#it was good tiki masala

[band-room-quotes]

Honorary Band Kid: Do you like the Tiki Masala I made you?

Mod Euphonium: Yeah, I’ve been dealing it through the band

Tenor Sax: I will sell my soul for it

[bloodyymaryyy]

Portions

Charles leclerc x reader

Masterlist

It all started when you were scrolling on tik tok one of your favourite thing to do when relaxing in bed.

The tik tok in question is the one where significant others waiting to see how their other half would react to their girlfriends / boyfriends cooking for them and accidentally putting less and they will set the table and put on the food in front of their partner and see their reactions when and if they will realise the difference on the portion.

You decided to test it out with your boyfriend on three years, you just returned from work and sat to fix dinner for both you and your boyfriend, the reason why Charles couldn't cook was because he doesn't know how to and also he went to the gym for a bit last minute training.

You decided to cook a long time favourite of your tiki masala for protein still following him diet but not on the dot it was rice with chicken with a sauce a bit simple but still tasteful .

You were finishing when your boyfriend Charles came into the kitchen with wet hair and no shirt on, he just got home and showered.

Kissing your neck softly and speak to you in French and making small conversations you told him to sit on the table and you were coming, plating the food you headed to the table with two plates the one filled to the brim with rice and chicken and thee other very visible less rice and two pieces of chicken.

Setting the on the table you pushed the full plate towards him where he was sitting and the other in your place and sat down, Charles looked up from his plate and sang praises to you for how nice it smelled and how hungry he was and finally his eyes settled down to your plate and he looked at his plate and then yours, that happened a few times and he got an idea

" baby can you do me a favour?" he said softly to you looking deep in your eyes and smiled sweetly

" yeah baby anything!" you said cheerfully

" could you go and get me a bit of breed baby?"

he said, you looked at him confused as to why he would want to eat bread with rice but you still nodded and got up and into the kitchen.

He was looking when you disappeared into the kitchen and looked to your plate and took his fork and started to put a few spoonfuls into your plate and still looking if you were coming which alerted him your slippers on the marble floors that you are coming and he settled down pretending that he was swallowing a mouthful of food and smiled at you, you set the bread you were asked to get and went to sit down on your chair but he again interrupted you and said

" oh mon amor! I am sorry! But I need a bit of cheese too! Can you go get it?"

"uh yeah sure" and off you went to get cheese he repeated the same thing taking food of of his own and into yours until he is satisfied with the portion and started to eat and waiting for you to come back and you did with the cheese.

He took it from your hands and put on a bit and started eating again and looking up at you yo check on you with his beautiful green eyes that make fall in love more and more everyday for those three years.

" baby why is your food so little? I thought I put on more!, wait take some from me! It's important for you to eat!"

You said fussing over him once you realised what he did

" oh non mon bébé ! You eat i am not that hungry so you eat! This is so good! You have to make it more! " he said while smiling and leaned to you and kissed your cheek.

" no baby wait I have more let me get you some! I just wanted to see how you were going to react to the difference in the portions! I saw it on TikTok and wanted to do it with you! " you said and kissed his lips and hugged him and went to get more food.

[nopalrabbit]

Cooking fun and good - paneer tiki masala, green shakshuka - kale and sweet potato salad, thai green fish curry - pho with homemade seitan, turnip and egg rice bowl. Everything is made from scratch!

[silvercaptain24]

Why does tiki masala sound so good

Also a chicken sandwich

Or a chicken quesadilla

[blkkizzat]

Hey! Indian reader here again, I'm glad you're having a great time here!!

