being able to drive (like the other day when I was walking back from work and it was raining sideways) but the bus system here is relatively easy to figure out and pretty cheap. I have definitely taken some trips where I ended up NOT in the place I thought I was headed or that took waaaayyy too long, but I feel pretty confident in my ability to get on the right bus finally!

$2 coins
They make the aforementioned bus trips and doing laundry so much easier because I have to carry around less change! It's a great thought, the $2 coin.

Being a 3 minute walk from my classes
Especially on the rainy/windy/cold days, it is super nice to be able to be at any of my classes in usually under 5 minutes flat. Even when I lived on campus at UT it took me awhile because you have to factor in the size of the campus and crossing the street in front of the library. Which can take years.

Skype, the Internets, and "the network"
I have LOVED getting to catch up with my family and friends with Skype. Both times I have talked to my grandparents they have loved it even more and it made me laugh at how mesmerized they were to be talking to me :) Even though I am so far away and almost an entire day ahead, it is nice to feel the slightest bit connected. The Network is a file sharing database that almost all my Aussie friends are on, and is how I have been able to watch Entourage! No one can find the Office though...and I have been pretty bummed about that.

Old Res
Yeah its old, pretty basic and kinda dirty...but we all know each other! I would say that Old Res is the Hess of Canberra. Everyone's door is always open and people are always milling around the halls and hanging out on the picnic tables between my building and B-Block. It's been a lot of fun to meet so many cool Aussies this way! The girls on Ayla's floor have had much entertainment asking the 2 of us random questions about America and Canada. To date, I have explained the concepts of Homecoming, cheerleaders, class officers, block scheduling, skim milk v. full cream, tomato sauce v. ketchup, sororites and fraternities and other aspects of university and school life. They always ask "Is it like how it is in the movies?" Those conversations are so much fun.

Floriade!
Ahhh it is amazing! It is a massive spring festival where there are thousands and thousands or flowers planted at Commonwealth Park in Canberra. Two of my friends won tickets to the "Floriade Nightfest" last week and couldn't go, so they gave them to me! The Night part was only a few select nights where there was more entertainment and movies playing on a big screen and all kinds of vendors and markets. I took my friend Emma and we had a great time! I am excited to go back in the daytime during one of these hopefully nice days we have coming up!

words and phrases like...
heaps, dodgy, sunnies, arvo, crook, banana-bender, bugger off, brekky, doona, bogan, trackies, jumper, the alternate pronunications of tomato and banana, full stop, How'd ya pull up?, Howya goin?, Oi! and rubbish. Whew! The Australians love their abbrev.s' too, so most of the time people call me Mel, which I like!

I can't believe I have been here this long! This has been the best experience of my life. I miss everyone at home so so much, but I will be sad to leave my Australian friends and No Worries life here come November.

Hopefully there is some nice spring weather just around the corner for Canberra! It has been so crazy here; storming for the first time in months and months, raining like crazy, dust storms...its been so weird.

I literally only have 4 more assignments left for this entire semester, and it is still crazy to me that I haven't had any exams and have no finals. What a way to go out!

Pictures!

2009-09-21T08:25:00.001-04:00

If you have made it through reading the immensely long post below, you can now look at the pictures that will help it all make sense!

Put your reading pants on!

2009-09-20T23:03:00.004-04:00

Well hello friends! It has been awhile since I have posted anything because I have been gone since the beginning of September! Where has the time gone?!

I am going to now attempt to recount the past month, which happen to include the best 18 days of my life. I have been keeping a journal along the way, so hopefully this won't be too difficult. Here goes nothing...

