Wednesday, October 07, 2015

paragliding in interlaken


over labor day weekend, i put my life in the hands of an oversized kite and a handsome french man. it was quite possibly the most exhilarating moment ever.

ingrid was first to take off, then it was my turn, and then i'm not sure what the order was after that. i do know that bryan was the first to land and i was the last. bryan accidentally threw his head back and knocked his pilot the face. though, i'm not surprised. if any of us were to injure our pilot, it would be bryan. he even dubbed himself "bad luck bryan." to top it off, he crash landed. it's all on camera. thankfully.

my paragliding experience was much better. we barely had to run down the mountain at all before the wind took us up. once in the air, the view was beautiful. interlaken is a gorgeous city. you could see both lakes and the jungfrau. the pilot, patrick, even let me steer for a while. it's such a crazy feeling flying through the air like that. i lucked out with an amazing pilot. he had such a great sense of humor. after hearing that i chickened out on a rodelbahn earlier in the day, he flew past it and said, "this is where you were scared earlier...now you're flying high above it!"

we flew around for about 20 minutes but it felt like a lot less. y'all should definitely give it a shot. just hope there's no "turbulence" because that could easily make you wet your pants. no joke.

all my love,
E

Thursday, October 01, 2015

bloglovin'

check out bloglovin'!

it's an easy way to keep up with your favorite blogs and it's super addictive.

<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14615591/?claim=jm72ttqpj2s">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

all my love,
E

Monday, September 14, 2015

the new york institute of photography


i've been working with the new york institute of photography off and on for about a year now. i highly recommend their courses to anyone interested in improving their camera usage skills or their editing skills. nyip has professionals that are available to you everyday to answer any questions. also, there are forums where you can talk with other students and discuss editing techniques and the like. when you sign up, you're assigned a mentor that is a professional photographer. mine is alina oswald and i love her to death. she's so sweet and helpful. and brutally honest, but you need that.

i have no regrets in enrolling into nyip and i encourage aspiring photographers to jump in on the opportunity to do so as well. i posted a before shot, which is obviously not a great photo (a quick snap at the beach), and i posted an after shot, which the course taught me to produce. i'm pretty sure anything that can turn that first photo into this second one is a good deal, yeah? yeah. think about it.


i'll post a link just in case! 
https://www.nyip.edu/

all my love, 
E

amsterdam


a few weeks ago, we were able to take half a day and explore amsterdam. if you ever go, take a weekend to explore it. one day wasn't enough.

my main goal in amsterdam was to visit the anne frank house. i had heard horror stories where the line to get in was nearly three hours long. my group ended up waiting for 45 minutes, which compared to that three hours, was a good deal. also, they have free wifi in the area that you wait in. the tour was done well. you walk from room to room while watching videos and reading passages on the walls. definitely a great experience especially if you've read anne frank's diary.

we also did a canal tour. for the most part, it was pretty great. i did fall asleep for about fifteen minutes though. i was going on two hours of sleep and the ride was really relaxing. around three o'clock, the canals get jammed with boats. it's kind of funny, actually. you have tourists in smaller boats trying to steer clear of the larger tour boats and locals. it's comical. if you go and have fifteen minutes to spare, just sit at the edge of a canal and watch.

and finally, we took a walk through the red light district because how could we not. not gonna lie, probably the best part of the trip. just something you need to experience for yourself.

all my love,
E

Saturday, August 01, 2015

bratislava, slovakia

i'll be honest. i didn't really know slovakia existed until recently. like when-we-booked-this-trip recently. 

slovakia is a really small country but it's beautiful. the roads leading into bratislava from the autobahn were surrounded by fields and fields of sunflowers and wind turbines. there were no end to the fields on either side of the road. it was perfect, especially with the sun rising up over everything.

bratislava is a cute little city. emphasis on little. we walked the whole city in an hour and a half with a tour guide. actually, to be honest, we ditched the tour after an hour because we had seen everything and the talking was beginning to be a bit much. information overload. i ventured away from the group to snap pictures and my mom followed soon after. we decided to get something cold to drink and a bite to eat. the restaurant we went to had the BEST lemonade i have ever tasted in my life. i call it slovakian lemonade (good name, i know) and i've been trying to recreate it ever since. i'm failing. if you know of a recipe for this goodness, please be a doll and help a sister out. 










