For all of you who may be seeing this page, please visit my new travel blog at:
http://haleyinfrance.wordpress.com
Thanks!
4.23.2011
8.11.2010
10 Days!
Finally, the departure date has inched its way up to next Saturday, and I couldn't be more ecstatic (and unprepared)! For the next five months, I'll be documenting my adventures at http://haleyinfrance.wordpress.com, so I hope you'll follow me there!
Au revoir!
Au revoir!
5.31.2010
Accepted!
After sending in my application documents a tad late over to France, I received my acceptance letter via e-mail just hours ago. I'm so excited! Now that I know that I am officially on the roster for the fall semester, I can get my Visa. Although that requires an unfortunate trip to Houston, it will totally be worth it.
I only have two months until it's August, and once August hits, everything will go so quickly. Packing not only for my trip to France but also for the quick move I'll have to make from Dallas to Waco upon my return to Texas, my days will definitely fly by. Hopefully I'll be able to get my plane ticket to depart sometime around the middle of August so I can have ample time to explore Paris and maybe another city before needing to be in Caen around September 3rd. I want to spend as much time in Europe as possible (while spending as little money as possible... although that will be a lot).
I am so excited that I already know a few people who will be in Caen, like Marie, Anais, and Flo. Also, knowing that I have great people from Baylor going with me is comforting. I know that all of us will be good about meeting people FROM FRANCE, not just other exchange students. I have a really good feeling about things that are going to happen this fall. I don't want to overestimate the awesomeness, but I really don't think it's possible.
I only have two months until it's August, and once August hits, everything will go so quickly. Packing not only for my trip to France but also for the quick move I'll have to make from Dallas to Waco upon my return to Texas, my days will definitely fly by. Hopefully I'll be able to get my plane ticket to depart sometime around the middle of August so I can have ample time to explore Paris and maybe another city before needing to be in Caen around September 3rd. I want to spend as much time in Europe as possible (while spending as little money as possible... although that will be a lot).
I am so excited that I already know a few people who will be in Caen, like Marie, Anais, and Flo. Also, knowing that I have great people from Baylor going with me is comforting. I know that all of us will be good about meeting people FROM FRANCE, not just other exchange students. I have a really good feeling about things that are going to happen this fall. I don't want to overestimate the awesomeness, but I really don't think it's possible.
4.28.2010
Becoming Legal.
At the end of last week, I finally sent in my passport to get my name fixed. Due to an unfortunate misprint, my name was twice as long as it was supposed to be. Although I've traveled with it before (Ireland/England in 2006), I figured it'd probably be a good idea to have my real, legal name printed on it since I have to get a visa this summer to study in France for 4 months. Since I sent it in last week, I should get it back mid-June (I HOPE) so that I can make a trip down to Houston to get my visa situation worked out.
I have about 3 1/2 months until I'll be in France and I am beyond excited. I'm also getting my work situation figured out for this summer; I'll be babysitting for 3 different families and I'm also thinking about applying for a part-time job at the recreation center since my good friend Marlen just got a job there. Yay for her! With work and everything else happening, I know this summer is going to go by so quickly. 2 weeks until school is done, 1 1/2 months until my birthday, etc etc etc. Amazing.
I have about 3 1/2 months until I'll be in France and I am beyond excited. I'm also getting my work situation figured out for this summer; I'll be babysitting for 3 different families and I'm also thinking about applying for a part-time job at the recreation center since my good friend Marlen just got a job there. Yay for her! With work and everything else happening, I know this summer is going to go by so quickly. 2 weeks until school is done, 1 1/2 months until my birthday, etc etc etc. Amazing.
3.24.2010
Scholarships & Classes & Passports, Oh My.
Upon returning from spring break, I finally met with the Program Coordinator for Caen. She helped me apply online to the university along with figure out which courses I will take while I'm there. We decided on the following: grammaire, composition et expression orale, littérature et histoire, presse spécialisée, France contemporaine, et langue et société. It may sound like a lot, but I have to take at least six classes there in order to be considered a full-time student. In France, university is a little bit different; one spends much more time in the classroom but isn't assigned nearly as much homework. So while I may be in the classroom for over twenty hours a week, I won't be spending as much time studying there as I do here. I'll come back from Caen with eighteen hours of upper-level French to add to my major requirements, which is awesome. Now that I've finished all of the application process for Baylor, I need to work on making it legal for me to study in France... aka renewing my passport and obtaining a visa at some point this summer.
I also received an email today informing me that I was awarded the scholarship that I applied for in February in the amount of $2,000. Any amount helps, so I'm extremely grateful for that. Now, if I could just get back into the habit of saving money with every paycheck that I receive... I plan on working a LOT this summer, plus I'll be living back at home. 150 days until my first day in Caen, and I cannot wait!
I also received an email today informing me that I was awarded the scholarship that I applied for in February in the amount of $2,000. Any amount helps, so I'm extremely grateful for that. Now, if I could just get back into the habit of saving money with every paycheck that I receive... I plan on working a LOT this summer, plus I'll be living back at home. 150 days until my first day in Caen, and I cannot wait!
1.13.2010
Connections
Here at Baylor, I work for the Office of Campus & Communitiy Involvement at the Center for International Education. With the arrival of awesome new exchange students last week, it became known that there were FIVE students from France! Four of those five are from l'Université de Caen. How cool is that.
I immediately introduced myself and let them know that I will be there next semester. I can't wait to hear about all of the differences between Baylor/American culture and Caen/French culture. I definitely need to work harder on trying to speak with them in French - they all speak English so well, it's hard to try to get them to speak French with me instead! Maybe this is because my American accent is horrible? Or because of my lack of knowledge of French vocabulary? Hopefully by the end of this semester, I will have improved. Listening to them speak to each other is a little overwhelming. They speak extremely quickly and, shall I say, "non-textbook." Of course. This will be good practice for me for next semester, when I will hopefully meet lots of French students and be able to keep up with the conversations.
