into spring

I remember when my blog used to be thoughtful posts on various topics I think about or study. I feel like the past year or two has mostly just been posts about my life to keep friends afar updated. And I'm okay with that. And just so you know, I still think about significant things and insignificant things all the time. But I think most of the time I end up just talking about them out loud and I don't find the time to get around to writing those thoughts here.

Today is no different. Here are some things that have happened lately:

Travis decided to buzz his hair! I think he looks rather handsome, myself. 

Be present in each moment. Enjoy nature's changing beauty. Seek peace and love.

Trav's brother Sean is in town right now! He and I went for a walk through Lincoln Park and into the Zoo the other day, and we came across this lovely sign over looking the pond.

It was such a beautiful day at the museum that I ate outside and took pictures on my lunch break.

Alyssa missed a layover and got to stay the night in Chicago! We stayed up all night talking and giggling and maybe slept for 3 hours before taking her right back to the airport.

The gorgeous weather took a turn for the rainy and foggy. Very Dark Night.

We went to the Field Museum to see mummies but it was sold out! So we got advance tickets for next week.

And instead we spent the afternoon at the planetarium! Sean fell asleep about 5 min. into the star show we saw.

In other news, a job opened up in the education department at the MCA and my supervisors encouraged me to apply. I interviewed this past week, so hopefully I will get it! It is just part-time, but I think it will be a great foot in the door!

Also, my friend Cassie moved to Bermuda, and I found a roundtrip ticket for about $400. I am making a plan and saving up to be able to go to Bermuda this August! Travis and I were talking about how we both always have big plans for traveling but we never go anywhere. We decided that instead of trying to plan travel around our lives, we will just plan far ahead and commit to travel plans, fitting our lives in around it while we are still young. 

So hopefully I will see New York, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Oahu, and Bermuda before the end of the year. That's doable, right?

feeling grateful

Talking with some good friends tonight has made me miss old friends dearly and feel very appreciative for the incredible love and support I have in my life.

So, my dear friends,

Thank you for the the good talks and cuddles,

for all of the absurdity and laughs

for the dancing and the music

for the love, support, good food, and adventures.

I love you, and I miss you, and I will love you and support you even from afar.

"To be surrounded by beautiful curious breathing laughing flesh is enough…" (Walt Whitman)

the pickup line game

trav and i have a new favorite game

I find horrible pick-up lines and then Travis tries to pick me up with them. He tries as many voices as possible and I let him know whether or not it was (surprisingly) attractive. And whoever laughs loses.

Travis could not make it through this line:

“Your eyes are blue, like the ocean. And baby, I’m lost at sea.”

And when he delivered this one:

“You must be Jamaican, cause Jamaican me crazy” 

I had to kiss him. It was actually really adorable in a super weird way. 

Another favorite game is "the Butt Game"

We stick the word "butt" into any sign we see when driving. Ex: "Rick's Auto Shop" becomes "Rick's Butt Shop" 

Yes, I know. We're such mature grown ups.

my name is erika, and i have a problem

i'm addicted to korean dramas.

clean start

i am still unpacking and putting life together, but here are some photos of my house, campus, and the city

welcome rug

campus (hogwarts)

flowers on campus

view of adams outside union station

art institute museum

evening falling

the magnavox 

putting the bookshelf together

buckingham fountain

fortune

in photos

oh, and here's the past few months in photos:

 haleiwa eats for trav's birthday

 zombie attack

 massage school graduation

 our second valentine's day (he loves me)

 kelli left for fashion school, but not until we all sang karaoke

 my mom came and we hike to makapu'u lighthouse

 and we had a room with a pretty city view

and we went to a skate demo to see super cool pro skate boarders

Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon my mother and I rented bicycles and rode for a few hours along the canal. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon. We came back to the hotel to cool off, and my mom opened up our windows. While we had hoped to have a room facing the river, our room faces the back streets - which has turned out to be perfect! We have a view of all the little shops and restaurants and we can hear the street musicians through our window. We’ve spent a good amount of time at night just sitting on the window sill and watching everyone pass.

