I have totally fallen in love with Boston, AGAIN. I never forgot my love for this city, but being back has really reminded me how amazing a place this is! Dunkin Donuts is seriously on every corner (FAR out numbering Starbucks), you can walk the ENTIRE city pretty easily AND EVERYONE here wears Boston Red Sox gear. Now, normally I get annoyed by "posers" who only started to wear Red Sox apparel since the Sox won in 2004 (stupid band wagon fans!); but it is SO much fun to be surrounded by the Red Sox logo everywhere you go in this city.
One thing I didn't miss about this city: the RUDE city people. I was walking around my old campus (Boston University!!! THE BEST SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY--sorry bout all the caps, but BU deserves it) and I was spat on by a stupid little BU kid listening to his IPOD. I about bit his head off in front of a crowd of touring parents and potential students. I think I gave them quite a show...my bad. WHO spits without looking to see if there is anyone around that they might hit with their saliva bomb. Seriously...that boy is lucky I didn't Tae-Bo his sorry self across Comm Ave onto the T tracks.
On a side note, Jonathan left Boston to head back to England yesterday. We probably won't get to see each other until October 1st as the Air Force is "making him" go to Las Vegas for "training" for 2 months. Hmmm, lets see...the Air Force is sending a squadron of fighter pilots (who like drinking, gambling and women) to "train" in Vegas. Sounds like a great idea! Ha. In there defense, the guys and gals will be really busy. I am hoping to make it out there to see Jonathan; but my schedule this summer is pretty tight. I have a wedding on Labor day weekend, and then I HAVE to go to Hawaii with my parents :) (insert your sympathy here).
Enjoy the "English summer" gals and guys still on the Island! I miss you all.
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Monday, 28 July 2008
BOSTON and vicinity....
I have been in the states for 2 weeks already!! Yikes. Time is flying by....I have already done soo much!
Jonathan and I spent about a week with my family at the beach in Duck, North Carolina (quite possibly the best place EVER!) We also spent some quality time with Jonathans parents in Baltimore (luckily we did not witness any drive by shootings....that place is a little rough!). Then came the highlight of the past two weeks......Lindsay and Scotts wedding!
Lindsay (one of my best friends whom I met the summer before my freshman year at Boston U) and Scott have been dating since 1997!!!!!!!!!!!! and tied the knot on Saturday (July 26th). The wedding was amazing...especially the open bar and CHOCOLATE cake. I was the Matron-of-Honor at the big event so I was pretty busy the whole week but was soo spoiled to be able to spend the week with the bride :) I was pretty nervous to give the big Matron of Honor speech...but I think that with the help of amaretto (thanks OPEN BAR!) I not only got through it, but I also made a few people laugh (I found a way to talk about fluffers, pillowfights and transvestites in the same speech). Lindsay was absolutely GORGEOUS (I hate her...JK) and Scott was beaming the whole day. Despite my offers to be their personal assistant, I was NOT invited to their honey moon at Sandals in St Lucia (and I thought they were my friends...)
I am going to be staying in Boston for a couple of days now...and I am in HEAVEN! I walked from my brothers apartment around the corner and passed a CVS, Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks AND a burrito place. I can't wait to go on a run tomorrow to check out my alma maters ever changing campus and to work off the open bar.
Good times.
Jonathan and I spent about a week with my family at the beach in Duck, North Carolina (quite possibly the best place EVER!) We also spent some quality time with Jonathans parents in Baltimore (luckily we did not witness any drive by shootings....that place is a little rough!). Then came the highlight of the past two weeks......Lindsay and Scotts wedding!