This semester I am taking two French courses: Conversation & Composition, and Civilization. Both are taught by the same professor, and both have some of the same students in them. One of the girls in my classes is the other student who is planning on studying in Caen next semester also. It will be good to know her so that we both have a fellow Baylor Bear during our time there!
After meeting the French students, I feel that much closer to getting to Caen. It's only seven months away! Already, half of a year has gone by since I've decided that I want to study abroad. It's so exciting!
I immediately introduced myself and let them know that I will be there next semester. I can't wait to hear about all of the differences between Baylor/American culture and Caen/French culture. I definitely need to work harder on trying to speak with them in French - they all speak English so well, it's hard to try to get them to speak French with me instead! Maybe this is because my American accent is horrible? Or because of my lack of knowledge of French vocabulary? Hopefully by the end of this semester, I will have improved. Listening to them speak to each other is a little overwhelming. They speak extremely quickly and, shall I say, "non-textbook." Of course. This will be good practice for me for next semester, when I will hopefully meet lots of French students and be able to keep up with the conversations.
This semester I am taking two French courses: Conversation & Composition, and Civilization. Both are taught by the same professor, and both have some of the same students in them. One of the girls in my classes is the other student who is planning on studying in Caen next semester also. It will be good to know her so that we both have a fellow Baylor Bear during our time there!
After meeting the French students, I feel that much closer to getting to Caen. It's only seven months away! Already, half of a year has gone by since I've decided that I want to study abroad. It's so exciting!
10.19.2009
Lists
I am, and have always been, obsessed with crossing things off of lists. I keep a ridiculously detailed planner for school and a wall calendar for other events at home. If I don't write it down, I write it down just so I can cross it off after I complete whatever task is at hand. It makes me feel that good.
The past two paychecks, I've crossed off depositing a rather large amount of money into my savings account for next fall. (So far it's still there!)
This past week, I've been able to cross off two tasks on my list of things to do before studying abroad: meet with the study abroad adviser, get a letter of recommendation. Upon meeting with the study abroad adviser, I picked up the course equivalency form that I will need in order to determine which classes I take in Caen will correspond with the classes offered here at Baylor. Today, I met with one of my favorite professors to ask him to write a letter of recommendation for me. He was more than happy to, and even more pleased that the deadline wasn't until April of 2010!
What can I say? I love getting things done (and crossing them off of my to-do list!).
The past two paychecks, I've crossed off depositing a rather large amount of money into my savings account for next fall. (So far it's still there!)
This past week, I've been able to cross off two tasks on my list of things to do before studying abroad: meet with the study abroad adviser, get a letter of recommendation. Upon meeting with the study abroad adviser, I picked up the course equivalency form that I will need in order to determine which classes I take in Caen will correspond with the classes offered here at Baylor. Today, I met with one of my favorite professors to ask him to write a letter of recommendation for me. He was more than happy to, and even more pleased that the deadline wasn't until April of 2010!
What can I say? I love getting things done (and crossing them off of my to-do list!).
10.13.2009
Already Benefiting
Monday afternoon, I went up to Dr. Duran's office to be advised for the Spring 2010 semester (already?!). Being completely obsessed with my degree plan and making sure that I am able to fit in all of my requirements after having repeatedly changed my major, a wave of terror washed through my body when Dr. Duran had a worried look upon his face. He expressed that since I started French during my second semester at Baylor, I'm, for a lack of better words, "off." If I would've started French my first semester, I would have been able to start taking upper level classes this fall. Although I only have two Bachelor of Arts requirements remaining after I complete this semester, he claimed that he wasn't sure if enough upper level French classes would be offered each semester for me to be able to take 30 hours by the time I graduate in Spring 2011.
Oh no. No, no, no.
I immediately told him that I was planning on spending the Fall 2010 semester in Caen. Is there any way that would help?
A smile.
Okay, this is good.
He automatically seemed to be relieved. During my time in Caen, I will solely be taking French classes. With the two that I'll be in next semester, the five I'll be taking in Caen, and the three (or more) I'll be taking during my last semester at Baylor, I am in a great spot to graduate on time. What would I do without the lovely Université de Caen?
Oh no. No, no, no.
I immediately told him that I was planning on spending the Fall 2010 semester in Caen. Is there any way that would help?
A smile.
Okay, this is good.
He automatically seemed to be relieved. During my time in Caen, I will solely be taking French classes. With the two that I'll be in next semester, the five I'll be taking in Caen, and the three (or more) I'll be taking during my last semester at Baylor, I am in a great spot to graduate on time. What would I do without the lovely Université de Caen?
10.06.2009
Vive la France?
Since becoming a student at Baylor University, I have repeatedly changed my major: psychology to nursing, nursing to psychology, psychology to psychology with a French minor, psychology with a French minor to... French.
At first, I felt a little anxious. I knew I absolutely loved the French language, but was I going to graduate feeling jipped as far as my education went? I spoke with multiple professors, my parents, and my friends, and now I am at the point in my education where I know for a fact that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Speak French. (The confirming factor was that I was supposed to enroll in Italian for four semesters, but all the sections were full so I was stuck taking French. Sign from God? I think so.) The awesome thing is that I can work with the French language in a ridiculous amount of settings: schools in America, schools in France, the Government, the Peace Corps, etc. The even more awesome thing is that I have recently come to the decision (with the help of my parents' input) to study abroad in Caen, France at l'Université de Caen Basse-Normandie for the fall semester of 2010.
I think back to over two years ago, when I was a new student at Baylor. There is no way that I saw this coming! Now, it's all that I can think about. Although there will be so much work that I'll have to put into this process in order to make it happen, it will be SO worth it when I return to Texas in December 2010, speaking French (hopefully) nearly fluently. In addition, I'll return home with an experience that I'll never forget. My parents were gracious enough to help me get over to England and Ireland during my junior year of high school (see posts London and Ireland). This time, things will be a bit different: instead of 8 days, I'll be gone 4 months; instead of going with 20 other students, I'll be going alone; instead of hearing English all of the time, I'll constantly be hearing French. I am so incredibly excited and nervous, and I know I wouldn't be able to make it through these next 10 or so months without the encouragement from my parents. The unconditional love and support that they constantly give me is the reason that children have parents. I am so incredibly blessed.
