Look, it's no secret that I ain't no sports fan. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I straight up don't BELIEVE girls who say they ARE sports fans, that's how totally foreign the concept is to me that someone could enjoy sports. Like, I legitimately believe girls who like sports are just saying that to talk to boys. (#onlysemijoking)

That being said, I love me some national sports that happen every four years. Olympics/World Cup I'm totally down.

I also prefer soccer above all other sports. I like hockey too but the game moves too fast I can't see where that little black puck is 3/4 of the time.

Why Soccer is Da Best:

#1. There are no CONSTANT stops to the games either because of fouls (I'm looking at you, basketball) or because that's just the way it goes (Baseball, Football. . . you're the worst). 

#2. It is easy to follow. There is a huge field and the ball is easy to spot. 

#3. It's like a pretty HUGE deal when they finally score a point. I hear arguments that this is why soccer sucks but I 100% disagree. You keep waiting for that magic moment when the ball finally goes into the net and then it's all "GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

#4. Sorry, but soccer players are just plain HOTTER than all other sports players. It's basically science.

#5. When other sports stars score:

i.e, mean.

When soccer stars score:

i.e., overjoyed / ecstatic / happy tears / sheer happiness

Welp, have I made my case? In any event, will you be watching Thursday's match v. Germany? If you want to get pumped up, may I suggest watching: 

    xo, kimbo

downtown disney weekend

Is Thursday too late to publish a post about the previous weekend? Let's go with nooo because blogger effed up when I was doing this Sunday night and then it would not let me write a post or get back to edit this one until today! So, without further adieu . . .    I had the best weekend!   i have been so overwhelmed the past few weeks with working + summer classes and just so much going on, so I was looking forward to heading down to orlando, but also it's annoying to have to drive 4 hours, but, whatever.    we left here around 330 on friday and got down there at 8 (including a stop for food!). we stayed at the buena vista palace and it was close enough to walk to downtown disney -- where I haven't been for YEARS.    it's fun because when you walk in you can buy a ($7!!!) beer and walk around with it.    We went to Splitsville to bowl and I made Felipe buy this water bottle because I really wanted it but, let's face it, I ain't 22 anymore and I just cannot deal with fruity frozen liquor drinks . . . lucky for me, my BF can! :)

 I forgot socks (we didn't plan on bowling!) so I had to buy some there. Lucky for me -- only $6 for a pair of socks! At least I was representin' U-S-A!

 He loves me even though he hates the headband :)

 At the Irish pub in downtown Disney. Just ask expensive as Dublin, but smaller glasses -_-

 The view from our hotel room on Saturday. Thanks Orlando for the beautiful weather!

 We went to Medieval Times for my bestie + her fiancé's bday. One word of advice: bring your own plastic cutlery if, like me, you are totally horrified about eating with your hands!

 I was *very* excited about this green goblet . . . which I paid $10 for and then left in the hotel bar later that night . . . and I DID realize before we got on the road, but the bar didn't open till later on a Sunday -_-.

 

Besties for 17 years and counting! 

  Oh, and doin the tall girl slouch with my boo Mr. Potato Head. 
A really great weekend, so nice to disconnect from all things school! Of course, I forgot my contact solution and I HATE SLEEPING IN MY CONTACTS so I didn't get any sleep Fri --> Sat night and then on Sat morning I woke up at 7am and went down to the in-hotel Disney store, and surprisingly, they had it. Thank yuhhh Jesus!
This weekend I'm going down to St. Pete Beach for my sister's friend's 30th bday celebration! Should be another fun one, then time to buckle down and study for finals! #whenwillitend

Sail Turkey - Finally! (photo overload)

Ok, you've been warned: photo overload. Also, let me note that NONE of these photos were taken by yours truly, but by others in my group.

I went to Turkey in, Oh, you know, August 2013. WOW. Can't believe I haven't written about this yet. 

It definitely was one of my cooler travel adventures (but anyone who loves to travel knows you can't choose your favorite - it'd be like choosing a favorite child!). When I started researching boat trips it went from Yacht Week --> Sail Croatia --> Sail Turkey. I still want to go to Croatia, but I heard (through reading blogs) that Turkey was more laid back than Croatia, and I didn't really want to be stuck on a boat with a bunch of 18 year-old-Australians. 

Which, granted! I WAS on a boat with a bunch of Australians, but they were not 18. Because so many people had signed up for our sail date, we had three boats. Luckily, Steph and I were put on the "old boat." So named by us, the oldies. We were all 25-31 and I really really liked our group. We were having chats about economics and playing a game called Mafia (they definitely went overboard on this!)

My reservations about doing this trip: 

(1) I get seasick so I was worried

(2) Turkey (western media portrays it like it's pretty dangerous - esp. last summer)

I had no reason to worry about either. I *did* get seasick pretty terribly on the first day, but I jumped in the water and surprisingly that helps. Otherwise, no problem. 

The trip was Sat --> Sat. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves (except for when I explain them!). None of the pictures of the water have been edited. (There are a few that were obviously edited from the camera, but I didn't edit them myself -- the water really DOES look like that).