Well, Mother was watching a couple at a restaurant below our window. She thought the man had lasagna, but perhaps it wasn’t lasagna. She kept staring and talking about their meal and had me come and see if I thought it was lasagna. She thought lasagna sounded rather tasty and watched this couple eat. After about ten minutes, the couple looked up, right at my mother. She felt embarrassed for watching them eat and ran away from the window.

As soon as they finished their meal, we went down and took their table and ordered the same: lasagna. (A very tasty one.)
(Oh, and of course we ended the night with some gelato. Probably my favorite yet.)

I Am My Mother's Daughter

Saturday after Cirque du Soleil we decided to try out a Traditional French restaurant, complete with table d’hote (or something) - fixed rate, four course meals.

Mother ordered baked cod with cabbage and rice. I ordered smoked salmon on toast.
And it was pretty good.

We took our time and ate very, very slowly.

We left quietly, and a few blocks later my mom says, “I’ve got to admit: French food is not my favorite.”

To which I replied, “Me neither.”

Mom, “We don’t have to eat French food anymore.”

And since we have eaten pizza, cheeseburgers, and lasagna. Oh, and gelato.
I’ve had a chocolate gelato every evening after dinner.
Mmmm.

French food may be elegant, but it is mild, and (to me) tasteless. I figured maybe that’s why they serve wine with everything - to bring out the flavors. I feel no shame in sticking to what I love and just soaking in the atmosphere. We’ve got plans for Thai, Chinese, and reservations at an Indian place on Wednesday.

More updates soon!

TOTEM

After escaping the pouring rain on Friday to the Underground City for shopping (and Bodies!), Mother and I surfaced on Saturday and saw Cirque du Soleil! In their home venue! A real circus tent! This was their last weekend of shows here in Montreal, so we were very very lucky to find tickets. Needless to say, the performance was incredible. I’d never seen anything like it. I think my mouth hung open in awe the entire time. I also felt a bit anxious though - I was so scared they would fall and die!

But, all made it through alive.

And all was well.

lessons

I'm really far behind. Rather than try to attempt to catch up with events of the past few months, I'll try to summarize the things I've learned. That's what it's all about, right?

Lesson #1: I have REALLY great friends. 


This is not really anything new, but (as much as I love being independent and doing my own thing) being done with school and not living with other students, or other human beings my own age for that matter, can get really lonely. But I'm incredibly blessed to have some real gems for friends. I wouldn't call myself a particular witty or charming person (probably more awkward and ill-mannered), but somehow I found myself some of the most wonderful, giving, silly, hysterical, brilliant, and thoughtful friends.

Lesson #2: Being a kid does not mean you know anything about kids. 

I'm the baby of the family. I always will be. I wouldn't say that makes me spoiled or a brat, but just that I always consider myself a kid. And I like that. I think there's a youthful bliss that is too often lost with adulthood, and I plan on keeping my kid-self close to my skin for the rest of my life. However, as I've spent more time with Travis and his family, I've realized I have no idea what to do with children. But I'm learning. And it is a blast! And absolutely exhausting. And I definitely have no desire to be a mama anytime soon. For years. I am completely aware of how much I have to learn. For now I am more than content to spend a few hours every day or every few days with some ridiculously intelligent and creative kids.

Lesson #3: Not having a job sucks. Plain and simple. (But every cloud has its silver lining.)

Everything happens for a reason. Right? Right? My job at the intermediate school ended in May. Fully knowing the end was coming, I began applying for new jobs throughout April. I wasn't too worried when I hadn't found a job by May. I still had a few weeks. And then May came and went. And June came and went. And nearly every establishment on Oahu has my resume. And I still have no job, and no income to pay rent with. Goodbye Savings Account, we had a good run. Unemployment sucks, blah blah blah. But not having a job has given me time to do things I enjoy, to spend time with dear friends, and to finally get some sun. I go to Canada and Iowa soon, and when I come home, my job at the intermediate school will be waiting for me.

Lesson #4: Love grows. 

I always knew this, but looking at the calendar and realizing you have spent nearly a year with the most amazing human bean on Earth is a surreal feeling. Time has flown by and every time I think I realize how incredibly amazing this man is, I am hit with overwhelming respect and loyalty and love and admiration. Not much more I can say.

Lesson #5: I live in an incredibly beautiful place and I'm never going to get over it.