#went 2 the beach this morning super early... :]]]

[intertexts-moving]

goodmorbing^__^

[mecachrome]

notes from nicole piastri's interview on red flags pod

oscar started playing monopoly and chess when he was 4-5 but he was too good at chess (relative to nicole) that she boycotted it

nicole opened her twitter account because oscar wasn't replying to her at boarding school and she needed a place to chastise him ("can you not answer... i KNOW you're on your phone") (it worked because he started replying to her there)

instead of unflappable she calls him "conservative"

even during christmas and birthdays he was never super excited, one time they went with a group of 5 mums and 5 kids to a hi-5 concert (popular australian kids' musical group) and while all the kids were "going nuts" oscar just sat there "focused the whole time" and didn't smile or move lmfao. they were like 3 years old

didn't know what she was doing with oscar as a baby because he was her first child and her mothers' group was her only reference and they went "isn't the best part of the day when you wake up and go to their crib and they smile at you?" and she was like ??? because oscar would wake up and just SCREAM every single day needing to be out of there immediately and she thought that was just normal... then she had the girls and went "ahhhh... so that's what they're talking about"

when he was younger than 2 he needed them to read car magazines to him and was already obsessed with all things automotive and while they were driving would just name off and point out car brands by their badges

for a long period of time he behaved like he was a car and would "spin" his wheels and pretend to accelerate and run like a car lol

did a big burnout the first time he was on a bike (it had training wheels but he still learned very early)

as a mum she wishes he'd chosen golf or tennis since it's much safer than f1 and sometimes people tell her that she technically had a say in that when he was a kid and she said "but i didn't! it was just in him!!!"

won an academic award when he was 13 and she was president of the parents' community so she presented it to him, normally these events are super formal and you simply shake hands but she gave him a big kiss and instead of acting embarrassed or spluttering he looked at the crowd, nodded silently, and walked off

came back for the summer a few years ago and they were biking on the beach together when she had to brake hard to avoid a kid and went over, when she recovered and got back on he went "are you all right?" very deadpan but after they got home they checked his heart rate monitor and saw that he was totally steady the whole time except for when she crashed and his heart rate went through the roof, told him "ah so you do have a heart... we just don't see it"

"there's no sibling that can piss him off?" "well he's a boy with three girls so he just doesn't go there because he's never going to win"

met lily in person for the first time when he came home for the melbourne grand prix (was still alpine reserve), at midnight oscar was like "hey mum you know the dts film crew are coming tomorrow morning right?" and she was like WHAT... and he was like yeah it'll be chill they just want to film us having breakfast like a normal family or whatever and she was like Mate you haven't lived here for 5 years now do you know what breakfast looks like. it looks like your sisters storming downstairs and grabbing an inappropriate breakfast and storming out the door giving me the finger!!! and then the next morning lily comes down and nicole is like "oh is oscar up?" and lily is like no... i think he's still in bed... (many such cases) and then mae refused to be in it so she got dressed and ran off to school 2 hours early to escape them. and then the mclaren fiasco happened and the whole thing got cut out of dts anyway

when she said "oh my god you met matt damon!" he was just like (shrugs) "yeah... yeah..."

they communicate by facetiming and he's Always lying in bed. one time in bahrain he was leaning back on an ornate tapestry and she asked what hotel he was staying at and he was like oh i'm at the royal palace i'm like a guest of the crown prince. she freaked out and was like "oh my god!!! get your head off the tapestry!!!" and he just looked back like ? no it's fine it looks pretty old lol

called her to tell her that he signed his f1 contract and when he said mclaren she Realized and was like oh no i love daniel!! and he straight up deadpanned "yeah everyone loves daniel. that's going to be a problem..." and said verbatim "of all the f1 drivers ever daniel is the worst one to be replacing"

one time in f4 chris couldn't go to a race and billy monger had just had his crash so she flew to the uk for the weekend to support him and when she was driving him back to boarding school she was happy because she had 2 hours to spend with him and she wasn't sure when she'd see him again but instead he slept the whole way through and the moment they got back to school he went "ahhhh... home sweet home" and she wanted to slap him lmfao

first day of primary school when he was 5 years old he said he didn't need her to walk him to school and she was like "well i actually do mate" so he forced her to walk behind him the whole way and the moment they got there he turned to her and went "all right i'm here you can go now" 😭

the chinese & italian & yugoslavian is on chris's side of the family while nicole's is scottish & irish ("that's where the pasty skin comes from")

red flags pod sent her a shirt with oscar's face composed of His Tweet and she showed it to him and he immediately said he wanted it

he gave her a small warning before he posted the tweet but it was just like "mum so this is going to happen just don't worry about it. it's all under control. it'll be fine" and was very calm the whole time

"we just had to trust that his personality would come through at some point, because the way he came across was not at all what he's like. people will work out who the real you is so just continue to do what you do" 🥺

all of the kids were obsessed with Cars (2006)

likes his mum's golden syrup dumplings and grandmother's rumballs

AT THE SINGAPORE GP IN 2023 HATTIE DISAPPEARED FOR HOURS TO GO SEE A K-POP CONCERT 😭😭😭😭 i think it was p1h lmfao (nicole was asked for her favorite group and went "i have no idea. five boys") ((it's txt)) meanwhile oscar is only into house music and she thinks everything he plays is the same song

did pilates when he went home but never with her and thinks it's a lot harder than it looks

takes him minimum 24 hours to respond to anything she sends

she had an exact conversation with oscar where she asked who he wanted to be teammates with and he said "well if i go up against lando i don't even have to get close the first year because everyone knows how good he is" 😭

oscar you are so you 🧡

[miyamoratsumuu]

dating the pretty setter squad, with moodboards!!

pt. 2 - pt. 3

characters: t.oikawa, k.akaashi, k.kozume, m.atsumu, e.semi note: implied fem partner for all of them, lowercase intended. pictures used are not mine, all of them are found on pinterest!!:) (not proofread yet!! I'll do that a little later)

navigation . . . haikyuu masterlist

OIKAWA TORU "you deserve the whole world and more, darling"

look, toru's a sweetheart. he's the type of boyfriend to love taking you out on these romantic, fancy, peaceful dates. whether it be one or the other. sometimes he surprises you with a dinner date at this one restaurant where it takes weeks to get a reservation. other times, it's a quiet walk on the beach on a friday evening with the both of you talking about how your week went. and if you have your own idea of a romantic date, tell him about it. he's definitely all in for it, as long as you have fun as well.

he makes sure you two have fun wherever you go. even when you're in a random store of all places. mirror selfies, wearing accessories that were for sale, making a whole photoshoot out of the display of flowers at the front of the store.

there was this one time you oh-so conveniently found a pair of alien glasses and thought it would suit toru. you made him wear them to take pictures, but he didn't want you to be left out, of course. before you started taking pictures, toru found another pair of sunglasses that were heart shaped, saying "so you only have heart eyes for me, darling" as he handed it to you.

toru always makes sure that his hair looks nice. he doesn't like it when there are strands that are out of place or if it generally just looks really messy. but on the days when he's tired both physically and mentally, he's most likely to be in a state of vulnerability. and it's those moments where he'd like it for you to place your hand on top of his head and play around with his hair. he'll admit that he likes the feeling of your fingers running through his unsurprisingly soft locks. and if you even dare to stop, he'd immediately whine and tell you to continue what you were doing because he was just about to fall asleep.

we all know about his history with plaid pants. he even proposed to get a matching pair of those pants with you. you didn't think it would be a good idea since you couldn't think of a proper outfit you could make out of those, and you doubt you were going to be able to wear them often. instead, your persuaded toru into getting matching plaid pajama pants with you instead. reasoning that it would be way more comfortable, and that you'd be able to wear them almost whenever you want around the house.

I could imagine toru being a sort of morning person. he doesn't wake up super super early though. instead, he gets out of bed at around 6 to 7 or so. most times, you aren't even awake yet while he's already preparing to take a jog around the neighborhood. but on the rare mornings you were awake with him that early, he sometimes doesn't bother to go out on that jog anymore. he would rather spend the entire morning with you, with breakfast and maybe a cup of coffee by your sides.

