Speaking of Lobsters… June 30, 2009

 

 

This week I visited Portland, Maine. I have never been that far north or east, and I must say I absolutely loved it. The people were kind, the accents were adorable, and the city was bustling but quaint. All the buildings looked like historical monuments set against the cozy cobble stone streets.  It was much more touristy than I expected, and as you’ll see in most of my pictures, I totally fell into it’s sneaky little trap of shops filled with moose and lobster pride, beach garb, and local foods.

 

 

 

 

I was guided around Portland by my friend Nichole who I met about this time last year while visiting family in Florida. We hadn’t seen each other since then, but have the kind of friendship that makes that ok.  She introduced me to a couple of her friends, who were equally as cool. One of them even let me sleep on his couch during my stay (thanks Justin).

 

 

 

I’m not gonna say that I didn’t take the whole “Moosin’ around” thing a little too far…cause I maybe possibly might have…Portland made it too easy for me though…It’s all Portland’s fault…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maine is called Vacationland and I can see why. As defined by Merriam Webster, a vacation is a time of respite from something, or a period during which activity is suspened. Maine probably embodies the true term “vacation” better than any place I’ve ever been. It is peaceful, relaxing, beautiful, and easy going. Not many distractions or man made amusements to turn your respite time into an exhausting venture. 

 

The beach in Maine was as I imagined it would be. Like the setting described in the beginning of a sappy romance novel. The sky, sea, and sand all meeting to form varying vertical lines of gray, with every person looking like a waving shadow through the fog and relentless ocean breeze. It was unlike other beaches I have been to, with no one really swimming in the water or playing volleyball or frisbee. A few brave children would dip in occasionally to shriek at the feel of freezing water every time a wave came in. Most though, including myself, just sat or walked along the sand enjoying the day and the view of the water. If I were a writer, I would come here every summer to clear my mind and gain inspiration.

 

 I really enjoyed taking pictures here. Every shot seemed to capture something magical or mysterious. The feel of this place was so calm, almost eery at times. I’ve posted two of my favorites below.

  

 

 

Reflecting now on my short visit, I honestly didn’t expect to feel so much for this tiny spot of the world…Once again I appreciate the fact that life never fails to surprise me with my own feelings.

Let’s get some Shoes… June 29, 2009

A few weeks ago while walking through the streets of Boston, I saw a suspiciously large line of people wrapped around at least 2 or 3 city blocks. They were all just sitting in yard chairs or on blankets, and some even had makeshift tents and beds. It reminded me of the craziness that occurs during the holidays when people foolishly wait outside shopping malls for hours, anticipating the latest toy or gadget. As I delved further, I realized they were all young guys, probably in their 20s and early 30s, all having that kind of “street” look to them. I followed the wrapping line to its end and saw nothing special. I looked all around for possible signs, and even tried eavesdropping on some conversations, but still couldn’t find the purpose for this peculiar mass of people. My growing curiosity quickly took over and I stepped in on a small group of guys and simply asked them what was going on. I was surprised and slightly disappointed by their answer….Shoes….They were waiting in line for a pair of Nikes called Blue Lobsters that were to be released in a few days. One guy I spoke with had already been waiting, enduring the rain and cold nights, for 5 days. People had come from everywhere to wait for these kicks. One person drove all the way from Wisconsin! I asked what was so special about the shoes, and again, I was disappointed…Nothing, other than the fact that only 350 pairs were being manufactured. And it just so happened that this tiny shoe store on some random street in the Harvard area of Boston would be releasing them. The same guy that had been waiting for 5 days explained to me that he didn’t even want the shoes for himself. He was going to “flip em”, aka sell them on Ebay to people in Asia for up to four times their value (about $700). I asked him if he felt it was a safe gamble. What if no one wanted the shoes and he wasted an entire week and $200 on a pair of shoes. He just laughed as if I was a naïve little girl. I assumed that meant he had full faith in his upcoming business venture. As I walked away he said it would be worth the wait. I was amazed at this. I can’t imagine a single material thing I want badly enough that I would put myself through that to own it, can you? I talked to a friend about this briefly and with his input I decided that I could feasibly see myself  waiting like this for a few different things: front row seats to an intimate show put on by my favorite band (Coldplay), or to see a family member or friend that I really miss, or to witness the Presidential Inauguration, or to have coffee with someone really awesome like Oprah, Jane Goodall, or Tina Fey…. Through this thought process I realized that I desire experiences and human interaction over money and possessions. I like that about myself.

It also made me wonder what everyone else thinks about this. Is there any “thing” that you would wait outside, night and day, rain or shine for? For a week? I don’t mean like a million dollar giveaway or something equally cool/outrageous. Let’s say something equivalent to $200, about the cost of these Nike shoes.

 

Waiting to catch the blue lobster

The sign from the store window

waiting….

