My Best of 2010....

I've decided to compile of a list of my favorites from 2010! This is in no way organized or methodical by any means, just some great things/places that made me happy in this past year...

Best T.V. Show:
Eastbound & Down: The Story of Kenny Powers - HBO
This show is absolutely inappropriate and hilarious. It ran its second season this year, and I have to admit I was ashamed I didn't know about it sooner! Funny good times with HBO!



Best Restaurant:
The Backdoor Kitchen, Friday Harbor San Juan Islands
http://www.backdoorkitchen.com/
This little restaurant is tucked behind an industrial building in Friday Harbor. It has a beautiful outdoor seating area as well as a romantic, rustic interior. Dim lights and delicious food! Enjoyed a bottle of good wine and a meal of natural, organic and sustainable food. We had Thai style lettuce wraps, Sea Scallops and Pork Chops that were from the farm down the road. So amazingly fresh, and the atmosphere is very subtle and perfectly romantic for two...


Best Sushi:
The Sushi Cafe, Renton Highlands
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-cafe-renton-2
This is a great neighborhood sushi joint close by my house. The sushi is amazing - fresh, delicious, and perfect! The family who runs it, even better! The Dad makes the sushi, and the kids wait the tables. The service is quick, and even better there is a great wine shop next door that does free wine tasting Friday evenings. If you bring in your own wine to the sushi cafe, there is no corkage fee! My favorites are always the Hamachi, the Sunset Roll (crab, carrot, tuna, hamachi and salmon wrapped in a cucumber), and a simple salmon avocado roll. Go there and find your happy place!


Best Album:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Okay, I think we can all agree that Kanye West can be or perhaps is a complete tool of a douche. With that said, he is a musical genius - and may actually be as good as he tells everyone. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is just plain good. It is one of the best rap albums to come out in a long time, and features tracks with Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Drake and tons of other incredible artists. I love hip hop, and have not been impressed with anything new that has come out in quite awhile. Kanye West makes damn good music, and luckily this one leaves out the cheesy auto tuned mess that was his last album.



Best Hair Stylist:
Rebecca Wellington, Wellington Loft Salon
http://www.wellingtonloftsalon.com/
Okay, I'm biased... this is a dear friend of mine who has been in the industry for the past 10 years. A couple of years ago she branched off of working for a salon to create her own space to do her craft. Wellington Loft Salon is located off the Mercer Street exit in Seattle, WA and has a cool trendy feel. She has converted this loft into her own hair extraordinaire space that you will totally love. Rebecca is a true artist, and will make you look beautiful!

Best Travel Gadget:
The Ipod Touch - Apple ($215 for 8gig $280 for 32gig)
For those of us who don't actually have an Iphone, the Ipod Touch is a great gadget. I've personally been really wanting to get an Iphone - but the budget conscious person inside me just can't imagine having over a $100 phone bill! So I bought the Ipod Touch after someone stole my old school Ipod. When I traveled to Europe this summer, the Ipod Touch was so handy! Of course it stores all of your music, and the new ones even capture HD video! I downloaded Skype for an app on mine and was able to call home for 2 cents a minute wherever Wifi was available. I also had downloaded a few travel apps that helped with language, maps, recommendations and transit schedules. Simply amazing!

Friends

As life flows through time and space, so do the friends and memories that you make along the way. The older I get, the more I realize how important friendship is - and how friendship changes just as life does. Relationships of all kinds evolve and change, even if you don't acknowledge it. Yesterday as I was telling Greg about how happy I was for one of my best friend's new job in Portland, he reminded me of all my close friends who are spread out all over the country. One of my best friends moved to the east coast 5 years ago, another close friend is in Hawaii, and more recently one of my best friends I made moving up to Seattle left for Texas. Now, the last two closest people in my life have moved (or are moving) to Portland.

