8 posts tagged “vacation”
So much has happened since I left for BlytheCon. I'm not sure I can go through every single thing I've experienced, but I'm definitely going to try. To sum it up in a sentence: BlytheCon was amazing. I can't believe how busy I was over the past few days!
When I arrived at Rebecca's house in Indiana, everything seemed to fall into place. All my insecurities disappeared... She made me feel so welcome and I'm really thankful for that. As soon as Shawn and Ryan left, Rebecca and I got down to some serious dolly business. We talked for a long time as we got ready for our trip to Atlanta the next day. I helped her make a sign for her booth while she cut up some business cards, and I showed her all the dollies and toys I brought with me. I really felt like we had known each other for years.
Sherri arrived early the next morning. Like I told both her and Rebecca, I was so nervous about meeting Sherri. O__O She's been one of my idols ever since I started collecting Blythes; her saran and mohair reroots are incredible-- one of the absolute best rerooters in the world! I felt intimidated before Sherri arrived, but as soon as she arrived, my nerves settled down. She was so down-to-earth and so much like me... I immediately felt like I could relate to her, and that doesn't happen very often when I meet new people.
Our ride to Georgia was extremely long: about nine hours. Surprisingly, I didn't fall asleep once. Haha, Sherri, Rebecca and I talked the entire time-- about dollies, Pet Society, our lives, and so much more. In fact, we talked about so much, I'm almost afraid I'm going to forget some of the details. A long car ride was the perfect way to get to know Rebecca and Sherri even more.
We were able to settle into Rebecca's mom's house really quickly. I think it's because we were all so tired and hyped up for the next few days. For a while, we sat around exchanging dolly clothes and stories about our girls. I've never had the chance to talk for hours on end about dollies in my pajamas before... I wish I could do it more often. I felt almost spoiled for having such a great vacation so far. My sleep was wonderfully deep and comfortable.
Friday was the day dedicated to the Georgia Aquarium. Sherri, Rebecca, Rebecca's mom and I all went. We were all a little disappointed at how little there was to do at the aquarium, but everything that was there was really beautiful. My favorite part of our visit was definitely the tunnel that's underneath water. To be surrounded completely by water, fish and sharks was incredible. We all loved that part so much that we decided to walk through the tunnel a second time before we left.
One of my other favorite things about going to the aquarium was how interested people were in the Blythes we brought with us. Sherri brought Penny (her @Nai custom); Rebecca brought Tallulah (Betsy's crazy cross-eyed custom); and I brought Nami. We not only had visitors coming up to us to ask us about our dollies, but the aquarium's staff expressed even more interest. A security guard wanted to hold one of our dolls. A few of the staff members in charge of taking photos asked me a bunch of questions about where Blythes could be found. And the absolute best Blythe experience was at the end of our aquarium trip. As we were paying for our items in the gift shop, cashiers started piling up behind the registers to ask us all questions about Blythes. They couldn't get enough of our girls and left customers waiting in line and at registers so they could see the dolls! Rebecca, Sherri and I all took turns showing them our dollies. They loved changing the doll eyes. Rebecca and Sherri got a few photos of all the staff people (like seven or eight, I think) asking us questions.
Dinner that night was fun. The four of us went to a restaurant where we had some delicious meals. I had a shrimp and alfredo meal. *drool* It was so delicious and it was a relaxing experience to have before the busy day ahead of us.
Finally. Saturday was BlytheCon. All of us were so antsy before we left! We had packed most of our stuff up the night before so we got to the con on time. Because Rebecca was a vendor so we could get into the building before any of the other attendees (which I was happy about because I didn't want to be stuck outside in the cold). The girl she was supposed to share a table with was sick so Rebecca had the entire table for herself. I helped her set everything up and went back-and-forth between the convention room and outside, where more and more people were starting to arrive. I switched between taking my three girls out; a lot of people seemed to already know who they were, especially Pigeon! I had fun posing for photos with my dolls and everyone was incredibly nice. <3
The convention was so much fun, but it all seems like a blur now. Everything was so fast paced. I somehow lucked out and was one of the first people to register. Because of that, I got into the con fast enough to check out all the vendors and their items. I snatched up everything I was instantly attracted to-- oh gosh, my loot is all so cute! I keep looking at all the clothes and accessories I bought.
I was constantly meeting new people. A lot of the people are friends I've had online for a few years. I felt like crying a few times because I was so excited to actually meet some of them in person. After all these years... finally! Pigeon's customizer, Megan, was there. She was one of the main reasons I knew I had to attend BlytheCon. She was such a sweet person and I feel like I know Pigeon more because of meeting Megan. I feel bad about not remembering every person's face; so much was happening at the time so I knew it would be impossible to remember everything.
