#started playing in spain now they live in my head rent free

[someone-you-do-not-know]

Howdy, partner 🐴

How about we play a little ask game, hm?

(Hetalia fanfics writer ask game)

26, 13 aaaand 5, please 💜

Hi, hi, hiiiii! I love playing games! :D

5. What do you keep in mind when writing a particular character? Since there's no character specified, I'll just go with the general things I keep in mind for all characters. The most important thing for me is that their dialogue fits them – like, it has to be their voice. Rereading, rewording, and rewriting dialogue is so important to me, so the whole thing doesn't sound like the same character speaking. I also have certain things I write on the first draft that end up sounding unnatural later. Such as Romano swearing too much (yes, it's possible), Spain starting his sentences with "Ah" and ending with a "haha," and the list goes on. A funny thing is that I actively avoid Prussia using awesome. He'll say sweet, cool, great etc., but his awesome counter is very low. Because I hate when a fanfic has him saying it all the time. It needs to have impact. It needs to actually be awesome.

13. What character took the most research? This is hard, because I don't... I don't do character research? Not really, at least? I do historical research for plot and idea purposes and sometimes check out fanart or other fanfiction for a ship I'm not as familiar with if I plan to write it (such as when I introduced nyo Russia in Birdbrains), but I don't do a lot of dedicated character research. I might look up canon heights, eye colours, and other stuff, but I'm not sure that counts. Spamano just lives rentfree in my head, I don't do research for their personalities. I do research for the plots I want to do, or history I'm interested in. Like, I've read a lot about history, but it was because I wanted to learn the history of something, not because I wanted to use it for Hetalia fanfiction. I just also end up using it for Hetalia fanfiction.

26. Any Hetalia AUs that live rent free in your head? Every Hetalia AU I write or plan to write is living there, of course. Not a lot of canon ones though. I stole these characters, they are my dolls to play with now!

[kkas-art]

Art summary for things I did in 2020 vs art summary for things I posted here in 2020 🤡

Social media is hard and 2020 was HARDER and I'm gonna put this here to remind myself i wanna try my best in the future too, no matter how good that's gonna be but! I'm ✨ trying ✨

See yall in 2021!!

[blissfulparker]

A Work in progress→T.H

Parings: Tom Holland x Actress!reader

Summary: when You and Tom both have each other as a celebrity crush, you two unknowingly take on the role of each other’s lovers in a new movie and are expected to make it real. When the director puts the two of you in a house for the weekend to get to know each other there is little more to rehearsing than just your lines.

Warnings: awkwardness in the first half, smut(oral female), sexual tension

A/n: this is based off of a blurb I did, where it was just from a physical affection prompt list that I went off on! I hope you guys enjoy 💗

Wc: 4k

Tom didn’t know why he was so nervous as he opened the large glass doors to the conference building. His palms were sweaty as he walked alone rather than with his brother and assistant Harry.

He loved working on new projects, new films, meeting new people but the scare of not knowing the new people made him nervous. At this point he normally would be able to get some sort of name, do some research on said person but this time they gave him nothing but a script.

The script was more of a love story. a serious role but one where he could be more seductive and serious, he could let go of the goofy teenager character he seemed to be stuck with.

His character, Jack, who would be the corrupt business man who falls for the one trying to bring down his company, the main female protagonist, Beth.

The meeting started at 10:00. Always being early he seemed to see someone else was too. You stand in front of the coffee machine, trying to get it to work as you waited for the meeting to start—or at least people to come in.

“Oi let me help you with that—“ he offers but a small Yelp comes from your mouth as you quickly turn around and hit your head against the British accented stranger.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry! You scared me half to death—“ you hold your head as you look up, a wave of heat washes over your body and you don’t know if it was just because you hit your head hard enough or if it was because you finally figured out who you were working with.

“I should’ve said something else first, I’m so sorry—“ fuck. He thinks as he looks at you. You who managed to make a way onto the list of celebrities he wants to work with. You who also made it on the list of celebrities he wants to date.

The fans knew quickly he had a tiny crush on you. As he once liked a fan edit of the two of you on the read carpet. He seemed to be one of the firsts to like your Instagram photos and even mentioning your name in an interview saying how pretty you were.

You were the same, with smaller fame of course. You along with half of the other population who enjoyed marvel movies and dorky characters, you fell in love with the curly haired British boy. Finding him extremely talented and a heartthrob of course, you quickly dreamt about working with him but laughed about it never coming true.

Now he was in front of you. His chin red from where your head collided with it and he only stares at you in response.

The awkward silence quickly filled as the two of you tried and laugh off the interaction.

“Tom—“

“(Y/n)—“ you both say your names at the same time. Him going in for a handshake and you going in for an awkward hug. The two of you stop and laugh it off before deciding a simple handshake was the way to go. You had never wanted to quit your entire career more than now.

“Oh! Perfect!” Finally as the tension was cut the director walked into the room. Two people followed behind and you took a deep breath already nervous for the new film and exactly what Toms role was. As far as you read, the main female character, who you were to be playing, had to be in lingerie a few times in front of the main male character. There were also sex scenes, plenty of kiss scenes and sexual tension. You were fit for the character but you were not fit for Tom. All your fantasies about him were just fantasies.

“I see the two of you have already met. But If not, (y/n) meet Tom, Tom meet (y/n) you two will be working together for the next few months as I’m sure you are aware of your roles. (Y/n) will be playing the lover and spy where Tom you will be playing the businessman. I’m sure we already know our positions…” the director starts and you swallow hard.

Tom doesn’t know if you’re looking or not to see the pink shade coming to his cheeks and making him hot. You were just an actress, he thought, an actress who just had to play the role. He was an actor as well, he reminds himself. A very good one for the fact so he didn't want to mess this up all because of one silly crush.

“We want to put you two in a house together.” The director claps his hands together making you nearly spit out the coffee you had in front of you. Tom's head snaps to look at you as you cough a bit trying to digest the words.

“You want us to live together?” Tom speaks for you it seems.

“We only want to see your chemistry! The fans, the academy, loves chemistry! Trust me, people will love the movie but they will not care if they see just two other actors acting to be in love. Not really caring you know? We want to see you guys build a bond, passion, some sort of love even if you lie to us about it to make it believable. Run through your lines, skinny dip with each other for all we care we just want to see passion!” You feel like his words are turning into a dream as he speaks. You feel your heart pounding at his words and try your hardest to keep your calm.

“And where will we be going?” You finally find the strength to speak. If it was anyone else you would not care, reminding yourself you are a good actress and have acted like you wanted to fuck a man you hate. But this was a man you actually wanted to fuck, a man you actually wanted real passion with.

“We rented you two a flat in spain,” he mentions, right, where you’ll be shooting, you think. “It’s only three days and if you want more we will give you more if you don’t we will let you free. Every expense is paid for, go to dinner, have wine, everything will be on the film. This is both of your chances at big awards this year. This is for you and for us.” You could almost feel Toms body heat as he was just as nervous as you, you didn’t know why though. He was the heartthrob, he was the actor that was wanted left and right, this was your big chance at a movie that can skyrocket your career.

The next hour feels torturous as all you could think about was what this house looked like for the two of you. Did it have two rooms? Two bathrooms? Why did your head hit his chin? Is there a bump? What if he hates you? What if he’s secretly seeing someone and just doesn’t want to announce it? All thoughts ran through your head as you had to make this your best acting gig yet. Except the most acting might be pretending not to love Tom the way you do.

-

Three days. That’s all it was. You would spend three days in whatever this house looked like and all you would have to do is pretend to get to know Tom. All while trying not to expose how much you truly like him.

There were rumors he had a crush on you, of course you saw the interview and noticed how he liked your pictures but you also knew his co-stars from Spider-Man so your thoughts were friendly.

Taking an Uber to the destination, you pull up to this beautiful Italian cottage. Gorgeous stone walls and large driveway, If there was one emotion to be real about this entire thing, it would be that you were spoiled with this house.

You were already nervous as people started to catch on through social media, his fans seeming to know his constant move now quickly knowing yours.

‘Stars (y/n) (y/l/n) and Tom Holland possibly take on a new film with one another: here’s what we know’

‘Why is Tom in Italy?’ ‘Is (y/n) in Italy?’ ‘Rumor is they are filming together soon’

Your heart rushed with comments you had read. Maybe this wasn’t for you, maybe you should stay with doing small movies where you were a side character or something simple. Keep the small amount of followers you had compared to Toms 40 million.

As you go up to knock on the door wondering if he’s already beat you to the place, the door opens and reveals the sight of Tom.

Another Yelp escapes your lips as you jump at Tom opening the door so quickly.

“If we’re living together I think you should hold off on scaring me.” You take a deep breath. His hair was wet, he was fresh out of a shower.

“Sorry darling! They told me your flight landed at 2:00 and well...it’s 2:00 so you aren’t supposed to be here until like 3:00.” He claims and you take a deep breath. Three days, you remind yourself, don’t mess it up.

“Oh…” you swallow.

“Not that I didn’t want to see you! It’s nice to see you again, you look really nice!” He says as you wear the sweats and the sweatshirt from the airport. “Let me help you with those.” He grabs your bags for you and you smile letting him take it. He leans in just close enough for you to smell the aftershave he put on, his muscles flex as he grabs your bags making this all the harder for you.

The night was young, fans already knew, this was your shot at making it big, Tom's shot of winning an Oscar, you two needed to work together. Pushing aside the worried one sided emotion and be able to make a movie that blows people away

“Have you ever done anything like this before?” You asked as you walked into the kitchen. It was now late, you were starving, you and Tom already getting to know each other but it was strange.

“No, I mean the most I’ve done for a chemistry read is take the person out to dinner.” He laughs a little and then runs a hand through his hair. “Speaking of dinner...should we grab something or make something. Unless you had plans of your own then that’s totally fine—“ he starts to ramble and you laugh.

“I cannot cook, so unless you can I prefer to pick something up.” You cut him off to make sure he doesn’t go on and on.

“Have you ever pizza from Italy before?” He asks and you lean against the counter.

“I’ve never been in Italy before.” You shrugged and he grew a smirk. He turns on his heels as if he already has an idea.

“Then I know a place.” He walks out of the room to grab his phone.

You feel your heart pounding as you check your phone. You made a mistake by opening your Twitter, 10k new followers, 50k mentions and plenty more all regarding Tom. You only hoped he wasn’t the type to use Twitter as it was flooded with people wanting you guys to be together.

Your mind swarms with the thought of your character again. Soon you’d have to stand in front of your celebrity crush, half naked, trying to seduce him. It was going to be more awkward if you guys were friends.

“Are you coming?” He calls out and you quickly shove your phone in your back pocket before grabbing your purse to go.

Three days and you feel like you’re already going to snap.

-

It was a lovely little place he brought you to. You didn’t know If he’d come to Italy often but he clearly knew a decent way around the city. The two of you sat in the corner of a dimly lit Italian restaurant, sharing pizza and feeling more comfortable with each other as the night went on. He was just another person, you thought, nothing to worry about.

“We didn’t order any wine.” You stop the server as he pours both you and Tom a glass. Tom already drunk off of the beer he had and you only enjoying his presence.

“Ah it’s on the house, such a lovely couple in such a lovely city! You two should have fun!” The server winks. You almost protest to stop him telling him that you and Tom were nearly just coworkers stuck in a house for three days.

But rather Tom thanks the server and takes the glass. Your heart pounding as you pick up the glass as well, the boys eyes already red from how much he’s had already and you can tell you have to take him home.

“You know I was nervous to be working with you.” He took a sip before setting it down. “When I saw you I was like ‘shit this is happening’ and freaked out.” He admitted and you try to hold back the butterflies in your stomach.

“You freaked out for working with me?” You swallowed and he nodded.

“Well look at you, you’re gorgeous! Anyone would be lucky to work with you, as your lover as well.” He falls back into the booth and stares at the décor on the ceiling.

“So you read all the scenes?” You ask and he nodded.

“Of course i did! I only improve when I feel like it.” He shrugs, taking another sip.

“You said you’re method too.” You remember from one interview you watched years ago. Your voice was more of a whisper, more to yourself but he grows a soft smirk as he turns his head to face you.

“So you watched my interviews.” He says feeling cocky. You roll your eyes taking another sip of wine yourself to hopefully drown out the embarrassment you just gave yourself.

“As if I don’t see you being the first to like my posts, Holland.” You avoid eye contact and rather look around the room but Tom only focuses on you.

When you catch his eyes they’re sober, this whole time he was telling stories in a drunken state and now he looks at you with glossy soft eyes as if he wants to hear more.

“So you see me liking your posts?” He teases and you finally look at him.

“I see everyone liking my posts. Why do you follow me?” You challenge and he holds back a smirk.

“You’re friends with Z, why do you follow me?” He asks back and you feel yourself straighten.

“Z is friends with a lot of people, I don’t see you following all of them?” You argue and he falls back into the booth again with a soft chuckle.

“So not only do you follow me but you stalk me?” He teases and you groan.

“Not what I meant.” You see how much wine you have left, not a lot as your nerves filled you and the wine didn’t calm you. “You liked a fan edit of us a year ago. We’ve never met until a few days ago.” You rest your head on your hand that props itself up against the table. That’s what makes him lose his game, he turns a light shade of red before quickly straightening himself up.

“You’re talented, why don’t we see more of you?” He asks about your roles.

“You’re about to see everything in a few days.” You mumble and he chokes on his wine.

Page 281

*Beth removes her robe in front of Jack, slowly stalking towards him wearing the tight black lingerie* *she crawls on top of his sleepy figure and points a gun*

It was embarrassing that such a scene turned him on after finding out who it was with. After finding out it was you, he read over every single sex scene, strip scene, makeout scene to make sure everything was real.

“Oh relax.” You hold back a smile. “You’re the Method actor, remember?” You tease. He leans forward, he’s not sure how he’s gotten so confident but he takes your glass and drinks from it before setting it down.