Lindsay (one of my best friends whom I met the summer before my freshman year at Boston U) and Scott have been dating since 1997!!!!!!!!!!!! and tied the knot on Saturday (July 26th). The wedding was amazing...especially the open bar and CHOCOLATE cake. I was the Matron-of-Honor at the big event so I was pretty busy the whole week but was soo spoiled to be able to spend the week with the bride :) I was pretty nervous to give the big Matron of Honor speech...but I think that with the help of amaretto (thanks OPEN BAR!) I not only got through it, but I also made a few people laugh (I found a way to talk about fluffers, pillowfights and transvestites in the same speech). Lindsay was absolutely GORGEOUS (I hate her...JK) and Scott was beaming the whole day. Despite my offers to be their personal assistant, I was NOT invited to their honey moon at Sandals in St Lucia (and I thought they were my friends...)
I am going to be staying in Boston for a couple of days now...and I am in HEAVEN! I walked from my brothers apartment around the corner and passed a CVS, Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks AND a burrito place. I can't wait to go on a run tomorrow to check out my alma maters ever changing campus and to work off the open bar.
Good times.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Adios England....Aloha America.
I leave for the states tomorrow morning. While I am really, really excited to get back to "the colonies" (as America is still called by some Brits these days), my farewell to Britain for 2 1/2 months is bittersweet. I'll miss the summer days filled with rain, wind and clouds. I'll miss the "British" way of life...where everything takes a little bit longer, "customer service" is a theory and not a practice, and all of the bad things in life can be swished away with a simple "no worries" statement.
It's not all bad though. We do have sunlight from about 3:15am until 9:30pm during the summer. I can walk into one of 20-something neighborhood pubs close to our house for an authentic ale or a REALLY fresh Guinness. I can fly to continental Europe for less cash than it takes to fill up a gas tank. I can go on a run through our town and pass through Abbey ruins that date back to before the 1100's, a cathedral where barons drew up the magna carta, one of the oldest breweries in England, and a hilltop field with cows grazing. I'm going to miss Bury St Edmunds.
That being said...I have A LOT to look forward to in the states. Apart from the excitement that will come from spending the US Dollar (which is SOOO much more affordable than the British Pound), I will get to catch up with a lot of friends this summer and spend some quality time with the family. Here's whats on the agenda so far:
1. Duck, North Carolina: Beach time for the Campbells and Ritters (and now the Bott's too!)
2. Baltimore, MD: Hanging out with the Bott's
3. BOSTON: Lindsay and Scott's wedding (read: BACHELORETTE party!!!! with my ladies :) )
4. Huntsville, Alabama: Other than time with my folks...not too sure what to be excited about in Alabama yet...
5. Fort Monroe, Virginia: Amanda and Dan's wedding. I get to tell embarrassing stories about my best friend from high school in front of a lot of people...woohoo!
6. Honolulu, Hawaii: Just a business trip...for my Dad. Mom and I will be tanning and sipping on coconut drinks (hers will be virgin of course) all week.
7. Vegas/Grand Canyon?? Not sure yet, but it might happen.
8. Boston (again) : I Couldn't come back to the states and only go to Boston once!!
If you can't tell, I am a little excited. I only wish that I was going to get to hang out with my girls from England this summer :(
So...adios England. And Aloha America!! (at least until September!)
It's not all bad though. We do have sunlight from about 3:15am until 9:30pm during the summer. I can walk into one of 20-something neighborhood pubs close to our house for an authentic ale or a REALLY fresh Guinness. I can fly to continental Europe for less cash than it takes to fill up a gas tank. I can go on a run through our town and pass through Abbey ruins that date back to before the 1100's, a cathedral where barons drew up the magna carta, one of the oldest breweries in England, and a hilltop field with cows grazing. I'm going to miss Bury St Edmunds.
That being said...I have A LOT to look forward to in the states. Apart from the excitement that will come from spending the US Dollar (which is SOOO much more affordable than the British Pound), I will get to catch up with a lot of friends this summer and spend some quality time with the family. Here's whats on the agenda so far:
1. Duck, North Carolina: Beach time for the Campbells and Ritters (and now the Bott's too!)
2. Baltimore, MD: Hanging out with the Bott's
3. BOSTON: Lindsay and Scott's wedding (read: BACHELORETTE party!!!! with my ladies :) )
4. Huntsville, Alabama: Other than time with my folks...not too sure what to be excited about in Alabama yet...
5. Fort Monroe, Virginia: Amanda and Dan's wedding. I get to tell embarrassing stories about my best friend from high school in front of a lot of people...woohoo!
