tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69299582256103087332024-03-04T23:18:58.664-08:00For the WrenA blog about me, my journey through life, and my relationship with Christ.Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-41976370594098650222015-03-01T10:34:00.001-08:002015-03-01T10:34:19.189-08:00Being "In Shame"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this blog has become more of a sounding board when I've got thoughts I want to get out than anything else really- and that's 100% ok with me. Things like this are really too long for a Facebook status, but if someone else can learn from my idiotic mistakes, why not share them? I'm putting myself out there with this one, because it's not like the whole world needs to know everything that's going on and personal experiences being posted online are a scary thing- but this time I think it's worth it. I'm going to be totally honest, the past few weeks for me have been insanely overwhelming. With graduation just around the corner, no plans, no savings, and pressure from all sides to keep trucking along without even sputtering for a second, I've done what I know a thousand other seniors before me have done, and a thousand seniors after me will do: I choked. School slipped, friends slipped, my whole life slipped, and even though it was just for a brief second, it was enough to do some damage. The worst part is, when we let our own lives become overwhelmed and we don't immediately address it, its not just us that gets hurt. Damage is never isolated to a single person.<br />
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Enter Tumblr and Brenee Brown.<br />
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If you haven't read anything by Brenee Brown, you're missing out. "Self-help" books aren't everyone's cup of tea, but remember I'm a social-worker-to-be so I eat this stuff up. Generally I'm like "oh my gosh, all these skills and insights are going to be great to share with future clients!" but what's really happening is I end up thinking "oh my gosh, I should be someone's client because all of this stuff makes me realize all the dumb things I do." And if you don't like to read, at least watch her TED talk- because she's amazing. Anyways, I'm reading over the Gifts of Imperfection again before we discuss it in class, and I come across something that kind of punched me in the gut. "When we're in shame, we're not fit for human consumption. We need to get back on our emotional feet before we do, say, e-mail or text something that we'll regret." which reminded me of a Tumblr post that I reblogged at some ungodly hour last night: "Just because you've been hurt doesn't mean you're allowed to hurt people/ if you're toxic, put yourself in isolation, be by yourself and heal/ so you don't contaminate others". I can't even begin to explain how true this is- and it's an ugly vicious cycle. When we're "in shame", we're toxic to others. I was ashamed that my grades weren't top notch, that I fell behind in homework, that I wasn't able to be at every friend event there was, that I wasn't loving and taking full advantage of every opportunity that was being thrown at me. That shame turned me into such a toxic person and it completely rubbed off on people around me- my shame bubbled over and infected other people, and for that I will always be sorry.<br />
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I'm not saying anytime you're feeling overwhelmed you should pull away from everything and everyone. That's not healthy for anyone unless that's truly your coping mechanism. Complete isolation for me is probably the worst thing possible because I push myself into a spiral where I just get more upset with myself. But knowing this about yourself- what's healthy and what's not healthy for you- that's invaluable. Brenee says earlier in her book "As a matter of fact, we are wired for connection. It's in our biology." Our world is not conducive to isolation. We've been trained, we were born with, we evolved to have, we were created with, (take your ideological pick) an inherent need to connect with others. But when that connection is contaminated by our shame or our doubt or our insecurities, it's a flawed connection. It's ironic that we're wired for connection, when "one of the greatest barriers to connection is the cultural importance we place on 'going it alone'." Do you see the conflict here?<br />
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Our design is to connect, but our culture pushes disconnect- and sometimes it pushes disconnect under the guise of connection. It's a complex, mixed up, tangled web. It's so disgustingly difficult to navigate, and even more challenging trying to navigate it alone.<br />
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I guess what I'm saying is everyone feels shame, disappointment, overwhelmed, and a thousand other emotions that are none too pleasant. Deal with them, before they take over your life and the life of everyone around you. Find out how you cope. Find out how you can deal. If it's taking a 10 minute breather, if it's sitting down and writing out your thoughts, if it's venting to a friend or a therapist (just make sure it's productive and not a pity party), if it's going on a run or out for a night with friends. And whatever you do, DON'T ignore it or think that you have to go it alone, because you never do.</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-9411320281052331652014-05-13T15:34:00.000-07:002014-05-13T15:34:25.111-07:00A Week in the Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, I've been back a little less than a week and I've already fallen back into old routines. For those of you who didn't know, I'm in Oxford right now. I'm on another study abroad trip through ACU and I couldn't be happier. I got into London on Friday around noon, local time, spent a couple days there, and headed to Oxford on Sunday. It's been a quick few days, and it's not like I've seen a ton of stuff, but I'm so happy to be back. Everything I've done isn't new to me so I feel like posting about it would be slightly repetitive, except for Borough Market. I can't even explain in coherent words how much this place is my mecca. For a foodie traveler, this place has it all- fresh vegetables, meats of every variety (and I mean EVERY variety, there was even a kangaroo burger), TRUFFLES, aged cheeses, olives, ales, wines, vinegars, oils, breads, jams, I could probably go on for a day and half and still not cover it all.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The "official" Borough Market stand, where you can buy aprons, bags, coolers, potholders, and more. I of course, bought a re-usable grocery bag- so much better than carrying around all the plastic sacks from various vendors. ;)<br />
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Anyways, I probably spent more there than I should have, but when in Rome (or in this case, London), right? I think the food is my favorite part of traveling. The way things are cooked, what's available in the region, it all part of the culture of a city, of a country, even. I think it speaks volumes about the culture and the way people live, even in this day and age where you can have stuff flown in from the coast and on a customer's plate in a matter of hours. The fact that I see leek and potato soup everywhere I go, and local ciders each have a distinct flavor of their region amazes me because it speaks so much to how the people live.</div>
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Other than the food market in London I spent some time in Camden (yay cheap Chinese food and horse-stall shops!) and now I'm in Oxford. We got to tour some things today that I hadn't seen the last time around, and it's so interesting to be learning the true history behind all of the things I walked by without a second thought last time. I'm taking a Europe since 1914 History course here, and these first few days are loaded with readings and assignments while we have a classroom available to us. This Thursday we'll take our first exam and head to London as a class to see the War Rooms and a few monuments before heading out to Germany- Berlin to be exact. After Berlin we'll head to Prague, Czech Republic then Leipzig, Germany to wrap up the school portion of the trip. I'm so looking forward to seeing new things and experiencing new cultures- however not looking forward to the 50 pages of reading I have to present on in just a couple of days. After school concludes I'll be heading with Regan and Hannah to Greece for a nice two-week lounge on the beach vacation before heading back to Abilene (when it comes to this point, I might flat-out refuse to return and just live on an island forever) to work and move into the new apartment. Stay tuned these next few weeks for posts, as I've got some new tech that makes it much easier to post on the go while I'm here. Here's to hoping I'll be better about it than last time!</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-32118465385680059492014-03-10T23:45:00.000-07:002014-03-10T23:45:21.004-07:00Packing Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So! I haven't gone anywhere lately, and that's totally fine with me. School has been really intense as I finish up the last bit of my Social Work coursework and prepare to start internships next semester alongside the upper level psychology courses I still lack- needless to say, I've been too busy to even think about going anywhere. I've even decided to turn down two trip offers for spring break- one to Colorado and one to Austin in order to just recharge and get my ducks in a row. But just because I haven't gone anywhere doesn't mean I haven't had any fun! A friend and I explored some local Abilene treasures and went hiking at Abilene Lake, which in my opinion is more of a murky, thick, pond at this point. I've also done some shopping (always an adventure) and bought some basics for traveling and business interviews- yay internships! No pressure at all right? And then of course I've booked some things for Europe including the resort (Thanks Liz!) that my friend's mom is letting us use her time share to rent, our flights from Greece back to London, and our round-trip flight to London to get us there and back home to Texas! As you can see, I've been a busy bee. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, we accidentally dyed a cat pink- so there's that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7mVjBZWH_eySaCRGFuM5dkA2rqjL73qIoR760YoVr3IPOwDtA4H1Gxx1J5Y3C2M2iPmRDgu4Xft1BkCapJWNjcUQBWFuius3foqbQQAK2CnABfFFKwsxVQDoxTm-C_A2qJ_EpVKESSj7/s1600/1897923_10201716356810288_1359160690_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7mVjBZWH_eySaCRGFuM5dkA2rqjL73qIoR760YoVr3IPOwDtA4H1Gxx1J5Y3C2M2iPmRDgu4Xft1BkCapJWNjcUQBWFuius3foqbQQAK2CnABfFFKwsxVQDoxTm-C_A2qJ_EpVKESSj7/s1600/1897923_10201716356810288_1359160690_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYP67fQzEeSjcAd7B5jBTUypUl7euZ0JQ67eGYM289_6sfpsYQGPSc_BSC3zjkMaY78JsJZonEJl2KxW7xBNk0j5Nx38qY11vkVZw2mj5tJfSII21M1bpWDb46K2hA5_QEoIxdymVFCq_n/s1600/1779915_10152295105428487_177075689_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYP67fQzEeSjcAd7B5jBTUypUl7euZ0JQ67eGYM289_6sfpsYQGPSc_BSC3zjkMaY78JsJZonEJl2KxW7xBNk0j5Nx38qY11vkVZw2mj5tJfSII21M1bpWDb46K2hA5_QEoIxdymVFCq_n/s1600/1779915_10152295105428487_177075689_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeGWFh9pt5SMZBkheUc6OZdQ13rGveZP87mNwjIQFtjCxOl6v0hbBk-5Y6ORjKgBQJdxhoaBYA9rewhi65N5VryxR05E5nJ8XSeQ3HmMTdZTxcr31BBrhK97cyBsCRnq9rdwyeaY097Zu/s1600/1001527_10201763552350147_1801869805_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeGWFh9pt5SMZBkheUc6OZdQ13rGveZP87mNwjIQFtjCxOl6v0hbBk-5Y6ORjKgBQJdxhoaBYA9rewhi65N5VryxR05E5nJ8XSeQ3HmMTdZTxcr31BBrhK97cyBsCRnq9rdwyeaY097Zu/s1600/1001527_10201763552350147_1801869805_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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Anyways, as I near my next big trip to Europe I've been working a lot on packing efficiently and after putting my experience together with the plethora of blogs on packing light- I've decided to do a little 3-part series on packing. First (obviously, this one) is just some general packing tips as well as products that I've found to be crucial to traveling- light or otherwise. Second is going to be a specific packing post for my 32 days in Europe, which I'm packing entirely into a (large) backpack. Last, is going to be kind of a reflection once I get back from Europe on things I could have gone without and things I wish I had taken with me. All of this is in hopes that it will help someone further on down the road. Find out more about my packing essentials after the jump!<br />
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Ok, so I tried to photograph everything that's essential for me, but a few things are left out- but not to worry, I'll talk about them at the end! First up is what I pack in! If it's a trip where space is unlimited (ie- a weeklong trip to my parents house), I have a giant floral duffel bag that I got in England at Primark (Why does this place not exist in the US?) for about $30, and it's got wheels and a handle, really it's magical. Other than that, I have two hiking backpacks I like to pack in.<br />