I remember going to Agra on a trip a couple years back. Taj Mehl was amazing to see. And the history behind it is quite interesting. It was supposed to be a gift from the King of Agra to his queen though I don't remember much of the history. One part I do remember (though it's very gruesome yet romantic in a weird way) is that the king ordered that the hands of all the artisans and anyone who worked on the site would be cut off so that they wouldn't be able to create something like the palace again 😭

One tip I have is that you make sure you're not overpaying for the stuff you buy here, considering people WILL overcharge you when they realize you're a tourist. And to wear clothing which covers you up in public because short clothes are usually looked down upon here and for your own safety too depending on where you are 💔

Other than that I also recommend buying spices to take back with you if you're into spicy food!! Indian spices are extremely flavorful and vast in variety but quite expensive in other countries

Hey!! I just got back! It was an amazing trip! Your country is so beautiful. The air quality in some cities was tearing my allergies up but other than that and trying to cross the street when there isnt a traffic light in sight, I had such a great time! I never thought I could be a vegetarian but so much good non meat curries and other options there. I liked Indian food before going but loved all the new dishes I tried too! Although I don't think I will ever find a Dal Makhani or Chana Masala as good as I did at The 1944 Hocco Kitchen in Ahmedabad here in the states. I didn't even like the Dal I had on the trip up until that point it was so rich, smooth and buttery (they cooked theirs for 36hrs). Also getting to try traditional Gujarati cuisine was awesome!

The Dhokla was so good with the chutneys they'd give us as snacks. Plus I thought Japan had the best service, India takes it to a new level! I never been to restaurants where waiters are literally sprinting to your table to make sure you dont serve yourself. I only wanted a bit more curry once but I felt so bad this waiter almost tripped rushing over to me I let him put on two more scoops! Also feels like I'm back home and my grandma is making my plates cause if they see a dish nearly done and that you finished yours they will just scoop the rest into your plate. Even the fast food places (omg the paneer burger and aloo tiki burger at mcdonalds and butter chicken chalupa at taco bell were to DIE for) were far superior to what we have here and they have much more sustainable practices. I swear I gained 5lbs from all the food lmfao!! I'm used to eating either one meal or two small ones a day and my program was feeding us 3 full meals so I had to skip some at times LOL it was too much food!!

The traffic is WILD in India but its so cool to see. I don't think I would ever get used to crossing the street without feeling like I was gonna die though lmfaooo. Also omg being able to Uber a Tuk Tuk was awesome! Although there was a few times me and my friends thought we would see the pearly gates lmfaoooo. I heard that about the Taj artisans too! The tour guide we had was so knowledgable (he was a former pharmacist who went back to school to learn medival indian history as he wanted to be a tour guide instead). He told us it was because after his favored wife died (I think he said it was because she was the only one to give him children successfully) he lost his mind a bit and was locked away by one of his sons after building the Taj (Very sad too as all his sons fought and all but one survived to take over the throne). Oh yes, haha our tour consultant who travelled with us the entire time would haggle for us if we wanted something. He would actually give us a range then tell us to walk down the block then he would start haggling lol. Loved him so much, he really looked out for us!

But omg yeah I noticed that people dress pretty modestly which is wild to me considering how hot it is there but they are used to it but I was dying haha. It was 100 degrees and people were in jackets and jean pants lol. Thankfully I brought long cotton and linen dresses and skirts and was able to buy some flowly loose linen pants and brought lots of electrolyte packets. But even in the hotel (we stayed at the 5 star Hyatt Regency in Ahemedabad) that was pretty internationally catered (omg the best pasta outside of italy I swear I was so surprised haha) there were Indian men intensely staring at me and my friend wearing tight leggings to breakfast even though they came down to our ankles and we had a long sleeve shirt on too. I got on the elevator to run back up to my room for something I forgot and these guys on the elevator were so creepy. They didnt say anything but I could feel them glaring down my back. I'm glad we knew better than to wear them outside but I thought it be okay just in the hotel. That didn't sour my experience though I did meet a lot of very nice and respectful Indian men as well. Two of them (who were pretty cute tbh) helped me with my luggage on the elevator as I was leaving since I had to buy an entire new luggage for all the stuff I bought lol. Yes!! While in Delhi we went to the spice market. We took a cycle rickshaw there. We went to a tourist spice shop there though cause they seal it up well for travel and actually have premixed spice packets you can buy which makes it easier (although im sure much more expensive). I bought a ton of spices and teas haha spent like 20k rupees there lmfaooo. Mostly went so ham there cause my mom used to live in India (her 3rd husband was Indian) and she wanted me to bring her back alot of teas and spices. I got her like 4 different kinds of chai. I'm kinda sad we left right before Holi!!!! I always wanted to experience Holi!!! But since its today (or yesterday lol) and today is the first day of classes back our school had to make sure we were back for classes.