“Yeah, I am. We should rehearse some things, get more comfortable.” He suggests and you look at him up and down. His lips slightly stained reddish pink from the wine, his skin damp from how hot the room was, and he looked at you as if no one else was in the room.

“And where should we start?” You swallow, you can’t get shy now. You’ve dreamt about this moment and now it’s happening.

“Well, if we’re starting with their meeting, I think it would go something like this.” He leans in and places a soft kiss on your neck. You’re frozen as his lips are soft and warm, he pulls back and realizes what he’s done. His thoughts of you, his crush on you, the warm alcohol that ran through his blood all while being in Italy got the best of him.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done—“ he started and you leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to kiss lips. His eyes go wide softly as if he was a school boy getting his first kiss.

“More wine?” The waiter comes back and Tom snaps out of it for a split second.

“We’ll take the check.”

-

Your hands tangled in with his messy hair, his shirt already off as he was warm from the summer heat Italy provided. His lips trail down from your lips to your neck as he plays with the strings of the summer dress you wore.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” His words mumbled into your chest as he lets the shoulders of your dress fall.

“Why? You want to admit you have a crush on me now?” you teased and when he looks up his eyes are darker. The sweet chocolate puppy dog eyes before now darkened as his lips were swollen and his face was hot. His hands rest at your hips with a tight grip as he wants more.

“You admitted to stalking my interviews and who i follow so i should be asking you that question.” he teased and you rolled your eyes. Your Only respond by pushing his head back into your chest where he planted soft kisses trailing down.

“So soft,” he takes off the bra you wore. Hes thought about this moment but would never admit it. Hes thought about how soft your skin is and how you looked under his touch with his head in between your legs—

“Do something tom.” you groan as he is on his knees for you. Your dress bunched at your waist, all exposed for him as he takes off the black lace underwear you wore under the dress.

“All for me?” he asks and your head hits the back of the wall, your hands go to his hair and he kisses gently at your thigh. “Say something, darling.” darling, you think about the way he says that word. The simple nickname that made you melt. Darling, that was going to be the death of you.

“Y-yes!” you find the words. “I-I don’t think this is apart of the script though.” You still try and be playful and just below your eyes you can see he has a playful and cocky smirk.

“This,” his thumb rubs at your clit as he looks up. His lips cherry red and his smirk is full view to you as he sees your eyes flutter shut as your head was thrown back. “This is where I improve.” he replaces his thumb with his tongue as he pumps his middle finger in and out of you. Your hands grip his hair as you moan his name, his name that you thought of so many times before this in your dreams.

Your knees go weak as his one hand pins your hips against the wall and his other fingers thrusted in and out of you while his tongue works at your clit.

“Tommy!” The nickname slipped, you didn’t mean it but you imagined it sometimes long before you met him and just had a crush.

“Huh darling? Like that? Want to cum?” His words horse and his accent thicker. “That’s right...” he almost laughs as he can see how much you’re whimpering. “Cum for me.”

You fall under his touch with soft moans leaving your lips. The wave of euphoria washes over you and you struggle to open back up your eyes and come back to reality.

He comes back up to face you, this time you have a thin layer of sweat over your forehead and your chest rises as you catch your breath. You take Tom's fingers and take them into your mouth. Acting as if it were him in your mouth you work your tongue around his finger before taking them out with a pop.

His eyes stare and he almost winces at how hard he is. How hard you've made him.

“This is going to be the best damn movie i've ever filmed.” he nearly whispers as you bite down on your lip before pulling him back into your lips.

This was going to be the best six months of your life.

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[multiplefandomfics]

Vacation

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Virgin!PlusSize!reader

Warnings: self consciousness, unprotected smut, authority kink, daddy kink, angst, fluff

Words:3295

You were sitting in a bar somewhere in Croatia. Frustrated about the turn of recent events.

The trip was supposed to be about you and your friends. Just enjoying the sun and ocean. No boys allowed! But then on the 2nd evening your friends had abandoned you at the bar to go clubbing with some boys from spain. Fan-fucking-tastic, you thought.

There went your nice all girls vacation. The way you knew your friends you weren't going to see them for a while.

Just as you were about to pay your tab and leave, someone sat down next to you and started talking. “Hi, sweetheart. You alone here?” he didn’t say much but you recognized that voice immediately. Your head snapped upwards and your eyes widened. Of all the people you would have never expected him there. Sebastian Stan. The man of your wet dreams.

You fumbled your phone out of your purse and unlocked the screen. Yep, he was definitely the man from your wallpaper.

“You okay there?” he asked, smiling before his eyes fell on your background picture.

“Oh, so you know me.” he figured.

“Ehm, yeah, yeah I do. Holy shit you’re even more beautiful in person.” you swooned.

He laughed heartily at that and ordered you and himself another drink.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you with your girlfriend on vacation? Sorry if I give off stalker vibes” you turned red faced.

“That’s a long story but to cut to the chase, I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.” his face turned slightly sour at the thought of his ex.

“Oh, I’m genuinely sorry to hear that. She seemed to make you happy.”

“Well, she did. But not anymore. So enough of her, what’s your name and what are you doing here?” He changed the topic.

“How rude of me, my name is Y/N and I was initially here to have a nice week with my girls. But now they've abandoned me in favor of some guys. So I decided to have a few drinks by myself and then go back to the house we rented.” you let all your frustration out.

“Wow, that sounds terrible. But the night doesn’t have to end like this. Would you like to dance?” he asked friendly.

“I can’t dance.” you objected.

“I’ll lead you, come on.” he paid for both of your drinks and then held out his hand for you to take. And how could you say no to that face?

“Alright. Let’s do this. And thanks for the drinks but you didn’t need to pay for me.” you told him.

“I know. You look like you could hold your own but I simply wanted to pay.” he grinned and you accepted his answer.

He pulled you onto the kinda crowded dance floor and guided your hands on his shoulders. Then he guided your clumsy body to the beat and soon it started to be real funny.

“Okay, that was fun but I need a break. And preferably some fresh air.” you yelled over the music out of breath.

He understood and took you outside in front of the bar and a bit away from the entrance where the smokers stood.

“See I told you if you ease into things and give me a chance I can make this a night you won’t forget.” he grinned, mischievously.

“A bit cheeky aren’t we?” you tried to play his game but his advances made you a bit uncomfortable to say the least.

The thing was, you didn’t decide on a men free vacation with your friends because you wanted to get a break from all the guys pursuing you at home but because your friends were constantly surrounded by guys and only talked about their experiences with the opposite sex and that reminded you of how inexperienced you were.

You had always been self conscious. Your girl friends were always tall and skinny or at least of normal weight and could wear all the trendiest clothes but you could not shop for nice wearables so easily. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, when you went out with your friends and you had really given your look everything, still they were advanced by men and you weren’t. It was frustrating.

That brought you back to the situation at hand- why did Sebastian Stan, Hollywood hottie, decide to pick you out of all these beautiful girls at the bar? It was a riddle to you.

“Can I ask you something?” you hesitantly asked.

“Anything.” he smiled.

“Why did you want to talk to me?”

The hurt in your eyes told him that you were genuinely interested in an honest answer.

“Because you seemed lonely and so am I. Also you are beautiful and now I know that you are kind and funny, too. You are perfect.” you couldn’t believe that.

“Are you serious? Me? Perfect? You have gotta be kidding me!” you scoffed.

“Why would I? In you I see something permanent. Something that could develop into more. What do you see?” he asked, concerned.

“I don’t know. I just have never heard that I am beautiful from a man before.” you looked down, embarrassed.

“You can’t be serious! What kind of stupid idiots have you met in your life before?” he asked, astonished.

“The kind that wants a model type by their side. Just the kind of arm candy you should have by yours too. Not a chubby girl like me. I’m sorry I wasted your time.” you had to hold back tears at your confession and wanted to turn around to leave. But he grabbed your arm and forced you to look at him. “Hey, don’t go. I meant what I said. I am sorry that you have only been hurt by men so far but I promise I’m not like that. You can rely on me. I really want to get to know you. Let me take you home and we watch a movie or something? It’s only 10pm. No strings attached.” he offered.

That did sound like a dream and you decided quickly that you had nothing to lose if you said yes.

“Okay. The house is right up that hill and behind that little bit of forest.” you informed him.

He offered his arm, gentlemen like and you took it.

“So where are you from when you are on vacation here at the moment?” he asked to make smalltalk.

“I’m from Germany.”

“Impossible! I heard Germans speak English and they have a strong accent. You have barely an accent and I would have placed you closer to the states.” he was surprised.

“I hear that a lot actually. But I have never been to the US. I just watch a lot of movies and TV shows in English. And I read books in English too.” you smiled bashfully.

“That’s amazing. I think I have a stronger european accent than you do and I’ve lived in the US since I was 12.” he laughed.

“Well, English is my comfort language so I’m always happy when I can use it.” you said nonchalantly.

“Marvelous. You’re amazing.” he complimented.

“Oh, stop it.” you turned red.

“I’m only saying what's true.”

“You’re too kind.”

You walked uphill towards the small wood you had to cross, in the dark. Great idea!

He walked pretty fast and you had to almost jog to keep up with him which made you sweat and got you terribly out of breath.

When the trees around you got thicker and it got even darker it happened. You stepped on a rock, it rolled to the side and you twisted your ankle.

“Shit! Ouch!” you exclaimed loudly.

“What happened?” he asked scared.

“Twisted my ankle. It’s just too fucking dark.” you were angry at yourself for being so stupid.

“Damn. Can you step on your foot?” he asked.

“I don’t know. But what other options do we have? I gotta try.”

You stepped from your left foot onto your right and it buckled beneath you under the pain. “Fuck!”

“Okay that won’t work.” he stated and the next second he just picked you up bridal style and started to carry you on.

“Are you crazy? Let me down. I’m definitely too heavy to carry.” you ordered him.

“No, you are not. And when you try to hobble home we won’t make it until sunrise. So now shut up and let me carry you.” he silenced you efficiently.

“But take a break if you need to, and you will need one eventually.” you mumbled.

The rest of the way you held onto him and buried your face in his neck. Damn, did he smell good. It almost made you moan.

When you arrived at the door he didn’t let you down as you would have expected him to, no, he grabbed the keys from your hands, opened the door and carried you into the living room to lay you down on the couch.

“Thank you Sebastian. You are so kind. What can I ever do to repay you?” you asked him.

“Hmm, maybe let me kiss you?” he suggested and you had to swallow nervously. He immediately picked up on your hesitation “Only if you want to of course.”

“Sure I want to, but… I have never kissed anyone before.” you averted your eyes in embarrassment.

“Then let me change that, please.” he begged. You saw no resentment or reproach in his beautifully blue eyes.

Of course you caved and nodded your consent.

He leaned closer to your crouched form on the couch, put his hand on your thigh and brushed his lips to yours.

The kiss was sweet and careful not to startle you or demand something from you that you could feel uncomfortable with.

“So how was your first kiss?” he asked and smiled.

“Very nice.” you looked blissed out at him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I would really love to do that again.”

“Please do.” you confirmed.

Oh and he did. The kiss was magical. This time he pushed his tongue sensually into your mouth and you were stunned how good that felt.

“You okay?” he wanted to know afterwards.

“More than okay. I’m happy you picked me at the bar. Usually they say “never meet your heroes” but with you that’s different.”

“Thanks,doll. That means a lot to me.” he leaned in and kissed your neck.

At the mention of that particular nickname your posture stiffened. He noticed.

“What’s wrong? Did I say something?”

“Ehm, well … you know I haven’t only had a crush on you but also on Bucky… maybe.” you whispered.

At first he seemed confused as to where this confession suddenly came from but then it clicked.

“It’s the nickname. I called you doll.” he laughed. “I didn’t even register that I got that from him. But if it turns you on I will keep using it.” that grin could win you over any day.

“I could get used to it actually. I never would have imagined someone calling me that. But you make it sound so hot. Thanks for making me feel good.”

“Anytime, doll.” he kissed you again.

“By the way, didn’t we wanna watch a movie?” you suddenly asked.

“Yes, of course. Do they have Netflix or something on here?” did he wanna know.

“Disney+. And with it all the Marvel Movies.” you winked at him.

“Anything you want, doll.” he kept using that nickname over and over but you loved it.

“Which one have you not seen yet?”

“I think I’ve actually seen them all. Which one is your favorite?”

“I love the ones you’re in the most.” you confessed.

“Okay, close your eyes and I’ll pick your favorite one.” he suggested.

“Alright. Let’s give it a try.” you agreed.

When you were allowed to open your eyes again you saw the opening credits of a Marvel movie flashing. You recognized the first scene: The Washington Monument and a very exhausted looking Sam Wilson and you heard “on your left” which made you smile. He knew then that he had picked the right movie.

“Good choice.” you praised him.

Then you cuddled up to him and he put his arm around you.

Although you were pretty tired after about half the movie you could not skip over one second of that glorious movie.

“You know- the Winter Soldier is kinda hot. So determined and dominant.” You slurred when you saw him walk down that car after he jumped from the bridge.

“You think so? You like to be dominated? Controlled? Called names? Maybe tied up and used?” he growled into your ear.

“Fuck.” you whimpered and clenched your thighs.

“You like the thought of that don’t you?” he bit into your earlobe.

You nodded furiously.

“Use your words babygirl.”

“Yes, sir.” you said.

“So, an authority kink is there too. And here I thought you were so innocent.” he pushed.

“How can you be innocent when you read fanfiction almost every day?” you quipped.

“Fanfiction, huh? Can you show me examples so I can paint myself a picture?” he asked.

You took your phone out and opened Tumblr. Then you searched for your favorite Bucky fanfic with all the kinks you enjoyed and handed the phone to him.

He read with interest and you studied his facial expressions, smirking when you saw reactions to certain parts you had expected to come.

“So that’s the kind of naughty literature you enjoy alone in your bed, touching yourself maybe.” he growled.