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The first one, the larger one, is the Deuter Transit 50. You can buy it from several retailers, but after some online coupons and things that I found (just Google coupons for "store", you'll find plenty), <a href="http://www.tahoemountainsports.com/product/deuter-transit50-backpack" target="_blank">Tahoe Mountain Sports</a> had the best price. It's got a detachable duffel bag strap, as well as having a pocket for the backpack straps to zip up into. It's also got a removable day pack and a separate zippered space at the bottom- which were the two things I was looking for in this new backpack- the day pack for obvious reasons and the bottom pouch for shoes- to keep the smell and mud away from my clothing. The second backpack is an REI Traverse 30- which is obviously <a href="http://www.rei.com/product/854043/rei-traverse-30-pack" target="_blank">REI</a>'s personal brand. As you can see, the design has changed a bit since I bought mine three years ago- but I would still recommend it for a smaller pack if you want one for weekenders or are just a fantastically light packer. A lot of people might be thinking that $180 (which I paid much less than that for both of these) is a ridiculous amount to spend on a backpack- but it really isn't if you're planning on packing for five months in this thing, and then carrying it yourself all around various cities. Getting the right backpack is crucial to not only maximizing space, but your health. Carying a cheap backpack can really injure your back if it's too heavy, and both of these backpacks have waist straps that help take part of the load off my shoulders, as well as adequately padded straps. You can click over to where I bought each of them for full specs. Wow- obviously I could write an entire blog about the backpacks- it's just really important to find the one that's right for you- do a LOT of research, and don't just order stuff online. Go to REI and try on backpacks, find out what is comfortable for you. They even have weights to put in the backpack to help you really imagine what it's going to be like lugging these things around all the time.<br />
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Next are a few things that I consider to be for international travel only, though I suppose if you were flying or staying in a hostel in the United States, these things would be helpful then too.<br />
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1. <a href="https://www.rumeid.com/" target="_blank">ID tag</a> for your luggage. I got mine from Target and it's a special ID tag that has a QR Code- which to me is a universal language (this may or may not be ethnocentric of me). It makes me feel a bit better knowing that even if they can't read what's written on the tag, they could scan the QR code and translate the information on your phone.<br />
2. Locks. I have two different kinds here, one from REI (which is no longer available that I can find) that uses a card with holes to open it and another from Target or somewhere that's a combo lock. Both locks are TSA acceptable- which is really important, because if TSA can't open your bag, they're going to be upset with you. TSA acceptable basically means it has a keyhole that TSA will have a key for- I guess it's like a universal thing, that every agent has the same key.<br />
3. <a href="http://www.target.com/p/t-tech-by-tumi-inflatable-neck-pillow-black/-/A-14496895#prodSlot=large_1_1" target="_blank">Inflatable neck pillow</a>. Neck pillows are really important for long car rides or flights, but especially if you're packing light, you don't want to be stuck lugging it around forever. This way, you can deflate it and put it at the bottom of your bag and forget about it till the next flight!<br />
4. Map. This may seem silly with technology now, but when traveling internationally, it's REALLY expensive to use maps on your phone, and while many coffee shops have wifi, to me it's easier to have a map of the city I'm in with me at all times. Most tourist shops will have free paper maps, and if they're not free, they're generally super cheap- they're not mean.<br />
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Next is stuff to keep you organized. For me, traveling is insane, I'm dropping my bag in a locker, locking it, and setting off to explore the city. I don't want to spend 30 minutes looking for the right jacket or untangling my jewelry in order to get the one that I want.<br />
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1. Eagle Creek Specter Cubes. I have the <a href="http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-specter-compression-cube-set/d/1281" target="_blank">compression</a> set and the <a href="http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-specter-cube-set/d/1229" target="_blank">packing</a> set- both I've found to be super useful! They are a bit pricey, so if you're thinking about investing, make sure you shop around to see who's having a sale.</div>
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2. Straws. As odd as this sounds- straws are really useful for packing necklaces! I saw this on Pinterest a while back and I'm so glad I did because it's kept my necklaces from getting tangled, a true time saver.</div>
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3. Jewelry organizer. Honestly, this is one of those <a href="http://www.amazon.com/100pcs-Clear-Acrylic-French-Package/dp/B0078VJ1OK/ref=sr_1_4?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1394516185&sr=1-4&keywords=plain+fake+nails" target="_blank">plastic nails boxes</a> from back when I was in junior high and thought that stuff was awesome, but if that seems odd to you, I'm sure amazon has a variety of cute organizers to choose from.</div>
4. Lined Toiletries Bag. Mine is from <a href="http://www.soapandglory.com/products/travel/bags/the-all-set" target="_blank">Soap and Glory</a> and came in a set of 3- works great and is cute to boot. This is really important- because if you're packing liquids of any kind, if you change altitude, your bag gets squished, things open, whatever, your clothes are all getting messy- it's a nightmare. The Specter Cubes aren't waterproof like most toiletries bags, so if you pack liquids in them, they'll just leak out.<br />
5. Other bags. Ok, so this is for those that don't feel like dropping coin on the Specter cubes- and these things work just as well. What's underneath the jewelry organizer and toiletries bag is a cloth bag that a sheet set came in. I use this for shoes, to keep mud or whatever else from getting on other things- but you can just as easily use this to organize your clothes if you have a few of them.<br />
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Next up- my beauty products. This is important for some people. For others- they just throw whatever they grab first in to a bag and that's a-ok, you do you. For me, this is close to what I use on a daily basis, but I know for some girls this is an insanely small amount of beauty products.<br />
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1. Eyeshadow Palettes. I have a couple <a href="http://www.target.com/p/eye-shadow-381b-ic-13oz-sw-candy/-/A-13966690#prodSlot=medium_1_31&term=wet and wild" target="_blank">Wet & Wild</a> shimmery pallets that I like to use because they're cheap and swatch similar to a few of my fave colors from the naked 1, 2, & 3, all of which were way out of my price range. ELF also has some great travel size palletes, not to mention a hundred different brands offer things that are more customize-able. Also pictured is <a href="http://www.sephora.com/naked-basics-palette-P376213?skuId=1458157" target="_blank">Naked Basics</a>, which I never leave home without.<br />
2. LUSH. Let's just get all these products out in one fell swoop. <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Happiness/03685,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Happiness</a>- which is what I use as a liquid gold (or according to them bronze) eyeliner. Then there's the shampoo bar- and I honestly don't remember which one is pictured, but <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Jumping-Juniper/00554,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Jumping Juniper</a> and <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Soak-and-Float/00101,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Soak and Float</a> (which was introduced to me as Smoke & Whiskey, which smells accurate) are both fantastic as well. Then there's <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Jungle/03399,en_US,pd.html#q=jungle&start=1" target="_blank">Jungle Bar</a>, a solid conditioner, which works for pinched travel, but honestly I'd rather have my regular deep conditioner. Next is <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/No-Drought/9999903589,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">No Drought</a>, their dry shampoo, which is great and not in an aerosol can, which can't be taken on an airplane. <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Lush-Site/en_US/Search-Show?q=toothy%20tabs" target="_blank">Toothy tabs</a> in various flavors- these things are awesome, and grab them while you can! The sales rep at Dallas Galleria said they're rumored to be discontinued soon. A scalp bar and soap sample- the scalp bar I can't find anywhere and might be a UK item since various countries have their own stuff- I got it in Oxford and haven't seen them since. <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Each-Peach-%28and-Two%27s-a-Pair%29/03861,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Each Peach</a> lotion- lotion bars are a must when my skin is being put through various climates, sunny days, and lots of other harsh conditions. <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Buffy/9999902127,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Buffy</a>- exfoliating, moisturizing, and magnifique. Last but not least is <a href="http://www.lushusa.com/Mint-Julips/03057,en_US,pd.html#q=lip%2520sugar&start=3" target="_blank">Mint Julips</a>- a lip scrub that I can't live without. OK! I promise I wasn't paid for that LUSH plug, their stuff is just all solid and fantastic for traveling especially since they sell tins in the store that fit their products perfectly. (However, if a LUSH rep were to see this and want to thank me for promoting their products with some free swag, I would definitely never turn it down.) With LUSH products I don't have to worry about hitting liquid limits, which I'm always concerned about.<br />
3. Basic Makeup- for me this is mineral powder and tinted moisturizer (both Mary Kay). Brown eyeliner in a felt tip pen form (<a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/eyeliner/waterproof_eyeliner_pen" target="_blank">ELF</a>) and black eyeliner (Mary Kay). Mascara- whatever I happened to have picked up from CVS at the time. <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod3330137" target="_blank">Urban Decay Lid Prime</a>r. <a href="http://www.target.com/p/burt-s-bees-lip-balm-beeswax/-/A-13480831#prodSlot=medium_2_1&term=burts+bees" target="_blank">Burt's Bees Lip Balm</a>. <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5120071" target="_blank">Lipstick Queen Sinner</a> (by Poppy) in Red and Pink, as well as matching lip liners from Walmart.<br />
4. Body Spray- I always carry a small one from Bath & Body works, always something citrus. I've heard solid perfumes are great, but I've yet to find one that comes highly enough recommended from friends to spend the money on them. I'll probably end up trying to make my own with some shea, soy, and essential oils before the big trip comes around.<br />
5. Deodorant. I almost always wear a man's deodorant, for several reasons. One, it works better- let's be honest, if I'm walking around with a giant backpack and the sun beating down, I'm going to need something that works. Secondly, generally if I smell like men's cologne and I'm traveling alone (and this is advice I'd received from someone else originally), I don't get hassled as much because they're always thinking about a man that's with me that's probably right around the corner. I wish the world weren't this way, but it is, and a feminist rant is now that this post needs right now. (:<br />
6. Makeup Remover- this is just whatever brand I happen to pick up, but Mary Kay has dry makeup remover sheets that are "just add water" kinds of things, so that's one less thing to force into that quart-sized ziplock!<br />
7. Hair ties and bobby pins, in a small ziplock. I don't use the fabric hair ties when I travel- just the small black rubber ones- they work just as fine for me.<br />
8. Ok, last thing in this picture is a small tin, up on the top, that's moisturizer. I use Nivea soft, but use whatever you use- it's just nice to have it in a smaller travel sized container (this was originally packaging for earrings from Target).<br />
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Last are my miscellaneous items that I travel with- all of which are important.<br />
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1. Water bottle. This one is a <a href="http://www.camelbak.com/Sports-Recreation/GrooveLanding/Main.aspx" target="_blank">Camelback</a> and has the filter straw on it, because you can never be too safe!<br />
2. Flashlight- because I've gotten caught in pitch black parts of town too many times to be comfortable.<br />
3. Eyedrops and contacts.<br />
4. Hair Clip.<br />
5. Travel makeup mirror. This is from Mary Kay and stands up so that I can adjust the angle.<br />
6.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/EcoTools-MINERAL-Make-Brush-Travel/dp/B001EM1BBK" target="_blank"> Eco Tools travel brush kit</a>. This one is really great and even has a mini-kabuki!<br />
7. Vitamins. Especially when traveling, you're wearing your body down by exposing it to new germs that it's not used to, not to mention you generally push yourself past what you do on a daily basis. Staying healthy while traveling is important, and be sure to take with you the types of things recommended for the region.<br />
8. <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/spiral-iron/SBS-301016,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Travel Hair Tool</a>. This one is really cool. I generally let my hair do whatever, but sometimes I like to dress up, especially when I'm having fun in a new place while traveling. This one is special because there's a switch that changes it from a straightener to a curling wand, it's miniature, and it's meant to handle dual voltages- International travelers rejoice! It's seriously the best purchase I've ever made.<br />
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Last couple things not pictured are <a href="http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/Burts-Bees-100-Natural-Lemon-Butter-Cuticle-Cream-with-Vitamin-E?skuId=310523" target="_blank">Burt's Bee's cuticle cream</a>, which I never leave home without. A nude, a bright and a Sparkly nailpolish (generally <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nail-Lacquer-Taupe-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B0027107J4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394519500&sr=8-1&keywords=opi+taupe" target="_blank">OPI Taupe</a>, <a href="http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/Revlon-Parfumerie-Scented-Nail-Enamel-Apricot-Nectar?skuId=939820" target="_blank">Revlon Apricot</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SEPHORA-OPI-Nail-Colour-Looks/dp/B004534AZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394519649&sr=8-1&keywords=sephora+looks+like+rain+dear" target="_blank">Sephora Gold</a>), and <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5160097" target="_blank">Sea Salt Spray</a>, currently using Got 2b's.<br />