Here’s some more pics!

[theunintentionallyawesomeone]

Good news: the tower fan I got at an overstock shop for cheap works really well and will chill the fuck outta my room this summer

Bad news: I accidently got tiki masala up my nose and I am in a chilled hell

[airagorncharda]

Five Things Meme!

@temperedtempo tagged me in a “post 5 things that make me happy” post! (This might have turned into more of a “things that I’m feeling sappy and grateful about” post, but still! They DO make me happy!) 

1) Sharing my stories and art. 

In particular, my fiance and I have turned the world (and some of the story) of our Embalar story/game into a DnD campaign, and sharing it a group of friends has been one of the most inspiring and fun things I’ve engaged in in my whole life. Last night we had a session that involved a LOT of talking, but it was all “give the players new info about how the world works, with plot implications” and I was doing giddy wiggling of delight for basically the entire 3 1/2 hours of our game. 

Even sharing these things with strangers is gratifying in it’s own way, and any time I post art or writing, reading tags and comments is incredibly inspiring and encouraging and fills me with life. 

2) My fiance. 

Spending time with him, playing video games curled up in bed, excitedly sharing stories, working on DnD stuff together, cooking new recipes, playing with (and doting on) our cats, being close and cozy... We talk about our ideal future together, and our ideal someday forever house, and all of that would (and maybe will) be wonderful, but he’s also wonderful to be with in the here and now. Being happy with him in the short term AND the long term are both easy, regardless of other struggles. It’s always been that way, and I can’t imagine that ever changing. 

My life wouldn’t be the same without him, and I can’t imagine it holding anywhere near the level of joy and love it does if we weren’t together. 

3) My friends. 

My local friends, who I’ve known since we were all teenagers. Life circumstances have decreased the frequency that I see them, and sometimes I get sad about that because I wonder if we’re still as close as we were. Then I have literally any interaction with them (anything from 3 hours of hanging out to a simple text conversation or yelling at each other in tumblr PMs) and the answer is a resounding yes. They GET me on such a fundamental level, because we have so much history and so much love between us. I don’t have to hide or hedge about myself at all, which is freeing and unendingly appreciated.

My friends who I met online, too, bring daily joy to my life. The group(s) I play DnD with, in particular, give me space to be as weird and dorky and sad and excited as I need to be. They’ve managed to pry open my heart through sheer persistence and love and just being awesome people, and they’ve become the first people I really feel like I’ve MADE friends with since I was a teenager. Yelling into discord about our interests, sharing our characters, and generally supporting each other, have all become daily occurrences, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

4) My cats. 

They are goofy and sweet and beautiful and affectionate, and they give me the BEST brain chemicals purely by existing near me. Last week I finally had to cave and transfer a ton of photos off my phone (and onto my computer) to free up space on my phone, and this resulted in me transferring literally THOUSANDS of photos of my cats. Doing so freed up 1/3rd of the space my phone has to offer. You know that saying, “To know what someone loves, pay attention to what they photograph”? 

5) Food. 

I love cooking with my fiance, as well as with friends. I have always loved going out to eat and ordering in, and experimenting with recipes, and sharing meals with loved ones. 

I was going to list specific foods here (sushi, sashimi, sagwala, chicken tiki masala, salty lassis, samosas, bulgogi, gajar halwa, thai coconut soup, indian coconut soup, strawberries, brie, smoked gruyere, honey goat cheese, root beer floats, sour candy, cheese cake, jalapeno poppers, caramelized onions, lemonade, matcha, avocado and black bean quesadillas, ice box cake--) but it got too long. Food has consistently been something that will cut through even my worst moods and lowest depression, and always ALWAYS feels good even if the rest of me doesn’t. 

