amazing cards from ginger creek

i will post about the food in greece soon! but before i get to that, i have to show you these adorable cards my sister heather made for me.

HOW COOL ARE THESE?

answer: very cool. i asked her to make something a little vintage and this is what she came up with. i LOVE them, and some of you have probably already received a note from me written on one of these beauties.

heather has an etsy shop called Ginger Creek where she sells cards like these AND many other styles.

check out these adorable little safari cards!

she also has some beautiful crocheted baby blankets that are so soft they're ridiculous. trust me. or better yet, go check it out yourself. go! browse! show the love. :)

The Greek Epic: All the links to the full story

The Greek Epic

Athens: Plane Ride and Arrival in Athens

Athens: The Acropolis and Borf

Athens: The Agora and More(a)

Ios: The Lovely Island of Ios

Naxos: Naxos Part I

Naxos: The Great Hissing Zorbas

Naxos: Miracles, Olive Presses, and Defying Death

Naxos: The Portara

Santorini: Santorini and a Visit to the Plague Doctor

Santorini: Perissa Beach, Oia, and Cheeky Volcanic Lizards

Santorini/Athens: Britt's Birthday and Farewell to Greece!

Greece! Britt's Birthday and Farewell to Greece!

Our last full day in Santorini happened to be Miss Britt's birthday. We went to Fira for a fancy dinner that night. Much as we both loved the Greek food we had, we were both craving something that tasted a little more like home, so we found a place that served fajitas and hamburger steaks. They gave us a great table that looked out at the sunset over the ocean and even brought Britt a special birthday dessert.

Happy birthday to Britt!

Greece! Perissa Beach, Oia, and Cheeky Volcanic Lizards

Now to the pretty pictures! Lots of pretty pictures.

Even though I prefer the lovely beach of Ios, I do admit that the beach in Santorini really is pretty. There are a few beaches in Santorini, but the only one we visited was Perissa, the one near our hostel.

Greece! Arrival in Santorini and a Visit to the Plague Doctor

You’ve probably heard about Santorini. It’s rated as one of the top Greek islands to visit and everyone talks about how omg amazing it is and if you only go to one island you should go there.

The people who say this are liars.

Listen to mama Brenda on this one—if you go to Santorini, go there for a day, maybe two, and go there before you go to any of the other islands. Otherwise, you will be seriously disappointed.

Naxos and Ios absolutely spoiled me. There were few tourists and the people who lived there seemed genuine and friendly. People will tell you that the beaches in Santorini are beautiful. I will tell you that the beach in Ios is a hundred times more beautiful, more peaceful, and better to lounge on. People will tell you that there are interesting museums and historical sites. I will tell you that the museums in Naxos are just as lovely and the historical sites are gorgeous and more easily accessible. (One of the major sites in Santorini isn’t even open.) People will tell you that the shopping in Santorini is amazing.

This is true. Because that is mostly what the major towns in Santorini are—hot, crowded pedestrian shopping malls full of people who see you as little more than a walking Euro.

Go to Santorini for a day or two. See the ridiculously gorgeous sunset (because it is, admittedly, ridiculously gorgeous). And then move on, my friend.

Greece! Naxos Part IV: The Portara

On our last day in Naxos, we finally made it up to the Portara. We got an early start and got up there before most of the island had woken up, which is the best time to do things if you ask me. Few tourists, more opportunities to linger and take a million and a half pictures.

Before we started up the hill to the Portara, Britt took a picture of the mountains that we'd traveled up the day before. The water was still pretty choppy from the storm, but the weather was lovely.

by Britt

The Portara is up on a little hill that is connected to the pier where we spent most of our evenings.

walkway to the Portara by Britt

Efi told us that it was an especially easy hike because of the energy in the ground-- it was like the ground was pushing you up the hill to get to the top. (Efi also scolded me for putting my bag on the ground during dinner because it was disrespectful to the energy of the ground and meant that my pathway would always be empty. So be careful where you put your purses, friends.) I don't know if the ground was pushing me exactly, but it was definitely an easy walk up to the top. We were alone up there for a good long while and it was... just... unbelievably gorgeous.

Pictures are better than words in this case.

Greece! Naxos Part III: Miracles, Olive Presses, and Defying Death

Naxos is the biggest island in the Cyclades, which is the cluster of islands we went to. I just looked it up, and apparently it’s 166 square miles—way bigger than I thought it was. (I am the WORST at estimation. Ask me to guess your age and I’ll be off by approximately ten years.) Since there was so much of Naxos to be seen, Britt and I bought tickets for a bus tour through the interior of the island. There were some weather difficulties, technical difficulties, and near-death experiences, but it was absolutely worth it.