“Yes, sir. The imagination of what you could do to me makes me so wet.” you bit your lip seductively.

Suddenly you were in a flow. All the insecurities about your body and weight were gone. Only him and your sexual fantasies existed in the moment.

“Fuck baby.” he moaned and grabbed your hand to push it onto his growing bulge. “Feel what you do to me, doll?”

“So hot.” you moaned back and felt the urge to take charge. So you got onto your knees and sat in his lap grinding down on him.

Before anything could go further he stopped you and whispered “if at any point you want to stop or feel uncomfortable or I’m doing something you are not ready for or don’t like, tell me and we will stop immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sebastian. I understand. Thanks.”

And so it continued. Grinding and kissing. Until he suddenly stood up abruptly holding you close. “I’m not taking your virginity on this couch. Where is your bedroom?”

He was so considerate “upstairs and then the last door on the right.”

He carried you to the room, carefully laying you down on the bed so as to not disturb your injured foot.

When he unbuttoned the button down he was wearing and took it off you were already drooling.

“Let me undress you, darling. Turn around so I can unzip your dress. Which is beautiful by the way.” he suggested and winked.

You did as he told you and soon felt your dress falling off your shoulders. He helped you pull it over your head and left you in your bra, chub rub shorts and panties.

A little embarrassed at the shorts you looked to the side. But you couldn’t go out in a dress without wearing any type of pants underneath.

“You are so sexy, baby.” he did everything to make you feel comfortable and you started to believe him.

“May I?” he motioned for your bra and you nodded your consent.

Next he took off his jeans and the realization of what was to come started to seep into your mind.

“You still okay with this?” he made sure.

“Yes. I want this Sebastian. I really do. I trust you” you assured him.

So he proceeded with the rest of your clothes and lastly his boxer shorts.

The whole time he kept kissing you hungrily. When he crawled on top of you and you had that skin on skin contact you had never felt so safe with anyone before.

“I gotta prep you before we go all the way, alright? Don’t wanna hurt you, doll.” he whispered between kisses.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good, promise.”

“Please.” you begged.

That’s when he scooted down your body, kissing every inch of skin he could reach. The next thing you felt was him placing a kiss on your mound, and then his tongue poking out starting to flick your clit. He pushed your legs further apart to gain better access.

“Fuck, feels so good.” you moaned just when he inserted one finger into your tight pussy. “Oh, my gosh. Don’t stop.” you begged him.

“I won’t” he mumbled and kept attacking your clit.

“‘m so close.”

“Come for me baby. Come now.” That command was the last straw which brought you to orgasm.

Breathlessly you smiled down at him and he smiled right back at you.

“You up for more?” he needed the confirmation that you were alright.

“Yes, sir. Now I don’t know why I have never done this before. I don’t ever want you to stop again.” At that statement he laughed heartily.

“Then let’s start, shall we?” he kept kissing over your belly, up to your breasts, licked your nipples and sucked hickies onto your neck.

“Ready?”

“Can you just fuck me already?” you asked annoyed.

“Someones being needy.” he joked and finally penetrated your pussy.

“Oh, fuck. So big. Hmmm. deep. Shit.” you were already reduced to a mumbling mess.

“Such a tight fit. You feel amazing.” he buried his head into your neck.

And then he started to move. Slowly at first but picked up speed rapidly. He hit spots inside you that your favorite vibrator was never able to get.

End then something you never wanted anyone to hear slipped your mouth “Fuck, daddy. Harderr!” and suddenly he stopped completely and you mewled disappointed until you realized what you had said. You opened your eyes to see his reaction.

You expected him to be disgusted but all you could see was a hunger. He looked like a predator who finally caught his prey.

“Say that again!” he growled. That statement of his made a surge of pride and confidence rush through you.

You bit your lip mischievously and said “Please, daddy. Fuck me harder.” and he immediately snapped.

He pistoned his hips forward, hitting your cervix over and over until you were so desperately close.

“You’re about to come, aren’t you? I can feel your pussy squeezing me, doll. Alright I’m gonna count down and I want you to come with me. Understood”

“Yes, daddy please… need to come… so bad.”

“Five..” deep thrust. “Four…” nip to the collarbone. “Three…” you clawed at his back. “Two…” you tried your hardest not to come and closed your eyes. “Look at me babygirl..” so you opened your eyes. “One… Come” and the dam broke. You had never come so hard in your life. No toy could ever make you feel the way this man did. Your quivering cunt made him come so hard. When he rolled off you he was breathing just as heavy as you were. The only noise you heard was your rapid heartbeat and blood rushing in your ears.

“That was amazing. We definitely need to do that again” you said.

“Oh yes. Anytime.”

The next week flew by so quickly and you two spent most of it in bed. You decided that your lives needed to be lived together so the next chance you got you would be moving in with him. Sometimes dreams do come true!

[mcwritingblog]

Immortal: Chapter 1

A Girl and Her Cat

Pairing: Javier Pena x reader

Summary: A small town barista meets a handsome Javi.

Rating: G

Author’s note: Hey guys I'm sorry this doesn't have a lot of Javier in it, its really a big set up chapter for the story.

Word count: 2k

1975, a random fall Tuesday 

I don't know how it even happened, or how I met him. At the time I was living in a small town in Columbia run by Americans, keeping to myself, not drawing any attention to myself. He walked into my cafe and got a small black coffee. He stayed a while, reading his small novel.  

“Hi there, stranger, I got your coffee”, you said as you set down his drink. “Anything else?”

“No ma’am. Thank you”

“No problem”, you went to turn away but you had to know, “Um, hey?”

“Yes?”

“You've come in before.  What's your name?”

“Javier”

“Javier. I'm y/n. Let me know if you need anything. Maybe next time you could try a latte”, he lets out a snort. You go back to cleaning. It was extremely slow today so you got the go-ahead from your boss to close up early. 

“Miss?”

You turned around and saw Javier leaning up against his truck with a smile. 

You grasp your chest. “You scared me. I didn't notice you there.”

“Were you about to walk home?”

“Yes”

“Would you mind a ride?”

“My apartment isn't that far from here, but thank you I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.”

And like that, you were walking home, enjoying the weather. It was chilly and the leaves were falling beside you everywhere. You didn't mind the ten-minute walk to your apartment. You don't even get in the door before your cat starts meowing at you. 

“Avery, give me one moment. I'll feed you I promise.”. You love the hell out of the black cat but the girl is so needy.

You flick off your shoes by the front door, bending down to pet Avery. You walked past her to shake some food into her bowl. With how she rushes to it, you'd think she never got fed. Silly girl. You walk over to the couch and lay out, grabbing the blanket to get comfortable, a few moments pass and your cat hops up to snuggle up to you. You flip on your tv to find something to have in the background and settle on Hawaii Five O. There's something about cops that attracts you so much. You find yourself falling asleep, Avery radiating heat on your stomach. 

---

You were woken up the next morning by your alarm clock; another day, another dollar. You were on second shift today so you didn't have to be in until 11. You got up and made yourself toast and eggs, making sure fatso had her food too. 

“Pretty girl”, you say scratching her chin and heading towards the door, adding an “I’ll be back later. Byeee”

The walk to the shop today was extra nice. You can smell the aroma of a pumpkin pie as you pass the houses in your neighborhood and hear the sounds of children playing outside. The giggles brought life to the quiet afternoon. As you come closer to the city, the more you hear the sounds of cars passing and smells of bread being baked at the bakery down the street. The bakers wave at you as you pass the front window. You hold up two fingers, gesturing back. Two shops down is Mrs. Rivera trying to hang up plants, struggling to steady herself, AND the hanging ivy pot.

“Here let me help you.”, you say as you come behind her and catch the pot, succeeding in hanging it up on her awning.

“Thank you, sweetheart!”, she says as she wipes her hands on her apron.

“No problem. I have to get going but come by for a latte?”, you ask.

“Yeah. I’ll see you” 

And with that, you were back to it. Half a block down and you come to the shop's front door. It dings as you enter.

“You're late”, your boss, Maria, gets on to you.

“Mrs. Rivera needed help again.”

“Uh-huh. Get your butt back there”, she snorts. She's not mad. Thank god.

“Been busy today?”You ask about taking off your backpack and hanging it up. The shop was basically vacant. The only customer you could see was a college kid studying in the corner. You walk around to pick up mugs and empty plates from various tables.

“Not really. The usuals mostly… Oh! A guy was asking about you! He asked if I knew if you got home safe?”, she asked, confused.

“Ah yes, Javier. He offered to take me home last night.”, you say while walking the dirty dishes to the back.

“He’s cute. You should get in there, girl”, she yells to you. “In there?”, you come around the corner and scoff, “I'm not that interested in dating right now.”

“You should. You can't just spend all your free time with your cat and nonexistent characters in your books.”

“Can.” You point out “And will” 

“You're only 24, do you really wanna throw away that opportunity?”

You could only muster up an eye roll.

----

The rest of the shift went off without a problem. Maria went home shortly after her talk with you. The next few hours included a couple of customers but mostly some cleaning. Mrs. Rivera actually came to see you, even getting a hot chocolate for her grandson when she got her latte. You hold a conversation with her for a while, talking about her daughter’s new job at the school. Maria said something about that a couple of weeks ago. The rest of the regulars got their usual drinks, only sticking around long enough for their drinks. The clock soon hits 7 pm.

“Another tea?”, you ask the college student in the corner. He’s been here for your whole shift and has gotten two hot green teas with sugar.

“No ma’am. I'm about to leave but I appreciate it.”

‘Alright. Don't be a stranger”, you say, taking his cup and saucer to the back to clean it off. You place it in the strainer to left it air dry. As you are in the back, the customer packed up and left, leaving the shop empty.

You walk past every table, wiping it down and stacking chairs on top, then grabbing the broom. You quite enjoy the quiet chill night, humming a simple tune. The night offers an array of noises through the open door: Grasshoppers chirping and the soft whistle of the breeze. You finish sweeping and put up the broom. “The tips were pretty good today”, you think, pushing the money into your pocket, removing your apron, locking up, and heading home.

----

You had Thursday off and planned to spend it accordingly. You slept until you couldn't anymore, got up, and fed Avery, offering extra pets to the needy cat. She snuggles up to you on the couch, laying in the space in front of your stomach. Your newest interest? Murder mysteries. So you are relaxing on the couch reading Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. 

You get pretty far into the book before hearing a knock at your door. Weird. Then walk to unlatch the door, swinging it open.

“Uh... hello?”, you questioned the man in front of you. He’s standing there with his hand to the back of his neck, looking nervous

“Hi. Umm, I'm new to building. I live across the hall. I’m Anthony”, he reaches his hand out. You take his hand and shake it.

“Y/N”, you respond, smiling.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N”

“Would you like to come in for some coffee? I just put on a fresh pot”, you invite.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”, his face sparks up in happiness. He takes your invitation and walks into your apartment, you close the door behind him.

‘Wow. Nice apartment. How long have you been living here?”

“Eh, a while”. Boy, you have NO idea.

He sits down at your dinner table and you bring over two coffee mugs.

“Cream? Sugar?”, you ask.

“Yes. Both please”, he responds and you hand him the containers of cream and sugar.

“Just moved here?”

“Yeah. From Arizona. The owner told me that you're one of the only Americans renting here. Thought I might come by and say hello.”

“Arizona, huh?”

“Yeah. I used to live in Georgia when I was a young girl but I’ve been around the world a lot. Been a while since I’ve been in the United States”, you drift off for a second but reel it in. “ Where in Arizona are you from?”

“Tucson. Wasn’t a bad place to live but I went to college for a major in the Spanish language. I wanted to visit places where I could hear the different dialects and see the different cultures. Thus, I am in Columbia.”

“Ah, you see I just wanted to see the world. I’ve been almost everywhere”

‘What was your favorite place to visit?”, he asks, fully focused on the conversation and not realizing Avery’s furry body rubbing against his shins. She meows. “Oh, well, hello there pretty girl. What’s your name?”. He reaches down to pet her back.

“That’s Avery. But back to your question, I was living in Greece for a while and I just adored the blue waters and sandy beaches.”

He takes a sip of his coffee and asks, “So what brought you here?”

“Need a change of scene. I had a friend who lived here but she passed away a couple of years ago”, you reply back nonchalantly, shrugging your shoulders.

“Oh, im so sorry to hear that. Not too pry but we’re you close?”

“Yeah, We knew each other for a while.”

“How’d she die?”, he asks further

“Old age”, you let slip.

“Old age? he responds surprised.

“Uh... yeah. A family friend.”, you try to make up a better story to keep suspicion off of you.

That conversation kind of ended before it started, instead opting for a conversation about Anthony’s studies in places like Cuba and Spain. The talk circled around to different places you’ve visited, Rome being a topic that seemed to trail on and on. The sun outside seems to start to set.

“I’ve got to get going but it was nice to meet you, Y’N”

“You too, Anthony. Let me know if you need a cup of sugar or anything”, you say following him towards your door. He steps through and across the hallway to his front door. When he shuts his door, you follow suit. You turn around and you can feel Avery’s judging eyes on you.

“I know, I almost blew my cover”, you tell your feline friend. She meows.

-----

You weren't wrong when you told Anthony you’ve been living in Columbia for a while. The problem is his definition and your definition of “a while” were completely different. The truth is you lived in Columbia for 40 years and in this town for about 20. You didn’t age. The only person who could possibly know is Mrs. Rivera but she is very good at minding her own business. You were one of the only ones who came to her husband’s funeral a year ago. You’re practically family. The town’s oldest residents have passed and the owners of the apartments change every couple of years. The rent is paid in cash and the tenets come and go. Every couple of decades you move to another small town in another country. 

You lived a normal life but you didn’t know your parents. You lived in the orphanage until you were 18. It was then you took up a job, reading in your spare time, and traveling when you could. You didn’t even realize your immortality until you were 40 looking 20. And then 50 looking 20. You did try to date but soon came to realize that you’d outlive them, leaving a trail of broken hearts. You were pretty sure you were incapable of love. 80 years old and not prepared for what happened next.

