what i did on my blogging hiatus.

oh hey, guys! i say "guys" on the off chance that there is more than one person still checking this abandoned wasteland of a blog. if there's only one person checking it, then... hey, you! how ya doin', champ?

i just put a chicken in the oven. this is the first chicken i've roasted in many, many moons, and it feels nice to do something properly domestic. so let's play catch-up a bit while i wait for the first basting, shall we?

my last post of substance was in july. JULY. yikes. it feels like a lot has happened since then, and also like everything is exactly the same. lets put things under headings, shall we? because i want to, that's why.

i learned cool things!
between august and december, most of my spare time was taken up by school. (does it count as spare time if it's not actually spare?) i took a creative nonfiction writing class at one of the local universities. it was absolutely amazing. i signed up for it because my mentor/friend/professor Laura, from whom i took introduction to writing in the spring, told me i absolutely had to take a class from the professor who was teaching the class. it was actually an advanced class, but i got in even though i hadn't taken the intermediate class. it's all about who you know, right? (also, it helped that i already have an english degree.)

let it be known that i am freakishly, freakishly shy when i'm out of my element, so the people who in my class probably barely even knew i was actually there, but i was there! and i learned! and i am in awe of some of the things that i got to read when i was in that class. creative nonfiction is such an interesting genre to study, because i not only got to read beautifully-written pieces, but i also got to learn more about my fellow writers through the true stories they wrote about. goodness, people are amazing. also, my professor, Karin, was so amazing and so forgiving of my awkwardness. it took me months to actually talk to her because i was just in awe of her knowledge and her talent and her general aura of awesomeness. i'm so glad i got to take her class and learn from her. i'm also glad that i got to write about some of my personal experiences. i wrote some crazy, experimental stuff in that class, and it felt really, really good to play with language. i write so much that sometimes i forget to enjoy it.

i helped other people learn cool things!
i also got to act as a teaching assistant for my mentor/friend/professor Laura. (what do i call her? "mentor" seems cheesy, but it's really the most accurate title, i think.) it was in an intermediate poetry writing class, and i was not shy in that class. it was a really cool experience to be able to work with students and help them refine their writing styles. i got to answer questions and talk about my own writing and read some really incredible things. some of those students are going to be published frequently, i guarantee it. i have some of their poems squirreled away, just so i can have the pleasure of coming across them later and reading them again. amazing stuff, i tell you what. and i'm not going to make this all glitter and roses-- some students were difficult to work with. i won't lie. but it's weirdly easy to forget the bad parts when i look back at it. this experience actually made me think that i really could be a professor, which wasn't something i'd thought very seriously about before.

i applied to a kajillion graduate programs! 
i'm so afraid to actually admit this, because i have this crippling fear that i'm not actually going to be accepted by any of them. but this took up a rather hefty portion of my free time. my writing style has changed pretty dramatically over the past year or so, so i needed to create some new portfolio pieces. i also did a lot of research trying to figure out which programs to apply to, and then there was the application process itself. yikes. and now i'm just waiting, waiting, waiting. if i don't get accepted anywhere, i'm probably just going to tell everyone that i did and go live in the woods and eat squirrels.

i was accepted to present at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research!
yep! i'm doing two presentations. one is a presentation about my experiences as an undergraduate teaching assistant. the other is a reading and discussion of my own works-- specifically poetry. yikes. YIKES. remember that part where i told you i am freakishly shy? yeaaaaah. good times. i'll get through it, though! maybe no one will come to my presentations. that would be nice. i'll just stand there and talk to myself-- ask myself the really tough questions.

i learned a new hobby! 
but... i can't tell you what it is, because it's related to some people's belated christmas presents, and there is a chance those people will read this. but it's fun! yay!


and now it is time to go baste my chicken. but i'm determined to revive this here weblog, as well as my other blog-- books and biscuits. i know... the best laid plans blah blah. but i'm determined, dang it!

now stop distracting me. my chicken's going to dry out.

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.