6. Honolulu, Hawaii: Just a business trip...for my Dad. Mom and I will be tanning and sipping on coconut drinks (hers will be virgin of course) all week.
7. Vegas/Grand Canyon?? Not sure yet, but it might happen.
8. Boston (again) : I Couldn't come back to the states and only go to Boston once!!
If you can't tell, I am a little excited. I only wish that I was going to get to hang out with my girls from England this summer :(
So...adios England. And Aloha America!! (at least until September!)
Sunday, 6 July 2008
I did it!!
1:21:02. My first triathlon...complete! I conquered my fears of murky water (and thankfully the water was less murky today than on my practice swim last week) and didn't do half bad for a first timer. It was a pretty exciting day, and I think that I may get into this whole triathlon thing. It is definitely addicting!
Note to those who may be interested in doing a triathlon: It is important to take your helmet off BEFORE you start the running portion of the race. Turns out that running 400m before figuring out that you are still wearing your bicycle helmet is slightly embarrassing! Oh well.
Holly, Dori and I enjoying a post-race Hoegaarden!Thursday, 3 July 2008
The final countdown...
My last pool work out before the triathlon is today! Only 3 days until the big event. Holly and I have been tapering our workouts this week...leaving me feeling bloated and large since my body still feels that it needs to carbo-load every day in order to prepare for the next workout. Stupid carbs.
After the triathlon is over I have LOTS of packing to do. I leave for the states on July 12th and won't come back home to England until the end of September! In that time I will attend and play an active role in 2 weddings, travel to at least 5 states, hit up the beaches in North Carolina and Hawaii (I know, I know my life is tough), start my first semester of classes for my DPT, and HOPEFULLY find some jobs to apply for so that I can line up some interviews for when I get home. Ugh. I can already feel myself starting to procrastinating on all of the above tasks (except going to the beach, that will definitely happen on time!).
Alright, its pool time. My mantra today while swimming, adopted from Holly, will be "Don't Panic, Don't Panic". Luckily I have been reassured that the pool is free from sharks and murky water today (though last time we were at the pool I swam by THE largest floating snot I have ever seen in my LIFE so I am little nervous about what else I may find in the water).
3 days and counting..."don't panic, don't panic"...
After the triathlon is over I have LOTS of packing to do. I leave for the states on July 12th and won't come back home to England until the end of September! In that time I will attend and play an active role in 2 weddings, travel to at least 5 states, hit up the beaches in North Carolina and Hawaii (I know, I know my life is tough), start my first semester of classes for my DPT, and HOPEFULLY find some jobs to apply for so that I can line up some interviews for when I get home. Ugh. I can already feel myself starting to procrastinating on all of the above tasks (except going to the beach, that will definitely happen on time!).
Alright, its pool time. My mantra today while swimming, adopted from Holly, will be "Don't Panic, Don't Panic". Luckily I have been reassured that the pool is free from sharks and murky water today (though last time we were at the pool I swam by THE largest floating snot I have ever seen in my LIFE so I am little nervous about what else I may find in the water).
3 days and counting..."don't panic, don't panic"...
Sunday, 29 June 2008
Phobia.
You've heard of "Snakes on a Plane" right? Well how about "Sharks in a British Lake"?
Holly and I, in preparation for our attempt at a Sprint Triathlon on July 6th, decided it would be a good idea to try an open water swim just to get ready for the big day. We arrived at the lake, squeezed into our wet suits (mine is a MENS size M-L--so its less of a sqeeze than an attempt to zip the suit and pray that it doesnt fall off) and dipped our toes tenderly into the frigid water (at which point Holly yells out "Bleep-bleep the water is bleeping bleep).
