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dreamcatcherrs · 3 years

Note

Hey! I just had a random idea I think would work good; a first date preference seems really cool :) (I hope you haven't done this already and I've just missed it) I love your writing <3

+ it seems very very cool indeed :)) hope you like it! <3

++ if you squint, a couple of nsfw references

first dates; mcyt x reader

dream:

restaurant

when it’s your first date, he won't go all out with a very fancy place

but generally likes spoiling you

a lot

but he’ll save that for later

as long as you feel comfortable, he’s happy

maybe you’d go to his place afterwards👀

to play video games of course🙄

he’s not shy at all on your frst date

and is pretty confident in himself that the date’s gonna go great

smooth pick-up lines

maybe a couple of touches here and there

compliments you the whole night

and really just wants a laugh with you

overall, he’s great at first dates

georgenotfound:

ice skating, his place

he likes for a first date to be pretty simple

just chilling

enjoying each other’s company like you usually would

but with some romantic undertones of course ;)

so going to an ice rink or hanging out at his place;

it would be perfect

I feel like george is definitely more nervous on a first date

just because the whole “first date” concept is very intimidating in his head

even though it isn't a lot different from when you hang out usually

… it’s just with a bit more feelings involved

he’d probably ask dream for advice before going on the date with you

he eases up once he gets comfortable with your presence

realising that it’s just you and he can always be comfortable with you :)

cute first date

sapnap:

concert

nick would definitely want to go to a concert with you

I’m sure anyone can vibe with his music taste

and even then, I don't think he cares which concert you go to

the experience is what matters to him

he’d slip in some pickup-lines every now and then

but his cheeks would be so red after every line he spoke

the whole night he just wants to kiss you

but resists, just because he is a little scared of rejection

puts his jacket around your shoulders when it gets colder

and maybe wraps an arm around your waist

as you just vibe to the songs

would kiss you when he walked you home if the date was good

and then text you the second he left

very nice first date

badboyhalo:

park

would bring rat along :D

you’d find a bench or similar to rest by after walking around for a while

and just sit there together

and eat some fresh foods you’d made before going there

and just chat for hours on end

playing around with rat every now and then

and also trying out the swing set nearby

where you’d push each other

you wouldn't have noticed how much time had passed before you both realised it was super dark

it’s a really comfortable and fun date

cause he’s just so easy to talk to

he’d definitely go for some hand-holding

and aim for a little peck on the cheek

technoblade:

escape room

this would literally be the perfect opportunity to get to know each other

and to see if you were worthy of the blood god

you’d help each other find the clues

he’d definitely tease you if he managed to find the key before you did

but then would gently pat your head

cause he couldn’t deny how cute you looked when you were all pouty

a great date

with lots and lots of fun

he’s very nervous to start off with

but manages to hide it behind his monotone voice

though he likes teasing you, he’s also very sweet

sometimes let’s you find the clues “first” even though he’d already spotted them

just to see the smile on your face

wilbur soot:

museum, café

of course wilbur would take you to one of these places

or even both

the museum first, then the café

why not get a learning experience out of the date?

and then get to know each other afterwards

on a more romantic level than usual

he would be really smooth with his movements

even if he was nervous

sneakily puts a hand on your waist

or goes to grab your hand

with no hesitation or shakiness

he’d sooo be the type to say “you’ve got something right here” pointing to your lip

and when you’d searched for the whipped cream on your lip to no avail, he’d lean over and wipe the non-existing cream away

very slowly

and then have a smirk on his face when he pulled away again

honestly, a big tease even for a first date

corpse husband:

dinner and movie

pretty classy, but very nice

he’d want a first date to not be too much

but still be enough to impress

he’d be pretty anxious of what you thought of him tbh

but those were mostly just the nerves talking

would spend a long time putting effort into making the dinner

after asking you what your favourite dish was

you’d eat it together, a candle lit in the middle of the table with some wine (all on my white tee)

and you’d just start up a conversation very naturally

getting to know each other on another level

and when you’d get to watching the movie, he’d definitely attempt to get closer to you

like by throwing an arm around your shoulders

pulling you closer to him

maybe a hand on your thigh

and a small make-out session

a very successful date to say the least

skeppy:

theme park

would want to do something really fun for a first date

so I feel like a theme park would be perfect for that

like, you’d just spend the whole say together

having the time of your life in the craziest rides

or the more chill ones

whatever you like

and in between you’d just take a break

and buy some waffles or churros to eat together

zak is veeery talkative

like, there would not be any worry about awkward silences

cause he would always have something to talk about with you

as for affection

he would probably go for holding your hand

and that’s probably his farthest goal for the day

he likes taking things slow

and just having a fun time with you

karl jacobs:

arcade

like skeppy, he would also wanna go someplace fun

yet not as crazy you know?

like, just hanging out and playing a range of different games with you

you bet he’d just be like “oh, I just wanna get this one prize.”

and when he finally won it, he’d hand it over to you

because he’d planned to give it to you from the start :]

he’s mostly just himself on your first date

giggly, cute, funny

he’s a little more nervous around you than ususal

but that's only natural

would leave a lot of affection on you

like, a supporting hand on your back when you're trying to win at a game

or hugging you tightly whenever either of you won

really just finds any excuse to give you affection

maybe you’ll end off the day with a little smooch😙

or spending the rest of the night playing video games at his or your place

fundy:

sight-seeing

he’d take you to so many buildings, statues, viewpoints etc.

he wants to explore the city with you

even if you both know it very well already

he’d want the memories of the sights to be with you

you’d take cute pre-couple photos by the sights

and grab some delicious lunch while sat right by one of the nicest sights

he’d be subtle with showing affection

like grabbing your hand when you’re about to go the wrong way

and then not let go of it for a while

or he’d let you borrow his sunglasses

to block out the sun in your face

he wouldn't lay heavy on showing affection on the first date

he’ll leave that for the second one ;)

quackity:

cooking together

chaotic but cute combo

I feel like he would really want to impress you

yet still be able to make you laugh

and this is just the perfect way to do just that

he’s surprisingly good at cooking when he tries

and remains his usual quackity alex funny self

he’d show you how to do different stuff

especially if you didn't know how to already

and would overall be very playful with you

throwing flour at you, splashing with water etc.

and then afterwards you would just chill on the couch and eat the dinner you’d just made

talking about the most random shit

and without realising it, the two of you would be cuddling

and you’d wake up in the morning to find you’d fallen asleep on each other🥺

punz:

laser tag

mans loves competition

and would definitely want to be a show-off to you

you'd have an room just for yourself

hiding behind walls and obstacles until you stumbled into each other

and he wouldn't hesitate to raise his laser gun at you

and shoot you right in the chest with a menacing laugh

after a while it’d just be a battle between two

tackling each other all the time

and at some point he’d have you up against the wall

and as you were about to kiss

you’d lift you gun at him and shoot him right in the chest

which won you the game

afterwards, he’d follow you home

and maybe give you that kiss he tried to give you before

he’d be very down to stay with you for the night if you wanted him to

awesamdude:

the beach

you’d bring a bunch of fun activities with you

like card games, a beach volley game, etc.

and maybe even join in on a game of mini golf near you

you could also just be chilling on your towels

under the sun or under the shade

whatever your preference is

and then go into the water eventually

playing around together and just having fun

splashing water at each other

he’d sneak his way over to you

and just lift you up from under the water and onto his shoudlers

just laughing at the way you were screaming for him to let you down

when you got on the shore again, it felt easier to be affectionate with each other

you’d definitely go for ice cream on the way home

holding hands👉👈

eret:

karaoke bar

it would literally be the funniest time with him

you’d gotten one of those private rooms

so it would just be the two of you in the room

and you’d have so much fun choosing your favourite songs

and sometimes you'd just sit there and chat

while karaoke music played in the background with none of you singing

he’d want to duet with you at some point

bringing you close to him just to see you get all flustered

I could definitely imagine a first kiss right then

if it had all gone right throughout the night

when you were on your way back home

he’d lend you his jacket

and just tell you to keep it

“I’ll just pick it up tomorrow.”

tommy:

the zoo

tommy would be walking around commenting on literally every animal

“y/n look. hey, y/n. look at this ones’ face.”

takes a lot of pictures of the animals

and of you with the animals

and when you suspiciously asked if he was taking pictures of you after you’d spotted him

he’d just brush it off, immediately hiding his phone away

“of you? obviously, it was of the giraffe behind you.”

“tommy, there is no giraffe behind me.”

doesn't show any affection

he’s super nervous about the whole “touch” thing

so he just stays away from it

but if you were to grab his hand

he wouldn't pull away

he’d just stand there with red ass fucking cheeks

and would be praying for the animals to save him from any awkward situations

tubbo:

picnic

you’d be picking flowers together

flowers for the flower boy :)

and even make flower crowns if you felt really creative

enjoying the delicious foods you'd brought with you

he’d also be quite intimidated by affection, like tommy

but would very very subtly show it

only a little bit though

like, it would be pretty obvious whenever he got caught up staring at you

just looking at you as you picked at the grass outside of the blanket you were sat on

and sometimes he’d place a hand on you without really realising that that was something more unusual than you were used to

you’d bring a bracelet kit

and make cute little matching bracelets for each other

a really enjoyable date overall

with lots of laughter and chatter

ranboo:

an aquarium

even though c!ranboo is clearly not the biggest fan of water

this ranboo finds it quite fascinating

a pretty chill and easy-going first date

exactly what he wants

you’d walk around the whole aquarium

and make fun of the fishes with funny-looking faces

and then proceed to take pictures of each other by the fishes with the funny-looking faces

he would find it so adorable whenever you would point at one of the sea-creatures

and just look so amazed by it

he would literally almost melt right beside you

the closest thing to affection he would do, is putting a hand on your waist

it doesn't really progress further than that unless you initiate it

a proud moment of his was when he almost fell into the penguin inclosure

and you couldn’t stop laughing at it

a successful date to his eyes

___________________________________

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benjiwyatt · 3 years

Note

do you have any ben/leslie headcanons! i love your posts abt them so much it's great to see someone get as emotional abt them as i am asjdkajhjd

i got this message and i was like "god, i dont really know if i have any headcanons" and then i opened my notes app and started typing and didn't stop for over an hour

i'm literally putting this under a break and organizing it into categories bc it's absurdly long

here it is

A COLLECTION OF BEN AND LESLIE HEADCANONS

PRE-RELATIONSHIP/S3

basically canon but leslie definitely had a crush on a young benji wyatt and followed the story religiously for the first couple months before she started college

ben is only slightly jealous leslie had ann go out with chris to try and get more money for the parks budget rather than leslie asking him out with the same goal. he knows it’s insane, unethical, and illogical but he’s still excited that he gets to spend the night with her on a date plus two other people even if it is to accuse her of bribery.

ann realizes early on that leslie was attracted to ben and teases her mercilessly about it. she thinks it’s absolutely hilarious that leslie wants to make out with "mean ben.” after april and andy’s wedding, she realizes it's more than just attraction and she lays off.

before ben can even think rationally about what he’s doing, he’s in line at bed, bath, and beyond with a crock pot in his arms, calling stephanie to ask her to send him their family’s chicken soup recipe

ann knew ben liked her from the beginning and was totally positive when she ran into him in the hospital asking for leslie’s room number while holding jj’s waffles and a tub of homemade soup.

ben realizes he’s falling in love with leslie when he is at city hall with her until 3am one night trying to budget for the amount of cotton candy machines she wants for the harvest festival. in his exhaustion, he naively believes her when she tells him she’ll go home in a bit so he leaves. he never gets a text from saying she made it home so he stops at jj’s the next morning and brings a takeout container of waffles and a coffee complete with an outlandish amount of whipped cream and sugar to the parks department. he finds her asleep in the conference room. he starts trying to convince sweetums to donate more cotton candy machines that afternoon.

chris had to have known ben liked leslie. he’s not an idiot. in the deleted scene from their wedding, they read out emails from their “tumultuous first week in pawnee” and chris writes to ben saying, “why are you so focused on leslie knope?” ben replies saying, “i’m not. whatever. shut up.” there’s no way chris is this oblivious. ben takes her out for a beer. ben pays out of pocket for a children’s performer to help her out. ben shows up on chris and ann’s date just because he thinks leslie might be there. chris can’t be this dumb. but when they take the city manager jobs in pawnee, he knows it can’t happen so he cuts ben off when he starts to ask about dating someone in city hall. he cracks down on the rule in front of leslie after the tom incident to hammer it in. he starts setting ben up on a bunch of dates to try and head it off. he sends them to indianapolis for the little league pitch because, realistically, he knows they’re the best bet for success but makes sure to interrupt their dinner and invites them to his apartment to continue to run interference the rest of the night. after their fights in 4.06-4.08, he hopes he won’t have to worry anymore. the next work day, they come into his office looking nervous and happy and he knows he’s about to lose the partner and best friend that’s been by his side for the past decade.

april and andy knew they were secretly dating. it went unspoken aside from a few implicit teasing remarks from april and a few suggestive attempted high fives from andy but leslie assured ben they wouldn’t tell anyone despite their ostensible behavior.

BREAK UP

ben had commissioned the li’l sebastian plush for leslie after he had died but the toy shop didn’t finish it until after they broke up. he felt bad not going to pick it up so he did despite not being able to give it to her. he kept it for all those months and sometimes thought about getting rid of it but could never bring himself to do it.

when leslie made personalized copies her books for her friends with individualized annotations and notes in the bylines, she had two copies for ben. there was one that she gave him during their breakup that was very simplified and watered down where the note basically just said “i’m really glad you decided to stay in pawnee.” then there was a second copy that she kept while they were split up that was totally covered in notes and random thoughts she couldn’t say during their time apart. she gives him that copy when they get back together and it may or may not be the best gift he’s ever received.

april was much less abrasive with them during the break up because she’s a sweetheart and wants her friends to be happy.

the first time leslie admitted she was in love with him was during a long night of drinking and crying at ann’s house

ben craved the taste of sugar during their breakup because he got used to tasting the sweetness when he kissed her

ben found himself unable to sleep at night without the sound of leslie talking in her sleep to comfort him

april texted leslie the night of the halloween party to let her know that ben and andy were at the hospital after a fight and everything was fine and she didn’t need to worry. leslie was mad at andy for a few days after and he couldn’t figure out why.

the only photo in ben’s bedroom was of himself, leslie, and li’l sebastian at the harvest festival. if he got caught staring at it and crying, he would just say he missed li’l sebastian so much.

april and andy started having star wars and star trek movie nights to try and cheer ben up

DOMESTIC

ben and leslie got in the habit of having weekly game nights with april and andy during the campaign since they were all basically living together. it became a tradition that kept going as often as they could make it happen, even after the kids were born. they try to have game night at least once a month. april pretends to hate it.

one of my absolute favorite ideas about them is that she sleeps much better when he’s around to keep her grounded. after they get together for good, she starts getting closer to 5 hours of sleep a night.

another favorite involving leslie’s sleeping: ben is typically accustomed to tuning out incoherent nonsense that she babbles in her sleep but she also has some of her best ideas when she’s not busy trying to focus on a million different things. when he hears her coming up with legitimately good ideas or making speeches or having solid debate arguments, he takes out the notebook he keeps in his nightstand to record her thoughts and quotes. he revisits and revises the notes to strengthen her statements and make them more professional and less rambling but makes sure to keep her distinct voice apparent in them.

ben prefers pancakes to waffles but he will go to the grave with that secret

this isn’t a headcanon because nbc posted it but one of ben’s holidays on leslie’s calendar is watch synchronization day which is the day they celebrate syncing their watches to, as leslie puts it, “always be in harmony, like our hearts” which is just one of the sweetest fucking things in the world

leslie makes ben read and watch all the harry potters because he didn’t get into them when he first tried. ben is much more of a success than ann. she buys him a ravenclaw scarf for christmas.

their first fight as a couple was a historical debate gone awry

since ben clearly has some affinity for custom stuffed animals, he has some made for the triplets.

they’re both dog people but they adopt a cat because sonia and stephen beg for one and it does fit their busy lifestyle much better. they love the cat. they get a dog when the kids are older and life is slightly less hectic.

they both love striped shirts and sweaters so much that they have to make a conscious effort to avoid wearing them on the same day and matching

leslie makes sweets and bakes desserts while ben typically handles cooking the actual meals