there it is ^. the slovakian lemonade. are you drooling? i am. i have a goal to figure this one out by the end of the summer. if i'm successful, i'll share : )

all my love, 
E

Thursday, July 30, 2015

budapest, hungary

boo-da-pessh-t

that's how they say budapest in hungarian. interesting, yeah?  yeah.

after a 14 hour bus ride from germany to hungary, we could finally see our first glimpse of budapest. we rode over the chain bridge to our hotel and i couldn't get over how pretty it all was. budapest reminds me a lot of prague. a larger, busier, business-y version of prague.






budapest was preparing for an airshow/ air race while we were in town. they had shut down the chain bridge for a period of time as the planes were racing down the river. above, you can see the river all set up for the event. it was so cool watching the planes race over the bridge and up into loops and such. 


below is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. you can see the budapest eye (the giant ferris wheel) on the right. i heard it has amazing views from the top and it's worth a trip around at night. i wasn't able to go because i was traveling with someone who is deathly afraid of ferris wheels. hey, mom. i talked her onto the london eye when we went to london once. that was fun. if you've ever wondered if the panic buttons inside the capsules on that ferris wheel are ever used, you should travel with my mother. you're in for an experience.


budapest became one of our favorite cities instantly. there's so much to see and do. plus they have a hard rock cafe. i'm glad i was able to take a trip here. and it may be hard to believe but it was worth the 14 hours on the bus for sure.

all my love,
E

Friday, July 10, 2015

laughing 'til we cry

let's rewind to april of 2011.

my mom was dropping me off for my first semester of college. of course, my best friend was in tow. great times were had. lots of fro-yo, apartment shopping, catan, corndogs, mall hopping, food in general, laughing, hotel shenanigans, judging rexburg, etc. but, in the back of my head was the thought that i wasn't going home with my momma bear. it was a thought that snuck to the surface of my mind occasionally throughout the week but was pushed back to where i needed it to be as soon as i felt it coming. i didn't want to let the feelings show.

the day came for momma to leave and i still wasn't letting myself feel bad about it. we decided to go to lunch before she and amanda left. i remember exactly what i ordered. taco salad. i remember i was staring at the sliced olives on top when my mom said something funny. i laughed. i laughed hard. i laughed so hard there were tears. then i realized i wasn't laughing anymore. i was sobbing. it was like i let so much of a feeling out of its box that they all decided they had to come out together or they'd never get another chance. i was a mess.

that had never happened to me before. and i'll never forget it. it was the first time i cried in public (not counting the baby years) and it was the first time all of those repressed feelings came surging up demanding to be felt at once. it was the first time i felt the flood gates burst open.

now let's fast forward into 2015.

you'd think i would have learned that feelings cannot be left unfelt. but i didn't. they still pile up in that place i send them & a lot has piled up in that place over this past year. a lot. i knew the feelings would need to come out eventually but i've been waving them off not wanting to deal.

then came june.

i had an orthodontist appointment to get an expander put in my mouth. there is no longer room for my own tongue in there. this makes talking near impossible. nobody understands what i'm trying to say when i talk. it's embarrassing.

after my appointment, my mom and i were talking in the car when i tried telling her about something that i had seen on instagram. instagram. do you know how hard of a word that is to say when there isn't room in your mouth to say it? hard. my mom asked me to repeat what i had said twice before we just started laughing over my pathetic efforts. we laughed hard. too hard.

and the tears started pouring. again. only this time i let it happen. i didn't try to stop it. i knew too much had built up over this past year, the past week really, to even try to stop it. the flood gates were opened and i wasn't going to try and shut them. i needed this.

i cried because i can't go home.
i cried because i miss the crickets and fireflies.
i cried for the family i lost.
i cried because i bit off more than i could chew.
i cried over the confusion.
i cried for the guy who said he wouldn't hurt me.
i cried for all of the broken promises.
i cried because my grandmother doesn't remember who i am.
i cried because of my selfishness.
i cried out of the guilt for the pain i caused others with my own reckless decisions.

