Summer in a Nutshell

I blinked and summer is over! I’ve had a wonderful summer full of new experiences and travel adventures. So, let me try to recap from the beginning!

Summer didn’t come as quickly as it left this year in England and Bestie and I were getting a little impatient to start our tans around mid-June. We jumped on the cheapest last minute flight to somewhere South, beachy and hot to find ourselves lounging on a Grand Canary beach with a big glass of Sangria in our hands. Our new favourite beach past time is listening to books on tape. Bestie hooks up Audible to his portable speaker and the time just flies! We worked on our tans during the day and had nice Spanish traditional meals in the evenings. The most exciting evening we found ourselves in the center of a restaurant where the talent for the night was a midget drag show. I had never dreamed of being able to watch a midget “queen” Whitney Houston spoof sniff a fake (I hope) white powder and fall over (pretend) dead on stage. It was quite a show and quite a trip!

Next up, we headed to Iceland! A couple friends from college got married in Reykjavik on the 4^th of July weekend this year and we decided to make a holiday of it. The wedding was beautiful and the after party was an all nighter! The sun (basically) doesn’t set during the summer months in Iceland which can really mess with one’s internal time clock! At 6 am the dance floor was still hopping, but I managed to make it home just in time to change clothes and pick up our rental car for the “holiday” part of the trip – a road trip across the Southern border of the country.

Iceland is amazing! The vast difference in landscape is something worth seeing. In just a 20 mile ride the weather and landscape could go from beautiful green rolling hills filled with wild flowers as far as the eye could see to dark dried lava fields. In many places the road had been cut through the lava and it stood a good six feet above the road. Driving just a little bit further took us to the largest glacier in Europe. It poked out between the mountains and the cloud cover was thick and cold, a vast difference from the sunny summer we’d driven through 30 minutes before. There were hot springs and cold springs, waterfalls and bubbling sink holes, geysers and meals with the local delicacy, WHALE! Yes, I ate whale. It was so good. I’d eat it again. The roads are still not quite up to par for the mass number of tourists now flooding the country all year long, still I feel it gives Iceland a bit of untouched culture. If you ever plan to make the trip yourself , I have one piece of advice : spend the extra money on a 4x4! The trip was fantastic and goes down on my list of places I’ve been as one of my favorite so far.

This is a highway

Largest glacier in Europe

So for the next part of the story I should probably pause to make mention to all the exciting London events which I’ve been able to take a part of over the summer. I attended Royal Ascot and so did the Queen, making it my first royal spotting! Spent the day at a local music festival, Lovebox, listening to top artists and finishing the festival with, none other than, Snoop Dog! Marched at Gay Pride with my fabulous softball club, completed the London Color Run, had a crazy fun night at the Regression Sessions warehouse rave in Vauxhall and dressed as the mom from The Jetsons’ at Rugby 7s, a sporting event where everyone dresses in a ‘fancy’ dress theme set by the event organizers. This year’s theme was galaxy. This is where a special Irish boy entered the story, we will call him WIC (aka White Irish Catholic) for the sake of the blog. I’ll save you all the gushy details but we’ve been chillin’ ever since.

Fabulous hat at Royal Ascot

Mrs. Jetson & MIB at Rugby 7s

It’s because of WIC that I found myself on a flight to Dublin the day we landed from Iceland. We spent a lovely weekend hanging with his friends and even fit in a little bit of tourist fun with a Guinness Factory tour! I must admit I enjoyed Dublin a lot more this time than on my first visit (more than 5 years ago) and I hope we make trips back a regular occurrence.

Next up Bestie and I boarded a plane to Barcelona with four other fun girl friends for a tour of the east coast of Spain. We spent three days touring all Gaudi’s masterpieces, every one of them even more magnificent than the last. 

La Sagrada Familia

Then we boarded a train to Valencia for the highlight of the trip; La Tomatina! La Tomatina is a massive tomato fight which takes place once a year about an hour outside Valencia in Bunol. Approximately 20,000 people crowd into the tiny village street (yes, just one) and around 170,000 tons of tomatoes are dumped for a massive food fight. The festival kicks off with grown men scrambling to the top of a very high, very greased, with lard, pole to get a ham. The whole thing is rather barbaric but hilarious. After the fight there are two options to get clean, either locals bring out water hoses and spray people down or you can head to the river to wash with hundreds of other tomato covered souls. It’s all pretty gross if you think about it and the rashes that covered our bodies for the next few days brought some concern to the germs we might have shared with strangers, but I definitely will be left with a memory that will last forever! We ended the trip in Alicante where we laid in the sun, drank sangria and recovered from the holiday.

