There Is Hope

Pictured above is milk chocolate from Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's in itself is absolutely amazing - the choice of organic or not - where there's delicious food waiting around every turn down an aisle. Since organic isn't in my budget, I've opted for what I know best: anything from processed to watered-down to insecticide-ridden...guess I've become immune to non-organic (fake?) foods. Back to the subject at hand - chocolate. For the past few years, I've realized that chocolate (and ice cream) and I are not too close of friends. For all you chocolate lovers, sounds sad, no? It wasn't until my trip to Ireland last year that I found chocolate that didn't tear me up from the inside. Then, as if I were struck by a bolt of ingenuity, it dawned on me: American chocolate (and ice cream for that matter) is so loaded with artificial flavoring and preservatives, that my body couldn't handle the dairy, cocoa, and the additives all at once. In Ireland, though, they don't fuck around with their goods - au natrual chocolate did the trick for me. So this is where my chocolate binge began - and abruptly ended. Until tonight. While standing in the checkout line at Trader Joe's, I was ogling at all the chocolate that I couldn't allow myself to eat. In the fine print at the bottom of a chocolate package (as pictured above) stated "Imported From Belgium"; no artificial flavors, no preservatives. It was a pack of 3 bars for $1.99, so I figured why not just try it. Needless to say, I felt as if I were living Charlie Bucket's childhood pre-golden ticket. I ripped open the package and took an eensy weensy bite of the first bar. Splendiferous. The (non-American) chocolate practically melted in my mouth. Now I know how those chocolate lovers feel. I've finally found my chocolate delight. I wonder if they sell it in bulk...

By the way, I didn't see the Pound Plus as pictured above. Just added it in as a reference. I'm definitely scoping it out my next Trader Joe's visit, though.

Ready, Set, 3

Since I was tagged, I fulfilled my duty of following up (in a timely manner!).

3 Names I Go By

1. Erica
2. E
3. Foojer

3 Places I Have Been

1. Co. Galway, Western Ireland

2. San Diego, CA

3. Long Beach Island, NJ



3 Favorite Drinks

1. Soda - preferably glass-bottled Coke
2. Homemade Sweet Tea
3. Long Island Ice Tea - biggest bang for your buck (with a splash of soda)


3 TV Shows I Watch

1. COPS
2. True Blood - Yes, I've officially hopped on the bandwagon...but damn, is this show good.
3. America's Funniest Home Videos reruns


3 Places I Would Like to Visit

1. New Zealand
2. New Orleans, LA
3. Greece


3 Favorite Retro TV Shows

1. Fresh Prince of Bel Air
2. Saved By the Bell (the younger years)
3. Home Improvement


3 Favorite Dishes

1. Sauerkraut with kielbasa, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a freshly baked roll
2. Fresh guacamole with the perfect tortilla chips
3. Baked barbecue chicken


3 Things I'm Looking Forward To

1. Hopefully finding a job here in San Diego
2. Getting a haircut soon
3. Making enough money to fly my little brother out to visit me


3 People I'm Tagging

1. Natalie
2. Brooke
3. Katie

Simplicity Is Key

After catching up on John Mayer's blog entries on One Forty Plus, I thought I would repost this one: Simple. I'm looking to pack less than I need, say fewer words that hold more meaning, and enjoy the small pleasures that we take for granted.

Case in point: sunsets. Not even my feeble little BlackBerry camera could capture the beauty of the sinking sun. So many words come to mind to describe it, but what's the use? Soak it in for what it's worth.

Revamped: Gyppsy '10

After being hounded to update my blog on where I am in life, I realized I needed to sit down and think for myself - where am I, how did I get to be here, and what is happening?

A whole hell of a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. I moved out of what I knew as "home" for the past two years, drove a portion of the east coast, and flew westward. The move-out was nothing more or less than what I expected: bittersweet feelings drowned out by sweat from the humidity and numerous trips up-and-down a flight of stairs. The very same day (Father's Day Sunday if I recall correctly), I had the stamina to drive home to Roanoke and back to Harrisonburg. The three days spent with close friends in Harrisonburg following my mini-journey home are a little muddled...as in, I couldn't tell you have the things that were said or done. Emily and I attempted to recount a list of memories, but I'm positive there's more to unfold. Since my last days "working" as a clubhouse attendant at Sunchase, I've had a lot of spare time on my hands. This, to some, is a blessing; but to others, like myself, it can be hazardous to actually pushing forward and accomplishing what needs to be done. In lieu of doing something progressive, I have achieved an unnatural state of tan (as in, I should lather up with SPF100+ the remainder of the summer). The following week or so I was in good ol' Roanoke. Most of the time was spent with my little bro; spending quality time with family brings a certain sense of realization to one's self - as if you know where the missing pieces of your heart belongs. (A lesson learned along the way: if you ever seem lost, simply let your heart guide you. More often than not, it'll veer you back to the path you've been blindly looking for.) I was able to see a few old high school friends while in town, which was nice; it also further cemented my decision to journey westward. Time and time again I've thought, "Should I really be doing this - living on a limb just for the thrill of something new?" At that moment I realized that yes, this is exactly what I need to be pushing myself through. If not now, when? My last night in Roanoke was spent my brother how to drive a 5-speed. Now GYPPSY's seen some better days, but I thoroughly enjoy letting others use my car to learn how to manhandle a stick shift. (I think the teaching count is up to about 5 now.) That very night, I also managed to pack most of what I would be bringing out to California with me - little did I know what I was in for...