AKAASHI KEIJI "I'll do my best to be someone that's deserving of you, my love"

every minute you spend with keiji is a time you could let your guard down all at once. because he assures you that he's someone you could trust and lean on no matter what. he convinces you either by words or his actions. whenever he wraps his arms around you, he makes sure to make you feel like you could depend on him to be your shield and safe space when you need a break from the world in general.

when he picks you up for the date he planned for the both of you, keiji is the gentleman that always brings you flowers. and before leaving, he would assist you in placing the bouquet in a vase and putting it somewhere in your house. there's a remembrance of the flowers keiji always gives you in almost every room of your house. there's a vase in the kitchen, two in the living room, and a couple more scattered around every table and shelf.

dates with keiji consists of trips to a variety of cafes, early brunches, museum visits, or spending quiet afternoons at the library. after recieving and paying for your orders at a cafe, the two of you either stay there to finish your food and drinks, enjoying the bustling atmosphere, or leaving to take a stroll wherever your feet take you.

the days where you end up having brunch are the days with the mornings you and keiji preferred to stay in bed for longer than you anticipated. you don't mind though, in fact you didn't think there was anything better than being in your lover's arms for a couple more hours.

you often go to museums to gaze at what you think are the most beautiful things you set your eyes on. although keiji begs to differ. because to him and his eyes, you're the most beautiful thing he could ever catch sight of.

during your visits to the library, he always introduces you to the books he just recently started reading, the ones that were his absolute favorite, and the ones he would like you to read with him. and if you read books as well, that's great! now both of you could geek about your favorite genres, authors, novels, books, and all. and he absolutely enjoys being able to talk to you about the things he loves. but then of course, you're the one keiji loves the most.

there was this one time that he asked you to read a book he liked so he could talk to you about it. you began to read it eventually, of course. but when you reached a certain page, you were suprised to see one of the characters'dialogues highlighted and encircled in pink with hearts scribbled around it."you are perfect for me". keiji was a gentleman. a gentleman that made sure to make you feel as if you were the most special person in the world. and of course, a gentleman that made you feel loved. so so loved.

KENMA KOZUME "you're so special to me, pretty. you have no idea."

you support kenma as much as you can when it comes to the subjects and things that he likes; and he knows that. so ever since you two began dating, he slowly gained more and more confidence to openly share his hobbies and activities of amusement with you. and you wouldn't have it any other way.

during the nights the two of you are together in one of your homes, one of you would always suggest to play a game or watch a movie. you almost always end up doing both, though. when you get bored while watching the movie, you switch to playing mario kart on the tv, and vice versa. because of that, it's often as well that the both of you end up staying way past the time you were supposed to, then you end up sleeping in the next day. (that usually only happens on the weekends though)

when the both of you planned on going a date that involves going outside though, it would always be an enjoyable time. when you and kenma went to the carnival one evening, you made sure you rode at least more than half of the rides that were available. of course, that involved walking around for who knows how long. and that wasn't something kenma would absolutely love to be doing on a sunday evening. at all. but then at the end of the day, he knew that the extra workout and sweat was worth it once he saw how your smile stretched from ear to ear while he was walking you home.

when you dragged him to the mall, he was expecting to be accompanying you on yet another shopping spree of yours. he was already imagining entering various clothing stores and you asking for his opinion on the outfit you wore every time you stepped out of a fitting room. what he wasn't expecting, though, was for you to lead him straight to one of the arcades he often visited himself. while you were buying your tokens, you noticed the look of confusion your lover threw at you. "lev told me they added tons of new games here! I wanted to try them out with you" you explained giddily. and somehow, that made kenma smile, before following you further into the arcade.

it's often that volleyball practice sucked out the small amount of energy kenma had left after a tiring day. and so on the late afternoons you came by the gym to pick him up so the both of you could walk home together and you noticed him looking worn out, you already knew what to do. you convince kenma that either one of you stay over at the other's place for the night, knowing that both of you needed the warmth of comfort of each other's presence to cool off after the long day you had.

ATSUMU MIYA "my whole heart belongs to you and only you, doll"

atsumu is definitely one of the most clingy boyfriends out there. every minute the two of you are together, he always has to be holding your hand. and if he's not, he has the urge to do it. when he's holding your hand, your fingers have to be intertwined too. he claims it's better than doing it any other way. you know this. you know how much better he feels whenever you hold his hand in yours. and so you try to do it as much as possible as well. he's grateful for that, if you didn't know. it makes him feel as if you're fulfilling your promise to always be there for him.

the first time he walked in on you doing skincare, he was intrigued to say the least. sure, he knew about it, and how it helps make you feel and look better, but he never actually got to learning hoe to do it for himself. and so ever since that day, atsumu always joined you when he sees you doing your skincare routine in the evening if he wasn't able to do it with you in the morning. he thought, now, he'd actually look like the better twin. (alright babes whatever helps you sleep at night<3) and on rare nights, he was the one who initiated doing the activity with you.

movie nights are a common occurrence between the two of you. but it's not the movie nights wherein you're laying down in the comfort of your own bed with each other and watching the film on a laptop that was propped up in front of you. nope. atsumu preferred to take you to the actual cinemas. especially those with the 3d experiences of the movies. he loves the thrill and extra excitement, yk.

he also loves to take you to places where the view is absolutely stunning. whether it's a perfect view of the sunset, or the city lights beautifully gleaming from afar. atsumu actually savors these moments with you. the two of you basking in the comfortable silence between the both of you, knowing of how each other's company alone makes you feel a whole lot better.

there was one time atsumu was complaining to you about how osamu and rintaro were teasing him again about his twin being the better one between the two of them. you continued to listen, despite not exactly knowing what to answer to his outbursts. that was until he stopped and looked like he was thinking of something. deeply, that is. he had his index finger tapping on his chin and all. you looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking of so deeply that it made him stop his rant. he looked at you then told you to follow him to the kitchen. on the way there, he started explaining what he was planning on doing. "I bet they only keep saying samu's the better twin 'cause he can cook or whatever. I'll prove them wrong! I can cook too, and you'll be ma' witness, babe". and so of course, that was exactly what he did. at the same time making dinner for the both of you along the way. all while you were taking pictures and short clips of him cooking because he " needed the proof to shove it to rintaro and his twin's faces". once he was done, it didn't even taste half bad. it wasn't the best, of course, but he made it with love and effort and that was what's important.

he's the guy to obnoxiously wrap his arms around you whenever it's possible. there was this one time that he was away for a family trip and when you visited their home once he got back, he immediately jumped on you, wrapping both his arms and legs around you once he opened the door and saw you were on the other side. it was a surprise the both of you didn't fall over straight away. but after a few more second of atsumu just staying there unmoving, he eventually fell to his bottom with you on top of him. "I guess you really did fall for me after all, huh angel" you instantly pushed him away when he began cackling. him saying that with a smug smirk on his face made it a whole lot worse. you love him for that, though.

EITA SEMI "just seeing you smile at me like that has me swooning, sweetheart."

like keiji, eita is a gentleman at heart. he's also the type to bring you small gifts to give you on your weekly dates. whether it be flowers, your favorite snack and candy, or a small plush toy. and while he's on his way to pick you up, he takes a picture of himself with the gist he's going to give you, sending it to you saying "I'm on my way, sweets, excited to see you already"

if you know how to play an instrument, then that's great! it only means that you and eita have more interests to share and you could jam together on late afternoons you have nothing better to do. but if you don't, that's fine as well, darling! if you'd like, he would absolutely be willing to teach you how to play guitar. but if you didn't, you'd instead be with eita in the room doing your own thing and being gorgeous while he practices. he doesn't mind, of course. he doesn't feel pressured of any sort. instead, he actually feels more relaxed and comfortable with you there.