I am excited for all the changes that occur in life, especially when they lead my friends towards their path of happiness. My friend on the east coast met her husband there, and now have a beautiful daughter with another on the way. The friend in Hawaii, well lets face it - he lives in Hawaii... what could be better? But, he is truly happy being able to live the beautiful island life, surfing and living with his lovely girlfriend. My friend who moved to Texas left with a broken heart, but is now happy with an amazing job and an amazing boyfriend. Now, two of my closest friends have gotten wonderful opportunities with their jobs in Portland - and have left the comfort zone of the "home town" (which I believe everyone should do at least once).

I realize that maintaining friendship is difficult as distance and busy lives interfere with what was once so easy and even taken for granted. I hope that all my friends know how much I love them, even though our friendships have changed. The only thing in life that we can depend on is change, and once we surrender to that idea - we acknowledge that we cannot hold onto the past. We can only embrace the present and enjoy our friends and moments as they happen. I love you all, and hold all of our memories and futures near and dear to my heart...

Energized!

I am in full swing of Fall quarter, and am fully excited and energized for my classes! Well, that is my two classes left standing... I admit there was a casualty this quarter, and I the awful class called GIS was the innocent by standard. GIS is a mapping program that involves inputting data and making layers on a map with that information. I am getting bored just thinking about it! So I had to let it go, it was way too time consuming and boring to continue on with that slow and painful death. So, see ya later GIS - and see ya later nerd squad in the dork dungeon (GIS lab)! I'm outta here!

My other classes are going really well, and both deal with economics - but not in the traditional sense. One class looks at community and the other one examines it on the global scale. Both interesting, and both with a couple of my favorite professors. In one of the classes, I am getting the opportunity to do a service option which includes working with the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this amazing non-profit and help them with community outreach in educating the public about the vision to clean up the Duwamish River for the future of the community. I plan on extending my work with them to continue an internship in the Winter quarter.

I have been so focused on school, but the thing is - it makes me so happy. I love the challenge, and I love learning about things that I am so passionate about. I feel as though my brain is operating on high levels, and it is so incredible! I hope to one day to see my friends more often, but in the meantime I have made amazing contacts in my Urban Studies program and hope to further those relationships into lasting friendships.

Heart Meter Filled...

This past weekend 7 of us girls went down to Portland to help celebrate Lisa's 30th birthday. We had the most fabulous dinner at OBA (http://www.obarestaurant.com/), They are a Latin infusion high end restaurant located in the Pearl District. A couple of the girls and I got there early and tried their happy hour black bean hummus which was incredible. Then we downed a couple of pitchers of mojitos... they also make pitchers of margaritas (in a variety of flavors) and sangria.

The dinner made me so happy! Homemade guacamole made at our table, coconut prawns, and other cheesy delights! I had the Cuban shrimp fried rice and the ceviche sampler. I can attest that the other girls orders were just as delicious, filled with spices and depth of flavors that we all awed over. My only complaint was that I ate so much I literally thought that I was going to barf!

For the rest of the night, it was just so fun to laugh and enjoy friends that I don't get to spend as much time with. I appreciate those people in my life who accept me for who I am, and who can understand that life is busy. Five years ago we would have been talking on the phone daily and seeing each other twice a week. Although time has passed, it is important to remember that true friends don't require so much attention. They just know that you are there for them no matter what, and time makes no difference in the amount of love you have for them.

Happy Birthday Sweet Liser!

The Sheridans came to the Pacific Northwest for a quick visit. I was beyond thrilled to see one of my dearest friends, Shawna and her family. She is one of the most amazing friends who never judges, and respects everyone. I love and miss her so much - that the little time we share together is so precious to me. It has been incredible to see her grow into a woman, a mother and a caring wife. She has made her life out in New Jersey with her husband Chris and little one Olivia. The big news are they are expecting their second daughter! I am so happy for them, and cannot wait to come visit and meet the newest addition to their loving family.

Till next time dear friend, you are in my heart and thoughts all the time!