Trucks at La Tomatina delivering the tomatoes

La Tomatina 

Next up is Bestie’s 30^th birthday, a wine weekend in South France with the girls, home for a week for a trip to Texas for the Texas A&M verses South Carolina football game, finishing the year off with a Nile river cruise for Christmas and Cairo for New Years, so stay tuned! 

Here's a few more pictures from the summer for your viewing pleasure... 

This is whale! 

Iceland

The Blue Lagoon - Iceland

Hot Springs - Iceland

Marching in the London Gay Pride Parade

The Color Run

La Tomatina Food Fight

Going Paleo

I never thought I’d ever consider a lifestyle change as big as Paleo. To be honest, when I started this post I was only three days into my 30 day challenge. 

About 14 months ago I started noticing some strange symptoms which have just continued to worsen. I’ve been to doctor after doctor and have had test after test but the doctors can’t seem to find an explanation. About a month ago the neurologist said “you might just have to accept that we won’t find a cause and learn to deal with it.”

After that I started reading about different diets and it seems the Paleo diet might just be what I need. Bestie decided to make the change with me and together (OK, him more than me) we've researched how to make this work.

So here’s the play by play of my highs and lows, struggles and victories!

Day 1 : Eggs and sausage for breakfast, 10 mint chocolate cookies for lunch …

Day 1 : Eggs and sausage for breakfast, a kebab for dinner …

Day 1 : No cheats!! Bestie saved the day with a tasty rice-less green curry for dinner. Finally moving on to Day 2!

Day 2 : Am I really this hungry or is it the fact I can’t eat that bread and dipping sauce that’s making me think I am? Eating Paleo approved snacks all day isn’t really cheating, right?

Day 4 : My body is starting to adjust and our meals are getting quite exciting. Dinner last night was a fabulous Asian Beef and Broccoli stir fry and it was amazing! Bestie has been getting up early to make us breakfast and we sit at the table and eat meals together now. The 30 Day challenge encourages you to build a relationship with the food you eat. (This is the best relationship I’ve ever had!)

Day 6 : I went to Bodean’s (the closest thing to Southern BBQ here in London) and came out still on day six. Small victory for me!

Day 7 : My body has started the “detox” stage and it’s not pretty. On the bright side, I’ve never felt so “clean”.

Day 8 : A late night out turned into a stop by the kebab shop. I made it out without breaking my challenge! I might have ordered the most insane combo of items they’ve ever seen, but I stayed true to the course.

Day 9 : The food dreams have started in full force. The book says this could happen. I’ve dreamed of cheating the last three nights and cheating on things I didn’t even know I wanted. I’ve dreamed of pretzels and cauliflower pizza (and that’s only because cheese isn’t allowed in the first 30 days).

Day 10 : I hate healthy food. I’m so over it! Just somebody give me a damn pizza!

Day 11 : Red and I stopped at a Mexican restaurant on the way home from softball and there was literally nothing on the menu I could eat. I had a little chat with the waiter and he had a little chat with the chef who kindly came up with a new dish just for me. As he picked on me for my ridiculous lifestyle he joked “so what can you eat?” Yes, yes – I am THAT girl.

Day 12 : I had to bake cookies and muffins for a work function and I didn’t even lick the bowl. Another small victory! Now, if I can make it through tomorrow without eating the rest of the tasty goods.

Day 13 : I DID IT! All day and not a single sweet. Bestie is out of town on a business trip too so really I could cheat and he’d never even know it – but the guilt would eat me alive, right?

Day 15 : Bestie and I went out for a couple drinks after work and this happened …

“You CHEATED?! I was sat at home being good; not even licking my fingers while you were off on your business trip CHEATING?”
*Disclaimer : I didn't mean to sound like an awkward couple - it was just about the food!

“It was just one fried chicken sandwich! It means now you get a cheat day too”

“That’s not even the way it works and you know it!”

Day 16 : I ate an entire package of bacon in less than 24 hours and lost a pound. Hells yeah.