BASED ON EPISODES, QUOTES, AND THROWAWAY LINES

i always loved the ann/ben dynamic in bus tour because there’s been such an obvious shift in ann’s attitude towards him in this episode. maybe it’s because she and tom just broke up and she just turned chris down again and she’s frustrated with relationships but i think it’s her realizing ben isn’t going anywhere. since the campaign is winding down, she realizes that things aren’t gonna go back to the way they were because ben is now part of this and he’s clearly in it for the long haul. ann’s definitely jealous that ben is just as important to leslie as she is and she now knows she’s never gonna get that full attention back. ann sits ben down to have a real “don’t you dare hurt her” speech after this ep and before win, lose, or draw. this is when he tells ann he wants to marry her.

they discover they both adore the princess bride after ben says “as you wish” to her one night and after that it becomes their movie.

the wildflower mural becomes a thing between them when ben says he considered that to be their first date, prompting leslie to tell him what the mural means to her.

ben puts banjo boogie bonanza on one of the mix cds he gives leslie at the beginning of their relationship

harrison ford movie nights start after they both reveal they had a crush on him as a kid. ben was obsessed with han solo and leslie was into indiana jones’ whole history teacher vibe.

they basically hate each other’s taste in music and stop exchanging mix cds once that becomes apparent that they aren’t gonna find much common ground. they both love tom petty, al green, and etta james and music in that vein though.

ben makes leslie watch game of thrones just to try to explain why he’s called her khaleesi. she gets into it, not so much because of the show itself, but because of how passionate her boyfriend is about it.

they start learning basic french during the s4 campaign because they think it will be useful to have a basic multilingual vocabulary for their political careers and because leslie confesses she has always dreamed of seeing paris. they study spanish next.

ben makes leslie watch the star wars prequels just so he can complain to her during them. he doesn’t think she’s paying attention and then he reads about midichlorians in the paper.

ann is also in on ben’s plan to sneak vegetables into leslie’s waffles.

they will sometimes jokingly refer to themselves as the “dream team” or “dynamic duo” because, despite chris’s absurdity, it’s true

i’m open to literally any origin of this because no matter what it’s perfect but i like to think that “i love you and i like you” started at some point in season 4 when, at some point, leslie went “i like you” and ben replied “you like me?” “mhm” “hm just like me?” “yes i like you. i love you and i like you. both.” “mmm i love you and i like you too”

i barely even register some of these things as headcanons since they just live so solidly in my brain

this might be my favorite ask ever thank you for loving benslie enough to ask me this and be genuinely interested

if anyone read all of this, i love you

#most of me loves you for sending this ask but i just procrastinated so much work while writing this #ben x leslie #otp: deeply ridiculously #cherubsona #mail #this is truly absurdly long no one is gonna read this

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0hxneybee · 3 years

Text

Step Right Up

Title: Step Right Up

Paring: Jeno (NCT Dream) x Reader

Genre/Tags: Fluff, NonIdolAU, Established Relationship

Words: 1.8k

Warnings: N/A

A/N This idea literally came out of nowhere but I found a really pretty photo from a carnival and I was like, yeahhh I have to do this lol. Also with ✨my amazing skill and talent✨ lol I got it finished and proofread on Valentine’s Day. Enjoy ♥

The cheers of the Carnival had been the background noise of your hometown for weeks now. Work had kept both you and Jeno busy and time was running out before the carnival would pack up and head to the next city. You two were both able to get off work early one day so you both got refreshed and Jeno picked you up to take you to the carnival. You could feel your excitement growing as if you were a kid again when you see the lights of the carnival getting closer and closer.

When Jeno finally finds a parking spot you get out and start making your way to the admissions booth. As you're walking Jeno wraps his arm around your shoulder bringing you close giving you a kiss on the cheek. You smile and blush as you wrap your arms around him giving him a hug as you stand in line to get tickets. You wait patiently until you get the front as Jeno pays for the admission and hands back muted pink-colored tickets. You thank the person working and start looking around for your first game or ride. “Okay I know it is really cheesy but I wanna go to the ring toss first.” You say as you hold the warmly printed tickets in your hands. “Yeah, no problem Y/N” Jeno responds as he leads the both of you through the crowds to get to the ring toss stand. “Step right up! Step right up! Toss the ring onto the bottle and win a prize for you or your loved ones.” The guy at the booth shouts trying to attract more people. Jeno gets the attention of the guy as he makes his way over to you two. “Will you be playing today sir or will the pretty lady try her hand at the game?” He asks, holding a small bucket of metal rings. “Just her this time, if I play you might have to restock all the prizes.” The guy running the stand laughs at the comment and puts the bucket down in front of you taking the ticket you had put out. “Best of luck!” he says as he runs over to a family nearby who are wanting to play as well.

You take a deep breath, focus Y/N. Jeno starts to giggle behind you and you turn around. “Jeno you’re gonna make me lose my concentration.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help it, you looked too cute with your serious face on.”

“I am serious about this!” Jeno wouldn't believe you because you had the biggest smile on your face but you did not let it deter you, you were gonna win.

So you didn’t end up winning and missed pretty much every shot you took. You miserably pouted into Jeno’s chest as he thanked the guy running the booth returning the bucket. “Hey Y/N it’s okay you know how rigged these games can be sometimes.” “I know but I really thought I had at least one of them back there.” Whatever you said sounded muffled by Jeno’s jacket so he just chuckles and says, “I know what will make you feel better.” you look up at him doe-eyed, “I’ll get you some cotton candy and lemonade, my treat.” A smile instantly stretches upon your face and you laugh linking your arm into his. “You’re treating! Lead the way then!” Jeno shakes his head and laughs as you make your way to the food area.

The smell of funnel cake, corn dogs, and popcorn fills your nose as you get closer to the food stands. You and Jeno split off as he goes and gets cotton candy while you wait in line for lemonade. You know it’s mostly just water and powder flavoring but the nostalgia you get from drinking it is worth it. As soon as you get the overpriced souvenir cup you take a big sip and scrunch your face as the lemons hit your tastebuds followed by the giant bits of granulated sugar after. “Pink or blue?” Jeno says as he brings two bags of cotton candy to you. “Both, it tastes better that way.”

“They're made of the same stuff, just different food coloring.”

“That is absolutely irrelevant and I still stand by my statement of eating it together.”

“Whatever.” Jeno shakes his head with a smile and divides the color so you’ll have an equal amount of both. “Did I ever show you that video of a raccoon getting cotton candy and then going and putting it in water to clean it, but the water just dissolves it instead and the raccoon gets confused. It was so cute and funny.” You giggle as the both of you start to walk around the carnival enjoying the cool air. Continuing your walk around the carnival you take in more of the lights, conversations, and screams filling the air. The sky set ablaze by the sunset had nothing on the flashing lights on each individual game and ride here. “I remember going to fairs like this when I was in middle school,” you start telling Jeno, “my friends and I would save up enough money to get an unlimited rides wristband and stay there for hours. Did you ever go to a fair or carnival before this one?”

“It’s not my first time here but back home we had more of an amusement park, carnivalesque type place, called Lottie World, it was super cool.” You nod enjoying the small talk and continue to walk down the rows.

Your train of thought was broken when you heard the same iconic phrase once again. “Step right up and try your luck to win the prize of your dreams!” You hear as you walk past a giant hammer and bell. Next to it, you see the prizes and you gasp which stops Jeno in his tracks. That’s it, you want it, it was a plush cat in the shape of a square about the size of a soccer ball. “That is so cute!” You say as you point it out to show Jeno. “Yeah Y/N,” he chuckles, “you know these games are rigged, we saw how it is at the ring toss game.”

“But Jeno this would be a piece of cake for you!”

“Not if it’s rigged.”

“Jeno please, it’s a cat plush, in the shape of a square! How is that not adorable?”

“You really like it?”

“Yes”

“Okay,” Jeno smiles and gives you a kiss on the forehead. He walks up to the guy running the stand and gives him one ticket. In return, the guy at the stand gives Jeno the hammer and opens the gate to let him in. “Let’s go babe! You got this!” You cheer as other spectators join to watch to see if Jeno could hit the bell. Jeno winds up the hammer over this shoulder and slams down on the target. You hear the whizz of the spring and watch as it flies up with a ding. You’re mouth drops. “YOU DID IT!” You shout and laugh as Jeno also has a face of disbelief. The rest of the spectators clap and cheer as you see Jeno point out to the plush cat for the guy to grab. When he comes back, you embrace him and the cat in a big hug and rock from side to side as you both start to laugh. “Thank you!”

“No problem Y/N.”

“What’s their name?”

“You can name them, they’re your cat now.”

“What about Luna?”

“Luna, I like it.”

The both of you had already made a few laps around the carnival and were starting to get tired from the food coma and long day you’ve both had. That still didn’t stop you from looking for one last ride you wanted to go on before you head home. You had passed by the Teacups ride several times and always let catch your eye a little longer than the others. “Hey babe, what about the teacup ride? We have one last ticket left and I don’t want it to go to waste.” Jeno nods in agreement and you make your way to the line.

Once you were let onto the ride you ditch Jeno and speed walk to the closest purple teacup you could find and let yourself in. Having already settled in once Jeno gets there he lets himself in and closes the door behind him. “Jeno before the ride starts can we take a photo together please?” You ask as you already had your phone in your hand with the camera open. “Y/N I don’t know my face has been super puffy today.” Jeno turns his head to the side avoiding the camera. “Please, just one I promise,” you start as you lean in to give Jeno a kiss on the cheek, “then I hope you have a stomach of steel because we are about to go so fast.” Jeno laughs at the comment turning back in so the two of you could get a photo together. As soon as you put your phone away you hear the buzz of the ride warming up and starting to move. You give Jeno a mischievous side-eye and start turning the wheel like crazy. Before you know it the cup starts picking up speed as Jeno finally joins in the help you turn the wheel. You laugh as you let go letting the wind whip around you as the lights of the ride blur together before going back into spinning the wheel.

When the ride came to an end, you could no longer see straight. Standing up you almost fall right back down as your vision swirls around you. You somehow fumble out of the cup and get to the nearest rail to steady yourself. Jeno laughing himself into hysterics behind you as he helps guide you out of the ride area. “I don’t fully regret going as fast as we did cause it was fun but oh my goodness the world will not stop spinning.” You say slightly holding your arms out continuing to try and balance yourself. Suddenly Jeno gently holds your head in his two hands making you look directly at what looks like two Jenos. “You okay?” He asks as your vision comes back to you ever so slowly. You nod. “Good, I wanna make sure you could see this.” He says as he leans in to give you a kiss. You close your eyes and kiss him back and while the world stopped spinning in one way it started spinning around you in another. When you open your eyes again you can clearly see Jeno and smile. He smiles back bringing you in for a hug. “You ready to head home now?

“Yeah, thank you for today.”

“Of course I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too.”

You two make your way back to Jeno’s car reminiscing over the night you had together. What a great day.

#nct dream #nct fluff #nct #nct 2020 #nct dream fanfic #nct dream imagines #nct jeno #nct lee jeno #nct dream jeno #kpop #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #kpop fluff #lee jeno #lee jeno fanfic #lee jeno fluff #nct jeno fanfic #nct dream jeno fanfic

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gottawriteanegoortwo · 5 years

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Darkstache Day Six: Pride

A continuation of ‘Past and Present’. It would be recommended to read that first, but it’s not necessary.

Dark might be a being who is of an unknown age, but he still seems a little unnerved about their relationship. Wilford takes advantage of Pride taking place in the city to show him how things have changed.

Word Count: 1,532

“C’moooon, Dark! It’s a lovely day out! We can’t spend it in heere!”

“I’m not going outside. I can’t, Will.”

A familiar argument the pair have had ever since Dark admitted he was a little uneasy about their relationship as a couple. Wilford would insist that going out on a date would normalise things, but Dark seemed overly aware of people staring at them and what their reactions might be. However, Wilford was set on this task.

“C’mon. Just a walk. Nothin’ overly extravagant. We can go get ice-cream, have a little wander in th’ park, then walk home. We’ll be gone barely two hours. Deal?” He needed to get Dark into the city. The Pride festivities were taking place today, like some sort of miracle that might help Dark see that being in a same-sex relationship wasn’t the end of the world. Of course, he didn’t dare tell Dark this. He instead waited for Dark to give a response. The entity’s stern gaze was focused on Wilford, before it soon dropped into a sigh.

“... Fine. Let me get my coat.”

By the time the pair were leaving, Wilford was holding a small rucksack filled with various Pride accessories just in case this worked, but covered them with a large bottle of water and a plain scarf. They chatted casually as they strolled into the heart of the city. Dark had noticed the large amount of young people hanging around, but said nothing. It was only when they passed a rainbow flag did he speak up. He held back to look at it. The breeze had picked up enough to let the flag fly with gusto.

“That’s the fourth one of those I’ve seen on our way here.” Wilford, who had only noticed the absence when Dark spoke up, turned on his heel to go back.

“Pretty sure it’s a summer thing,” he lied. “Y’know, because ya see more rainbows when th’ weather’s nice?” It was a flimsy story, but it seemed to work, and Dark continued on the path with a comment about how it would be more fitting in winter when there was a distinct lack of colour.

There was a crowd at the ice cream parlour, and Wilford was afraid it would be enough to deter Dark. Yet, by some miracle, the bribe of chocolate ice cream was enough to keep Dark there. In fact, as they walked to the park, Wilford couldn’t help but notice how content Dark was. This might be the best time for Dark to experience Pride - before the chaos truly set in.

One of the main walkways in the park had been taken over for the day. There were stalls on both sides - snacks, handmade crafts, face paint, among other things - went as far as the eye could see. Wondering if it was a summer fair, Dark approached one of the artist’s stalls to admire their work. The artist noticed the couple, as well as the lack of accessories, and was about to open her mouth to say something. As though sensing this, Wilford whipped out a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket and, without Dark seeing, flashed it to her and tilted his head in Dark’s direction. It had one simple word: “Closeted”. Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding.

“Hey, you know… You look like you need a little colour today,” she piped up with a smile. “I’ve been giving these out for free to people who’ve dropped by.” Before Dark could question her, a set of rainbow beads were put around his head. “There’s gonna be a lot going on today, but I hope you have a nice time. Remember to take lots of photos!” A matching set was given to Wilford, and the pair set off. Once they were far enough away, Dark turned to Wilford with a look of suspicion.

“You know more than you’re letting on. What is actually going on? There’s something you’re…” He trailed off. Two men walked out of a nearby coffee stand. They had a cup in one hand and their free hands were linked together. One man - who had a rainbow flag painted on his cheek - leaned over and quickly kissed the other on the lips before they carried on. Dark watched the exchange with a thousand thoughts running through his mind. There was no fuss about the action. No drama. No fear of being scorned. He glanced to the side and made his way to a bench where he could just observe. Wilford followed silently.

The longer the pair stayed there, the more Dark saw. People of the same sex acting as normal couples. Individuals who appeared to be dressed as the opposite gender (Wilford had leaned over and whispered something about ‘drag queens’). People who were prancing around like flamboyant peacocks. People who were shy and withdrawn, but with supportive friends. They all had various coloured combinations, but nearly all of them had that rainbow flag on their person.

“... Those flags have nothing to do with summer, do they?”

“Nope.”

“So what do they mean?”

Wilford turned his head to look at the entity. It was like the day that had started him on this quest to help Dark understand that this side of him was okay. He couldn’t back down now.

“This is a Pride festival. It’s a day where folks of th’ LGBT Community - er, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, an’ many others that I’ll explain later - come out an’ celebrate who they are. Was originally a bunch of protests, an’ many use it ta look fer equal rights. Days like these have helped raise awareness, an’ this whole month has been Pride Month.” The rucksack was slipped off his shoulders so Wilford could pull out two pins. They were enamel flags. He pointed to the one with pink, yellow, and blue bands on it.

“This one here is th’ Pansexual flag. That’s what I am. It means that I am attracted ta people regardless of their gender or any other factors.” Next, the second pin, with a rainbow flag. “An’ this is th’ Gay flag. It’s th’ symbol of Pride itself, but it’s also fer men who are attracted to those of th’ same gender… As I believe you are.” This was a sensitive topic, and Wilford was very careful to gauge Dark’s reaction. That reminder from Doc on making sure he didn’t “cross a line” was certainly working wonders. “I-I know this is a lot fer ya. I know ya probably hate me fer lyin’ but… I wanted ya ta see this. Sure, things ain’t perfect, an’ we gotta long way ta go before it’s all equal, but yer not alone. We can head back if ya don’t wanna stay, an’ I can promise not ta bring it up again. Just know… It’s yer choice.”

Dark’s eyes fell to the two pins in Wilford’s hand. There was so much to take in right now. All the fear and strain and isolation from nearly a century ago bubbled in the back of his mind like some kettle left too long on the stove. He wanted to rise up, scold Wilford for not taking his experiences into account and that he ought to know better… But how could he? Wilford was doing what he thought was best, and in as mindful a way as possible. They were two in a small crowd. No one was staring. No one was judging. That young lady had given him a set of rainbow beads for no reason other than he went to examine her wares.