[thebigreylotheory]

Thanksgiving at Galaxy’s Edge: A Fangirl Review

Like many a Star Wars fan, I’ve been curious to visit Disneyworld’s Galaxy’s Edge. I was selected to attend the Galaxy’s Edge panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago and felt pretty hyped. Course, after the park’s opening, initially, I read and heard mixed things. However, after watching a steady stream of Youtube videos from a wide range of other visitors, I felt it would be a park I’d enjoy. I love Star Wars. I love Disney. I went to Disney on my honeymoon.

So, several months ago, I decided I wanted to take a babymoon trip there. It just so happened that the best time to get away coincided with Thanksgiving and my birthday. Which made it an extra special trip for me.

I assumed the park wouldn’t be too crowded prior to the Dec. 5thopening of Rise of the Resistance. Ideally, if I could have waited for the opening of Rise of the Resistance, I would have. However, as I am expecting, I couldn’t even go on Smuggler’s Run. Thankfully, BuildABetterMouseTrip has a list of what moms-to-be can and can’t ride. For me, the trip was more about enjoyment of it park itself: the scenery, the shopping, making the most of my photo pass and personal photography projects, and the food.

We had mid-day Magic tickets. Galaxy’s Edge didn’t feel too crowded when we first arrived, but by afternoon there were more people hanging out than I expected. We had been told by former Florida residences that Disney isn’t too busy on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, but from our experience, it was. If I had it to do over again, I would have bought a regular ticket and got up earlier. Perhaps, either the improvement of the economy and/or the rise of shopping Cyber Monday gives people more free time to likewise go to Disney on the holidays.

After having some great photos made in front on the park’s X-wing and Falcon (which I hope to use as before and after pregnancy photos when I’m someday able to visit with my child), our party headed directly for the Milk Stand.

My husband has a TON of allergies, so I researched a lot of food prior to our trip.

Blue Milk is non-dairy and plant-based, made with coconut and rice milk with dragon fruit, pineapple, lime, and watermelon.

Green Milk is also made with coconut and rice milk with mandarin orange, passion fruit, grapefruit, and orange blossom.

I thought I would like Green Milk better, because I normally like oranges. People seem very divided and/or loyal to one flavor. Once I got to the Milk Stand, I got sentimental and had to have Blue Milk. It turned out to be the right choice for me. In our party we had 3 Blue Milks and 2 Green Milks and, in our opinion, Blue Milk was better. I’m unsure if the milk is blended fresh every day and the flavor greatly depends on whom is mixing it OR if it’s on tap. At the time I didn’t think to ask.

After our milk adventure, our party divided into Smuggler’s Run attendees and those of us who wanted to shop. I believe the wait for Smuggler’s Run was about 90mins? I know we did a lot of chill, slow-paced shopping while we waited on the others. We immediately went to Savi’s Workshop, but unfortunately all the time shots were taken and we didn’t have a reservation. I, sadly, had read on various blogs that reservations for Savi’s Workshop and the Droid Depot were unnecessary. This is untrue. It kinda felt like the Savi’s Workshop bouncers were laughing at our lack of planning, but thankfully this was the only unprofessional experience we had that day with Galaxy Edge employees.

So, my husband ended up just buying Vader’s lightsaber from the Den of Antiquities. We get that Savi’s is part show and an experience, but I think we would have been fine just buying the parts with instructions and building a lightsaber more like the Droid Depot or on own our time at home. Come on, Luke Skywalker, and now, headcanon, I assume, Rey, didn’t have a fancy class to build her lightsaber. I think Galaxy’s Edge needs more lightsaber options.

Anyhow, somewhat defeated, we headed on to the Droid Depot, because I specifically wanted to build a purple BB unit for my baby. Her nickname, because we aren’t sharing her name even with family right now, is BB. The Droid Depot employees were very kind and friendly. Our unreserved wait was about 15mins. I guess my one criticism would be, for November, it was super hot in the Droid Depot. They need more fans.