Day 17 : Bestie and I board the train from Kings Cross to Cambridge for a little day trip and I’ve official; they only eat pasta in this city!

Day 20 : I AM SO SICK OF VEG! How am I only on day 20? Lifestyle change my butt!

Day 23 : I cheated. I hadn’t planned on it but we went to Red Dogs (another legit BBQ spot) and my bread less burger was so disappointed I had to fill up on a brownie too … (oops). I was allowed one cheat day ... right? 

Day 24 : I’ve felt the best I’ve felt in weeks! No dizzy spells today, so maybe it’s actually brownies that I need. Now that’s some food for thought (pun definitely intended).

Day 25 : Food is prepped for the rest of the week, going to get this thing back on track for the next five days!

Day 26 : I ate a burrito. ‘nuff said.

Day 1 …

OK, so maybe the whole Paleo diet isn’t for me, but there are definitely elements of it that make me feel better about my health and my body. Do I think my lifestyle will truly allow for a complete Paleo transformation? Probably not right now. However, I can make myself healthier and this experience has done just that. I have learned to eat and like spinach, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes (OK they still have to be diced), cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato and much more! While this challenge might be over, my own lifestyle change is just beginning. I’m excited about the new more healthier me!

In case you’re wondering what I’ve been eating over the last month, enjoy some pictures of the meals we’re most proud below.

Cauliflower pizza crust with pesto, spinach and sweet peppers 

Egg, sausage and guacamole sandwiches (yes, those buns really are made from eggs!)

Breakfast of champions!

Bun-less spicy burger with onions, jalapenos, bacon and guacamole 

A Little Admiration

“Good Evening, beautiful ladies,” gushed the waiter, with a thick Eastern European accent, as we slid into the booth, bags flying everywhere. We took longer than it should to  finally settled all our things giving him more ammunition to keep the conversation going. “Do you always carry so many things with you? And that ring. The big ring. Is it for fighting off the boys? Do you like trouble? Do you get into trouble? I bet you are trouble.”

My Girl  friend and my mouths’ dropped as he took our shock and speechless-ness  as an opportunity to continue. “Me, myself, I am a bad boy. I am very naughty. Would you like some drink?”

Girl friend : “Umm, this bottle of white wine please” pointing to the list.  

As he rushed off we looked at each other and wondered “did that really just happen?” He was gone about five minutes when he arrived when the bottle of wine. “Do you like to taste? I bet you like to taste.” By this point Girl friend was giggling, I was still a little uncomfortable and taken aback.  

Me : “Umm, sure I’ll taste”

Waiter : “Yes, yes, it’s very good”

We placed our order and as he fluttered around the restaurant  while  we went on catching up about work, boys and the latest gossip. He popped in occasionally to top up our glasses and comment on our drinking patterns. “You do not seem to be drinking. Is there a little man under the table with a long straw stealing your wine?” Girl friend’s laugh fills the restaurant. He continues “I think you do like trouble. I think you are a naughty girl”

Me : “Us? No … we don’t try to be trouble”

Waiter : “I know women. I study them and the ones that say they aren’t naughty are always the naughtiest”

Girl friend : “Is this really happening?”

Me : “umm”

Waiter : “yes, yes. I love the women. I like to play with the women.”

Girl friend laughs harder.

 Me : “Oh wow … interesting”

Waiter : “I can cook too”

Girl friend : “You can? What do you cook?”

Waiter : “Pasta. So good” as he pushes his fingers together and kisses them.

He holds out his hand, “I’m Raphael. Guess where I’m from?”

We shake his hand.

Waiter : “Oh wow! You have a very confident hand shake.”

Me : “I do?”

Waiter : “Yes. Yes. You are confident. You know what you want and you like to get it. But I think you are also soft inside and care deeply for others”

Girl friend : “Seems pretty spot on”

Me : “Are you a psychic now  too?”

Waiter : “No. I just read people well. So where are you from? America?”

Both of us : “yes”

Waiter : “Guess where I come from?”

Girl friend : “umm … Italy? Turkey? We don’t know just tell us”

Waiter : “Only one more chance! I am Polish. I am from Krakow. You must go? Have you gone?”