Head Over Feet and the Time of my Life all On the Wings of Love June 20, 2009

 

 

Destination: Denver and Southpark, CO (9800 ft elevation)   June 9-14, 2009

 

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The title of this blog is dedicated and inspired by my awesome friend Karie Falder, aka K.Fald. Karie and I worked together at Vanderbilt and over the past year have grown to be best friends due to our wonderfully similar  ridiculousness. When I started talking about and planning my Couchsurfing Campout trip a few months ago, K.Fald was brave enough to jump on board with my random and crazy idea. Words cannot even express how happy I am that she did, this experience would not have been nearly as magical or memorable without her amazing presence. I wish I could clearly explain this title to its fullest meaning so that you, too, could understand the importance and hilarity of it, but I’m afraid I would just sound weird (or weirder). Just know that outrageous ESP, happenstance, TJ Maxx, a car named Cassandra, and kismet were involved in its making.

K.Fald and I celebrating her 25th Bday in Denver

 Our rental car was none other than a neon blue PT Cruiser. Initially we were a bit disappointed in our less than hardcore ride, but quickly warmed up to our little beauty and even gave her a name: Cassandra. After a not-so-friendly welcome, we felt that it was necessary to show our newfound appreciation and love for good Ol’ Cass. The manner in which to do this was obvious….we photographed ourselves in our most provocative of poses on Cassandra’s hood. As you can see below, K.Fald, myself, and Cass are all looking pretty fierce and, dare I say, intimidating in our saucy poses.  

 

 

 

 

Moving along……

Our first night in Denver was pretty much spent celebrating the fact that K.Fald had reached her 25th fabulous year of life. We bounced around town, trying new things and meeting new people. It was just what you think a birthday celebration would be, nothing too unique or interesting really, so I won’t spend much time elaborating on it. The next day was when the actual exploring began. In my true traveling style, we hit the road with no real agenda or plan. Confusingly, we made our way around downtown, seeing some cool spots like the Art Museum and other miscellaneous oddities. It was definitely a good time and brought us some fairly ridiculous pictures, but I think Karie and I both had our wild hearts set on venturing into the great outdoors.

 

 

We heard quite a few people give props to this nature made giant amphitheater in Red Rocks, Co so that was obviously our next stop.  If you haven’t been to or heard of this place, please go. It’s absolutely bewildering. In addition to exploring the amphitheater, we also did a little hiking around the area. Every aspect was absolutely beautiful. As we drove trying to find our way to the campout, we came across incredible scenary and some adorable little towns. Morrison, CO was by far our favorite. It’s the kind of quaint and lazy place I could imagine myself growing old in with the man of my dreams. We met some interesting characters in Morrison including an old John Wayne-esque ranch owner we called Hank.

 

 

 

The Drive there was filled with a million moments of awe. We probably pulled over at least 10 times to just take in the beauty of everything around us. None of the pictures I took did this area any justice.

 

This is just a teensy weensy taste of the majestic Colorado world that we experienced along our drive….OK! On the the campout!!!!

 So for those of you who don’t know, Couchsurfing is a worldwide organization that networks travelers from near and far with members of local communities. These “locals”  provide both helpful information for the visiting traveler and most of the time, even host them in their home during their stay.  This amazing idea allows you, the traveler, to go virtually anywhere in the world without paying for accomodations while simultaneously providing you with a built in tour guide, friend, and information station. I’ve been involved with it for about 7 months now and it has seriously changed my life. I have met, hosted, and been a “tour guide” in Nashville for people from places like San Francisco, Newfoundland, France, Philadelphia, Chicago, Germany, the list goes on and on. I also experienced the unexpected bonus of meeting some awesome people in my own Nashville CSer community whom I now consider my dear and wonderful friends. If you’re the strict, private, (stuffy), organized type of traveler, this randomness may not be your cup of tea. But even if the idea of staying on some stranger’s couch or spare bedroom doesn’t appeal to you, it still has some incredible benefits such as always having a friendly contact in whatever strange and foreign land you’re venturing off to. Anyway, enough free promotion for Couchsurfing. The “Tentsurf” campout was basically a huge Couchsurfing event for the North American branch celebrating 10 glorious years of good business. People from all over the country were there to share stories, experiences, and make more incredible memories. I was one of those lucky patrons.

 

 

 The campout was filled with everything you could hope and wish for in any normal camp experience. Mountain air, cowboys, bonfires, drum circles, roasted marshmallows, flame throwers (?), a DJ, a partial marching band, and a stranger filled spontaneous wedding….yep totally normal.

 

 

 

Karie and I got a cabin since we couldn’t bring a tent on the plane. We shared it with some incredible people from all different places. Kiah was making her way across the country on her motorcyle. She was so much fun and is such a genuine person. Seth is an organic farmer from Montana and is traveling for the summer. He is seriously one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and to add to his kindness he brought some great perspectives to our conversations and shared his amazing Montana honey with me. 

 

 

Overall, the trip was fantastic. We did too many incredible things to even list including white water rafting in Class 4 and 5 rapids in the Royal Gorge, exploring the kind of beautiful mountainous terrain that I have never experienced, and meeting people and seeing perspectives from all over the country. If anyone wants to join me next year, the Campout will be in Mexico!!