I feel like he's the type to have a polaroid camera and love to take pictures on it with you. or, he would print your pictures in the style of a polaroid. he says it adds to that romantic feel of the memories the two of you make together. and that it would be easier to display around the things that he owns, like in his wallet, at the back of his phone, or just stuck to the wall beside his bed. for his favorite pictures of the both of you, he prints out two copies so that he could gift one to you.

when the two of you are on the train together on what you're assuming is going to be a long ride, you end up listening to music together one way or another. both of you always bring your earphones with you, but on the rare occasions only one of you did, you share. opting to play the one of the playlists the both of you made together, or one of the playlists you made for each other.

there was one time where you went to the mall with eita, satori, and wakatoshi. the other third years unfortunately not being available for the day. when you entered a music store and after a while of browsing around, satori called you and eita over. when you got to him, he handed you a record saying you should recreate it but with both of your faces hiding behind it. eita was reluctant at first, thinking that you might look like idiots to people that passed by but you liked the idea. you ended up doing it anyway, with satori taking the picture for you. even wakatoshi admitted that the two of you looked cute together in it.

eita writes songs for you. of course he does. and you love every single one of them. but you especially love the ones you could slow dance to in the evening in the comfort of the kitchen in your home. on a late night while the two of you were making midnight snacks with your playlist playing in the background, one of those songs that you especially loved played. giddily, you grabbed eita's hand, startling him and making him let go of the butter knife he was holding. but once he realized what your intentions were, he smiled and danced along with you to the song. he twirled you around and whispered in your ear once you looked at him in the eyes again. "you're absolutely stunning, love"

[hinamie]

omg thank god u reblogged!!! the first time i saw that itafushi art i had a thought abt the lighting but it was too early in the morning jdjsir anyway bear w me for a Minute. so im like super blind without my glasses and recently i was told by my doc that i Really Should get em lasered, smth i always thought was just optional (n was never in a rush for). n e ways so ever since then i've been weirdly conscious of my Eyesight and the way everything looks without my glasses, mainly; light. i had never once appreciated the way light bleeds into the canvas of my vision. how, at night, the horizon is just big fiery dandelions. it's magical. it makes life so beautiful!! i was drunk at the beach and went for a swim the other night (normally i never swim at night cuz everything everywhere is just deep black & scary!! ) and after the dive i came up for air and it was. the most beautiful nightscape of my life. every distant light looked like small moons bleeding into each other. n then i saw your art and the bleeding yellow light,,, reminded me of that feeling again, deep breath, clear lungs, life is beautiful, magical, all skewed but worth it.

sorry for the rant jjdjs but all of that combined w the itafushi feels...... i want that piece framed on my wall!!!

!!!!!!! wow that paints such a vivid picture thank u sm for sending !!! i'm flattered that my art can evoke tht kind of feeling fr u :'))

i'm very happy that the lighting ws what stuck out to u also bc lately i've been trying 2 channel more of what i find beautiful irl into my art and that's resulted in playing around with a lot of different kinds of light!! i love bleeding light n dappled light n light that looks like you're squinting through a rainy car window ,,, all of it adds such atmosphere n emotion imo i feel like good lighting rly Places characters in their environment

[broughtandborn]

Vacation recap, feel free to skip

Andy and I spent seven nights at a Sandals resort in Curaçao and it was incredibly expensive and so, so great. 5 stars, would recommend.

The resort is the newest Sandals resort, and apparently their opening a few years ago was delayed and pretty rocky because of covid so early reviews were decidedly mixed. Everything seems to have been ironed out and from our perspective everything was super smooth.

We flew out from a big airport an hour away at 6 am so the trip started with dropping the kids off the night before and getting up at 2. We were at the resort in time for a late lunch and they had our stuff brought to our room and a cheese plate and wine and balloons and a card for our anniversary in the room when we got up there. The staff were incredibly attentive and they all seemed invested in keeping the guests happy. They all were cheerful and pleasant and went out of their way to make things as easy for us as possible.

Our room looked out over a gorgeous garden with a peek of the ocean beyond and a sort of lazy river pool below us, which was incredible. It felt secluded and the garden was always abuzz with tons of birds and butterflies. We spent a bunch of time in the mornings out on the balcony with coffee watching the hummingbirds and these big yellow butterflies that were the exact same color as some of the flowers, so it looked like the flowers would just pick up and flutter away.

The resort is pretty large so they have bicycle racks scattered around and you can just hop on a bike and leave it wherever you decide you're done with it. The main pool was lovely and they have entertainment going next to it all day. The "quiet" pool isn't actually far enough away from the entertainment to be quiet but there are other smaller pools scattered around that are very quiet. The beach is on a channel, protected by a dock, with tons of beach chairs and palapas. There's another area of beach to walk on that's too rocky and rough for swimming but it's very pretty to look out at -- pure turquoise water that drops of suddenly into dark blue.

The food and drink are all included and very good. There were a few perplexing things (a "charcuterie tray" that included one very thick slice of garlic bread and slices of salami wrapped around chutney to make little pouches???) but there's a solid variety and the service was usually very good, especially for the number of people they're feeding. They have three tiny restaurants in food trucks that are open most of the day and they were so good. Each restaurant has its own style (sushi, Italian, Greek, South American, etc.) and they do a great job with the menus. We were asked at every single meal about allergies or food issues and they took it very seriously. There is room to improve in their desserts but my standards there are very high. There are bars scattered all over and most of them have signature drinks that are delicious.

One of the days we were there we hired a guy through a local tour company to take us all over the island and it was amazing. We saw a million things we'd never have known to even look for and we snorkeled with sea turtles and got fresh coconuts and ate an amazing meal at a little hole in the wall kind of place. It was supposed to be eight hours but we were having a great time and he kept wanting to show us other stuff so we were out for ten full hours and were exhausted when we got back.

The trip home was annoying -- delays and multiple gate changes on both legs of the flight, so we got home at 3:30 a.m. instead of midnight, but it could have been a whole lot worse and we were already planning on the girls spending the extra night at my parents' so we were the only ones impacted by it. The girls had a great week with my folks and it seemed easier on them than we expected. We FaceTimed with them for a few minutes every day and that def helped.

The best price you'll ever get at a Sandals is if you book another trip while you're still there, so we did. You can book up to two years out and you can change your details for most of that time so we have almost two years to figure it all out, but this trip was so lovely that we both very much want to do it again. It's wildly impulsive of us to commit without blocking out budget and childcare and stuff ahead of time but this trip was so great that we were like "we'll figure it out, let's just do it."

Overall, it was an incredible week, and it was really great to have so much time with Andy to just hang out and have fun. I'm so glad we did it. The end.

[sapphic-agent]

Hi, thanks for answering my questions. I have tons of them mha is a gold mine for "learn what not to do in a story"

Izu gets absolutely no credit and...I want to talk about smth. The cleaning beach episode.

"Heroes dont do good deeds to seek rewards" is a fine lesson. It has its merit and I do like the whole idea.

My issues goes to

1) AM didn't notice anything odd about Izu? How he views himself or act? Again, not saying AM should read his mind nor investigate every lil thing but sure having a talk about "why you want to be a hero" could lead to am learning Izu's self steem issues.

2) Heroes do get credit! They do their jobs sure but at the end of day "wow thanks hero" can be heard. Why Izu cant get credit for cleaning the beach? (According the wiki it became a point for romance)

3) I do like the cleaning beach. I do. But how menaged to attract no one's attention? A kid comes from the beach for 10 months and cleaned up all on himself. People would be impressed.(wanna show how humble your character is? Make him interact with fame)

4)it open a pattern. Izu can split the ocean and people would ignore. Bk does nothing and people will fawn over it.

The list goes on and on but why Izu cant get any credit or reconigtion and became the butt of a joke.

"Heroes dont do things for glory" all fine and dandy, but this only applies to Izu.

"Heroes font do things for glory. Izu, now break yoir bones and mind for everyone and expect nothing"

Funny bc...AM has fame. He is the #1 and he wanted Izu to follow his steps...(I totally get why there AM bashing) but at the same time, he does nothing for his heir.

No problem, I love answering asks! (sorry for the wait with this one)

1. As much as I love All Might, he isn't always as on top of things as he should be especially concerning Izuku. Could be a lot of reasons for this, but I think it really boils down to the smile through it mentality that he takes on. He thinks that because Izuku keeps the smile on that he's strong enough to handle whatever issues he's facing on his own. A toxic mentality for sure. He should have been more vigilant and it's 100% valid to criticize him for it. BUT in his defense he seems to be a lot more aware during and after Dark Deku (one of the only bright spots of that arc). He loosens on that thinking a little bit and tries his best to support Izuku the best ways he knows how. I think this was also the arc when he realized how that mentality was negatively affecting Izuku, like when he ran off.