For more information about Caen, see the following links:
UdC's International Student Page (there's a little American Flag to click on that translates the website into English)
Map of UdC and the surrounding area (Caen is about 2hrs west of Paris)
So, here's to the start of an awesome new journey. Stay tuned.
At first, I felt a little anxious. I knew I absolutely loved the French language, but was I going to graduate feeling jipped as far as my education went? I spoke with multiple professors, my parents, and my friends, and now I am at the point in my education where I know for a fact that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Speak French. (The confirming factor was that I was supposed to enroll in Italian for four semesters, but all the sections were full so I was stuck taking French. Sign from God? I think so.) The awesome thing is that I can work with the French language in a ridiculous amount of settings: schools in America, schools in France, the Government, the Peace Corps, etc. The even more awesome thing is that I have recently come to the decision (with the help of my parents' input) to study abroad in Caen, France at l'Université de Caen Basse-Normandie for the fall semester of 2010.
I think back to over two years ago, when I was a new student at Baylor. There is no way that I saw this coming! Now, it's all that I can think about. Although there will be so much work that I'll have to put into this process in order to make it happen, it will be SO worth it when I return to Texas in December 2010, speaking French (hopefully) nearly fluently. In addition, I'll return home with an experience that I'll never forget. My parents were gracious enough to help me get over to England and Ireland during my junior year of high school (see posts London and Ireland). This time, things will be a bit different: instead of 8 days, I'll be gone 4 months; instead of going with 20 other students, I'll be going alone; instead of hearing English all of the time, I'll constantly be hearing French. I am so incredibly excited and nervous, and I know I wouldn't be able to make it through these next 10 or so months without the encouragement from my parents. The unconditional love and support that they constantly give me is the reason that children have parents. I am so incredibly blessed.
For more information about Caen, see the following links:
UdC's International Student Page (there's a little American Flag to click on that translates the website into English)
Map of UdC and the surrounding area (Caen is about 2hrs west of Paris)
So, here's to the start of an awesome new journey. Stay tuned.
8.09.2008
Washington State
This summer, I was graciously invited by my Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary to visit them in Washington State. Considering I hadn't seen them in quite a while (and that I'd never been to Washington before), I immediately accepted! I spent a week with them there, exploring different parts of the state ranging from beautiful hiking trails in Twin Falls to the great city of Seattle.
In this entry, I am going to type the exact (mostly) words from the journal that I kept while on my visit.
Day One
9:19am
I actually slept decently last night. Considering I was barely packed, that was surprising! I guess that's why I woke up so early this morning. I love the anticipation of flying... acting like I'm a pro at anything "airport." I really wonder what it would be like to have to fly somewhere every week for a job. I'd feel so fancy with my leather carry-on and pantsuit and heels. Ha! The take-off wasn't too bad, although my seat is. Hopefully I can move up towards the front of the plane once some people get off at Albuquerque for the connecting flight.
I'm hoping I fall in love with Washington. I'm not really sure why... maybe Twilight has something to do with it. :) I'm thinking it's just a place I've never seen, so I want to experience something amazing! I guess we'll see...
9:12pm (Seattle time)
Wow, this place is gorgeous. I finally landed at the Seattle airport after talking to two ladies on the plane ride here for quite a while. Missy and Aunt Mary picked me up and on the way home, a drawbridge was pulled up! I didn't realize how close Seattle is to the water. I guess I need to touch up on my US geography! Missy drove us to the school where she works at and showed me her classroom where she teaches four-year-olds. It was a very contemporary looking school; apparently it was built in more of a building way. We went to lunch next at a restaurant called Anthony's Seafood. The decor was very cute and the majority of the walls were windows looking out over the water where all the boats were docked. Next up was a stop at Missy's condo to meet up with Michelle and Nathan for a quick swim. Her building was gorgeous! It was so cute to watch little Nathan show off his newly acquired swimming skills for our group. He was so enthusiastic and never seemed to stop moving!
Missy had class at 5:30pm for her graduate program, so the other four of us headed over to Aunt Mary's home. Their neighborhood reminds me a lot of Aunt Pam's in Minnesota. I unpacked and then it was time for spaghetti dinner (which also meant soda night for Nathan!). Michelle, Mary and I talked for a while after dinner while Nathan kept himself entertained with his car toys, a.k.a "the boys." Little did I know that Michelle was a psych major! After Michelle and Nathan went home, Aunt Mary and I took Sassie (Missy's dog) for a walk around the block. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Aunt Mary and I watched t.v. for a little bit but then called it quits at 9pm... although it was still bright out! Uncle Rick was at work today, but I'll see him in the morning.
Pictures:
Day Two
7:18pm
Although I was planning on trying to wake up before my relatives did, I failed! I guess I'm still not used to the time change. I went downstairs and was greeted by Aunt Mary, Uncle Rick, and a wonderful breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Uncle Rick was still up from his 24hr shift that ended at 7am. Yikes! We enjoyed breakfast and so did Sassie, who got the last piece of bacon. Later in the afternoon we headed out to Twin Falls for a hike. Although the trail was marked "easy," I'd probably disagree! There were a lot of uphill climbs on the way (which made for an easy trip back, thankfully). After about an hour, we finally made it to see the falls! There were about four levels total. It was gorgeous. On our way back, a man also walking asked if we'd stopped at the "low falls" mark, which we hadn't. Apparently it was the best view! Oh well, maybe next time. We also met a lady who I ended up talking to about Baylor; she started the conversation as she'd noticed my BU sweatshirt... that's right, sweatshirt! I told you this weather was awesome. On the way home we stopped at Fins Bistro, a small restaurant near a theater that Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary had seen Elton John's "Aida." Apparently our waiter looked just like the lead from the play! I had an awesome leg of lamb and we all shared crème brûlée and apple pie for dessert. Yum!