Javier Pena was about to change your life.

[voile-de-lune]

Sharing some Jake’s headcanons because this man lives rent-free in my head ever since I played S1 for the first time.

He was born and raised in Preston. His father passed away when Jake was 7 years old, and he was brought up by his mother, Helen. He has a sister, Agnes, five years his eldest.

Besides the sudden loss of his father, Jake had a relatively happy childhood and was a very inquisitive child. He loved to read and to play football.

Jake has two nieces and is the godfather of the firstborn. He always makes time to visit his sister and hang out with the girls.

When he was a kid, every Sunday his family would visit his grandparents for lunch, and Jake would assist his nan in the kitchen.

His mother is an English teacher, and since Jake was little, she used to read him classics and poetry. Later, he began writing poems to express his feelings and handle his emotions, particularly the loss of his father.

After his father’s passing, he took the role of the house leader and is very protective of his family.

Being surrounded by strong women all his life, Jake has learned to treat all women with the utmost respect and cannot tolerate men being rude to them.

In secondary, he was pretty popular, but he was very shy and paid little attention to the girls, or the boys, who were clearly attracted to him.

He was always interested in cooking, but never thought about pursuing a career in the field. One summer, to earn some money for his first car, he took a job at a local pub. He first started washing dishes and ended up preparing the meals. The quality of the food rapidly improved and Jake realized that cooking was something he enjoyed doing.

Uncertain of what to study at the university, he relocated to Spain for the summer. He worked at various restaurants and bars, enjoying the Iberian summer and improving his skills.

At the end of the summer, still uncertain about the career he wanted to pursue, Jake took a year off and moved to Rome, where he learned the Italian language and cuisine.

After spending a year in beautiful Italy and with enough savings, he enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris.

Éric Briffard, a two-starts Michelin Chef that successfully managed the kitchen of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, was one of his teachers. When Jake is in Paris, he always pays a visit to his mentor.

Jake uses modern techniques to prepare traditional Mediterranean cuisine and is highly praised for his innovation.

After the show, he moved to London and opened his own restaurant. Thanks to the publicity he received from Love Island, the restaurant has been a success and to have a reservation you need to call at least three months in advance.

He wants to earn a Michelin star by the age of 35.

While living in Preston, he always visited the local market to buy seasonal produce and try new recipes. Everybody knows him, and all the ladies are head over heels for Jake.

The ladies of the local market religiously watched Loved Island, and always voted for their favorite chef and his partner. They've also created a fan club, and probably one of them started the #sweetcheeks trend.

He’s a romantic at heart and has read all Nicholas Sparks’ books.

He likes rom-coms, romance and drama. He loves any kind of music, but he’s a sucker for love songs, especially 90s love songs.

Having spent years around the Mediterranean Sea, Jake enjoys warmer weather and whenever he can, he will take a short trip to a sunny location.

Even if he goes to sleep late at night due to his work schedule, he gets up early. His morning routine includes some meditation, a quick but effective workout, and a balanced breakfast while reading the news.

After the show, he stayed close to Talia, Rohan, and Tim (rap crew for life). Talia has become his best friend, he confides in her and tells her pretty much everything that happens in his life.

Once a year, he goes back to Paris to visit old friends and discover new cafés and culinary trends.

His love languages are acts of service and physical touch.

He lives in a loft, with an open concept and an industrial vibe. The apartment has only one bedroom.

He’s a little OCD, especially in the kitchen, everything has its place, and he has organized his utensils according to their use.

He has a collection of Japanese Chef’s knives. His most prized possession is a Nenohi Honyaki Dentokougeishi Sakimaru Takobiki with Corian Handle knife, that he bought when he graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, but rarely uses.

He has many notebooks in different colors which, over the years, he has filled with poems. Each color represents a place where he has lived.

He's a very family-oriented man who wants kids down the line, but his main focus right now is his career.

Overall, he’s a very private person and rarely shares pictures on social media, despite his manager’s advice to do so in order to boost his image and get new customers.

Even though he’s a very sentimental person, Jake is very analytical in his decision-making.

At work, he is a perfectionist who demands high standards of professionalism from his coworkers. His staff considers him a strict but fair boss.

[opheliasbrokenmind]

strangers with insecurities - mark renton

well first of all i’m suuperrr excited for this bc it’s literally my first completed writing for mark renton and i kinda liked it?? this one is obviously for @rentskenobi since she deserves the best!! i hope you like itt 😌💞

let me know what you think and as always, you can send me any requests for mark renton 

mark looked at his reflection on the mirror and left the apartment, walking to his ‘job’. this estate thing had become something he got used to and well, he was doing good if anyone asked. 

he liked the urgency to persuade people and use words to sell/rent them the house. once he sat up, the phone rang.

‘good morning, how can i help you?’ his voice sounded like a stranger but he knew how to play the nice worker

‘hi, uhm, i’m looking for a flat in london’ the other person spoke calmly and mark thought she was young, unlike his usual clients

‘do you have anything on your mind? a particular street, maybe?’

‘somewhere clean and quiet could be nice, i’m not sure if there’s a place like that in london though’ she joked and mark smiled to himself, little did she know

‘oh i can try that. when are you available? and do you know where’s our office?’

‘i’m free all day if that suits you, too. i don’t know exactly, can we meet somewhere?’ mark noticed she had a remarkable accent but he wasn’t sure where’s she from exactly

‘i can show you some places now, how about we meet around the cafe on brook street, you know there?’

‘yes, i can be there in.. twenty minutes’ after she hung up, mark immediately grabbed some keys from his associates and left the building

once he was there, his eyes searched for her. ‘waiting for someone?’ the sweet voice came behind him and he turned around gladly, observing the owner of it

she was young, like he predicted, probably in her early twenties, dressed casually, looked natural. she didn’t look like the girls he used to hang around, not that he hung around with many

‘how did you know it was me?’ mark asked curiously as she smiled, ‘because you’re the only one who’s wearing a suit? seems like it’s only us here, and the fucking tourists, obviously’

‘you don’t sound like a local as well’ she nodded with his comment, ‘right. i might say i’m here for a little... break. i won’t be here for too long, just a few months’

‘let’s get started, then. first i have this flat at...’ 

after stopping by at three places, he led the way to a calm quarter which wasn’t far from where he lived. ‘this one costs more but you see, it’s wide, the neighbourhood is quiet, i can assure that because i live near and there are nice places around if you want to go out’

she opened the bedroom door, ‘looks fine to me’ she checked the bathroom and went back to the kitchen, ‘would you live here?’

her question caught him off guard, ‘what do you mean?’

‘not as the seller but as a person, do you think this flat is somewhere you can rest and study?’ she asked easily, looking at him with curiosity

‘well, why not i guess, it seems nice. a little bit big for me but you said just for a few months so yeah, i would’

‘okay then, it’s this one’ she paid the rent for a month and they left the flat together, ‘i need to pick my things from the hotel first’ she explained once they were out

‘i think it’s not your first time here, in london’

‘yes, some of my friends live here but they’re all gone, spending the summer in europe or something like that’

‘and you didn’t want to go back home?’

‘that’s for sure. dad’s somewhere in spain and if i go home, it’ll be just me and that crazy woman. i don’t miss ireland at all. looks like you don’t miss scotland, too’

mark found himself smiling, she spoke like she knew him and the thing was, she was right. ‘i fucking hate there, otherwise i wouldn’t be here wondering at these streets, would i?’

she sighed softly, ‘looks like we have something in common, huh?’

‘i bet there are more’

so that’s basically how you met mark renton. it was unexpected, strange, yet comforting. it felt right and real.

seeing him at the cafe was something you were hoping for and when that happened a few days later, you could tell he was glad, too

‘i see you’re exploring’ he said when you approached him and you smiled, ‘you can say that. oh and i still don’t know your name’

‘mark, mark renton’ he said and for a second, you thought his name reminded him of something he didn’t want to remember, or it was just your imagination

‘i’m y/n’ you said simply, sitting in front of him as he gestured you the chair

‘how’s everything going, any problems with the flat?’

‘it’s fine, quiet like you said. and you, any problems?’ you smiled and he shrugged, ‘can’t say there is, just keeping up with the usual shit’

‘i see, you keep impressing your clients with your charm then’ he took a sip from his coffee and smiled, ‘what can i say...’ you laughed and he found himself doing the same, ‘you know, you’re the only one i’m having coffee with’

‘now i’m flattered’ 

then, seeing him at the coffee became something usual. he had a few days off which you started to spend together, drinking coffee. 

‘so you’re in london, all alone?’ you asked one day, hoping it wouldn’t piss him.

‘yes, that’s why i left edinburgh. it keeps me on the line’ you leaned in a bit, watching him smoking a cigarette. ‘and you?’ he asked back, staring at you with those beautiful eyes of him 

‘i wanted to run away. belfast made me feel like i was a prisoner, surrounded with people i couldn’t bear. then i convinced my dad i wanted to study in france’

‘france? sounds like you ran too far’ 

‘thank god i did’

‘and what are you studying?’ mark asked curiously, already have ideas on his mind. ‘what would you say?’

‘literature, maybe?’ you smiled, ‘cinema’ for a moment, it felt like it was just you two in the world, two strangers in london, alone together

your coffee meetings turned into movie ones at the cinema and one day, you invited him to your flat, ‘we can watch a movie or just have a drink and talk, you know’ 

of course, he accepted the offer. ‘it’s warm so you can take off your jacket, if you want’ you said sheepishly, hoping he wouldn’t notice that you noticed he never takes it off

‘yeah, sure’ he said while you went to bring some movies, ‘you choose, i’ve seen most of these’ you suggested and then you were watching a godard movie, sitting on the comfortable couch 

after a while you were sitting closer, arms almost touching and you spotted them, the needle marks

you didn’t know what to do so you just kept staring and when you looked up at him, his eyes were full with fear like he was a boy caught stealing something

‘mark...’ you managed to say, then you realised you didn’t know what to say. you moved and intertwined your fingers, giving him a squeeze to reassure him it was alright, that he didn’t need to be scared 

‘’m sorry’ he whispered, looking away to avoid your gaze. ‘for what?’ you asked, afraid of the answer. ‘for not being the guy you thought i was’

you looked at your hands, his pale fingers were cold and you wanted to tell him how you felt about him. instead of that you let go of his hand, placed your hand on his shoulder and when he turned to you, you leaned in to kiss him

a mix of coffee and cigarettes, just like you imagined, with something fresh. your other hand found the back of his head, touching his hair carefully

even though he was hesitant at first, he kissed you back. he desperately wanted to do that for weeks and now there you were, embracing him passionately when he felt like a failure 

‘it’s not my place to judge you. i like the mark i see, imperfect but we all are. we’re all struggling’

‘i am clean’ he told you, looking deep into your eyes so you’d know he was telling the truth. ‘that’s why i came here, to stay away from heroin. i... want to stay clean’

‘i know you mean it. god, mark..’

‘kiss me again?’ so that’s what you did, gifting soft kisses to each other until the movie ended

for a while, it went on like this. talking, kissing and laughing together, almost every day. he’d come from work, to your flat and you’d cook together, dance to the songs he loved, watch movies and sharing the most private moments as no one listened to you. you were free and you lived without care, as if you were invisible to the real world

but one morning he stood on your doorway, his face paler than usual and you felt it in your bones that something was wrong

‘it’s... begbie. in my fucking flat. jesus! sitting there like he owns the place’ you took a step back, giving him space to come in. ‘can’t he stay somewhere else?’

‘he’s hiding from the police. fuck, i should’ve known’ you frowned with his words, ‘how could you?’ with that mark felt guilty, never telling you about diane because he was still embarrassed

‘i hate it’ he said, more to himself than you. ‘you know you can always stay here, right?’

‘you don’t have to say this’ 

‘no, i don’t. i’m not saying it because i feel sorry for you, mark. i’m saying it because i’d really like it if you were staying with me. don’t you know how i feel?’

‘but you never said it’ he said quietly but you heard him anyway. ‘that i love you? i thought it was obvious...’ his eyes shined with happiness as he walked to you, ‘you mean it?’

‘don’t be silly. of course, i mean it. i love you’

[spin-in-the-hairpin]

Okay so since everyone is high on furry Lorenzo and watching Masked singer Spain live and I can't join I took my time to take a look at the jury.

Yes those four muppets that now live in my head rent free. (I have seen 5 clips on youtube and don't even know their names but here we go)

Let's start with him:

The dad of the group

Tries to guess based on facts (boring!)

Has the most boring fashion choices of the group.

Desperately tries to get his gay sons under control

Exhausted™

Now onto her:

Mom of the group

A literal queen

Get on her good side and she will mix you a drink, get on her bad side and bitch is gonna fuck you up

Wine mom™

Proud of her gay sons

Guesses based on reasoning I guess (idk what she's saying I don't even speak Spanish but she looks at heights and thigh forms apparently so...)

Definition of Desaster gay

Can't sit in his chair for more than 5 seconds

Literally wears a rainbow sweater

Judges based on how hot the person under the mask sounds

Horny™

Dances and sings along

He literally randomly kissed the other host mid discussing (mark me down as scared and horny)

Wants kisses from Jorge

Fancy pens

Emo gay

At least tries to sit properly

Mr. Fancy pants

Sings along if it fits his aesthetics

Also judges based on how hot the person sounds, but gets kissed to shut up

I love him okay

Bonus

The uncle that shows up at christmas and gets drunk

And then gets everybody to play stupid games

Over compensating

Noone knows who invited him but now they are in for the ride

Probably drives a Porsche

So I love them all and now I'm gonna watch some more clips and wait for Jorge to win.

Cuervo, Cuervo, Cuervo!!!!

