Prom

Growing up I was one of those girly girls. I loved the color pink, ribbons and bows, and was obsessed with all things "grown up." From an early age I planned two events in my life, prom and my wedding. Now, I haven't gotten around to the latter yet, but lets hope I've learned something since my terrible fail at prom.

Danielle is lucky that I adore her, because she decided to be a huge punk and tag me in Jill's hilarious celebration of Prom.

I went a really small school, so we there weren't any prom kings or queens. There was, however, a prom committee, which I was on. The theme, The Great Gatsby, was my idea. My friends and I all dressed in a 1920's, Daisy Buchanan theme. We thought we were really cool.

I am sort one of those girls who almost always has a boyfriend. For better or worse, it's just sort of happened that way. There have been times when I really should have been more independent and single, but I'm a relationship person and that's how things have happened. The funny thing is, two weeks before prom, I broke up with my high school boyfriend. He was a year younger, I was excited about going off to college, and it was the right things to do. He didn't take the news all that well. I remembered later that I just lost my prom date, so I asked if he would still go with me. I was clearly not a person he felt like doing favors for at the time, and so along with a few choice words, he said no. Leaving me at senior prom dateless. Long story short, I had a fabulous time.

So, here are the rules...

1. Upload your prom picture. If you don't have one, email your mom and have her send it to you.

2. Don't forget to include the year it was taken. Again, don't be shy. The older the better.

3. Grab the "Prom Queen" button on Jill's sidebar and add it to your post.


4. Copy and Paste the rules to your blog

5. Tag 5 others!

I am tagging:

Nicole

EP

Shoshana

Lauren

Traci

these are a few of my favorite things... Europe Pics!

Que up the song, and sing accordingly...

Raindrops on Munich, and whiskers on Sean,
Bright copper rooftops and gorgeous stained glasses
Crisp apple strudel and fruity croissants.
Cobble stones streets and deee-licious meals.
Vienna and Salzburg are some of my favorite things...

Dum dum, dum dum..
When the dog bites, when the bees sting, when I'm feeling sad,
I'll simply remember my trip to Europe
and then I wont feel soooo bad!

Ok, so I'm not musically gifted, but the pictures turned out really well!

Treats:



The Sound of Music tour:




The Freud Museum (psych major 4 eva!)




Prague:




And of course, the necessary "Sean & Laura with our backpacks" picture. (Suggested by this girl
.)

I have about 600 more, but I tried to narrow it down for you. If you really want to see more (or discuss any of these lovely places) email me!

I'm Back!

Hello Lovelies!
After 11 days, 3 new (to me) countries, a zillion pictures, very little sleep, and an all around amazing time; I am back.
And oh, how I've missed you! And by you I mean internet friends, my glorious life source (computer), my shower, and not living out of a backpack.
The trip was fantastic. Beautiful. Refreshing. I feel like I actually did make some important discovories, and was reminded of things I already knew. I wandered through the old streets of Prague, drank in beer halls in Munich, fell in love with the city of Vienna, and lived out a childhood dream in Salzburg. In a strange twist of fate I recieved an email while away that I actually was accepted to the one and only graduate school that I applied to. I was rejected from the special, selective program but accepted to the Masters program. Very strange, since I thought the first letter was a clear cut rejection. This was a total curve ball in my planning, but for some reason it was made mangeable by an altered (somewhat removed) perspective. I did not freak out! Not only were opportunities unfolding, but seemingly impossible plans (and schedules) became possible once more. Now I don't have to wait till fall 2010 (which seemed so far away) to start grad school. I will start this fall! Back on schedule. The past few months were filled with chaos and confusion. There were times of feeling out of control and off schedule (umm hello grad school rejection letter? lack of job? lack of direction?). Suddenly within the past two weeks almost everything (which is scary to say) has fallen into place.
I feel greatful and full of faith. Everything does work out the way it's supposed to. It's so refreshing to see proof of what I have always believed.
Anyway. I'd like to say that I wont be one of those people who wont stop blabbering about their trip, shoving pictures in your face, and telling meaningless stories, I can't. Sorry. Not going to happen. To be honest, I am blissfully reveling in the post adventure high where all you want to do is tell anyone who will listen a little fact about the Hapsburg empire or how the Sound of Music tour brought tears to your eyes. (true story.) The only thing better than your desired bus finally arriving in a sketchy southern Czech town, is being safe and clean at home and reliving all of it.
So this is a warning. I might be really obnoxious this next week. I might fill browsers with talk of the excessive amounts of butters, dairy, breads, and sugars I've consumed in the past couple weeks (this coming from a light soy & splenda kind of girl).
I might lose a few facebook friends because I just want to post about a billion albums. (because I think my photos are just too awesome not to share.) I seem to have picked up a whole "everyone cares about my life and my adventures" vibe somewhere over the Atlantic. I promise to dispose of that ASAP. As of now I'm heading to Blockbuster to rent the Sound of Music (because my 2-disc special edition copy is at the BF's house), and I can think of no better way to spend my jet-lag recovery time (have I mentioned that I haven't slept in 30 hours?) than that movie.
God I love that movie.

(Pictures to follow soon. Too many. Promise!)

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, my bags are packed...