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I feel like this post might say more about my beauty routine than how I pack.. but oh well. Hope something I said sparks an idea or helps you plan for your next excursion! Stay tuned later this week for a LONG OVERDUE post about my weekend in Paris last December.<br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-57056806810592481142014-01-05T11:41:00.001-08:002014-01-05T11:41:38.772-08:00Reflections and Fresh Starts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ah, here it is, the obligatory reflecting post for 2013, and my often-forgotten resolutions for 2014. I love new beginnings, I'm a fresh start kind of person. We can shrug off the worries of the old year and bring in the new with fresh opportunities and the wonder in our eyes of children. It happens every year- and I love it. This past year was no doubt a difficult one, from the loss we have felt as a family to the hard work I put myself through at school, this past year really took it's toll. Amid all the struggles though- there is one thing that kept me fresh- and that is adventure. Though I spent the entire year stateside- that doesn't mean I didn't travel. Below are a few of my favorite adventures that I got to take in 2013!<br />
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Holi Festival at Tarleton State University with Regan, Jessica, Jeremiah, Liz, Audrey, and Andrea<br />
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Spring Break in Austin where I got to see my sketchbook that's now housed in the Brooklyn Art Library<br />
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Family Vacation in South Dakota where we visited Nathan, Wall Drug, and Mt. Rushmore<br />
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Austin City Limits Music Festival with Regan and Liz<br />
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And now for the resolutions! I'm so bad about writing posts as soon as I get back from the trip, and this year, I endeavor to do so! We have a few weekenders planned (we want to do a weekender in Shreveport this semester- and probably one in Austin, and another in Fort Worth), but the majority of my travel funds this year will be going to my next trip to Europe!<br />
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For those of you that don't know, I'm returning to Europe for about five weeks as soon as the spring semester ends- and I am very excited. Before, I did a semester long study-abroad trip that held a full course load of classes- this time, it's a single course done in three weeks. It's a class about Europe in War and Peace from 1914 to 2014, and I am very excited to be learning about the history of Europe while standing where it happened! The trip will include: Oxford and London, England; Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic. After the course ends a friend and I will be meeting another friend in Greece (yes, I finally get to go to Greece!) for my Birthday! Best present to myself- ever. I'm working really hard to pay for the trip, as things like this are quite pricey- but to me, it's worth cutting back in some places so that I can do things like this. I also learned to use my credit card wisely and earn rewards like airline miles and hotel vouchers- which has really helped in preparation for this trip. I still have a few things left to buy- as for this trip I'm not taking a suitcase whatsoever! I'll be backing in a backpack and not checking any luggage in order to cut down on flight costs, and it's a huge challenge to myself- because I never pack light! We've done some strategic planning, using shampoo bars and the like in order to carefully allot our liquid limits, and picked out the perfect backpack that has great pockets, versatile straps, and a detachable day-bag. I'm definitely looking forward to the new experience, as everywhere on this trip (excluding Oxford and London) are brand new to me!<br />
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My second resolution is one I've done for a couple years now, but this time I've chosen a more challenging version. I always pick a cookbook at the beginning of the year and cook my way through it. I generally pick small cookbooks- things that are 50 baking recipes or the like- however, this time I've chosen Williams-Sonoma's Weeknight Fresh + Fast by Kristine Kidd. I'm looking forward to trying new things, as I chose this book because the recipes were not only simple, but had a lot of ingredients I've never worked with. I love expanding my cooking skills, and the kitchen has always been my favorite room in the house, so it's only fitting that it becomes part of my resolutions.<br />
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Last resolution is to give myself some tech-free time! I'm not quite sure what this is going to look like, because turning technology off in the evenings like so many have suggested is simply not an option for a college student at a mobile-learning initiative campus. I have schoolwork, and that means using technology. I'm bumping around the idea of being Facebook free for one week a month, or maybe organizing some sort of technology free game-night with my friends that's a regular occurrence- who knows. I love that technology has become what it is- it really has made leaps and bounds that blow my mind (did you know that they're developing a 3-D printer to be used in the medical field, to grow new organs!? that amazes me). But I also firmly believe that it's taken away from our face to face contact, that oh-so-precious connection that you get when you are truly spending time with someone, engaging in life, technology can never adequately replace that, and the sad part is, it hasn't replaced it, it's shoved it out of our lives with a quick "ttyl". So this year I'm going to endeavor to become less dependant on my technology, and we'll see how it goes.<br />
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Anyways, I'm back to doing domestic things- my last chance before the semester starts. I've already made cookies and enough Prickly Pear Strawberry Jam to last a lifetime! Now I'm on to experimenting making my own chips from various fruits and vegetables! Till next time.<br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-22921082304568946162013-12-20T17:26:00.001-08:002013-12-22T21:59:37.534-08:00Christmas Greeting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear Friends and Family,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some years we tumble through,
laughing and tripping over each other as we merrily race from one life-goal, to
the next. Some years we turn up our collars against the storms of life until,
as the carol says, “The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes
once more.” Most years, like this one,
seem to sneak by us as we bend down to tie our shoes for the race, and when we
look up, we find it is over. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The last year has been a time of
change for Teresa. In December of 2012 she finished her Master’s degree in Education
with an emphasis on math curriculum (something she was working on when she was
moved to teaching two classes of English Language Arts, Social Studies, and
Technology for 4<sup>th</sup> grade). Teresa was moved back to second grade
this year. There is some relief at not being in a grade where a standardized
test is being given, but the downside is the need to become familiar with a new
curriculum after having taught the same grade for five<span style="color: red;"> </span>years.
She is especially happy to be teaching all subjects in one self-contained
class. The intensified scrutiny and micromanagement, that are now so prevalent
in the public schools make teaching a less enjoyable profession than when she
first began. However, her love for the children has not waned, and it is their sense
of discovery that makes the job worthwhile. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ray is still working in the IT
department at Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing. The company continues to grow
and evolve to meet the demands of a changing market, so he is continually finding
new challenges and opportunities in meeting the demands of his job. He doesn’t
get as many calls from the designers to model clothes being reviewed before
production, since he has lost a little weight, but it’s a small price to pay
for step toward being healthier.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ray and Teresa continue to be
very involved in church life at Fossil Creek Community Church. Their primary responsibility
and greatest joy is co-teaching an adult Sunday school class. Due to a sabbatical
being taken by one of the other adult teachers, their class has more than
doubled in size and changed considerably in demographics, so they will start
2014 looking for new ways to present Gods word in a way that is relevant,
interesting and impactful to their students. Ray was also chosen to serve on
the church board and will serve for two more years. He is honored to have the
opportunity to serve as a support to the ministry of our church and is blessed
to work with a wonderful group of other leaders. But after an especially lengthy recent budget
meeting, he is now a proponent for padded chairs at all board meetings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIo9KNb1TmvsD9QiFF7oDvmAto9Fy6x7pfvyBYTSwbJuILz-hdGDmRsZeL-UiGTSxqD8FKmPmI3Ki6jBcfQUsAcI7xxN5VFATAhCrYYsLZ9cxlVNOfP-Azk5PknO49Lk43OM0sjwx8TX9N/s1600/Nathan+SD+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIo9KNb1TmvsD9QiFF7oDvmAto9Fy6x7pfvyBYTSwbJuILz-hdGDmRsZeL-UiGTSxqD8FKmPmI3Ki6jBcfQUsAcI7xxN5VFATAhCrYYsLZ9cxlVNOfP-Azk5PknO49Lk43OM0sjwx8TX9N/s200/Nathan+SD+2013.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADCW-3R8Fo_Gf1NC420nZKRsQo5Cjtx50YUWKwh1Ob7T0RDKlaPTUUCb-GO1ukeZqea_4L-q6r4r45VP2LPtbYCVxkSZbmmluQFhIx8j5Gz7gvnJrWo2pylAhnQaw_77kUsUyTN3EMrRl/s1600/380916_10150464895395909_310006094_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADCW-3R8Fo_Gf1NC420nZKRsQo5Cjtx50YUWKwh1Ob7T0RDKlaPTUUCb-GO1ukeZqea_4L-q6r4r45VP2LPtbYCVxkSZbmmluQFhIx8j5Gz7gvnJrWo2pylAhnQaw_77kUsUyTN3EMrRl/s200/380916_10150464895395909_310006094_n.jpg" width="150" /></a>Early last year, Nathan adopted a
black lab mix puppy and named her Storm. She has an exuberance for life that
has kept us all on our toes. In May, Nathan moved to Huron, South Dakota to
work for the city at their recycling center, work very similar to what he had been
doing for a private business in Fort Worth. He called Texas many times to brag
about the mild weather in South Dakota, while we were experiencing 100 degree
days. We didn’t have the heart to brag, but did inquire about how he was
enjoying the snow, once winter hit, way back in Octoburrrrr. Storm loved the
snow and the space she had to run and play fetch, her all-time <i>favorite</i> game. However, due to a cutback
in hours for the winter season and a lack of available housing, Nathan has
decided to return to Fort Worth. He is looking forward to starting 2014 with a
new job and his own apartment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVPvmjJip1_T8ZfHn8T72Q82Tn52YzokhrpI6nHZ1TO3UCUTPiOSR9ShV03jOmbHE8lEDB1jHQqMg3Mc5MF5Dw-6hdX1S78FLJw_tOWSaGmuvMoSxCMQNtrzzVwyPLdzNrubmkB8d4o-m/s1600/376634_10151160279273366_2052680842_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVPvmjJip1_T8ZfHn8T72Q82Tn52YzokhrpI6nHZ1TO3UCUTPiOSR9ShV03jOmbHE8lEDB1jHQqMg3Mc5MF5Dw-6hdX1S78FLJw_tOWSaGmuvMoSxCMQNtrzzVwyPLdzNrubmkB8d4o-m/s200/376634_10151160279273366_2052680842_n.jpg" width="133" /></a>Rachel is midway through her junior
year at Abilene Christian University (Go Wildcats!). This past summer, she
moved off campus into a house with three roommates and is immensely enjoying
having her own kitchen. She loves to cook and entertain and has been learning
many new Asian recipes from one of her roommates. Rachel is seeking a double
major in Social Work and Psychology with a minor in International Studies. She
will begin her internships this coming year and will start applying to graduate
schools, as her chosen field requires at least a Master’s degree. She still
feels strongly that she would like to travel and work in the anti-human
trafficking movement. Much of this type of work takes place outside the US, and
since exposure to other cultures will be so important, she plans to spend five
weeks abroad in Europe this coming May. This will be her second study-abroad
opportunity and the third time she has had the chance to travel to Europe. Oh
the difficulties of being a college student in a global culture!<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of us will be together for
Christmas, an unexpected, but much appreciated blessing! Bring on the cards!
Rachel and Teresa (still not a dog-lover, but definitely won over by a certain
black four-legged tornado) are looking forward to spoiling Storm. Teresa has
dibs on taking her through the Starbucks drive-through for a pup-uccino and
Rachel plans to treat her to outings at the local dog park, saving Ray the
worry of Storm’s version of landscaping the backyard. Nathan is looking forward
to the warmer Texas weather and getting his fix of Texas fajitas and tacos.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2013 has been a full and blessed
year for the Williams family.</div>
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No matter what kind of year you’ve
had, the Christmas season offers an opportunity for us to look up from our
time-bound existence and revel in the miracle of an infinite God who has, at
great cost, chosen to send his Son. Through his life, death, and resurrection,
Jesus provides the opportunity for us to leave the temporal and enter the infinite.