[sarakuper]

Santa Marta & Tayrona National Park; the coast of Colombia

Stop #8, January 28-February 5

We arrived in Santa Marta on Tuesday night with little expectation of what Santa Marta had to offer. Blog’s I’ve read had mixed reviews about this city, as were the reviews I heard from friends and other travelers. Either way, we had such an exciting month that took lots of planning up until now, and now we have no plans other than where we are sleeping at night.

We stayed at La Guaca hostel and got a private room. The hostel is really nice and clean and overall just has good vibes! This place quickly became my favorite hostel.

Wednesday was our first full day, and after sleeping in and taking our time with breakfast we headed into town. It turned out to be a really wonderful day. We wandered the streets of Santa Marta, both the touristy and non touristy spots. We picked up fruit and water at the grocery store to help out some of the young Venezuelan refugees in the area. We stopped in a suuuuuuuper hippy dippy cafe that was so beautiful; an entire wall was covered in plants! And, I swear, I recall a waterfall.. and mist spraying from the ceiling. Its so hot here in Santa Marta, the mist was a pleasant surprise! We continued to walk around and then we explored the free gold museum which was actually quite lovely. It showcased the lost golf of the indigenous Taironas. Lastly, we walked along the bay before renting chairs on the beach for the last 2 hours of sunlight. We were continuously asked to buy things from several vendors, but I only said yes to a young pregnant woman selling massages. I’ve been wanting one anyway, and I totally have a soft spot for pregnant women!! She is from Cartagena originally and already has one child, but the competition is too high in Cartagena so they now live in Santa Marta. Once it was over I stripped down to my undies, not expecting to swim today, and went for a dip. Luckily for me I was wearing granny panties so this time my white behind wasn’t blaring at everyone.

About an hour later we starting chatting with the family that rented chairs next to us. They are Colombian, living in Medellin, and are on vacation. It was a husband and wife named Oscar and Elisabeth, and their 18 year old daughter Mariana. The family was immediately welcoming and were really impressed with our Spanish. We talked about our favorite foods in the country and when I mentioned the delicious coconut rice in the caribbean coast, Elisabeth immediately invited me to her house in Medellin to teach me how to cook it. Hers, she says, is way better than any restaurants. :) We ended up hitting it off with this family so well that we exchanged numbers and planned to go to another beach together, the next day.

The next day we met at a bus stop at 11:00am to get on the local bus to Tagana, the neighboring fishing village with their own beach. Once we arrived we chatted with the boat companies at the dock and arranged for a transfer to Playa Grande. The boat ride was about 5 minutes, and we appeared on a blue beach with many other locals and tourists. We spent the day reading, drinking, swimming, and snorkeling with Oscar’s basic snorkel gear. I was so surprised by how many fish there were right along this beach! It was a great day with our new friends, and it was especially enjoyable to experience Santa Marta like locals (from Colombia) instead of gringos :)

For the next day, January 31st, we decided to splurge on a tour to a beach in Tayrona National Park. The park will be closing for the month of February, so unfortunately we won’t have time to explore it. They close every year for one month for restoration, and also so that the indigenous people living there can have time off from the tourists to connect with their roots. Our hostel offers a day trip to one of their many famous beaches, and so thats what we did!

Our early morning transport to Tyrona came at 6am. I slept on most of the journey, but once we finally arrived to the coast we took a boat for about 5 minutes to Playa Crystal. There were more people than I thought there would be, but it was a stunning beach none the less. The water is crystal clear (hence the name), and there was fantastic snorkeling. Sean bought some basic snorkeling gear at the grocery store the night before so we didn’t have to continue paying for rentals. It was a smart move, because even if we don’t take them with us once we leave it still saved us money. We made some friends on this tour as well, a couple from Spain and another Colombian couple that live in England now. We shared the cost of beach chairs in the shade and enjoyed another beautiful day on the beach. This beach was definitely the most beautiful one we were able to visit.

The next day we did absolutely nothing! Well, we actually did a lot of important things, but from bed. We had been so sun kissed and tired from the snorkeling this last week we decided to take the day off! I worked on my Colorado license for teaching, booked our next flights, organized our next hostels, uploaded photos (and worked on my tumblr posts), etc. Sean completed both our applications for a visa extension which was more complicated than it probably should be! He also went food shopping for us, buying lots of guacamole ingredients which I planned to prepare for the Super Bowl. We also both did a ton of Duolingo; we’ve been super into it lately, as its the only Spanish class we have at the moment! It was actually a very productive day, and in the evening we took a taxi to meet our Colombian friends Elisabeth, Oscar, and Mariana, for beers and people watching on a busy strip of beach in Rodadero. We danced, ate, drank, chatted, and really just continued to enjoy each others company!

The next day, Super Bowl Sunday, we slept in, went out for lunch, and then headed back to La Bahia de Santa Marta, the bay of Santa Marta. We met our friends again, swam, played Uno (which they gave us as a gift), and headed back with plenty of time to shower and watch the super-bowl pregame. Did the Super Bowl half time show have a lot of Spanish!? We watched the same show, right!? I thought it was a great coincidence that Shakira was one of the performers, because she is from Colombia! And I also loved how JLo held the Puerto Rican flag during the show. YASSSS QUEEN! 

On Monday we finally made it to Sisiguaca, a tiny beach close to Playa Grande in Taganga that the receptionist at the hostel told us about. We took a boat from Taganga beach about 5 minutes to Sisguaca where we shared a small beach with maybe 15 others. We sat in the shade close to the water, relaxed, and snorkeled. At this point our Colombian friends had flown back to Medellin. They invited us to stay in their home whenever we get back to Medellin; we look forward to seeing them again! Anyway, back to Sisiguaca. I ordered my favorite dish, arroz de coco (coconut rice), with a side of patacones at the tiny restaurant along the shore. The snorkeling was fabulous, as was our quiet surroundings. After throwing the nerf football around as the sun began to set, we headed back to Taganga via boat and then bus to Santa Marta. 

As per usual, we stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some ingredients for our go-to dinner at “home”... pasta! But by this point we’ve gotten into the habit of buying water and bananas for the Venezuelan refugees seeking help outside the grocery store. Its became part of our routine in Santa Marta. Bottles of water and bananas/some other food is the least we could do and cost very little. The women with their baby girls were always happy to see us, as was this one disabled man that Sean helped out, every time we visited the store.

Next stop is Minca where we plan to stay for 4 nights before coming back to Santa Marta for a flight.

Thanks for reading fam, love you all. <3

[zee-ohara]

hey demons. it me. it your girl Lo. here’s my baby Zee. I kind of love her. she be a new muse so bare with me xD

CISFEMALE — ever hear people say AZURE “ZEE” O'HARA looks a lot like JESSICA SULA? I think SHE is about 23, so it doesn’t really work. The DRIFTER is here because PERSONAL REASONS and they are from ???. They can be +RESOURCEFUL, but they can also be -SNARKY. I think ZEE might be TIER 3 SHEPARD. ( Lo. 24. est. she/her. )

○ azure is not who she says she is. her real name is rose rydell and she is originally from livingstone. though, this is her first time home in about five years. 

○  rose was born into the illustrious rydell family. the patriarch, elliot, was a high class defense attorney whose main clients were political figures (senators, governors, ect.)  the matriarch, colette, a pristine head of household who also served on the country club committee and ran debutante balls. needless to say, rose was expected to uphold the rydell name the moment she entered the world. 

○  in the beginning, rose was fine to be the little doll her family wanted her to be. she enrolled in dance classes, extra language courses, etiquette lessons, and debate club. she was always at the top of her class and was the president of almost every club she joined. the epitome of an over achiever right here.  

○ her parents controlled everything about her life. who she was friends with, who she was to avoid, and even who she dated. all of her relationships from her teen years were controlled by her parents as they chose who was worthy of her time. that was one of the biggest blows to her complete lack of sense of self.

○  one of the boys they had chosen for her seemed to be the perfect social match. ethan fairchild. he was everything upperclass parents wanted their daughter to find in a man. he came from an amazingly respectful family, he had a trustfund, he was equipped with a full ride to harvard, and he knew how to play parents like a fiddle. rose didn’t mind him. at first. 

○   a few months into the relationship, the boy started putting kit down for everything. what she wore, what she said, what she did: it was all scrutinized. then, after she tried to end things one night, he became physical. of course, as so many do, rose accepted her apology and entered into an abusive relationship for over a year. during that year, the abuse not only escalated but her life was threatened almost every week. and he had the means to act on it. meanwhile, her parents sat back and smiled and even accepted when he asked for her hand in marriage. she meekly accepted too.

○  when she was eighteen, behind the scenes, things were falling apart. the fbi was on her father’s trail when someone tipped them off to his shady dealings.  elliot was taking bribes for years to hide or even destroy evidence to make sure his clients got off scott free. the rydell family was about to be erased. that’s when rose saw her out. her out from her family, her out from ethan. one night, she emptied her bank account, shut off her phone, and fled seemingly into the night. there was a search for her but the police declared her a willing runaway and let the matter go.

○  while her family went into hiding as the countless news stories dropped, rose was on a flight to the uk. she decided she would reinvent herself there with the help of the lump sum of money she had acquired from her accounts and her intelligence. thus, azure o’hara was born.

○  azure lived for a while in the uk. she got by with menial jobs, renting a crappy apartment downtown and making friends with a few nomadic hippies and artistic types. they taught her the street smarts she needed to continue on for a while.

○  she trekked across england, france and spain by living this way. never staying somewhere for long. after three years had passed since the incident, zee felt comfortable enough to return to the us and did so. though not yet back to livingstone. 

○ the city of new york became her new home. harlem, specifically. she felt right there. even while working some really quirky and odd job couldn’t hinder her time in the city of dreams. zee suddenly found a place she could call home.

○  that was until she got wind of the watershed app. when the epicenter seemed to be livingstone itself, zee knew what she had to do. a few train hops later, she stepped foot back in the town she swore she’d never come back to. the girl quickly applied to be a shepard. she knew that keeping her information safe was the number one priority in case her family or ethan’s family found out that she was found again. zee despises being a shepard but knows this is her only defense in the secret purge. 

More is sure to come as I think of it, but this is the gist. Now for some:

Wanted Connections

HONESTLY I AM AN OPEN BOOK WITH THIS ONE BECAUSE SHE’S SO NEW! mainly people she may have known when she used to live here that she may let it slip who she is. idk. just come to me.

HMU! ~Lo

[noseydewdrop]

I have a ridiculous amount of free time (mostly) at my work, I was thinking about posting this privately but then I wouldn’t be able to access this on my school’s computer. Rough drafts for my blog “ Living in Japan as an Language teacher”

Hidden Video Script Drafts:

3/18/20 - How I landed my dream job pt 1 (animation)

I wasn't always a firm believer of "everything happens for a reason". You wouldn’t be too if you grew up with my family. I recently experienced this in it's true form a while back when I heard the news that my brother was in the hospital. The timing could not have been worse as it was the Friday and night before my mom and my step dad's planned 20th anniversary on a European Caribbean Cruise of a lifetime. I was basically a vampire with my friends’ work schedules; wanting to play games with them everyday until late, and I mean LATE into the night.

On that Friday, I was casually sleeping in at 12 pm when I woke up to the most panicked mother I’ve ever experienced in my life (no joke). She insisted that since my brother is in the hospital and my step dad has decided to stay home (instead of vacation for the next 2 weeks), that I should go with her in my dad's place so she wouldn't be forced to go alone and ultimately cancel the trip they planned what seemed like forever ago.

It was a Friday in mid September and I worked at a successful, and booming American restaurant in the Seattle area. One that so happens to be among the most vibrant in the company and having set numerous company records. We were planning to be busy AF on that Friday. I was pathetic yet hopeful and doomed in the back of my mind, all while calling my boss thinking “how can I get the next 4 weeks off IMMEDIATELY” (Even more fishy that it was directly before a scheduled vacation to Japan that I requested off in April earlier that year)..

Back it up several months when two of my close friends and I planned our FIRST abroad trip ever to Japan. Saying I was an inexperienced traveler was an understatement- I never flew on a plane alone before, let alone out of the country. And miraculously, that 2 week long cruise just so happens to land the NIGHT before our planned vacation, and 6 hours before my next plane in SEATAC with my buddies to Japan. The stars aligned for this to happen, and if it came down to it, I thought “I will quit my job for this opportunity”.

But back to reality. Given the circumstances with my brother, my boss gave me Friday off and I spent the rest of the day frantically thinking of how to tell him (I’m not coming in this weekend, let alone this month. I kept it light to say the least and told him I only needed Friday off) without getting fired. For most people in my situation, I thought “they would quit for this once in a lifetime chance”. A minimum wage job is just another job, and this is not an opportunity that comes around.. EVER. Also I had no rent to pay, no financial concerns besides a student loan payment and a decent amount saved up to cover that payment without working for about a year, I mean wouldn't quit even if I (normally) wanted to. For me it was a different story. I really liked, I mean, loved my job. The people I worked with were basically family and for me quit on the spot would be so uncharacteristic of me, it would honestly be depressing for even me. I also never had a job where I could get along so easy with everyone I worked with. And with me addicted to Pokemon go and it being on 2 poke stops, it honestly didn't even feel like a job, yet more fun and satisfying than anywhere I worked before (hell, back then I KILLED for a job that meant basically playing Pokemon all day). More importantly, the restaurant taught me extremely valuable life skills; how to talk to people and be more friendly and open, instead of being my natural shy introverted self. I thought I found the perfect balance of work, extroversion and motivation to break me out of my, so called “normal” yet introverted way of thinking..

After speaking with my boss' roommate about how break it to him, I called the morning before my flight to Barcelona, telling him in vivid detail this situation I’m in, playing it as a family emergency, so my mom and dad wouldn't have wasted all the money they spent planning this trip (Sorry Riki it had to be like that!).