"em. stop crying. the gate guard is going to think you're crazy."

all my love,
E

Thursday, July 09, 2015

keeping cool with a former barista



i used to be a pro coffee drinker. i also used to be a professional coffee drink maker. like it was literally my job. thank you, cinnabon.

so the other day, when i was scrolling through facebook and i saw that someone had posted "copycat starbucks (bottled) vanilla frappuccino" that had an odd recipe, i was like. no. who is doing this? stop.

there's no need to put sugar in with coffee, milk, vanilla extract and cocoa powder. don't do it. there's an easier way. you just need espresso, milk, and ice. if you want a flavor, just buy the flavored syrup from the grocery store.

so you want a bottled vanilla starbucks frappuccino? check this out.
fill a glass or, ahem, camelbak (i was this person) with ice. fill it until theres only two inches left in the glass with milk. put one or two shots of espresso in the glass depending on how strong you want it & two pumps of vanilla syrup. it's perfect. it's fast. and it's easy.

you want an iced mocha?
same recipe only skip the vanilla syrup and use chocolate syrup instead. or white chocolate syrup. that stuff is good.

you want an iced latte?
same recipe. hold the syrup.

iced caramel macchiato?
same recipe. instead of vanilla, use caramel sauce or caramel flavored syrup.

and if you don't have an espresso machine? fill half of the bottle or glass with coffee, then add milk and the syrup. it's so simple.

share the knowledge because there's some poor soul out there sifting 5 tbsp of cocoa powder into 1.5 cups of coffee, 6 cups of milk, 4 tsp of vanilla extract, and a half cup of sugar. who even uses measuring cups anymore? oh, and they're gonna have to wait to drink it because "refrigerate before serving." and it only tastes the best when it's fresh. how inconvenient. save them.

all my love,
E

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

calendar marked: normandy


rough times have been had and i'm drained. i came home tonight and just laid on my dad's side of the bed while my mother picked my brain to figure out what was going on. life. just life.

i asked her if we could get away for a bit. i asked for norway and she said, "how about colorado?" then, having realized my accumulated leave is practically non-existent, we started thinking about places a little closer to home. a weekend trip. we decided on normandy. 

turns out, normandy is a pretty big region. we plan on hitting etretat in upper normandy first and booking a hotel there for a night. the photos of the views look amazing. we'll then hit the southern part of normandy and see mont saint-michel, the american cemetary, omaha beach, and all places in between. 

i love my mother and her ideas. it's time to escape for a minute.

all my love,
E

Monday, June 15, 2015

oostende, belgium



our beach weekend was amazing. it was a much needed break from the real world. i loved hanging out with our little group and just taking in all of the smells and sounds of the little beach town. the boardwalk was huge and never ending. i had the best italian food of my life and my first taste of real greek food. weird since this is belgium and along the coast, yeah? i had a mojito for the first time in my life and, i have to say, never again. gross. 


i have a slight obsession with reflections and the trapped water from high-tide made an excellent mirror for such pictures. and check out those sail boats. is this place not beautiful?



we chased down some guys trapping crabs. it was crazy how many people wanted to be apart of this. even the kids were down in the water helping bring out the traps. apparently, it's a pretty big deal here.



dear oostende,
thank you for being exactly what i needed. you were perfect.


all my love,
E


Tuesday, April 14, 2015

calendar marked: an imperial weekend


the outdoor recreation program is hosting a trip to budapest, vienna, and bratislava in july. we've had our eye on the trip for a few months but we didn't know which time frame would be most convenient to go with work and all those other annoying grown-up priorities. we chose the july trip and paid for it today. yay for paydays! i haven't traveled much in eastern europe so this should be exciting. fingers crossed.

like i've said before, i never had any desire to visit hungary until recently. when i saw this trip back in february that went to hungary, austria (which i love), and slovakia; i begged my mother to go with me. she's always wanted to go to slovakia, i want to go to hungary, and we both love austria. it couldn't be any more perfect. and now the trip is booked and i'm stoked.

if you're in the kaiserslautern area, you should definitely book it and come with.

all my love,
E

Monday, March 23, 2015

calendar marked: ostend

i was driving to cora, a giant grocery store in france that you must visit, with my mom and another lady we work with. she was telling us how a group of people we know from work were going to ostend in may and how we should join them. i was down. i never say no to a trip. or a carride. or a beach.