Girl friend : “Nope, I want too”

Me : “I’ve been to Poland but not Krakow”

Waiter : “Oh I will take you home to meet my family and  you will love my family. My mother is a good cook. Ok we will go”

Girl friend laughs, “This is moving fast!”

We say thank you for an entertaining meal and ask for the check. We’ll we’re waiting I head to the bathroom and run into him in the hallway. He follows me into the Ladies’ room to show me how “you can hold hands with the mens’ room” (there was a gap connecting the sinks to the two rooms).

Me : “I think I can take it from here .. thanks”

The bill came along with a couple of shots created especially for us, because he is also a master bartender and cocktail creator, and I must admit the idea crossed my mind that they drinks might have been laced with something. We stood over us while we took the drink and then waited for our approval, which we provided, of course!

We held our breath he wouldn’t ask for our numbers or follow us home and laughed at just how absurd and crazy the entire experience seemed to be. The restaurant was wonderful and is even ranked one of the top 100 places to end in London on TripAdvisor. So, if you ever want some free table entertainment and a nice Turkish meal find your way to Kazan near Victoria. Raphael will be waiting to greet you!

Road Trippin’ Wales

Day 1

We started at London Victoria on the dreary Friday morning of Easter weekend. The six of us met about 9 AM to pick up the passenger van we’d rented for the weekend. It took us forever to find the budget car rental company to discover they didn’t actually have the vehicle we’d rented. By 11, it was beginning to feeling like the trip might be off when they loaded us into transfer cars and drove us across London to the only left in the city. After a bit of a battle with the manager and 2 hours after our original planned departure we were crammed in like sardines but on our way! The traffic was horrendous until we reached the Welsh boarder, but then, as if right on cue, the cars disappeared and the clouds parted and we found ourselves excitedly approaching our first stop; Brecon Beacon.

Though daylight was beginning to dwindle we still took the time to make a little pit stop to have a chat with some sheep. I mean, it was Easter weekend after all and they were just so cute!

We made it to Llyn y Fan Fach (or what we pronounced Lynn Fanny Fuk) just before nightfall. We all took some time to enjoy the sincerity of such a beautiful place (also stretch our legs and get some peace from the others)! 

After a few outdoor potty breaks, we crammed back in our six sitter and we were off to find our Bed and Breakfast in Haverfordwest. We arrived about 9 pm and were greeted by a friendly lady with a big smile and lots of area recommendations. We tried to find food in the nearest village but were a bit late so we settled for our van snacks and a pint and then called it an early night.

Day 2

The next morning we awoke early and were fed a full English breakfast (Welsh style) compliments of our host. Then we were off! Up the coast of Western Wales for a day of pit stops and adventure!

We spent a good bit of time in St. David’s exploring the cathedral, climbing through old castle ruins and snacking on ice cream as we strolled through the town. As we continued up the coast we stopped frequently to take a cool photo, walk on the beach or just have a little play on the side of the road side. When we were in the car we found ourselves enthralled with the Audible story and investigation into the Anan Syed’s murder case. Did he do it? Did he not? The debate still continues …

Our lone Brit of the trip gave us a scenic tour we couldn’t have created ourselves and we stopped in his Uni town for a stroll and some food! I wish we could have stayed longer, but we made the most of the break with a stop in the local arcade where I discovered I can’t dance even when I computer is telling me how to do it!

Another ice cream and we were back on the road in search of the place we’d lay our heads for the next two nights!

The caravan park was tucked deep back in the hills. We arrived after dark and as we pulled up to the little farm house at the welcome gate we joked of murders and crime (thanks, Anan!) but, in true Welsh fashion, the family that lived there was lovely and helped us get settled in to our two bedroom, pull our sofa caravan for six (needless to say - we were cozy)! We spent the evening drinking, eating, playing games and genuinely just enjoying each other’s company. As we started to wind down we all bundled up and headed out into the cold night sky to stare up at the stars in the cloudless sky. A prefect end to Day Two of our road tripping adventure!

Day 3

Sunday Morning gave a slow start as we ate breakfast and made our plan for the day. Once again we jammed ourselves in to our little family van but were pleased to find we had a bit more space this time (sans the bags)! We drove past Snowdonia (we didn’t go up), did a little hike (of all the beautiful hiking spots we accidentally picked the one rock ‘farm’ that was actually the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen making for lots of laughs and jokes), explored a few little Wales towns and found ourselves on the beach just in time for the sunset in the perfectly clear sky. Once the sun went down and we found it too chilly to sit on the sand we headed back to our caravan for a little R & R! We’d had had a jam-packed few days!