September 2 Canberra to Byron Bay
Woo! This has been a long day. It is 10:45 and I am about to head to bed. We left UC this morning at 7:30 and caught a bus to Civic. Our bus to Sydney left Civic at 9 and we arrived at the airport around 12-ish. We had to take another bus to the domestic terminal because the airport is so dang big! This day has been ALL about some transportation! We then flew from Sydney to Ballina and thanks to Drammamine, I was practically comatose the entire time. Ah one flight down and 3 to go! THEN we had to get a shuttle from the airport to Byron and over the 20ish minute ride, the driver told us the entire Ballina/Byron history which was pretty cool. We are staying at Aquarius Backpackers, which is only about a 2 minute walk to the beach AND we get free dinner every night! Niiiiiiice.

We walked on the beach and saw the most gorgeous pink and purple sunset. It's a little chilly today and we are hoping for sunshine tomorrow! We had dinner and then Samara, Ayla and I played some cards with the Italians staying in our room. It's starting to quiet down and I'm hoping to get some sleep soon. Made it through Day 1 without getting sick, lost or losing any of my belongings!

September 3 Byron Bay
If the rest of this trip totally bombs for some reason, today will be worth it all. This morning Bridget, Amanda and I got up early and walked to the lighthouse at Cape Byron. The view was absolutely breathtaking and it felt SO good to get moving and sweat! It is whale-watching season, which means the humpbacks are all headed north so we were hoping to see some, but they all seemed to be underwater this particular morning.

The better part of today was spent drifting in and out of consciousness while laying on the beach. We got some fruit from a market and lazed the day away. Incredible. No complaints at all. Got a little too much sun but today has been GREAT!

September 6 Cairns
Ayla, Samara and I are now in Far North Queensland! The rest of the Byron trip was fantastic. The weather seemed to get a little more cloudy, but that was okay because it gave us the chance to do some shopping in all the quirky and exotic little stores! I probably got a little too excited in the Byron Bazaar, where there was a whole room filled with all things tye-dye. SO much fun. We also went to a really great cafe and had yummy organic eggs and coffee for breakfast. I also went into a grocery store barefoot...I could get used to this.

Now Cairns! The flight was bearable; once again I was knocked out the entire time and only remember landing vaguely. We got here yesterday and spent most of the day getting settled, getting groceries and meeting friends. We are staying with a friend-of-a-friend of Ayla's, who is in law school at James Cook University. His apartment is about 20 minutes outside of actual Cairns, but is closer to the beaches-win!

We spent all of today at Trinity Beach, which was gorgeous and tropical. I wandered around a trail for awhile and took pictures until my feet got too hot. We drove over to Palm Cove, which is more resort-y and is supposedly the cleanest beach in Oz. It was super nice. We walked out onto the pier where lots of people were fishing. Off in the distance was a weird shaped island, and they informed us that there was a tiger shark breeding ground that way...no thanks!

Tomorrow we are going to the Great Barrier Reef! I am looking forward to being outside all day and seeing some amazing sights!

September 7 Cairns
Today we woke up early to go to the Reef! The views were absolutely AMAZING. We took a giant catamaran about an hour and a half out into the ocean to go to the first of 2 reefs. Snorkeling was so so cool! There were so many amazing colors and fish as big as my head! It was incredibly peaceful to be in water that clear with the sun shining down and to see nothing but you and a bunch of fish! The coral was stunning. I literally was swimming through schools of fish! We saw a giant sea turtle swimming around and I saw 2 stingray while I was snorkeling.

At the second reef, we took a submarine-type boat and got to see further underwater. It was there we saw a reef shark! They are vegetarian, so no worries! We also saw a bunch of clown fish, or Nemos, hovering over their anemone homes. Crazy! There is also this giant fish that the dive instructors have named Wally, and he will come right up to the boat and let people touch him.

Today has been a dream. I saw one of the 7 wonders of the Natural World. Amazing.