Greece! Naxos Part II: The Great Hissing Zorbas

The sunset concert in Naxos Town was amazing. It was hosted by this guy, Nico, who I think lived in the Venetian castle. He was fiftysomething, I think-- longish gray hair, a very red face, and a very friendly personality. He started out by telling us about why he hosts these concerts. When he was younger, people from neighboring villages would occasionally come into Naxos Town to announce a party. These parties were held for big events, like weddings and births and such, and they were serious parties-- several days sometimes of dancing and singing and drinking and having a generally good time. To keep this spirit, Nico offered us unlimited Naxos wine and shots of a special liqueur they make on Naxos. He also had bottles of Fanta, which is what Britt and I stuck to. He told us that when he was younger, only the men drank at these parties as it was considered coarse and unladylike. So Britt and I were just being proper young ladies-- albeit a proper young lady with a withered arm in one case.

Greece! Naxos Part I

Sorry for the delay. My attention got eaten up by the GRE for a while, but now that’s over and done with and I can get back to focusing on other things, like finally finishing these darn blog posts.

Alright, so last time I wrote, I talked about the lovely island of Ios, land of goats and happiness. Also the land of developing some kind of rash. Cliffhanger, I know. Well wait no longer, my friends! This post is all about our next stop—Naxos. And trust me, you’ll want to read this one. We’ve got sunburned octopus, dancing zorbas, goat pipes, and lemon bossa vibing.

a sign we walked past about a hundred times in Naxos. i still have no idea what any of it means.

Greece! The Lovely Island of Ios

I’m afraid of water. Even more than I’m afraid of water, I’m afraid of boats. Titanic taught me that boats are untrustworthy things. They take you out into the middle of nowhere and then hit an iceberg and sink and leave you floating on a door or something while Leonardo DiCaprio freezes to your hand. Also, there are Krakens in the ocean. I know, not exactly an ideal mindset for hopping around Greek islands—particularly since the Greeks were the inventors of the Kraken—but somehow I managed. Getting on our first boat—the ferry to Ios—was a bit of a harrowing experience. I only cried a little though, and I managed not to make too much of a scene. The ferry was nice, at least—a bit like a plane, except bigger and more comfortable. (Physically comfortable, mind you. Not psychologically comfortable.)

Greece! The Agora and More(a)!

After the Acropolis, we climbed down to the Ancient Agora.

And here's a view of the acropolis from the Agora.

borf revealed

oh my gosh, borf IS something! it's a graffiti campaign thing. click here for the wikipedia page.

Greece! The Acropolis and Borf

I have never in my life been as thirsty as I was on our first day in Athens. I mean this seriously. I drank an INSANE amount of water that day. We decided that I was plagued by a water vampire that kept draining me whenever I wasn’t paying attention. I imagine he looked something like this.

(Though Britt and I decided that Jared Leto would undoubtedly spell it “vampyre.”)

After we stocked up on water, we started our walk up the Acropolis. The first thing we came across was the Theater of Dionysus.

by britt

by britt

Greece! Plane Ride and Arrival in Athens

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Brenda who wanted to travel the world. For one reason or another, she never quite got around to it for quite some time. Then, one Labor Day, she went to visit her Aunt Charlene in southern Utah. One night, sitting around the round table in the kitchen she’d visited nearly every summer since she was born, she and her aunt started talking about travel. Charlene (who had been almost everywhere in the world, it seemed) asked Brenda where she wanted to go. Brenda, without quite knowing why, answered “Greece.”

Charlene told Brenda how much she loved Greece—how beautiful it was and how much she would like to go back some day. “So save your sheckles, sweetheart, and you and I will go together.”

A month later, Charlene passed away.

Nineteen months after that, Brenda’s plane landed in Athens.

the trip to north carolina part iii: the final showdown with chicago

in case you've completely forgotten about the trip to north carolina i started telling you about, you can read my past posts here and here.

and now... the finale of our saga.

when my sister and her husband dropped me off at the airport, there was some confusion with my ticket. for some reason it was showing up that i'd already checked in, which i obviously hadn't yet, since i was standing there. they got it sorted out eventually and i said my goodbyes and headed to my gate. it wasn't long before the plane took off and i was on my way back to (dun dun DUUUUUUUNNN) chicago.

remember that time i had a blog?

oh hello, gentle readers. just got back from spending two weeks seeing things like this. no big deal. :)

i promise to write the conclusion to my eons-old trip-to-north-carolina-saga this weekend. you have my word, now that i'm not being eaten by school. also, i'm hoping to get some other posts ready to go too, including posts about the aforementioned trip to greece.

moar poetry! i {heart} southern utah

more poetry, kids. we will return to our regularly scheduled program soon.

if it were possible for a person to have a crush on a location, i would daydream about southern utah. SU+BJ=luv 4-evah. it's where i was born, and every march for the past three years i've found myself drawn there, either consciously or not. the weather starts to turn, and i feel that pull for my annual pilgrimage home.

so here. have a poem about it.



I have red dust in my blood.
My skin is layered with eons-old silt
and my ribs
are framed
by rock canyons:

Grand to the lower right
Bryce the upper left,
Zion just over my heart.