Day 4

It was about time to head back to London, but who wants a holiday to end? Especially without some kind of big bang! We cleaned up the caravan, loaded up the car and set our sights on flying through the sky at the Zip World adventure.

Then it was back in the car for the drive back to London. We stopped in a little town to eat outside by the river. The weather was amazing the entire weekend and it really felt like a proper English holiday (that was ending way too soon)! On the ride back we danced and sang, finished the Anan story (of course) and delivered the car back to Victoria just as they were closing up shop (ok, they were already closed but we sweet talked a worker into opening back up for us).

I’ve found since living in London my favorite trips are the simplest ones and it’s really the people that make the time amazing. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people who are up for spending a sunny weekend crammed in a car driving around the English coast.

Ten Years Gone By

May marks 10 years since graduating High School and entering the big scary world of adulthood. Sweet reminders have been slipping into my daily life; from the nostalgic comment on an old photo to a random work conversation which triggered the memory of my favorite song in 2005 (Graduation by Vitamin C, of course!). I listened to it on repeat that entire year and yet today I couldn’t even recall the name without Google assistance. However, as the song streamed from YouTube I remembered just how it nailed exactly how my 18 year old self felt as I moved out of my Mom’s house and began to care for myself.

So we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25

So if we get the big jobs and we make the big money
When we look back now, will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be tryna break every single rule?

Will Little Brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Can I find a job that won't interfere with my tan?

So here we are, 10 years later, with the answers to the most important questions of the time. Turning 25 felt like a lifetime away, but in reality it came and went just like 26, 27 and currently 28 are doing. We we’re paying bills, our car insurance got cheaper, our parents couldn’t claim us on their taxes, we probably didn’t “get home” as much as we liked and we finally started to realize we aren’t 21 anymore!  

Did we get the big jobs and make the big money? Now we know that’s what you’re thirties are for, right? I know I definitely didn’t find a job that didn’t interfere with my tan. In fact, I moved to a country lacking sunshine and where summer lasts four days on the good years!

I don’t remember even half of what I learned in school, but the life lessons have stuck with me and gotten me here today. The things I placed so much importance on when I was graduating school don’t seem as important. We’ve all gone and made wonderful lives for ourselves. I am consistently amazed at my incredible friends. How is it that we are old enough to buy houses, have babies, be parents? (Obviously I don’t feel I am – but lets be frank – it was always the joke that I would be the one still gallivanting around some foreign city at 30? I wouldn’t want to let anyone down!)  

Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men

We know we can survive it out there and make it somehow, but I think we will always be wondering if we’ll think about tomorrow like we think about now. Personally, I’m looking forward to being able to celebrate the last 10 years and can’t wait to see what the next 10 have in store! 

The Magical World of Running

Step step

Step step

One foot in front of the other

Keep going

A little further, to that bus stop, to the tree, to the mailbox

Weight on toes, Weight on toes

Dang - A heel step!

Step step

Step step

Hello, Good looking!

Big smile

Oh wait … breathe breathe

Damn, stitch!

Deep breath in, deep breath out

Step step

Step step

CAR!!!!!

Step step step step step step

Phew, smile …

I've always hated running. Actually, I've never been very good at sports. I was the kid who tried a new sport every year but despite all my best efforts always warmed the bench. My mother would never let me quit. “You don’t have to do it again next year but you do have to finish what you started this year,” she’d say. So, my poor coaches would be stuck with me for a season. My tennis coach put it best. We were at the end of year banquet and he’d gone around and said nice things about every player. He finally got to me and there was a long pause while you could tell he was really searching for the right words (I’d hit him in the head with the ball accidentally three times throughout the season and most of the time he was a good two or three courts away when it happened!) and said “Dash, you suck but you have a great attitude!”

But over the last few months I've taken up the act of running outdoors and I'm strangely starting to enjoy it. And no, it’s not just the Clapham eye candy that keeps me coming back for more but the ridiculous feeling of accomplishment I feel at the end of a nice long run.