September 8 Cairns
Today we decided to journey into the city via bus for some sunning and shopping. There are no actual beaches inside of Cairns, only smelly mudflats, so the city built a giant lagoon-type pool on the Esplanade that overlooks the ocean. There are plenty of trees and grassy areas to lie by the water, so that is exactly what we did. I fell asleep in the shade of a palm tree, only to wake up NOT in the shade and with an unfortunate burn across my stomach. Nice

I got some amazing banana gelato because it felt like 100 degrees. Still haven't quite figured out the Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion. We spent the afternoon laying around, looking in shops and exploring the little city. We ended the day with some $5 pizzas and a movie back at Jordan's apartment and now I am about to collapse onto the air mattress. We are getting up tomorrow for a trip further up the coast and into the Rain forest! Woo!

September 8 Cairns
Today we went to Daintree Rain forest and Cape Tribulation! Our first stop was Port Douglas, which is one of the top scenic drives to do in Australia and it was indeed wonderful. Port Douglas looked like a nice little vacation spot, but we didn't have much time there because our bus was a bit late this morning. After looking into a few stores, we hopped back onto the bus and went into Daintree National Park, where we walked to Mossman Gorge. It was fantastic! Picture a giant, clear swimming hole in the middle of a rain forest clearing. The water felt amazing and so we climbed around on the rocks and took pictures of the scenery.

The next stop was Cape Tribulation-which gets its name from Captain Cook, who said that everything past that point on his voyage in the 1700s went wrong. I just don't see it, because the whole time we were there I felt like I was living a Jimmy Buffett song. If you know me, you know that's a big deal! It was almost deserted, only the odd person every now and then with their dog, clear, warm water and green, green trees. The rainforest literally runs into the coastline and it is breathtaking.

BEST PART OF THE DAY! We legitimately cracked a coconut open on a rock, ripped it open and ate the meat on the beach. Highlight of the trip so far.

We also went on a botanical walk through another part of the forest and saw where the Daintree River meets the forest, and we saw never ending mangroves. Mangroves are trees that grow in the water, but since the roots can't root in the bottom, they grow back up towards the surface and earned the name "snorkel roots." Neat.

The last stop was a ferry cruise down the Daintree River where we were on CROC watch! We saw 4 salties (saltwater crocodiles) and as luck would have it, my camera battery died, BUT I got the first one on camera! The biggest one, a 20-metre (AHHHHHH!) male named Scarface never did turn up, but knowing he was there lurking under the water was enough for me. Crikey!

September 10 Cairns
Today has been pretty low-key. I woke up early and went for a long run on the beach and am now having a little trouble walking. We have just been lounging by the pool today, which is in fact, REALLY nice for an apartment pool and has all sorts of little fountains and waterfalls and such. Not too much out of the ordinary today. Ayla and I went and picked up Thai food for us all and then we watched Role Models. Ahhh vacation.

September 12 Cairns
It is 5:17 am and I am sitting at the Cairns airport. I woke up this morning at 3:15 (yes, a.m.) to catch a 3:55 shuttle to the airport, Yikes!

Yesterday I left Jordan's and took a bus into the city with all my stuff where I met up with Bridget and Amanda! We talked about our separate weeks (they had been in Brisbane and Fraser Island since splitting with us in Byron) at the Esplanade lagoon and then we checked ourselves into hostel #2, Gilligans. It was MASSIVE; literally a backpacker resort. We spent the afternoon napping and laying at the pool (seems to be a trend, eh?). I had a great conversation with Amanda; I just love that girl!

I finally got the Mexican food I had been craving for weeks and weeks, although it couldn't hold a candle to El Charro! It was weird in that there was tomato sauce and parmesan cheese over my enchiladas? Que? Oh well. We wandered around the Night Markets for awhile where I had to pick up a touristy tote bag to store the stuff I have accumulated up to this point. Ooooh and we got some great gelato! Apple pie and dark chocolate! It was so great to see Bridget and Amanda because they move at my slower speed,

Bad thing about Gilligans: you cannot stay there and expect to sleep. At all. All the rooms have conjoing porches and there was literally a party raging allllll night and was still going on when I got up at 3:15. I'm looking forward to napping on the plane and hopefully crash landing on the beach as soon as I arrive in the Gold Coast at 8:35. This hot weather has gotten me spoiled! I hope it's nice in Surfer's Paradise, although I have heard that it is a crowded and touristy place, I'm only there for one night so I should be able to bear it.