Back to Reality

I'm officially back into the swing of things... had my first day back to work, my sleep schedule is back on track, and I am currently working on my 12 page paper due in 3 weeks. This paper has already had a few different paths, but has now evolved into the EU and how they promote "nationalism" within the context where they oppose "Muslim culture" which seems like just their excuse for opposing different cultures and identities. My experience in Europe proved to show a lot of similarities to how we treat minorities in the states. You are allowed to be called, "European" - but the European Identity has strong ties to Christian beliefs and would rather not have anything different representing or challenging those continuation of struggles to keep "western" ideals alive and well.

I am excited to continue my research on this topic as it hits close to home for me... Being multicultural in America has its challenges... although I am certainly more mature and educated than in my youth, I still feel a twinge of anger when people ask me "what I am" or "how long I've been in this country". Let me break it down for you... I was adopted when I was a year and a half years old. I am a U.S. citizen, have no accent and Identify myself as American. So when people ask me "what I am" I find myself now telling them American. Yes, I am not white - but why does that give people the right to decide that white is what Americans are, and any other ethnicity means that you are not actually American - but something else that needs to be explained.

I understand that many people are just curious, but what they don't realize is that asking questions and separating themselves from people who are residents in this country by asking questions like where they are from or what's more offensive "what are you" only perpetuates these stereotypes that white is the starting point of how a society can identify their culture. All others are outsiders left to either by too ethnically different for whites to accept or too "western" for people of their own background to accept.

Nationalism and Cultural Identity is something that fascinates me. Growing up as a multicultural person, I've always been interested at labels and expectations of the preconceived notions of what society wants you to be. They want you to be an expert on where you came from, but since we are products of our environments - many of us only know the cultural traditions that our families have made here in the states.

I hope that people will evolve into the next chapter of awareness and can look at all the different types of people in the states as simply North Americans. Some of us transplants, some of us with long historical family tree lines within the states, and some of us who have lived their whole lives as a non-white person but wholly an American citizen.

What does citizenship mean to you? How will you set aside your upbringing filled with propaganda and illusions of what it means to be part of a bigger national citizenship?

GOOD NEWS: one of my most favorite and influential professors has asked me to do paid research for her this summer. I feel extremely honored and look forward to going through this experience and hopefully learning a lot from this extraordinary woman. There goes my summer off!

Bonjour Paris, xoxo

To end my lovely European adventure, I finally got to Paris - a city that I absolutely love! I got to meet up with my friend Ruthy for the weekend before I left back home, and we had such a lovely time! We decided to eat everything that our heart desired and were able to have many wonderful French meals with fabulous wine and interesting conversations. Definitely did some tourist stuff, but mostly just took our time and fully embraced every moment that the Parisian culture had to offer us.

Our last night we met up with some of the guys from my group for dinner and then ended the evening at the park in front of the Eiffel Tower. Had some wine and enjoyed the beautiful night with great company and conversation. It was the perfect ending to my adventure, and am so happy that I was able to connect with Ruthy for this girls weekend out. Love you girl!





Final thoughts on my trip...


One month pushed my comfort levels without having my wonderful partner with me. Americans are pretty impatient and at times can be challenging with all the whining and complaining - but we got through it, and I think that I have made some friendships that will last a lifetime. Freedoms of religion and speech I take for granted living in the states. Although we have our own problems, Europe is dealing with many of the same immigration and racism just like everyone else in the world. Lastly, I am happy to be home - and especially happy to have two months off before my last year of school starts up again!

Gouda, The World Cup & Brussels

It has been awhile since my last posting and a lot has happened! I went to Gouda this past weekend and got to make cheese and visit a cheese farm. I learned a lot, and have to say that cheese is sort of gross - but so delicious! I won't get into the gory details, but let's just say that cheese goes through a process that would make anyone second guess their love for it! Later that day I got to check out a bunch of windmills along the beautiful Dutch landscape. It was a hot day in Holland, and I felt lucky to get to see more of the country and get out of the city.