Once purple BB was complete, we took our time at the other shops. At Kat Saka’s Kettle I had a Coke and blue-green classic popcorn. 

They also have red-purple popcorn but I was told it was more like sweet Fruit Pebbles. I bought these too cute Rey and Kylo Ren dolls at Toydairan Tomaker. 

I guess my favorite area was the First Order Cargo. 

I bought a Kylo Ren Supreme Leader pin and was thanked for my loyalty by the awesome in-character cashier. 

We saw Chewbacca and Rey, and the Stormtrooper duo make 3-4 rounds. We only saw Finn once on our way out. Kylo Ren from a far distance was drawing a big crowd.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo was our Thanksgiving Meal. I feel like compared to Oga’s Cantina, I had no idea this place existed. 

My Roasted Endorian Chicken Salad was very good. If you like mild tiki masala, the taste was similar. My brother Revan/Devan also highly recommends Felucian Kefta and Hummus. He’s not vegan, but loved the taste of the plant-based meatballs.

The Batuu-bon was magical. My husband ordered it after he wasn’t content with his Fried Chicken Tip Yip. To be fair, he has a throat condition, so we’re used to him having to order multiple items and wait-and-see what he can actually enjoy eating. Pretty much, we would go back just to eat this bon. This bon needs more love.

In conclusion, it was a super fun trip. Worth it. 

We felt the park was well designed. Visually interesting. And, yes, for those who need to know, plenty of restrooms. Despite the crowd, I never had to wait in the dreaded ladies restroom line.

Like others have said, I hope in the future there’s more to do at the park. At this time, I could only shop and enjoy the decor. If you’re more into rides, I can see how it would be frustrating. Those in our party who went on Smuggler’s Run loved it. They came off the ride absolutely thrilled. However, they wished the ride had been a little longer for the amount of time they had to wait. Hopefully having two ride attractions, or more, will eventually cut the wait times in half?

Someday, I can also see the need for specific character meet and greet times within the Galaxy’s Edge area. I would hate it if my child wanted to see a certain character and missed out.

After seeing this opening ceremony for Rise of the Resistance, I personally wish there was a Star Wars stunt show at Galaxy’s Edge. They could make it ever bit as cool everyday as the Indiana Jones stunt show IMO. *fingers crossed*

[bitterlemonwater]

Headcanon maybe that Steve gets really into cooking and becomes a really good cook?

Like he grew up with boiled potatoes and salt? Can you imagine how much his mind would’ve been blown to be suddenly dumped into a world of excessive seasonings and creative ways to cook without worrying about boiling the diseases away??

-----

(kind of a drabble-ish thing?? maybe?)

The very first thing Steve purchases for himself after the necessities and what he otherwise has to is a cookbook. After that, he raids the seasonings section at the grocery store. He raids the rest of the grocery store. He buys another cookbook. Then a set of three. He discovers the cooking channel on cable tv and YouTube chefs and with his metabolism he can afford to make family sized meals three times a day even if he’s only cooking for himself.

So he gets his practice in.

The first time he cooks for a group there are no shortage of jokes about the aforementioned boiled potatoes. Everyone shuts up pretty fast when they get a taste for his chicken tiki masala or his mushroom alfredo gnocchi or the absolutely ridiculous roasted salmon dish he makes.

Steve loves to cook. It’s something he feels like he can own in this new century.

Peter mentioning offhandedly how awful cafeteria food is at school, but that he never has the time to make himself a lunch, turns out to be the worst and best thing.

Steve starts packing Peter lunches.

Peanut butter and jelly? Ham sandwiches? Packets of potato chips that are more air than chip? No, absolutely not.

Steve makes Peter lasagna and home made dumpling soup and gourmet sandwiches with marinated cuts and brioche bread. Steve makes Peter spring rolls and spiced herb tuna and Brooklyn pizza he bakes from scratch. Steve gives Peter proper portion sizes for his enhanced teenage body and hits all the food groups in the proper priority proportions, twice.

