The One Where We Go Around the World (Sort Of)

So I just got back from another quick work trip last night, this one taking me to my home state of AZ, and while I was flying back last night, I got to thinking about all the fun traveling I want to do in my lifetime. I enjoy traveling, but I am not a travel junkie, like some people. Example: I feel like my friend Christina is always heading off to travel somewhere, whether it's to the mountains for weekend skiing or across the world to Finland to pet reindeer (true story).

This is Christina and me in 2007 in the good old Kappa house. I apparently really like blonde highlights and bronzer back in the day. 

And I'm definitely not as much of a traveler as my friends Nicole and Matt, who basically went around the world this past year for both work/school and funsies. They were in South Africa for six months and Nicole wrote some pretty amazing blog posts while they were there. 

Anyway, my travel bucket list is (for now, at least) relatively short. And WEIRD. I want to go to some strange places, yo. Here they are, in order from Least Weird to Weirdest:

1) Bora Bora. I mean, come onnnnnn. Over-the-water private bungalows with glass bottoms?! Le Meridien, I will be seeing you eventually.

2) Ireland. This one's a little weird because it's truly the only place I want to go in Europe. Everywhere else in Europe would be a nice bonus, but Ireland is a must. I've been obsessed with going since I was really young. 

The cliffs!

The sheep!

The potential to meet a nice Irish man who looks like Gerard Butler!!!

3) Wyoming. Okay, I know that since I'm not a skier, and I like being able to shop at Nordstrom, this seems like a strange choice for me. But COME ON. The CLEAN AIR. The STARS AT NIGHT. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

4) Antarctica, preferably by cruise ship. This is another place I've wanted to go for a long time. And since I don't exactly love cold weather, this probably is baffling to some people. But the penguins!!! The ice!!! I can dress like Ralphie's brother!!!

5) The weirdest one of all... Yellowknife, Canada. Say whaaaaat another place that's super close to the Arctic Circle? WTF, Nance? I recently discovered that Yellowknife a) exists, and b) is the "Gateway to the Northern Territories" in Canada. How cool is that? And how amazing would it be to see the Aurora Borealis like this? Plus, their license plates are shaped like bears. Yes, please.

Fun facts about Yellowknife:

-- Almost 20,000 people live there.

-- The summer solstice is a statutory holiday

-- There's an event called the Longjohn Jamboree every winter (you know I love me a good jamboree)

-- It is known as the Aurora Viewing Capital of the World

-- There is a restaurant called the Dancing Moose Cafe

-- It would take me 42 hours to drive there from my house

Where do you want your travel adventures to take you?

The One Where I Hate You Then I Love You But Not Like Celine And Luciano

First of all, I just have to tell this silly, ridiculous story. My office is located next to a strip mall that has a Rubio's, a Pizza Hut, some weird jewelry store, a Jersey Mike's sandwich place, and a generic icky dentist office that back up to the side of our building. Basically, there's the parking lot, a strip of "vegetation" (in which for some time a homeless man with a laptop [I know, I don't know how he got it either] who we nickenamed 3G was living and bumming free internet), and then the back doors of all of those businesses. When I turn my head to the right, I look out my window at the trees/bushes and usually there is nothing much to see going on there ever since 3G left for a better hotspot. Until yesterday. I'm here at my desk, minding my own sweet business when I hear a noise coming from behind the trees so I look over to investigate and there are 2 Pizza Hut employees MAKING OUT and I can see them through a VERY convenient hole in the trees. WHAT. Color me amused. I felt a little creepy for watching them but they were only mackin' on each other for about 10 seconds. Then they stood out there smoking. The employees at Pizza Hut are apparently very saucy these days.

Okay, that joke. I'm sorry.

Anyway, what I really want to talk about today is something I think everyone can relate to at some point or another. Lately, I really hate all my clothes in my closet these days and I'm not sure why. Every time I open it to get dressed for work or funsies, I basically make a giant sad face and want to throw everything I see in the garbage and get sad that what I pin on Pinterest doesn't automatically end up in my closet waiting for me to wear it. I know this feeling will turn around at some point, as it always does, and I will no longer hate my clothes but love them again. And this got me thinking about all the things I used to hate... but no more. This list includes (but is not limited to):

1) Canadian tuxedos, also known as denim on top and denim on bottom. To be clear, there is the right way to do a Canadian tuxedo

Nice use of different shades of denim that FIT WELL

"The rules were real that day I WORE A VEST."

"That's because that vest was disgusting."

And there is a very, very wrong way to do a Canadian tuxedo

RIP Justney

2) Beets, but not Beets by Dre

Rather, the actual food

I think Amanda (?? someone who has enough influence over me to make me try food) made me try them in a salad a while ago. YUMMY.

3) Joe Nichols, who I used to hate when his song Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off was popular and he looked like this 

But now I can't stop listening to THIS SONG!

4) Maxi dresses, which I used to HATE HATE HATE and then I just hated them and then I liked them and now, I'm obsessed, which is great considering the trend is probably just about dead. Good timing on that one, Nance.

Neeeeeeeeeeeed

5) Cilantro. Not sure where the hatred of cilantro came from, but it was there and it was large. Now, I actually really enjoy it and can't imagine eating salsa that doesn't have cilantro in it. What are we, farm animals?

6) Hashtags. Do I even need to explain? Okay, I guess I will. I hated hashtags before you could use them on Facebook because they were hard to read and I hate when people hashtag every word. Now, however, it's a good old fashioned case of if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and I like to say "hashtag, please" and other such ridiculous phrases out loud in my daily conversations because I'm #annoying like that.

Anything you hated and now love?

The One Where We Keep Calm Because Summer Is Coming

Holy. Cow.

I just thought about how peaches and nectarines are about to be in season and I literally had to refrain from squealing with joy.

Is there anything better than a fresh summer peach? No.

Except maybe a super fluffy dog. Make that, two super fluffy dogs.

Some other things I always look forward to when summer rolls around:

1) Lazing around at the pool

2) Lazing around at the beach

My favorite beach EVER at Kiawah Island, SC

3) "But... I have to eat ice cream. If I don't, I'll get too hot."

4) Terrrrrrrrible summer tv shows

Chris Harrison means 1 thing: it's Bachelor(ette) Time!!!

5) Corn on the cob

I know, I know. It's still snowing in some parts of the country (not here, THANK GOD) and it doesn't even feel like spring has truly sprung here yet, but IT'S COMING. I KNOW IT'S COMING. 

Something else I feel like we need to talk about that is completely unrelated to the rest of this post... Gwyneth Paltrow. Are you kidding me? She is seriously the most beautiful woman in the world? I protest, mostly on the grounds that she is SO not down with the people, the last thing she needs is even more of an ego boost. I mean for god's sake, she has a recipe for a baked potato on her stupid website that's stuffed with caviar. 

CAVIAR.

And PS, that better not be your entire dinner. I learned the hard way on my second cruise that eating just a baked potato for dinner does not a smart girl make. 

If I could talk to that girl now, I'd tell her, "You moron. EAT A STEAK."

And there's your lesson for the week. More steak. Less potatoes for dinner. Because when everyone else can get off the boat to go to Papa's and Beer the next day, you will be wishing you were dead.