I am so looking forward to being on my own agenda for the next week! It will be nice to make decisions that only concern me as far as where I want to go, eat, see, etc. More from the Gold Coast!

September 13 Surfer's Paradise
Yesterday in Surfer's was one of the most relaxing and chilled out days I have had so far. After checking into my hostel, I found out that I got a room ALL to myself. Great news! It was about a 15 minute walk from the centre of Surfer's, so I threw on a swimsuit and headed into town. It was definitely crowded alright. I had visions of Panama City or Destin at spring break time as I pushed my way through crowds of families and strollers and jean shorts...yes, jorts are really big over here for some reason, I found a reasonably un-crowded piece of sand, lay down on my towel and slept for 2 hours. I LOVE napping on the beach.

After showering and re-arranging my ever expanding backpack, I walked back into town for dinner. I got blueberry pancakes at Pancakes in Paradise, sat by myself and read. I honestly don't mind the whole stigma of eating alone, and it was nice to sit and be with just my thoughts. Some more reading back at the hostel and I was asleep by 9. I slept SO GOOD which was a nice change from the 4-or so hours I had gotten at Gilligans.

This morning I woke up early and went for a walk on the beach, which was lovely when it's not packed with people. Now I am sitting at the Gold Coast Greyhound station, about to catch a bus to Brisbane and then onto Noosa!

(later) September 13 Noosa
I LOVE NOOSA! I have only been here about 5 hours and I already kind of want to move here, The YHA I am staying at is fantastic. It is a big, historical house that has been converted into a sweet hostel with a massive porch. I'm in a big, open room with 5 other girls. 2 English, 1 Canadian, 1 Finnish, 1 Chinese and me!

This afternoon after I arrived I walked into the Noosa National Park for a bushwalk! I went on the Palm Grove trail which was only about 2km. There were insanely huge trees and I looked and looked for a koala but never saw one. I did see and hear a couple of kookaburras, which are much nicer to encounter when they aren't waking you up in the morning with their strange call. Then I walked down the coastal walking path which was AMAZING. I had been walking for about half an hour when I saw a few people gathered around the base of a tree. It was...A KOALA! It was sleeping on a tree branch that was pretty low, and I got some pictures of it's furry little face! I am so excited!

I walked for a little bit longer until I found a cove with some rocks to sit on and watch the sunset. I have been using all my adjectives up, so I'm really not sure how to describe it. I never want to forget that moment. Could this get any better?

I walked back to town and bought a few groceries and sat on the aforementioned massive porch at my hostel and read and ate. Tomorrow I am going kayaking! I'm pumped! I honestly kind of wish now that I had skipped Surfer's and come straight here. I hate that I only have 2 days here because this place is just so naturally beautiful. I would really like to come back here.

September 14 Noosa
I am so exhausted but I will attempt to cover this great day! This morning I got picked up from my hostel by Kayak Noosa! (Side note: I had some CRAZY dreams last night about a flood of Evan Almighty proportions. Weird)

It's run by a couple with 2 adorable little sons and is located a little bit outside of Noosa Heads, where I am staying. We had a short intro and we were off! It was only me and a lady named Chan, and our instructor Rod. They said typically they only run the tour with 4 people, but since today was such a nice day that they wanted to do it for the 2 of us! So lucky!

Ahhh it was so cool to kayak over the waves! I was in the back and had to operate the rudder, which proved to be more challenging that I thought, After going completely sideways and off course a few times I finally got the hang of it. We paddled out for about an hour and a half before stopping at a bay for morning tea, how lovely! Haha

We then paddled to Granite Bay, which is HUUUUUGGGGE cliff and some super scary rocks, which we stayed very far away from. The waves rebounded off the cliffs, making it super choppy and hard to paddle through.