Now, my success rate depends almost completely on whether or not I have a running buddy. I'm learning (for me) running is more of a team sport than I’d ever imagined. I do not have the drive or desire to keep going without a trusted buddy by my side and I'm lucky to have a great few. My drive comes from not wanting to let my buddy down or ruin his or her run. My drive is the fight to not want to be left behind or the jealousy of knowing the person who keeps going will be finished with the task before me. So, when running with a buddy, I keep going. I push a little harder, go a little faster and find a way to escape my body and work on auto pilot. And now I'm starting to understand the appeal of running, the rush and desire to do it again, the addiction to escaping and just doing. It’s a high worth fighting for!

While I've been averaging about 4.5 miles a day, my biggest accomplishment so far was a charity 10K my running buddy and I participated in this past Sunday. It was cold, windy and wet (and the free t-shirt was orange). The course was a 5K loop, so when all the 5K runners were being cheered across the finish line we got to run right by and do it again. The mental game to keep going was a new challenge but we pushed each other onwards. She pulled me through the first loop and I pushed her through the second. Teamwork, I tell you! We managed to cross the finish line at exactly 1:00:42.

While we were not the fastest or the strongest runners on the course we felt a great sense of accomplishment and the desire to find the next run and beat the next time.  Even now, I might never find a desire to run a marathon or even go farther than a 10K, but I am pretty proud that I've tackled my passionate hate for running and crossed over into the land of the people who “get it!” Who knows, I might just call myself a runner one day …   

Loves of my Life

I received a Valentines’ card from an old friend this year and in it she wrote “you've been a love of my life for over a decade” and then proceeded to reminded me what true friendship is all about. Her words couldn't be truer and I've spent the last few weeks thinking about all the loves of my life.

I've always said good friends are hard to come by but lifetime friends are one in a thousand. These are the people who know who you really are and put up with you (dare I even say; like you) anyway. The people who don’t judge you when you make a bad choice but let you cry on their shoulder and then tell you how awesome you are despite your stupidity.

I've realized good friends don’t ask questions, pry or enforce their opinions; they listen and support. They stand up for you even when they know you’re wrong, but hold you accountable for the future. They don’t point out your flaws, but constructively guide you towards the light. They are not judgemental, they are forgiving and they love unconditionally.

I am one lucky lady because I am surrounded by the most amazing, genuine, selfless, heartfelt people who remind me consistently that I am wanted where ever they are. As we say in the South, ‘my cup runneth over’.   

So, to all my loves – thank you! I hope I am as good as friend to all of you as you've been to me spanning over the last 28 years!

Just Be

January has always been my least favorite month. It’s the “tease” month. It bares all the promise and excitement of a new start but in reality its just January; long, cold and wet!

I’m not one for New Years resolutions. I figured out years ago that beginning the year a failure was no way to survive January. However, I stumbled across a bit of inspiration the other day. Now I’m not one to post deep thought after deep thought. To be completely honest, I’m not that pensive, but unlike most this one has struck a cord.

I found myself realising just how much truth there is in this most simple advice. Let’s take January for example. Leading up to the longest-month-of-the-year is all about “the go”; a massive race through the year. It starts so steady with long weekends and little trips away and picks up a little speed through the Summer with longer days and the desire to out last the sun. The sprint to the finish is filled with holidays, friends and family jamming that calendar right up to the first of the year! January holds all the promise and hope of things to come; that promotion or raise, the future love of your life, the next big move, the next big dream materialized. So, by the 29^th your either wondering one of two things; ‘why hasn’t it happened yet?’ or ‘why is it still January?!’ (Ok. Ok. Maybe more likely ‘is it payday yet?’)  But maybe, just maybe, January is that space between “no longer and not yet.” January might just be that special moment when you can ‘just be.’

So, here it is. The dreaded New Years resolution! This year I’m not going to rush. This year I’m going to learn to honor the space between and know that my ‘not yet’ will find me in time.   

All Are Welcome

The church bells chime filled the air as Baby Bro and I stepped out of the Vienna underground. We were congratulating ourselves getting up and out of the hostel so early on this Sunday morning when the bell's song drew us into the beautiful cathedral like sirens singing.

We sat in the back and were awed by the heavenly choir, the beautiful catherdral and the echoing of the footsteps as people found their seats. As the priest read the first readings (in German) people continued to trickled in and out. Some just there to get a closer picture and others to worship.