This list is checked off:


















Playlists are made. Camera is packed. Itinerary is set.
I'm readyyyy to go.
I was going to say that at this time tomorrow I'll be hanging out, drinking a beer in Munich. Then I realized that at this time tomorrow I will actually be zonked out on ambien on an airplane en route to Munich (cross fingers that all goes according to plan, and that i for once in my life am actually able to sleep on the plane). Oh well, its the journey not the destination, right?!
I can't believe this trip has come together so fast. And yet, I cannot imagine this trip not happening. I needed this. I needed a sign that everything happens for a reason. That when one door closes another door opens. (Should I continue with the cliches?) Seriously though, it's nice after a few months of setbacks to have something you have desperately wanted fall into your lap. It's a great reminder to have faith and worry less.
I am bringing my old laptop (the macbook pro is definitely staying safely at home), so I will try and connect when I can. In all honestly it's probably best for me to take a bit of a break from the internet.
I am striving to live in the moment, take it all in, and just savor being in Europe with the boy I love. I will however be taking an ungodly amount of photos. (I wish I would have taken a photography class in college!) So those will surface in a couple weeks.
Until then, take care Lovelies!

Desktop

I love this. I set it as the background on my computer. It is my constant reminder.

I hope everyone had the loveliest Easter!

Europe & Such

It's official... I'm leaving for Europe a week from tomorrow.
We bought our tickets, leave April 17th, and I am in a state of absolute bliss. We are flying into Munich, spending a day there. Then taking the train (or perhaps bus) to Prague. Spending 2 1/2 days there, and then on to Brno (where the BF is working for a few hours aka the initial reason behind this trip). Then it's on to Austria, the place I have been dying to go since I was able to sing "the hills are alive." Vienna & Salzburg over the course of 5 days, and then returning to Munich to fly out on Sunday (April 26th).
Now, Not only do I have a wonderful European vacation to look forward to, traveling to places I have never been (but always wanted to go), with my favorite person in the entire world, but at last I have something to plan. AND oh my goodness do I love it. Itineraries, research, packing lists. It is all so wonderfully exciting yet tangible. (We are actually going to do it, and soon, unlike some of my other plans.) I am ignoring my lack of a real job, and just reveling in it all for the next couple weeks. This is the first time since I've stopped working that I have truly felt like I am taking advantage of this time and the "not knowing."
It feels so right.

In other fantastic news. I am completely rearranging furniture, getting rid of old stuff, and doing a full on, floor to ceiling spring cleaning. So far, I am so happy with the result. Everything feels so much fresher and lighter, not to mention cleaner.

I also enjoyed a fantastic sunny afternoon of lunching, shopping, and indulging in some delicious pinkberry with my favorite blogger turned real life friend Danielle yesterday. We have the exact same taste in restaurants, frozen treats, & shopping, so I'd say we are a match.

Well, the rest of my spring cleaning awaits, but I felt like a bit of an update was in order since I seem to have adopted twitter as my new blog.

Umm, Europe Perhaps?

In my life, there is only one decision I regret. Sure, I've made stupid choices, about a billion mistakes, and I'm constantly letting words fall out of my mouth without thinking. Still, I try not to live life with regrets. However, I will forever kick myself for not going abroad when I was in college. I was lucky enough to travel around Asia for a month the summer before my senior year of college. And I've traveled to a few places in Europe. But I had always planned on going abroad in the college. The opportunity to live in a foreign country, completely safe yet removed from your normal life, is a once in a lifetime gift. When else can you pick up and move to Europe? Travel around on weekends? Be completely selfish, and explore. Oh wait, I suppose I could do that now if I really wanted it badly enough. Part of me does want that though. Part of me has always wanted that.
The reasons I didn't go in college were the most stereotypical, stupid, sentimental reasons. I'm embarrassed by myself for not being brave enough. Or wanting to leave behind the pathetic boyfriend. I've never been independent enough. That much is true.
Since I didn't go abroad in college, the one thing I wanted for my graduation present was a trip to Europe. Every year of college I had planned a Europe trip for that summer. It never materialized. I spent months planning my perfect graduation Europe trip. Complete with an itinerary and the desire to "find myself." However, this trip never actually happened either. (Although I do have quite an extensive collection of travel books on my shelves.) I somehow managed to land what I thought to be my "dream job," which started THREE days after graduation. I didn't even have time to unpack. And so, the elusive Europe trip still (nearly a year later) has not happened.
It's not even about visiting one certain place. I just crave Europe.
Although I've been dying to go to Prague, Salzburg, Italy, Greece, etc.
So, a few days ago the BF mentioned he was going on a business trip to the Czech Republic. Um hello?! Prague!!! Now, if I want, I can come along. Granted we would only go for a week, but we would be able to go to Prague and Austria (I have been dying to go on the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg since I was old enough to pretend to waltz along with the movie.) And a trip to Europe with the boyfriend? Ummm, be still my heart?!
But I have all these hesitations. Ugh. First of all I really should not be spending any money. (But isn't that the reason I have savings to begin with?) Especially since we were planning on taking a trip to Costa Rica this summer with our friends. (I would choose a Europe trip over Costa Rica any day! but I know the BF is dying to go to Costa Rica). Second of all, and I know this sounds ridiculously lame, but I don't want to seem like one of those girlfriends who just follows her guy around everywhere. Will people think we are so inseparable/ dependent that we can't survive without each other for a few days? I think I'm just feeling insecure right now because I still don't have a job, a plan, and I feel like I have nothing going for me... which is dumb. I know. Oh stupid insecurities, go away!
So, now I have a lot of thinking to do.. (If for some reason I happen to get an offer for the completely out of my league job that I interviewed for the other day, then of course I would not be able to go to Europe. So I suppose I will have to wait till next week for the formal rejection before booking any flights. Although this trip would be an AMAZING consolation prize for being completely lost and unemployed.)
Oh, silly life! I feel like the phrase "timing is everything" is truly the mantra of my life.

(p.s. I forgot to mention that this trip would be in 2 weeks)