#TOY2014

A few weeks ago, my good friend Kari shared with me that she was heading to Vancouver on an all-expenses-paid business trip for Seattle Magazine. I was super excited for her, but then she called me and invited me to come along with her, and of course I said yes!

The trip included a one-night stay at the Opus Hotel, restaurants, manicures, bike rides and other activities. The only thing we had to do was tweet when we went anywhere, and write about it when the trip was all said and done. Kari will be writing about it on her blog and on Seattle Mag's website (I'll link it once they're up!) and this is, as you could probably assume, my recap of the trip.

Next month, there is an event called Taste of Yaletown. I don't know how to describe it, so here is how yaletowninfo.com describes it:

"From October 16th-30th, Yaletown kitchens will offer featured menus, special tastings and innovative pairings to tempt the most adventurous foodie. With a fresh approach to fixed price menus of $25, $35 and $45 restaurants will offer combinations of food and drink or even special in-house events."

For this, we got to test out a few of the restaurants that will be participating.

On Sunday, September 20 and Monday the 21st, Kari and I headed to Vancouver. She flew up, and I drove since the drive to the airport would be longer than the drive to our location from where I live. I took out enough cash to pay for parking, only to pull up to our hotel and see Kari outside, who then told me "don't worry — your overnight valet parking is covered!"

I got all my stuff out of my car and headed inside. My first thought as I walked into the hotel was holy crap; this is amazing. 

Warning: This is going to be a very long and photo-heavy post.

bring me back to europe

Today, I'm reminiscing a lot about the amazing trip we had to Europe earlier this summer.

It occurred to me that I never made a post about it aside from the small bucket list post, so I figured as a way to feel nostalgic for the not-long-ago I would finally write a post (well, mostly pictures) about the amazing trip.

{ vacation bucket list: verdict }

A day less than a month ago, I wrote a post called Vacation To-Do List, in which I wrote-DRUM ROLL- a Vacation To-Do List.  Now, this was about a week or two before our trip to Europe.

I tried writing a post that had every place we went to and what it was like, but we honestly went to too many places and I would ramble on about them all but eventually every description started to sound the same.  Plus, I have an avid 0 readers of this blog, so I didn't see why I was putting in so much effort.

All in all, the trip was amazing.  I could not have asked for a better way to spend a good chunk of my summer.

My favourite place was London, for sure.  I've been looking forward to going to London since I was little- I don't know what fascinates me about it so much.  Maybe it's the fact that 9/10 things I like are from there.  Accents, Doctor Who, the Beatles, etc.  Emphasis on the accents. Swoooooon. 
Santorini, Greece was a super close second.  The atmosphere was so peaceful and chill in Oia, a tiny little town on the island which was home to hundreds of the white houses with blue roofs that people think of when they think of Greece.

Instead of the millions of words that no one probably wants to read, I figured I would revisit the trip by seeing what I did and didn't cross off from my bucket list.

Bold indicates I did it!

1.  Visit the Colosseum 
didn't get a chance to visit- only had one full day in Rome, which was filled with the Vatican and then a tour of Rome at night, but we drove past the Colosseum. Does that count? 
2.  Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain

3.  Become an Italian pop star a la Lizzie McGuire (kidding! but that would be pretty cool).
4.  See the white buildings of Santorini, Greece

5.  Visit Pompeii

6.  Try authentic Italian pizza

apparently, in Italy, they serve their pizza with fries. weird.

7.  Order a glass of wine in Italy

8.  Take a water taxi in Venice

9.  Visit the London Eye, and actually go on it (I'm absolutely terrified of Ferris wheels)

10.  Eat fish & chips in England

fish and chips will never ever taste as good as they do in england.

11.  Trafalgar Square
We passed it on the bus tour- didn't get to stop and look around!

12.  Find a BLUE PHONE BOX! 

I have found my TARDIS.  Unfortunately, the Doctor didn't pop out.  