He lifted one pin - the Pansexual one - and reached over to gently attach it to Wilford’s suspenders. It suited him (of course it did). His hand then dropped to Wilford’s and slowly curled it up. Whatever fears Wilford had faded when Dark flashed a smile overrun with nerves.

“Could you put it on me?”

They stayed out three hours instead of two. The pair watched the parade from a distance as Dark was a little overwhelmed with how much was going on. A young man with a rainbow flag tied around his neck like a superhero approached and nervously asked Dark to put out his right hand. When he did so, a stamp was placed on his wrist, leaving behind a neat, rainbow-coloured heart. Once Dark had his heart literally on his sleeve, he began to open up a little more. He took Wilford’s hand in his as they watched the end of the parade. Then, before they began the walk home, he kissed the reporter in public. He had never done that before. People cheered, and the entity was somewhat emotional at that positive response.

Only one photo was taken over the whole day. A selfie of the couple. The pins and beads were on display as Dark kissed Wilford’s cheek. It was simple, yet alive with love and colour. Once the photo was saved on his phone, it became Dark’s wallpaper so he’d always have that reminder that things were not as bleak as they once were for him.

Love is love, and he has the chance to experience it for himself.

#projectdarkstache #darkstacheweek2019 #darkstache #writersofmark #love is love #Cracked Mirror (Dark)#Rose Petals (Wilford)

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umichenginabroad · 5 years

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My first full day at INSA!

On Friday, I joined my INSA buddy for breakfast and boy was I glad that she had suggested we eat at 7:15am, the tiny eatery was empty enough that the two of us could go at a snail's pace so I could comfortably figure out how the breakfast line worked.

The options were relatively basic, bread, plain yogurt, various little packets of jam and Nutella, and some fruit. There were also some drink dispensers, for hot drinks, milk, fruit juices, and ol' water. Speaking of water: while the tap is safe to drink and sinks are obviously everywhere, I noticed there was a distinct lack of drinking fountains on campus. I haven't seen /any/ in my time here.

After breakfast, I made a quick shopping trip to a store about 5 minutes away to grab some various items I'd need for the dorm (tissues, toilet paper, dish sponges, etc).

I noticed cars parallel parked in between tree fixtures, which I guess is one way to prevent the problem of That One Guy who takes up two designated parking spots, and it also took us ages to find out where the store actually was.

The grocery store, Carrefour, also had these shopping carts/baskets/basket-carts, which were really convenient

We quickly scurried back to campus with an armful of items because there is a bag tax here--plastic bags cost an additional 5 centimes. Most of the people in the checkout line were quite prepared with bringing their own reusable bags or just simply using an empty backpack, and at around 10am, we began our tour of campus.

Not only were several buildings in the process of being renovated, but there was a bunch of construction along the roads, and preparations being made for a campus-wide event this weekend. It's almost like I never even left Ann Arbor 🙃 All of the buildings were of similar shapes and colors, with the main exception of a bright [Ross-]orange building that had a giant traffic cone in front of it.

there's a PokeStop for the cone in PokemonGo, and it’s dubbed the “VLC”, presumably in honor of the video streaming application

Once our tour and brief orientation session wrapped up, a couple other exchange students and yours truly briefly went to a mall in Part-Dieu to do some shopping.

Lyon has been coined one of the smartest cities in France, and the way tech has been embedded into facets of everyday life, like this funky tram map, has been cool to see. Now if only our dorm could have WiFi...

There were a couple familiar stores, mostly those that sold cosmetics. I specifically saw Sephora, M.A.C., L'Occitane, The Body Shop and I smelled also found a Lush store. I stopped by a tiny food stand to grab a quick bite to eat, and I thought I held the conversation in decent French, but upon getting my card back from the cashier and receiving my food, she said "Thank you" in English, which caught me by surprise. I was genuinely worried that my French was so bad she resorted to using English. When I had paid for my groceries in the morning, the card reader initially had a display in French ("Insert/Tap your card", "please wait", etc.), but the "Remove card" message was in English. Maybe there's something embedded in my card that somehow affects the language of the card reader? And maybe that’s how she knew I wasn’t French...

In the afternoon, we had a cooking demonstration + apéro* planned from 2:30pm through about 8pm. An English teacher at INSA joined us for the spectacle in order to translate instructions and general comments that chef Dominique had made. We helped peel some asparagus, but after that point, chef Dominique and his assistants took care of the rest (with the exception of one student volunteer piping the whipped cream on the strawberries).

The menu for tonight consisted of:

cured ham, asparagus, and some very-well seasoned mayonnaise/hollandaise sauce

broccoli, small potato pancakes, and duck served with a vinegary-orange duck-based sauce

some cheese (I didn't take a picture of this, but I assure you, you will see a lot more photos of cheese)

freshly cut strawberries that were macerated with sugar

That was all happened Friday, and next up: Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon--a very beautiful, colorful, historic, and cobblestony part of Lyon about 20-25 minutes away from campus)

a+,

Christina

Computer Science

Entrepreneurship with INNOV@INSA

Lyon, France

Two fun facts because I forgot some in my last post, thanks for sticking around:

"prendre l'apéro" - "to have an aperitif" is the literal translation, where an "aperitif" would typically refer to a drink consumed before a meal, but this was a whole ordeal where we had some kir, savory finger food, and of course, the food that we watched the chefs prepare in the kitchen. It was delicious, so far, I've been fairly impressed with the food here, and Lyon is living up to its name as the gastronomic capital of France.

AND

Most, if not all, plastic water bottles I've seen with the smaller caps snap open/close, instead of being a screw top. This is supposedly an intentional design to prevent the caps from getting completely lost, and the Carrefour store also had several different kinds of recycling bins, including one dedicated to bottle caps. It’s interesting to see this much consideration toward bottle caps, now if only I could find a recycling bin on campus...😬

#umichenginabroad #christinaliu #IPE Summer19 #IPELyon

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nextdestinationunknown · 5 years

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Day 106 (9/14/14): Walnut Creek, OH | Pennsylvania | Grand Island, NY

The last few days with my family were quite entertaining, and we thoroughly enjoyed their company! It was so fun being able to finally introduce Justin to everyone! However, Justin and I were slightly worn out from all the socializing. We got the feeling that my grandma was also spent when she lovingly kicked everyone out of her house, practically saying “You don’t have to go home, but you gotta get out of here.” Haha! She’s a character. 🙂

Getting up and moving was a challenge this morning, but we managed to get on the road and leave the Canton area. As we drove north through Ohio, we passed downtown Cleveland and continued driving east alongside Lake Eerie. When we reached Pennsylvania, we were delighted to see that the yellow wildflowers from Ohio had been joined by the addition of white and purple flowers sprinkled throughout them.

Downtown Cleveland, OH

A glimpse of Lake Eerie

Immediately upon entering New York, we hit a toll road and had to pay over $5 (surprise, surprise). Niagara Falls was the primary landmark we were interested in seeing in upstate New York. On our way there, we passed through Buffalo, NY and continued to our campground in Grand Island, NY. Most campgrounds we stay at seem to be around 30-40 miles from the cities or points of interest we want to visit. However, we would be staying just 9 miles from Niagara Falls State Park. How convenient!

Day 107 (9/15/14): Grand Island, NY | Niagara Falls, NY

We had decided to stay in the Niagara Falls area for a few days. We wanted to be able to take our time, which contributed to our late start this morning. Eventually we made our way to Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the United States! Niagara Falls actually consists of three separate waterfalls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls.

As we approached the park, we could see the mist rising up from the falls, conveying an anticipatory insight into the size and grandeur of Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls has always been on our bucket list of things to see, and we were excited to be able to cross it off. After finding nearby parking, we walked through the park to the Cave of the Winds Tour to get a close-up look at the falls.

Once we had donned our souvenir plastic ponchos and specially designed foam sandals, we took an elevator down 175-feet into the Niagara Gorge. When we stepped out of the elevator, we were at the thundering base of Bridal Veil Falls. The viewpoint from below the waterfall was incredible, and the power of the cascade could be felt to the core. We were sprayed by the misty water, which amplified our awareness of the massive waterfall’s proximity.

Wooden walkways along the Niagara River led us to the Hurricane Deck where we experienced tropical storm-like conditions. Winds can blow up to 68 MPH beneath the falls (it’s called “Hurricane” for good reason)! This is the closest you can get to Niagara Falls, any closer and you’d probably be washed away by the force of the waterfall and carried down the river. The gusts on the deck whip the water around, saturating any area not covered by the plastic poncho.

Justin made it his goal to be completely drenched by the waterfall, which didn’t take long on the Hurricane Deck even while wearing his poncho. As he stood under the fall, the torrential water poured down on him, completely permeating all available gaps in the plastic cover. Justin was quite pleased with his successful soaking.

The entire experience was unforgettably amazing! I highly recommend doing the Cave of the Winds Tour! The cost at just $12/person is worth every penny in our opinion, especially considering that the entire walkway has to be disassembled every winter and then reassembled each spring to prevent them from icing over.

We had considered also doing the famous Maid of the Mist boat tour. However, by the time we were done with the Cave of the Winds Tour, the Maid of the Mist was closed for the day. So instead we walked through Niagara Falls State Park. We ended up taking the pedestrian bridge over the Niagara River to Prospect Point where we were able to view the top of the falls.

Day 108 (9/16/14): Grand Island, NY | Niagara Falls, NY

After not being able to ride the Maid of the Mist yesterday while we were at Niagara Falls, we were debating whether or not it was worth going back for today. We felt that the experience we had at Cave of the Winds was unbeatable, and we had already seen some excellent views of the falls.

But we still had one more day in upstate New York, and we were only 9 miles from Niagara Falls. Plus, can you really see enough of the stunningly colossal falls? Absolutely not! Also, we stuck with our “no regrets” theme and decided it was a must-do! With this paramount determination, we went back to Niagara Falls to ride the Maid of the Mist.

We definitely made the right decision! This was a clear sunny day, whereas yesterday was overcast and gray. We would now be able to see the waterfalls in literally a whole new light! The lighting even created a rainbow! Plus, the boat ride was awesome! It gave us entirely different view of the American and Bridal Veil Falls. It also allowed us to fully see and appreciate Horseshoe Falls.

Before we had only been able to see a sliver of Horseshoe Falls from a distance. Not until we were on the boat approaching the falls did we realize we had almost missed seeing them in their entirety along with one of the most impressive views!

The short boat ride was only about 30 minutes round-trip, just long enough to get a good look at all three of the Niagara Falls. We were given ponchos to wear for the tour, but we didn’t get nearly as wet as we thought we would on the Maid of the Mist (we were dry in comparison to the Cave of the Winds). Surprisingly, the ponchos were more of a hindrance than an aid.

The boat doesn’t get close enough to the waterfalls to truly soak the passengers. We experienced more of a light misting and would have preferred to have not worn the ponchos, which whipped around in the wind and photo-bombed several of my photos, blocking some good shots. Nevertheless, the boat ride was completely worth it at just $17/person!

After riding the Maid of the Mist, we walked around and went to the Observation Tower, which provided an excellent view of the American Falls as well as a partial view of Horseshoe Falls. We could also see the Canadian town of Niagara Falls, Ontario across the river. We then realized we were only 15 miles from Lake Ontario!

We had already seen Lake Michigan several times: in Milwaukee, Chicago and while driving through Michigan. We had also seen Lake Eerie earlier today, but we were excited for the chance to see another one of the Great Lakes! It seemed like the closest and best place to do that was at the Fort Niagara State Park, so that’s where we went. We thought there might be a view of the lake from somewhere in the park. We were elated when we parked and were able to walk down to the water’s edge of the lake! We were even more delighted when we noticed the skyline of Toronto across the lake!

Lake Ontario was the first of the Great Lakes we had been to where we could actually see something on the other side of the lake. Toronto was tiny in the distance, which really put into perspective just how massive the Great Lakes truly are. With that understanding, we dipped our toes in the waters of Lake Ontario, allowing us to now be able to say that we have officially been in one of the Great Lakes!

Lake Ontario!

Can you see Toronto?

Days 106-108: Ohio, Pennsylvania & New York Day 106 (9/14/14): Walnut Creek, OH | Pennsylvania | Grand Island, NY The last few days with my family were quite entertaining, and we thoroughly enjoyed their company!

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adrihoney-blog1 · 6 years

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Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Rides - Ranked from Worst to Best

Hi, guys! This is my personal list of all the Magic Kingdom rides, ranked worst to best. I’m basing my list on wait queues, ride time, actual quality of the ride, and other little factors. For my list, I won’t be including attractions like The Carousel of Progress or Philarmagic. This is solely things you ride, and not a staged show. Let’s get started!

22. Tomorrowland Speedway

Honestly, I’ve just never liked this one. It’s not fast enough to be really fun, but not slow enough to be relaxing. And while you do have a steering wheel, you’re limited to a small strip of space to steer within, which roughly jolts you if you get too off track. The wait is boring, and the ride itself is boring. I could forgive it if you at least saw some cool things next to the “road” as you drive, but there’s nothing there.

21. Liberty Square Riverboat

If you’re looking to just get off your feet for a while, this is... Well, it’s an option. It’s a large and fancy looking riverboat that you can ride around for a bit. To ride a whole round trip, it’s around 17 minutes. While a relaxing boat ride sounds nice, you’re still technically outdoors, and if you aren’t one of the first people on the boat, you could be stuck standing. It’s not a very fun ride, and really, it doesn’t have a whole lot of Disney magic to it.

20. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

I think this is a cute ride for small kids, but really? It’s just another spinning ride. You know those rides, the ones at cheap carnivals. If the line is short, I’d say go for it, but if there are longer wait times for this ride, it’s really not worth it, since there’s another ride exactly like this one.

19. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

This ride is almost exactly like Dumbo. But, I do like this one a little better. The magic carpet is a lot more fun to me than the flying elephant. The details are fun, and the ride itself is right next to Aloha Isle, where you can get yourself a Dole Whip. The wait for this is usually a bit longer than Dumbo, but I personally think this one is better.

18. Mad Tea Party

This is a classic ride, and I don’t hate it or anything, but it’s not one I typically go on. The whole design and aspect of it is super fun. Spinning around in a teacup at a crazy tea party is a great idea! But, I kinda wish it could be something you just sit in, rather than get an arm workout in while having to manually spin the teacup yourself. The wait line also leaves something to be desired, since it’s just another place where you stand. Nothing fun or interactive about it.

17. Prince Charming Regal Carousel

The carousel is cute and classic, just not a go to for me. I think this is the perfect ride for kids aged maybe four or five to feel like royalty, especially if you pair it with the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or dinner in Cinderella’s castle. The details in the ride are gorgeous, and it makes for a great photo opportunity.

16. Walt Disney World Railroad

This ride is partially meant to take you from Main Street to Fantasyland to Frontierland without you having to walk so much, but really it’s better as just a standalone thing to ride and get off your feet for 15 minutes. It’s sometimes pretty inconvenient to walk from the station to your actual destination, and is a lot more fun to just walk through the park to get there.

15. Jungle Cruise

This is another Disney classic, that I honestly think could use some updating. The animatronics are pretty old and out of date, and the only thing I really like about this ride is getting to sit down and the large amount of puns. I mean, SO MANY PUNS. Unfortunately, it isn’t a ride you can just walk up to and ride, you most definitely need a fast pass for it, as wait times are usually pretty high.

14. Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

This is a typical Disney dark ride, perfect for any princess fan. The Under the Sea segment of the ride is probably the best part. The queue is decorative and ends up taking you under the Little Mermaid castle. And this might just be me, but I always lose cell service in there, and it makes the wait feel so much longer. The only other thing I don’t like is that with rides like this, they try and cram the whole story into this short ride. They do a fine job of it, but it really makes you miss the parts of the story that aren’t included.

13. Astro Orbiter

So, this is another ride like Dumbo, but this one is my favorite of the spinning rides. This starts off with a wait for an elevator, which takes you high up to the actual spinning ride, where you can get a view of the whole park. The little rockets you ride in are super cute, and if you ride this at nighttime, it’s absolutely breathtaking.

12. “it’s a small world”

Say what you want about the creepy little dolls, I still love this ride. I go on it every time I’m at Disney, without fail. The song is a classic, and it’s really fun to see all the different sets and details of the ride. The wait for this ride isn’t too bad, it kind of feels like you’re walking around backstage for a play. It’s also a fun tradition to toss a penny into the water while you wait and make a wish! The very first wish I ever made at this ride actually came true that same day! (I wished I wouldn’t have to ride Haunted Mansion. It happened to be shut down at the time.)