So I had the next 4 weeks off for my vacation around the world. From my layover in Dublin Ireland, to Barcelona Spain, with my mom on her dream cruise that showcased her favorite speaker, with a handful of the most vibrant and successful crowd of a people; with stops in France, Spain, Italy and UK Gibraltar. This was the peak of my existence (so far) and that deserves an entire story on its own. This is probably where I break this off into two parts

(sorry but as of 6/24, pt 2 is an unedited shitpost of a draft draft)

3/18/20 - How I landed my dream Job pt 2

After returning home from my Japan trip with my friends, I had so many experiences in so many countries, I felt so confident about how surprisingly independent I could be. Fast forward 2 weeks when my mother’s retirement party (in late October; she decided to retire earlier than expected instead of waiting till the end of the year) came suddenly, and was a party I could not miss. The night before, I was out at a bar with one of my best friend’s going away party, and I had a lot, maybe too much to drink. It was difficult but I made it, and in my introverted stupor and exhausted mood, I met dozens of my mother's decade long coworkers while having a few drinks at the private bar the company decided to cater for her.

It as a small, yet packed room of very knowledgeable business people; coworkers of my mom. She for the credit union for 20+ years and was the head of the loans department (and probably one of the most essential parts of the company). I was casually drinking near the bartender, and wound up talking to the nearest person in my area as I awaited the food to be served. He was in a suit and appeared in his late 50's. I learned that he didn't work directly with my mom but they knew each other as he was on the leadership side of the company. Little did I know this small, random conversation would be the spark to changing my entire future and be the pinnacle of my working career and how I landed a job with a instructors visa to teach English in Japan.

Hours passed after our brief meeting and he called me over after the food was served. I was introduced to his wife, and we discussed how their children were in close relations with my HS since their kid's HS was near mine, therefore rivaled each other in sports. We delved into the after HS and college topic and started talking about my college experiences and how I ended up as a Biology major, yet randomly working as a host in a restaurant.

My last year of college I took 1 quarter of Japanese and had an epiphany that I wish I had during freshman year; my future self was dying to study Japanese abroad. I then told them how I applied to a language company I heard of through a professor's English class that I was a TA in for Japanese exchange students from Tokyo University. Sadly the company was really competitive and I may have partied too hard and let my GPA set me apart from the thousands of yearly applicants (not to mention Seattle apparently is a hot spot for this particular company). My mom's coworker and his wife told me how their daughter taught English in Japan for 6 years and she applied to the same company with a 4.0 and still didn't get in.

I guess they hire based off region and Seattle was way more competitive than I thought. They gave me her contact info and I promptly emailed her that night. After a long conversation about her experiences, she recommended me to the company I am currently working for, and now I’m in Japan teaching English. Things were falling into place for me back then, just like stars, pin-holed in the curtain of night. Like the needle of momentum, I received from the European cruise was still in motion, There was nothing in the world I wanted more than achieving that dream.

I feel everything that happened was for this door to open for me, and the stars aligned so perfectly for me. From the timing of the cruise (and circumstances (don't worry my brother was fine)) and landing right before my planned trip with my friends, to my mom retiring early just in the perfect window for this company to hire me. I felt that everything was going my way and nothing could stop me; by just knowing exactly what I wanted.. I realized how much more control I have over my life by simply setting the intention and putting it out there, in the realm of thought. The mind is so much more powerful than I could ever imagine, and by me simply just asking for something with deliberate intention, the universe aligned the planets, or some shit I can’t ever actually comprehend, for it to work out; I’m convinced there's no way this is a coincidence.

I had this happen to me before, but not on this level. Yet I am so grateful for my parents and being exposed to the Law of Attraction at such a young age, and just accept everything and not question the logistics. As a science major I question a lot of things and there is no possible way I could ever doubt this being true after what I experienced. You could say it was luck, but the fact that when I asked for this, it happened almost like magic.

It is truly unreal to me. I feel I have so much more control of my life than I ever would have thought was possible. Now I am on a one way plane to Japan, amidst the Corona Virus outbreak and flight cancellations. Nothing in the world could stop me now. (Also, they closed the boarder a week after I arrived in Japan and as of July, it is still closed indefinitely).

P.S. This was composed on my flight to Japan overwhelmed with emotion. My recent stepmother worked at the airport I departed, so my father had inside info on my flight and planned a surprise send off. Safe to say it was the closest feeling I’ve felt with my dad since my parents were recently divorced. He gave me a key chain of his favorite car he had while I was younger, my current car (black new beetle Volkswagen), and we both silently teared up from all the childhood memories and love we can’t regularly express but have been pressured into this ultimatum of me potentially never returning to the life we we’re both use to. I wont include this in the final, but since this just the beginning, I figured anyone who actually reads this will be one in a million; someday. I have never been so sure, that anyone; anything you want or can ever imagine to have. It’s right at your fingertips, all you have to do is think, and believe it. Life is magic.

[wildflower8281]

Welcome to Miami

You’ve seen more in 5 days in Miami than Pete & I have seen in one year!

Coconut Grove: My Sister’s Place

I recently had the opportunity to visit my sister, Erin and her boyfriend, Pete in their amazing place in Miami. This was the first time I’d visited them since they lived down there. The 3 of us had the weekend together and then I had Monday-Wednesday to explore the city on my own, while they went to work. (They are currently in Hawaii now, so don’t feel too bad!)

During our weekend together, we did all things #relax: pool time, patio time (they have an amazing view), and of course amazing eats, most of them waterfront:

1 Hotel Miami Beach, Planthouse: brunch with a view of the ocean

Rusty Pelican: dinner on Key Biscayne, waterfront, view of Miami skyline

Lulu’s: Coconut Grove’s lovely downtown spot for brunch and people watching

Berries in the Grove: walkable local joint where we watched the Kentucky Derby!

Havana Harry's: authentic Cuban cuisine!

Doc B’s: downtown Coral Gables, fantastic all around, amazing guac

Coconut Grove is a sweet section of town, mostly with a residential feel, but also right next to the train and Route 1, both of which get you anywhere. Erin & Pete lived car-free in Phila and they remain car-free in Miami. It’s pretty awesome and very doable! Our trio had a blast together eating, relaxing and reconnecting - I can’t wait to return! 

(This was a quick post, so I’m bunching the pics together, #sorrynotsorry)

Monday: Little Havana

I had rented a car for my explorations from Monday through Wednesday. I’m not afraid to drive in new places or cities, thanks to being thrown into NY City as a nun and learning it on my own with a GPS! Nothing really scares me after that: If you can cruise in NYC, then you can cruise anywhere! (I’ve also driven a 12 passenger van on the left side of the road in Guyana, so there’s that. #ssvm #nunlife #missionaryadventures)

Anyway, of course my first desire when thinking of exploring Miami would be to 

visit Little Havana! It was only a 15 minute drive from Coconut Grove! The neighborhood is actually 3 square miles, most of it residential, so I just parked on a side street and made my way up to Calle Ocho, which is the main street of Little Havana.

The only part of Cuban culture I’ve ever been close to was Maria Cruz. She was a teacher at the church I worked for in Spanish Harlem, San Pablo. She had grown up in Cuba and lived there during the terrible times of Fidel Castro. She taught religion secretly and remembered what it was like to not have access to sugar. She lived there during the scarce and scary times & always had stories to tell. Then, she came to New York. I remember she would occasionally bring us (the nuns who worked in the CCD office) Cuban coffee, in those tiny NY cups and it was the richest, yummiest coffee I’d ever had! That was the closest to Cuban culture I ever got, until now.

My first goal was to find a cuban bakery or coffee shop and score some coffee & sweet breads or cookies to go along, then to sit and just people watch. Luckily, as I rounded the corner of Calle 8, I stumbled upon just that and ordered un cafe cubano and some I-don’t-know-what-they-are-called yummy cuban cookies. I took my treats down the street, seeking a bench to chill on, which I promptly found at Domino Park. Domino Park is just what it sounds like - a dozen or so tables, filled with locals (mostly men) playing dominos, laughing, drinking their cafes and chatting. It was a hub of bustle and I sat right down and enjoyed the scene! One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to find the local hubs, sit and just watch the people. I like to blend in (if possible), remain unnoticed and just observe humanity. It’s fascinating. I made eye contact with various of the players (old enough to be my grandparents,) smiled and I think they appreciated that I just quietly came in and sat down. There were loads of other tourists who came in charging with their cameras, hovering around the tables snapping photos, as if these folks were statues or something. It felt weird to me and I appreciated just being on the sidelines, enjoying my cafe & cookies, just watching.

From the park, I just wandered up and down Calle 8, snapping pictures of everything colorful, vibrant and interesting - which is basically everything in Little Havana. From the trash cans with Cuban art on them, to the wall tiles, street murals and picturesque cafes and walkways. I’m not really a shopper, so I skipped all the souvenir stores (although many looked like they had fun stuff!) and always consider my photos the best captures of my experience that I get to take with me for free. I love shooting new places, capturing scenes, art, and interesting corners or angles that people may not notice. So I spend the next 2 hours doing just that and it made me very happy. I also scored a second cafe cubano, because why not?

I’m not one to educate on history or culture, but Cuba does have an interesting, terrible and unique history behind all the colorful culture and rich coffees. I’ve read about it and learned first hand from Maria Cruz. It’s worth a look-up, whether or not you ever visit Little Havana or Cuba. (Same goes for any culture/country - who were the native peoples, what is their true history, whose land am I on, etc. )

Tuesday: Miami Beach Botanical Garden; South Miami Beach; Matheson Hammock Park

There are at least 5 amazing gardens one can visit in the Miami area, but the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is free! I drove the interesting highways over to Miami Beach and parked in the lot for a whopping $2/hour.

I was expecting the Gardens to be the size of the one here in Phoenix, which could easily take 2 hours to wander through. The Miami Beach Botanical Garden was probably only about ⅓ the size, but reconciled the lack of acreage with rich, lush, tropical radiance! They had a pond with fish, turtles and frogs! A Japanese style garden, a labyrinth you can walk through, various fountains peacefully cascading water and everything in bloom, green and refreshing. Just walking around was like breathing healing air.

I spent about an hour there and still had time on my car to spare, so I was like, “OK, what am I near right now? Where can I explore?” Turned out I was a 15 minute walk from South Beach, aka: the Ocean, so I headed east! Walking towards the beach, I heard dozens of languages, most of them totally unfamiliar to me, like from Eastern Europe and Asia for sure. Pretty neat.

The beach was calm, free (take notes, NJ) and very blue!! I walked to the water, sat in the sand and enjoyed the moment. I didn’t have a bathing suit on, so I just walked in to my ankles, but the water was refreshing. I would have jumped in, but I still had things to do that day and didn’t want #wetbuttcarseat.

I made my way home just in time for the afternoon shower to land. Afternoon showers are a thing in Miami during the rainy season. They usually pass in 1-2 hours, which this one did. Enough time for me to eat lunch and read a bit.

My next stop was the Old Cutler Trail, which I had read was great for biking or walking along. It was 13 miles in total, but one could start wherever and just meander. Well, I found the start of the trail in a gorgeous, historic neighborhood, but it seemed much more ideal for biking. I didn’t just want to walk in a neighborhood, so I kept driving along Old Culter just to see what I might find. This is just how I roll.

Shortly, I saw a sign for Matheson Hammock Park, aiming toward the bay, so I followed that sign. For $5, I could drive in and explore the bay area, swim and relax. It was shortly after the storm, so the place was pretty empty except for me, some lifeguards wandering around and the sunshine. Palm trees, calm beaches, a view of the Miami skyline. I explored the beach pretty intensely and witnessed all kinds of crab life happening right at the waters edge, and quite literally under my feet! It was a very lively shoreline! I watched the crab and critter bustle for quite some time! I relaxed on the picnic tables and watched the water, felt the breezes, just took in this secluded place I happened to find. I felt lucky!

Wednesday: Ancient Spanish Monastery

On my last day in Miami, I ventured to North Miami where the Ancient Spanish Monastery was situated. I guess, Dear Reader, you’ve figured by now that I’m not one to just lay on the beach for 3 days straight! Don’t get me wrong, I love the ocean, but if I have the opportunity to explore a new city, I dive in! I love any reason to wander, take pictures, see something new. So, prior to my trip, I of course researched and selected a few main sites to visit, one of them being this Monastery that just looked gorgeous. I love old buildings, things that feel European and old, and of course there is my ever-affinity to anything related to #monasticlife! Well, this monastery would prove much more interesting than I anticipated!

History from Spanish Monastery:

“Construction of the Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was begun in the year 1133 AD near Segovia, Spain. Cistercian monks occupied the Monastery for nearly 700 years. After a social revolution in the 1830's, the Monastery’s Cloisters were seized, sold, and converted into a granary and stable.

In 1925, William Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters and the Monastery's outbuildings. The structures were dismantled stone by stone, bound with protective hay, packed in more than 11,000 wooden crates, numbered for identification and shipped to the United States. Soon after the shipment arrived, Hearst's financial problems forced most of his collection to be sold at auction. The massive crates remained in a warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, for 26 years. One year after Hearst’s' death in 1952, they were purchased by two entrepreneurs for use as a tourist attraction. It took 19 months to put the Monastery back together. In 1953 Time magazine called it ‘the biggest jigsaw puzzle in history.’                                                           

In 1964, Colonel Robert Pentland, Jr, who was a multimillionaire banker, philanthropist and benefactor of many Episcopal churches, purchased the Cloisters and presented them to the Bishop of Florida. Today the parish Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux is an active and growing congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida.”

The photos show how beautifully restored this place is, in addition to it being basically another botanical gardens. There was a labyrinth on the grounds one could wander through and rows of perfectly planted, vibrant flowers. Moving through the Monastery was like being in a different epoch. Knowing that generations of monks silently moved through the corridors, ate in the refrectory and lived religious life within those stones was pretty amazing. Worth the visit, if you geek-out on this stuff like I do. Plus, a gorgeous place to take pictures!