13.  Do something silly in front of the guards with the hats in London. You know, the ones that don't smile. (Extra credit if they do smile.)
14.  Italian espresso!
15.  Order a beer in London

16.  Snap Matt Smith's suspenders. (Just kidding. But not really.)

17.  Gelato!

I probably had too much gelato. Oh well, it's not like every day you go to Italy.



Okay, that's it for the Vacation To-Do list.  I got most things done- others, well, I'll just have to go back. 

Ciao!

{when in rome}

We made it!


We are in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy.  Getting here was a hassle because our flight from Seattle to Frankfurt was suuuuuper delayed due to disorganization of the flight staff (I know some things can't control, but we didn't even start boarding until about 5 minutes after the plane was supposed to depart) so we ended up having to catch the next flight to Rome from Frankfurt two hours after our original one.

Once we got to Rome, Stacey and I took a cab and got absolutely ripped off, but we didn't care because we were so damn tired.  I tried staying up all night the night before we left (went to bed at 4, woke up at 8, with hopes of sleeping on the plane) and I learned that no matter how fucking tired I am my body cannot sleep on planes! Rude.

Once we got to Rome, we checked into the hotel, threw our shit on the bed, and then went exploring.  We went to the Trevi fountain, got some dinner, and I crossed a few things off of my bucket list to boot. Yay!

Last night, our first night here, consisted of a lot of walking around a long with gnocchi, wine, and wishes at the Trevi Fountain.  We came back to the hotel, and I was so goddamn tired I didn't wanna go explore anymore, so Riley and I went to bed.  Then we woke up and took a tour of the Vatican... which was downright beautiful.  Now, I'm not religious, but that place was amazing.  Seeing all of the artwork, and all of the history was completely breathtaking.  We lost my mom for a little bit, but we found her eventually- but trying to find her, and get ahold of her was an adventure in its own.  Later in the evening, we took a night tour of Rome, where we saw the colosseum, St Peter's (again), the Embassy de Marta (I may be spelling that wrong), and lots of other goodies that Rome had to offer.  It was probably my favourite part of the trip so far, and our tour guide was awesome.  He showed us some unconventional places in Rome that not many tourists know about... for example, a 2,000 year old cobblestone road about 20 minutes out of the city center that had marks from chariot's from Caesar's empire.  He also brought us to the top of one of Rome's 7 hills and showed us an awe-inspiring panoramic view of Rome at night, as well as warding off some street vendors who kept trying to get us to buy roses. Nooo, thank you. Finally, he showed us a little part of the city where lots of painter's go.  He pointed us out to "Rome's best gelato" (coming from a man born in Rome, I believed him) where we got AMAZING gelato, and even tried the Viagra flavor.

Rome has been full of adventure, food, laughs, history, and art work.  I'll be sad to leave tomorrow morning to get on our cruise ship, but excited to see what other parts of Europe have to offer.  Next up is Naples, Italy, including a tour of Pompeii.  Another place I'm stoked to see!

Here's a teeny peek at what we've done so far!

The BEST spaghetti I've ever eaten, hands down.

View from our hotel in Rome

Drank a glass of Italian Wine!

Making a wish at Trevi Fountain

Tried gelato. Yes, even the viagra.

St. Peter's. The Pope talks on one of those balconies!

Ciao!

{almost there}

Two days from now, Stacey and I will be making our valiant departure to Rome, Italy.

I can't remember the last time I actually flew with someone as opposed to by myself... I think it was four years ago? Even then, it was just a short flight to Los Angeles with my mom. This time, I'll be taking a 10 hour flight to Frankfurt and then hustling over to another gate (I've heard the airport is giant... grumblegrumblegrumble) and then a 2-ish hour flight to Rome.  I've never travelled internationally before, let alone to two different countries which speak languages that I haven't the slightest clue how to speak.  We have an hour between our flights in Frankfurt, which is hopefully enough time to get off of the plane and over to our connecting one to Rome.  If not, we're fucked. (Think optimistically!)