We hope you will join us as we thank God for his grace and love, celebrated at
this Christmas season with friends and family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Merry Christmas,</div>
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The Williams Family</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-37888478725914649362013-11-04T14:50:00.001-08:002013-11-04T14:50:21.173-08:00Tis the Season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, the title of the post might be misleading- no, I'm not about to start talking about Christmas. As many people know I prefer for all talk of Christmas to be reserved for December. Call me a scrooge- I just think that too much of a good thing... well, you know. No, right now it's the season to be thankful- and with so many things going on in the world, political dissatisfaction, financial crisis, and a general lack of international peace, it can be hard to be thankful for the day-to-day. Today I found myself in exactly this same spot. Money is tight, news is grim, and a break from schoolwork grind is nowhere in sight. Now, I know it seems like I'm straying from the general theme of this blog- which is supposed to be travel, but read on and trust my judgement on this one- I promise I'll tie travel in. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>This is my ring. I wear it on almost a daily basis, and it is a constant reminder that I am enough just the way I am- that was the intention when I had it made in Camden Markets, London, England. However, today, it has been a reminder that what I have is enough. It can be really tough- and I've mentioned this before- going to a school that has a majority of students that seemingly have more than I do. More money, more free time, more fun, more friends, more family, more of everything. But today, as I was thinking about how stressful next semester is going to be, how tight money is going to be, and how different my friendships will look- after everything I've dealt with this semester, I looked down, and something in me clicked. I was so appalled with myself for the reason that I didn't even think twice about what I do have. I have awesome experiences in multiple countries that some people can't even dream of ever seeing someday. I have beautiful friends that are there to make me laugh and support me in my endeavors, and sometimes even join me. I have parents that fully embrace my love of other cultures, and encourage me to explore this vast and beautiful world. I have brothers that bring me so much joy, sometimes I can't help but talk about how great they are to me. I have a government (sorry for getting political), that will front me the money to get an education that some will never even dare to reach for. I have rights and abilities that I never lifted a finger for- so shame on me for complaining about the things I do have to work for- because even my job, though some days I dread it, is a blessing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNsZSktTwCb_iXaKKqo_ziny_b6fmfYmT3M4JqLa0YkFvmQB23k_VprfAtn63g8kxc7oIQ_-rjLc938OP3fVI-eOj88OtcXz_0yQzZwRVJrpkT1dtewpbEr_SsSpvGe8t19h4m8afGxvA/s1600/65720_4775571786823_854443645_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNsZSktTwCb_iXaKKqo_ziny_b6fmfYmT3M4JqLa0YkFvmQB23k_VprfAtn63g8kxc7oIQ_-rjLc938OP3fVI-eOj88OtcXz_0yQzZwRVJrpkT1dtewpbEr_SsSpvGe8t19h4m8afGxvA/s200/65720_4775571786823_854443645_n.jpg" width="133" /></a>So, as I'm thinking through all this in my mind- my phone buzzes- it's an email. It's an email from a design company I gave my email to so that I could use some of their free iPhone backgrounds. I didn't know about the company, I didn't even really look into any of the other products, I just wanted free iPhone backgrounds (P.S. Another thing to be thankful for is my amazing access to technology). Anyways, I get this email, I open it up, assuming it's some sort of marketing email (I've been getting a lot of store discounts lately), when I notice it's an email post about being thankful. God's timing can be impeccable- right? Well, <a href="http://jonesdesigncompany.com/holiday/three-ways-practice-gratitude/" target="_blank">here</a> is the link, and I strongly encourage you to read it- because not only is it really encouraging- but it's got some super great printables at the end for Thanksgiving (P.S. I really love printables).<br />
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Anyways, It's my challenge to myself this month, as part of my personal creativity initiative, part of <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> (more on another project related to this later in the month), and as part of participation in this season of Thanksgiving- to write daily (personally, but I'll try to post a blog at the end of each week) about things I'm thankful for, as well as daily encouraging others to be thankful. So as you go about your day, your week, your month, remember- tis the season to be thankful.<br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-54080475350887336392013-10-15T22:10:00.001-07:002013-10-15T22:10:50.305-07:00Italian Adventures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: inherit;">So, I've just gotten back from my weekend in Austin, and oh man. I really should be studying, or writing papers, or doing any number of things that isn't writing a blog, but when I get the urge to write, I write, and Italy has been on my to-do list for months now, almost a year, which is insane to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But, as my laundry goes through it's spin cycle, I find myself with extra procrastinating time on my hands after tidying up and packing away my trusty duffel bag (<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">£15 at Primark, my best purchase ever, if I do say so myself) from my last adventure, so I've decided to talk about Italy a little bit- and by a little I mean I'll keep this as brief as possible, but I LOVE to talk about Italy. The native people, the culture, the food, not to mention the company that I went on my trip with, was all fantastic. The cities we stopped at were, in order- Pisa, Genoa, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, and if you ask me to pick a favorite, you'd be cruel, because there's no way I can.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">In Pisa, we obviously saw the Piaza del Duomo also known as Piazza dei Miracoli </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.1875px;">which houses the Tower of Pisa, the Duomo, and the Baptistry- all three world renowned and astonishingly beautiful. We also visited a park and a few other things, but the highlight of this city was definitely the Tower of Pisa- It's a must stop for the tourist group, and though I hate to be cliche, this was the time to be one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.1875px;">In Genoa we enjoyed a few days rest before meeting up with the rest of our group in Milan, we enjoyed good food and the Genoa Aquarium, which is known as one of the best in the world, and if you know me, I'm a sucker for aquariums.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"> <span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">In Milan we met up with the rest of our group, and we window shopped- everything was way out of my price range. I loved the city, but it definitely did make me feel poor, and I felt very out of place with my travel shorts and t-shirts, wearing my dirty TOMS and my hair in a pony tail while people from all over Europe were enjoying the high fashion scene.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"> <span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">In Florence we saw the famous Duomo and the statue of David- and boy were they both spectacular! I'm not one for museums, but the the David was well worth it! You can't take pictures inside the museum, but I did take a couple pictures of a smaller replica in a plaza of statues- which was really cool! We also had the chance to meet up with another group that was traveling in Italy at the same time- we met up a friend at a pizzareia and then headed over to their hotel to catch up and share stories about how our trips had been going- of course, we were all having a fantastic trip.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 19.1875px;">And then there was Rome- you can spend weeks in Rome and still have more to see, but we only had a couple days, so I hit the stuff at the top of my list which included a few fountains, the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Vatican City- all way cool. I definitely want to go back and spend at least a week there- I don't think I'd ever get tired of it all. Also, we were in Rome for Thanksgiving, so we hit up the fantastic Frascheteria Burnetti- a fantastic restaurant with fantastic service and fantastic food- did I mention it was fantastic? I think it's my favorite place in the world. Actually, I know it's my favorite place in the world- the city is, at least. It lives and breathes excitement, and if anyone wanted to sponsor me in living there for a year, I would gladly take them up. It's places like Rome that make me want to drop out of college and try my chances at a travel writer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 19.1875px;">Lastly, was Naples. We were in Naples mainly so that we could take a day trip out to Pompeii, which was well worth it. Naples itself I'm sure has things to see, but we were short on time, and the part of Naples we did see was mostly like the grungy part of Downtown Fort Worth, except you don't speak the language, so you can tell off any of the guys that come on to you. Naples is the one city in Italy that I actually had trouble with the men. I was kissed in the middle of a street, caressed on a subway, and in general ogled at. I didn't mind the off the cuff "Ciao Bella!!" or occasional whistle, but Naples just steps things up a notch. I definitely don't recommend the city to anyone. However, Pompeii was really amazing. We got to see so much history, climb on ruins, and I even found some super awesome mushrooms (another back-up to finishing college is becoming a mycologist!)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 19.1875px;">Well that's all for this post. I have a ton of little stories I could tell, but I feel like this is getting long enough. I'll save the stories for a rainy day, other than this one.</span></div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-50943301674028012132013-09-30T19:28:00.001-07:002013-09-30T19:28:17.964-07:00Adulting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, lately I've been reading the book <u>Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps</u>. It's really great, and I feel no shame in reading a self-help book, because honestly, being an adult is hard work, especially when you not only have to be an adult for yourself, but because of your responsibilities to other people as well. So, as I'm reading this book, I decide that it's a good idea for me to share my 10 Steps to Adulting, made easy. Some of these, you might think, are things that I don't do- and isn't that hypocritical? Yes, there are a couple of these that I struggle with, but when I do them, I feel soo much better about myself. There are a lot of really complicated things about being responsible that make me exhausted, but for sanity's sake, here are ten that are plain simple.<br />
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One. Have a morning drink routine. For some people, it's coffee, for others it's tea, and some start off with water. But starting your day with fluids is a grade-a way to make yourself feel more confident about facing the day. I'm not generally a fan of hot drinks, so I always make a big gallon batch of peach green tea lemonade at the beginning of the week. Peach green tea lemonade is one of the most delicious things I've ever had, and rather than spending $6 on a venti one at Starbucks, or if I'm parched, a treinta- I've got my own down to a science. It's fairly simple and has four ingredients: Great Value Lemonade Powder, 1 can of Kern's Peach Nectar (sometimes found near the ethnic food section, where they have coconut water and stuff like that), Tazo Green Tea Bags (pitcher size), and water. Bring your tea bag and water to a boil, and let it boil for as long as you want your tea strong- tea drinkers will understand this. Pour the tea into a gallon pitcher, add the lemonade and peach nectar, and then fill to the top with water- it's that simple, and the only sugar comes from the peach nectar- which is natural! On days that I need a stronger dose of caffeine I have coffee frozen into ice cubes, splenda (so I'll get cancer one day, oh well), and milk at the ready for those days that I need coffee, but don't want the hot drink. Additionally, I keep a couple single serve tea bags and sweetener in my purse, so if I need a mid-day boost, I can do so by stopping by a water fountain, instead of a Starbucks.<br />
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Two. Buy nice towels. I can not even begin to explain the luxury of a wonderful towel. A nice towel can feel like you're drying yourself off with $100 bills- figuratively, obviously, because money is not really absorbent. I'm not saying go and spend fifty dollars on one towel- that's crazy talk. I'm just saying, instead of using the towels that your parents bought you your Freshman year at the dorms, invest in nice towels (I replace mine about once a year). Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond all have a good selection of color and quality for manageable prices- so you have no excuse. Also, own more than one- and use a fresh one at the beginning of each week.<br />
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Three. Be prepared for a guest. Even if it's a friend stopping by to say hey- always keep some snacks and drinks handy. For me, this means having drink mixes on hand that you can whip up, some crackers, some cheese, and some fruit. You never know when someone will just need to talk, and company is always added to by the comfort of a snack. Additionally, if you have friends like mine, you never know when someone might need a place to say for the night. For me, this means having a couple extra throw blankets, a guest pillow (and pillow cases), a sheet set, and an air mattress (because we have a love seat, not a couch and my friends aren't munchkins). Now, when I say air mattress, I'm not saying you have to buy that luxurious double thick blah blah blah. No, they're crashing for a night, not renting a hotel room. That way, if Suzie calls at 2am because she "just needs a break from it all", you can not only offer a snack, but a night away to clear her thoughts.<br />
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Four. Vegetables. I have a lot of friends that survive entirely off of ramen noodles, microwave meals, and takeout (no judgement), but for me, that is simply not an option. Whether it's a handful of salad mix, easy to cook veggies (sliced yellow or calabaza squash and zucchini, salt, pepper, 350 degrees, 20 mins), or a fancy dish that takes two hours to make because you feel like it, have a substantial vegetable with at least one meal a day, if not two or three (veggies with breakfast is hard, I get it). An extension of this is knowing what you're going to eat. Hitting up the grocery store four times a week is counter-productive, time consuming, and silly. Think about what you want to eat that week (a general idea is fine), and get the ingredients. Also stock your general items that are easy to spruce up like a few kinds of pasta sauce and noodles. My thing is always having mac n' cheese. If you add a can of Wolf Chili and some Rotel(drained) (and because I like it spicy, Tony's and chili powder), you have chili mac- or as my friend calls it- Ghetto Mac. Judge me all you want, but it's ready in 20 minutes, easy to keep on hand, and I've never had a complaint. Knowing that you have food to eat is just one less stress during the week.<br />