so. we've officially booked our trip to ostend, belgium. memorial day weekend shall be filled with sailboats, cathedrals, one fluffy dog, lighthouses, seafood, and, of course, being a beach bum with the group.

also, brugge, belgium is only thirty minutes from this city so we're planning a little trip there on the drive back home. how convenient is that? 

all my love,
E

Monday, March 16, 2015

zugzwang

"stop being weird. stop. stop. stop."
"are you jumping up and down screaming stop?"
"possibly. would it help?"
"maybe a tad."

i tried pushing theo out of my life a little bit. he went off and got himself into one of those relationship things by way of chocolate covered strawberries. i didn't see how we could still be us while that's going down. the best friends us. the no worries us. the no boundaries us. the only us i've known.

you know, the talking well past midnight about pointless matters just to talk. teasing each other because one is too cocky and the other a tad blonde. spinning around until i'm too dizzy to stand. pinky promise? pinky promise. hey your mom still owes me a home-cooked meal. loungy clothes and netflix. blaming each other for the horrible netflix choice (for the record, that pointless, horrible movie was his fault). blanket and pillow fights. really good hugs. the ones that blanket you in comfort. the let-me-come-over-because-life-just-got-really-confusing-for-a-second nights. and sometimes just swallowing feelings because talking is too hard. and letting me rest my head on his chest because it feels safe. and realizing how slow his heartbeat really is. just like he said. and falling asleep listening to its beat.

he says we can still be us. with lines. but that's not us. he says we can still have our talks, the smiles and hugs. but the hugs are weaker and the conversations are different. everything is wary.

i thought i'd try to distance myself from him before he had a chance to disappear altogether. i thought if i was the one who took him out of my life, it wouldn't hurt as bad. as if it were somehow my choice - something i wanted. but, eventually, i think it may hurt either way.

zugzwang.

"i would never hurt you. and i won't be cool with you cutting me out."
"i don't want to cut you out. i don't want to get hurt."
"well you're doing the former."
"because i don't want the latter."

even so, i've failed in all my attempts to push him away. kind of like he said i would. acting aloof isn't my forte. but, in all honestly, i don't want to lose this kid so i'm not sure i mind that i'm failing. and i kind of like that he's fighting to stay. he makes life a little better and who am i to act like that doesn't mean something to me.

"goodnight em."
"i'm sorry. goodnight t."

all my love,
E

Sunday, March 15, 2015

summer 2015 travel list

because one day i will have leave, i will have money, and i will have time. and that one day better come sometime this summer because this girl has travel GOALS!

- budapest, hungary
to be honest, i never really paid budapest any attention until i was talking to one of our coaches at work about his failed travel plans. he was going on about how his girlfriend had gone psycho and he broke up with her, she took it pretty hard, yadda yadda yadda...and the trip they had planned to budapest was now going to waste. but while he was doing that, i was thinking, "why the heck budapest? no wonder that relationship went down the tubes. take me to paris." i looked up budapest when i got home anyway. uhm, it's kind of gorgeous. i want to go. 

- paris, france
yeah, i've been here a few times. but never in the summertime. and i want to go. and so what if i've been before. paris is never a bad idea, right? right. audrey hepburn said it herself. paris is always a good idea. wise woman that audrey. let's follow her advice. also, let's go to disney while we're there.

- edinburgh, scotland
the sweet, old lady in the family history center told me my mother's side of the family came from scotland and england. i feel that is justification enough to take a trip to edinburgh. it looks lovely in photos. i bet it's even more beautiful in person, yeah?

- dresden, germany
i think it's crazy that i've lived in germany for thirteen years and haven't been to dresden. everyone says it's one of the best cities in germany. there's also a really pretty castle right outside of the city. i'm making it a goal to visit both places.

- prague, czech republic
uhm, i have an addiction to prague. i can't shake it. it's my all time favorite place in europe. i want to go back asap. i want to eat bagels every morning and walk across the st. charles bridge listening to all of the music. i want to eat chimney cakes and fresh made chips. i want to ride a horse and carriage around town and watch little kids chase giant bubbles in the old town square. i want to take pictures of the bridges from the castle and check out all of the royal guards as they stand oh so serious. and i also want to find a non-sketchy hotel this time so i don't get scared at four in the morning because of the crazies outside.