10:24pm
Missy came over a little while after we got home. Somehow, we all ended up watching old home videos. Missy and I decided that it's definitely a Dermody thing to document our lives so intensely. We even ran across an old video with no sound from the days when Uncle Tom was still a teenager! Kate looks just like her mom. Also, I realized that Chris and Michelle are twenty years older than me! There was a shot of Missy and Shannon holding me and Colleen on grandpa's front steps. Beth and Kate were cheerleaders. Grant could almost drive a go-kart at age three, and Tom loved Uncle Rick's trampoline. It was all good fun.
Pictures:
Day Three
afternoon
Today I woke up around 6:45am so that I would have time to pack, shower, and eat before the seven of us (me, Uncle Rick, Aunt Mary, Missy, Michelle, Chad, Nathan) went to take the ferry over to the San Juan islands. It was about a 1.5hr drive to the ferry and then we had an hour wait until the ferry left. We went over to the restaurant near the ferry and I had a bowl of clam chowder (delicious). Nathan was very excited about the display which showed some mechanics of how the boat worked: steering wheels, pistons, etc. Once we were all ready to board the ferry, the car wouldn't start! A friendly family helped us out with some jumper cables and after a few minutes we were good to go. We paraded onto the ferry and got out of the car. Missy and I mostly read while the others looked around. There wasn't a cloud in the sky today; perfect weather. We found our bed and breakfast but the room wasn't ready yet. We walked over to one of the many docks, where Nathan found his way down to the rocks to try and play at the "beach," which was mostly rocks. He even brought a shovel and pail with him. Uncle Rick found a snake near the rocks, which Nathan scared away! We grabbed a bite to eat (prawns, fish and chips) outside because it was gorgeous! We all walked back to the bed and breakfast and were able to check in. The suite is absolutely gorgeous... how many times have I said the "g word" now?! Well it's true, everything here is gorgeous.
8:36pm
After settling in at the suite, Michelle, Chad, Nathan, Missy, and I drove over to Jackson beach, about a two miles from our bed and breakfast. Nathan was really excited to go. The beach was full of driftwood... I mean full. It was something I've never seen before! Michelle tested the water and told me it was bearable; I tried it and told her I'd never take her word again. It was freezing! We started picking up some of the smaller logs and noticed hundreds of tiny little "jumping bugs" emerging. Ah! So gross. I found a safe spot on the towel. Nathan and Chad kept themselves busy building a circular sand castle and then began to surround it by putting the logs in a square shape around it, sort of like Lincoln Logs. They nearly built a log cabin!
I fell for a "parent trick" today. Chad told Nathan to stay away from the jumping bugs because they bite... but they don't really. I fell for it! Missy also informed me that when they told Nathan at the pool the other day that we had to leave because there was a scheduled cleaning in fifteen minutes, there really wasn't. I guess I'll learn the tricks of the trade when I get older. Haha! We went back to the suite and Uncle Rick began to make dinner (salmon and chicken, risoto, corn, rolls, edemames (sp?), and chocolate cake for dessert). After dinner, I finished Twilight again unexpectedly, and talked to Nana on the phone for a little bit. Hopefully kayaking goes well tomorrow!
Pictures:
Day Four
6:53pm
Today was a long day! Good, but long. Once again there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was in the 80's for most of the day. We were up and packed to go to breakfast at 9:30am (after Nathan excitedly made tea for everyone in the suite) and were treated to fruit, granola and yogurt, pancakes with strawberry sauce, delicious sausage, and tiramisu for dessert. Who eats breakfast with their dessert?! Well, we did. After breakfast, Uncle Rick, Aunt Mary, Missy and I prepared to kayak and the others came with to see us off. Unfortunately our instructor showed about thirty minutes late so the others went back to go kayak on their own at Jackson Beach and later see Wall-E. We met our instructor Aileen who was very nice! It was just the five of us as a group, so that was nice. She spoke about life jackets, spray skirts, how to use the oars, how to steer... pretty much Kayaking 101. Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary shared, while Missy and I were together. Missy and Uncle Rick had the pleasure of steering! Ha. We kayaked near the coast most of the time but didn't see much wildlife. That's okay, because I was too busy focusing on paddling and trying to not fall out of the kayak. The waves from larger passing boats created some current, which was tough at times, but we prevailed! Aileen had planned on having us cross the channel, but there was a lot of boat traffic (due to the gorgeous weather). We decided to stay near the coast for a while longer and then turn around to go back.
By the end of the trip, Missy and I decided to be lazy and coast a majority of the way back to the dock. She didn't feel like using the turning pedals because the left one had broken multiple times! We pulled into the dock like pros... no joke. It was awesome! After we all finished, we decided to stop and eat at a Chinese restaurant near the docks. We later found the others at the movie theater and then took a group trip to a lighthouse on the opposite side of the island. Supposedly it's a great place to spot orcas, but we didn't get to see any today. Apparently when Michelle and Chad came here after their wedding, they saw a huge pack of them. We hung out on the rocks for a little bit and then came back in time to park in line for the ferry back.
nighttime
We arrived back at the house to find it very warm! Since it usually doesn't get too hot during the summer, Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary didn't have an AC unit. We turned on lots of fans and opened the windows... it doesn't feel that hot to my Texas native self!
Pictures:
Day Five
8:52pm
Today was another long day! WA folks live busy lives. I woke up around 8am to share eggs, toast, and bacon with Aunt Mary, Uncle Rick, and Missy. Missy slept over last night since it was so late when we arrived home. Missy went off to church with some friends while the rest of us hit the road to Seattle. We stopped at Michelle's on the way to pick up a cooler for the fish we planned to buy later. Nathan gave me a lovely tour of the house as well (I'm pretty sure the playroom is his favorite room). We continued on to Seattle and made our first stop at the Space Needle. On the walk there, we passed the "Experience Music Project" building and part of the old fairgrounds. We went up in the elevator for 41s. It was a little shaky but not too bad. We looked around for a bit and then began following a tour guide. The most interesting thing to me was that the first high school in Seattle has now been converted into condos. All the residents have to keep everything the same way it was (chalkboards, water fountains, etc.). We ate a quick lunch high in the sky and then floated back down.