One of the most exciting parts of the day was the raffle. I only bought five tickets but THREE of my numbers happened to get picked. O____O Because one of the items I won was a double, I only got two of the prizes-- I didn't mind though. The big prize I won was a free mohair reroot for a Blythe. The second prize I won was a free Blythe application for an iPhone. Because I don't have an iPhone, I gave my prize to Rebecca. I was so excited (and surprised) that I was shaking the entire time after my numbers were called.
Needless to say, the entire event was more fun than I could have ever imagined. Like I told Rebecca and Sherri later on, the BlytheCon trip was the best vacation I've ever had. Getting to know both of them is probably what I love most from the experience. Unlike the friends I had in high school and college, I connected with Rebecca and Sherri. They didn't make me feel socially awkward and we shared so many interests. I think it would have been impossible to not love those two girls.
All of my photos can be viewed on my Facebook BlytheCon 2009 album and in my BlytheCon 2009 Vox Collection.
Many thanks to Shawn and Ryan who drove me all the way to Indiana. Many more thanks to both Sherri and Rebecca for being the sweetest friends ever. And a lot of other "thank yous" go to those of you who followed my adventure on Twitter!
I went to the doctor today because of some health problems I've been having for the past week or so. I've had some severe pains in my stomach, and I had no idea what was causing them. Mom and Dad tried to do a mini exam to see if they could figure out what's going on, but even they were stumped. Mom said that if they continued to cause me problems, I would have to see the doctor today.
It's been so hard concentrating on everything I want to get done lately. As if the pain wasn't enough, I feel like my responsibilities as a human being are giving me more and more pressures.
These feelings were the first signs. I really should have known better.
I didn't go to my usual doctor, because scheduling at the last minute usually doesn't work out so well. I went to another physician that I sometimes see, a friend of the family who works with my dad. She was extremely nice and, unlike my usual doctor, she listened to what was going through my head-- probably because she's known me for so long. I didn't tell Mom this, or even Beth yet, but I almost started crying when I was talking to her. I've been hurting so much lately, and then with everything that flowed out of my head and out into the real world-- I began to realize what was wrong. She did, too.
Alice, my doctor, said that my stomach pains are mostly due to the amount of stress I'm undergoing at the moment. I've talked about everything racing through my mind lately (work, classes coming up next week, and moving to my the new apartment this weekend), but I didn't think that my body would react in such a harsh way. I've learned my lesson.
I took off work most of today; I only did what absolutely needed to be done. Right now, I'm trying to sit and relax without thinking about anything stressful. Even though Beth and I will have to move a bunch of stuff this weekend, I'm hoping that the extra day off on Monday (because of Labor Day) will give me that extra zing I need to pick myself up. It's time to rest; it's time to breathe for a while.
It's hard to believe that Shawn and I were running around and taking photos last weekend. I can't imagine myself doing that today. I feel so drained. Alice also gave me some medication that should hopefully help lessen the pain a little. The medicine has a side effect though: it's going to make me extra sleepy. That isn't a horrible thing right now, but I'm really hoping that it won't affect my schoolwork next week.
Another piece of "medicine" (advice) that Alice gave me was to not worry about school so much at this point. She said that since I've found a job that I want to stick with, a real passion for my future, that I can take some of that burden to get straight A's on my report cards off my shoulders. I know she's right, but it's difficult making a change that drastic. My entire academic lifestyle revolves around trying to do the absolute best. I've made it my personal goal to get on the Dean's List and to stay on the list for as long as possible. I want to graduate college English major with honors, and at this rate, it looks like I'll be able to do so.
Basically, I need to start prioritizing my life. I'm doing more than I've ever done before, and part of this is my own, personal evolution, so I figure that learning to juggle priorities is normal. It's just a rough time for me right now, but once I get a better hang of everything, I think I'll be oh kay.
So, here's to an end and a beginning. *raises glass* Goodbye Summer, hello Life.
The Cookie Bottom: The semester is finally over with! I completed all of my exams last week, and I was able to finish my ten page paper at the same time. I knew it could be done, because I've had worse semesters in the past, but knowing that all the stress over schoolwork is gone for a few months really gives me comfort. I feel like the freedom is sinking in.
