I Think I’ll Go to the Seaside

I am back in California. After two weeks in Montana and one night in Monterey, this will be my last stop before I go abroad next week. And yes, I am stealing pictures of my hometown off of the Internet, rather than taking them myself. Lazy? I like to use the word, resourceful. But you have to admit, it’s a pretty good resting place for my last days in California, isn’t it? I am really going to miss these beaches, the ocean, the harbors, the smell of salt water and fish in the air. Ah.

As my mom and Neil are on their own little summer vacation (Alaskan cruise and visiting my long-lost grandfather in Washington) I am alone for six days with the two cats. And they’re about as lazy  as I am.

Dorie’s really getting into this whole packing thing. 

Lily’s not doing much of anything, really.
Except being princessy. 

For the first time since graduation, things are finally settling down. Ever since mid-May I felt like I’d been running around with an agenda and now… I don’t really have one.  My two week vacation in Montana was great - I’m so glad that I was able to go but it was rife with emotion. I learned so much about myself and my relationships with the people that I love.  It’s hard to come back from that without feeling a little frazzled. But they sure did send me off in style. My dad BBQ’d and my friends and family members came out to bid me farewell and to welcome Madisyn to the family as well. Double party!

I didn’t mind sharing!

BBQ’d ribs, chicken, Chinese salad, frog eye salad and baked beans.
Hell yes. 

After a long day of traveling, I spent one night in Monterey with my friends before I headed back to Morro Bay. It was so good seeing them again. I was a bit apprehensive about having to say goodbye again. Doing it once was hard enough but it was actually really good to see them again and have a proper good-bye.

Lunch date. <3

After visiting over a yummy lunch at Lalla Grille we said our good-byes and then Lauren and I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and visiting with some family friends of ours. And then I headed back to Morro Bay. And although it sucks to be away from my friends when they’re just so close (only 2 hours away!) it’s really nice to have some time to myself… to be alone and just getting my head wrapped around this trip. I haven’t really had any time to think about it. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m excited or nervous and I can’t really say. I don’t know how I feel about it. I haven’t really had time to focus on it just yet. So I plan on doing that over the next few days!

But, really, how does one prepare for a year long trip? I know I’m going to forget something. And it will not be my passport. Ha.

I haven’t actually been doing any packing, to be honest. But I have gotten myself prepared in other areas. Like… for the long day of travel. I’ve spent most of last night and today converting some online movie files (via Sarah’s computer movie collection) to Quicktime so that I can watch them on my iPod. Movies include:

Clash of the Titans
Date Night
The Invention of Lying
How to Train Your Dragon
Youth in Revolt
Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging
The Crazies
Whip It
Away We Go

I’ve also cleaned up my iTunes and transfered old, unloved, and neglected music files over to my external hard drive so that I can fit aforementioned movies onto my iPod. In the process, I also gave my playlist collection a make-over and bought some new music since the 600+ songs I tried to copy from Lauren’s computer did want to transfer. I needed to compensate so I actually bought music to make myself feel better. My favorite buys of the day:

Hanson – Shout it Out
I don’t really feel the need to explain my first choice. If you know me at all, you're aware of the fact that I’ve been a Hanson fan since I was eleven and any time that they release a new album (today!) I am all over it. I’m not so much of a fan girl anymore but this album is pretty good. Although This Time Around will always be my favorite.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (Self-titled)
I found this album randomly through Amazon MP3s but the second that I listened to it, I loved it. The first track, alone, had me hooked. It’s powerful and fun and it just made me want to get up and dance. It’s a great album. You should check it out. 

And with that, I will leave you now. I am going to go start my dinner and continue watching the Law & Order SVU marathon that has been on ALL day. This is my favorite show. I don’t think you realize how happy I’ve been today.

:)

Rainy Days

I don’t care what anyone says. I love the rain. I hate being out in it, I don’t like being wet or having wet shoes, wet pants, etc. But I love listening to it. It’s pouring down right now and I am sitting here in my bedroom (aka the guest room) at my dad’s house with the window wide open. Weather reports say it might storm, which would be awesome because I love thunder storms. You don’t get that kind of weather on the central coast. Living in Montana, however, we got those storms every summer. I’d love to get one now, right before I leave. Although I was kind of looking forward to my dad’s softball game tonight. Hopefully I get the best of both worlds. Ha.

I stole this picture online. But it’s a great image of the city of Missoula,
where I grew up, where I am vacationing now. 

I’m leaving Montana on Sunday which actually makes me kind of sad. It’s very bittersweet, I’ve had such a good time here. I’ve been enjoying my family so much. It’s been so nice seeing them again and really getting to know them. I appreciate and love them so much more than I ever did when I was a kid. There are so many politics and family alliances involved in divorce and blended families. I am so happy that I am older now and able to understand that my family loves me and that, despite everything we’ve been through, we’re all in it together. I’m so grateful that I was able to have this vacation. It’s been a blessing!