There was a sweet homeless man who stood not far from us the whole time. He would sing at the top of his lungs (missing every 3rd word or so) in a deep, but shakey, Austrian voice. When he wasn't singing he was consistently flipping through some sort of plastic cards (which I could only assume we're Austrian Pokemon). I was amused by him and spent a good bit of time wondering his story. (I guess I'll just have to make it up!) 

A young man pushed in an elderly woman bundled up in her wheelchair. He gently removed most of the layers (occasionally adding one or more back on at her request) while she glazed up at him with adoring eyes, reminding me how important family is. 

In front of us a wife leaned over and whispered to her sleeping husband and he jumped make to attention. This made me chunkle! 

Then the Priest was quiet and the hall was filled with the most beautiful song, a female solo from the choir, and it was clear; the spirit of the Lord had filled this place.

Faces of Travel

I'm lucky enough to have a little brother who loves to travel and wants to travel with me! This year Baby Bro came over on Christmas Day and we headed off on a couple of adventures! First stop was Inverness in the Scottish Highlands (one of the prettiest places I've ever been - I will definitely be heading back in the summer to explore the outdoor life a bit more in warmer weather!), then down to Edinburgh for the New Years' Hogmanay Festival. After that we popped over to Budapest, Hungary and finally landed an impromptu train to Vienna, Austria.

This last few weeks it began to strike me just how many people come in and out of life for little moments in time. There are brief snapshots of fast best friends which make an impact and create a special memory for all to share before they move on their way. Sometimes you never even learn their name!

We've had several faces pass in and out throughout our journey. Here are a just a few of our stories.

Our first night in the Inverness hostel was supposed to be a quiet one. We entered the room to find someone already occupying one of the beds. He had his head glued to a computer screen, his earphones in and didn't even glance up when we walked in. "Anti-social" we unfairly labeled him. It wasn't long until the door burst open and our next roommate came busting in. He drew our first roomie out of his computer and quickly became the life of Room 2! The four of us ended up at a Scottish music dance bar called Hootananny. We all tasted new Scottish beers and returned to the hostel to play Cards Against Humanity until the early morning hours. The next morning we said our goodbyes without even exchanging contacts and last names. And our journeys continued in separate directions.

We spent the next days braving my left side driving (don't worry - I only hit two things; a wall and a parked car. No one or car was injured) and hunting for the Lockness Monster, Nessie. While many more people crossed our paths over the next few days but those two helped create a fond memory to last a lifetime.

Next up was Edinburgh where we meet up with some good friends to ring in the new year. Since there was six of us we opted to book a place on Airbnb. This was one of the most pleasant rental experiences I've had. Our host was lovely leaving an arrangement of goodies! We were just another group to stay in her flat but she emailed and texted after our stay to say Happy New Year and ask about our experience. It's the little acts of kindness that make a massive difference.

Hungarian Hospitality is the only way I know now to describe the pride and excitement we witnessed from the Hungarian people. From the man at the tourist information booth whos excitement was contagious when he spoke about all Budapest has to offer to random people we asked for help on the street to the Hungarian tour guides, so full of personality, that made our tourist activities special; each face lit up when they got to share a piece of their culture. Hungary will forever hold a soft spot in my heart. And the atmoshpere and opportunity of Budapest, as a city, is one I never expected. There is so much to do in that little city that I honestly think the impression of most travellers is under rated. Everyone - check it out!

We boarded a train to Vienna (just cause we could, duh) and started playing cards. A middle aged Indian man approached us asking if we were Austrian. We politely replied "no" and went back to our game. About 20 mins later he was back asking where we were from and where we were going. He was travelling for work and had the weekend off and decided to take the train to Vienna for the same reason we did (just cause he could)! He must have been lonely because he filled our ears with work story after work story, most of which went right over our heads but he'd laugh and we'd courtesy chuckle along. This continued for the next two hours of the train when he finally got off a couple stops before us. We signed relief as we could finally chill again but I couldn't help feel a little soft for this lonely man and consider how we might have made a difference or a small memory in his trip just like so many of the people who have made an impression in ours.

We are just a couple days away from ending the trip and have enjoyed many good times in Austria and met some really lovely people! I hope the memories we've all made here will carry with us through the rest of our travels and longer.