11. Splash Mountain

So, I have a love-hate relationship with this ride. What I love about it is it’s fun, and it has a great combination of thrill ride and dark ride. It’s just a really fun and great ride, where the whole time you wait, you can feel the anticipation building. My big problem is I HATE getting wet. Especially because I like to go to Disney with makeup and curled hair. And cute clothes. I don’t like getting my clothes wet or my makeup ruined. The other con is this ride breaks down a lot. Way more often than anyone would like.

10. Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion is a fun and creepy ride where you are literally in a haunted mansion. The music and the details are great, I love the Ghost Host, and the queue is so fun and interactive! I’ve never been bored waiting for this ride. The only thing I don’t like about it is the wait times can get pretty high and you risk waiting in the sun if it’s a crowded day. And, I do get scared easily. It’s spooky.

9. Pirates of the Caribbean

So, I haven’t been on this ride in a few years, but I do remember liking it a lot. It’s a fun and classic dark ride with some nice animatronic work, and I’m especially pleased that they’ve recently gotten rid of the ‘wench for a bride’ scene. I know it’s a classic part of the ride, but as a ten year old, it made me a little nervous and uncomfortable.

8. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

So, this ride is meant more for young children, but I love this ride! I love Winnie the Pooh. This ride takes me right back to my childhood. You ride in an adorable honey pot and travel through some adorable scenes from the different Winnie the Pooh stories. They don’t make sense as a story, but it’s still a fun experience, especially when your honey pot bounces along with Tigger or rocks or sways. You feel very immersed in the world of Winnie the Pooh. The queue is also interactive and PERFECT for little kids and keeping them busy.

7. The Barnstormer

This was the very first roller coaster I ever went on, and I think it’s a perfect introductory coaster for young kids. It’s mild and fun, but also EXTREMELY short. It’s one minute long, but the actual time where you’re going fast and having fun is much less than a minute. Either way, it’s a great ride for kids, or adults who aren’t so fond of the larger coasters.

6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

This is one of Disney’s super fast and fun coasters. It has an interactive queue for the standby line, which is honestly pretty fun and helps to pass the time. The ride itself is fast and crazy and a lot of fun. Another great thing about it is that it’s a longer ride, so when you get off, you’re able to feel like it was worth it.

5. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

This is SUCH A FUN RIDE!! It’s a shooting game combined with a dark ride, taking you through one of Buzz Lightyear’s adventures through space. You have a gun, a score, and a little lever in the middle to spin you and your shooting buddy around. And, when the ride momentarily stops to help someone in a wheelchair board, you have time to score more points!

4. Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover

This ride definitely doesn’t get enough love. The wait time is relatively short, you get to ride a pretty cool escalator with no stairs, and the ride itself is really fun. You get to go on a tour of Tomorrowland, getting a backstage look at Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and you even get to see a scale model of Walt Disney’s original plans for EPCOT. It’s super fun for Disney geeks like me, and it’s a great break from the heat and the walking.

3. Peter Pan’s Flight

This is my absolute favorite dark ride at Disney World. Period. It’s fun and immersive and beautifully detailed. The best part is that the pirate ship you ride in is not on a straight track on the ground. It actually switches to a track in the ceiling, so your pirate ship flies over the city of London and Neverland. Out of every ride on this list, I think this one really provides you with the most Disney magic and gives you that sense of wonder and amazement.

2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This is Magic Kingdom’s newest coaster, and like Splash Mountain, it’s a combination of a thrill ride and a dark ride. Both aspects of it are much different than anything else in the Magic Kingdom. The coaster itself has swinging cars that rock back and forth to add to the fun, and the animatronics have digitalized faces that are able to give more expressions and look more like the movie characters. The first time I ever rode this was with a free fast pass and while the fireworks were going off. It was a genuinely magical experience, and this ride holds a special place in my heart.

1. Space Mountain

My Disney trips never feel complete without a ride on Space Mountain. It’s a classic Disney coaster, and I can’t find a single flaw with it. It’s a fun space themed coaster where you actually get to see projections and lights to make it look like you’re in space. You ride in a pretty comfortable single seat with any of your party members in front of or behind you, so you aren’t squeezed in or knocking around next to somebody. And the queue is amazing. It’s full of cool maps and 3D images and a lot of the line is made up of games. I personally think this is the best ride at Disney, it feels very magical and fun and futuristic, and riding it gives you that same feeling as when you first walk into the parks.

That’s my list! Every ride at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, ranked from worst to best! I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. If you liked this, please let me know, and I’ll see about doing the same posts for Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Bye!

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rennyrosie · 7 years

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Thoughts from the counter protest

Boston.

What I saw, and what I was part of was energizing in all the right ways, and horrifying in all the worst ways.

I am angry. With others and myself, for doing what they did, and for not doing enough.

BEFORE I TALK ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT OUT A PSA. YES, I DO HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF POLICE BRUTALITY IN BOSTON. NO, I WILL NOT PUT THEM UP, NOR WILL I GIVE THESE VIDEOS TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY REASON. THE ARRESTS WERE HORRIFYING AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT POLICE BRUTALITY IN ~PROGRESSIVE~ CITIES BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CRUX OF THE PROTESTS. THAT IS NOT THE MESSAGE THE PROTEST WAS TRYING TO PUT OUT.

The counter protest had two, maybe three clear "shifts" in a sense. There were the people who protested first and actually directly confronted the <50 rally attendees - yes, we did manage to scare the vast, vast, VAST majority of them out of attending - and then there was the group that I joined with, which had run-ins with a few straggling Nazis and ended with a standoff with Boston, Quincy, Northeastern, and MA Transit cops, as well as Special Forces of BPD (those were the uniforms I could identify, there could easily have been more) in front of the hotel that the rally attendees were staying in, which then bled into a series of blockades and altercations with BPD all the way down the rest of the street into the next intersection. People - protesters and cops alike - were dispersing when I left but there could also have been a third group that kept protesting in front of that hotel. I'm not sure.

The common threads I could see in both "shifts" were... disconcerting, based on what I saw and experienced, and what I heard about the first group. Both protests started peacefully, with people actively encouraging peaceful interactions despite instigation from the bigots in attendance. It's ironic that the rally tried to distance itself from Charlottesville and literally right after they published their disavowal of Nazis and white supremacists the KKK announced that they would be in Boston for the rally. Both groups focused on overpowering the rally-goers through unity, with chants and music.

Members of both groups were later manhandled by cops for "assaulting police" (including false claims that I can contradict with evidence), and for unruly behavior. The first group got tear gassed. A man who had been marching and protesting since this morning and walked with me for a good chunk of the time I spent there recommended I keep a spare T-shirt close at hand, in case we got gassed again. The second group got maced. After several arrests outside the rally attendants' hotel, people got pepper spray to the face. Both protests got screwed over by police duplicity. Yes, police DUPLICITY. BPD LIED to protesters to protect their asses. They told us that their defense of NAZIS was only because the rally had a permit and would only go until the permit expired at 2PM. Yet hours later, at 5PM, police were STILL protecting and defending them.

As far as how it went for me personally, it was... mixed.

The protest started off great. People were united, there was a feeling of empowerment in the air. But then a group of Trump supporters passed by, and some drunk threw a water bottle that landed between me, a couple people, and a man in a wheelchair. Things started to fall apart a little but before they could get really bad we started moving out of Boston Common. People were still excited, we were chanting "Whose streets? Our streets!" and "Black lives matter!" and "We're here! We're queer! We're fabulous! Don't fuck with us!" among other catchphrases. I pissed off a lady by shouting really loudly into her ear, idk if that was overwhelmingly rude of me or not but people were yelling all around her so :|

And then the cops came in and tried to hold us in one spot. Luckily, the only thing that happened was a shouting match between a protester and a cop, and people from both sides rushed in and pulled them apart before it could get really physical. That's when T-shirt Guy and I met and he told me about what happened this morning and recommended that I keep a spare T-shirt close, like on my shoulder or around my neck close, just in case they gassed us again. When we started marching again, we ran into a pair of rally-goers, one of whom was actually engaging with a protester in civil conversation. The other one, however, was goading and threatening protesters. Eventually the conversation broke down and became another rally with the two of them trying to justify their racism while we shut them down. As they were leaving, though, the second guy made another threat and a protester responded. I think she tried to punch him, but she barely touched him when she got pulled back by her friends, and his friend pulled him back before he could try to retaliate. They ran back to the hotel and we continued to reclaim the streets.

We reached the hotel they were staying at, where we were blocked by cops who were responding to us because the second guy was "suffering from blunt force trauma" inside and the cops didn't want us attacking him on private property. This resulted in more standoffs and some more verbal altercations with police. When the first fight between a cop and a protester happened, the cops separated us and blocked off the intersection leading to the corner of the street we were on. Several arrests were made, most of which involved undue police violence. People threw water bottles at the cops.

After a second fight broke out between a protester and a cop and a second string of arrests was made, a different cop pulled me aside and LITERALLY TRIED TO "GOOD COP" ME INTO LEAVING THE PROTEST. He talked to me about how he believed in our cause (I'm skeptical of him as a white male cop saying the things he said) and that he believed that I had genuinely good and pure intentions. AND THEN HE SAID THAT IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO GET MIXED UP WITH THUGS LIKE THESE AGITATORS WHO WERE JUST "CO-OPTING A GOOD MOVEMENT" TO START SHIT AND CAUSE TROUBLE. So I told him that if he really believed, he'd know that the people around me weren't thugs and their intentions were the same as mine. In the middle of my response, though, he pulled me a little to the side and very far back. It turns out he had pulled me out of the mace target area. As he did that, he said that "little ladies" like me could get hurt just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yeah, gross.

But it did get me thinking. If I had been more aware of my surroundings, could I have grabbed some of the people who got maced? How effective could I have been in the front, being the one the cops had to look at when they initiated anything? Part of me wishes I could have done more, but part of me looks at where I was and realizes it would have been unrealistic to expect me to push past people over a head taller than me to be a buffer. Heck, T-shirt Guy pulled me back BEHIND him when we first got blockaded, just in case the cops tried anything.

The fact that I hadn't helped people more frustrates me. But it also gives me a chance to think about my place in this conversation as an Asian fem-person. By no means am I attractive, but I do give off the "perpetually lost and innocent" vibe to older people. There are so many ways I can use that to protect people and preclude cops from whipping out the tear gas and mace. Now that I know, maybe I can do something. Maybe. I wish. I hope. I will try.

That cop also tried to lecture me on how "real protests" should go. When I mentioned I was from Korea, he talked to me about the protests in Seoul over President Park's impeachment and how peaceful we all were and how no major arrests were made, and how much he wished American "rioters" would follow suit. So I talked to him about militarized police in America, how right here right now they had 5+ different uniforms ready to mace and gas us at a moment's notice. He just shrugged at that and said that violence begets more violence, as though we were the ones advocating genocide and mass murder.

And that made me remember what box Nazis and white supremacists often put Asian fem-people in. As long as we comply and do everything we're told, we're smart for not being white, vaguely appropriate for procreating but the second we stand up to them we're filthy and soulless. There's a reason why (especially younger) white nationalists are also weeaboos with an unironic love for anime porn. There's a reason why white nationalists fetishize Asian women. And there's a reason why Asian men are emasculated and entirely desexualized in the same breath. As long as we're useful and quiet, we can be the standard that breaks apart minority solidarity. 'Look at the Asians; they succeed without complaining unlike you filthy others.' It's up to us to stop enabling them with silence.

This is getting really long and rambly and I'm not sure if there's much else for me to say. I'm not glad I went; I don't know if it was a particularly good idea for me to go, especially in the aftermath of yesterday when I was called a ch*nk while on the job canvassing for the SPLC, but I did go, and it does feel like I did something I absolutely needed to do.

Again, PSA, I'm not going to post any photos or videos of arrests. That dehumanizes the victims of police brutality and desensitizes us to the scale of the issue at hand.

#BostonResist #BostonStrong #boston counter protest #racism #nazi ment //#police brutality //#direct action #democracy #black lives matter #antifa #rosie screams into the void

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theprismaticintrovert · 7 years

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Venice, Italy

Thursday June 29th, 2017

Venice was like watching an enchanting dream float above the water. A city built entirely on rivers and surrounded by bays that has never had the casualty to submerge due to the faith, strength, and love built from within. The three-hour train ride from Milan to Venice, Italy was totally worth it because although I had never seen the city with my very own eyes, I knew it was a treasure to appreciate as soon as I arrived. The admiration of the city could not have been taken in any other way – meaning getting the courage to walk around by myself and explore. After my self-exploration, I joined my group with a tour given by an adorable tour guide and present resident of Venice that it allowed me to see the city in a whole new perspective I could not really see by myself, including the Jewish Ghetto and Memorial we saw. To end the day, four of my friends and myself got on a gondola and were able to absorb the endless bliss that came with it.

On the train, I was acting like an eager little boy who was on his way to his first trip to Disneyland; I had my headphones on and was enjoying the scenery the train ride had to offer from Milan to Venice – including the romantic countryside of Verona. Once the train had arrived in Venice and we all stepped off the cars, we walked out of the train station into the sight of crystal green water in between two sides of the city. When I was walking towards the water, my advisor told me that the entire city ran without the use of cars whatsoever, all boats, ferries, and gondolas. We were waiting in front of the train station to get ready to board a large ferry towards the other side of the city. We waited for what seemed like an endless half-hour but was probably only ten minutes for the water taxi, and when it finally came it was crazy to see how crowded it was. There was literally no room at all to stretch out your elbows, especially since I sat in the back – but it is okay because I was able to see all of the beauty of the city as the boat was passing through all of the buildings on the canal. So many historical landmarks I have seen in photos and read about in books. One thing that caught my attention was the sight of “Support,” which is a landmark of the large hands emerging out of the water that looks as if they were holding up the building that is a hotel. It’s famous for its message because it is predicted that by 2100, the entire city of Venice will be submerged under water, but the hands show that humanity can keep it afloat despite the threat of all the climate changes Earth is facing. After reading that, it is kind of hard to imagine that all of that beauty could one day be destroyed, it made me eternally grateful to have been there and indulge all of its beautiful madness.

Once the ferry parked, my group and I walked from the docking station and saw the entire bay that really displayed the separation between all the parts of the city. I did not realize how many separate islands were surrounding Venice, it was an attractive sight to keep my eyes on. We walked around a very large palace that was used for parliament and a church that was right across it filled with both historical and architectural art. Our advisors gave us the chance to begin our own explorations of Venice (in groups) for about two and a half hours. Knowing me, I was going to lose my group and walk around by myself to deeply observe the city – because I did. My group of friends were once again spending fifteen minutes taking a photo in one spot, not that I got annoyed but I just decided to not waste what little time I had there – so I left them. Okay so I did not necessarily lose them like I said I did but I mean to be totally fair I walked down some stairs to see what laid beyond some alleyways and a river, but when I returned, my friends were no longer where I left them; so in some way, they left me. I did not panic, I just walked and kept breathing telling myself that I was going to be fine by myself. This is the second or third time I had done this so I knew all I had to do was just keep to myself and be aware of my surroundings. Once I began to walk, I saw nothing but pure rivers, boats, and tourists! I was glad to say I was not the only one taking in the experience. Not only that, all of the buildings there were centuries old and filled with various colors; I was also able to see the whole reason why the monument of the giant hands was built. As I was walking up a bridge above a river, I saw a boat parking in front of an entrance of a building; that’s when I saw it – the front door was well submerged in two to three feet of water. It was as if the entire first floor would be flooded from time to time; it kind of took my whole view on nature to a whole new level – it was no wonder Italy was very strict on trash and recycling unlike the United States and may other countries around the world. Exploring the city did not disappoint me at all, I fell in love with Venice I was excited for what the tour we were going to take had to offer.