Then Steve leaves fresh croissants and a post-it note inside Peter’s lunch box wishing him a good day the morning after a particularly bad patrol. The post-it winds up stuck on his bedroom wall, which May takes a picture of to send to Tony, which Tony shows to Steve (because obviously).

So Steve leaves more post-it notes, just reminders and telling him to have a good day, sometimes little jokes, sometimes little drawings. Each lunch post-it is put on Peter’s wall.

Steve loves to cook. Steve has a minor fixation on one of the only domestic activities, other than art, that he still understands while also adjusting to having to constantly be learning. Steve is great at cooking. Steve makes Peter lunch and gives him happy post-it notes and starts to see the appeal in Tony pseudo-adopting the kid.

[band-room-quotes]

Mod Euphonium: Have you had Tiki Masala before?

Stage Manager: Ummm no

Mod Euphonium: *whispers* try this

Mod Euphonium: *slowly slides tiki masala to Stage Manager*

Bass Clarinet: I feel like I just watched a drug deal

[livingwiththeinternet]

9/14/19

I’m so glad I live right next to a city because we have a diverse population. People from different cultures open up restaurants and everybody gets to try new food. Today I went to a really good Indian restaurant and had some really good Chicken Tiki Masala. The sauce was the best part not gonna lie, I dipped my naan in it and put my rice in it. 

If I lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere I wouldn’t be able to enjoy food from many different cultures. One time my mom and I went on a road trip out in the boonies of my state and there were some villages with the only businesses being Subway and Dollar General. I’d hate living out in the middle of nowhere. I’m not giving up Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Mediterranean and Japanese food. 

[ayyymeric]

@fat-cat-studios managed to talk me into actually cooking-cooking again and i made tiki masala tonight and altho the rice came out a lil dry cause i made too much the masala is good and my kid liked it

spent all my spoons though so now i’m just chewing like a fuckin koala cause im so exhausted

worth it tho. am proud i managed to do it

[myfitnessjourney-2020]

Exercise Log: Monday, September 12th 2022

So today was another day of strength training. I did two Chloe Ting workouts. One for abs and one for arms. They were a part of her newest Get Toned Challenge so it was nice to change it up.

Those up-and-down planks never get easier, lol.

Sometimes I look at this progress video and think I’ve improved from last year. Other times I can’t tell a difference. I just need to keep at it and it will become more obvious hopefully!

Meal Diary:

I didn’t track my meals for calories, but I did make a conscious effort to avoid soda today. I normally have a coke mini with my lunch at work but today I wanted to see if I could last. I don’t like how easily it makes me feel bloated, anyways.

Breakfast: coffee and a banana

Lunch: leftover tiki masala and jasmine rice. Water to drink

Snack: coffee and apple fritter from Wegman’s (so freaking good)

Dinner: Leftover tiki masala again with rice. More water

[bananagreste]

@renarougeing said: But like have you actually had aloo tiki or chicken tikka masala because they are a++ a high rec

i never tried aloo tikki nor chicken tikka masala, but i do enjoy curry dishes. i usually eat with rice, but it’s nice eat it with bread or even by itself. it’s one of those dishes i can eat twice in a row because it’s so good. :)

[365-of-2019]

Today is August 7, 2020. I am currently on a flight home to Atlanta after spending more than two weeks out West in Colorado and Utah. Though I am coming off a desert adventure, I am sitting on this plane feeling intensely anxious. The last time I remember feeling this way was during my sophomore and junior years of college—the years in which I couldn’t see straight and didn’t sleep properly for weeks at a time. So, I am scared. I would very much prefer not to spiral in the way that I did 3 years ago. I would prefer to prove to myself that I have grown since then, and that I have ways of dealing with my anxiety other than just pretending it doesn’t exist. If it turns out that I am unable to handle my anxiety, then I will need to follow up on my years-long intention of getting professional help. Anyway. I wanted to open up a blank page and write a little bit about the past two weeks, rather than writing about my job and my stress levels.