After a week's hiatus in my traveling adventures, I hopped in the car and headed northbound 81 to Jersey. In order to save myself from multiple headaches from traffic and long hours on the road (as well as over usage of my left foot...clutch in traffic=no bueno), I visited friends in the NOVA area. We spent the evening in Georgetown, which is saturated with mostly restaurants, bars, and shops. Most of the night was low-key, other than the fact that Natalie found a staple in her French fries. So, I know that some fries are essential to most meals, but I doubt staples add any vibrant flavoring. I left early the next morning in high hopes that I'd avoid any northern traffic (remember, my 5-speed).

All the while driving along the eastern board, I felt as if this trip was my would-be coda to the east coast.

What a treat I was in for! What would have been a 4 1/2 to 5-hour drive ended up taking over 6 hours. Tolls were an added bonus - I just love slowing my trip down solely to toss money to a person in a confined booth. But, in all this jumbled mess, it was 122% worth the waits, money, pit stops, and long, laborious driving. After what seemed like an eternity of not seeing one of my shortest-known, yet closest friend, the 7-week anticipation had finally come from Ireland. I decided to arrive in Jersey the night before (solely to try and beat traffic), and would be waiting when she pulled up to her house. After countless "I miss you's," frequent gmails, and short phone calls, the wait was over. No words can describe how exhilarating it was just to have each other in company again. Stories, photos, and gifts from Ire were shared. But, throughout my visit, the thought of my leaving to California weighed on my already heavy heart. I've learned that very few things are permanent, and to dwell on things out of one's control only leads to empty heartaches. While in Jersey, I spent almost every day lounging on the beach, which only intensified my darkened complexion (at this point I was pasting on the SPF50 roughly 5 times daily...I wanted to avoid, at all costs, to become a leathered good before heading west). After about a week in the dirty Jers, it was time to bid adieus and I was "home"ward bound. The drive home made me see the reality that lay ahead: t-minus 2 days til my westward departure.

I split up the drive home and made a pit stop in Harrisonburg to see my love doves one last time before I left for a bit. Downtown had a different feel that night, knowing it was my last real night in Harrisonburg (as a graduate visiting fellow peers waiting for that final class to end...gotta get that diploma). Come to think of it, I'm kicking myself now for not indulging in Kline's one last time. Compared to my last visit to Hburg, this one was more subdued (aka no donuts in the Ashby cul-de-sac or snap pops).

I headed home the next morning to make it to lunch with my grandma and brother at Applebee's. Unless you enjoy food spicy enough to make your nose bleed, I wouldn't recommend the Asian platter there. The rest of the day was riddled with mindless errands that just seemed to take up valuable packing time. I made my brother test out his driving skills just to get some driving time in - little did we both know that we would run into semi-hurricane weather. A monsoon reduced visibility to less than 5%. Needless to say, I was impressed. That night, I managed to pack everything into a ginormous bag to check in, only to find it was 27 lbs over the weight limit. So, I sucked it up and packed two check-ins (one of which is missing a rolling wheel). Regardless, I was able to bring more than I first expected.

The day of my departure, a peacock happened to waltz through my front yard. My not being accustomed to common zoo animals in nature, I followed it around the neighborhood to capture a few snapshots. The flight check-in was nothing out of the norm, but the delay at IAD was borderline miserable. A 2-hour wait on the plane meant alcohol drinks were on the house, courtesy of United Airlines. I couldn't have even planned to prepare myself for what I was in for. The man sitting next to me happened to be an appointee of former president Bill Clinton and executive director of an environmental branch of the Humane Society called EarthVoice. He eventually informed me of his specialty in ArcGIS and frequent work with IPCC, which were the 2 main components of my senior research. I indulged him in giving an impromptu version of my senior research presentation. For whatever reason, he was fascinated (mostly that I was even familiar with ArcGIS and IPCC); we exchanged e-mails and he told me he would contact me with possible job opportunities. Now I wait. I've found that the whole job hunt is a waiting game. I continue to revisit the wise words of PLarry: patience, endurance and practical knowledge for everyday living. This search for a job may drive my spirit into the ground, but I've learned to keep confidence and never slow my roll.