Holy Holland Hell! The World Cup! Okay, so obviously they lost - but the lead up was incredible! I've never seen so much orange in my life! The singing, cheering and all around love for the game was intense! We watched the game in this corner where there were about 4 bars that had a shit ton of people outside. Our professor hung out with us, and we all just got tipsy off many beers and the energy of the crowd. What an experience to be in Holland while they were in the World Cup! I love the social aspect of this game, and wondered what it would be like if we in the states engaged in more public social events rather than sitting in our living rooms all the time...

Yesterday we got to visit Brussels. It was a short day trip, but got to see the European Parliment and visit a historical museum. The parliment was reallly interesting because we had a speaker who was very knowledgeable on all aspect of this form of government. I really enjoyed the museum because we were exposed to many local artists and had a guided tour with a lot of histrorical references. Sometimes the history of places can be so overwhelming, to know that some of these paintings were from the 15th century just blows my mind.

Okay, got to get back to my studies (yes, I am studying abroad in case you forgot... I did!) and all I can say is I'm happy that Utrecht is coming to an end. I am so ready for a weekend in Paris with my friend Ruthy and then home sweet home!

Amsterdam

Finally made it to Amsterdam two nights ago, and boy did we have a good time! There were four of us and we went in the late afternoon/early evening, so weren't able to see any of the famous museums. Although we did get to check out the "sex museum"which was pretty funny! Natasha was our unspoken tour guide since she had been able to check it out one day, and led me, Tim and Andrew around the city center. It was just like I had pictured, canals, cool tall skinny buildings, and of course lots and lots of "coffee"shops and sex shops.

We walked through the red light district, and not exactly knowing what to expect - I was shocked on how beautiful the women were. Although I have seen prostitutes before, these women were in clean rooms, looked fairly clean (whatever that means), and were just hanging in the doorway almost naked waiting for some action. I think that it's cool that they are regulated and I assume are in safe situations. Although I could not imagine what it would be like to have that as my career!

We drank lots of beers, partook in some coffee shops and mostly just had fun hanging out in a new environment. We caught a late train back, and didn't get home until 2:30a.m. So for embracing my inner old lady!

I finally rented a bicycle!!! It is so fun, and a girl in our group found a place that rents them for 25 Euro a week! I cruised around all afternoon, and a friend Trae and I went to meet our professor (Pendras) for beers. It was just the 3 of us, and we had a great time just talking and debating about different topics. It is so nice to have a professor who is willing to spend time with you and just open up about ideas and opinions. Thanks Mark!

Embracing My Inner Old Lady

Last night the Netherlands played in the semi World Cup game... it was going to be crazy. It was going to be fun. It was going to be something not to miss... yeah, I went to sleep at 8pm while everyone was out and slept for 9 hours. It was incredible! Ha! All I can say is that I am at a point in my life where I know good and well if I can go out and "have a good time"- and last night, I knew that it was time for me to take advantage that everyone would be out late, and I could finally get some peace and quiet for a full night's sleep. Guess what? I did, and it was great!

Obviously I missed out on a pretty amazing experience, but at least I can still check it out this weekend when the stakes are even higher! Maybe I'll even get an orange shirt? Maybe not. I've never been much of a "fan"of any kind, and although I am excited to check out all of the shenanigans this weekend, I still don't think I'll give a crap if they win or lose. Hey, that's just me.

Other than being an old woman, I had a nice walk into town this morning watching all of the residents biking and walking into work. The small shops in my neighborhood where we're staying were just getting started - putting out all of their produce and arranging their goods for display. I had a good quiet walk that felt like one of those experiences that you will always remember, but no one will quite know what you mean. I love observing and having silence, and it was wonderful to have that this particular morning.