2. I certainly think Izuku should have gotten credit! Not necessarily immediate praise or recognition. But it would have been nice if some of his classmates discovered it and started complimenting it. Could have made for a very sweet moment.

3. It's definitely odd how no one noticed. Maybe because no one went near the beach do to it being so dirty? Maybe they were training super early in the morning when no one was awake? Idk.

4. Best example of this is the Sludge Villain. Bakugou panicked and made the situation worse with his quirk and got praised for it. Izuku was the only one who even tried to help the situation and got reprimanded for it. Double standards I guess

[jess-abides]

Vacation body thoughts below the cut (I should really just journal lol)

The last time I went on vacation in April, I was the biggest I’ve ever been. I wore my bikinis and was trying really hard to rock with body neutrality and tbh I was in a decent place with it. But I was super uncomfortable on the plane, and it was probably the most unpleasant travel experience that I can remember.

While I was on that trip, I started wanting to exercise…like idk why but I remember thinking “I want to start doing squats when I get home” lol and I got on the peloton the day after I got home and rode every day for like 2-3 weeks while I convinced my trainer friend to coach me after I realized he offered virtual sessions. I don’t know what changed, but something flipped basically overnight - when we first got started, I told my trainer “I’m really good at starting over, but I really want this to be the last time” and tbh it still feels like it could be.

I haven’t missed a single planned/scheduled workout since the day I got back from that trip, and I’ve enjoyed the process so much more this time around because it came from a place of actually just wanting to exercise (as opposed to my typical pattern of ‘hate self > must be smaller > deserve punishment > must eat less and move more’).

I also very intentionally did not diet at all, because I still have to work very hard at not spiraling when I try to ~get healthy~ and I am sick to death of dieting and burning out and being afraid of food and the scale.

So I decided to just focus on the one thing I was excited about, which was getting stronger. Which naturally led me to make some different food choices based on what my body was craving (and plenty of well-intentioned bullying from my coach when I wasn’t eating enough). I’ve just been having so much fun getting stronger that it started to feel like a shame not to at least try to get enough protein to actually let my muscles recover and grow.

So I headed off on this vacation 30 pounds lighter than the last, inches gone from my waist, hips, thighs, wedged comfortably into the middle seat between two strangers and not silently apologizing for my existence. Happier, stronger, more confident. A little nervous to get out of my routine, tbh, but I could also really tell my body could use a break.

And, for once, not at all worried about my diet or whether I’d gain weight; knowing I’ve been learning to trust myself and basically eating whatever I wanted anyway. I enjoyed good seafood and good ice cream, but never felt like I needed to over-indulge or overcompensate for indulging. I went for long walks on the beach because I wanted to, and sat on the porch when I decided I’d rather do that instead.

Out of sheer curiosity, I weighed myself this afternoon (something I would never have done in the past - early morning only, iykyk). And wouldn’t you know it? I weigh the same as the day I left. The number itself isn’t the victory - I would have been fine with being up a few because bodies will be bodies, and I guess that’s really what I’m proud of!

And I’m looking forward to being back on my bullshit tomorrow morning and seeing how this break plays out in my workouts this week. After I sleep A LOT tonight 😌

[purplesurveys]

1846

1 - What have you been up to so far today? Is that a typical thing for you to do on this particular day of the week?  It was definitely a busier Saturday than usual; I never spend the weekend squeezing in like 10 errands in a day unless I have a work event to begin with.

2 - Did you get a decent night’s sleep last night? How many hours sleep do you consider a decent amount?  It was okay! I fell asleep a little earlier than I thought I would, so it was nice to get a few extra hours in. The only thing I didn't like was that I woke up disoriented; I thought it was Monday and that I was running late for work, so I pretty much woke up with my heartbeat spiking.

3 - What is one silly thing that really gets on your nerves?  When people try to make small talk at the start of work calls. That was fine during the pandemic, but at this point, I swear I won't take it against you if you don't ask me how my weekend was or where I traleved during the Christmas break.

4 - Who was the last person you saw who wasn’t family? What did you guys end up doing together?  I saw my workmates and other agencies when we had to go to our client's office for a face-to-face meeting. We essentially went through like 70+ slides to brief the client on the final flow of our large-scale event this Sunday.

5 - Do you prefer hot or cold drinks overall?  Cold. I hate feeling like my tongue's getting burned.

6 - Do you own a decent set of waterproofs? If so, what do you use them for the most? If not, do you think that would be something you’d find useful?  Waterproof...what? Clothes? Phone case? Shoes? Hahaha. Anyway I don't think I own anything that's waterproof.

7 - Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?  I just need to finish this doughnut I'm eating lol, maybe take another survey after this...then I'll need to turn in early because I have an early start tomorrow.

8 - How often do you get your hair cut? When hairdressers were closed due to COVID, did you try cutting it yourself at home?  Probably like once a year. I never cut my hair during the Peak Pandemic Era – it helped that I had it trimmed literally a week before it all began, not knowing it was going to start.

9 - What did you wear the last time you left the house? Is that different to what you’re wearing at the moment? I went out today and haven't changed out of my outfit yet so I'll just enumerate what I have on – a purple cropped top + jeans.

10 - Would you rather have a relaxing beach holiday or a more active holiday in the mountains?  I'd love the beach as I can't remember the last time I had a beach trip + the mountains sound super isolating. It also reminds me of hiking, and there is no activity I hate more.

11 - Do you know how to tie a tie?  No. I kept the knot on my school necktie for like 14 years so that I could just always wear it like a necklace, lol.

12 - How old were you when you first had a sleepover at someone’s house? Did you miss home?  I think I was like 15 or 16 when I had my first sleepover. No, I was just mostly excited to finally be in a sleepover lol as I was never allowed prior. Woes of being a firstborn Asian daugher – you're 100% Test Subject A.

13 - How often do you spend time with your extended family? I would say once a month. We live very near each other.

14 - When you get up in the morning, do you have a set routine?  Yup. It's nothing special but it is my routine that I like to follow; any missing step and I'll get super bothered hahaha. Anyway, I'm an early waker, so I usually allot an hour to properly wake up and stay in bed catching up on social media/news.

Around 30 minutes before work, that's when I make my bed, take a quick shower and brush my teeth, fix myself a cup of iced coffee, then spend the remaining minutes clearing up emails that came the night before. They're simple things but it helps me SO MUCH to start work in a good/relaxed mood.

15 - Do you remember the last time you cried? Were they sad or happy tears?  Happy tears! I cried a little bit this afternoon watching a video of this kid reacting to Cody's win from last Sunday. I didn't cry watching him cry, but then he said "Everybody helped, everyone helped him" which was what broke me. That was such a wholesome thing to hear!

16 - What do you have planned once you finish this survey?  I really want to take one more of these but we'll see.

17 - What was the last thing you cooked? Did you cook from scratch or just heat something up? I don't cook. I buy most of my food.

18 - Are you a fan of hot chocolate? Do you like it plain or do you prefer to add things like whipped cream or marshmallows?  I'm picky. It needs to be like artisan hot chocolate and I'm usually willing to pay more for premium options as most hot chocolates here are really just Milo :(

19 - What caused your last injury?  Cooper nicked a bit of my fingernail when he got a little too excited play-wrestling with me for his toy.

20 - How many tattoos and piercings do you have? Do any of them have an interesting story behind them?  Zero tattoos. I got my earlobe piercings when I was a few months old so there isn't really a deeper story behind them haha.

21 - What kind of flowers do you like the best? When was the last time someone bought those for you?  I've always liked peonies. I can't remember the last time I got flowers.

22 - What’s the smallest thing you’ve ended a relationship over?  I've only experienced a failed relationship once.

23 - Would you rather order a starter (appetiser) or a dessert? Or would you be able to manage a full three courses? Appetizers. I don't like sweet things too much, so it's rare that I ask to stay long enough for dessert.

24 - How do you get most of your news, if you pay attention to it at all?  These days, Reddit.

25 - Have you or a member of your family been diagnosed with COVID yet?  My mom and sister had it simultaneously but fortunately they were asymptomatic as it could've possibly gotten. I got the worst experience of the bunch.