En Fin

My adventure in Miami was fabulous and now I want to move there. Seriously, the green and the water, the tropical vibe got me. While I love the desert and all Phoenix has been to me, Miami felt like my next move. Next move, like give me a year or so to get my biz going, then tropics here I come! Not to mention, my brilliant sister & her fab partner Pete live there. Miami felt real good.

Te veo, Miami, te veo. Ya pronto.

[travelworldnetwork]

By Emma Cooke

1 February 2019

The buildings of Playa d’en Bossa and San Antonio were boarded up, but as we cruised down Ibiza’s pine tree-lined roads in a 1960s Mustang, it didn’t feel like the off-season. Caroline Lilliehook, co-owner of the car and of Mustang Adventures, Ibiza’s first vintage Mustang car-rental business, was in the driver’s seat and we were on our way to discover rock ‘n’ roll in the sleepy, rolling hills of the island. Or rather, unearth it. “Rock ‘n’ roll is how the music scene got going in the first place on Ibiza,” Lilliehook said. “But most people have forgotten that.”

Ibiza has long been an island for the outcast and non-conforming, from a diaspora of creatives first fleeing Francisco Franco’s Spain in 1936, to hippies throughout the ‘60s chasing the magnetic vibrations of Es Vedra island. Intrigued by how this history transformed into Europe’s wildest party scene, I’d badgered Lilliehook for stories over a tapas lunch. Just how did Ibiza become the go-to place for partygoers, I wondered? It turned out the answer is rock ‘n’ roll. “But you’ll have to go to Pikes Hotel to find out more,” she said. “That’s where it started.”

View image of Ibiza has long been an island for the outcast and non-conforming (Credit: Credit: Emma Cooke)

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Ibiza’s history is littered with rock-star stories: German singer-songwriter Nina Hagen married here in 1987 in a punk wedding that lasted two days. In 1977, Eric Clapton was rumoured to have almost died in a shipwreck as he was arriving here on his boat with George Harrison. But everything always seems to lead back to Pikes – the hotel nestled in the hills overlooking San Antonio where Wham! recorded their Club Tropicana video; that hosted Freddie Mercury’s infamous 41st birthday party; and where Mercury stayed prior to his iconic Ku Club performance with Montserrat Caballé, the famous Spanish opera singer. Legend has it the performance rehearsal was held there, though, like much of the decade, the details are fuzzy.

The hotel takes its name from Tony Pike, a British-born Australian, former Navy sailor and international playboy who came to Ibiza in 1978 post a 48-hour party. On the recommendation of a friend, Pike boarded a Spanish ferry, got off in Ibiza – and decided to stay. A listing for a 500-year-old finca (estate) near San Antonio soon caught his eye; the name was Can Pep Toniet, meaning ‘the property of little Tony’. Who could resist such obvious fate?

Rock ‘n’ roll is how the music scene got going in the first place on Ibiza

Essentially derelict, with no water, electricity or sanitation, over the next few years Pike built his five-room hotel from the ground up, using a jackhammer to put in the infamous pool and illegally tapping into a government generator for electricity.

As the 1980s began, Ibiza was in the throes of its first flush of tourism. Pacha, Amnesia and Club Ku had opened, and rumours of Ibiza’s uncrowded beaches and rolling hills had spread quickly on the breeze. The former capital of the hippie movement was on the cusp of change. For Pike, that change came in 1983, when Simon Napier-Bell, the manager of Wham!, decided to shoot the group’s new single ‘Club Tropicana’ at the hotel. The video saw Pike making a cameo as a bartender, George Michael floating in the pool, and the cementing of both Ibiza and Pikes Hotel as the party destination to be. For a whole decade, you couldn’t say ‘hedonism’ on Ibiza without including Pikes Hotel in the same breath.

‎Andy McKay and Dawn Hindle, the current owners of Pikes, agree: “There’s not a rock ‘n’ roll hotel in the world that couldn’t say that Pikes competes with them for the top spot.”

View image of For a whole decade, you couldn’t say ‘hedonism’ on Ibiza without including Pikes Hotel in the same breath (Credit: Credit: Emma Cooke)

The pair has been running the hotel for eight years since the legendary Tony Pike passed on the baton to them. Originally, they came to the island in 1994 to set up the fiercely popular Manumission club nights that defined Ibiza’s party scene throughout the ‘90s, ending in 2009. “We knew Tony from back then,” they explained.

“But as we got into the millennium, DJ and club culture was just so boring and the music wasn’t changing. I felt like we were treading water as an industry,” McKay said. So in 2005 they launched Ibiza Rocks, a series of live concerts featuring artists like Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys and The Prodigy, bringing a rush of live acts back to the island for the first time in years.

“Suddenly we were bringing a lot of international bands to the island and a lot of them wanted hotels – we didn’t want to lose the atmosphere we were creating by putting them in some faceless hotel.

“Pikes’ legacy was built around how all the artists used to stay there, and we suddenly went, ‘wait a minute, if we’re bringing all the talent and all the rock stars back, shouldn’t we just rent it?’.”

View image of Pikes Hotel became the go-to spot for rock ‘n’ roll legends like Freddie Mercury and Wham! (Credit: Credit: Emma Cooke)

They cut a deal, and five years later, they bought it. Now, the hotel does its history proud, complete with a flamingo-pink tennis court and decor that includes beds on the front lawns. They’ve even transformed the main suite back into the social area it originally was – although now it’s a tiny, vibrant nightclub rather than an ‘80s restaurant and bar.

“We wanted it to be the best hotel in the world if you’re a rock star,” said McKay. “It was about returning the hotel to the glory of what it was.”

While McKay and Hindle have been reinvigorating Pikes, Ibizan local and hotelier, Diego Calvo has been expanding that spirit across the rest of the island. With slicked-back hair and a private collection of vintage cars, Calvo seems to be the modern-day answer to Pike. “Since I was 17, I’ve been dedicated to two passions: the hotel industry and rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. “The things that have influenced my life have also influenced the hotels: ‘80s movies; Route 66 roadside motels; the art deco architecture from South Beach Miami; classic cars. I want to take my hotels to another level, so they’re not just places to sleep in but also spaces to socialise in, places where things happen.”

View image of Since the 1970s, Ibiza has been known for its music and party scene (Credit: Credit: Everynight Images/Alamy)

He’s also well aware of the island’s free spirit: his parents moved here during Franco’s reign, and he grew up in ‘70s Ibiza.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Dorado, one of Calvo’s five Ibizan hotels. A fantasy of teal and white that’s set on the seemingly endless Playa d’en Bossa coastline, it’s entirely themed around the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Each of the hotel’s 14 suites is dedicated to a gold-certified record. As we walked into the Bob Dylan Suite, Blowin’ in the Wind automatically started up on a vinyl player, and a glance in the bathroom turned up retro microphones for showerheads. “Marky Ramone, the Ramones drummer, stayed at Dorado two years ago, and of course, he had to stay in the suite of his good friend Debbie Harry,” Calvo name-dropped.

Ibiza was a live music island long before it was a dance-music island

Just as McKay and Hindle started in the party scene, so does Calvo come from a music background. The same year the pair were setting up Ibiza Rocks, Calvo was launching his own party and promotion business, Rock Nights, focusing on rock ‘n’ roll parties held in small, grassroots venues. All three champion live music, and all three agree it’s forgotten – but far from gone.

“There’s a huge live-music heritage on this island, whether that’s Pink Floyd or Jimi Hendrix,” McKay said. “The idea that it’s just a dance music island is a bit ridiculous. Ibiza was a live music island long before it was a dance-music island. But when dance music broke America, that brought a massive surge for all things electronic. By the mid-2000s, Ibiza had really, really forgotten live music.”

View image of Andy McKay and Dawn Hindle have kept the Pikes Hotel’s music legacy alive with their Ibiza Rocks live concerts (Credit: Credit: Everynight Images/Alamy)

This has been helped along by the surprising fact that, technically, live music has been illegal in parts of the island for some time. Ibizan law states noise limiters must be placed on all sound equipment, something that is difficult to do on live instruments. In early 2018, further legislation added that music must not exceed 65 decibels, a move that brought Ibizan DJs into the firing range, too.

“Musicians could only play through a venue’s PA system resulting in ridiculously low decibel levels,” Calvo said. However, after demonstrations throughout 2018, the law has been recently changed to allow live performance between 13:00 and 23:00. Ibizan rock ‘n’ roll, it seems, is just about ready to be remembered again.

“Ibiza has been invaded over the years by this VIP, global culture and it’s become a very big place in a sort of ubiquitous way that’s not specific to Ibiza. We’re now beginning to see that levelling out and declining, and you are finding different kinds of Ibiza experiences are just exploding. The rock ‘n’ roll spirit of Ibiza is getting stronger again,” McKay enthused.

View image of According to McKay and Hindle, the rock ‘n’ roll attitude is what keeps music scenes like Ibiza’s alive (Credit: Credit: Emma Cooke)

And indeed, clubbing doesn’t have the cache it once had, both on Ibiza and across Europe. Just ask Club 18-30, Thomas Cook’s notorious clubbing package holidays, who found that out last year when the brand was retired. But this doesn’t mean Ibiza’s party is over. Rather, in the face of a growing backlash against mass tourism, partying on Ibiza seems to be reinventing itself again; directing its energy into different channels as old ones close.

For McKay and Hindle this comes close to being a creed: “We don’t follow the money, we follow the energy. There’s usually a moment in this kind of work where the money keeps going up but the energy disappears. When the energy goes, we switch. Too many people on this island forget that the energy is what’s important. In many ways, we’re chasing rock ‘n’ roll. The rock ‘n’ roll attitude is what keeps scenes alive.”

As for the now-84-year-old ‘Tony’, the man who started it all? Grab a drink at Pikes next time you’re in Ibiza and maybe you’ll find him next to you at the bar. “He’s still regularly here too late and up too long,” McKay grinned.

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  Dusty’s Diary by Bobby Adair: I played all the video games. I watched movies and read books. In most of those, the hero kills the zombies, drives an awesome car, has enough to eat, and always seems to get laid. I wrote this journal because the apocalypse sucks and doesn’t meet my expectations at all. Honestly, I was looking forward to it. It’s not like I don’t like people because I do. I was tired of all the crap I had to put up with. I was tired of dealing with traffic and my ex wife yelling at me. A zombie apocalypse looked like a good future for me. Here’s my story. Let me know what you think.

This book is Free on August 24, 2017

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  Oddjobs by Heide Goody and Iain Grant: This is for anyone who ever had a bad day at work. However bad your job is, you could be like these guys and work for the secret government organization responsible for making sure the apocalypse goes as smoothly and as quietly as possible.

This book is Free on August 24, 2017

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[rollinbrigittenv8]

How I’ve Traveled the World for 18 Years

Wandering Earl

It might sound unbelievable but I’ve actually traveled the world for 18 years without doing anything special.

When I started my travels in 1999, I was about as much of an ultra-budget backpacker as one could possibly be. All of my simple belongings easily fit into my original 44 liter durable Kelty Redwing backpack, to begin with. Combine that with a travel style that involved nothing more than constant on the go planning, hostel dorm rooms and trying to do everything without spending any money at all, and that pretty much sums up my first couple of years on the road.

It was a glorious period of my travels.

With nothing to worry about and nothing to look up online before I moved on to the next destination, I was free to simply be present every minute of every day, wherever I happened to find myself and without being locked in to anything.

All I did during those initial years of travel was rely on conversations with other travelers and with locals. That was all it took to find accommodation, places to eat, the local bus station, things to do and so on. I also had very few, if any, responsibilities. So I was happily able to accept whatever happened to me each day and wherever I ended up without any worries at all.

Of course, I had very little money to spend too as I was earning almost nothing most of the time.

But that was a time before the internet boom, a time when we weren’t constantly bombarded with “Top 10 Things to Do in Guatemala” or “Where You MUST Travel Next” posts popping up everywhere. There were no checklists or bucket lists. It didn’t matter what you saw or what you ate as you traveled the world. Just ‘being’ there was enough. The rewards came on their own.

SUMMARY 1999 – 2002

Travel Style: Ultra-budget backpacker Income: Teaching English, volunteering (no income but no expenses), short stint in the US as a substitute teacher

The Cruise Ship Years

About 2 years into my travels, life took an unexpected path.

I ended up working on board cruise ships as a Tour Manager. It all happened out of nowhere after a friend recommended I work on ships and I was put in touch with a contact at the head office of Carnival Cruise Lines.

Suddenly, I was earning and saving good money while working 4-6 month contracts, seeing dozens of new places, gaining some excellent managerial work experience, meeting tons of new people and then enjoying long vacations in between contracts where I was able to travel to lands far and wide. It seemed too good to be true – saving money while catching a glimpse of Caribbean islands, Hawaii, Norwegian fjords and Iceland, Italy, Spain and Greece, Central America, Canada and ports as far off as Auckland, New Zealand, American Samoa and Cochin, India.

It was an ideal set up. In fact, I ended up working on ships for about 4.5 years over an 8 year period. Eventually, I resigned from ‘ship life’ in 2008 simply because the set up was too good. If I didn’t get out then, I was going to be stuck on ships forever. And while I loved the lifestyle and the benefits, I also had other things I wanted to achieve in life that required me to be on land.

SUMMARY 2002 – 2008

Travel Style: Cruise ship crew member / budget backpacker during vacations Income: Monthly salary during my contracts / able to save 90% of what I earned

The Online Years

After I finally decided to end my cruise ship career in 2008, it was right around the time when the initial whispers about ‘working online’ began to surface. So, I finished my last ship contract and took off for a 6-month visit to Melbourne, Australia, where I decided to rent a room in a shared house and give this working online thing a try.

I hunkered down and spent several months writing an eBook designed to help cruise ship passengers enhance their cruise vacations, using all of the knowledge I gained working in the industry.

A couple of hours after publishing the finished product online, I sold my first copy. I couldn’t believe it.