Then, once we get to Rome, we have to take our own taxi (something else I've only done once in my life) to the hotel, which is smack dab in the middle of the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum.  Apparently you have to set a price with the cab driver before you go there... something else I've never done: bartered.  I guess just the first 24 hours of this trip will be filled with firsts.

By the time we get to our hotel, Coralie, Riley and my mom will already be there, and proooobably sleeping or something.  I have a feeling we're going to be pretty tired, considering it will be about 5 AM on my own internal clock and I have an awful relationship with sleeping on planes.  I'm planning on getting no sleep the night before and then taking melatonin on the plane so that I can hopefully get some shut-eye.

The first night in Rome we're going to be taking a limousine tour around Rome, including the Trevi fountain.  (Bucket list!)

The next day we're gonna check out the Vatican (hopefully my dress passes their dress code qualifications.. it covers my shoulders but comes to just above my knees) and then just.. explore Rome? I'm not really sure.  The day after, we board our Cruise ship and head to more exotic places.

I've planned like crazy for this trip- I've made lists upon lists of what to pack, what to wear (even outfit itineraries... ridiculous, I know), read online tips/tricks to packing for Europe, but I still have no idea what to expect besides gorgeous photos and lots of sunburns.

I guess I'm just super excited. I'll probably post again when we get to the hotel in Rome, granted it has wifi.

ciao!

{what to wear?}

I've recently become obsessed with clothing.

Rewind to a few years ago. I literally didn't care at all about what I wore.  In high school, most days I would wear just jeans and a sweatshirt- most likely one from PINK, because it was the cool thing to wear in 2008 and it was comfortable.  

I downgraded from that when I moved to college, quickly trading my jeans for yoga pants simply because they didn't fit me right.  I would wear junior's sizes (I was 17 years old so it made sense to me) which had a really, really low-rise and thus meant pulling up my pants constantly.  Plus, I have the luxury (sarcasm) of attending a very hill-y university (and lived on top of the tallest hill on campus).  So- yoga pants it was.  And sweatshirts.  I cared more about comfort than what I wore.  I also didn't want to admit that I was *drum roll* plus size.

All my life, I had believed fat is bad. Society tells us over and over that fat is ugly.  Fat people shouln't wear pretty clothes.  I should lose some weight if I want to wear that.  Conversely, plus size clothing was embarrassing, and somehow in my head it would definitely mean I was fat, something I had tried to deny since I was a kid.  I couldn't win.  

Finally, I realized that it doesn't matter what number is on the tag.  What matters is that I think the clothing is cute, that I think it fits me properly, and that I feel good in it.  Comfort helps, too.  I am a college student, after all.

So, what made me love clothing?  I think a lot of it had to do with that newfound freedom I had given myself by embracing the fact that I was plus size.  Body positivity has been a long journey for me (that's for another post), but finding my own style has considerably helped.  Also, the fact that I was hired at a very popular and inexpensive clothing store helped feed my addiction. 

I found myself wearing more scarves, earrings, cardigans, skinny jeans, boots, et etera et cetera et cetera in sophomore year of college.  It was the complete opposite of freshman year's yoga pants and dingy hoodies.  I didn't mind taking risks.  It was fun.  My wallet disagreed (sigh!).  I also gained a sense of confidence that it didn't matter that I was fat- I could look cute no matter what my size was. Even my dad, the most fashion-illiterate person I have ever met, said he liked the new 'scarfy style' I had obtained and that he could tell I felt good about myself.  Hearing that from my dad, of all people, gave me more of a confidence boost than I could have ever imagined.

This brings me to now, June 2013.  As mentioned in my last post, I'm going to Europe in a week, and packing has seemed to be both the most daunting and exciting task EVER.

Outfit planning, list v 2.0.  Sorry for the
shitty iPhone picture.

I know in Europe, people dress classier, which means more sundresses and less denim.  "Organized" is one word I would never use to describe myself in a million years, but when I get excited about something, I delve in, and make a million lists and plans.  I also have over-packing tendencies.  I will pack something even if I have never worn it prior to the trip because "what if I get the sudden urge to wear this and I don't have access to it"?  God forbid!