We walked over to the monorail station, which was unfortunately broken down. After waiting about 15min we were able to board. It was a quick 60s ride over to the mall, which was near Pike Market. We made our way to the market and were greeted by the yells of the famous fish market guys. It was too funny! They threw a (fake) fish into the audience. We made our way out of the crowd and passed a street performer who was singing a song that Uncle Rick knew, and Uncle Rick joined in! He sang along and played the tambourine. After the performance, I was amazed at all of the gorgeous flowers for sale. The bouquets were huge yet so cheap! We walked around the market and bought a few things for dinner and then headed back to the monorail station. We were standing in line when... wait, what?! Is that her?! I recognized my friend Gabby from Baylor. I knew she would be in WA for school this summer, but running into her in such a crowded place was crazy!
We made our way back to Michelle's for dinner, and it was delicious! While Uncle Rick and Chad played golf on the PS3, I was busy petting Nanji. What a cutie. We came home and I messed around on the piano for a long time. Uncle Rick found lots of his favorite songs for me to play and I didn't butcher them too badly!
Pictures:
Day Six
9:49pm
After we all woke up and had breakfast this morning, we drove over to Lake Washington for an afternoon lake cruise. There were about twenty others on the boat with us, which had two decks. We sat down on the upper deck outside and enjoyed the sunny weather. During the 1.5hr cruise, some of the highlights were seeing Bill Gates' house, a piece of land for sale for $22.1mil, elevators used to go down the hill to the shore, and Martha Stewart's boyfriend's house. Next we went to eat lunch at a sushi restaurant called Blue Fish, near the docks. Uncle Rick and I both love sushi, so we had to make sure to eat it for lunch while I was here! After lunch we drove to downtown Everett where Uncle Rick works. We also walked along the docks (I know, there's water everywhere!!!) and then went to see the botanical gardens as well. The gardens were free to the public. We drove home and I took a nap until dinner time, where we barbecued and ate outside. Uncle Rick asked if I wanted to take his inflatable kayak out on the small lake near their house, and I definitely said yes. I took it out on the water for a little bit, and let me tell you: kayaking is so relaxing! The water was so smooth and beautiful, I could've stayed out there forever.
Pictures:
Day Seven
5:10pm
I woke up early to pack and eat a quick breakfast before Aunt Mary, Uncle Rick, and I headed to the mall to meet Missy for lunch. Missy had to leave early so we ate afterwards at California Pizza Kitchen. We drove straight to the airport after that, and I said my thank-yous and goodbyes.
late
On the flight home, we were supposed to stop in Albuquerque again for connections but there was a storm, so we had to land in Amarillo. We proceeded to fly BACK to Albuquerque, and then to Dallas. Instead of arriving at 10:15pm Texas time, I landed at 1:30am! Yikes!
---
It was so awesome to be given the opportunity to come visit! I will be forever grateful to Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary. I definitely was able to make a week full of lifelong memories that won't be able to be replaced. I had an amazing time with them and hope to see everyone again sometime soon.
In this entry, I am going to type the exact (mostly) words from the journal that I kept while on my visit.
Day One
9:19am
I actually slept decently last night. Considering I was barely packed, that was surprising! I guess that's why I woke up so early this morning. I love the anticipation of flying... acting like I'm a pro at anything "airport." I really wonder what it would be like to have to fly somewhere every week for a job. I'd feel so fancy with my leather carry-on and pantsuit and heels. Ha! The take-off wasn't too bad, although my seat is. Hopefully I can move up towards the front of the plane once some people get off at Albuquerque for the connecting flight.
I'm hoping I fall in love with Washington. I'm not really sure why... maybe Twilight has something to do with it. :) I'm thinking it's just a place I've never seen, so I want to experience something amazing! I guess we'll see...
9:12pm (Seattle time)
Wow, this place is gorgeous. I finally landed at the Seattle airport after talking to two ladies on the plane ride here for quite a while. Missy and Aunt Mary picked me up and on the way home, a drawbridge was pulled up! I didn't realize how close Seattle is to the water. I guess I need to touch up on my US geography! Missy drove us to the school where she works at and showed me her classroom where she teaches four-year-olds. It was a very contemporary looking school; apparently it was built in more of a building way. We went to lunch next at a restaurant called Anthony's Seafood. The decor was very cute and the majority of the walls were windows looking out over the water where all the boats were docked. Next up was a stop at Missy's condo to meet up with Michelle and Nathan for a quick swim. Her building was gorgeous! It was so cute to watch little Nathan show off his newly acquired swimming skills for our group. He was so enthusiastic and never seemed to stop moving!
Missy had class at 5:30pm for her graduate program, so the other four of us headed over to Aunt Mary's home. Their neighborhood reminds me a lot of Aunt Pam's in Minnesota. I unpacked and then it was time for spaghetti dinner (which also meant soda night for Nathan!). Michelle, Mary and I talked for a while after dinner while Nathan kept himself entertained with his car toys, a.k.a "the boys." Little did I know that Michelle was a psych major! After Michelle and Nathan went home, Aunt Mary and I took Sassie (Missy's dog) for a walk around the block. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Aunt Mary and I watched t.v. for a little bit but then called it quits at 9pm... although it was still bright out! Uncle Rick was at work today, but I'll see him in the morning.
Pictures:
Day Two
7:18pm
Although I was planning on trying to wake up before my relatives did, I failed! I guess I'm still not used to the time change. I went downstairs and was greeted by Aunt Mary, Uncle Rick, and a wonderful breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Uncle Rick was still up from his 24hr shift that ended at 7am. Yikes! We enjoyed breakfast and so did Sassie, who got the last piece of bacon. Later in the afternoon we headed out to Twin Falls for a hike. Although the trail was marked "easy," I'd probably disagree! There were a lot of uphill climbs on the way (which made for an easy trip back, thankfully). After about an hour, we finally made it to see the falls! There were about four levels total. It was gorgeous. On our way back, a man also walking asked if we'd stopped at the "low falls" mark, which we hadn't. Apparently it was the best view! Oh well, maybe next time. We also met a lady who I ended up talking to about Baylor; she started the conversation as she'd noticed my BU sweatshirt... that's right, sweatshirt! I told you this weather was awesome. On the way home we stopped at Fins Bistro, a small restaurant near a theater that Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary had seen Elton John's "Aida." Apparently our waiter looked just like the lead from the play! I had an awesome leg of lamb and we all shared crème brûlée and apple pie for dessert. Yum!