For context: the world is still in the middle of a pandemic. In the US, COVID-19 cases continue to rise every day as public officials make laws, take back laws, and take back their take backs. In general, flying is frowned upon. When I drove up to the Atlanta airport two weeks ago, I felt enormous tidal waves of guilt. I felt selfish, ignorant, and borderline idiotic. But I still went through with it. So I guess none of those feelings really matter.

This summer, Maddie worked for Jefferson County in Golden, Colorado. She was a trail specialist and spent three days a week performing maintenance on trails all around Jefferson County. At the same time, Nevada was driving around the West Coast, spending time in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. For the past two weeks, both Maddie and Nevada have been living in the suburbs of Denver.

With both of my sisters in a city that I have always wanted to visit, and with the opportunity to work remotely from any location I choose, I felt like I could not pass up such a special moment in time. Special feels like the wrong word to use. I may look back on this decision and think, “IDIOT!” But, for now, I feel grateful for concentrated time with Maddie, who is growing and evolving so quickly and confidently.

I arrived in Colorado on July 23. That weekend, Maddie and I, along with her roommate Emma, made a drive out to Great Sand Dunes National Park. It was wild. There was sand everywhere. The hills were steep and tough to trek, due to our feet sliding backwards four inches with every step we took. But, we eventually found our own little peak to claim. And then we claimed it by eating peanuts and dancing to Harry Styles and throwing our cowboy hats into the wind. We finished the day by ordering six burritos in the drive thru of La Casita, and eating them in the Colorado wilderness. A hard Saturday to beat.

The next day, we met up with Nev to check out UC Boulder’s campus. We grabbed coffee at a Boulder café, walked around the Quad, found Varsity Bridge, and talked smack about our family members. I am so thankful for those moments—no matter how nasty or silly or irritating we may be when we are all together, we are all together.

Unfortunately (the word “unfortunately” is comical in this context), I was not permitted to take more than two days of PTO while in Colorado. For the last week of July, I worked a four-day week before we set off on our four-day weekend in the desert.

We left Thursday night and drove to an Air BnB in Grand Junction, Colorado. We woke up the next morning and drove straight to Arches National Park—the park I have been dreaming of ever since I went to Zion with Zander last year! It was 105 degrees. The air was dry. There were no trees. It was amazing.

Because I am obnoxious and feel the need to prove points that don’t need to be proven, I suggested that we attempt the longest hike in the park—an 8-mile loop through the most northern tip of Arches. To my surprise, Maddie and Emma agreed. Maybe they shouldn’t have. But they did! So we set off! We made it about halfway through the trail—seeing some beautiful arches along the way—and then spent about 90 minutes trying to locate the correct path to take to lead up through the second half of the loop. It was a little bit fun and a little bit concerning.

I love National Parks and I love the West because they make you feel small. You can look at a canyon or a mountain or the clear night sky and feel like a speck. Which then means that all of your problems and worries are smaller than specks. And that’s nice. However, when you are lost in the middle of a canyon, feeling small is not so reassuring. As we drank the last sips of our water, we decided to turn around and cut our losses. So, we did not complete the 8-mile loop, but we did complete an 8-mile hike. I was so thankful to be with my sister in nature. Not even a powerfully persistent dry mouth could ruin the day.

That night, we camped at a private campsite in Moab. We grabbed fresh corn, broccoli, and vegan sausages from the grocery store and grilled them over charcoal. We slept in Emma’s tent, sleeping on the camping pads that I purchased last November when Kristy and I spent the night on Maddie’s dorm floor. I had not been camping since I was little, and I had not felt so disconnected from technology since my time in Uganda. It was a welcome change.

We woke up to the blazing sun burning through the side of our tent, and set off for another stint at Arches. The second time around, we waltzed around the more touristy parts of the Park, taking ~4 minute walks to reach beautiful viewpoints. It was relaxing. And beautiful. And I think we were all happy to have the car within a half mile.

Arches was everything I thought it would be. I wish I could explore the that place for weeks, rather than days.