I've even gone so far as to make 2 different outfit itineraries for this trip. I got 2 new dresses after I made the first one, so it obviously wasn't valid anymore and I knew I needed to make a new one.  I swear, one dress was meant to be... I fell in love with this dress online a month or so ago, but when I finally got the guts/money to buy it, it was sold out.  I cried. (Not really).  Then, I happened to be checking it out online, and I noticed "out of stock" wasn't written in red below the description... and there was only one size available- my size! So, I bought it, and as soon as I got the order confirmation email, it said 'sold out' again.  Fate, I tell you. FATE. 

I found my cute dresses at a variety of places:  Fashion to Figure, Forever 21+, Target, and Asos Curve.  All of them will be showcased on this blog when I'm connected to the wifi in either Rome or London, or maybe even when I get home.  I'm gonna be one of those super annoying tourists who takes a million and five photos of every sight I see, because when am I gonna get to Europe again?  I have no idea.  So I'm gonna savor every tacky & touristy moment I can.

I use parentheses too much. 

Sorry. (Not sorry). 

{vacation to-do list}

One week from now, I will be in Rome.
Two weeks from now, I will be in Greece.
Three weeks from now, I will be in London.

This is crazy to me! I can't believe I'm finally going to go to Europe, and see all of these places that I never imagined I'd be able to see.  The only other country I've been to outside the US is Canada, which doesn't count, since I was born here. (I say here because I am currently in Canada visiting Coralie & co).  Our family has been planning this trip for a few months, but it didn't seem real to me yet.  I have a small 'excitement capacity', so if I have a few exciting things coming up in the future, I can only get excited about them in a timely manner.  For example: I went to Sasquatch! Music Festival in May, and before that I had Relay for Life, I couldn't get excited for Sasquatch until Relay was over, and even then I didn't actually believe I was going (which makes no sense because I shelled out an arm and a leg for that wristband), and after Sasquatch I got excited for school to be over, and THEN it hit me that we were going to EUROPE!!!

I fly into Rome with Stacey, who has been one of my best friends since we were toddlers, on Thursday the 27th.  The longest flight I've ever been on was from Utah to Florida and I was only 9 years old so I don't remember it much, but I am NOT looking forward to the flight.  I can't sleep on flights at all. I'm pretty sure I could take ten sleeping pills, but my excitement would keep me from falling asleep.  Stace and I will hopefully be too excited to sleep the night before we leave, so that I can sleep on the plane.  If not, I'm planning on loading my iPad with books so I can read on the plane, which usually kills time and I just love to read.

We spend a few days in Rome and then we'll be headed to our cruise ship, which will then take us to all these exotic places... Greece, Croatia, Turkey (hopefully, if the ship deems it unsafe to go then we won't dock there) and Italy.  Then after that, we head to London, a place I have wanted to visit since before I can remember.

So, what that brings me to, is my bucket list.  When I go on this trip, I have a list of things I absolutely MUST do. (edit: and PHOTOGRAPH each one)

1.  Visit the Colloseum
2.  Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain
3.  Become an Italian pop star a la Lizzie McGuire (kidding! but that would be pretty cool).
4.  See the white buildings of Santorini, Greece
5.  Visit Pompeii
6.  Try authentic Italian pizza
7.  Order a glass of wine in Italy
8.  Take a water taxi in Venice
9.  Visit the London Eye, and actually go on it (I'm absolutely terrified of Ferris wheels)
10.  Eat fish & chips in England
11.  Trafalgar Square
12.  Find a BLUE PHONE BOX! 
(From hereon, all were added after post was published but I don't want to forget them)
13.  Do something silly in front of the guards with the hats in London. You know, the ones that don't smile. (Extra credit if they do smile.)
14.  Italian espresso!
15.  Order a beer in London
16.  Snap Matt Smith's suspenders. (Just kidding. But not really.)
17.  Gelato!


Most of these I know we'll already be doing, but hey, that's a pretty damn cool bucket list if you ask me.

Ciao! (see? I'm practicing my Italian!)

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