10:24pm
Missy came over a little while after we got home. Somehow, we all ended up watching old home videos. Missy and I decided that it's definitely a Dermody thing to document our lives so intensely. We even ran across an old video with no sound from the days when Uncle Tom was still a teenager! Kate looks just like her mom. Also, I realized that Chris and Michelle are twenty years older than me! There was a shot of Missy and Shannon holding me and Colleen on grandpa's front steps. Beth and Kate were cheerleaders. Grant could almost drive a go-kart at age three, and Tom loved Uncle Rick's trampoline. It was all good fun.
Pictures:
Day Three
afternoon
Today I woke up around 6:45am so that I would have time to pack, shower, and eat before the seven of us (me, Uncle Rick, Aunt Mary, Missy, Michelle, Chad, Nathan) went to take the ferry over to the San Juan islands. It was about a 1.5hr drive to the ferry and then we had an hour wait until the ferry left. We went over to the restaurant near the ferry and I had a bowl of clam chowder (delicious). Nathan was very excited about the display which showed some mechanics of how the boat worked: steering wheels, pistons, etc. Once we were all ready to board the ferry, the car wouldn't start! A friendly family helped us out with some jumper cables and after a few minutes we were good to go. We paraded onto the ferry and got out of the car. Missy and I mostly read while the others looked around. There wasn't a cloud in the sky today; perfect weather. We found our bed and breakfast but the room wasn't ready yet. We walked over to one of the many docks, where Nathan found his way down to the rocks to try and play at the "beach," which was mostly rocks. He even brought a shovel and pail with him. Uncle Rick found a snake near the rocks, which Nathan scared away! We grabbed a bite to eat (prawns, fish and chips) outside because it was gorgeous! We all walked back to the bed and breakfast and were able to check in. The suite is absolutely gorgeous... how many times have I said the "g word" now?! Well it's true, everything here is gorgeous.
8:36pm
After settling in at the suite, Michelle, Chad, Nathan, Missy, and I drove over to Jackson beach, about a two miles from our bed and breakfast. Nathan was really excited to go. The beach was full of driftwood... I mean full. It was something I've never seen before! Michelle tested the water and told me it was bearable; I tried it and told her I'd never take her word again. It was freezing! We started picking up some of the smaller logs and noticed hundreds of tiny little "jumping bugs" emerging. Ah! So gross. I found a safe spot on the towel. Nathan and Chad kept themselves busy building a circular sand castle and then began to surround it by putting the logs in a square shape around it, sort of like Lincoln Logs. They nearly built a log cabin!
I fell for a "parent trick" today. Chad told Nathan to stay away from the jumping bugs because they bite... but they don't really. I fell for it! Missy also informed me that when they told Nathan at the pool the other day that we had to leave because there was a scheduled cleaning in fifteen minutes, there really wasn't. I guess I'll learn the tricks of the trade when I get older. Haha! We went back to the suite and Uncle Rick began to make dinner (salmon and chicken, risoto, corn, rolls, edemames (sp?), and chocolate cake for dessert). After dinner, I finished Twilight again unexpectedly, and talked to Nana on the phone for a little bit. Hopefully kayaking goes well tomorrow!
Pictures:
Day Four
6:53pm
Today was a long day! Good, but long. Once again there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was in the 80's for most of the day. We were up and packed to go to breakfast at 9:30am (after Nathan excitedly made tea for everyone in the suite) and were treated to fruit, granola and yogurt, pancakes with strawberry sauce, delicious sausage, and tiramisu for dessert. Who eats breakfast with their dessert?! Well, we did. After breakfast, Uncle Rick, Aunt Mary, Missy and I prepared to kayak and the others came with to see us off. Unfortunately our instructor showed about thirty minutes late so the others went back to go kayak on their own at Jackson Beach and later see Wall-E. We met our instructor Aileen who was very nice! It was just the five of us as a group, so that was nice. She spoke about life jackets, spray skirts, how to use the oars, how to steer... pretty much Kayaking 101. Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary shared, while Missy and I were together. Missy and Uncle Rick had the pleasure of steering! Ha. We kayaked near the coast most of the time but didn't see much wildlife. That's okay, because I was too busy focusing on paddling and trying to not fall out of the kayak. The waves from larger passing boats created some current, which was tough at times, but we prevailed! Aileen had planned on having us cross the channel, but there was a lot of boat traffic (due to the gorgeous weather). We decided to stay near the coast for a while longer and then turn around to go back.
By the end of the trip, Missy and I decided to be lazy and coast a majority of the way back to the dock. She didn't feel like using the turning pedals because the left one had broken multiple times! We pulled into the dock like pros... no joke. It was awesome! After we all finished, we decided to stop and eat at a Chinese restaurant near the docks. We later found the others at the movie theater and then took a group trip to a lighthouse on the opposite side of the island. Supposedly it's a great place to spot orcas, but we didn't get to see any today. Apparently when Michelle and Chad came here after their wedding, they saw a huge pack of them. We hung out on the rocks for a little bit and then came back in time to park in line for the ferry back.
nighttime
We arrived back at the house to find it very warm! Since it usually doesn't get too hot during the summer, Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary didn't have an AC unit. We turned on lots of fans and opened the windows... it doesn't feel that hot to my Texas native self!