I met up with my professor, Dr. Pendras this morning. He has taken the time to meet with us all individually to speak about observations, feelings and topics for our papers due when we get back home. It was really refreshing to have that one on one time, and he is such a nice and intelligent person. He discussed with me the multicultural citizenship and identity issues that Europe vs. the U.S. may have in common. It was really interesting to have him point out that I told him that we were in a segregated neighborhood, he asked, "why do non-white neighborhoods have to be labeled segregated?". I understood his point, although there are plenty of good reasons why non-white neighborhoods are called segregated, to always point that out just perpetuates those stereotypes. Meaning, to start off with "white"being the starting point for where "good"standards begins isn't necessarily helping the situation.

Okay, enough for now... time for class and perhaps Amsterdam this afternoon.

xo

Utrecht University

Back in Holland and had our first day at Utrecht University summer course of "European Culture and Identities" today. Just an in ital introduction, but it was cool to see all the other students in the course. We are made up of 3 schools from the states and a couple of schools from China. There were a group of really cute tiny girls from Hong Kong sitting next to me, and were very sweet!

Student housing is good, not great - but decent. We at least get our own room, and it seems like the dynamics of our group are going well. I think that there was at one point a moment or two that we were going to hurt each other, but we made it through and celebrated the 4th of July on the rooftop with beers and blunts (hey, it's legal here!).

Thoughts so far are that my feet are very mad at me, I currently am working on 4 blisters and a mother of a blister. Thanks flat Asian feet, you suck! Also, study abroad is tougher on my body physically and emotionally than originally anticipated... but I guess I sort of expected that. Lastly, I will not go out of the country again unless I can share it with Greg. He is the best travel partner (and partner in general) ever, and I miss him so much!

Other than that, GO NETHERLANDS!!! World Cup Baby!

Torino, Italy

Well, I have officially been on my European adventure for just about a week now... The flight over was actually not too bad, I had an exit row seat and sat next to one of my fellow travelers from school. Note, exit rows are awesome - but super cold! I was having a hard time sleeping because that window seat next to the door is very chilly. Anyhow, we arrived at Schipol airport and mad our way to Utrecht. Utrecht is a midevil city that is quite beautiful with canals, old architecture and and tons of bicycles... I mean thousands of bicycles! There are special lanes for them, and everyone rides them. Very cool!

We arrived in Turin on Tuesday morning, and have been walking all over the city. My poor little feet are so sore and swollen, but seriously not complaining - I'm in Italy for goodness sake! Turin looks like an Italian city (probably because it is) and there are many good looking and stylish people all around. My professor has a colleague from when they were doing their Phd who has been showing us all around. He is this big bearded, long haired Italian guy who smokes like a chimney and is awesome! He is very smart, funny and has a great Italian accent.

Last night, our whole group splurged on a local restaurant recommended to us by our guide that was supposed to be really great local cusine. It was fabulous. Just the table alone was covered with breads, cheese, wine, and it looked straight out of a movie. It was a four course meal that consisted of bread and procuitto, raw veal in 3 forms (I tried not to think about the poor little baby cow who was sacrificed for my indulgence), this amazing ravioli with bacon and butter (holy cow, it was the best ravioli ever!), and then veal stomach with potatos and carrots. I hardly made a dent in the last portion, and the raw meat was quite an experience... but it was really delicious! Our bill was 450 euro, but was well worth the ambiance and experience.

Ciao!

European Itinerary

As many of you know, I am setting off for a month long adventure to study abroad through my Urban Studies Program at UWT. There are 12 of us going, along with two professors who I really admire. I am beyond thrilled to have this opportunity, and am set off to leave today.

Greg has been my number one support throughout this whole school experience, and I just have to say how lucky I feel to have a partner who is so encouraging for me to fulfill these life experiences to the fullest! Thank you Greg for all the support and love that you give me. I will miss you so much.

My parents have also been my biggest fans, and I know that they are so proud and happy for me to be pursuing my dreams and without their love, support and endless advice - I would not be the person that I am now. I love you Mom and Dad, thank you for being the best parents in the world!