I started and finished my ten page paper in a matter of about five hours. I know that I should be happy that I could finish a paper that I was proud of by the end in only a few hours, but I still felt that I struggled at first. I never take more than a few minutes writing the introductory paragraph. Something didn't click as quickly as it usually does this time around. Whatever the problem was, I felt a huge rush of relief as soon as the paper was out of the way. After that, I focused on my three exams: Irish Literature, Oceanography and Intro to Linguistics. All of them went fairly well. This was one of my rougher semesters, so I'm just happy to get my last science class (ever!) over with. From here on out, I'll only be taking level 300 and higher English classes that specifically focus on Technical and Professional Writing. The cookie is looking mighty yummy. ^___^
Other than the rude behavior, our little vacation pretty much rocked. We were able to sleep in and do a little browsing through cute stores. I think my favorite part of our vacation was when went down to a dock near our hotel. As usual, Beth and Shawn expressed great amounts of glee because of absolutely nothing. I think that's why I love them, haha. Here's a little sneak-peak of our adventure on the dock:
When Beth screams out, "Wait, you guys! Let's pretend I'm a bird!" I pretty much know what setting I should put my camera on: action (to avoid blurs). Beth's always all over the place, but I think that's what makes her such a good photography subject-- she's not afraid of doing anything.
(Oh, and on the way back from the resort, I made sure to have Shawn pull over when we passed the Plum Bottom Road sign again. There aren't many days when I can say that I've seen Plum's name sprawled on a road sign. I think it was the best way possible to wrap up my mini-vacation.)
The Cookie Top: Starting tomorrow, I will be officially working at my new job. Six Apart was nice enough to allow me to finish all of my exams before I began the job, thank goodness. For the next few months, I'll be working five days a week, helping to improve Vox and keep it running. When I left for my vacation, I realized something: I'm not nervous about starting the new job at all. This is the first job I've ever had that I'm genuinely thrilled about. It's the perfect way to end the school year and begin my Summer. In fact, I think this cookie is the real icing.
(More pictures of my weekend can be seen in my photo section.)
Squee! *dances around* I was planning to post photos of my new haircut and coloring today, but the lighting for taking photos is just horrible. I'll have to postpone that post until later on this week once it's sunny out. I love the rain, but it has horrible timing when it comes to photography sometimes. For some reason, my photos of Plum and Jinkies still turned out, so I thought I'd showcase 'em here instead.
I never really post about my daily life in detail, so I thought I'd change my Vox pace a bit and try that for once. ^__^
My break has been pretty great so far. I didn't think I'd actually have plans for the week, but after only a day of being off (last Friday), I realized that, yes, the entire vacation was going to be fun. I text messaged one of my very best friends, Jeremy, on Friday to see if he was in town yet. (He moved to Minnesota a few years ago for college, so Shawn and I only get to see him once every so often.) Sure enough, he messaged me back to let me know that he had arrived earlier that morning. We decided to surprise Shawn at work later that night by just showing up. Shawn wasn't even sure if Jeremy would be in town yet, and I saw his eyes light up as soon as he saw both of us walking towards him. (I tease them both about their "friendship." Sometimes I wonder if Shawn loves Jeremy more than he loves me, haha. It's all in good fun... I think.) Jeremy and I had been planning to see 300 with Shawn, but Shawn didn't finish work until after the movie started, so we put those plans off and decided to just sit and talk at Perkins for three hours. The three of us, and sometimes Beth, would sit at Perkins for hours every weekend when Jeremy used to live here. Even though it's sad thinking about all the memories when we're there together, I still get excited at the thought of just relaxing with my favorite people in the world.
The next day was Patty's Day. I never really celebrate the day, because 1) I'm not Irish (and I think it's amusing that everyone who is the slightest bit Irish celebrates the holiday), and 2) I'm not a big party person. I did the most I've ever done on the holiday this year though. Shawn and Jeremy surprised me that night. Jeremy had said he was going to be busy, but Shawn ended up bringing him along. I was really happy, especially since Beth had decided to come home early from her plans. It was the first time in years that the four of us were able to be together and just... hang out. We played Pictionary and drank what little alcohol we had at my apartment. Like I said, I'm not a big party person-- meaning, drinker. I had my first alcoholic drink this past October and I only drink small amounts of alcohol when I'm around Shawn and Jeremy, just because I feel comfortable around them. Shawn brought me over my favorite wine coolers, and the two guys settled on their favorite, Jack Daniels mixed with gingerale.
Shawn and Jeremy played Katamari until the wee hours of the morning, but Beth and I decided to go to sleep. We were all able to sleep in, finally. It was fun harassing Jeremy in the morning with my camera after I woke up. I thought he was asleep, but apparently, he was aware of me taking photos of him the entire time. None of us are exactly morning people, so it took about three hours for us to get off our bums and to get breakfast, er, lunch.