26 - Are you a vegetarian? If so, what persuaded you to stop eating meat? If not, is it something you’d ever consider?  No. I would consider it, yes, but I honestly don't have faith in myself to commit to it.

27 - Do you prefer rice or pasta? RICE. A day legitimately feels incomplete without rice...

28 - Is anything you’re wearing a gift? Who bought it for you?  Nah.

29 - What’s the dominant colour in the room you’re in at the moment?  White.

30 - Did you do laundry yet today? If not, do you need to do any before you go to bed?  Nope and nope.

[aonoexpat]

05-11-2023 (2/3)

The next day we resumed our way inland, made a quick stop at "the T-rex tree":

...and drove down to the famous Buller gorge. The turquoise water was beautiful in the sun when it did come out, and I paid a little too much money to be allowed to walk over a bridge, and then zipline back head-first!

After that thrill we continued on our way, and made it to another so-called Nelson Lake that I hadn't yet visited on my way down the island: lake Rotoroa. Though the views were beautiful and the hikes around there pretty nice, the sandflies were absolutely ruthless and they made it impossible to be stationary outside. This meant dinner had to happen inside the cars, and afterwards we all piled into my van so we would have some company :) And we actually felt an earthquake! We all thought it was one of the others shaking our cars, but we checked online the next day and it had truly been a little earthquake.

The day after that, it looked like we would have to split up once again. So I made my bear wave goodbye to my lovely friend:

And continued on to Motueka. It was very cool to return to a place that I had already been to, which also meant that with that stretch of road, I had officially closed my loop around the island!

The other friend that was still with me and I relaxed by the beach for a bit, and then I got lucky enough to meet the man behind many a backpacker facebook page. We spoke a bit about finding work, about travel plans, and then I asked him about the self-contained certification for vehicles. Contrary to what every mechanic in the country so far had told me, he said Elrond could get re-certified! Apparently he knew a guy who still operated under the old rules, so I immediately got into contact with him. I got super excited because a new certification would immensely increase the resale value. I spent that entire day making the car look nice, making sure all the necessary parts were installed (which included two trips to the hardware store), and after that entire whirlwind, Elrond passed the test with flying colours! I have since received the new certification, and I am so incredibly stoked.

That same man offered to help me get a new warrant of fitness for the car, or WOF. Elrond's previous WOF would expire in January, and since I'm hoping to sell him (WITH PAIN IN MY HEART MIND YOU) in November, that was cutting it a bit close. I decided to take the risk and have him checked, knowing that if he failed, I'd have 28 days to fix him up and get him re-checked a the same place for free. Unfortunately he did fail, on four separate points. My newfound friend and I scrambled to get appointments in with mechanics and sparkies alike, and after half a day two of the four points had already been taken care of, thanks in part to a local car wrecker who has this exact model of car in his junkyard and was kind enough to sell me some parts I needed. The other two points would have to be fixed on the 30th in the morning. This would jeopardise me making it to the ferry, and even if I did it would be stressful. So, I moved back the ferry for what would later become known as the first time. I rescheduled it for November 1st, hoping I could get the car fixed, re-checked, and be on my way on Monday.

In the meantime, I headed to Mārahau. I went for a short, quick hike into Abel Tasman national park before going to see an old friend at an open mic night. I had a grand time playing with him and his band, and thoroughly enjoyed the vibe!

I ended up stealth camping (shh) in the Abel Tasman parking lot, and I didn't get caught 😇 I did make sure to get up early and get out of there, which resulted in me having a prime spot from which to view the sunrise:

I drove on to another familiar spot: Kaiteriteri beach, where I parked the car and took a nap in the morning sun, which felt like absolute bliss. That afternoon I got myself an impulse haircut, and then made my way to Whakatū for Friday night open mic night. As I posted in the moment, I was so happy to be able to see all those wonderful people one last time, and I got to play together with a cherished friend. I sang The Leaving of Liverpool, but I had replaced the place names with Whakatū-relevant places :) I understand that they liked it! I was kindly given a ride back to Elrond by the organiser, and bade him a very fond farewell.

That Sunday I made it back to Motueka and went busking at the market. I hadn't done that in a long time, so it was very nice to refresh my repertoire and make sure my equipment still worked. I met four other musicians, one new and three I already knew. It was so nice to be out in the sun playing some tunes and socialising, though despite me putting on SPF50 sunscreen twice within three hours, I still got burned once again. I was kindly informed of this when I started packing up by two people who had had eyes on my (burning) back for three hours, but had decided to wait to notify me for some reason... I tried to cool it down a little by taking a cold shower by the beach, and then one of my friends joined me there! We got to talking and both enjoyed spending time together, so I moved my ferry once again: to the 4th of November. This seemed so nicely full circle to me, because I arrived in Aotearoa on February 4th, and took the ferry to Te Waipounamu on July 4th!

On the 30th of October, I was at the mechanic bright and early. They took Elrond in, and after about an hour and a half they called me with good and bad news: issue no. 3 had been fixed, but issue no. 4 had turned out to be a lot more complicated (and expensive to fix) than previously thought. New parts would have to be ordered in, and they weren't sure when they would arrive. I tried to get some parts from the wrecker I was now acquainted with, but unfortunately they were very worn too. So I reluctantly agreed to this new plan, hoping I wouldn't have to move my ferry again (foreshadowing who?).

That afternoon my friend and I impulsively headed out to Abel Tasman national park once more, to get my mind off of the car stress, and because she would head South the next morning and this would be our last day together! We had a blast driving up there and walking all the way to Coquille bay and back. I was very grateful to get yet another, deeper look into this stunning park ❤️

I spent some time after that in Motueka, just lying in wait for a call from the mechanic that the parts had arrived. I did some elaborate makeup for Halloween even though I had nowhere to wear it to, and then spent a lot of my time finally sitting down and reading up on the news. Without getting into specific politics on this particular blog, the global situation has me extremely upset and worried. Reading about it, watching videos and talking with friends to get a grip on the situation and actually allow myself to feel how incredibly disturbing it all is left me feeling desperate, powerless and unable to amount to much. Which is of course nothing compared to what people across the world are going through. Luckily I could afford to, because the parts took longer to arrive than I had hoped. After a few days I started to get really nervous, but just then I heard I could bring the car in! It took them a while, but they fixed Elrond up, and gave him back to me at the end of the day. Unfortunately by then the WOF place had already closed, and so I pushed my ferry back once more: to November 6th. And it has remained at that date since!

The next morning, bright and early, I headed over for the WOF recheck. And as I had expected he would, this time Elrond passed. This too should add a bit of resale value to the vehicle, which will be nice after I had to spend a big smack of money on the repairs.

My eye was caught by a sign announcing a garage sale down the road, and I couldn't ignore that. I headed over and got to talking with the lady who was downsizing her house, and as it turned out she was Dutch too! I had a lovely conversation with her and her elderly mother, who proudly announced she had lived 40 years in The Netherlands, and then 44 here. It was endearing to hear her speak Dutch but almost uncontrollably revert back to English every now and then, and the same for her daughter, though she had only lived in The Netherlands for 10 years, which meant her Dutch wasn't as solid as her mom's. I bought two really cute skirts, a top, a sweater and two pairs of shoes that will hopefully be a lot more comfortable to walk in at work than my heavy hiking boots. We'll see!

[ayearlaterletters]

Jul 18 - Jul 21

Written on July 21st at 6:39 pm Before I start recapping our days together let me just say hi baby and good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. :) I miss you so much and I like you <3 ahhhh I want to see you tonight. I have the urge to see you again even though I just saw you like 4 hours ago lol. Surprise beach night drive? ^_^ We will see, hehe <3 !!! Alright, let's start the weekend recap!!!!!!!