Okay, so my itinerary:

June 26: arrive in Amsterdam

June 26-28: Utrecht

June 29: fly to Milan to Turin

June 29- July 3 Turin

July 3-16 Utrecht University

July 16-20 Paris

I'll keep y'all posted on the upcoming adventures, misadventures, and all those ups and downs that come with traveling!

xoxo

Arizona and Immigration

Yesterday Arizona passed a bill that will use their police force to determine whether or not someone looks like they may not be a U.S. citizen. Police will now have the authority to pull over persons who look like they are an "illegal" immigrant and ask for their paper work to prove that they are "legal". So now, all persons in AZ who are legally "allowed" to be here have to carry around their paper work at all times. Sort of reminds me of Nazi Germany. Why don't we just tattoo them to make sure?

As a naturalized citizen of America, I already have received attitude from other people that I wasn't American. It is the sentiment that if you are not white, you must not be American. I have friends who are born here in the states, and still get questions like, "Where are you from?". I know that these types of questions are often innocent, but they do add to the attitude that only white Americans are considered U.S. citizens.

My issue with Arizona's law is that it only promotes racial profiling based upon the color of your skin. This in my opinion is unconstitutional and violates civil rights. To determine who looks like they are "legal" and who is not is completely ridiculous since they both look exactly the same. If I had to carry around my naturalization papers with me everywhere I went with the fear that at any time I could be questioned would be awful. That would make me feel like a second class citizen, and only create more boundaries within our country.

A friend pointed out that there is no such thing as an illegal human being. And based on the fact that our country relies heavily upon undocumented workers, I find it interesting that people in this country have such strong opinions in regards to them being here. First off, the jobs that many of these undocumented workers are doing are the jobs that no U.S. "citizen" would want to do. Not for the pay anyway. I have yet to see fellow citizens standing in line to pick fruit or work in a slaughter house for low pay and no benefits. Instead, I see them standing in the unemployment line waiting for their government hand out, complaining about their mortgage they cannot afford because they live out of their means.

Summer Travels and Dinner with my Family

This summer I am lucky enough to travel for an Urban Studies field experience program. The program is only one month long, but will give me 12 credits toward my degree. We will fly into Amsterdam, visit Turin, Italy and do most of our studies at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. We have a couple of weekends off, so I plan to see Berlin and perhaps Brussels. Then, to end our studies, some of us will extend our trip down to Paris for a few days.

I don't have to tell you that I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to do this, not just because of the chance to once again visit Europe - but also the possibility of some first hand experience of studying old world cities that still function today. As I get further into my degree, I find myself extremely interested in aspects of Planning, Policy, and Sustainability issues within cities. I think that this program will enhance my learning, and hopefully give me guidance to where I would like to continue on for grad school.



Last night, Greg and I got to visit with my family in Olympia for dinner. It was my Dad, both brothers and their partners, and two of my Aunts. We had such a fabulous time, I love my family and enjoy their humor tremendously. We laughed, told stories and it made me realize how important it is to make the time and effort to cultivate my relationship with them. We are lucky in the sense that there is no holding back in my family. We say whats on our minds, and we accept one another for who we are. Couldn't ask for anything more from a family. xoxo

Mexico Vacation

To celebrate the end of the quarter as well just take some time to relax, Greg and I arranged to visit Sayulita again this year. This time, we went with our friends Jennifer and Pat for whom we have grown close to since my moving up in the area with Greg. They are our "go to" couple, and have been very good friends to us, and Jen especially to me. She was the first friend I made, and is one of the most generous and outgoing people I know. Needless to say, we were looking forward to having an adventure with them.

Our vacation started out great, the weather was in the mid 80's everyday - and it was fun to revisit a place that is very special to Greg and I. We spent most days relaxing next to the ocean, watching surfers, eating and for me reading. It had been so long since I got to read for pleasure, I wanted to fully enjoy this luxury and was able to start and finish "Committed: A skeptic makes peace with marriage," the book to follow Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love." It was a great book with some really interesting facts of the history of marriage, and her experiences with finding a place to accept it.