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Five. Stock your medicine cabinet. So many people I know, college students and workforce-rs alike, don't have a stocked medicine cabinet. To me, who was stocking band-aids in my backpack in grade three, this seems ridiculous. This means two different types of pain relievers (for persistent and severe pain, you can alternate pain relievers every four hours, instead of 8 hours between doses), daytime and nighttime cold medicine, allergy pills, bandages (in varying sizes, but by all means, also have some power rangers ones), Bactine or alcohol swabs, triple antibiotic ointment, and hydrocortisone cream.<br />
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Six. Know how to play at least three games with a single deck of cards, and keep a deck with you. For me this is Go Go Go, Speed, and Klaberjass (as well as a couple single player games). Avoid games like go-fish, partly because everyone always knows them, and in other part because they aren't actually entertaining. All this is because you never know what kind of situations you'll get stuck in, and as a general rule, it's easy to start up a game of cards that isn't detrimental when you have to pick up and move on with your day.<br />
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Seven. Read books you don't want to. This is for readers, which I fully understand not everyone is. For the TV watchers out there, watch something you don't want to. Over the years we get stuck in a pattern. I generally read dystopian teen novels. This means that for every two books like that I read, I pick up one at Goodwill of a completely different genre. Recently I picked up <u>Mr. Muo</u>, which was definitely not something I'd generally read of choice. Not only did I actually enjoy it, I got a (albeit) satirical view into Asian cultures. Before that it was <u>This Voice in My Heart</u> and before that it was <u>Getting to Maybe</u>. For TV viewers or movie watchers, watch a 45 minute documentary on Russian Prison Culture (I did this last weekend, I'll never regret that choice), or the all-so-popular Supersize Me. If you normally watch stuff like that, watch a kid's movie or something like Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal- you'll expand your horizons, and maybe find something you never knew you enjoyed.<br />
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Eight. Be responsible to someone else <b>of your choice</b>. It's really easy to get in the routine of taking care of yourself and the things you're required to take care of, because well, you know what you need and want. But guess what? Being responsible to or for someone else can not only make you feel better about what you're doing, but it helps out that other person! It can be agreeing to eat at least one meal a week with another person (a friend and I trade off on Monday and Wednesday), volunteering, or agreeing to go to a city council meeting. Making sure you're accountable to someone for this is key. If you only volunteer when it's convenient, you'll never get to it. If you only attend a meeting when you <i>feel </i>like it, you'll be sitting on your couch come meeting time with a bowl of popcorn and not a care in the world. Being involved with other people and taking part in each-others lives will significantly make you feel better about your own, trust me.<br />
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Nine. Stay inspired. If what inspires you and motivates you is going on a run, go for it. For me, it's a fresh piece of art each week, whether it's printed off the internet or something I've done myself, I have a spot on my bulletin board just for that purpose. Seeing something new and inspiring just gets me going in my week, no matter how daunting that week is. Fresh flowers are also a favorite way of mine to be inspired- because I love love love nature. Staying inspired can be that you take an icy cold shower to wake you up in the morning or you make one absolutely delicious thing to eat once a week- it's up to you.<br />
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Ten. Last but not least, be happy with you. This can be the hardest thing out of all of this. You have your own way to make you feel happy and satisfied. My way is to listen to a playlist made by me, for me, cleaning up my space, and taking a shower. Those days when I look in the mirror and am just frustrated- and we all have those days, whether they're once a week or once a year, they happen- I set aside time to make me feel better about myself. I keep a $30 body scrub I bought in Paris just for those days. I read a portion of my favorite book, I sip on my favorite tea, and I remind myself why I'm awesome. You have your own way of doing it, and if you don't- <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">FIND ONE</u>. Notice how emphasized that is? It's because it's so important. Everything is all for naught if you can't look yourself in the mirror and count to 30 without looking away or feeling less than amazing.<br />
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So there they are. Long, maybe, but advice that I felt needed to be shared? Most definitely!</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-69969486871957370362013-07-27T12:51:00.001-07:002013-07-27T12:51:58.216-07:00A year and Henderson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTaLnuMbKGNQpHo7bR6np1GzQjitmZChyCZQBJKibhpQiOpAw_8pfxW42KOp5bITjv2NC_LJAGhfu8421wq1KzdApR99zFbK0fVL76syuSLV450OARcEAE6Q5VrXJOu_Yj1EJNp7ZfERe/s1600/Summer+2012+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTaLnuMbKGNQpHo7bR6np1GzQjitmZChyCZQBJKibhpQiOpAw_8pfxW42KOp5bITjv2NC_LJAGhfu8421wq1KzdApR99zFbK0fVL76syuSLV450OARcEAE6Q5VrXJOu_Yj1EJNp7ZfERe/s320/Summer+2012+102.JPG" width="320" /></a>So,I was writing in my 5 year journal the other day, the one I mentioned when I first started this blog, after leaving Ukraine, and it donned on me that <i>a year</i> came and went, and it didn't even really register. It's been over a year since I left Ukraine, and longer than that since I made the decision to go in the first place- the day that I decided that how I was living was no longer satisfactory. I've always been an independent person, a characteristic which has drawbacks and advantages- but a year ago I decided that being independent was no longer satisfactory- at least the way I was doing it. Yes, I was on my own, yes, I was going to college, yes, I had friends and loved my classes- but wasn't everyone else at that University doing the same thing? Don't get me wrong, I didn't go to Ukraine just so that I could be different from the rest of the students at my school, nor did I go because I wanted to prove to myself that I could be more independent than I was then- although those were two selfish reasons that did cross my mind. I went to Ukraine because I had a heart to go. Ukraine wasn't my original choice, at first it was Nepal, then I got moved to a South America trip, then finally landed in the Ukraine team. I'll never know why it happened that way- why I ended up in Ukraine instead of any other number of places, but I did, and here I am, over a year later, still with questions.<br />
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And I guess that's the point of me writing everything I have today, is because nobody knows why things happen like they do, not one person has all the answers- we're human, if we had all the answers, we wouldn't be human anymore- it's kind of a key characteristic. However, we have the answers we need, we always will. I know that I went to Ukraine for a reason. That's all I need to know. I know that I came home for a reason. That's all I need to know. I know that a year has passed, and it's taken me time to heal, for a reason. That's all I need to know. I don't need to know specifics, because they don't matter. What matters is that there is a reason, it's not all for nothing, because even if I was able to change one life, leave an imprint on one person- whether that be a staff member, a kid, or even an immigration agent that asked me why I even wanted to be in Ukraine, or heck, even someone here in the States that was blessed by hearing about what I've done- it was all worth it.<br />
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That being said, this being mainly a travel blog (hah, if you can even call it a blog, as little as I post), I want to share a bit about my weekend trip to Henderson at the beginning of the summer. It wasn't anything fancy- just four girls hanging out at a lake for a few days, but boy was it beautiful, and so much fun! Henderson is about a 4 hour drive from the metroplex, and a 6 hour drive from Abilene- a bit longer if you stopped for Chipotle like we did. Hey, can you blame a girl? Abilene only has <i>Sharkys</i>, and though the Abilene folk think it's the bees knees, I definitely start to crave Chipotle every few months. Anyways, we went to Henderson and stayed with our friend's Grandpa- who has a lake on his ranch property- we stayed indoors for a couple nights, enjoying the air conditioning and lack of bugs, but then trekked outside to camp for a couple nights- because who doesn't love the outdoors (for short ammounts of time, that is)?<br />
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Anyways, the whole weekend was fantastic, and it was good to see our friend Regan before she went off on her summer adventures- and have roommate bonding time.<br />
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Next Post: Italy! I'll be going on a road trip with my family in a couple of weeks, checking out some major landmarks (like Mt. Rushmore!), and getting to see my brother in his new home in South Dakota. We'll be in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa (just driving along the border), and South Dakota.<br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-27371736817786859232013-06-06T11:56:00.003-07:002013-06-06T11:57:12.024-07:00Long Overdue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, If you haven't already noticed, I'm really bad at blogging. It's my goal this summer to catch up on blogging about my study abroad travels, so that I have this personal record, and so that other students or people considering going abroad can check out my experiences, and maybe it'll help their own. But first, a quick update on what's going on in my life currently. I am officially a resident of Abilene, I got a house with three other girls that I studied abroad with, and I'm really enjoying it, ups and downs! (P.S. I apologize for the instagram photos, I just don't have the energy to walk around taking pictures of things, and I already had these on instagram!)<br />
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The dining room and kitchen were originally a very obnoxious orange color, and we kept the mocha color in the living room and hallways. The bedrooms were all painted a light gray to cover up their various colors (chocolate, dark purple, burnt orange, etc), curtsey of my dad and his paint sprayer. I'm really enjoying living in a home of my own, but I do miss the ease of living for free with parents, most definitely.<br />
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Since I've been back in the states I've taken a trip to Oklahoma to stay in a cabin for a few days in December, a trip to Austin to see an art exhibit that I had a piece in (just a sketchbook, nothing spectacular), taken a trip to Graham, Texas for Easter to do some mudding at a friend's ranch, went to Tarleton State University in Stephenville to participate in an Indian Holi festival, and visited Henderson, Texas for a lazy memorial day weekend on a friend's private lake (living the luxe life, I know). I'll get around to blogging about each of these trips eventually.<br />
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For those that are interested my tattoo was completed, back in December, in Oxford, and it will probably get it's own post eventually, because I've had a lot of people ask me why I got what I did, the meaning behind it, and there's just a lot more there than a short blurb in an update blog. It says "Not all who wander are forever lost." It's obviously a play off of the quote by Tolkien, from the poem <i>All That is Gold Does Not Glitter</i>, which is one of my favorite poems. I'm really happy with it, and Will (Villiam Gerbery) at Tigerlilly Tattoos (He's now at Oxford Ink) did an absolutely fantastic job, especially with the vague idea I gave him, the fact that I'm a baby, and it took over 15 hours of work over the span of four sessions. <br />
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So I've already blogged about Ireland and Wicked, Bath and Stonehenge, and Croatia. I still need to blog about Spain, Italy, and Paris, not to mention the few trips I've taken since I've gotten back to the US and the reverse culture shock (it still hits me sometimes). I guess there's no better place to start than with Spain. Like I said in my Croatia post, there's going to be some graphic images from the bullfight, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum, seeing as it's not an experience I like to play over and over in my head. I'm glad I had the experience, it's just not one that I'll be repeating anytime soon, or ever. So, read more about Spain after the jump!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Sometimes, I don't even know where to start when I talk about Spain, because we saw so much! However, I'll start where the trip started, which was in Madrid.<br />
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Our first day in Madrid a lot of people went to the Reina Sofia Museum, which is a really famous art museum, for those of you that don't know. I, however, opted out of the museum, to get to spend some time with a friend that I grew up with, Madison, who happens to be going to a University in Madrid. I still don't understand how I managed to go that entire night without taking a single picture of the two of us- but I was really glad to get to see her and catch up on everything. The day was quite an adventure, we got lost a couple times, and after we (Audrey went with me) left Madison, we had to navigate our way back to our hotel outside the city by ourselves in the middle of the night- and I'm quite proud of how well we did.<br />
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The second day in Madrid, we did quite a lot, because it was Dia de Indepencia for Spain, and there was not only a large parade, but everyone was out and about. After the parade (pictures weren't really an option because of the crowd), we went to a park, and ended up paying less than a dollar each to rent some boats, and for about an hour or so, we played boat tag on a little lake in the middle of a park, it was magical.We then rambled through some plazas and came across a "fat spiderman", who was extremely over the top. He wanted us all to take pictures with him, and when Jessica said no, and started walking away, he ran after her across the plaza begging her to come back- it was all entertaining for everyone standing around. For dinner we made our way to a tapas market which, needless to say, had the best food I'd ever had. I hate a lot of different things, much of which I had no idea what it was, but none of it was disappointing.<br />