In the tour, we first went around to get a closer look at the palace as well as the church that was standing in front of it. We then began to walk into some narrow alleyways and stairways that gave us a whole view of the city. Our tour guide was a little sixty-year-old woman who had lived in Venice for half of her life, she had an adorable but strong Italian accent that I admired because she really tried to give us a full tour in her own special way. Boy was I tired, especially after walking more than eight miles again, but seeing her power her way through the tour allowed me to stay motivated to keep walking and keep my wiped out mind to myself. She explained to us the message of the “Support” Venice Hands Monument, the way how the city was historically built not only by the government but by love. Many Venetians are known to devote their love towards the city, but because it is so expensive to actually live in the city, many have chosen to live out in the countryside in order to not fully turn their backs on the city they dearly love. We walked a little farther (still unaware of how many miles we had been walking) until we reached this little part that used to be a Jewish Ghetto. As a memorial, the city of Venice decided to keep the area as a ghetto to give tourists a little taste of fascist Italy, the Holocaust, and its negative drawbacks (not that there was anything positive that came out of this tragic event). The tour guide pointed out the memorial cemetery hidden behind a barbed wire wall where they buried the Venetian Jews who lost their lives in the Nazi death camps or the ghettos. The memorial had a large wall with the barbed wiring on top to display the imprisonment the Jews faced. On that wall, there was some concrete artwork that displayed the sufferings and torment the Venetian Jews faced during the Holocaust. She also pointed out the hidden synagogues and explained how times were scary for all of the men, women, and children who lived there during that time. Today, it is still home to some Venetian Jews, but it is good that there is a memorial there for all tourists and citizens to perceive themselves and take on a whole new outlook on life. Life can be short, it can rapidly change, and history may repeat itself. It’s good that we still have historical landmarks such as these around the world to allow people to see what horrors the world has faced; I believe seeing landmarks such as these can help us all be more aware of our surroundings and what changes we may be facing up ahead. One thing I want to write about before I close this paragraph is the writings on the wall imprinted on the memorial. I have read my fair share of books on the Holocaust, I took a course on the Holocaust at my home campus, San Diego State University and I have read so many words on the subject but no words have touched my soul quite like these:

Men, Women, Children, Masses for the Gas Chambers

Advancing Toward Horror Beneath the Whip of the Executioner

Your Sad Holocaust is Engraved in History

And Nothing Shall Purge Your Deaths from Our Memories

For Our Memories Are Your Only Grave

I think those words inflicted some kind of feeling upon me because I was actually reading them on a mantel rather than in a book; it took a whole new emotional toll on me I began to have a sorrowful moment for all of the Venetian Jews who lost their lives during those horrific times. Another set of words were displayed below that read:

The City of Venice Remembers the Venetian Jews Who Were Deported to the Nazi Concentration Camps on December 5th, 1943 and August 17th, 1944

Walking around there, I could feel the presence of those souls, souls that had a short life, souls that once had goals and dreams that were meant to be reached. So much lament and agony stays there, of course it doesn’t look a lot like it did during the 1940’s but you can say that with the Venetian Jews who still reside there, they have put a lot of their love, devotion, and fidelity into that place to keep it as their home just as their friends and family members once had.

After the memorial, we were given the opportunity to get on a Gondola and see some of the stunning river alleys Venice had to offer. We waited for about twenty minutes until a gondola was drifting by and the gondolier was a good looking thirty-something-year-old daddy; which my friends called “Gondola Daddy.” I could not keep my eyes off of him but I was embarrassed to even get on his gondola for I was afraid I was going to tip it the gondola over into the water. Luckily, in order to beat my insecurity, I wanted to be sure I got on first so I did not have to see the gondola sinking below. Once everyone had gotten on, the gondolier began to paddle the boat forward, and I was afraid to make any little move because anytime I did I swear I could feel the gondola begin to tip on each side. My friends had to keep reassuring me that we were going to be fine. I kept panicking but that was only because we were along boat traffic and the waves from the speed boats and water taxis were beginning to hit the gondola making it sway side to side. Once we got into the alleys, the gondolier kept a conversation with us explaining to us how being a gondolier is a family business. He also told us how all the buildings have vacant first floors because there are times throughout the year where the tide will go up and the first floor will be completely flooded. It was not really a surprise because I saw how the entrance was flooded in that one building but I would have never guessed that the entire first floor could actually get flooded. Once the gondola ride was over, we got off and had to meet with the rest of the group back at the Jewish Memorial and head together to the train station for departure.

Overall, this entire trip allowed me to open up my mind a little more. Being an open-minded person I began to take in a lot more than I could handle, only I was not overwhelmed because I saw the beauty in this city. Like I said, looking at Venice was like watching a dream on the water. We keep our dreams afloat because of the faith, strength, and love we have within ourselves; just as Venice has its fellow Venetians keeping their dream that was once their ancestors’ dream afloat. We boarded the train and embarked on our three-hour train ride back home. We were extremely tired but were reminiscing about how charming and stunning Venice is and all its sight has to offer. If I can conclude, Venice is by far my favorite city that I have visited. I love beaches and water in general, sure I did not get to see the beaches of Venice but the fact that the entire city is built on water is fascinating. It beats my trip to Lake Como (which is where I now want to get married) which is still beautiful. Venice would be a place I want to go when I want to be a tourist and explore more of what it has to offer; meanwhile, Lake Como would be a place I would want to vacation in – in my private villa with my entire family and soon to be the love of my life. Just trying to be positively hopeful here.

With Love,

Damian.

#studyabroad #venice #italy #gondola #holocaust #memorial #trains #lakecomo #explore #love #believe #dreamscometrue

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taylorjean-travel-blog · 7 years

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FROM WHERE IT ALL STARTED:

So, I don’t really know where to start to be honest. I’ve never really been good at writing, but maybe it will feel easier writing about my story and past experiences. Not sure why I thought about starting this blog- But I thought it would be a good way for people to read what I’ve been up to for the past few years with my travels/working as a yachtie (which will be in another post later on). I get a lot of questions and comments about how good my life looks and why/how I travel so much. I just want people to know that you all see only the good things that I post, lets be honest that’s what social media is, right? The best highlight reel of everyone’s lives. I never really post my struggles or the realness of working/living on a Super yacht.

My passion for traveling first started when I was about 19. Living on the Gold Coast in a job I wasn’t completely enjoying at the time. Living with my Long-term boyfriend Jed. One of my best friends Lana was travelling at the time. I never really had the desire to travel at all really- until I saw her photos and what she was getting up to- it looked incredible and so much fun. I started to Google places and checking out maps. Talking about it with Jed started getting me really excited. So we planned something big and definitely a worthwhile trip I’ll never forget. 10 weeks total in Europe, 6 weeks exploring in a van and the other 4 getting around via trains/buses and flying.

I think at the time the most daunting thing about deciding to travel for a long period of time was resigning from the security of my job and leaving my comfort zone. We moved everything back home to our family homes and that was it, we were ready to go. Not thinking about what would happen when we got back with jobs etc. We had saved and had been planning the trip for a few months. Half was booked which is a great way to do it. Luckily Jed had traveled to Europe more times than he can probably count, thanks to his map knowledge- we planned a good little route to see some places off the beaten track. I would definitely suggest traveling in a hire van or buying one. It’s a great way to discover little towns that would be harder to get too or you didn’t even know of. Back then living in a van was for sure something I found hard. This is so gross to mention to you guys BUT I didn’t shower for about 6 days at a time. Sometimes the only way we showered, brushed our teeth and used a proper toilet was at either the closest petrol station on the highway that actually provide showers for a small cost of 50cents each. The local beach that most of the time had the coldest water (it was the off season at this time)- Whip out the body wash and just get it done. Other times I would get frustrated and request for Jed to find a campsite close by to properly shower with hot water. I remember saying “If you don’t find a campsite and get us there by tonight, I’m going to kill you!” more than once. Not to mention some of the places we pulled up to sleep. I felt so scared and unsafe in countries I didn’t speak their language whilst sleeping in the dead end of a suburbia street or sleeping just off the highway with deer’s and creepy trees like something of a horror movie. Cold misty nights off a highway in Croatia- that’s the one I remember the most, I would wake Jed up when I had to pee because I didn’t want to go outside alone in the middle of the night. I also remember the first couple of nights in the van so well 3 degrees with one thin blanket for both of us that the hire company had for us?! The very next day I bought a thick sleeping bag and it was the best 50 Euros I did spend.

I had every piece of clothing I bought with me plus thermals and I was still shivering and huddling into Jed. It was the most freezing I’ve ever felt in my life. I think I slept all of 1 hour that night. Randoms kept walking by and looking in the van wondering what the hell a van from Germany was doing pulled up in their street for the night.

I’m going to post below the spots we stopped and some photos and a little paragraph from each place. The towns written in BOLD are some of my favs.

· Frankfurt, Germany

This was our first stop. I remember it being so so cold. We caught the train from Frankfurt city to where we picked up our van. Then the adventure really began.

· Paris, France

Funny story about Paris. I remember driving down the main road with the Eiffel tower in sight; I’m actually surprised we didn’t get lost. We decided to wing it for a park and surprisingly enough we scored one just a street away. Lots of the locals kept staring at us and a few of them suggest for us to not leave the van there too long as the area is known for break ins and pit pocketer’s (especially it being a tourist travel van from Germany). We were in Paris for all of 4 hours, which I find hilarious. We walked for hours around the main attractions. Ate some croissants and I bet Jed ate a cake or two. I did not fall in love with Paris like others do, each to their own though.

· Etretat, France!

So, this place is amazing but was so, so cold. Definitely need a car to get to this little gem. Etretat isn’t only just a cute small French fishing village, but has the most beautiful scenery and cliffs right on the seas side.

· Mont St Michele, France

This place was extremely cool. Massive castle in the middle of at the time an empty sea bed (it usually is surrounded with water when the tide comes in). I remember being so in shock of how crazy and detailed the buildings are, not just here but all over Europe and how old they are! Considering how basic and simple the designs of buildings are these days.

· La Rochelle, France

There was something about this cute little fishing town; market stalls with fresh olives, nuts, vegetables and fruits. There were many towns I didn’t feel comfortable at or we got completely starred at and I hated that. Thats one thing I have discovered with the Europeans, they have not been taught its rude to stare. Watch out if your like Jed and covered in tats or have really fair blond hair like myself. La Rochelle was very cute though I enjoyed walking around the streets here.

· St. Malo, France

This town has a lot of history and it actually gets surf! We stopped in here for a night or maybe food behind a mc Donald’s- not to eat just for the Wi-Fi!! I think like every little town along the coast in France has an old town. St.Malo did and it had canons out of the walls of the forte that we checked out; here is a photo of me on one.

· Biarritz, France

This was one of the warmest days on the start of our trip, I remember how excited I was that I could actually take of my 2 jumpers and eat an ice cream in the sunshine. We definitely enjoyed a scoop or 2 of gelato everyday if not every second day.

· San Sebastian

What a place! I loved San Seb, it’s so beautiful. Unfortunately we didn’t spend enough time there, I think it was only 3 days. That’s one thing I would change or do differently with a van trip is explore more and spend more time there, also probably would want to see it In summer! In all its glory. We ventured up to both lookouts and were blown away with the view. Another tip along the way is always campsites offering spaces for Vans and offering amenities.

· Pico’s De Europa National Park mountain range, Spain

This was a random stop and just a route we drove through to get to where we were going, I’m glad we did though. The mountain range was so cool and so scenic! Hung out with some snow, which was hard, to believe was around in Spain.

· Santander, Spain

· Porto, Portugal (drive through)

· Lisbon, Portugal (drive through)

· Benagil Caves, Portugal

Ok so one tip I would like to let you all in is… if you have googled this place and want to go then you must not pay for a boat trip- such a rip off! If you have a car- please drive there and its literally a 50-100m swim around the corner or hire a kayak. We had parked our van in a bush close by and slept the night and did not even realize how close we were to the caves. Eventually on our hike we came across it and enjoyed the view and cliff sides.

· Lagos, Portugal

Wow! Lagos is amazing. I really enjoyed it here, We also drove to some point where the lighthouse was, Jed always drove down the roads that I thought were so dangerous and wondered how the hell we would get back up them. I always freaked out and would say “No”. I’m glad he decided to ignore me because we pulled the van up to this amazing spot, pulled out our chairs and watched the sunset. Most nights we ate vegetables with zucchini pasta. Yes Jed did bring a zucchini peeler from home! Haha.

· San Jose, Spain (Almeria Coast)

This was one of my all time favorite spots and a place I will never forget. It was like the Arizona desert meets the Mediterranean sea. I really love Spain. The whole drive along this coast was beautiful. I was so excited when we found this place. I’m obsessed with clear blue seas rather than cities! The sun was shining, it was warm although the water was absolutely freezing we still charged in.

· PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN

I don’t even know where to start with this incredible place. Just recently came back here 3 years later just because of how much I enjoy it here and probably will always come back whenever I’m in Europe. We traveled to Palma VIA a ferry from Valencia. Funny story about the Car ferry ride there. It was an over night ferry and we had learnt about how average the seats are onboard for sleeping. So, we decided to hide in the back of the van underneath all the covers and stay the whole night in the van. We had it all thought out. We had food we could munch on and a perfectly comfy bed to sleep on. Woke up in the morning to people walking to their cars whilst peeping through the curtain. Success. Palma has the most beautiful coves; I cannot even explain the color of the water and the backdrop of the mountains. This is another place I feel at home. We drove up to one of the highest points near Cap De Fermentor and slept the night, I remember being so freaked out. Felt there was ghosts all around me and random goats chilling. The most beautiful sunset from up there though. Was funny now I think back to it. Also you have to try out Beleverde Vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the town Pollenca. Seated outdoors underneath a canopy of green trees and offers such delicious food. This was our treat to ourselves for Jed’s birthday!

Cap De Fermentor, Mallorca

Cala Sant Vincec, Mallorca

Sa Colabra, Mallorca

· Barcelona, Spain

Another spot we spent only a few hours at exploring the streets and tourist attractions. We got a ferry here from Palma, found a random place to park then walked into town and around the main tourist attractions. I wasn’t too impressed to be honest. I know a lot of people love Barcelona but its not one of my favorites. The buildings and cathedral’s are very impressive though.

· Cassis, France

Yes! CASSIS! I am absolutely in love this place. Another spot I need to get back to and spend a little more time at. It’s incredible, we went on a boat trip to see the coastline and cliff sides,of course we ate a scoop of delicious gelato. We drove to the top of the mountain overlooking the town, watched the sunset and had some moments to ourselves. We came to know pretty quickly where was suitable to pull up for the night and where wasn't. Most of the time we would wake up really early and continue on leaving no time for rangers to fine us. I remember looking out the front windscreen to Jed sitting on the pull out chair listening to hardcore through his headphones and going absolutely ballistic. Air drumming and air guitar. Gosh it was so funny, by this point I think we were starting to lose our minds a little.

· Nice, France

A spot I didn’t really care about spending much time at. We literally drove straight through the main beach road.

· Monaco

Same thing here we drove straight through, also there’s not much in the way of a van campsite. So we just continued on.

· Cinque Terre, Italy

This place is extremely packed with tourists, BUT well worth the trip to. The small villages built into the sides of the cliffs are breathtaking and very picturesque. The speed of the train was syko and something I found incredibly amusing for some reason. The track along the coastline was unfortunately being tended to so we couldn’t do the walk all the way between each town.

· Pisa, Italy

Funny random stop. We literally took a pit stop to go to Carrefour. Carrefour became our favorite supermarket to shop at for our groceries. So anyway we stopped and walked to the main attraction, which is obviously the ‘leaning tower of Pisa’. Took the famous tourist photo and left.

· Rome, Italy

Rome is obviously a very famous old city with a lot of history. We found a campsite a fair way out of town but easily accessible by bus. I remember it was a really average day with the weather, really rainy and overcast. The coliseum was actually amazing. One thing about traveling in the down season is how much less packed with tourists it is. It blows me away how old and the history of the buildings in Europe are. We then went on a bus tour to the Vatican City and missioned around there. I think there was actually an Easter weekend ceremony happening and there was a public concert on and he was actually in town for this. So that was cool to see him.

· Pompeii, Italy

Here we did a day tour. The tour guide looked like the guy that wrote Seinfeld – Larry David. It was so funny that Jed had to get a photo with him. He was cool, I actually learnt a lot about Pompeii. Here’s a brief outline: Mount Vesuvius, a volcano near the Bay of Naples in Italy, is hundreds of thousands of years old and has erupted more than 50 times. Its most famous eruption took place in the year 79 A.D., when the volcano buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii under a thick carpet of volcanic ash. The dust “poured across the land” like a flood, one witness wrote, and shrouded the city in darkness…like the black of closed and unlighted rooms.” Two thousand people died, and the city was abandoned for almost as many years. When a group of explorers rediscovered the site in 1748, they were surprised to find that–underneath a thick layer of dust and debris–Pompeii was mostly intact. The buildings, artifacts and skeletons left behind in the buried city have taught us a great deal about everyday life in the ancient world.