We started seeing FINS off in the distance and tails flipping about! We followed this "pod" of bottle nose dolphins around for about 20 minutes! It was incredible! They were making all kinds of neat noises and spraying water and being so playful with each other.

After lunch on the beach at Tea Tree Bay, we put the sails up and lounged our way back into shore, It was a great way to spend a day. My feet are so sunburned and I am all freckled. It was about 4 when we got back so I looked around for a few hours with no real destination, before finding myself at my ultimate vice: a bakery. I don't know what it is about Turkish bread, but it seems to be so much better than almost any bread I have ever had before. So of course I had to buy a loaf and I ate it on the beach with some hummus and watched another beautiful sunset. Living the dream. So sad to leave in the morning :(

September 15 Brisbane
Well, I'm in Brisbane. It was unduly stressful getting here. But after almost 2 weeks of smooth sailing, something was bound to happen.

First, I missed the bus at Noosa Heads (where I was staying) that would take me up the giant hill and down the other side to Noosa Junction (where I was supposed to be picked up). Grrrr. So carrying 15kg on my back, my day pack on my front and my souvenir-tourist bag from Cairns over my shoulder I walked. Yikes, major back sweat.

When I got there, I wasn't sure at which stop I should be waiting...so I ended up wandering around and eventually asking someone where Greyhounds normally picked up. I was supposed to be picked up at 8:13 (random) and when it got to be 8:20 I was sure I had been forgotten, or I was at the wrong stop. The bus showed up about 3 minutes later. Whew!

We made a few stops along the Sunshine Coast before getting on our way to Brisbane. When I got off the bus in Brisbane I set off to find my hostel. 30 minutes and some crappy directions from a cab driver later, I showed up sweaty and irritated. They then informed me I couldn't check in for 3 more hours and this was not good news considering all I wanted to do was shower or sit and cool down.

So I store my stuff and grumbled inside about being gross all day long. I walked back into the city and am currently sitting on a bench in the Queen's Mall. I just devoured a little pizza, which I had to fight my way for when I made the mistake of going into the food court.

First impressions? Too crowded. I have already gotten pushed around and I don't like feeling "herded" by crowds, which has happened a lot, For Sydney being a bigger city, this one sure seems busier and more packed. And I actually like Sydney a lot, which helps. It could also be the fact that I am ending 2 weeks of beaches with one of Australia's top 3 biggest cities.

(later) September 15
This has been the most random day ever. I'm finding myself really wishing I had stayed in Noosa longer instead of coming to a big, smoky city. This afternoon, I wandered around and eventually found the Botanic Gardens by one of the universities. I laid by a pond and read for awhile before heading back to check in. I just didn't have it in me to explore that much today.

When I got back to my hostel to check in I had another rude awakening. Turns out that this building was once a school, and by the looks of it it's pretty ancient...complete with creepy lifts with the doors you open and close yourself. So creepy! I opened the door to my room and was immediately met with a lady babbling something indecipherable about there being one bathroom for 16 people, or something like that. It was a massive room of 16 girls and it took me forever to figure out which beds were occupied and which were not. Meanwhile, I still cannot figure out what this lady is saying to me and still all I want to do is shower. That also turned out to be a chore, as the shower was built for someone about 5 foot tall with very small arms. Oh dear.

I didn't want to go out and spend any more money, so I finished the book mom had sent me (about Julia Child...so good!) and don't really have anything else to do...hopefully Moreton Island tomorrow will shake off this weird mood I am in.

September 17 Brisbane
I'm about to head out of Brisbane for SYDNEY! I LOVE that city! A little backtrack: yesterday's adventure to Moreton Island! It turned out to be a group of 10 people:
-me
-a Canadian
-2 German girls
-2 Turkish brothers
-a couple from Denmark
-a girl from Austria
and our guide, Logan.