Thursday July 18th Recap: I believe you worked and it was my day off! We hung out with Marcus and watched his volleyball practice! Before you came to pick me up for Marcus practice, I got my nails done all white, which you liked. My nail tech lady, whom I haven't seen in months because I haven't got my nails done by her in a minute or she's been away traveling, brought you up. i was blushing so hard because I cant believe she remembered that conversation but I'm glad she did because I love talking about you to everyone else but you - at that time you didn't know I had a crush on you. You thought it was cute that I liked you so much in that time period. Then you picked me up, picked up Marcus, drove to the YMCA and supported his volleyball practice then out of nowhere around 8:30 the power went out lol that was funny. Then me and Marcus decided to gang up on you keeping you outta the loop lol but I asked if he was down for pizza and we all got pizza! :) yay then we dropped Marcus off at home you and i and kissed in front of your driveway for like an hour. then we drove to the beach for a little bit kissed some more stared into each others eye then you drove me home. the end of our goodnight. Friday July 19th: Finally your day off and I woke up so early that day like 7am. I went on my usual 2 mile walk with trooper to the park. I went to Starbucks got myself some ice water, drove home and started packing for our weekend gateway which we had been looking forward to for a week ^_^ I think you were cleaning your bathroom, packing, showering, and playing dress up for your momma because she was attending the rugby game, then finally you came and swooped me up! We made our way to C level lounge and met your mother. I ordered the Korean tofu and you ordered the Mediterranean bowl which was super delicious :) 7.5 rating because I like my bowls hella built with more veggies but it was all good lol. After our delicious lunch we made our way to the hotel and checked in. We made endless love for almost 6 hours. I would repeat this day again, no... i would repeat this weekend with you, but with days off from work, again. We didn't have dinner, we just went to bed after being in each other's embrace for hours. That was a great way to end the night by falling asleep in your arms <3

Saturday July 20th: Sadly I had work in the morning which was a drag but luckily my day was super easy because I was SS and not a lot of special services that day. After you picked up from work, we went to get breakfast at the Lazy Hippo and you had your first mimosa. You got strawberry french toast rating 5.5 and I got a breakfast burrito with country potatoes. Would rate a 7.5 :) After our delicious breakfast, I randomly wanted something sweet and tried vegan rocky road ice cream for the first time. walked around downtown, came across some vendors and met a guy from section 6 selling graphic tees lol for like $40. now I know about different the sections lol I love learning something new every day. things just amaze me what goes through people's minds lol Anyways... after walking around downtown, we made more love but originally you wanted to change clothes and get out of the outfit that you started to feel hot in. which you didn't tell me until after we finished making love and woke up from our nap! You also tapped out that day which is funny because u learned about the refractory phase! You seriously thought you had erectile dysfunction omg lol. i won the championship belt temporarily because that night I called defeat when you seriously put me to bed lol. we did get indian food from the royal India then walked around downtown even to seaport. we stopped at this fancy restaurant, animae which is an expensive ramen, steak place I think lol I just heard about this place from word of mouth. lovely ambiance and beautiful people, we belong there because we are beautiful people. After we walked around downtown we made our way back to the hotel and ended up snuggling because we had some questions for one another like do we still like each other. we passionately kissed and made really great love to end the night.

Sunday, July 21st: I went to work and girlbossed. luckily i got out before 10am and had enough time to get back to the hotel and pack my belongings before check-out time. however, you were giving me those damn puppy eyes asking for one last time before we leave our lovely weekend. after our festivities, we went to ob and got Luigis pizza. we originally were going to Hodads but the line was stupid long but its all good because I got to try your pizza spot! After pizza I got some mid thai tea and then you drove me home. i lowkey wished you took the long way home so we could spend more time together vibing, holding hands, and looking at you. we both knocked out and now we've been on the phone together since 17:00 and it is now 22:00. Goodnight my lover boy, who almost said I love you today hehe

See you another time i cannot wait to see you again and let's have another good week ^_^ more adventures and blessings to come!

10:13 pm Much love, appreciation, and gratitude, angel your taxi driver.

Angel Numbers: 10:10

[kimmysurveyblog]

46

　10 HOW’S

How did you get one of your scars? I have a scar on my ankle from shaving.

How did you celebrate your last birthday? I don't remember at all. Probably had a craft beer or 2, and we probably got pizza.

How are you feeling at this moment? I'm actually feeling super sad. I've been forced to think about my (deceased) mom this past week and I reeeeeally miss my parents. I hope this wave of sadness passes soon.

How did your night go last night? Fine. Didn't do anything interesting, went to bed early.

How did you do in high school? I went through some SHIT in high school so it was rough.

How did you get the shirt you’re wearing? I bought it from Old Navy.

How often do you see your best friend? We live together.

How much money did you spend last month? I'm not sure. A regular amount.

How old do you want to be when you get married? Now would be fine. He's been very clear about wanting to propose soon.

How old will you be at your next birthday? 33.

　9 WHAT’S

What is the most important part of your life? My daughter and boyfriend, my mental & physical health.

What did you do last weekend? It was Canada Day weekend! We spent some time with bf's dad, and relaxed mostly.

What did you last cry over? My mom being dead. I want to hug her so badly.

What are you worried about? Nothing serious or important lol.

What is your mother’s name? Debbie.

What always makes you feel better when you’re upset? Sleeping.

What would you rather be doing? Nothing.

What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other? Kindness.

What did you have for breakfast? Cold brew.

　8 HAVE YOU’S

Have you ever done something outrageously dumb? Ohh yes.

Have you ever had sex on the beach? No. That sounds awful.

Have you ever been backstabbed by a friend? For sure.

Have you ever been out of the country? Yes, but only because I'm a 30 minute drive from the border.

Have you ever dated someone younger than you? Yes.

Have you ever liked someone who already had somebody? No.

Have you ever been brokenhearted? Yes!

Have you ever read an entire book in one day? Maybe in high school.

　7 WHO’S

Who is the last person you saw? My boyfriend.

Who is the last person that you texted? Therapist.

Who called you last? My uncle.

Who is the last person you hung out with? My online bestie and her husband. :)

Who did you hug last? Boyfriend.

Who is the last person that texted you? Therapist.

Who was the last person you said “I love you” to? Uncle.

　6 WHERE’S

Where does your best friend live? Ontario.

Where is your favorite place to be? In my house.

Where did you sleep last night? My bed.

Where did you last hang out? Park this morning with my family.

Where do/did you go to school? Not sharing. Somewhere in Ontario.

Where did you last adventure to? We go on adventures all the time. Sooo many beautiful adventure spots where I live.

　5 DO’S/DOES

Do you ever wish you were someone else? No.

Do you think anyone despises you? Nah.

Do you like someone right now? Love.

Does the future scare you? A little.

Do you have any secret powers? No.

　4 WHY’S

Why are you best friends with your best friend(s)? He is the sweetest, funniest, most intelligent person I've ever met. We're kindred souls. And we have a lot in common.

Why did your parents give you the name you have? They liked it.

Why did you get a MySpace? Peer pressure, most likely.

Why are you doing this survey? I need something to get my mind off of why I'm sad before bed.

　3 IF’S

If you could have one super power what would it be? Time travel.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you? Yes. There are so many things I'd want to say to and ask my parents.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Northern Ontario somewhere.

　2 WOULD-YOU-EVER’S

Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? I guess?

Would you ever get back together with any of your exes if they asked you? No.

　LAST 1

Are you happy with how your life has turned out? I think so, yes. It could be better but that's on me to change. :)

[travelena]

Greece 🇬🇷

Day 1 - Crete

Stayed in Chania near the port, it is so calm and beautiful in the mornings before things open up. Well worth a walk around in the mornings but don't expect restaurants to open until ~10.

Drove to Elafonisi Beach - the water was so gorgeous and blue. It is famous for pink sand but the sand wasn't that pink in real life. Still so worth a visit. We swam so much, make sure to walk all around including past to the other side of the sand dunes. We had an amazing dinner at Taverna Stomio on the way back, it had such a cute outdoor area with animals in the courtyard. The food was so fresh and it was clearly family run. Of course they followed customs with a shot of ouzzo after dinner and they brought lots of complimentary watermelon for dessert before we left.

Some good places in Chania that I researched: Bohéme (bar), Pallas (good rooftop fancy restaurant), Tamam (restaurant), Pulse vegan, Adespoto Music Taverna, The Well of the Turk, Salis, Chrisostomos, The Five Restaurant, Matzénta kuzina del sol, Maiami, Thalassino Ageri

Day 2 - Crete

Spent the day at Falassarna Beach - felt like more of a local vibe. Gorgeous clear water with stunning views of surrounding rock formations. Then spent the evening enjoying Chania including shopping at the markets and leather stores, walking around the water/old venetian port, getting drinks at Bohéme (cute garden bar), and enjoying a really nice dinner at Pallas on the rooftop.