Pictures:
Day Five
8:52pm
Today was another long day! WA folks live busy lives. I woke up around 8am to share eggs, toast, and bacon with Aunt Mary, Uncle Rick, and Missy. Missy slept over last night since it was so late when we arrived home. Missy went off to church with some friends while the rest of us hit the road to Seattle. We stopped at Michelle's on the way to pick up a cooler for the fish we planned to buy later. Nathan gave me a lovely tour of the house as well (I'm pretty sure the playroom is his favorite room). We continued on to Seattle and made our first stop at the Space Needle. On the walk there, we passed the "Experience Music Project" building and part of the old fairgrounds. We went up in the elevator for 41s. It was a little shaky but not too bad. We looked around for a bit and then began following a tour guide. The most interesting thing to me was that the first high school in Seattle has now been converted into condos. All the residents have to keep everything the same way it was (chalkboards, water fountains, etc.). We ate a quick lunch high in the sky and then floated back down.
We walked over to the monorail station, which was unfortunately broken down. After waiting about 15min we were able to board. It was a quick 60s ride over to the mall, which was near Pike Market. We made our way to the market and were greeted by the yells of the famous fish market guys. It was too funny! They threw a (fake) fish into the audience. We made our way out of the crowd and passed a street performer who was singing a song that Uncle Rick knew, and Uncle Rick joined in! He sang along and played the tambourine. After the performance, I was amazed at all of the gorgeous flowers for sale. The bouquets were huge yet so cheap! We walked around the market and bought a few things for dinner and then headed back to the monorail station. We were standing in line when... wait, what?! Is that her?! I recognized my friend Gabby from Baylor. I knew she would be in WA for school this summer, but running into her in such a crowded place was crazy!
We made our way back to Michelle's for dinner, and it was delicious! While Uncle Rick and Chad played golf on the PS3, I was busy petting Nanji. What a cutie. We came home and I messed around on the piano for a long time. Uncle Rick found lots of his favorite songs for me to play and I didn't butcher them too badly!
Pictures:
Day Six
9:49pm
After we all woke up and had breakfast this morning, we drove over to Lake Washington for an afternoon lake cruise. There were about twenty others on the boat with us, which had two decks. We sat down on the upper deck outside and enjoyed the sunny weather. During the 1.5hr cruise, some of the highlights were seeing Bill Gates' house, a piece of land for sale for $22.1mil, elevators used to go down the hill to the shore, and Martha Stewart's boyfriend's house. Next we went to eat lunch at a sushi restaurant called Blue Fish, near the docks. Uncle Rick and I both love sushi, so we had to make sure to eat it for lunch while I was here! After lunch we drove to downtown Everett where Uncle Rick works. We also walked along the docks (I know, there's water everywhere!!!) and then went to see the botanical gardens as well. The gardens were free to the public. We drove home and I took a nap until dinner time, where we barbecued and ate outside. Uncle Rick asked if I wanted to take his inflatable kayak out on the small lake near their house, and I definitely said yes. I took it out on the water for a little bit, and let me tell you: kayaking is so relaxing! The water was so smooth and beautiful, I could've stayed out there forever.
Pictures:
Day Seven
5:10pm
I woke up early to pack and eat a quick breakfast before Aunt Mary, Uncle Rick, and I headed to the mall to meet Missy for lunch. Missy had to leave early so we ate afterwards at California Pizza Kitchen. We drove straight to the airport after that, and I said my thank-yous and goodbyes.
late
On the flight home, we were supposed to stop in Albuquerque again for connections but there was a storm, so we had to land in Amarillo. We proceeded to fly BACK to Albuquerque, and then to Dallas. Instead of arriving at 10:15pm Texas time, I landed at 1:30am! Yikes!
---
It was so awesome to be given the opportunity to come visit! I will be forever grateful to Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary. I definitely was able to make a week full of lifelong memories that won't be able to be replaced. I had an amazing time with them and hope to see everyone again sometime soon.
9.20.2007
Disneyworld
Every child has always dreamed of going to Disneyworld. I went went at the age of eighteen.
Having experienced Disneyland with my family when I was much younger, I've always longed to experience the amazing Disneyworld as well. My dream finally came true this summer when my two close friends and I made it a reality. Although the trip started out as somewhat of a joke, we eventually decided that yes, we really did want to go! April, Desera and I worked our hearts out all summer at a local restaurant earning and saving up money to pay our way to Florida. We flew there and back and spent four days visiting the six different theme parks Disneyworld had to offer.
Honestly, it's been nearly a year since this trip, and I can't remember all of the dirty details. In order to have some sort of keepsake, I'll upload a few of my favorite pictures and post some of the most interesting things that happened during our stay in Florida.
After hearing about the new ride called "Expedition Everest" at the Animal Kingdom park, the three of us girls were dying to ride it... and we did. Three times. The first time was absolutely hilarious. It's a thrilling roller coaster that follows a "big foot" theme of some sorts. Upon riding it for the first time, we discovered that the ride goes backwards (after pulling up to what looks like broken tracks) and nearly runs into a life-sized big foot replica. Scary! After our third time riding it, we still could've gone again.
Another interesting ride at Animal Kingdom was "Dinosaurs." Lemme tell ya... I thought this ride was going to be a cute little ride that moved slowly. Definitely not. I sat down in our off-roading vehicle to go on to be extremely freaked out. These dinos looked way too real! All of the special effects (air blowing, dinosaurs moving, the jeep rocking) were seriously scary. Of course I was laughing hysterically the whole time, but if I ever go on it again, I'm sitting on the other side of the car! The side I sat on was the side that all of the dinosaurs jumped out on!
While still at Animal Kingdom, we decided to take a break and go on a kiddy-type ride. To our surprise, the three of us were chosen as a "Disney Family" for the ride; we were moved to the front of the line and had the privilege of riding twice in a row! It was cute.
At one of the water parks, the three of us got on a group raft ride and were accompanied by two young teenage boys. It was just a little bit awkward, but when one of the boys "fell" out of the raft halfway through the ride it was a lot-a-bit hilarious. Keep in mind that this was a rafting ride that was set in a plastic open tube with water running down it. We couldn't figure out if he threw himself out of the raft or actually fell out... or if he was trying to impress us or was just naturally an idiot (I'm sure it was the latter of those two), but I'm sure it was painful.