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The next day we made our way to Avila, Spain. Here we stayed at a monastery, which sounded extremely intimidating at first. After getting there, we realized that there were actually very few monks living there, and for the most part, it had been converted into lodging for travelers. While in Avila two major things happened: we went to a classic bullfight, and we saw the Festival de St. Teresa, who is the patron saint of Spain, and the patron saint of Avila, so the celebration was fantastic, with a big parade and fireworks.<br />
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The bullfight was... eye opening, to say the least. We had several conversations about what went on in our Ethics class after the fight, but for those of you that don't know, classic bullfights are to the death, and because of the pain and suffering to the animal, they are outlawed in the majority of Spain. There are six rounds, meaning six bulls die- I stayed for three and left. Many people, when they think of a bullfight, think of a man dressed in fancy clothing, waving a cape around, making the bull look like a fool, which, is what happened in one round, but what they don't normally talk about, is the spear that the matador is hiding behind the cape, or, in some cases, the spear he is holding while he's galloping around on a horse. Basically, and I'm sorry for the gore, but it was a part of my experience, the bull is stabbed repeatedly until it collapses of blood loss or pain, the more creative or flamboyant the kill, the more points the matador scores from the judges, who take hints from the crowd's cheers. Even with my limited knowledge of Spanish, I knew that the more horrific the death, the more the bull fought through the pain and blood, the more they loved it. Needless to say, it's not a sport that I can get into, and it's definitely not a sport that I expected so many children to attend- but, it is a cultural difference, and I'm glad that my eyes were opened on the subject.<br />
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One other thing happened while I was in Avila, and that is that I discovered Yemas. I think that these are my favorite sweet, and they were so delicious. They are especially associated with the region of Avila and St. Teresa, so you know that they were especially fantastic on this special weekend. Yemas is the Spanish word for egg yolk, so this desert is a sweetened egg yolk, and the ones that I fell in love with had been made on top of a soft shortbread cookie and dipped in white chocolate. I can't begin to explain the flavor, but they were really delicious, and I hope that one day I can finally get down the recipe for the ones that I liked so much. We spent around 5 days in Avila, so there was a lot of spare time, we killed it at the park and playing ultimate Frisbee, oh, and enjoying the view from our windows.<br />
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After Avila, we made our way to Zaragoza, for just one night to break up the drive, since we were traveling by bus. Even though we were only there for one night, this city has one of the most beautiful Spanish cathedrals I've ever seen, and the colored roof tiles were spectacular.<br />
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After Zaragoza we traveled to Girona, where we stayed in an apartment style hotel. Needless to say, it was a bit strange because our bathroom also led to our balcony, and doubled as our kitchen and closet. It was definitely the most multi-functional room I've ever been in. Sawyer is sitting on the toilet while Audrey checks the refrigerator, it was quite odd.<br />
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We also ate a lot of good food there (are you beginning to see a theme?). From paella to gelato, to heavenly pizza, I fell in love with Spanish food even more. Other than that, we did shopping, exploring, and more eating. Girona was definitely a relaxed city.<br />
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From there we made our way to Barcelona, where I got to spend some time on a beach, ate at a glorious pinchos bar, Xiaolin, took a cooking class, and watched a soccer match. I will preface with this- I love love love love love Barcelona, I could move there and be the happiest girl alive. The two or three days we got there was not nearly enough for me to get my fill, and I will be back there for an extended vacation someday. I didn't get to see any museums, popular art, or major landmarks while I was there other than the Olympic Park, but I did experience a lot of street art and modern culture, which I'm generally more interested in than seeing museums. This is not to say that I'm not sad I didn't get to see any museums, and they're definitely all on my bucket list.<br />
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The first day in Barcelona we went to the Olympic Park. We did a lot of walking but had a lot of fun. I walked over 15 miles that day, and would have walked much more than that, had it not been for the sky train. It was really cool to get to see an Olympic venue, even if it is one that hasn't been used in ages except for children's concerts.<br />
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That night we made our way to Xiaolin, which is a really fantastic pinchos bar. The waiter looked like Russel Crowe and the food was to die for. We had a great time trying everything he brought out to us and left full and content.<br />
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The next day I took a cooking class. On the menu: Roasted Pepper Pesto with grilled zucchini spears, roasted bell pepper soup, Traditional paella (made with pork and chicken, not seafood), and Crema Catalonia, which is similar to Creme Brulee. We met some really awesome people, a couple of girls from Australia, a couple from Hawaii, and a woman that ran her own restaurant in Scotland(?), not to mention our instructor who was a native Spaniard.<br />
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After the cooking class we booked it over to our soccer match. It was a really great game, and a fantastic experience. I wish I could tell you more about the game, but the details are a bit vague because of everything that was going on, the fact that I was so full of food, and that the only Spanish I was able to pick up, were not things that would help explain the game, but rather the incompetence of the referees.<br />
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We got back to the hotel rather late and packed up to head back to Oxford, which we all considered home at that point, and were glad to get there. All in all, it was a really fantastic trip, and I can't wait to get back to Spain and explore all the things that I didn't have time to the first go-around!</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-50215177396923492762012-12-03T13:44:00.004-08:002012-12-03T13:44:49.469-08:00She Lives!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh goodness, it's been over a month since my last blog post! I hope none of you thought I was dead, because I definitely didn't plan on taking that hiatus from blogging. I'm so behind, it's embarrassing. Because it's been so long, buckle in for a long post, I do apologize. So, since my last blog post what have I done? I've gone to Spain with the entire Study Abroad group, which is about 30 people, maybe a bit more. I've traveled to Croatia with a small group of six, which was truly fantastic because I got to know each one of them more than I was able to when we travel in a large group. Not to mention the ten days I spent traveling through Italy.<br />
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I was blessed enough to buy a new camera, since mine has been acting funny since the monsoon at the Cliffs of Insanity in Ireland, and the one I wanted was cheaper than I anticipated, which is a huge blessing. I was able to buy a Canon EOS 1100D, which is a DSLR, with an additional Tamaron zoom lens, which has been dubbed "The Black Mamba" by my friends. It's the ultimate stalking lens, which is a huge help when wanting to take pictures of things you can't get close to because you're in a bus, or on top of a city wall.<br />
I've gotten tattoo number two! For those of you who don't know, I got a small tattoo over the summer, in white ink on my wrist that reads "enough" in handwriting quite similar to my own cursive to remind me that I am enough for Christ, no matter what. It was inspired by Matthew 5:5 (Message Translation) which says "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are- no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." Tattoo number two is a piece on my feet, which isn't actually completed, but it's close to being done. It's two picture frames, one on the right foot of the lake near my home, and one on the left foot of the English countryside. It reads: "Not all who wander are forever lost." It's to remind myself that no matter how far I am from home, whether that be my earthly home in Lake Worth with my parents, or my spiritual home with Christ, I'll always find my way back. It's really a beautiful piece, and I'm refraining from posting too many pictures till it's completed and healed.<br />
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Other than those few major things I've been doing school and volunteering, nothing to exciting other than a couple long papers on ethical standpoints. Our ethics professor believes people argue best when they're arguing themselves, so we each had to write a paper on a topic that contradicts our personal beliefs, so I'm had to write pro death penalty, and it was quite a challenge. My other paper is on the morality of sexualized media, and why there should be stricter rules and regulations by the FCC to make sure we are protecting our children and youth. It's really great stuff, definitely the way I enjoy spending my weekends.<br />
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I'm going to skip over Spain and come back to it in another post,
because it was such a long trip, packed with a ton of cultural insights
and experiences (such as cooking classes, festivals, and bull fights). I
also want to leave the option open for people to skip that post, since
there will be some graphic images from the bullfight. I'll post about Italy as soon as I get my pictures gone though. Read more about Croatia after the jump!<br />
<a name='more'></a>So, now that I've got everyone caught up, let's talk about Croatia. Let me just take this moment to say for those of you that know nothing
about Croatia, you are in the exact same boat I was in before this trip. Being in Croatia means looking one way and seeing the ocean, and
looking the other direction and being faced with towering mountains. The
language sounds like a unique blend of Spanish and Russian, and the
people are passionate about their country, many not wanting to join the
EU which is to happen in the next year, if I'm not mistaken. There is gelato and seafood everywhere you turn, however not necessarily together. It is my new favorite country. I traveled with five of my friends, Aaron, Sawyer, Brady, Sarah, and Mallory to Croatia at 1am on a Wednesday, and flew to Dubrovnick, where we stayed in two apartments, and cooked amazing food for ourselves. The first day we just enjoyed our apartments, strolled to the beach, which was literally less than three minutes away, and ate gelato. It's was a fairly relaxed day, which I think we all needed after not sleeping the night before.<br />
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Day two of our trip we made our way to the Dubrovnik city walls, which are, in short, spectacular. It's about a 1.2 mile walk, a lot of which is either stairs or incline, but it it well worth the energy. After the walls we made our way to a seaside restaurant where I had the creamiest prawn spaghetti I've ever tasted, it was fantastic. We then made our way into old town to do some souvenir shopping and to have some gelato, which we ate on a religious basis the entire time we were in Croatia. Then we stumbled across the candle shop. I know in the states, when you think of candles, you think of scented wax in a jar with a wick. They make your house smell nice, and provide a bit of light when your power is out. No, not in Croatia. In Croatia, in this shop, candles are art in and of themselves. I refrained from taking pictures in the shop, since that's usually frowned upon, and I was not looking to get yelled at in Croatian, but <a href="http://www.candle-kingdom.com/gallery.html" target="_blank">here</a> is their website gallery. If you can imagine hundreds of these carved candles lining glass shelves and hanging from pegs, that's what this place was. One of the girls, Sarah, went a little crazy and bought about six of them, meaning we had to figure out how the heck to bring them back, especially considering we all packed in backpacks, which were full to the brim.<br />
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After shopping to our hearts content, we made our way back to the apartment so that we could change and go to the beach. Sawyer, Brady, and Mallory decided that they were going to get in the ocean. It wasn't cold in Croatia, per say, we've all gotten used to the bitter cold of the UK enough that the mid 60's weather we experienced in Croatia felt like shorts and sandals weather (of which we took full advantage). However, it's not actually warm enough to jump into the ocean, especially as the sun was going down. But the three of them were determined. After they were thoroughly soaked and we were all ready to eat, we made our way back to the apartment to cook dinner again and watch a movie.<br />
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Day three we made our way to Split where we went to Diocletian's Palace, which is spectacular! We climbed up the bell tower, and got a bird's eye view of the entire city- amazing! We turned in for the night, and the next day headed out early to catch a beautiful sunrise, which was definitely worth the early hours! After we headed to Split's Croatian History Museum, so that Aaron could learn about his "motherland's" heritage. His ancestry is from Croatia, and I can't even begin to explain how happy he was when someone recognized it in his last name. Sometime in there we stopped on some ruins and Mallory, Aaron, and Sawyer started to jump around, much to the surprise and awe of some Asian tourists who were passing buy. After the quick parkour break, we headed to a park to get another great view of the city. Needless to say, it was an eventful day.<br />