Day 3 - Crete

Samaria Gorge hike! This was a doozy. We woke very early to start our hike when the park opened around 8AM. Very steep steps down for the first 1.5-2 hrs. About 1/2 way through the hike once in the gorge my mom fell twisting her ankle, which ended up being broken. The only options are hiking your way out or getting donkey to carry you out; they go twice a day. She ended up hiking her way out another 5 miles! Then we ended the hike at a very nice black sand beach Agia Roumeli with super blue water. Logistically pretty hard to coordinate because you need to reserve a ferry from the end of the hike (Agia Roumeli) to another town (Sougia) where you can catch a KTEL bus (from Sougia-Omalos) to the start of the hike and then we drove back in the dark which was treacherous because there were so many goats sitting in the road without any lights! A very crazy day. The gorge itself was nice, but we learned after the fact that people get very hurt there and someone ended up needing their leg amputated due to a rock slide crush injury. You should book tickets on the ferry and bus ahead of time because you don't want to be stranded!

Day 4 - Crete

We spent this day driving from Chania to Heraklion with a stop in Rethimno along the way. Could've spent more time exploring Rethimno, especially the Venetian Fortezza Castle! However, in terms of the old town and vibe I preferred Chania, Rethimno felt too touristy. There was a cute Rimondi Fountain there and a nice Neratze Mosque. Once in Heraklion we went to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum where they had the famous cuneiform tablet. We had a great dinner at Ippokampos near the water in town (Kastella next door also looked good).

Day 5 - Santorini

Caught a morning ferry from Heraklion to Santorini which took ~2h. Then got dropped off at our lodging in Fira. We walked around Fira a bit and then caught a bus to Oia where we walked some more, had a nice lunch and cocktail and caught a gorgeous sunset. Beware, people start lining up for sunset 2-3h early in Oia and the streets are mobbed.

Day 6 - Santorini

Had an absolutely perfect day in Santorini starting with the Fira to Oia walk which took a few hours and had gorgeous views throughout. Then we ended in Ammoudi Bay at Ammoudi Fish Tavern where we had a very fancy fish lunch where you pick out your whole fish and they cook it for you. Very much for the experience. This is the bay in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants where Lena draws and jumps in and also gets caught on the wire in the sea. I loved every second of it!! Then we took a donkey up the stairs - they call it Santorini Ferrari! Then we caught a bus back to Fira and enjoyed sunset on our balcony that had a great caldera view and a restaurant nearby with live music that floated up to us during the experience. There truly is no bad view in Santorini. However, the crowds and prices in Santorini are insane. There are cruise ships that dump hundreds of people every day who mob the streets.

Day 7 - Santorini

Woke up to see the sunrise from our balcony - sooooo nice! Then had some breakfast and coffee at Volkan on the Rocks which had a nice view and plays Mamma Mia nightly at their outdoor theater which I totally would've done if I knew! and want to the port to catch our ferry to Milos. unfortunately, the seas were very rough and our ferry was delayed by >3hr and was almost canceled. Thankfully we made it on but the seas were very rough. Ate at Nostos Seafood Experience

Day 8 - Milos

Wanted to go on a boat trip to Kleftiko to see the most amazing rock formations and swim in the bright blue water. However, the water was predicted to be very rough and after the ferry journey the night before we decided to forgo this trip. There is a hiking option there but my mom's ankle hindered us from doing that, we also heard there are venomous snakes on that hike. So we went to Venus de Milo (statue of aphrodite of Milos) and then walked around Klima at the bottom which was colorful and cute. Then we went to Sarakiniko beach which felt like we were on the moon!! It was so cool. Hard to hike up to the top parts though without sneakers. It was also super windy - I wished it was calmer so I could do some cliff jumping. Then we went to Firiplaka Beach which was so gorgeous and shallow with nice waves and red rock backdrop. Then we went to watch sunset in Plaka - the best place to view sunset is from is the back balcony of Church of Panagia Korfiatissa. Then we went to dinner at O! Hamos! which was one of the most memorable dinners. It was clearly family run and everything was very fresh. They gave a really nice submarine dessert at the end which was so cool, like a sweet taffy-like thing submerged in a cup of water.

We stayed at Santa Maria Village Resort & Spa and really liked it - had a great breakfast spread

Day 9 - Milos

Woke up and went to Firopotamos with very cool ruins of a doorway and super clear blue water. Then we went to Mandrakia where we could walk on the little boat ports that individual families have. Then we went to Paleochori Beach which was nice to swim in but got deep pretty fast and had bigger pebbles, but the sand had underground hot spring pockets which was such a cool natural feature. Then we had to catch a ferry to Athens. Once we got to Athens we had dinner at ***.

Day 10 - Athens

Spent the morning walking around the Plaka neighborhood and around the Acropolis. We didn't enter the Acropolis since there was so much construction but went to a lookout with the view of the main columns in the back. We also walked around the outside of Hadrian's Library. Could definitely spend more time exploring the ruins of Athens and more neighborhoods. Then headed to the airport.

Tips:

You MUST stay on the Caldera side when visiting Satorini

Bring zofran or motion sickness medicine if choosing the ferry option between islands. Beware of rough seas and cancellations/delays, allow extra time in your itinerary for logistic changes and consider flying instead but know that all flights between islands stop in athens which is so inconvenient

In Santorini it would be fun to go to an outdoor movie at Volkan on the Rocks at night!

Definitely go to O! Hamos! in Milos, there will def be a wait in the summer months but it is worth it for sure

Would have tried to go to some other famous Crete beaches such as Paralias Plaka,

[umichenginabroad]

Classes, routine, and...a giant puppy?

Week 2

So far, it's been a busy and eventful two weeks here in San Sebastian! I've met a lot of people, gotten accustomed to my way around town, and have started to settle into my routine for the next 8 weeks. This post will mainly be dedicated to my university schedule and daily life (but also some fun tidbits from the week thrown in as well).

School Life

Since my program is a research internship, I'm here for a longer period of time than others. Up until this point, a group from Penn State was also here taking a 2 week design class, so a lot of the activities we did were with them as well. I'll be starting my research at some point this week because as of Friday, we just completed our Introduction to Research course. The course went over the basic principles of research methods, data collection/analysis, literature review, intellectual property rights, and more (you get the gist of it). For each lesson, we would have a different professor come in to teach it. I liked the way this was set up since it was helpful to get introduced to other members of staff from the university, along with having people we could contact later on for advice or resources. Class was everyday starting at 9am-11am, then a roughly 15 minute coffee/snack break, resuming from 11:15am-1pm. We would mostly have plenty of time to finish assignments in class, whether it was a hands-on coding lab or a short presentation to do. The schedule was another thing that I liked, since class ended in the early afternoon and we would have plenty of time to rest, explore the downtown, go to the beach, or go with the peer mentors to an activity they had planned. From the hotel where I'm staying, the walk is decently nice! I enjoy going on walks and this one is a comfortable 15ish minutes, which compared to walking across Ann Arbor's campus, isn't really that bad at all. I have some pics of the journey to class, and notice that the sidewalks are made entirely of tile, something that I thought was neat:

Also, the weather kinda fluctuates during the day. It can go from being really rainy in the morning to being bright and sunny by the time class ends (much like our beloved Michigan weather).

Meals

Before class, I eat breakfast at the hotel since we have this included with our housing. It's buffet style, so a wide range of options, and there's a cook who you tell your order to after choosing from what they can make (pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, etc.). Below is an example of a typical breakfast spread.

For the first two weeks, lunch has been included at the university's canteen. After class ends at 1pm, we take our lunch ticket to the cafeteria and can choose two dishes along with either a dessert, yogurt, or fruit. Everyday the options change, but usually there's some type of pasta, fish dish, meat dish, salad, or beans/soup.

Featured here are some ribs, a vegetable rice dish, vanilla pudding, and fries on the left. On the right are some fish empanadillas, a strawberry yogurt, and fries. From now on, lunch and dinner are on me. Because of this, I have my next topic that I wanna talk about:

Markets!