- cinque terre, italy
just look at that picture. who wouldn't want to visit this place? i'm thoroughly jealous of my friends that have been and post such amazing pictures. it's hard to believe places like this exist. it looks like a dream. and i bet there's some amazing pizza and gelato up in those towns.

- bruges, belgium
i'm told brugge is like the venice of belgium. and i liked venice. so why wouldn't i like the venice of belgium? it's also only thirty minutes from a beach we're visiting in may so i think the opportunity to visit will surely be there. everyone that goes here talks about how beautiful it is. it's my turn to find out.

- grindelwald, switzerland
yes, this place is picture perfect but what i really want to do here is go ziplining. like really bad. some of our camp adventure counselors are there this weekend doing just that and i can't wait until work next week so i can hear all about it. imagine the view as you're coming down off the mountain. ohmuhguh, i bet it's great. 

- amsterdam, the netherlands
amanda and i got in a deep (but maybe not so deep) conversation about the difference between the netherlands and holland. and we've decided that it's the same thing. we say holland when referring to the tulip fields and we say the netherlands when we talk about any other city. just a fun fact. but, yes, i want to visit amsterdam because i think it's kind of sad that i haven't yet. it's so close. and i've always wanted to visit the anne frank house. it has to happen before the end of the summer.

- cornwall, england
momma bear and i are already planning our summer trip here. she and my dad grew up in cornwall, new york so of course we have to visit cornwall, england. the england version looks a lot more picturesque than the new york version. but the new york version doesn't really stand a fair chance with it being neighbors with newburgh and all, does it? anyway, i'm super stoked for this trip. there are beaches everywhere. you can take surfing lessons if you want. which i don't want to. and there's a place where you can rent a donkey and take it for a walk. i actually want to do that because how often are you given the opportunity to take a donkey for a walk? not often. i shall name him jack.

now, if you'll excuse me, i have to go vacuum out my car so theo doesn't get dog hair (not even from my dog) on his behind when i pick him up from the airport tomorrow. because he actually had time to travel this weekend. whatever.

all my love,
E

Tuesday, March 03, 2015

prague

prague is my absolute favorite european city. it's small enough to get around on foot but big enough to still be an adventure. and it has everything. amazing food, amazing views, amazing shops. seriously. prague doesn't disappoint.

i've been twice already. the first time was during the fall. it was pretty rainy but even with the rain we had a good time. and there's a starbucks on every corner so it's pretty easy to warm up with a hot chocolate whenever you feel like it.

the second time i went was during the summertime. it was just my mother and i. we had a blast. we stayed at a harley davidson themed hotel right in wenceslas square. need i say more? we're so cool.

our first day, we stayed close to our hotel and ate at the hard rock cafe, of course. our second day, we went out and saw the rest of the city. we found a bagel place called 'bohemian bagels' near the john lennon wall. they had the best bagel french toast. which i didn't even know existed. but i'm glad it does. we wrote a review for them on tripadvisor. that says a lot. this was also the day i fell in love with the st. charles bridge. there's just so much to see when walking over it. you have musicians, artists, vendors, everything. there were a group of people around my age playing covers of coldplay and matchbox twenty. i could have stayed and listened for hours. every time you crossed the bridge, there were new groups performing. so great. we also found a little farmer's market. i'm obsessed with fresh fruit and they had the best. i nearly ate my weight in peaches and cherries. an obvious highlight of the trip. we ate at TGIFs that night. that's what happens when you live overseas for so long. you eat at american restaurants in the czech republic. beware.

on our third day, we made the trek back to the bagel place for breakfast then went up to the castle. after checking out the guards (yeah, we did) we slowly walked back towards the town square. the views were amazing. prague is just gorgeous. so many people talk about how dirty and old it is but they're on crack. of course it's old. what european city isn't old? and as for dirty...it's not. i've never seen a city kept so clean. there are so many workers out there sweeping up trash and keeping the streets looking nice. prague deserves an award for its cleanliness.

during the night of our third day, i woke up to a man happily exclaiming to his friend outside, "i found it! i found my shoe!" i didn't take part in the nightlife here but i think it's safe to assume it's pretty fun.