Tomorrow my family is having a BBQ for me. My dad is a grill master and makes some mean ribs. And there will be cake! My grandma and aunt, uncle, and cousin are coming by and Sarah will be coming too. I’m hoping my brother will be able to come but I think he has to work. That will be a bummer because I’ve hardly spent any time with him at all since I’ve been here. That’s mostly just because of communication problems and his work schedule. But he knows that I love him! So, I’ll see him when I see him, I guess!

This morning I spent a few hours with my step-sister, Sam, and helped her with the baby. We took Madisyn in to get weighed. She looks bigger to me, each time that I see her, but she’s not gaining weight so it’s got Sam really frustrated. But I really enjoyed the morning and was happy to spend some quality time with my niece. She’s so beautiful and sweet. I love her so much! And I had a good time with Sam, too! We didn’t get along very well as kids so it’s always nice to sit and just talk with her and get to know her. Relationships are so much better as an adult! I’m glad for that! Everything makes sense!

I plan on just enjoying my last few days here. Saturday and Sunday. That’s it. Then it’s back to California for a week before I leave the country!

I can’t believe it’s coming up so soon – 11 days. It’s crazy. I still can’t believe it. Am I really about to do this? It’s so exciting, I never thought that this kind of thing would happen to me. But it is. In eleven days. I am flying out of LAX so soon. I can’t even fathom that two weeks from today I will be hanging out in Munich, Germany. I’ve been having dreams about my trip, pretty much every night, and I usually wake up expecting to be there already. It’s crazy, they’re really vivid, realistic dreams too. I hope that reality lives up to my imagination. Ha. Or that it’s even better. Which, I’m fairly certain, it will be. :)

Destination: Munich.
Countdown: 11 days.

The One About Montana and a Bunch of Babies

There are only two weeks left until the start of mein Abenteuer in Deutschland! On Monday, June 14th I board a plane at LAX and I ascend to the skies for an 11 hour journey to Germany.

I’m so excited. I really can’t express my excitement, actually. I’ve tried. Everyone keeps asking me, “Aren’t you so excited?” And I am. I am so, so, so STOKED. I am about to go to Europe, for a year, get PAID to be there, experience new culture, new customs, and new people. I am going to take of these two beautiful little girls and will probably fall in love with them. I get to travel, explore, photograph, write, enjoy. Wouldn’t you be excited? I hope those of you who are reading can live vicariously through me.

Two weeks!

I’ve been keeping busy since graduation though, don’t worry. I’m currently on vacation in Montana, enjoying the rain and gray skies of my childhood hometown. Mostly, I have been spending a lot of time with my best friend, Sarah. We’ve been best friends since we were 12 and I still love being around her. Our maturity levels astound me, even now in our early 20’s! We just got back from a Memorial Day camping trip and it was a bummer to leave the river behind to return to the city. Aside from the fact that I really wanted a hot shower, a comfortable bed (with a mattress!), and a long nap! But I did get some great shots of true Montana beauty.

       

I loved being out in the mountains again. I used to camp all the time when I was a kid and Montana is such a great place for it. The forests and rivers are so freaking gorgeous. We had a good time. And it didn’t rain!

Also, Sarah and I spent our last Saturday night babysitting her nephew, Colton, who is just the cutest little 3 1/2 month old dude you will ever see on this side of the United States. 
And, because we’re really good at it, Sarah and I have been going to the movies. It’s the summer of sequels and we’ve already seen Iron Man 2 (AWESOME!) and Sex and the City 2 (CHEESY!). Next in line, Shrek Forever After which I know will be awesome.

When I’m not with Sarah, I’ve been spending time with my family. My dad’s side lives here in Montana and I rarely get to see them so it’s been really, really good having time with them. I’m learning a lot about my family as I get older and I appreciate them so much more now than I ever did before. I feel so blessed to be able to have this time with them before I leave. And the best part about it…

I’M AN AUNTIE!

 
My step-sister had a beautiful baby girl on May 19th and officially made me a first-time auntie! Madisyn Logan is the most beautiful little niece and I love her so much already. She’s so tiny and sweet and completely and wholly adorable. It’s going to be really hard to leave next weekend knowing that I won’t see her for at least another year. Fortunately, I know that grandma will be taking good care of her!

Other highlights from my Montana vacation include:

• Receiving my third tour of my grandma’s retirement community and beating her in an epic game of Scrabble. The word “QUERE” on a double-letter, triple-word formation for 66 points. I won by almost 200 points. Sorry, grams!
• Eating my dad’s BBQ. I will miss American BBQ when I am in Germany!
• Time zone changes. It gets dark at 10 pm. It’s so weird to walk out of an evening movie and it’s still light outside.

And there will be more!