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The next city we made our way to was Zadar, but by the time we got there it was extremely late. Insert Scary Hostel story here. Basically, what happened was we got to the hostel a little earlier than we had anticipated, but still not early enough that it wasn't pitch black outside. We get to the hostel which looks a little sketchy since it's undergoing some construction in the off-season. It's all locked, nobody is answering the door. All of the sudden, Brady is gone. Where's Brady you guys? Then a knock from inside the hostel. BRADY!? Is that you? Yeah! It's me, I don't know how to open the door from in here.. It's bolted from the outside, you can't. Well, I went around through the back door, I'll come show you. Brady comes out and leads us to a back door which is unlocked- we can't decide if we're relieved or even more afraid. It's still dark inside, and we're finding our way around by the lights on our cell phones. Finally, I found the light switch, thank goodness right? False. No matter how many times I flip it, the lights don't come on. At this point, the other girls are freaking out and talking about every ending to every horror movie we've ever seen. We finally find our way to the kitchen where the lights work, and we decide to just sit in here for a little bit till someone shows up. Then, just as Sarah decides to go to the bathroom, and just as she is passing the door, it opens. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so afraid in my life. The hostel owners had showed up- and because we were early nobody had been there before. The whole situation was hilarious to me, but the other girls were definitely not happy about being that afraid. After all that we only had time to go to dinner. There's also a sea organ and a solar panel light display that plays to the music the sea Organ makes, but the panel was off, and the organ was playing music, but it was low tide. Still cool, and I definitely want to make my way back there when it's warm and sunny and the organ is playing beautiful music. After that we made our way to Zagreb, which is the capital city. While waiting for our flight we made our way to the Broken Relationship Museum- which is a museum of things people felt represented their past relationships. It's really cool, and was dubbed the Museum of the Year in 2011 for all of Europe.<br />
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And that was the end of our trip to Croatia. We made our way to the airport, and after Aaron ripped his boarding pass and freaked out, we made it on the plane alright and trekked our way back to Oxford. Next post: Paris! Then Italy, then Spain. I might have to finish catching up once I'm back in the States. At this point, we only have about 8 days left here in Oxford!</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-24556515772703872022012-10-03T15:47:00.000-07:002012-10-03T15:47:01.435-07:00Oh, Happy Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's Wednesday- by this time I've been up for several hours, planned some dinners, and gone to the open air market. I've bought a copious amount of produce, some cheese, and fresh bread. A quick stop at the grocery store and I've got chicken to feed us for dinner. It's just a typical Wednesday for me now- who knew? In three days will be the official 1 month mark for living here in the United Kingdom, and I love it. I know it's been a while since a post, but between schoolwork and travel, I've not had much time to sit down and reflect. Seeing as it's been quite a while- this will be lengthy, and you've been forewarned.<br />
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Many already know that I spent the past long travel break in the beautiful country of Ireland. We arrived in Dublin Wednesday evening, went out to dinner at a pub in the temple bar area that had great live music and probably the best fish and chips I've had since I've been across the pond.<br />
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Thursday morning we hopped on a bus- the now infamous Paddy Wagon, and started our tour of Ireland. Our first big stop was the Cliffs of Moher, although there were several stops at castles and ruins along the way. Let me just say, I was most looking forward to the Cliffs for the pure reason that they are the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride- one of the greatest movies of all time. When we got there, it was breathtaking- even if only for about 10 minutes. They weren't joking when they said the weather changed on a dime. When we first arrived it was sunny and beautiful, 15 minutes later we were soaked to our skin. All worth it for the views, however.<br />
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From there we went to the County Kerry, spent the night, and headed out the next day to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney stone. For those of you who don't know, the Blarney stone is supposed to give you the gift of eloquent speech for 7 years, and after you give it an hour our two (and maybe a pint or two, according to our tour guide, Sean Murphy), you'll be blabbing away. Needless to say, to his chagrin, it didn't work in making all the girls from Texas sing songs for the bus over the microphone. I don't think any kind of stone or rock (regardless of the karats) could make me do that.<br />
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After Blarney Castle we made the long drive back to Dublin, where we spent the night in the Temple Bar area again- enjoying the excitement of "culture night". We also spent the next day in Dublin, checking out Trinity College, where the Books of Kells is held. It was beautiful, and I wish pictures had been allowed, although I completely understand why they aren't. We walked around dublin taking in the sites and helping our friend Kalyn climb on a rock to sit with an Oscar Wilde statue, saw some street artists, and caught our flight back to the UK. All in all, it was a great trip- and if Ireland isn't on your bucket list- it definitely should be.<br />
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Fast forward a bit, and I've made my way to London as part of a class assignment- I spent most of my morning in Camden Markets, which is a very self-expressive place. Lots of tattoo shops (I'll be honest, I was tempted to get a number 2 on the spot), piercing stands, and illegal drugs- which for some reason, were openly advertised and I saw not one officer while I was there. It was just an interesting dynamic- I'd love to go back and spend more time there- I feel like I could people watch for days on end and never get bored.<br />
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Then, that night- we got to see Wicked. Yes, the play, the always amazing play. It was fantastic! I don't even know how to begin to explain it. The voices were better than the soundtrack, the effects were the best I've ever seen, and it was just an all-together fantastic night.<br />
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That's all the highlights of the past few weeks that I can think of at this moment. Next stop: Spain. I'll be heading out with the rest of my classmates on October 11th, and We will be staying in Spain till the 22nd. I'm definitely looking forward to it, and can't wait for the experience. After that is about a week of classes, then off to Croatia with 5 other friends for a few days. I'm definitely blessed!</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-3697734252580017322012-09-17T02:48:00.000-07:002012-09-17T02:48:06.278-07:00Exquisite Architecture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6wLSV1B0lIQID5FF38qDm4SnWdMmSn4VOA85OMWNwpfnz_h90ojUvmG2NlgbxJ82vbdHN3ftVMl7D8DvCsZQVtyiXGlukLSF0jfNoQFLL34YZsh-5lk5jGvFrclFRW2ffz6BKIL7-alU/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6wLSV1B0lIQID5FF38qDm4SnWdMmSn4VOA85OMWNwpfnz_h90ojUvmG2NlgbxJ82vbdHN3ftVMl7D8DvCsZQVtyiXGlukLSF0jfNoQFLL34YZsh-5lk5jGvFrclFRW2ffz6BKIL7-alU/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIRSqOU1_RGW46l-1GMAJMLdqym1-mtfljCGrhXeYV_dQw1rWa-1Vhyn2o9cEXOH-pC8CUkAixn6N8qxG0Eov4cT5c72n-2vLy03Uu8WnCNwr_X6pyPNDuEjNdzTnMtT2FZgC90kAZg9y/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIRSqOU1_RGW46l-1GMAJMLdqym1-mtfljCGrhXeYV_dQw1rWa-1Vhyn2o9cEXOH-pC8CUkAixn6N8qxG0Eov4cT5c72n-2vLy03Uu8WnCNwr_X6pyPNDuEjNdzTnMtT2FZgC90kAZg9y/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" width="320" /></a>Over the past weekend, I made a visit west- to Bath and Stonehenge. It was fantastic. For those of you who don't know, Bath is where the Roman Baths still stand, in all their glory, still naturally supplied with warm water from deep within the earth. It's pretty cool- and if it's not on your bucket list- it should be. My favorite parts were the Beau Street Hoarde, which is the largest amount of ancient Roman coins ever to be found, and a small display of engraved gems (impossible to photograph, unfortunately) that were found in one of the catch drains- assumed to either have fallen off of signet rings worn by various people or been thrown in as an offering to the goddess of the spring. Even though I'm not a history buff, in fact, I'm quite the opposite and avoid history whenever possible, it was pretty cool learning about the history of the Roman Baths, and actually being there and seeing it for myself, getting to feel the water and touch the stones (which may or may not have been prohibited). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQEpvTNTVxlB5VCyOFnHsk7O00KTXyOa3pWEpVS6xqqcmxv_VdnZeQ4Z7UUWSeRZVHlao6IrQTaKZN3x0iNZPDJg4dY0fEBTJLlcZVLoJIjgC_hwCrWtr34zchdDrg6m6a4n9CmRRbzv_/s1600/IMG_0003+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQEpvTNTVxlB5VCyOFnHsk7O00KTXyOa3pWEpVS6xqqcmxv_VdnZeQ4Z7UUWSeRZVHlao6IrQTaKZN3x0iNZPDJg4dY0fEBTJLlcZVLoJIjgC_hwCrWtr34zchdDrg6m6a4n9CmRRbzv_/s320/IMG_0003+(2).JPG" width="269" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptWYTn0NBbzv2XJL9w79q6uhJKb10JxOe5YE7QvLzfKampuQ3V3LmwHxyLPbhtMoZSIOIJSB5Rhp-gbb8Bdy3FgKguTD_bG4VczOdRUwQ28hWY_mhTrgJy9ZP6mqrEYseyPSBcruMn_lN/s1600/IMG_0001+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptWYTn0NBbzv2XJL9w79q6uhJKb10JxOe5YE7QvLzfKampuQ3V3LmwHxyLPbhtMoZSIOIJSB5Rhp-gbb8Bdy3FgKguTD_bG4VczOdRUwQ28hWY_mhTrgJy9ZP6mqrEYseyPSBcruMn_lN/s200/IMG_0001+(2).JPG" width="168" /></a> After seeing the Roman Baths, the group split- some went to the Fashion Museum, others went to the Jane Austen Exhibit, four went rambling around the city, and one- well, we don't really know where she went. We lost her for a few hours. I was in the group that went rambling. I'd much rather explore a city for myself than spend another three hours in a museum, staring at things behind alarm-equipped glass cases. So, rambling I went- through various gardens and parks, up and down streets, and we soon realized that all of Bath is like a giant bowl, the city center being the lowest point, and going out from there is entirely uphill. Seven miles later, we made it to the edge of the bowl, and although the walk was exhausting, it was so worth it.<br />
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We all met up in city center, except for one because nobody knew where she was. After about forty-five minutes of contemplating who would stay behind to find her instead of going to Stonehenge, she walks around the corner, as if she had never been apart from the group. Needless to say, we were all relieved to have found her. And, Stonehenge was fantastic (if you haven't noticed at this point, everything was fantastic).<br />
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As for what's to come- I'm leaving out on Wednesday to Ireland, going to spend the night in Dublin, then head out on a 2 day tour to see the Blarney Stone and Cliffs of Moher. Then it's back to Dublin for another night and a day and back home. Then the following, I'll be seeing Wicked in London- which I'm extremely excited about. But till then it's schoolwork and studying.</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-62927254028741205742012-09-06T14:03:00.000-07:002012-09-06T14:03:23.791-07:00Week of Wonders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, it's been a full week since I started my journey here in Oxford, and I've seen and experienced so much, my mind is still reeling. I could try to name all the things I've done, but I think I'd fail miserably, not to mention I'd end up writing a book. So, my top three things of the past week:<br />
1. St. Giles' Fair<br />
2. Primark<br />
3. Christ Church Meadows<br />
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St. Giles' Fair is a fair that comes once a year, that dates back to
Medieval times. Basically, a bunch of rides and food carts are set up on
the main street through Oxford, the same street we use to get basically
everywhere. So, as you head to class you're weaving between Carnie-Folk
and children covered in candy floss (notice my slick use of British
lingo). It's strange, now that the carnival is gone. The streets are
much quieter, and you actually have to look out for cars when crossing
the street. The bus stops are now back in use, and the theme music that I
felt played just for me as I walked down the street, is gone. But, while it was here, I did ride a couple rides, try the doughnuts, (which were not like our typical doughnut, it's hard to explain), and get to see a lot of new things. For example, our thing in Texas is fried. Fried anything. Fried butter, fried twinkies, fried Dr. Pepper, fried Reese's, giant fried turkey legs. The thing here is chips (aka, fries), with different things on them. Chips with curry, chips with cheese, chips, chips, and more chips. I think it's cool to compare the differences between our giant Texas state fair with this one.<br />
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Primark. How do I even begin to explain this heavenly place? At home, I always longingly stare into Forever21, wishing that they carried my size so I could finally wear cute clothes without over-paying for them. Well, Primark is the answer to that prayer. I got the softest and most comfortable jeans I've ever worn in my life, that came in <b>long</b>, which is something I can never find in the states, and they were only about $7. Not to mention they have shorts, tops, coats, leggings, jewelry, luggage, basically anything you can imagine, for just as low a price! I've not gone crazy, but I have bought a couple things that I didn't realize I'd have the need for, like a coin purse, shorts (it's been warmer than we expected), and of course, the magical pair of soft jeans.<br />
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Christ Church Meadows. For those of you that don't follow my pictures on facebook, I'll show you just a few pictures that try to explain the beauty of it, although I don't think a photograph can do it justice. Because it's not just the greenery, or the Thames, or even the cute ducks along the bank. It's the air, it's the serene sounds, I just love the environment there.<br />
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I may or may not have gone overboard on the pictures, I just really love this place. In addition to my three favorites of the week, we also went as a group to Doorchester Abbey, which had some of the most beautiful roses I've ever seen, not to mention the amazing history behind the Abbey itself. I've spent quite a bit of time at Oxford University Park, which included feeding the ducks, which is a lot of fun. On Wednesday, so yesterday, we went to the market and I got produce and fresh cheese for dinners- I made myself some really great Mexican Mac n' Cheese today, and have all the stuff ready to make eggplant Parmesan in the next couple days. Mostly I've just been orienting myself to the surroundings, getting used to life here, which is surprisingly not much different than home. Other than the fact that I have to walk everywhere, living here isn't much different than living in a dorm in Abilene. Of course, there are cultural differences, but nothing that requires huge adjustments.<br />
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After writing all this, it's donned on me that I've not given anyone a way to get in touch with me other than Facebook or my blog. Because I'm here in Oxford and don't want to fork out the excessive amount of money it costs for an international plan, my phone has been shut off, and there are no free texting apps that work internationally. So, you can contact me via Skype (username- heroinediary), or you can mail me a letter, which I know sounds archaic, but getting letters seriously would make my day. My address here in Oxford is:<br />