Shawn, Jeremy and I walked to the coffee shop down the street and waited for our food/coffee. Poor Shawn had gotten even more sick after he had just begun to get better during the week, so he was rather "out of it" the entire morning. After the night Jeremy and I surprised him at work, Shawn's throat became worse, and he could barely talk by Patty's day. (-__-) I felt so bad for making him more sick, but I think he'll agree that a few days with Jeremy was worth the pain.
My weekend was the best part of my break so far. Other than that, I had my hair appointment, which went fairly well. (Again, I'll post photos later this week.) Later that Monday, I went to the doctor to get my blood test done to see if I was anemic or not. The results came back last night, and they were normal-- so I'm not anemic. I have mixed feelings about the results. I'm happy that nothing more is wrong with me, but I'm also a little sad that there's not a solid reason behind the heart palpitations and the fainting spells over the years. Nevertheless, I'm still taking vitamins with iron to make sure that my body stays strong.
I'd like to send out a very colorful and warm thank you to Lisa. (<3 + ^__^) The outfit Plum is wearing (the shirt and skirt) was a present from Lisa. I received it a few weeks ago, but I haven't had a chance to show it off yet. For no reason at all, Lisa sent me a super sweet package with Blythe goodies. I almost started tearing up because of the gesture. Thankies, Lisa!
Thursday (8/17) The plane ride there went very smoothly. It actually seemed longer than the ride back. Beth and I met Kathryn's roommates, Chelsey and Alex. Chelsey was a real sweetheart and seemed like someone I'd be friends with at school, and Alex was a great guy. He was from Texas (I think) and had a faint southern accent. For the next few days, I remember hearing "ya'll" quite a bit.
Friday (8/18) I went to the beach for the first time in years. (It took us about an hour and a half to get to the beach because the parking was crazy.) The only other time I had seen the ocean was years back on a day when it was freezing in California. This time, however, I was given a chance to go INTO the ocean water. (I now know why it's called salt water. Blech. A few mouthfulls of it will really make a person think.) Kathryn and I stayed in the water for a long time. We floated with the waves and got carried across the surface. The ocean is no pool, that's for sure. I found out that I love the natural waves, not the fake ones made by people in hotel or house pools. What cheap imitations of something so wonderful... Anyway, after that, we all went out for icecream. Later on that night, Kathryn took just Beth and me out to dinner where I had the most amazing barbeque beef sandwich. It was a good way to start off our stay there.
Saturday (8/19) Kathryn, Alex, Beth and I went to another beach. This one was deemed "the crappy beach" by Kathryn since it wasn't as popular as the previous one we had been to, nor did it seem to be taken care of as much. It was Kathryn's favorite beach though and it became my favorite as well. There was something simple about it that I found very beautiful. The ocean stretched out forever and hardly anyone was there. The waves were even bigger than the other day but the water was freezing. We didn't stay in long. It was so blue... Later that night, as a going away dinner (Alex and Chelsey were moving out the next day), Alex made an amazing dinner for all of us girls and himself: chicken in a lemony sauce and seasoning with pasta.
Sunday (8/20) (Refer to my last entry for a more detailed description of my Tokidoki day.) I met Simone Legno that day and had a bittersweet time in Los Angeles.
Monday (8/21) Kathryn dropped Beth and me off at a mall in downtown San Diego. It was the first time I realized that, oh yeah, malls weren't going to be in-door in a place that is always 70 degrees and sunny. After the mall, which basically had all the stores that exist in Wisconsin, we wandered around the streets and found a vintage thrift store. An adorable guy owned the store and talked to me while Beth tried on clothes. He was a designer and had made a bunch of the clothes in the store. Pictures of music albums (the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs being one of them) and John Travolta in 80's movies donned the thick painted orange walls. That was probably the one time I felt like I wasn't in Wisconsin anymore. Everything else in San Diego seemed a little duller in color than the midwest and felt basically the same... except for this store. Beth and I had fun shopping for about three hours but the last two and a half hours were extremely boring after that. We waited in Starbucks until Kathryn called to let us know she was coming to pick us up. Later on that night, we watched Crash, which was an amazing movie. I'll probably mention it in another entry sometime.
Tuesday (8/22) As our last whole day there, Beth and I wanted to both rest and enjoy ourselves. Kathryn dropped us off at another outdoor mall (still so crazy to me!) and we shopped for about five hours. *dies* I ended up buying presents for Mom and Kathleen. We got bored after about an hour of shopping beause, yet again, we realized that all the stores in California were basically the same as the ones in Wisconsin, all except for the crazy-expensive stores like Macy's and Saks. Beth and I bought Kathryn a thank you present at Build-A-Bear: a stuffed doggy in a doctor outfit (since Kathryn is in school to become an OBGYN, which yes, we tease her about still). We didn't know it but Kathryn had the same outfit on a koala bear from BAB. She loved that she had two of the same. It was our last night there so we took the night pretty easy. We watched tv and talked until we fell asleep.