I was pumped; our pool workout sessions have been going well (minus the frequent spotting of old men wearing speedos) and I thought that I was ready for the lake. Well, I was wrong. Holly took off and started swimming in her methodical, paced swim. I put my head in the water, stroked twice and immediately had an anxiety attack. You see, one of my biggest fears is being in murky water--and an even bigger fear (thanks to a babysitter letting me watch Jaws when I was 6) is being bitten by a shark or any other sea creature while in said murky water. Now, I tend to think that I am a fairly intelligent person and I generally understand the fact that you probably have a greater chance of spontaneously turning into the opposite sex versus getting bitten by a shark in a cold man-made British lake. That fact being known, I couldve sworn that I saw a "Jaw's" shaped creature swimming beneath me the entire time I had my head under the water.
Holly was a saint the entire swim...stopping frequently to make sure that I was wasnt waving my arms and requesting the kayakers to pick me up. I am adopting Holly's swimming mantra of "Don't panic, don't panic" while I swim from now on. By the end of our open water swim, I was able to keep my head under water more frequently without freaking out entirely. My goal for the triathlon is to swim free-style at least 75% of the time (I prefer to breast stroke so that I don't have to look down into the murky water). This is a lofty goal considering the fact that I will be 1) overcoming a HUGE phobia, 2) Completing my first competitive open water swim in my first triathlon and 3) checking the surface of the water for jaw's fin every 5 seconds.
July 6th should be interesting. In addition to the inherent risk of a shark attack, I may also be kicked in the face and splashed upon by my fellow competitors while trying to get over my shark/murky water phobia.
7 days and counting...
Holly and I, in preparation for our attempt at a Sprint Triathlon on July 6th, decided it would be a good idea to try an open water swim just to get ready for the big day. We arrived at the lake, squeezed into our wet suits (mine is a MENS size M-L--so its less of a sqeeze than an attempt to zip the suit and pray that it doesnt fall off) and dipped our toes tenderly into the frigid water (at which point Holly yells out "Bleep-bleep the water is bleeping bleep).
I was pumped; our pool workout sessions have been going well (minus the frequent spotting of old men wearing speedos) and I thought that I was ready for the lake. Well, I was wrong. Holly took off and started swimming in her methodical, paced swim. I put my head in the water, stroked twice and immediately had an anxiety attack. You see, one of my biggest fears is being in murky water--and an even bigger fear (thanks to a babysitter letting me watch Jaws when I was 6) is being bitten by a shark or any other sea creature while in said murky water. Now, I tend to think that I am a fairly intelligent person and I generally understand the fact that you probably have a greater chance of spontaneously turning into the opposite sex versus getting bitten by a shark in a cold man-made British lake. That fact being known, I couldve sworn that I saw a "Jaw's" shaped creature swimming beneath me the entire time I had my head under the water.
Holly was a saint the entire swim...stopping frequently to make sure that I was wasnt waving my arms and requesting the kayakers to pick me up. I am adopting Holly's swimming mantra of "Don't panic, don't panic" while I swim from now on. By the end of our open water swim, I was able to keep my head under water more frequently without freaking out entirely. My goal for the triathlon is to swim free-style at least 75% of the time (I prefer to breast stroke so that I don't have to look down into the murky water). This is a lofty goal considering the fact that I will be 1) overcoming a HUGE phobia, 2) Completing my first competitive open water swim in my first triathlon and 3) checking the surface of the water for jaw's fin every 5 seconds.
July 6th should be interesting. In addition to the inherent risk of a shark attack, I may also be kicked in the face and splashed upon by my fellow competitors while trying to get over my shark/murky water phobia.
7 days and counting...
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Sometimes I wonder...
Considering that it is June 26, 2008 and that my first and only blog (EVER) was in Sept 2007; I am wondering about my committment to this whole blog thing.
Here goes my attempt at a blog.