We all piled into a LandCruiser and headed off to the Port of Brisbane to get the ferry to Moreton Island! MI is the 3rd largest all-sand island in the world! The top 2 are also Australian: Fraser and Stradbroke. We drove onto this giant catamaran and dispersed until we reached the shore. I found a spot on the top deck and had a great conversation with Celine and Mikkel from Denmark. They are in Brisbane until Celine finishes this semester of school and then they are travelling Asia. Mikkel had been to Tennessee! He went to Memphis last year! It was so crazy to sit and talk about the US with him! He said he would rather go back to Tennessee than Denmark :)

When we got to MI, about an hour and a half later, we got back into the LandCruiser and began the day of being bumped and banged around the backseat. It was NUTS! It was like being in a theme park ride where you are strapped into a chair that moves and you watch a screen...only we were actually doing all the things you watch on the screen.

Our first stop was the Desert, which was a massive stretch of the whitest sand ever! I thought it would be scalding hot to step on, but it was surprisingly cool and so so soft. There were patches where the sand was even whiter, and that was because it was pure silica. There were also hard pebbles all around, which are formed when lightning strikes the sand. Amazing.

The wind forms massive sand dunes, which look more like sand hills if you ask me, but we used them to go sandboarding! Which is exactly what it sounds like!

There were 3 variations: standing up like a snowboard, sitting down like a sled, ot laying on your belly. I sat down first and got some serious friction burns on my hands, yikes! The trek back up the hill was SO INTENSE! Everyone ended up stopping about halfway just to sit and rest! Then I went down on my belly and got sand positively everywhere! My ears are still itching!

We hopped back onto the LandCruiser and set off to the East Beach to snorkel! There were several sand-mining ships that had been purposely sunk and we snorkeled right up to them! We also fed some fish, which was alllllmost as cool as the Reef. We had lunch and drove to the Lighthouse where we saw WHALES! We didn't see them breach (think Free Willy, coming up on his side and splashing back down into the water) but we did see them spouting and flipping their tails, which was so neat.

Back in Brisbane I went to bed early again and then caught the train to the airport this morning. I am at the gate in the Brisbane airport and I'll be in Sydney in 2 1/2 hours! No more planes for awhile after this, 4 in 3 weeks is plenty in my opinion.

This is the end of my fabulous solo adventure and it has been great! I love that I have been on my own time and done exactly what I felt like doing. It's been nice to sort of "process" my time in Australia this far and think about the things I still want to do. I've also had a ton of time to sit and wonder what I will do with myself when I get back. I have been through so many scenarios on my head but only time will tell. More from Sydney!

September 19 Sydney
This weekend in Sydney has absolutely flown by! I took me awhile to get from the airport to Bondi, via train then a 40 minute bus. Our hostel ended up being pretty basic, but right across from the beach with an ocean view from our room! I met back up with Ayla on the beach and that is where we spent most of the afternoon. After the sun went down, we got dinner at this yummy place called Moo's Gourmet Burgers. I got a spicy red kidney bean burger and we split "chips" (fries) and this place had actual Heinz ketchup! I don't even like ketchup that much and I was excited! And I also found Dr Pepper in a convenience store, so needless to say I was set! After dinner, I used my power of persuasion when it comes to desserts (I am verrrrry good) and so we got waaaaaay-too chocolaty brownies and sat outside and talked for several hours. It was a great night to just sit and talk.

On Friday morning I woke up extra early for some reason and looked (well, squinted) out the window and saw the sun coming up over the ocean! Epic! I couldn't go back to sleep, so at 7am I was ready to get up and do something! Ayla was still sleeping and informed me that I was very annoying in the mornings, so I set off to do the 5km walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. It was a warm and beautiful morning and the views were spectacular. Gordon's Bay was especially pretty and I took so many pictures of the cliff views.

After another beach day, I went into town to see...WICKED! It was sosososo good! It made me miss Bethany so much because I kept wanting to look over and singalong. It was an amazing show, nonetheless. I would love to see it again!