The second night in Moab, we drove to a Utah state park called Dead Horse Point. It sits at the northern end of Canyonlands National Park. It was insane. I saw the Grand Canyon last year, so I know what big canyons look like, but this one still took my breath away and had me repeatedly saying, “Wow,” like an idiot. I hope that that feeling never goes away no matter how many feats of nature I come across.

We asked the park ranger if we could stay past closing hours, and he suggested that the answer was yes. We laid on the rocks of the canyon wall for hours, watching the sky turn from neon orange to dark blue. It was the night before a Full Moon, and the light of the moon lit up the canyon walls so brightly that we ran and danced and played music until nearly 11PM. The tiny desert mice made a couple of appearances. We said thank you.

Day three in the desert: we drove to the center of Utah. Along our drive, we saw signs that said, “No Services for 100 Miles.” We thought we were in the desert in Moab. But when we drove farther West, we started to realize that Moab is a bustling city in comparison to the center of the state.

We spent the afternoon at Little Wild Horse Canyon, a slot canyon near Goblin Valley State Park. We had a photoshoot between the canyon walls and soaked up the shade that the narrow slots created. It was a beautiful, totally unique ~4 mile hike that left us in high spirits.

That night, we stayed at a campsite in Goblin Valley. Emma got us some firewood and we roasted corn over a fire. Maddie made me tiki masala with chickpeas. There were signs at the campsite that advised boiling water before consuming. We tried. It was very bad.

After dinner, we drove to the valley of the park to soak up the stars. Goblin Valley is home to one of the darkest night skies in the US, and we could tell how special that darkness was, even in the blinding moonlight. Maddie and Emma stripped and ran around the valley naked. I curled up in the crevice of a boulder and stared up for an hour. Sometimes, I wish I would not be such a square. Sometimes, I appreciate my ability to choose the things that bring me most satisfaction, even when others are telling me that I am choosing incorrectly. But that’s for another time.

We drove home to Golden the night after our rendezvous with the goblins, and we all took showers and curled up on the couch after nearly four full days in the desert heat.

I have already written this so many times, which I hope suggests that it is authentic: I am so thankful for experiences like the one I had last weekend. Particularly in the midst of a world that is stressful for me as an individual, but also stressful for global society, I feel so lucky to have the relationships and resources at my fingertips to experience truly special pieces of life. Never have I ever wanted to buy a van and live off of rice and beans so badly. There is so much that I haven’t seen and so much that I want to see again. I often feel as though I approach life like a race—trying to squeeze in experiences even when doing so is inconvenient or difficult or exhausting. I hope this is a good thing. I am not sure yet.

I spent the last four days working from Maddie’s home in Golden. She finished up her summer job this week, and is driving back to North Carolina this weekend. I am landing in Atlanta tonight and moving into my new apartment tomorrow. Jake and Dad are driving down from Raleigh to help me with the insane one-day moving process. They are kind.

I am stressed about work, stressed about moving, stressed about money, stressed about COVID-19, stressed about the social and political atmosphere of the country. Sometimes, it is so much that I break into tears without any specific triggers. But at the same time, I am feeling such immense gratitude. I have siblings who are so smart and thoughtful and unique. I have spent more time with Mom and Dad in 2020 than I did in the four years previous. Zander is loving and kind and gives me advice when I feel helpless. I have a job that is challenging, but full of some of the brightest people I have ever met. I am moving in with one of my best friends from college tomorrow, making a beautiful apartment on 14th Street into our home. I got to see the desert and soak up the dirt. So, really, life is very very good.

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Food haul thanks to everyone’s generous donations. Apologies for the photo quality cause my camera phone sucks.

Spaghetti and pasta sauce

Chicken

Lean Ground beef

Granny smith apples

Smart water, cause our tap water sucks

Farmed catfish

Spinach

Apple Cider

Orange Juice

Old Bay Seasoning

Some brownies cause my gf was super hungry

Tiki Masala sauce to go with the chicken

Household stuff like dishwasher tablets, tin foil for cooking, ziplock bags, ect

Bless you all so much, I am incredibly grateful for everyone’s help in getting this good food for my loves. I hope there can be a time one day where I may be able to repay the favor.