1. Sometimes I wonder why I like to clean so much. It used to be that I actually enjoyed the cleaning process (dusting, vacuuming, organizing etc.). The cleaning process has become monotonous, but the end result is still fantastic! A clean, clutterless house. Unlike my clutter-filled jumble life! Today I was cleaning and found 3 spiderwebs in random corners in my house. Sucking those webs up with my dyson made me a little happier than it should have...I think the joy of cleaning is returning to my life. (thanks for the OCD mom!).
2. Sometimes I wonder why I signed up for a triathlon. It seemed like an amazing idea considering the fact that its been a goal of mine for years. The training has actually been pretty fun, if not extremely painful (I am a glutton for pain and an endorphin junkie!). I talked Holly into doing the triathlon with me..now she has to talk me into still wanting to do it! We did a 16 1/2 mile bike ride today...and I feel like I have been hit by a semi-truck. The triathlon is July 6th...so the countdown has begun...I just hope that I am not the last person crossing the finish line!
3. Sometimes I wonder when I will be done with school. I thought I was done in 2006 when I got my MSPT. Now I find myself enrolled in the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) program at SImmons College. I figure I will have a lot of time on my hands while Jonathan is away in the desert protecting the U.S.A. for a couple of months, and what better way to spend the time than to go back to school! Yikes. I hope I am up for the challenge...we'll see what happens.
Thats all I am wondering about right now...mostly because my life is jumbled in England and its hard to figure out what to focus on each day. You would think that not working full time would mean that I could be more focused on other aspects of my life--maybe organizing the 10+ years of pictures that need to be put in albums, keeping in touch with close and long-lost friends, or maybe even just figuring out what exactly I want to do when I grow up. But, NO; Holly (a friend I have here in the UK) and I have decided that instead of this organized, task-oriented/focused life that we should be leading we are instead entrapped in a "Jumble Life".
Speaking of jumble...Ive just jumbled myself into another LONG blog. I'm done, enough jumbling. Maybe I'll post another blog in December. Don't hold your breath waiting...
Here goes my attempt at a blog.
1. Sometimes I wonder why I like to clean so much. It used to be that I actually enjoyed the cleaning process (dusting, vacuuming, organizing etc.). The cleaning process has become monotonous, but the end result is still fantastic! A clean, clutterless house. Unlike my clutter-filled jumble life! Today I was cleaning and found 3 spiderwebs in random corners in my house. Sucking those webs up with my dyson made me a little happier than it should have...I think the joy of cleaning is returning to my life. (thanks for the OCD mom!).
2. Sometimes I wonder why I signed up for a triathlon. It seemed like an amazing idea considering the fact that its been a goal of mine for years. The training has actually been pretty fun, if not extremely painful (I am a glutton for pain and an endorphin junkie!). I talked Holly into doing the triathlon with me..now she has to talk me into still wanting to do it! We did a 16 1/2 mile bike ride today...and I feel like I have been hit by a semi-truck. The triathlon is July 6th...so the countdown has begun...I just hope that I am not the last person crossing the finish line!
3. Sometimes I wonder when I will be done with school. I thought I was done in 2006 when I got my MSPT. Now I find myself enrolled in the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) program at SImmons College. I figure I will have a lot of time on my hands while Jonathan is away in the desert protecting the U.S.A. for a couple of months, and what better way to spend the time than to go back to school! Yikes. I hope I am up for the challenge...we'll see what happens.
Thats all I am wondering about right now...mostly because my life is jumbled in England and its hard to figure out what to focus on each day. You would think that not working full time would mean that I could be more focused on other aspects of my life--maybe organizing the 10+ years of pictures that need to be put in albums, keeping in touch with close and long-lost friends, or maybe even just figuring out what exactly I want to do when I grow up. But, NO; Holly (a friend I have here in the UK) and I have decided that instead of this organized, task-oriented/focused life that we should be leading we are instead entrapped in a "Jumble Life".
Speaking of jumble...Ive just jumbled myself into another LONG blog. I'm done, enough jumbling. Maybe I'll post another blog in December. Don't hold your breath waiting...
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