This is the clay that formed me.
This is my inheritance.
And when I die,
return my body to the red earth

south
by southwest.

unbelievable

sometimes, i wonder what i did to deserve my friends.

last night, i got my taxes done and found out that i owe $500 in taxes. i was counting on that tax return a bit, though i could live without it. but owing $500? i've recently been racking up some medical bills and related expenses. went in to check for a sinus infection, went out with blood tests, ultrasounds, and some news that isn't entirely unexpected, but no less unwelcome.

change your life right now, or it will change for you and you won't have a chance to go back.

i was a little overwhelmed trying to think of where i could squeeze an extra $500 out of my turnip of a bank account. i sent a text to one of my friends as i sat in the driveway of my family's tax accountant, teary and looking for a bit of sympathy. i feel like i can't catch a break right now.

this morning, she called me, asked me if she could stop by. i said of course, despite my third-day hair and cluttered apartment.  she showed up with no makeup on, in her pajamas, with a book she'd been telling me about.  she held it while we chatted, and then she handed it to me as she left and told me to look in it five minutes after she left.

there was an envelope inside, with $500, marked brenda's break.

i am the most coordinated person on earth.

last night, i slipped getting out of the bathtub, banged up my leg royally*, sat on a burning candle, and pulled the towel rack off the wall. then i gave up on the day and went to bed at 9:00.

iiii am a rockstar.

best thing? wasn't even my bathtub. so... sorry about that towel rack, my dear sister. i will get you a new one, i promise.






*"royally," as in "very purple and looks very intimidating." it kind of looks (and feels) like the inside of my knee was run over.  so much ouch. the bruises haven't even all started showing up yet. right now they're just blueish purplish knots. i'm not one for emoticons on this blog, but... :(  ouch.

more poetry!: Tonight

real post soon, i promise! (i hope!) for now... more poetry!

Tonight

I want to lie stretched
                   beneath
the heavy moon.

I want to sip, soak until
my fingertips fold
  and I drip tarnished silver
  and leave footprints
                 that glow.

another sidenote: another bit of poetry

life has be insanely, frantically, tear-inducingly busy lately, so i apologize for leaving you hanging re: my trip back from north carolina. it will come. in the meantime, i shall re-purpose my writing assignments for class and give you a bit of poetry.



Matter

I have a list of what I would change
if I could remake this body.
as if I could revise
the shape of my waist
the taper of my calves
the unseen bones of my wrists.


When I was fourteen they called me
monster-- the boys
with stepladder voices and downy mouths.
Monster. The word measured my mass
against the value of flat bellies
and coltish legs
and by some
trick of
physics
made me

less.

the trip to north carolina part ii: snaps and bootses reunited

i know you've all been waiting with bated breath for part two of my trip to north carolina. suffer no longer, gentle readers! welcome to part ii: snaps and bootses* reunited.

sidenote: a bit of poetry

i'm interrupting the story-telling stream to talk about something else that i've been working on.

i can’t seem to get away from poetry. in my first round of college, i took creative writing with the hopes of polishing my fiction writing, and i ended up with a poet as a teacher. he taught us forms and how to write the concrete before ever touching the abstract. he was cranky and dry and he had lived the best love story i have ever heard in my life. i idolized him.

in this second round, i’ve signed up for creative writing again, hoping for another chance tackle fiction. my teacher is a poet again— this time with iron-gray hair and a butterfly mind.

our first assignment was a tanka— think haiku-plus, the darling of thousand-year-old japanese poets and ezra pound. five syllables, seven, five, seven, seven. something more or less concrete, with a question mark turn at the last two lines, all painted over with assonance, consonance, and alliteration.


she lies in soft folds,
kept warm by her self-made heat,
her face smooth with sleep—
her palm cools against the skin
of his undented pillow.

the trip to north carolina, part i: the first encounter with chicago

my sister jennifer moved to north carolina with her husband this past march, much to my dismay. it's not that i don't like her husband. he's darling. it's just that i'm reeeeally attached to my immediate family, and i liked having them all within a half-day's drive of me. i was looking forward to having jennifer and her husband come back for christmas, but then i got the message-- they weren't going to be able to make it out here. so what did i do? i scraped money together and went into a bit of debt to go out there instead. here is part one of the (probably) three-part series about this trip-- the flight out there and my first encounter with the evil entity that is the o'hare airport.

brenda's radio silence explained

okay, let's say, hypothetically, that you have a friend name phyllis. phyllis is a swell girl and you love spending time with her. you work with her, you hang out with her after work... you even live with her. you see phyllis all the time, and even though you adore her, you start getting really sick of her. you start to notice that she has a really annoying laugh that sounds like a recording and that she always eats her chicken caesar salad in a particular way that drives you insane and suddenly you find yourself seriously considering living in your car just so you can get away from her.

writing is my phyllis. i write for a living, i write for a pastime, i write as my main form of communication, and eventually i start to resent the feeling of computer keys and the proper use of commas. i start avoiding blogger, because every time i look at my dashboard it gives me this chilly look and is all "oh, hello there. i seem to remember you from somewhere, but it's been so long."

sigh.

i am trying to make amends, though. writing and me-- we're stuck together. can't live without it, so i may as well try to get along with it. here's to new years, new leaves, and making amends, right?