the next morning we had to leave. but not before picking up some bagels to bring home, of course. we woke up crazy early to make sure that errand was completed. we're true new yorkers. bagels > sleep.


just go here. and bring me with you. i know where TGIFs is.

all my love,
E

Friday, February 27, 2015

the versatile blogger award



i've been nominated for the versatile blogger award by these two awesome girls: jessica and lola. this is another great award that goes out to feature blogs with noteworthy content and pictures. thank you so much, girls, for the nomination!

the rules:
- thank the person who nominated you
- share seven little-known facts about yourself
- nominate others to do the same

facts:
1. when i was 7, i gave the tooth fairy an ultimatum through a note tucked under my pillow. either "fork over fifty bucks" or "i'll never believe in you again." i didn't get my fifty dollars. but i got to keep my tooth. and my attitude.

2. in kindergarten, our teacher asked us all what we wanted to be when we grew up. the girl before me said that she wanted to be a vet. girl stole my answer. i used to think it was nearly a sin to give the same answer to such a question so when i was asked what i wanted to be, i just sat there in silence not knowing what to do. the teacher snapped saying we didn't have all day. so i blurted, "a cowgirl!" yup. a cowgirl. life goals right there.

3. my parents set up a family trip to disney world and seaworld for christmas one year. most kids would probably enjoy that. i was miserable everyday of the trip. all i wanted to do was go back to the hotel and swim in the pool all afternoon. i'm half fish.

4. i was given a kitten for my eleventh birthday. a black kitten with a white dot on her chest. i named her 'dottie.' she was a stray and really shy. she became attached to me. only me. i loved that cat so much. you don't even know. when i was sixteen, she got hit by a car. i cried for weeks, missed school, and slept with a picture of her beside my bed. sounds pathetic. but i'm pretty sure that's the only time in my life that i've ever truly experienced heartbreak.

5. if i were ever to get a tattoo, i would want 'sweetheart' written in my grandmother's handwriting on the back of my neck. i can still hear her calling me that. i miss her so much.

6. when i misbehaved as a youngin', my dad would go outside, walk across the street and stand next to a pine tree. he told me the easter bunny lived under that tree. i believed him. my parents kept me disciplined by standing next to a pine tree. "alright, i'm going to go have a talk with the easter bunny." "noooooo!" i don't think you ever stop being so naive. you just become naive about different things.

7. i had to give a talk in church once. my friend was asked to talk on the same day. when we got to church, she had her talk all written out and ready to go. i had an index card with three bullet points. while she gave her talk, i panicked over mine. when my turn came, i got up, stood at the podium and looked at the congregation. i began speaking and everything just flowed. no hesitations, no mistakes, nothing. i do better speaking to a large group of people than one-on-one. i get nervous when having to look someone in the eye.

nominations:
jessica in your ear
my life as katy
the aj minute
life modifier
sam hates running

good luck!

all my love,
E

Friday, February 20, 2015

venice

the wanderlust has been real lately. all i want to do is travel, take pictures, eat food, and sleep. unfortunately, my work schedule and bank account are working against me. until we're on the same page, i'm just going to have to relive all of my favorite travels through old pictures and try to curb the craving a tad.

i went through my pictures from venice today. i absolutely love venice. my mom and i took a visit during the summer of 2013. i'll be honest and say that i had no idea that venice was an island until we boarded a ferry to get there. and i had no idea that cars didn't exist there. but i did know that venice has a hard rock cafe. and, let's be real, that is one of the first things you're supposed to look up about the city you're visiting. twisted mac and cheese? the best.

we didn't just eat hard rock cafe food, of course. we had real italian pizza. ham pizza. it was stellar. yes, stellar. and we had gelato for dessert. guys. i ate gelato in venice. i ate pizza in venice. i'm still not over it and it's been almost two years.

my favorite memory from this trip is definitely the gondola ride. my mother is deathly afraid of boats. she was fine until we went out into the grand canal. the bigger boats passing by made our little gondola rock a little too much for her. i've never seen her grip anything as tight as she did the side of that poor gondola. seriously so funny. i was proud of her for going, though. you can't go to venice and not go for a gondola ride. right?





i'll be back. one day. promise.

all my love,
E