When at Magic Kingdom, we spent an hour watching the Beauty and the Beast musical, since it was a favorite for all of us. We sat down with our giant turkey legs and thoroughly enjoyed the show (and the shade). Before the show began, four men went onstage to supposedly adjust the mics. All of the sudden, they began to sing as a quartet rather than the regular "testing... one... two... three." It was so awesome! They even pulled up a couple from the crowd who was on their honeymoon and sang "When You Wish Upon A Star," my parent's wedding dance song.
We spent one of our evenings at Downtown Disney, a tourist hot-spot that offered places for dining, shopping, and more. After waiting forever at Planet Hollywood, we finally sat down at a table and treated ourselves. We called it a night and decided to take three seats on the Disney Bus back to the hotel. It was a bit crowded to say the least. We started talking to a little girl standing near us about what she bought, as she had a shopping bag in her hand. She began to reply but her mother, standing next to her, snapped at her to hold on so she wouldn't fall over when the bus started. Rather than asking one of us to give up our seat, she made side comments to herself about how inconsiderate teenagers are these days to adults who have children without a seat. April confronted the woman about it and proceeded to stand up in the back, leaving her seat empty. Rather than telling her child to sit in the seat, she put her shopping bags in April's now empty seat. Seriously?! Later we figured out that her husband was sitting in a seat... shouldn't it have been his responsibility to make his family comfortable? What a way to end a mostly wonderful night.
To end on a lighter experience, on our final morning, April and I woke up super early to go swimming in the pool downstairs. It was way too much fun and we woke Desera up when we came back so that we could all start packing (while jamming out to "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance, of course) to go home.
This trip was absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked for better people to spend it with. After working so hard all summer to save up money to make our way there, it was so incredibly worth it. I'm so glad I waited until I was eighteen to go to Disneyworld for the first time - this way, I could remember every single detail... the rides, the laughs, the frowns, the jokes, everything. I'll always remember it and I would go back in a heartbeat.
Pictures:
Having experienced Disneyland with my family when I was much younger, I've always longed to experience the amazing Disneyworld as well. My dream finally came true this summer when my two close friends and I made it a reality. Although the trip started out as somewhat of a joke, we eventually decided that yes, we really did want to go! April, Desera and I worked our hearts out all summer at a local restaurant earning and saving up money to pay our way to Florida. We flew there and back and spent four days visiting the six different theme parks Disneyworld had to offer.
Honestly, it's been nearly a year since this trip, and I can't remember all of the dirty details. In order to have some sort of keepsake, I'll upload a few of my favorite pictures and post some of the most interesting things that happened during our stay in Florida.
After hearing about the new ride called "Expedition Everest" at the Animal Kingdom park, the three of us girls were dying to ride it... and we did. Three times. The first time was absolutely hilarious. It's a thrilling roller coaster that follows a "big foot" theme of some sorts. Upon riding it for the first time, we discovered that the ride goes backwards (after pulling up to what looks like broken tracks) and nearly runs into a life-sized big foot replica. Scary! After our third time riding it, we still could've gone again.
Another interesting ride at Animal Kingdom was "Dinosaurs." Lemme tell ya... I thought this ride was going to be a cute little ride that moved slowly. Definitely not. I sat down in our off-roading vehicle to go on to be extremely freaked out. These dinos looked way too real! All of the special effects (air blowing, dinosaurs moving, the jeep rocking) were seriously scary. Of course I was laughing hysterically the whole time, but if I ever go on it again, I'm sitting on the other side of the car! The side I sat on was the side that all of the dinosaurs jumped out on!
While still at Animal Kingdom, we decided to take a break and go on a kiddy-type ride. To our surprise, the three of us were chosen as a "Disney Family" for the ride; we were moved to the front of the line and had the privilege of riding twice in a row! It was cute.
At one of the water parks, the three of us got on a group raft ride and were accompanied by two young teenage boys. It was just a little bit awkward, but when one of the boys "fell" out of the raft halfway through the ride it was a lot-a-bit hilarious. Keep in mind that this was a rafting ride that was set in a plastic open tube with water running down it. We couldn't figure out if he threw himself out of the raft or actually fell out... or if he was trying to impress us or was just naturally an idiot (I'm sure it was the latter of those two), but I'm sure it was painful.
When at Magic Kingdom, we spent an hour watching the Beauty and the Beast musical, since it was a favorite for all of us. We sat down with our giant turkey legs and thoroughly enjoyed the show (and the shade). Before the show began, four men went onstage to supposedly adjust the mics. All of the sudden, they began to sing as a quartet rather than the regular "testing... one... two... three." It was so awesome! They even pulled up a couple from the crowd who was on their honeymoon and sang "When You Wish Upon A Star," my parent's wedding dance song.
We spent one of our evenings at Downtown Disney, a tourist hot-spot that offered places for dining, shopping, and more. After waiting forever at Planet Hollywood, we finally sat down at a table and treated ourselves. We called it a night and decided to take three seats on the Disney Bus back to the hotel. It was a bit crowded to say the least. We started talking to a little girl standing near us about what she bought, as she had a shopping bag in her hand. She began to reply but her mother, standing next to her, snapped at her to hold on so she wouldn't fall over when the bus started. Rather than asking one of us to give up our seat, she made side comments to herself about how inconsiderate teenagers are these days to adults who have children without a seat. April confronted the woman about it and proceeded to stand up in the back, leaving her seat empty. Rather than telling her child to sit in the seat, she put her shopping bags in April's now empty seat. Seriously?! Later we figured out that her husband was sitting in a seat... shouldn't it have been his responsibility to make his family comfortable? What a way to end a mostly wonderful night.
To end on a lighter experience, on our final morning, April and I woke up super early to go swimming in the pool downstairs. It was way too much fun and we woke Desera up when we came back so that we could all start packing (while jamming out to "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance, of course) to go home.
This trip was absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked for better people to spend it with. After working so hard all summer to save up money to make our way there, it was so incredibly worth it. I'm so glad I waited until I was eighteen to go to Disneyworld for the first time - this way, I could remember every single detail... the rides, the laughs, the frowns, the jokes, everything. I'll always remember it and I would go back in a heartbeat.
Pictures:
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