 Ice-cream man speeding away after selling us!

 I'm not in this picture, but, my groupmates and THAT WATER THOUGH!

 Our days consisted of naps, reading, jump in the water, eat, repeat.

 On our one night out, the oldies had to show the young boats how it was done. We were going to Smuggler's Cove (I obviously love all things pirate) -- I'm not sure how we fashioned these eye patches, but needless to say, oldies are prepared.

 Heading off the boat to a little hike (which cut me up!) but check out that fishtail braid though! I made stephanie learn it at the airport in Iceland and then I made her braid my hair every day!

  Sighhh

 Ok so apparently there is an australian airline - Star Jet? or something - and they do these jumps in all the commercials so all the aussies were always doing these star jumps -- obvioulsy the American FAILS!

 I LOVE this picture!! If you knew what it cost my poor legs to make it to the top! I have the same picture as the lock screen on my phone.

 A shot from the front of the boat to the back - you can see me sleeping on my little bed in the left hand corner.

turkish sunsets >>>>

 THIS PICTURE IS NOT EDITED. THAT IS WHAT THE WATER ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE!!

 ACTUALLLY!

 The only thing that sucked is that it was pretty hazy because of the heat, but still. Those views!

 How you dry your clothes.

 After a short stop in Kas (pronounced Kash). SO BLOODY HOT.

 Our boat.

 Kas, Turkey.

 This is not what I pictured Turkey like before this trip. This is why I love travel.

 This is the back of the boat where we could hang out - cushioned. You can also see all the haze from the heat. This is Butterfly Valley.

 Family breakfast.

 =O

 =O

 Here I am, laying on my little bed. We did have a "cabin" below deck but most of us slept on these little beds because it was WAY cooler!!

Ok, so they told us we were going "tubing" and I was like, OK, I can handle that (I'm terrified of rafting bc my raft flipped in costa rica and I almost drowned), then we get there and it's like tube-rafting ... and the water was faaahh--reeziing! And if you went to the sides you got stuck on the rocks. Terrifying. 

 

Walking around the boat // swimming into the pirate cave (a real pirate cave where they used to store their booty)

My favorite! "Pancakes! Pancakes!" everyone would scramble to get their money when these pancake boats would pull up! (Crepes).    Overall, a really incredible trip, SO SO SO happy I did it and now I'm hooked on relaxing vacays -- I'm pretty sure this was the one and only time I've ever had a relaxing vacation.    PS - Turkey's name comes from the TURQUOISE COAST !!! It's all so clear to me now!

Anxiety & Relaxing

well I have to admit that I thought this summer would be a time to relax, reflect and recharge from my first year of law school till my second. sure, I'm taking classes and working, but for some reason I thought my schedule would be easier. *laughing at myself*

I work every morning for four hours, have a lunch break, then head to class until 5:40 or 3:00, depending on the day. That doesn't seem so bad, but then I almost always have stuff going on in the evenings too. I'm the type of person that NEEDS time to decompress every day, and if I don't have that it causes me a tremendous amount of anxiety. 

I started going to a therapist in February to work on panic attacks/anxiety. I definitely don't have the same level of anxiety as other people and I've only ever experienced one (maybe two) real panic attacks. But, I have anxiety about having a panic attack and that is pretty brutal as well. 

Anyways, I need to work on relaxing. This is why I wonder how I could ever be successful as a mom. I just can't imagine giving up all my free time to little people who need my attention. I have to go to bed at 10pm every night or I'm exhausted. I hear this is basically impossible as a mom, so, I don't know. 

I also am missing my *girl-time*. I do have girl friends here (including one of my besties), but I miss working with my best girl friends. I wouldn't say I took it for granted when I worked with my group of 6 girlfriends, because I think I appreciated it at the time, but I really miss it. Eating lunch together, venting about whatever, going out straight to happy hour . . . good times.

I hate it when women say they have all man friends because girls are just too much drama. That might be semi-true, but I also think there's probably something wrong with you if you don't have a least a couple (or even one) really good girl friend. Men and women just communicate differently & sometimes you need your girlfriends to have a good vent with. Amirite?

Also, back to the relaxing thing ... it's weird because as a teacher I felt like a constant level of stress/anxiety but I never felt like how I'm feeling now. Maybe I just learned to live with that stress -- it was a "known" stress. But I also think I was pretty good at unwinding. One of my favorite things to do, was(is?) - you guessed it - blogging! I love to write. I have been writing since I can remember. My first diaries were in 2nd grade and I never stopped. But, I don't know. I have felt so uninspired to blogggg lately, everytime I open this box I start typing something, then delete it, all the while planning out blog posts in my mind on my run or while driving.

So, I'm going to make a more concerted effort to blog something every day. I'm not going to have pictures and I'm not going to have a lot to say, but I like it so I need to prioritize it.

This weekend I'm going to Orlando w/Felipe for one of my bestie's bdays. I'm excited because we're staying Fri & Sat night at a hotel across from Downtown Disney. . . well, I'm just excited to have a chance to stay in a hotel, lay by the pool, and, *surprise* RELAX!

What about you? How do you relax?