· Positano (Almalfi Coast), Italy

The drive here was absolutely mental. Being the weekend of Easter. I think all the Italians had a public holiday so they all had the day off and were thinking the same thing. Eat gelato and visit the almalfi coast for a day trip. These roads are one of the top dangerous roads in Europe to drive. Windy/thin and on the edge of a cliff. For me it was a great view. Poor Jed didn’t see much from having to concentrate on keeping us alive. We agreed on the first car park we saw we would take and walk as far as we had too to get to Positano. So that we did. It was worth it. I hope that in the future I go back and actually stay there, somewhere romantic! I’m sure during my time yachting I will see it from the sea.

In between here by this point Jed and I did start to lose our minds being in the van. We always had our favorite music on which consisted of The National almost every night before bed and a lot of pop punk/hardcore when we were feeling crazy. At this time we were driving from Almalfi coast to Bari another town in Italy. Like I will always say its the worst place ever. Won’t go into that story. So anyways Jed and I had Confession on and were jamming out hard moshing in the car whilst driving down the highway.

· Croatia: Dubrovnik/ Split/ Plitvic National Park and KRKA National Park

Croatia hey, Croatia is awesome. I’ve never done sail Croatia like everyone else but I have experienced it by van. From a place called Bari in Italy (THE worst place in the world) we traveled to Croatia via ferry, then arriving in Dubrovnik. It’s another amazing old town! I loved exploring the little alley ways and walking along the ancient City walls surrounding it. But most of all my favorites were the National Parks we trekked to. We did them both in one day and unfortunately for us the weather was drizzly and overcast. Usually you can swim at Plitvic. Its like a magical fairy land, its incredible! KRKA was a random waterfall out in the middle of actually nowhere. I remember getting annoyed trying to find it. But we eventually got there.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

KRKA National Park, Croatia

Plitvic National Park, Croatia

· Venice, Italy

I really did enjoy Venice. Obviously another crazy tourist destination. One thing I remember was the campsite we stayed in! Haha. It was the really good amenities that got me excited, Good Wi-Fi connection and hot showers!! That afternoon we spent walking around the side streets and explored. We watched a guy propose from a gondola (how original mate) haha it was romantic actually. We had some epic Italian pizza for dinner and amazing gelato for desert.

· Switzerland: Versasca Valley/ Jungfrau/ Lucerne/ Interlaken

Switzerland is crazy good if you’re into skiing/snowboarding. I definitely need to get back there. There was a lot that Jed was excited to do there but we weren’t able to because the season hadn’t started/the weather was terrible and the trains wouldn’t go up to top or something like that. Versasca Valley is a spot you definitely need to go visit. Jungfrau is also known as ‘The Top Of Europe”. The view and adventure platform at 3454 meters above sea level unites in a place that fascinates people of the Alps: a majestic backdrop of ice, snow and rock with breathtaking far-sightedness. You can usually see the Black forest in Germany on a good clear day from the top. The train literally goes directly straight up through the mountain. The Valleys in Switzerland are a must see, greenest rolling grass hills with cute little cottages huddled through.

· Amsterdam, Holland

I think most people love Amsterdam its well known for its museums, red light district, coffee shops(weed) but also the great variety of eating & drinking places and night life. By this point we had returned the Van back in Germany and had flown here. I was blown away by the serious amounts of bicycles and canals. Reminds me of Venice a little bit. Didn’t smoke or eat cookies while I was here. Just ate loads of Poffertjes (the Dutch pancakes) and rode around all day!! We stayed a little out of town here, but rode and caught buses everywhere! I remember one day riding back to our hotel and witnessing a loser on a moped hitting a chick on her bike, was pretty full on! She was all-good though.

· London, UK

From Amsterdam we caught a bus to London town. London was cool, was nice to hear the English language again and made me feel seriously at home, as at this point I was feeling a little homesick.

· St. Ives, UK

A picturesque fishing harbor and seaside town voted best family holiday destination in the coast of Cornwall. Loads of good surf and beautiful beaches. My friend Caroline was living and managing backpackers here, She offered for us to stay for a cheap price. She gave us a private room for 2 weeks and we joined a gym worked out and just hung out! I remember Caro greeting us off the bus from London with Cornish Pasties! It was still cold, actually pretty freezing when the sun wasn’t out. We went paddle boarding one day, there were seals chilling- very different to back home where it would be dolphins or sharks.

· Athens, Greece

Athens was interesting, not what I had expected it be actually. Very run down and graffiti everywhere. We only had one day and night here before our ferry to Mykonos. We went and saw the Acropolis and a couple of other sights.

· Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos is one of my favorite Greek islands. Definitely a must see island, Party or no party its up to you. We did not party, just explored on quads and scooters, which was so, much fun. We ate so many gyros. Baklava also quickly became our favorite desert.

· Santorini, Greece

Santorini was really really amazing obviously. Everyone is aware of this I don’t really need to say anymore. Quads, Gyros, Baklava, sunsets and fun. We also did a boat tour to the volcano that is still active just in the middle of the island that was pretty rad. Check out the Red beach too!

· Heraklion, Crete

Whatever you do, do not stay in Heraklion! EVER! We literally hated it; we watched series in bed most of the days, we were pretty exhausted. We were only here because of the Greek island package. We did do a day trip to ancient ruins though so don’t judge us. I will be writing about another trip I did to Chania, Crete with my dad later on! Trust me stay tuned because this place is somewhere you NEED to get yourself to or put on your bucket list.

I also would just like to add that Jed and I look pretty funny and gross in a lot of these pictures, please forgive us as we probably hadn't showered in 6 days and cared more about where we were rather than what we looked like. Also these pictures probably aren't good enough for social media these days. No filters, no sharpened photos and a whole lot of realness!

I managed to collect a postcard from every country/ Town we went too, which will be perfect memories for me to show my kids and grand children in the future. Haha.

As you can see we visited a lot of towns/countries in that 10 weeks. Lots of frustrated and stressed moments for sure but also SO many laughs and happy memories were made that I will never forget, we enjoyed every moment and especially now when I look back at it, I would do it all over again. Big thanks to map man Jed, we are still very close friends to this day 3 years later. If your reading this I know you know what you mean to me.

This is just a basic outline of my first Euro trip traveling like a backpacker. Many more trips to come so stay tuned! My next Post will probably be about how I got into yachting and some sights I saw and personal experiences along the way.

#spain france italy croatia greece uk germany exploremore traveleurope europe backpacking travelblog wheretotravelineurope

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ktkski2017-blog · 7 years

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The Legendary Masai Mara

February 26, 2017

Thursday evening after ward rounding Luke and I packed and cleaned the apartment in preparation for departure the following morning. We over ate at dinner to finish our leftovers and other things that we didn’t want to throw away. Luke made a delicious cold pasta salad with pesto, beets, and green peas for us to eat on the road. I made some PB&J’s and chopped up some fruits. We were ready to go Friday morning after making a large breakfast and packing the last of our dried laundry and camelback/filters. Leonard and a PCEA driver met us at 9am and we loaded four large suitcases and our carry ons in to the car (they fit but juuuuuust barely)! I got the front seat while Luke, Leonard, and another person we were driving to Nairobi sat in the back seat. Luckily there were seat belts that worked as the drive gave me anxiety. I personally don’t see why speeding through town really benefits anyone. I also have come to the conclusion that people driving cars see motorbikes as invisible. I am confused why most Kenyan’s say that motorbikes are the most dangerous thing on the road when people in cars insist on driving them off the road – makes me feel like the cars are the instigators while the motorbike accidents are consequences of defensive driving. That said you wouldn’t believe (unless you’ve seen it yourself) the types of things that people on motorbikes transport. There was a bedframe balancing on the back of one spanning the full 6feet wide. Other motorbikes are packed taller than the driver with corn stalks that also span 6feet wide. In one case there was a person sitting on top of the corn stalks, barreling down the road with his knees at the level of the drivers shoulders, balancing with his arms.

Four hours later we were being dropped off at Hampton House and shaking hands with Leonard and the driver to thank them for getting us there safely. The Hampton House is a really well taken care of estate (we stayed there upon arrival to Nairobi as well) that has rooms with ensuite kitchenettes. We were on the second level this time right next to a really nice sitting room that was shared by all the hotel guests but it was empty during the afternoon so Luke and I took tea in there and relaxed in the sunlight. We also visited the hotel’s playground that has a full basketball court, jungle gym, and several picnic tables and swinging chairs. Very relaxing! After lunch we got out our computers and did some work. Luke had a business meeting and I got some logging completed in preparation for graduation from residency. Unfortunately later in the day, the shared common room was packed with loud ex-pats so we had to endure some less-relaxing noise. They cleared out before bedtime and as there is no alcohol allowed at the Hampton House, they didn’t get too rowdy. We did some final packing of our bags and prepared for our departure for safari the following morning.

Saturday morning we were picked up by Esther and a driver for Kenya Budget Safaris. We were skeptical regarding what we were going to get with a budget safari, so we were prepared for anything. However, she showed up on time and was fantastic – she had been our booking agent via email prior to the safari so it was really nice of her to be present in person to meet us. They drove us to central Nairobi and pointed out some key locations. Luke and I noted how many trees were present in such a large city. As we were driving around a round-about, my mouth literally dropped open when I saw a HUGE bird – maybe a crane or stork – flying through the air with a 4 foot wingspan. It landed in the top of a tree next to half a dozen of the same huge birds. My safari had begun! We pulled over and dragged our four huge/heavy bags along the sidewalk in Nairobi (feeling very exposed) especially when a guy approached us asking for money for food within 30seconds of getting out of our car and I putting on my backpack carry on. We walked quickly around the corner to the office entryway and somehow fit all of us and our luggage on to the small elevator to take us up to their office. The elevator door kept getting confused by Luke’s elbow or something and would keep reopening. Eventually we made it up and in to the office which was packed with desks, chairs, computers, and other people’s luggage. We labelled our bags and paid for our safari with Esther. She gave us water bottles for the weekend and a receipt while we sat and waited for the departure time. Someone had hand-painted the walls to depict very nice safari images.

When the time came, Esther escorted us down to the car where we met Stanley, our guide and driver, and the other people that had also signed up for a budget/joining safari. One was a German anesthesiology resident who had chosen to tour Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya during his vacation time from residency. Another couple is from Slovakia, the female works for the embassy or consulate and her boyfriend was visiting her for the next few weeks. The last member is a Lithuanian woman who is living and attending university in Sweden and doing a study abroad project in Nairobi regarding lighting planning or something. We departed and promptly got stuck in Nairobi traffic for about a half an hour. Once we were on the highway we travelled quickly toward Masai Mara (south west of Nairobi). The highways were wider and better maintained that the ones North of Nairobi. We stopped at a tourist stop overlooking the Great Rift Valley and bought some souvenirs (which were lacking in Chogoria as it is not a tourist town). Stanley pointed out some plants and told some stories along the way to familiarize us with Kenyan scenery. We drove through a very dry Great Rift Valley watching dust tornadoes and brush whip past the windows. After several hours of driving we finally pulled off for lunch in Narok town where we had a buffet lunch of chapatti, cabbage, greens, spaghetti noodles, and beans. Luke and I explored a tourist shop and were overwhelmed by the severity of bargaining for a simple souvenir. The bidding started at $250 USD and I was severely insulted that they thought I could afford that cost. I wonder if anyone just hands them cash to pay for things. Eventually we got the souvenir for an okay-ish simply because I couldn’t afford what he was asking and I got in to the car to leave.

The drive continued after lunch but eventually, the paved road ended. Stanley pulled off to the side of the road and started to strap himself physically to the steering wheel reassuring us that this was for our safety. He told us to not take pictures of the Masai people because some of them are distrustful and they might throw rocks at the vehicle. Lastly, he told us to buckle our seat belts and hold on and that he likely wouldn’t stop for any animals we might see but he might slow down if we ask him. And off we went, barreling down this dirt road past other buses and cars that were slowly making their way down the non-graded dirt road. To a certain extent I totally understand why one should travel quickly down a dirt road to avoid the washboard phenomenon – but it was pretty intense. However, Stanley was true to his word and we got past the dirt road safely. We eventually slowed down because the pot holes got bigger and he had to start slowing down to actually go through them. We passed Masai after Masai, out following their goat herds or cow herds as they grazed over the countryside. At one point Stanley told us that there was a “new road” that was a short cut – mostly because the old road bridge was out – but also because this was faster. So we drove off the road and through a farmer’s field – this was obviously a common thing because the farmer was there waiting with a log across the road to take a toll and move the log out of the way. We headed down this road in the middle of nowhere and through some riverbeds that our car, luckily, made its way through. The car/bus had a submarine air vent in case the engine went under water. We sped past more fields and Masai people. Sometimes waving at the kids, occasionally getting rocks thrown at us (despite no one taking photos). We turned on to nondescript roads several times (you wouldn’t have known a road was there unless you were familiar) and eventually pulled up to an abandoned looking village. Turns out our camp, Miti Mingi Ecocamp, is located right next to the Masai Mara park, just adjacent to this town. During peak season this town is jumping with tourists and full of people, but currently we are heading in to the rainy season which is less popular for tourism (as many roads are impassable).

We were oriented to the camp (limited times for power, hot shows available if you let the water run for a long time, and semi-permanent army-like canvas tents with beds in them and ensuite bathrooms) and then packed our things to head out on a game drive!

After tea, Stanley loaded us back up in the bus, having opened the roof for better viewing. We drove the 5minutes to Masai Mara and entered the gates. Both sides were lined with Masai women selling trinkets/souvenirs. As we pulled over to the side to pay the entry fees (which Stanley was in charge of) the women opened the bus windows themselves and held the trinkets in our laps to purchase. After many “no thank yous” Stanley got back in the bus and we drove off. We saw zebras, gazelles, and impala right off the bat. The wildebeest were numerous – the first time I have seen them in person! Water buffalo and giraffe were also readily seen. Stanley drove us away from the rest of the safari vehicles so we were relatively alone. We saw some hippos in a pond, many birds, hartebeest, tophi, as well as many cows and sheep being herded by the Masai people. Our favorite part was when Stanley said “what are the impala looking at?” and drove off the road to explore. He discovered three lionesses lounging in the shade! We took our fill of photos and then he radioed to the other drivers their location. Shortly thereafter dozens of vehicles appeared to inundate the lions with photos as we drove away. The sun was setting while an evening storm was passing over the fields dropping the temperatures to around 60 and we headed back to the gate.

Dinner was buffet style as well: cabbage, beans, spaghetti, and mashed potatoes. And of course black tea and fruit for dessert. The camp has a canteen and we were able to purchase alcohol – so Luke and I purchased some Gin and Krest and made a kind of Gin and tonic. We sat and chatted for a while with our fellow safari companions before heading to bed.

Day 2 of safari dawned before sunrise

My night was interrupted by an itchy right foot – something had made a meal of my right foot and ankle. I fitfully fell back asleep and tried not to run through a differential of what could have caused the bites, while listening to the chorus of dog vs hyena howls that basically didn’t end all evening. We had breakfast as the sun was rising – Kenyan pancakes, toast, and beans with green pepper with coffee or tea – and jumped in our safari van.

We saw so many interesting animals throughout the day. The dikdik is a tiny deer (about the size of a cat) and we saw quite a few of these, travelling mostly in pairs. The meercat (Timone) were always discovered running from the vehicles at far distances, so it was hard to get a good photo of them. We would only see them standing on their hind legs from way far off before their colony would take off running. We saw the typical zebra, impala, gazelle, and wildebeest in large numbers and varying distances. We saw again the crowned crane that has a large yellow halo of feathers around their heads. We saw a ton of vibrantly colored birds – however our camera lens does not capture photos of small, far off things so we had to enjoy them with our eyeballs and memories instead. We saw another lioness basking in the sunlight all by herself and enjoyed watching her preen herself before moving on. We saw jackal running off in to the distance. Several cool animals that I didn’t expect myself to be so excited to see included the vultures and ostrich (so silly looking). In fact – while we were tracking several lions (our guide was looking at prints out the window of the vehicle and driving all around – along with several other vans/guide groups – I kept thinking out loud to Luke that I’d like to go get closer to the ostriches and vulture instead of seeing the lions. This was obviously crazy talk because as soon as I saw the lions I was wrapped up in watching them. We eventually found the lions behind a wall of vehicles that were already parked, taking photos of the lions (I took a photo of the line of cars). There was one young male lion and two lionesses lounging in the early morning sunlight. Despite being surrounded by cars, the lions rarely looked at any vehicle and chose to remain aloof to our presence. After lounging around for 15-20minutes they may have eventually got tired of the vans slowly encroaching on their space because the male lion walked behind the hill and sat in the shade – so of course all of the vans moved to see what he was up to. Then the lionesses got tired and they stood up, walked off leaving the male lion with his human entourage. As they walked by (almost touching the back of our van) they were very affectionate with their sister lion, rubbing up against each other and at times helping each other clean their fur. The male lion eventually decided to follow them off to wherever they went and he walked past our van as well. Instead of following them in to the trees, however, he plopped down in the middle of the road in front of a van, and proceeded to bask in the sunlight there – the lionesses watching him and his actions from a little ways off.