This morning we slept in a bit and went back to the beach for the last time. Ayla left for Canberra around 2 and I took the bus downtown and went to the Rocks markets. And talk about amazing timing! I was there so long that some of the vendors started packing up and closing up shop. When I heard "2 for 1 chocolate covered strawberries and bananas" I was sold. Dinner! Woo!

The sun was starting to go down so I walked towards Circular Quay to see the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House at sunset. It just doesn't get old! I love Sydney!

I'm starting to feel a little sluggish and just worn out from all of this back and forth and travelling, so it will be nice to get back and be stationary for awhile. I cannot believe how much I've seen and done in the past 18 days. This is truly a gorgeous and unique country. I have definitely had my moments since I have been here, but this trip is exactly what I wanted to do the whole time: get out and see things I've never seen before and get out of my comfort zone and routines.

I'm looking forward to nicer weather in Canberra, the Floriade festival, Res Ball and visiting the South Coast next month with some of our friends who live there! School won't be challenging by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have something due every week from here on out. I'm excited about long runs around the lake and getting to be outside more. This trip has been great for my motivation and has made me even more happy to be here,

September 20 back to Canberra
Well today is the last day of my fabulous vacation. This has been the best experience of my life. I will say this though: the life of a backpacker is DIRTY. I have loved it for the past month, but I am probably not cut out for multiple months or years. It's nice to have my room at UC as kind of a home base, where I know I can do laundry and keep stuff safe. Being a nomad for a little and getting a taste of life on the road (and air) has been so so fun. I'm not picky about accommodations or showers and such, but having a little privacy every once in awhile is nice. Its also nice to be able to spread my stuff out and not worry about lockers and losing things.

I've definitely covered the highlights extensively, and I am happy to say there were very few bad moments:
-feeling the effects of travelling with the same people for 2 weeks and getting irritated with each other in Cairns
-the night at Gilligan's. Never again.

I'm on a bus back right now! First order of business: laundry! Then mail and attempting to put up pictures and blog.

Eh, and getting back into the school groove...haha

September is looking awesome

2009-08-30T04:10:00.004-04:00

Hello friends!

Well, when I last wrote I thought I was going to be spending our 2 week break working in Canberra and holding down the fort. Since then I had a stroke of some amazing karma in the form of financial aid from UT that I had not planned on, woo!

I am now headed up to Cairns (pronounced "Cans" and aka the Great Barrier Reef) with Ayla and her friend Samara, who is visiting Oz from studying abroad in NZ, after we leave Byron Bay!! I can't wait!

From there, they are both headed to Sydney with Ayla's dad who is coming to visit and I am meeting up with Amanda and Bridget in Cairns (who are meeting their parents there). For several reasons, I could not bring myself to book a flight out of Cairns on the 11th, so I am staying one night with them and then making my way back down the coast.

I decided I had no reason to hurry back just because everyone was hanging out with parents, so I'm going to hop on a few Greyhounds and stop in some little towns that are more off the beaten path. (And if I need to be reminded of Pigeon Forge, naybe even the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, haha!) If everything goes to plan, I will be meeting BACK up with Ayla in Sydney on the 17th or 18th.

Whew! I am about to embark on a marathon tour of the East coast and I am so excited! Now THIS is why I came to Australia.

Want to see a kangaroo?

2009-08-24T02:43:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos from the kangaroo adventure! I discovered that I could link to my Facebook album instead of uploading them to Picasa, too!

Still can't believe I am in Australia

2009-08-23T06:07:00.003-04:00

Hello friends! I hope this finds everyone having a lovely Sunday. It's pretty good, I already lived it, haha. I have been here 6 weeks and so excited I made it this far! Woo!

I'm getting a bit sporadic with writing but honestly I don't feel like I have done very many interesting things since going to Sydney! (I want to go BACK!!!)