I would say all in all the trip was good. Not great, we had some setbacks that will somewhat taint this experience - but I still feel good overall about the trip. First, halfway through the trip Greg realized that he was missing his debit card. Come to find out, someone had picked it up at the airport upon our arrival and charged $900 onto it. Bummer. Then, Pat and Jenny kept having some issues with the food that somewhat made their experience less than what it could have been. Finally, Greg got completely sick our last day there. I'm talking cold sweats and unbearable body aches. Not to mention a vomit scene right in the middle of the town. Poor guy! Luckily it only lasted 24 hours, and he was good to go for the plane ride home.

Highlights of the trip were getting to talk with some of the locals who were extremely friendly. One guy in particular who was our server named, Chris who hooked us up on a fishing trip. He kept popping up throughout our trip and would chat with us and gave us some tips on where to go and what to do. The fishing trip was really fun, Greg got to pull in a giant fish - and the guys who ran the boat were very friendly and fun. For me, the food was great! I was the only one who didn't get sick, and gobbled up as many tacos that I could. Half of the Mexico experience for me is eating street vendor tacos and sharing some of that local flare.



Like I said, there were some bumps in the road - but all travels can't be perfect... can't wait to prepare for the next adventure!

End of the Quarter Hell, my thoughts on birthdays...

So as my second quarter here at UWT comes to an end, I am faced with two presentations, 3 finals, and one 10-page paper... YIKES! Luckily, I am the type of person who works very well under pressure. I may not take the pressure well (poor Greg), but I do seem to accomplish a lot when there are many things on my plate. We'll see how that hard work pays off!

I just celebrated my 29th birthday, which was one of the most mellow birthdays yet. By the way, Greg is the best partner in the whole world. He took me out to a lovely restaurant, La Rustica in West Seattle and then sent me for a spa day that consisted of a 90 min. massage, 90 min. facial, and a pedicure... I've never felt so indulgent in my entire life! xoxo love you Greg!

So here's the thing about birthdays... yes, I love to celebrate the fact that you were born. That's cool, but everyone was born. You might say that I am a little bitter to the fact that people still insist on making a huge deal about their birthday - and insisting on having everyone come out and celebrate them. Now in our early twenties, this was just another excuse to go out and drink, which I'm all for. These days, to be upset if people cannot make your narcissistic excuse to celebrate yourself - well, don't be offended if Im not overly thrilled to do so.

I guess where I'm going with all of that is - there are certain people that make a big deal it's their birthday... those are the same people who don't go out of their way to do anything for you. Guess what? I don't care if you don't buy me dinner or send me a card, so please don't get dramatic if I don't do the same for you anymore... "why is it, the first to ask - is the last to give, every time?" - Ben Harper says it best.

Wow, this blog has quickly turned into something negative... what my initial intention to say about birthdays is, I am not making any big deals about my birthday until I turn 30. Next year I will be graduated from college and celebrating my birthday all in the same month... so get ready! ...P.S. I won't expect anyone to go out of their way for it, I will organize everything!

Now, countdown till our Mexican vacation...

Scotty

Today is the anniversary of the death of a friend, Scott Taylor. To his friends, Scotty. Three years ago Scotty died in a motorcycle accident after leaving my brother's house who lived just down the street from him. Scotty was the type of person who had no enemies, was someone you could count on, and always had a goofy smile on his face. The loss of his life deeply affected many people, and his memory will live on forever.

Through his passing, I met Greg - who I have been with ever since. Greg is my partner, lover and best friend. He is the most amazing and kind person who would do anything for his family and friends. I am lucky to have him in my life, and he teaches me so many lessons every day. We will always have a special place in our hearts and remember Scotty as we celebrate every year we have together. He reminds us that life is short, and that we must live life with intention, love and passion.

Rest in peace Scott Taylor, we will miss and love you always.