We saw warthog (very skittish), giraffe, and elephants – which everyone in the group had been most excited to see as we had been out driving for almost the whole day before seeing them. We saw buffalo in large numbers and, very exciting, saw a cheetah basking in the sunlight in the middle of a huge field of dried grass. It kept moving its tail around but otherwise didn’t budge from its spot. After the cheetah we started to make our way over to the Mara river that is the border between Tanzania and Kenya. The guide told us that it’s too bad that they share a border with Tanzania as they have very liberal policies regarding hunting these animals and often animals cross in to Tanzania and get hunted for sport. At one point during the drive to find the river, we almost got stuck in mud pits. In typical Stanley fashion, we were barreling through fields of wet mud in order to prevent us from getting stuck. We had two hair moments where we were crossing trickling streams vs water pits and had to slowly approach, and then slam on the gas to get over them. Luckily we made it through (at one point we saw another vehicle stuck at an odd angle having gotten trapped in a pit) so well done Stanley. We got out at the marker that indicates a non-Mara river border with Tanzania and started to take a picture – but then Stanley informed us that Tanzania was the other direction – so we walked out of Tanzania and back in to Kenya to take a photo of our van that was parked in Tanzania.

We arrived at the river to see a huge pod of hippos – maybe 60 of them in total with only a small proportion of them actually above the water. Occasionally a head would emerge to make grunting noises and take a breath before heading back under water. There were a number of teeny hippo babies to watch and enjoy. Hippos are notoriously dangerous and kill a large number of humans per year. There were armed rangers available for human protection and evidently they were willing to take us tourists on a tour of the river to see the crocodiles and hippos (for a tip of course). So we wandered down the river path and saw some huge crocodiles (15feet long and at lease 3feet wide) – one was quietly resting in the water and looked like a stone until he decided he was going to head upstream towards the hippo pod and his tail emerged from the water to help propel him against the very strong current. Another croc was basking in the sun with his mouth open. Another croc was across the river with an exposed tail on the riverbank. We crossed the Mara river to use the bathrooms provided at a private conservancy across the way and saw this sweet pink and purple colored lizard. We also saw some monkeys and bird nests filling up the yellow fever acacia trees.

Our guide set up a picnic blanket next to a set of trees inhabited by monkeys – so we enjoyed our lunch listening to hippo grunts and fighting off the monkey thieves. After lunch we took the dry roads back towards the entrance of the park and saw more elephants. While we were driving around to get a close look at an infant elephant (small enough to walk under mom’s belly) Luke and the guide both pointed out a small cat-like animal that was walking nearby called a serval. Bigger than a house cat but much smaller than the other big cats out on safari. It plopped itself down in the field to bask in the sunlight (detecting a pattern of cat-like behavior). We drove right up next to it and it basically ignored us as we snapped our photos. We were nearing the end of the day (and the end of our energy) so we drove back to the camp. We were invited to visit the Masai Mara village (for a fee) or hike the nearby mountain with our guide but Luke and I opted to just chill as we were nearing the end of our trip and we felt weird about exploiting the Masai Mara (although we understand that the money goes directly to their village and supports their family income etc) – so we relaxed at our tented camp and took hot showers. The hot showers were a huge debate at the camp as most Westerners denied that there was hot water but all the locals insisted that the water turns hot eventually. So I followed the instructions of the locals exactly – I turned on only the hot water (right side) and let it run for like 5minutes as I slowly gathered my shower stuffs. The bathroom was a half-circle at the back of our canvas tent that had a showerhead in the ceiling to the left and a sink to the middle and toilet to the right. The water from the shower ran over the floor to empty out a drain (hole in the ground) past the toilet. So for the rest of the evening we had to walk through the shower water to get to the toilet. The water went from cold to tolerable chilly so I decided to start my shower as I hated wasting water. As I showered the water kind of warmed up to the point that I could stand to stand under it (instead of just washing my hair like I had been doing when I started). By the end of my shower I would be willing to call it warm – and Luke arrived to start his shower (lucky bastard). By the end of his shower the water was definitely warm and maybe hot-ish but certainly not hot hot.

Dinner was rice, vegetables, beans, and cabbage. Luke and I continued to work on the Gin and Krest. We sat around chatting with our fellow safari-ers for a while but we all headed to bed early in anticipating of a 5am awakening as we were told breakfast was at 5:30am and departure (with bags packed) would be just before 6am.

Day 3

5am arrived – I was awoken by a cowbell being rung at 4:58, but Luke and the other safari-ers didn’t hear it so maybe it was a figment of my imagination. I started to get ready and pack and eventually Luke joined me. At 5:30am we were ready so we carried our bags over to the kitchen just in time for the lights to go on (there were limited generator hours at the camp). We discovered that no one had prepared breakfast yet and that they were just getting started (I think the cowbell was their alarm). So Luke, myself, and the other safariers sat around waiting for the water to boil for tea and breakfast to be served – which ended up being at 6am. We downed breakfast (Kenyan pancakes, beans, toast) and jumped in the van for one last game drive before heading back to Nairobi.

We watched the sun rise over the savannah with a small-ish family of wildebeest arriving from Tanzania. We watched them walk, eat, hang out, the babies run around playing, and several ?males running around like they were being pursued by lions (we joked that there was a physical trainer). We later were able to see several hyena tearing up some poor dead animal. They were battling jackals and various species of vultures for the leftovers which made for some interesting watching. There was also a really cool eagle trying to get a piece but I didn’t get a good photo of it and he wasn’t very successful with the other animals around. We slowly made our way back to the park entrance, took a final photo, and started the trip back to Nairobi around 9am.

We stopped at a “curio” shop where they sell souvenirs and did some intense bargaining to try to spend a reasonable-ish amount for a souvenir. After over-paying we continued the drive. Lunch was at another buffet location along the way – more rice, beans, vegatables, and cabbage. We didn’t arrive to the safari main office in Nairobi until around 4pm after dropping off a couple of our fellow tourists along the way. The plan was for Luke and I to gather our luggage and transfer to another vehicle to drop off the remainder of the tourists and then Luke and I at the airport. While we were walking towards the office we started to feel an itching of the throat and were informed that it was tear gas that had been fired relatively recently. We were confused as to why there was tear gas and were starting to ask our driver about it while we were walking – when suddenly there was a popping sound and gas dispersal in the air ahead of us (another tear gas can had been fired). As we needed to travel through the cloud in order to get to the office entrance – the three of us quickly decided to run and we headed in to the cloud. Your eyes watered unless you kept them mostly closed and then they just itched, your throat produced saliva and felt scratchy causing you to cough. We ran to the office entrance where the security officers closed the doors behind us as we coughed and recovered from the gas along with the half-dozen other people who had run in to the building with us. As we waited (a long time) for the elevator to arrive, the driver explained that the tear gas was being thrown by the government because it is an election year – the opposition party was trying to organize and get interest – and the government was trying to suppress them organizing/assembling.

We recovered and gathered our 4large bags of luggage from the safari office. The driver squished the luggage as well as Luke and I in to the elevator along with two poor people who work in the building. We profusely apologized but they didn’t seem perturbed. Once we headed back outside, the tear gas had mostly dissipated except for a small tickle in the throat. We quickly walked back around the corner to the van where the other tourists were waiting. We packed the van to the brim and headed in to Nairobi traffic to continue dropping people off. We were immediately stuck in traffic – at one point we didn’t move an inch from one spot for at least 15minutes. We verrryyyy slowly made it through town to drop off the first couple – we drove past some embassies including the very impressive Russian embassy. Valerie informed us that the US embassy is even more intimidating (of course - sigh). We continued slowly through traffic to drop off the last person who is currently renting an apartment in Kibera. When I say slowly – I mean that three hours after we left the safari office, we were finally pulling up to the airport. Luke and I proceeded to open our luggage and move things around to distribute weight, remove items that cannot be taken in the carryon, and gather our electronics. This was especially frustrating because our bags were all too heavy! Luckily, Clark, Lena, and Jen arrived at that time! They had an extra bag that we could move our final items in to and we were saved.

We went through three different security checkpoints and finally made it to the cafeteria to get some dinner. Luke and I had Indian food (yum yum yum) and I ended up needing to drink a ton of liquids because I was so dehydrated. We eventually boarded the plane (scheduled to depart at midnight) after we had to suffer in the boarding area’s oppressive heat. As we were about to get on the plane, a flight attendant asked the crowd “is anyone a doctor?” – Clark and I walked up to see what was going on. A lady had vomited on board and protocol was that she needs to be removed from the flight to prevent passing contagious diseases on to others. We asked questions to figure out why she might have vomited and concluded that it was likely because she took an anti-malaria pill on an empty stomach as she didn’t have any other symptoms of illness and was fine until she took the pill. They allowed her on the plane and they wrote down our seating assignment so that if anything happens they can come find us there.

The flight was otherwise uneventful – we were able to spread out as the flight was not full - and Luke was able to actually sleep on the plane (which is really challenging for him). I actually slept worse than him (not typical) but we were relatively well rested by the time we arrived in Amsterdam. Which is, pretty much, an oasis. The bathroom when I arrived was a dream – clean, large, with motion detector flush that didn’t trigger with minimal movement. I was able to change my clothes, brush my teeth, and feel amazing. We had breakfast with real coffee and stroopfwaffels, pancakes for me and omelet for Luke. The flight to Detroit and finally to Traverse City went without a hitch, despite long annoying lines in Detroit to get through US customs.

Upon arrival in Traverse City, our luggage arrived and Marcelo was there to pick us up and deliver us home where he and Norika had prepared a delicious dinner of chestnut sage soup and gnocci with eggplant tomato sauce. We were falling asleep in our chairs by 8:30pm so we headed to bed – full, happy, and so so lucky.

See you later, Kenya. Until we meet again…

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where-ls-my-mlnd · 4 years

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You ever just randomly get in the mood to partake in self-destructive behavior? Wait, shit. Let me rephrase that. Make it sound less deranged. You ever sunk into a vicious sorrow, like, the worst, most agonizing, screaming sorrow you’ve ever felt in your entire life, spend a week being consumed by this horrible unrelenting pain, and then develop the urge to do things that are deleterious to your well-being in order to cope? Holy fuck that sounds even worse. Ah, son of a bitch— don’t go thinking I’m insane now, alright? ‘Cause I’m not. Severely insane, anyway. I’ve always had a couple screws loose, but that’s okay, and hardly the point, anyways. The point is quite simple at its core. Allow me break it down for you. Ever since I was young, I have been terribly, dangerously, and inexorably fond of self-destruction. That’s not a secret. Never has been. You don’t develop a drug addiction because you like the feeling of safety, you know what I’m sayin’? It stems from a profound inner sense of chaos, a desire to escape; whether it be from your emotions, your life circumstances, or the world at large, that is so strong, and so fucking undefeatable, it becomes larger than you are. Even the strong-willed can be absolutely wrecked by addiction. No one is exempt. Addiction doesn’t give a fuck who you are, where you’re from, what your aspirations are. It just wants to break you, and then build you back up again, and have you walking around half-alive for years and years so it can feed on the last of your life force. It doesn’t want you too strong, but not too weak, either. The ideal is for you to be slowly decomposing over the course of half your life or sometimes more so that it can drag out the torturous process for as long as possible. If you’re lucky, you’ll hit bottom, a massive part of you will die, and you’ll be reborn. What you choose to do with your second chance at life is entirely up to you, and that’s the tricky part. I’ve seen many people carelessly waste their chances, as if they thought God was just doling them out for free. I’m rueful to say that I have wasted my own chances before. A gross disregard for the life I was so blessed to still have. But maybe I should go easy on myself. Why should I take such care of my life— when I did not even want to live it? That’s a question for the ages, ain’t it? Psychologists would love to pick that shit apart. Well, anyway, what I am incredibly happy to say is this: I was one of the lucky ones, and after countless failed attempts, I was able to kill that monster once and for all, and in its death I found a brand new life for myself. It’s not an easy life, but nothing is ever easy with me. All that matters is it’s my life, I fucking made it for myself, and I am so damn grateful and elated to be living it. What I am hesitant, and slightly anxious to say is this: in my heart resides the same fondness for self-destruction that got me into so much trouble as a teenager. I’d like to say I’m not surprised— and if I did, it would be at least half-true. I have always had an unadulterated, skin-crawling need to be free. And I’ve always gladly done whatever I thought was necessary to achieve that freedom, even if it was illegal, stupid, morally bankrupt, or just absurd. That’s the thing with me. I can’t fucking stop, ever. If used for different purposes, it may even be called admirable: that furious, unyielding drive. I like to think I can still channel that energy, in my career specifically, but these days I’m honestly not sure. But there is a difference. Back in the day, I would start shit just for fun. I was seeking something, for sure— something that I still don’t feel like I’ve found. Beyond the classic premise of a teenager’s quest for self-discovery, there was no greater goal, or purpose for my antics. I did it because I could, and because after a while I began to fall in love with destruction. Raising hell was my religion. In an otherwise Godless world— that was always the altar at which I worshipped. Now, I find myself self-imploding because of so, so many violent, turbulent emotions to which I cannot put a name. It’s just like, my fucking mind, man...it’s a hell zone. That animal urge to unleash all inhibitions and just say fuck it is only ever activated by deeply unpleasant feelings. It’s almost like I’m...acting out. I‘ll be overcome by a wave of melancholy, or hit by sudden, thrashing anxiety, and I’ll get so overwhelmed that I feel like I need to do something to let it out. Something drastic. Something impulsive. Something absolutely fucking insane. Something like what I’m doing right now. Driving in my car, vibrating with excitement in my seat, to pick up J, who’s waiting for me in that damn park so we can go to a fucking club. A club! I literally just passed three years of sobriety, fuck, what is this? Am I trying to relapse? Well, no— I’m not an alcoholic, what the fuck? You know, I mean, can I handle my alcohol? No. But like, if I start drinking, can I stop? Uh...yeah! I’m only a drug addict, it’s fine! Holy fuck that was the most disturbing sentence I ever said. Well, whatever, I don’t think anyone’s gonna whip out any fuckin’ shards in the middle of a nightclub. Coke, that’s a given. But like, I can avoid it probably, also I barely like it! So who cares?! Imagine someone offers me a bump— I’m not gonna whore myself out for it. Not gonna hold out my hands and beg oh yes, please, PLEASE give me some coke! You know what I’m gonna say? WHAT THEY TEACH YOU TO IN SCHOOLS, BABY! N-O! NO...no thank you, not a big fan of the booger sugar, I’m a member of the elite, I only like amphetamines. OOPSIE I forgot to use past tense. Used to like amphetamines. There we go. Oh mother of fuck, what am I doing? God— I hardly remember getting in my car. See, this is what I mean! When the pain gets real bad, I start to act fucking chaotic! And lord knows the pain has been abject as of late. To this day I don’t know how I even survived Sunday night. In that dark, sinister park, and in J’s brutally honest words, I was met with a feeling of despair I can only describe as deadly. I don’t know how I didn’t do something to myself. I’m sure I wanted to. After a certain point I think I just blacked out. System overloaded or something. I got home, by some fucking miracle— I know because I woke up in my bed around 3 am because I had been crying in my sleep, which is just fucking neat. After that, I don’t know. I really wish I could remember. Perhaps some things are too horrific to remember. The days that followed were even worse. I spent my time floating in and out of sadness, then to bitter, uncontrollable anger, back into sadness again, then for the grand finale there’d be a thick feeling of complete numbness, and that would be what followed me throughout the day. Sometimes I’d see her in my dreams, and still miss, love, and need her desperately— other times I’d feel disgusted by the vile creature she has become and want to forget we ever shared a moment so sacred. It was mostly the first one though, and that’s what made it so hard. You should’ve seen me, flipping through old photos of her like a fucking weirdo and clutching them to my heart, like if I held them close enough, she would hear how loud it beats for her. I was lovesick for the very first time since I was twenty one years old and discovering that bad boys, if given the chance, will treat you bad every damn time. I was never under any illusions that this was healthy, but I knew something was seriously fucked when I abruptly stood up and almost passed out, and later realized it was because I hadn’t eaten in two days. Thank God for fast food and its obscene amounts of fat otherwise I might still be a touch too skinny. Before I knew it, the week had passed me by, and this brings us to tonight. Tonight. It’s kind of a funny story how my spirits got so lifted. I was in the shower, which is a story in itself. I don’t know how I forced myself to take a shower in that state— I can’t even get out of bed most days. I get out of that bitch, right? I bury myself in my towel like a blanket ‘cause it was colder than my father’s stare in there. I wipe the steam from the mirror. And my breath was stolen away. I actually looked good. Fuck, I looked amazing. My eyes were bloodshot from crying, yeah, but my eyelashes looked darker, longer, little tiny beads of water dripping off them, and my complexion looked so fresh and healthy, and my lips had somehow turned a perfect shade of pink like I just blew a cherry popsicle or something. Was I sort of...pretty when I cried? Is it just like Lana Del Rey said? Oh my god, I thought. It was. I watched as my eyes brightened and my face was lit up by a smile at the realization. I broke into this demented cackle, and stayed there five minutes longer than I should have, gripping the edge of the sink and laughing gleefully. By the time I got back up to my apartment I was still in disbelief. Did I look that good all the time? Had I always been sexy? I couldn’t stop looking at myself. It was like I had been given a whole new face, a whole new body. I tried to just sit and quietly watch TV but it felt too wrong. It’s a Friday night. I live in the heart of the city. I’m not emotionally attached to anyone anymore. I have exceptional looks all of the sudden. I have more pent-up sexual frustration than I know what to do with. It just seemed too...perfect... And so, I decided, with a slightly manic sense of determination, that I was going to go get laid. Got a little dressed up because, yes, it’s true, my closet does consist of more than just hoodies. Fluffed up my hair a bit, stared into the mirror some more, then I hit up J. Man did he sound jittery when he answered the phone. Never in my life did I think that J would ever ask me, under any circumstances, for any reason, “What...what’s up?” I was too enchanted by my own reflection to analyze it at the time. “LISTEN, are you busy?” I demanded, trying out different poses in the mirror. He wasn’t. This pleased me immensely. “I wanna go fucking clubbing, J. You wanna go clubbing?! Let’s go clubbing! I ONLY WANT TO GO IF YOU COME WITH.” A heavy sigh from the other line. “I don’t know, man...” Panic instantly arose and began to frazzle my mind. Oh, god, it all seemed so clear now. He was gearing up to leave me. That was all there was to it. I had been too clingy, too emotional, too inconsiderate before; I had expected too much of him, and for that he was pulling away from me. That sigh held the leaden weight of our previous interaction and it was palpable, even over the phone. It was obvious I had to do something. “Come on, J...there’s money in it for you.” Needless to say, he was suddenly very eager to agree when I told him to wait for me in the park and that I’d pick him up in one hour. All the while I’m fucking hauling ass to collect his ounce of coke that I promised him, splitting it up into several different amounts and agonizing over how best to organize it. I figured it out eventually— because I fucking worked my brain half to death. The attention to detail was painstaking but it had to be done. And now, here I am, riding around the city, glorious night air blowing in through the open window, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of Uptown Funk, feeling that same wild, intoxicating rush as if it never went away. Perhaps I’m going a little crazy, perhaps I’ve never been saner. But I haven’t felt this good about myself, or anything, in a long time. Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve felt very confident since I entered my twenties. Something about all the self-introspection makes it hard to view myself in a positive light. But I’ve done enough of that, enough self-introspection for ten lifetimes. If there was ever a time where I deserved to go fucking ape shit, and have fun, and act like a normal twenty-something year old...it would be now. Spring break, bitch. May as well bask in my freedom while I still have it. Lush, gorgeous greenery juxtaposed with tall, steely, glittering buildings and the sudden feeling of quietude that being surrounded by nature brings: that’s how I know I’ve made it to the park. Almost out of respect for the calm, solitary setting, I instinctively go to turn down my music, drowning out the sounds of saxophones and terrifically catchy guitar riffs and Bruno Mars’ bright, joyous voice in favor of comfortable, worshipful silence. I wouldn’t mind driving around this place for a while, but I don’t have to look very long to find him. He’s standing on the sidewalk, looking as close to peaceful as he can probably get, cigarette in hand; never without his crutch, his trademark accessory. A shadowy figure in the near-dark, an apparition, an enigma, as always. I find myself breaking into a smile as I pull up and then subsequently stop the car, sliding out of my seat and nudging the door closed with my hip. I can see him very well now that I’ve gotten closer and— oh! What the fuck— okay, J! Giving me a little shirt-half-unbuttoned moment! He’s...okay, wow, he’s kind of serving. He’s really serving. He’s dressed in this sleek little black shirt that matches his hair just divinely and dark jeans and he looks so good I can’t help but raise my eyebrows and widen my eyes in surprise. “JAMES DEAN! How’s it going?!” I exclaim in lieu of a proper greeting. “What’s this little number? Did you get all dressed up just for ME?!” I let out a laugh, “Goddamn, man! Who the fuck told you to show out like that?! You are giving me so much life right now, J. I swear to God—you look so fucking good! What the hell?!”