I really like my little job at Black Pepper Cafe. It is so great to need to be somewhere and be busy! On Saturdays and Sundays BP serves yummy breakfast all day long. So all day there are slews of people coming in and ordering lots of coffee and smoothies and milkshakes to go with their Eggs Benedict and blueberry pancakes. I can't even count how many banana smoothies and iced coffees I have made over this weekend, but the best part is making too much...and getting to taste it :) I worked with 5 girls today, including Bek from my floor, and even though we were crowded and busy and hot I really had a good time chatting and gettting to know them. I'm still finding that I introduce myself to someone and start talking, and then somewhere along the way I get the "Wait, what are you doing here?" A relevant question! However, I did see someone wearing a Tarheels hoodie today and I got so excited I had to go ask if they were NC fans and it turns out they were-so random!

I also tried Vegemite on buttered toast at the insistence of Jenna, a girl I work with. Honestly, it was not that bad although it is incredibly salty. We tried to decide what the American equivalent would be, as far as being brought up on a certain food-because all Aussies are brought up to eat it. All we came up with was peanut butter and Pop Tarts. I can still stand by the statement that I will eat anything besides onions...and that now includes vegemite.

One park of working at a cafe is being able to drink free coffee my entire shift! I've been having a hard time knowing what to ask for when ordering coffee because everyone here is all about their lattes and cappuccinos and I'm more of a black coffee with a little milk and sugar kind of girl. I had an unfortunate incident in Sydney when ordering an iced coffee, only to be brought a huge class with about 1/4 coffee and 3/4 ice cream and whipped cream, yeesh! SO I learned by working at Black Pepper that what I need to ask for is a "long black" (as opposed to a "flat white" which has heaps of foamy milk in it...no thanks).

And I can officially say that I am no longer mesmerized by seeing a kangaroo. That sounds disappointing but it's not! I went on a field trip on Thursday with my Indigenous Studies class to Namadgi National Park to see indigenous rock drawings. I have NEVER seen that many kangaroo before, not even on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. It was amazing. The path we were walking on wasn't wooded or marked off and they would hop right across it in front of you. The first time I saw a kangaroo on campus I got so excited I ran towards it and fell on my face, but now I can look at nonchalantly like, "Oh look, a kangaroo." . I'm a bit of a kangaroo snob, if you will. Haha.

On the hike back, someone suggested we not take the path back and instead cut straight across this HUGE meadow because it was a more direct route. HA! An unforseen and massive nasty bog and wet grass had us all laughing and trying not to fall in. (Well, I was trying not to fall in.) It ended up adding about half an hour to our time in the end. And then everyone had soggy feet on the drive back...except me! My sandals helped me out on this one, win!

This weekend all my girlfriends headed off to either Sydney or Melbourne but I decided to stay in Canberra and work and catch up on school stuff. I could have take these classes at UT, so I'm not hugely worried about them but we are missing some time in Septmeber to go to the beach. My teachers are totally understanding and are letting me turn stuff in early. Nice.

We had originally planned to go to Byron Bay and then up to Surfer's Paradise, but after further investigation we decided Surfers was kind of seedy and we would rather just stay in Byron. I am very happy with this decision! I can't wait for the beach! 3 girls' parents are coming over our break and so they are headed up to Cairns after Byron but I'm headed back here once again to hopefully work a bit

I'm also happy to report that the weather is starting to seem more cooperative. No more fleece! It hasn't seemes as cold lately except when the wind blows. It was so nice today and it actually got up above 60! After work I took my homework down to the lake and started writing another short story for my narratives class. Spring is in the air! It's amazing what some sunshine and warm weather can do for a mood.

I have also gotten more feedback about my Southern accent. Somebody today told me it was not that bad, which I consider positive!

pictures from weekend in Sydney!

2009-08-14T21:49:00.000-04:00

I posted some photos from last weekend in Sydney if you have not seen them on facebook!

Here they are!