After this novella of a blog entry, I'm gonna close by saying that even in these past couple weeks I've learned mini life lessons. Always keep your radar up - never become so tunnel-visioned that you miss out on what's around you - and to hold dear the ones you love. Just keep me where the light is.

Just because. JMay has a way with music that pushes me through times more than any spoken words could ever do. Mucho mucho mucho amor

The Projekt

Though I'd post a quick bloggeroo in the midst of packing. Saw D.J. Williams Projekt at Clementine Cafe last night and they absolutely fucking rocked the house. Definitely didn't expect all that they brought to the table. A few months back, one of my friends suggested I listen to a song called "Remember Me" by them, which I absolutely fell in love with after hearing it for the first time. I've got a lot of ties with that particular song, so it was cool to finally hear it live. Talked to D.J. and a few of the band members afterwards...t-totes awesome. I'm relieved I got to see them at least once before my westward departure. Was able to take a decent video of their performance of "Remember Me." I was immediately drew in when D.J. himself picked up his guitar and the first riff plucked from the guitar was SRV's "Lenny." That's the whole beauty in it all. You don't have to be a genius to get music per say...just let everything go and let it enrapture you. You won't regret it. Hell, maybe even you'll see the world a little differently...but hope is a whole different story. Til next time.

In the Still of the Night

n  OthI  n   g can   s  urPas  s   the m   y  SteR  y   of   s  tilLnes  s

-ee cummings

Tis Been a Long, Long Time

I've practically fallen off the face of the earth as far as blogging goes, and am kinda bummed about it. For a good couple months I was on my A-game in the blogosphere. Then the pressures of my last semester as an undergraduate got the best of me (and my time). Now that I have a bit of down time before I'm westward bound, I figured I don't really have an excuse not to blog right now. Honestly, I don't even remember where I left off, so I'll start with graduation. Even though it's supposed to be a milestone in one's life, the most I could concentrate on while walking across the stage was trying to keep my balance from the hurricane-like gusts of wind. What I thought about while sitting (and staying somewhat grounded, minus my graduation cap flying off multiple times) was how 4 years of my life had already passed. Since age 5ish, it's been the constant routine of 9 months of school then 3 months of a mostly carefree summer. But now...now what? Before I made the final decision to move out west, I knew that's where I need to be in my life. So I booked a one-way ticket. Granted, I know I have to eventually come back to collect the rest of my belongings, but right now (for an undetermined amount of time), I'll be living out of a fairly large suitcase. Don't get me wrong, after packing for Ireland for 6 weeks and all of my travels since, I've grown to become quite the pro packer. Since buying that ticket, though, I've had my fair share of doubts about the whole thing. Then I realize that this is it. Now or never. Not that I don't like Roanoke, it's just not where I need to be in my life at this point. Since the first time I had the chance to visit San Diego, I knew then that that's where my heart would lead me right out of college. I'm well-aware of the dangers of heading somewhere fresh out of college without any job lined up and limited funds, but that's all part of the experience, right? A friend once told me of a story from a professor about not having much money. The point of the story can summed up so simply: "There's something very enriching about being poor." It makes you appreciate the simple things in life, "it reduces all the bullshit." Since I've just been living day to day, I haven't realized how soon I'm leaving until now. My, how time flies. Exactly one year ago I was in my second to last week in Ireland. It's been neat to vicariously live it once again through friends' experiences and stories. After crossing paths months ago, it's no coincidence that I had met someone who would become one of the best friends of my life thus far. It's been tough these past few weeks without her, but I know it's all worth the while knowing that she's across the pond having the time of her life with so many good people. Recently (within the past couple months) I started attending a non-denominational church called Valley Church. The pastor, PLarry, provides more insight and inspiration for a better life through his one-hour services than any other person or thing has in all my 22 years here on earth. It's opened my eyes to a whole new level of thought and perception for many things. If it weren't for my friend Brooke asking me to join her at Valley that one Sunday night, I wouldn't be the (changed) person I am today. I'm both saddened and relieved that this is my last week in where I've known as "home" for the past 2 years, but now's the time. I honestly can't say that I wish I could stay here another year because I would absolutely go stir crazy. Who knows if this move is right for me? Who even knows what tomorrow brings? It's what I feel to be right in my heart at this point in my life, so I'm going to scrap my way through it as much as possible and hope for the best. Not to mention, my friends will finally have a reason to come to California (ahem...Jenn & Jess). Much of my last week on the east coast will be spent in Long Beach Island, New Jersey to visit Brooke and a few friends along the way...then westward bound it is. Til next time, adios.

Bonus! I've tried my hand in as much country as I can handle so far. So here it lay (gotta admit - Keith Urban is a very talented man...and John Mayer is just an extra bonus):