You won't find a typical Walmart or Meijer in San Sebastian; those types of places aren't really a thing here. Instead, smaller markets are the way to go. One of the first ones that I went to was called Todotodo Spar, and it reminded me more of a 7-11 but with a wider variety of products and fresh fruits. It's the type of store you would go to when doing some small shopping, like picking up a few items (in my case some conditioner since I forgot to bring some). On a larger scale, Super Amara is an upgraded version of that. An equivalent would be a Kroger, but the products sold are more of fresh/gourmet produce. It's all very reasonably priced, with a meat, cheese, and fish section, along with selling things like cosmetics and household stuff too. There are also a lot of independent fruit/vegetable stand shops as well. These are dedicated just for that purpose, but have to be eaten within the week because it's super fresh. I ended up buying a quarter watermelon from one and it was easily a top tier purchase. If you want the freshest of the fresh, go to a place like Más que fruta!

~ live, laugh, love, watermelon ~

NOW, onto some things I did this week so bear with me here we're not done yet. I surfed? Partially. More like got thrown around by the waves and a lot of seawater in my stomach. Still very fun though and would try again! Took a day trip to Bilbao for the Guggenheim museum. I keep trying to think of how to describe it and the words that come to mind are unique, eerie, odd, interesting, and puzzling? Modern art isn't exactly my favorite thing, I find it intriguing for sure and to each their own but there's much to ponder about in those exhibits. One of the larger exhibits featured spirals that you could walk through and it really made me feel like I was wandering through an acorn. It was also a little trippy. You're probably wondering what I meant by puppy in the title of this post, well here's your answer...

Say hello to Puppy, the guard dog of the Guggenheim!

and here's a guest star appearance of me from another exhibit which felt like I was inside of a christmas ornament.

Enough yapping from me, hope you enjoy following along with my adventures!

In the wise words of a shirt I found at bershka, "Full inspiration today, periodt"

Emily Dobao

Biomedical Engineering

IPE San Sebastian, Spain

June 2nd, 2024

[stairs2024]

J Disney Cruise

We surprised the kids with a Disney cruise and we counted down the days. Adi and Grady went to a half day at school and we picked them up and headed straight to the airport. Frist airplane for Graham and 1st one that Grady remembered. They loved playing tablets, getting sprite and of course the snacks. We landed in Ft. Lauderdale and got a car to the hotel. It was a chilly day but the boys still made it to the pool. Adi and mom walked to the port to make sure we could find it. It was only about a half mile-easy walk for the morning. We had pizza at the hotel and headed to sleep early.

The next morning we woke up and waited to board the ship. Our time was 11:00. We were the 3rd group in line to board. We walked through the check in line and waited in the concierge room until the boat was ready for us. We got on the boat to a grand entrance while they announced our name. Captain Mickey was at the top waving as we arrived. We went straight to Royal for lunch. We had our first Mickey bar after lunch. On the way to our room, we saw Cinderella, Tiana, and Pluto walking around.

After lunch, we headed to our room where our bags magically appeared. We had a huge veranda and a large room with tons of storage. We went to the pool, Adi and Nate rode the Aquaduck and we got ice cream. The boys watched a show on the big screen by the pool. We checked out the kids club and the kids loved it. Starwars room, tinkerbell, Toy story room. There were video games and movies and lots of fun things for them. We saw Mickey before dinner in the lobby and then ate at Animators Palace. Our waiter was Allen and he was wonderful He did magic every night and was so good with the kids, even cut Grady’s steak. The restaurant was nemo themed and there was interaction with the turtle from nemo, Crush. After dinner, we went to the room and our bunk beds and couch bed were made. Kids loved it. After dinner was our first show, The Golden Mickeys. It was so so good and had lots of movie songs. We got popcorn and enjoyed the show.

Day 2 was Marvel Day at Sea-so much fun. We woke up and ate breakfast at the buffee and went to see Spiderman, Iron Man, Groot and loki. We then went to see Captain America. We saw Black Panther and then ran into Wasp and Ant man in the lobby. We saw a Wakanda show with Okoya. As we were walking around, we saw Dr Strange, Ms Marvel and Captain Marvel.

Graham needed a nap so Adi, mom, and Grady did a scavenger hunt around the ship to save the 101 dalmations.

We skipped our sit down dinner tonight and went to the pool and waited for the Marvel Mickey show on the pool deck. All the characters came out dressed as super heroes.

We did a little shopping for souveniers (thanks Gigi and Grandpa).

We got spots early to the Marvel show up on deck 12. The show was amazing. Flying heroes, Spiderman climbing the wall, fighting and it ended with fireworks. We were all amazed. We were up until after 11 this night!

Day 3 we ate at Cabanas in the morning and then got off the ship in Cozumel. We took a taxi to Paradise beach. Adi, Grady and dad went on the water inflatables before it started pouring down rain. It finally stopped and we played in the pool and got some nachos.

We got back on the ship and got ready for pirate night. Before we left Mexico, the Dream and the Magic did a horn battle.

We walked around and saw Donald, Chip and Dale before heading to dinner at Enchanted Garden. It was pirate night and the kids got light up glasses. After dinner we went to the pool deck for the Mickey pirate show and then went to the Ventriloquist show. It was so good and the kids were laughing so hard. We were all tired so we skipped the pirate night who and mom, dad and Grady watched fireworks from our porch.

Day 4 was princess day. We had the princess ball in the morning so we got to see Cinderella, Belle, Mulan, and Ariel and Rapunzel. The kids went to kids club a little this day and mom and dad watched the Steelers in the pub. We played a fun couple rounds of Bingo, met Captain American Falcon, and had a character dance party. Nate and Adi did some hot tub time and went to the 14 floor lookout. We had a private meet and Greet with Donald followed by milkshakes on the sundeck. Dinner was at Enchanted garden again where we had more magic from Allen. We saw the Beauty and the Beast show after dinner in the theater which was amazing.

Day 5 was spent in Castaway Key. This was our favorite place. Clear waters, white sand and amazing weather. As we were getting off the ship, Mickey was coming of too so we got to get off with him. We walked to the beach and got some beautiful pics and saw some Characters. We played in the sand and the kids did the ropes course in the water. We dropped the kids off at the kids club for water play and Nate and I walked the island a little. We picked the kids up for a Character dance party with Goofy and Minnie. Then we got some BBQ lunch on the island. Grady fell asleep for a while and then it was time to get back on the ship. We saw Stitch as we were getting on the ship. We went to the hot tub on our floor and then rested for a little before dinner. We ate at Royal Palace for our last night. We took the kids to the kids club one last time then went to the Believe show. After dinner, we went to the lobby for a goodbye party. We got to get autographs one last time and we finally were able to get Daisy’s autograph. She was our last one that we needed. Adi cried as we said SEA you later.

The next morning was early and we had to get off the ship by 8:30. We had the very best time and made some awesome memories. The characters, entertainment, kids club, staff, cleanliness was all top notch and we would definitely do it again.

[seabreeze2022]

Oahu, hikes and beaches. part 2.

This is on the trail to the Makapuu’u lighthouse on the southern shore. Very rugged cliffs and small beaches in between.

Here is the light house. Interestingly it is not on the highest point of land. You can get a lighthouse so high up it is hidden by clouds and fog. A WW2 bomber hit the cliffs above the lighthouse while lost in the clouds, killing all on board.

Pork, pork and more pork. Some poke (poke-a) which is tuna sushi. You can buy poke at 7 eleven and liquor stores. Or if you insist at a grocery store. Bottom right photo is slice of spam tied with seaweed to a chunk of rice. Too much rice for me but it was filling.

This was at a free Botanical garden, Koko Crater, inside of an extinct volcano. It is a more arid setting of plants. Many from around the world. We thought it would be super hot, so we went there early. The temperature was fine, lots of shade. Not as much as the other botanical gardens but enough. Lots of trees from Africa. The botanical garden boasts of it collection of pulmeria trees.

One of the many small beaches between the cliffs.

One of the blow holes we watched.

Baby sitting Leo and his sister Elizabeth.

Another morning walk on the beach at Kailua, Oahu.

Two hour hike on the Aiea loop trail, 4.5 miles. Last travel day around Oahu, then off to Kauai for a week.

B-24 J crash site from WW2.