 

 

Painter June 15, 2009

The song “Painter” by Norah Jones has been in my head on and off for the past few weeks. Writing this now, it feels like the perfect title for this particular blog entry. The lyrics are simple, almost child like, but I feel that they very accurately express how I feel at this moment. While I’m excited and happy about going on my little adventures in the world, I wish that being near to the ones I love and miss was as easy as just painting them into real life in real time as I wish…wherever and whenever that may be.

So June 9, a week ago today, I said a temporary yet suprisingly difficult goodbye to Nashville, my sweet fur child Pepsi, and many dear friends. I spent the morning distracting myself with thoughts of cleaning, organizing, packing, and planning. As usual I procrastinated myself into a near panic and thought for sure I wouldn’t have time to complete everything (which I barely did).

 On top of having a million things to do, I had the added annoyance of sobbing my face off every other minute at the sight of little Pep. She was her usual clingy self that day, following me from room to room, laying her head on my feet when I was still for long enough. Knowing I was about to leave her for the summer was weighing much heavier on my heart than I ever imagined it would. I’ve left her in the past for a few weeks at a time, or even to live with my mom for a bit (though I saw her often).  I think what bothers me so much this time is that I’m realizing that I don’t have forever with her. At the ripe old age of 8, she’s already at least half way through her unfairly short life. That fact gives me this pulling feeling now that I should take advantage of the time that I do have left with her. Leaving for 3 or more months doesn’t really fit in with that feeling. I know to many people, maybe even you, a dog is just a dog and it sounds silly to invest so much emotion into an animal. To me, my sweet Pep is family. She has been the only constant thing in my life since I was 16 years old and just writing this makes me miss her comforting company that I have way too often taken for granted.  

Pepsi kissing my tears away…I don’t know any human who would be that sweet.

 After leaving Pepsi with my wonderful friend Chelsea, I turned on some sappy music (a tearful mix of Norah Jones and Coldplay) and unabashadly cried all the way back to Nashville.  It felt really, really good.

After both a physically and emotionally exhausting day, I wanted my last night in Nashville to be simple, relaxed, and positive. I can honestly say it was just that and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Dinner and conversation at my usual little cafe down the block, followed by more relaxed conversation from an unexpected yet wonderful view of the city from atop a downtown building. It left me with a feeling of complete content and peace. Looking down at Nashville from a perspective I had never seen with a person that I hold dear, but have known for only a short time, reminded that I don’t always have to go somewhere else to find wonderment and new experiences.

Currently listening to:

Loudon Wainwright III- Swimming Song

Brandi Carlile- Closer to You

Rocky Top Tennessee June 3, 2009

 

Destination: Maryville, Townsend, Great Smokey Mountains, TN 5/31-6/3, 2009

                    This is the backyard of the home I visit every year in Maryville,TN                        

 Every summer for the past 3 years I have made my small voyage to this cozy little town in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to visit my best friend from Texas, Brittany Hale, and her sweet Grammy and Aunt Suzanne. Though I’ve visited numerous times, I always seem to forget how incredibly majestic and peaceful it is out here. As soon as I exited into Blount county from the interstate Sunday night I could smell the country coming through my car air conditioner. It was about 1:00am and completely dark, but I could tell that the fields around me were full of freshly cut grass and baled hay. After I pulled into park at Grammy’s house (She has now claimed me as her own and even has a picture of me on her TV stand) I just stared at the sky above me for probably a steady 4-5 minutes. It’s shocking how many stars you can see when you leave the city. I was amazed at the fact that stars, as the song says, actually do twinkle when you’re far enough into the country to actually see them.

Monday Brittany and I set out searching for some kind of mountain-esque adventure. Both being from relatively non mountainous terrain we decided that this was definitely a priority on our to do list. We explored some rivers pictured here. 

 

This is a river spill way we saw while driving. We stopped and explored a little bit.

 

 We also found this incredible scenic drive called Cade’s Cove where we saw tons of wildlife (including 3 black bears!!).Fun Fact: The Great Smokey Mountain National Park is on of the only free National Parks in the country. Everyone should take advantage of it if you have the chance.

Another view of Cade's Cove drive

                                                                                                           The tunnel into Cade’s Cove

 

       This deer was only a few feet from us.                                 Bears!!! Ahhh!! I think it was a baby…

Near the end of Cade’s Cove drive we found this trail that led to a scenic waterfall called Abram’s Falls. Underestimating the signs use of the adjective “moderate” in describing the trail terrain, we took off on our 5 mile hike. I can’t lie, it was a bit tough and I might hav definitely tripped a few times (and busted it once), but all in all it was totally worth it.

More "moderate" terrain, haha

Our "moderate" terrain. I fell here...don't judge me.

 

The beautiful Abrams Falls

The warning sign right before reaching Abrams Falls...wow...just wow.