#/livingladolcevita #4/17/15 #the bros #BABY WE ARE GOING S0 MOTHERFUCKING FAR UP #WE ARE GOING UP STREAKS #I should tag this as The Return of Stephen's Self Esteem #welcome back! it's only been three fucking years

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angelatiu-blog · 6 years

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“I’m on my way from misery to happiness today…”

– The Proclaimers

Finally, the last part of my Scotland blogs. Finding the time to write this blog was even more difficult than hiking up to Arthur’s Seat itself and I needed time because I really wanted to be able to do justice to one of the best experiences of my life (despite the unflattering photos and continuous whinging that you’ll all soon find in this blog).

The very first time I heard of Arthur’s Seat, my imagination was immediately captured. Despite the fact that I knew Camelot was just a legend, there was a small and unreasonable part of me that believed I’d find Excalibur on top of those hills.

I was all fired up to make this hike. I was so excited that it was all I could talk about during the long weekend. It was to be the grand finale of our Edinburgh weekend, not by design but because the weather was truly rubbish up until our last day, when the sun decided to come out and play.

TIP NUMBER ONE: Do not do this hike in questionable weather conditions. Seriously.

This hike is quite a popular one and we asked several of our acquaintances about their own experience just to give us an idea of what to expect and what to prepare for. It’s easy, they said. Kids can do it, they said. Literally a walk in the park.

TIP NUMBER TWO: Do not listen to your acquaintances. Do your own research.

It was not a bloody walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. Climbing up Arthur’s seat is a proper hike. Had we known this, we would have been more prepared. I was wearing Hunter boots, for crying out loud. Those things were made for the rain, not for a rocky terrain. I was pretty much petrified the whole time that the rocks would somehow tear through the rubber and I’d have to make the long trek home on bare feet.

Which leads me to….

TIP NUMBER THREE: Dress for the occasion.

I’m not much of a hiker but I’m pretty sure shoes with traction are a requirement if you’re climbing up hills and crags. There were also areas in which the ascent was slippery as hell. Do not even get me started on the descent.

Because we were rendered complacent by the seemingly expert advise of our numerous acquaintances, we chose to walk from our flat in the city centre to Arthur’s seat. As a direct result of this monumentally stupid idea, we ended up walking for FOUR HOURS.

It took us nearly an hour to get to the base of Holyrood Park (where the peak was), two hours to climb up and down the peak and, because we got lost, another hour to get back to the city centre.

We had no food, and even more appalling, we had no water. We were incredibly unprepared for this hike, its a wonder we didn’t pass out.

TIP NUMBER FOUR: Take a bloody bus or tram to Holyrood Park for god’s sake. And bring sustenance.

Anyway, if you ignore the fact that you’re huffing and puffing and that you’ve been walking for the better part of two hours and you still can’t see the bloody peak, the views were pretty incredible. It was hard to believe we were still within the city of Edinburgh.

Being there truly felt like being transported back to a time and place when things were much simpler. Maybe that’s why city dwellers like me need to get out every now and then: take in a little bit of nature, remind ourselves of how we are just a tiny speck in a very big world and this is why we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.

TIP NUMBER FIVE: Take time to breathe, ruminate and get a little perspective. There’s no better place for it than when you’re out in nature.

And then of course you get closer to the peak itself and you are reminded by how much of a millennial you are because despite the fact that some of those paths really were treacherously difficult, you still find the time to whip out your phone so that you can have a photo to post on Instagram. Oh well.

I don’t know whether it was because of the bad weather on the previous days but going up the peak was a little bit too slippery for my peace of mind. I had to use my hands and my feet to make sure I don’t get an injury. My mind was already conjuring up visions of me asking my favourite surgeon to fix my broken ankle. Shudder.

TIP NUMBER SIX: Do not think of broken ankles while making a difficult climb. FOCUS, YOU IDIOT.

The last few levels (for lack of a better word) before the peak itself were among the hardest bit you have to get through. I very nearly convinced myself that I was content with having made it that far, I didn’t really need to climb that last hurdle.

But then I thought about how I’ve come too far to chicken out at the last minute.

Plus, I think I have residual abandonment issues. I’ve always hated the thought of being left behind, of not being able to do something that everyone else was doing. Those things combined gave me enough of a push to get over my fears and just focus on climbing – excruciatingly slow, yes, but I was making it up to that peak if had to crawl on my hands and knees to do it.

And thank God I did. The views were awesome, yes, that was a given. But what I didn’t count on was the exhilaration that came with finishing a hike; I felt a huge sense of achievement even though I knew this was probably nothing compared to other trails elsewhere in the world. The important thing is that I did it, despite being genuinely scared at times. I am pretty sure there’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere.

TIP NUMBER SEVEN: Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear – George Addair

Okay so I didn’t find Excalibur on Arthur’s Seat. But I returned to London feeling recharged and ready to take on the world. I had memories of an incredible weekend and I felt even more motivated to do as many hikes as I can, see more of the world outside of the concrete jungles I usually visit when I travel.

There’s a reason why we spend so much money travelling. At the end of the day, what it all comes down to is that the world truly is such a beautiful place. There are so many places you can go, so many things to see, and you’re lucky if you get the chance to see as much of it as you can. If you do get that chance, grab it with both hands.

A Non-Hiker’s Guide to Climbing Arthur’s Seat "I'm on my way from misery to happiness today..." - The Proclaimers Finally, the last part of my Scotland blogs.

#bloggers #travelblog #travels #wanderlust #writers

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theanxiousteenager1121 · 7 years

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How to Be a Happier Person in General

Yes, this is a broad subject. Keep in mind I don’t know what you might be going through individually (like I said, message me if you want me to post something on a specific subject, mah inbox is always open af), but like the anxiety/depression post, these are just some tips to help deal with the basic teen sadness.

Being sad is okay. I’m not trying to say it’s not. If you feel sad, let it out. Cry, whatever you need to do to get all that grief or sadness out of you. Crying once in a while (or even a lot is normal as a teenager) is really good for you, actually, and essentially cleans you out. No, this list isn’t to help you with those sad outbursts you have. Those are normal and good for you.

This post is to help you with that ongoing sadness, or worry, or just overall feeling mentally unstable. Hiding in your room for days on end, not seeing anyone, just watching shows, browsing the Internet, eating, and lamenting about your sorry life. Yeah, I understand you might have some hardships in your life, but once again feeling grief is okay. It’s the locking yourself in your room and going into a state of depression that isn’t.

If you find that you are in that state of solitary, electronic-addicted depression, these tips may help you come out of that state. And, even if you don’t have depression, these tips will still make you a happier person overall.

1. Get off the damn phone.

Think about it; what teenager doesn’t have some kind of electronic device? What teenager doesn't sit around all day, scrolling through Instagram or checking Snapchat? What teenager doesn’t lounge on their bed and binge-watch shows on Netflix when there’s nothing else to do? You know what teenagers don’t do that? Healthy and happy ones. Few teenagers without phones and/or other electronics = few teenagers with mainly happy and healthy lifestyles. That isn’t a coincidence.

Some studies have shown that spending more time on social media makes a teenager more depressed. Why would it not make you depressed, to be looking at photos and videos of famous people with amazing singing voices or some crazy talent, to be looking at all these people’s happy lives and subconsciously comparing them to your own? Yeah, your life is way more difficult than a Kardashian’s. No, you’re not relaxing in Hawaii right now. Thinking about all the great things your life isn’t will of course make you feel depressed.

In the last post, I talked about how being grateful is a really important thing to practice. Go back and read that last post, I’m too lazy to write all that down again. But after you do that, you are going to get off your phone, your computer, your tablet, your TV, essentially all your electronic devices.

Will it be difficult to break yourself of the addiction? Yes. Will you be tempted by all the notifications popping up on your phone? Yes. Will it be hard to figure out what else to do with your life, now that that’s off the table? Yes. But if you want to feel better, you have to do it.

To make myself more clear, I am not saying you have to cut yourself off completely from electronics. Maybe your friend texts, your mom calls. You want to answer that, that’s okay. Maybe like me, you’re a writer who is working on the newest draft of their book on your laptop. You want to work on it, that’s okay. My point is that you need to stop using your electronics for entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, electronics are useful, but if you’re just going on there to read posts on Reddit and kill time, forget it. This brings us to the next step; you are going outside.

2. Nature Connection

At this stage, there’s always some kind of excuse. “I live in a city!” “It’s too hot where I live!” “It’s too cold where I live!” “I have allergies to pollen!” Well, none of that is a reason to plop down on your bed and binge-watch Orange is the New Black. You are still going to connect to nature.

Why would you need to connect to nature to feel good? The answer is simple; you are nature. Nature is part of our DNA, it is part of us, a part that many of us have forgotten, which in turn has hurt us psychologically. We need nature to survive, both physically and mentally. Being in nature, even if it’s just a backyard garden, a city park, or even just a balcony filled with flowerpots, is good for your psychological well-being. Being in nature kind of connects your mind back to the somewhat forgotten fact that you are part of the natural world around you, that you are meant to be part of it.

I know. It may sound silly, but try it. Every day for at least a week, go on a walk. Sit in your backyard or balcony. Even just open up a window and sit by it for fifteen or twenty minutes. Don’t listen to music while you do it. Don’t sit outside and scroll through social media. Do not interact with a screen at all (unless your parents want you to have a phone in your pocket if you’re walking). Just interact with the world around you. If you find it difficult, that’s a sign you need to do it more. However long it takes you to get used to it, do it.

3. Stop distracting yourself.

This is another habit that teens, and humans in general, have gotten so used to doing. We feel a feeling, we immediately whip out our nearest electronic or pop headphones in our ears to distract ourself. Let me tell you something; those feelings that you want to get away from, you’re meant to feel them. Trying to shove them away is just like putting another layer of concrete on a dam every time the water tries to spill over. Will it protect the river below it from being flooded? Yes. Will it keep building up? Yes. Will it eventually have to release? Yes. Your job is to let it out.

Don’t get me wrong, I did this. I did this a lot. Every time I’d feel anxiety, or start feeling sad or worried, I just started playing music or a game or something, pretending like my feelings didn’t exist. Yeah, well, that’s why I had such a difficult time, and that’s why you do, too.

Next time you feel a feeling, just embrace it. It’s kind of like a book; the hero can’t keep running away from the villain or the villain will just get stronger. The hero has to turn and face the evil, stand up to it. That’s what you need to do with your mind. Tell your brain it’s okay to feel those feelings, let them come, cry if you need to, but don’t turn music or a show on. Go back to the last post and read the anxiety attack tips, and do those in your head. Do not distract yourself.

4. Do something productive/be social

When it comes to this stage, nearly all options are open. This is when you do what you like to do. No, that does not mean social media, a game on your phone, or a show. This means getting a job, learning to play an instrument, drawing, writing, crocheting or knitting, reading a series of books, growing a garden or indoor plants, washing dishes, folding laundry. Something productive.

Long ago, teens and children used to work all day, every day. They had almost no time for relaxing. They were always busy with something or other. No, I am not advocating for child labor. There is a difference between child labor and giving kids and teens healthy amounts of work, or at least something productive to do. Our society has forgotten that. Our society believes that it’s kinder to kids to let them become literal screen-addicted blobs with nothing to do except play video games and whine. Well, that isn’t helping. At all. If you want to be happy and/or healthy, you need to dedicate yourself to doing something productive at least once a day. Trust me.

Also, being social is really important. I’m adding this in because I just thought of it, but if you have friends you like to hang out with, hit them up. If you don’t have many friends like a certain person (cough, cough, me), go chill with the fam or just get out of the house and go to a coffee shop or something.

*in YouTuber voice* Well, once again that was our post for the day on how to be less of a sad teenager. Follow me if you want more (somewhat) daily posts on any problems you may be having and how to fix them. Remember; if you want me to post something specific, or you want to ask me a question, please message me so I don’t feel lonely and so I can help you. Have a lit af day.

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