Wednesday (8/23) Beth and I woke up early for our flight back to Wisconsin. There was a little turbulence on the first plane to Denver but other than that, we arrived in Wisconsin a lot earlier than expected. On a side note, the baggage claim for airports is just disgusting. They screwed up the place where our plane was supposed to pick up our luggage... twice. It took us a half hour just to find the right place. I'm happy to be home though.
Overall, both good and bad things happened during my vacation. I didn't get into the details but I have a feeling they'll come up in upcoming entries. California was nice but I don't think I could ever call it a place I'd want to live-- for myself, at least. I know how Kathryn loves her state and how much other people adore it and that's great for them but it's not my first choice of residence. I love the four seasons of the midwest and the east coast and can't imagine living without all the rain, all the snow, all the changes in the weather, that take place here. Having sunny 70 degree weather is nice but it's like having Christmas everyday... I don't think I'd be able to appreciate the changes in weather and lifestyle the way I've learned to at home. I did, however, realize that I love to travel and see new places. I plan on doing it a lot more so I can get a better feel for what I like and dislike about the world. <3
I know my last entry was going to be my goodbye-for-six-days entry but...
Let's face it: Wisconsin has no good attractions in it. There are no good restaurants, hangouts or stores that would make it a worthy place to go for vacation to. You would figure that California would be different, right? Well, it is but it isn't. I just just looked up a bunch of stores that I remember having all the hobbies I love: Blythe dolls, BJD's, vinyl figures, etc... and guess what? All of them are located in Los Angeles or San Francisco, not at all near San Diego. Because Beth and I won't have the right transportation to get from city to city, there's no way that we'll be able to get to those places. So basically, I'm going across the country to visit a new place and I'm still going to be cut off from the things would make my vacation perfect.
Oh, and even better... I just found out that Simone Legno is going to be in Los Angeles THIS weekend at a store called Terra. That means they'll most likely be carrying Tokidoki merchandise too-- and I can't even see him or go to a place I like to call HEAVEN.
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about going and I'm not trying to complain. I've never really been on a real vacation before so this is a big letdown at the last minute. It's just so unfair that I get so close and yet so far away to what I really want to see and do. Argh!
Added: Oh kay. I've cooled down since I originally posted this. I think I was just stressed out with packing and all the stuff I had to get done. I feel better now! Patience is a virtue. <3 Anyway, I'll miss everyone... have a good week. ^____^
With my vacation with Beth coming up so quickly and the recent terrorism scare, I'm starting to get a little antsy about traveling by plane across the country.
I know that there are a bunch of precautions that U.S. airlines are taking but I still feel a little weird about taking a plane that far.
I'm also a little confused about what they're allowing passengers to take on the planes. I keep hearing different rules-- no drinks, no carry-ons, nothing at all, items only in clear bags but they have to be approved, etc. I tried to look up what's going on but the news is all over the place and a lot of the rules only applied for Britain, not the U.S. How confusing is that?
The good thing about Dad going on so many vacations himself is him helping Beth and me prepare for the flight. Haha, I know that if I didn't have Beth with me, I'd totally get lost and probably end up in Europe or Africa somehow.
I have heard, more than all the other rumors, that I should be able to bring a carry-on and my purse still, just no liquids. I'm hoping that's true. If not, Plum will have to stay home. (-_-) *sniffy*
I'm having a bit of a problem with finding a way to transport Plum to California when I go in a few days. Like Beth told me, she's irreplaceable and not just because she's worth more. She's my favorite (it's obvious) and there's no other doll I've bonded with more than Plum. Plus, I know Shawn would be devastated.
I tried to bid on a vintage Blythe carrying case a few weeks ago but stupid me, I missed the auction. Ever since then, there hasn't been a good case up on Ebay. I'm starting to run out of options now. I know that I would take her onto the plane with me-- it would be suicide to let her go into a suitcase... away from safety. *sigh* I think i'm gonna have to find another form of a carrying case. I'm just worried she'll get damaged or somehow lost. The option of NOT taking Plum doesn't even exist. Beth and Mum are trying to talk me out of it but I won't budge. Not yet, anyway.
I'm not sure what else I should take along with me. It's been so long since I've been on a trip that takes me across the country. Clothes (duh), money (of course), store addresses that I've been waiting to go to (a must), and... the list kind of stops there. Shawn's been able to tell that I've been distracted lately and I think it's because I'm nervous and excited for San Diego. Eeeeee!