So, I sat down to write a second eBook with a friend. We completed it in two months but this one didn’t work. It never sold.

I then chose to experiment with the world of affiliate marketing after coming across Affilorama’s detailed course, and I soon found some success. There certainly wasn’t much competition back then so it was easier to make progress more quickly with this kind of work.

With these two (small) successes under my belt, I decided to travel around Thailand, India and Central America for a few months and then spend eight weeks living in Sayulita, Mexico to figure out the next step. This was in 2010.

And while in this small, quiet Mexican town, right in between surfing sessions that involved 94% painful crashes and 6% actual wave riding, that’s when I started WanderingEarl.com.

Over the next 1.5 years, I would then work nonstop on the blog, unsure of where it would lead but truly enjoying every minute I spent on the site and associated social media. My motivation grew to the point where, after receiving so many questions from readers of the blog interested in working on cruise ships as well, I sat down and wrote another eBook, naturally called, How to Work on Cruise Ships.

At the beginning of 2012, I completed my third eBook, How to Live a Life of Travel, which I released on the blog soon after.

And so my online work began to grow.

SUMMARY 2008 – 2012

Travel Style: Medium-budget backpacker Income: Sales of three eBooks, affiliate marketing, blogging

The Recent Years

At the end of 2012, I offered my first Wandering Earl Tour. This tour to India sold out in less than 2 days. Then in 2013, I offered 3 trips, one to Mexico and two to India.

After seeing the interest in and success of these first few tours, I decided to put more energy into this aspect of my work. And now over the past couple of years I’ve been offering anywhere from 6-10 trips per year, to over a dozen destinations. I’ve also organized many private tours to various countries for families and groups of friends.

Given the continued positive feedback of all these trips, as well as the number of repeat customers I’ve had, I’ve decided to offer 15 small group trips in total for 2018. (More about these trips in a post next week!)

In addition to the tours, I still have some affiliate links on my blog as a way to earn some extra income. An example of this is my Travel Gear page. On occasion, I also work with various travel-related companies in a partnership format where I earn a certain amount of money in exchange for promoting their product or service. I don’t do this often though as I’m quite picky about what I promote. My goal is to promote something that is truly valuable and useful for those who follow the blog and social media, not to simply earn as much money as I can by promoting anything that comes my way. I actually turn down 95% of the offers that appear in my inbox.

The last way I earn some money right now is through consulting.

I’ve worked with over a dozen travel bloggers as well as a few dozen tourism-related businesses and organizations (guesthouses, tour operators, tourism boards, etc.) by providing them with a detailed strategy to help them achieve their goals based on my extensive knowledge of the industry. It’s a fun side gig as I really enjoy working with such diverse people and constantly learning what’s happening all over the world in terms of travel trends, blog ideas, business ideas and tourism campaigns.

SUMMARY 2012 – 2017

Travel Style: Medium-budget local travel / Mix of semi-organized travels, spontaneous trips and the tours I lead Income: eBook sales, affiliate marketing, partnerships, Wandering Earl Tours, consulting

My Travels Today

These days, I no longer backpack around in the same way I used to when I first traveled the world 18 years ago. I could blame it on all the information online that makes me feel as if I need to be more informed or makes me feel that I need to book everything in advance and so on, but that would be silly since I play a role in that myself. Things just change, and I’m totally cool with that. I don’t mind doing some research now, looking for the best deals and booking various aspects of my travels ahead of time.

Actually, I think the change has more to do with the responsibilities I have at this point in life – work, bills, a wonderful relationship, etc. I need to be a little more organized and I need to make sure I am able to stay as focused as possible with my current life situation and work. So if I can have some things in order before I arrive somewhere, it certainly helps me adjust more quickly and to maintain the balance I need.

Don’t get me wrong. My girlfriend and I still do show up in certain destinations without much of a plan at all, such as with our recent visits to Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Hungary. That won’t ever change as we do love that style of travel!

But overall, we do tend to have more of a plan, or at least some bookings made. We’re still medium-budget travelers, just in a different way.

Everything evolves, including one’s needs and goals and one’s travel style. If you stay true to yourself though, there’s no reason why this should be a negative thing.

And finally, here’s the real beauty of all the above…

Not a day goes by where I don’t feel fortunate to have somehow ended up in this crazy lifestyle that involves more travel than I know what to do with. At the same time, not a day goes by where I don’t realize that my story, such as the summary above, is nothing special at all. It’s a story that anyone could live.

Determination, a willingness to constantly learn and an inability to accept anything less than the achievement of my goals is really all that was required.

Are those not things that we can all summon from within? I hear more examples of it every single day so I know it’s fully possible!

How have you made travel possible? For those starting out, any questions or ideas to share?

[thiseulife]

My big trip of 2017 was an adventure group trip in Andorra. It was incredible!

The above are just a select few of the amazing photos I have from the trip. In the top 3 you'll see photos from day 1, we hiked 14 km and about 700 m - starting at 1700 m and making it to 2400 m at our highest point.

The yellow bushes with mountain background is from our drive to white water rafting in Sort Spain. The mountain lake was from our second day hiking another 14 km and 500 m. And the chair is from our last day biking and adventuring as a group. There is a land Andorra land art exhibition going art and the chair is a part of that.

BUT - I am getting ahead of myself! Let me start from the beginning...

My trip started on Friday after work when I peacefully out on a flight to Toulouse, I wasn't quite ready to depart from my tasks so I spent the trip writing integrated test scrips, but after that luckily I was able to put down my computer and turn off my email for the full week. I landed late in Toulouse and went straight to sleep in my adorable Airbnb after getting the keys and a quick overview from the girl who rented the place out. I woke up on Saturday bright eyed and eager for adventure, of course my first objective was food! I made it to a grocery store and grabbed sun screen (I was quite determined not to come home to Finland with a terrible burn) and I located a market and picked up a wide variety of truly succulent (I honestly cannot think of any more accurate word for this sweet juicy amazing fruit I was eating) fruit and a baguette. Including potentially the best nectarines in the world. I took this picnic with me on my city explorations. I of course enjoyed some lovely meandering around the city... finding cute shops, a few pieces of art, but really mostly the sun shining on me and basking in the grass of the Japanese garden and a small park by the bridge near my apartment. I read, I relaxed, I soaked it all in. It was good to have a day of rest before the go-go-go of adventure starting on Sunday.

On Sunday I made my way back to the airport to catch the group transport to Andorra. For those of you who don't know Andorra... a quick overview: 70,000 residents, 35,000 citizens. You can drive across the whole country in about 2 hours. The official language is Catalan but most people speak Catalan and French and/or Spanish and English. There are some well known ski resorts in the mountain village of Soldeu. It's officially represented in international relationships by both French and Spanish leaders. It's considered a tax haven so customs won't check your passport but you're in trouble if you try to bring more than a few packs of cigarettes, bottles of alcohol, or a trailer full of bikes (why this tour leader no long takes people biking in Spain) across.

ANYWAY. I met the 12 others in our group at the airport and we loaded us and our bags in the group vans to drive the 2 hours from Toulouse to Soldeu where our base hotel was (The Roc St Michael). Once we arrived Nick the manager divided us into our rooms and introduced us to his wife and our guide for the week, Nuria. I'll tell you something, that woman is amazing. She runs races in the mountains! She ran every morning before going walking or biking or rafter with the group! And she helps run the hotel and has 2 daughters. We unloaded into our rooms and regrouped in the hotel bar to get acquainted, enjoy the sun, and wait for dinner prepared by Nick. Our group consisted of a couple and a single guy from Australia, a few single guys and a girl from London, a couple from Scotland, and grandmother and her grandson from Canada, a guy from Germany, a guy from the US. and me. Exhausted from all the travel and driving, everyone went to bed early.

Day 1- as I mentioned above, day 1 was a hike in the mountains surrounding the valley. About 6 hours hiking followed by reading drinks and dinner at the hotel. Also got to know the group a bit more, everyone was so interesting! The grandmother, Leis, is originally Dutch but living in Montreal for a long time. She is a therapist who travels at least 2-3 months of the year, interested in tribal groups and photographs and writes articles for a travel blog. Candice is a production manager for some U.K. Shows and networks including the U.K. Version of pimp my ride, kinda not really but that's the closest. They re-do cars. The couple from Australia was there on extended vacation in conjunction with an education week the woman, Claire, was attending for her side gig and a speed skate referee! For real! These people were fun and cool and I was really happy to be traveling with them for a bit! This evening we also got to enjoy a great thunderstorm. We arrived back just before the heavy rain hit so it was quite relaxing to build a fire in. The bar, read my book, and sip some wine!

Day 2- we switched to the bikes for day two, giving out feet a rest if not our thighs. It wasn't too rough a day to be honest, mostly down hill biking on the switchback mountain roads. We took a small break between route to do a high ropes course as well. That was probably the most disappointing part of the trip (it was advertised as a zip line so I was picturing big exhilarating drop and it wasn't QUITE that). The biking was beautiful and we did get to do a more mountain bike off road track at the end if we wanted to. I certainly did! Again, after the day of adventuring we. Enjoyed a relaxing evening at the bar and then having dinner together back at the hotel.

Day 3- We all piled into a big bus early on Wednesday morning. It was about a 3 hour drive to get to Sort where the rafting company was. Going down in elevation from Andorra we got to enjoy the incredibly warm weather as we stopped for short breaks and to enjoy the views. When we arrived I Sort the packed us into wet suits and then rafts and threw us in the river. I, not knowing what I was getting into, volunteered for a front seat in the raft. It was not more scary... it was more wet. Well, not a problem because It was thrilling to take the waves straight to the face and gripping the foot strap for dear life and going up and down in the rapids! It was a grand time in the water and having splash contests with the other boat, and watching the guide try to shove Candice into the water which totally didn't work after Steve came to help and threw the guide in the water instead! At one point we did hit a rock and Reid and Andreas fell out and we had a deal pulling them back in, I was laughing so hard that I was no help at all. Once down the river we got to enjoy the pool and yard of the rafting company to bask and relax and have a drink and eat our sandwiches. All too soon though we had to get back into the bus and head home for another tasty dinner prepared at the hotel.

Day 4- back to hiking for day 4. The difficulty level of this hike was similar to that of the first hike in general. But when we got up to the top we reached a plateau where we could eat lunch and where, if we wanted we could continue to the ridge line. The path we took was fresh from winter snow and we were the first of the season to walk on it. Truly magical and the view from the top was beyond belief. We had two lakes on that path and we saw the standing man rock formation as well. This evening was the free day for dinner, they wouldn’t be serving at the hotel, so I joined the group going into town to a pizza place.I was able to get one without cheese so it wasn’t so bad. Everyone else went ice-karting but I was feeling like a nice rest and some quiet reading so I went back on the bus ahead of everyone else and had a quiet evening in my room.

Day 5- it was finally (sadly) Friday and our last day of biking and of group activities. We went in to the North valley of Andorra and did some more down hill biking including some of the Tour de France path. At various points we had the opportunity to take off road paths and I did so whenever possible. The best one was along the river in the valley and it was ___ insert non overused descriptor synonym for incredible. magical. unreal. amazing. Here is my very poetic description of this ride:

The entrance to the path is steep, all brain power focused on fingers gripping breaks and looking just to the left or right of rocks and bumps lest they throw me off.

Then the path evens out, the way smooths, and with this it is possible to look up and around. The river is gushing to the left, melt water hurtling without inhibition faster than I could ever think to go. The path is new for the season, still carpeted in grass with trees towering in both sides.

I’m in an emerald corridor and the dandelions, though named as weeds, are like my yellow brick road. I follow them along, down, up, through, and out into a field. In front of me is the sun and the mountain peaks forming their valleys and still wearing their hats of snow. Around me is only green and darker green and gold.

And finally the path ends and the edge of the plateau is reached, I rejoin the asphalt road and the biking crew, and the world is again as it’s always been.

Cool Rach. SO back to it then. Once we were done with the bikes we had a bit of a drive back to the hotel. I found another mountain that I wanted to call mine. Sadly no picture due to the driving... I now have a mountain in Cortina and a mountain in Andorra! About halfway through the drive we stopped to see some of the land art which was cool. We also stopped at an overlook of the valley. This was particularly cool because the next day, on our open activity day, I chose to do a Via Ferrata on the cliff we were standing on, scaling the 500 m cliff face to get to the top where I was standing this day that we drove to! I’ll get to that. This night was not our last night eating at the hotel but as a kind of celebration Nick made us some traditional food from Andorra and they gave us wine to drink out of a funny glass (check out the video later on). After dinner we went into the common area where Nick played the guitar and a friend of his sang songs. It was a very good night.

Day 6- ah, we have already arrived at the last day of adventure, the free day, and the Via Ferrata. This was a highlight of the trip, everyone else got a ride the Naturlandia to ride the luge, I only managed to convince Reid to go climbing with me. We met our guide in town and drove with him to the cliff where we would climb. There are a few available route to choose from and we debated between beginner and intermediate. I was quite intimidated by the label intermediate but we chose it any way (and thank goodness we did I think the beginner would have been FAR too easy). Via Ferrata is like rock climbing for dummies. You clip onto a line on the cliff with 2 carabiners and make your way along a pre-determined route with big iron staples. It includes a lot of the thrill of rock climbing without the mind numbing terror that you might have grabbed the wrong hand hold and will shortly slip to your doom. I mean rock climbing isn’t really THAT scary... but even so with lead climbing outside it definitely has a higher fear element than the via ferrata did. Our guide took some bad ass pictures with his go-pro and sent them to us. It took us about 1 hour to get to the top and he said we climbed pretty quick. We climbed down and then I joined up with a path 7 km that took me back from Canillo to Soldeu. It was lovely to walk alone and take in the scenery and reflect on the week. Once everyone returned to the hotel we traded stories and had one last dinner.

The next day we went back to the airport and went our separate ways either home or on to the next destination.