#9 Canterbury Road<br />
Oxford OX2 6LU<br />
England<br />
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Well, that's all for now. This weekend is the weekend where all the Oxford libraries and colleges and universities are open to the public without paying fees, so I'm going to explore my city this weekend. Next weekend I'm heading west to Bath for a day to see the Jane Austen museum and the Roman Bath Spa, and then the weekend after that is a long travel break, so I'll be going to Dublin and the Moher hills- looking forward to exploring the beautiful world God created!</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-85046918601174887902012-08-30T12:31:00.002-07:002012-08-30T12:31:50.674-07:00Left is Right<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this is it- I'm officially in Oxford. I saw so many things my mind is on overload, and I'm quite sure it will be for the next four months. I'm beyond excited. I got to see so much of Oxford today. It was lovely outside, sunny but still cool. I walked at least 8 miles and didn't break a sweat, didn't even think once about being too hot. I so enjoy this weather, and I'm sure I won't get tired of it any time soon.<br />
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I'm all settled into my room. Calendar on the wall, pictures hung, scarves draped, clothes folded and put away. It's so nice to be completely moved in and not have to worry about doing any more of it tomorrow when I'm trying to further orient myself in this city that requires a general skill set of being able to know where you are, which I never do. I found my way to the city center with help, and discovered the location of Lush, which if you don't know, is a fantastic cosmetics company. I went grocery shopping the block over at the 9 to 9 and got a few meals sorted out, and I got shown around Oxford to all the good pubs, drank a delicious cup of cappuccino with an even more delightful scone, and spent a lovely walk in University Park, which I'm sure I'll be spending much of my study time at.<br />
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Anyways, the flight was smooth, didn't sleep a lick (ok, maybe twenty minutes), so at this point, I've been awake for about thirty hours straight, half of which was spent in travel, which included walking, buses, and airplanes. So, a quick story that amused me as I drift off to sleep.<br />
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As everyone knows, the English drive on the left side of the road, as opposed to the right as we Americans do. Here is why the left is right, according to a cabbie we met today: Back in the days of old, when you would gallop along the right side country roads lined with bushes with your fair maiden on the back of your horse, if a bandit or highwayman tried to ambush you, you would draw your sword. Well, considering most of the population is right handed, they would grab their sword, and their swords would get caught in the thicket, thus not being able to protect your fair maiden. However, if you were driving along the left side of the road, you would have plenty of room to wield your sword, lop of their heads, and protect your maiden. And this is why, left is right.</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-22790057762957947482012-07-17T23:15:00.000-07:002012-07-17T23:15:08.912-07:00Had I Not Attempted<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ever since I abruptly left Ukraine, I've been writing in a five year journal called The Happiness Project (author Gretchen Rubin). It's blessed me in a way nothing else could. This little blue and yellow book, purchased at Barnes and Noble for some price that I no longer remember, has forced me to look over each day and find a silver lining, no matter how dark the cloud of my day may be. Some days, the cloud is black as night, and it takes me quite a while to find the shy silver ring around its edges; other days however, the entire cloud is a bright and gleaming sterling silver, and it's hard to pick what to write in the space that is only large enough for one sentence. At the top of each page is an inspirational quote- about happiness, passions, and anything else cheerful they could think of- because they needed 365 quotes, which I'm sure was a daunting task when they first set out. July 25 (I'm skipping ahead on my quotes, I know) has this quote:<br />
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"On the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet as I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been had I not attempted it." -Benjamin Franklin<br />
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This quote describes my past year perfectly. My GPA is not what I want it to be. I am not the size I want to be. I am not as outgoing as I want to be. I am not employed like I want to be. I'm not even in the country that I planned to be in. I strove for so much more than I accomplished. But in the process of not acomplishing these things that were once so important to me, I've acomplished so much more. I may only have a 3.4, but I have some amazing memories and friends that I would have never met had I sat in my room and studied. I may not be stick thin, but I've learned to love who I am, reguardless of what other people say I should be. I may not be outgoing, but if I was, I probably would be too loud to hear the smaller voices that have now impacted my life so much. I may not have an awesome job, but have a ton of time to reflect on my past year and learn from my mistakes and realize which ones were good ones to make. I may not be in Ukraine, but because I'm here in the US I've had the chance to bond with people I once felt estranged from, touch lives that I would have never encountered, and in turn, be touched by those same people.<br />
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I am a happier woman, having tried and failed, than having not attempted these things at all.</div>
Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-61671999672060716222012-02-08T21:27:00.000-08:002012-02-08T21:27:01.080-08:00Trust and Being Content<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Oh today. It was an interesting day. I was so busy today, and everything that could have gone wrong, did. It was so frustrating to have a thousand things I needed to do but not being able to do any of them. This week is the week that professors decide to load it on. I don't know what it is about the fifth week of school, but professors love having tests this week- it's a fact known all across campus. Taking as many classes as I am though, being busy is something that I expected- and I am fully capable of keeping up.<br />
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I've made progress on being healthy- I even went to the gym this week and ate healthy! I've never been a huge fan of the gym, because I feel like all the healthy people are judging me even though intellectually I know that they are focusing on themselves. I just hate being around other people- it makes me realize how unsatisfied I am with myself. This is where being content comes in. This is something that keeps coming up everywhere I turn- and I know it's a sign from God. I'm never content with where I'm at- physically, financially, emotionally, relationshiply (if that's even a word). But this week in my missions class we are working on the spiritual discipline of "solitude"- which I have to admit is extremely hard for me. My brain doesn't slow down, even if I want it to. So being in solitude and calming my mind and only focusing on Christ is so difficult- because as soon as I get to the place where I've put all my worries out of my mind, I fall asleep. On the recommendation of a friend, I did my solitude focusing on things I'm thankful for instead of trying to focus on nothing. Amazing. I didn't realize how thankful I was at this point in my life- and I'm not going to start listing things because I spent ten minutes thinking of things I was thankful for and I could have kept going. But can I just say that it changed my entire mood for the day. Even though everything went wrong, even though I missed a group meeting and was bombarded with things I needed to get done all day, I was content. I thanked God for every trial because I know it's going to prepare me for the future, and I was just content with what I had- for the first time in a long time.<br />
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I've made progress on my other goals, but not as much. I think "losing weight" has translated to "be healthy", which has translated to being healthy in every aspect of my life. In my relationship with Christ and my friends, in my physical body, spiritually, and emotionally. I feel like this week I've made great strides towards balancing my life and myself.<br />
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God's Peace and Blessings,<br />
Rachel.</div>Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-71872971755414291602012-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:002012-01-23T12:29:17.063-08:00Eighteen Hours<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Alright- so an update, now that I have a few moments to breathe. I love college, I love class, I love learning, I love community, and this is where I thrive. That being said, because I'm so much in love with the experience, I sometimes get overzealous. This time, I may have bit off more than I can chew on my own. I decided that I wanted to add a Psychology minor to my Social Work major- it goes really well together especially since Psychology classes can be used as "supplements for major". With all my plans for study abroad (Oxford, next fall, provided I'm accepted), I decided that I needed to add a class this semester in order to make my classes in the future not so crowded together. Taking multiple intense classes at one time is no fun. I was already taking 12 hours plus a CEU (continuing education unit- you still do all the work, you just pay less and get a pass fail grade). I've decided to take Developmental Psychology on top of my full time load, making my work load equivalent to eighteen hours. Am I insane? Maybe. Will I regret it? Maybe. Will it make me a better person? Yes. Will it make me rely more on God? Most definitely. So maybe there is a method to my madness.<br />
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As for my New Years goals.. progress check.<br />
1. Lose weight- this has now been translated to "be healthy". I've decided I'm comfortable in the skin I'm in, and as long as I'm healthy, I don't care what numbers the scale shows. So, in order to work towards this new goal, I've been working out with my friends (slightly inconsistently). But when I miss a workout with my friends, I do abs at least by myself.<br />
2. Expand my camera collection. This is in progress! Although all my money at the moment is going to Ukraine (a missions trip- follow that dedicated blog <a href="http://racheltoivankiv.blogspot.com/">here</a>), my Uncle has said that he will send me some cameras that have been in our family! How cool. I'm sure that if I end up coming across some extra money (although highly unlikely), the next camera I want to get is an action shot, which takes four pictures on one frame. It's definitely super cool- my friend Nora has one that she found when we were thrifting and I'm super jelly.<br />
3. Travel. Well that one was a no-brainer. But it looks like I'll be going somewhere new sooner than I thought! I've been invited to accompany my friend Jen back to her home in Colorado for spring break! We're going to hike and hang out all week, so we won't be spending a ton of money- just gas and some food. I'm really excited, because my brother has been to Colorado and I haven't yet.<br />
4. Get a tattoo. I've talked to a friend and got a quote on what I want, but I don't have it scheduled or anything. This will probably be later on, and while I wanted to get my tattoo before I left for Ukraine, it looks like it will be more like after I get back.<br />
5. Get better grades. Well, so far so good. Although I haven't actually had to turn in anything, just a bunch of reading. we will see how the good grades goes with 18 credit hours, but I've been taking good notes and keeping on top of my assignments. I even made a master schedule of everything that's due during the semester. so all I have to do is glance over from my desk and see what all is due this week- it's really easy to keep up with stuff that way.<br />
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That's all for now! I'm off to my missions class to learn specifics about fundraising and culture!</div>Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6929958225610308733.post-24464229768363716632011-12-31T22:26:00.000-08:002011-12-31T22:26:00.724-08:00Bringing in the New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So, since I've got a <a href="http://www.racheltoivankiv.blogspot.com/">blog</a> for my travel to Ukraine, I'm attempting to keep up a personal blog as well- and why not start by bringing in the new year? So, I've decided to start by just throwing my resolutions out there, and then moving on to introductions, although most people reading any of my blogs probably already know me.<br />
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I've always failed miserably at making resolutions for the new year- so this year, let's keep it simple.<br />
1. Lose weight. This is something I'm already doing. It's the classic resolution, but I'm already on the path to becoming healthy, and although being healthy is my ultimate goal, losing weight is normally a byproduct of that.<br />
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2. Expand my vintage camera collection. I have 4 cameras and 1 video camera in this vintage collection- and every time I hit up a thrift store I check for a neat one to add to my collection.<br />
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3. Travel. I might as well mark this one off now- I'm going to Ukraine in late may and staying for 10 weeks- but it's always good to have a resolution that's a given.<br />
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4. Get a tattoo. It's something I've wanted to do since I was 15, and although I have plans to get many more, I want to start with a map on my back- just the outline of the continents, and then each place I travel to will get a meaningful symbol placed there. The next tattoo I'll get after that is a sparrow outline made out of the words of Emily Dickinson's Hope is the Thing With Feathers, and then a symbolic tattoo for each of my children after that.<br />
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And, last but not least...<br />
5. Get better grades. A classic for a university student, but this is totaly feasable for me. Studying harder, paying more attention, getting help, that's not what I need to do to get better grades. While all those things would help, it's actually attending class that I need to work on. I went to a highschool that was ranked academically unacceptable three years in a row, and nobody ever made me go to class. I'd skip, not even to stay home, but just to hang out somewhere else at school. Whether it was just sitting outside with a couple of my friends, or sitting in another class because I liked that teacher better- I only ever went to class when it was absolutely necessary. I need motivation to get up and attend class, and the fact that I only pulled a 3.4 on my first semester of college is motivation enough.</div>Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742923179474465692noreply@blogger.com