tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41588889010698535292024-03-05T08:33:14.036-08:00Adventure TimeAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-68145178894619082016-05-02T07:33:00.000-07:002016-06-16T09:51:06.771-07:00Chiricahua Crest Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first adventure of the summer was a backpacking trip in southeastern Arizona. I sent out an open invite to a handful of friends who had mentioned they'd be interested in going sometime, and my friend Alli (Sketch) from camp and Daniel from Cronkite both said they wanted to come!<br />
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We set out on a Friday afternoon and drove from Phoenix to Chiricahua National Monument where we camped the first night. Initially, we were going to spend two nights in the wilderness, but when I realized how far away Chiricahua was, I booked a campsite and decided we'd be sleeping there one night.<br />
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Alli and I hung our hammocks on two trees at our campsite, and Daniel used my two person tent. It was our first time sleeping in hammocks for a whole night, and it was relatively warm for a while--but once we got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, our cocoons lost their temperature and we shivered through the rest of the night.<br />
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In the morning, we were awoken by a park ranger who said we needed to take our hammocks down before we got cited. Funny, there were no signs saying we couldn't have hammocks...<br />
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But I digress. We packed up the campsite and headed out for an hour drive up a steep, twisty dirt road to the trail head.<br />
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I was following directions to the trail (Chiricahua Crest) from a book <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://t3.gstatic.com/images%3Fq%3Dtbn:ANd9GcQzmciegNNWajnsZwmDdESTMgpoKdd-jV3Yhbvv6SIpxHqqX0IJ&imgrefurl=http://books.google.com/books/about/Backpacking_Arizona.html%3Fid%3D2JumBSbwiCsC%26source%3Dkp_cover&h=648&w=434&tbnid=Z15DcSyjyKPBLM:&tbnh=160&tbnw=107&docid=gxzWRdANVu_SuM&itg=1&usg=__RFfx-ALP9kT1awae_6fkqaQ2Cxo=" target="_blank">my uncle wrote</a>, but what I didn't expect was how high we had to drive to get there. When we parked at the trailhead, it was clear we were at a much higher altitude than expected, and we would be climbing higher still.<br />
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The trees along the trail were burned to a crisp but were also showing signs of growth. A campsite was located at the trailhead, but it was closed until further notice from fire damage. I'm going to take a wild guess and say the area we were hiking in was affected by the <a href="https://home.nps.gov/chir/learn/nature/horseshoe-two-fire-2011.htm" target="_blank">Horseshoe Two Fire in 2011</a>.<br />
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It made for a less green and more brown view, but it was still gorgeous. It felt great getting buried by the trees. </div>
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We hiked somewhere around 4 miles from the trailhead and ended up at a clearing in a saddle between two peaks. We set up camp and hung our hammocks while Daniel pitched the tent beside a rock to protect it from the wind.</div>
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I didn't know it while we were setting up camp, but we were in an area described as a "sky island"--an area of land so high, it's surrounded by nothing but air at its altitude. This made for a very, very cold afternoon and evening.</div>
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Alli and I bundled up in her doublenest hammock while Daniel used my single hammock, and we napped/listened to music/read books and chilled for the afternoon. </div>
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At some point, I got out of my cocoon and found Alli and Daniel by the tent where they had started a small campfire. We hung out there, made dinner, and talked about life. </div>
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The sun soon set and we climbed to the top of the rock behind which the tent was pitched. From the top of the rock, we saw city lights. </div>
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I was honestly a little disappointed by this. Even in the middle of nowhere on a sky island, I couldn't escape civilization. I really just wanted to be away from people and totally immersed in nature, but clearly that wasn't happening on this trip.</div>
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But when it comes to escaping civilization for a while, I'll take what I can get. </div>
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That night, we ultimately ended up with the three of us in the two person tent. It was too cold to sleep in our hammocks, so we squeezed like sardines into the tent and fell asleep after I read an excerpt of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/County-Almanac-Outdoor-Essays-Reflections/dp/0345345053" target="_blank">A Sand County Almanac</a></i> to Alli and Daniel.</div>
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Daniel chose "February" as the chapter, which was a very applicable choice. While we were hiking up the mountain, I had noticed a few trees that had been cut down. I admired their rings and thought of all they had lived through before being singed in the fire or cut down to clear way for the trail. </div>
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The "February" chapter starts with the narrator telling the story of a grand tree that had lived for hundreds of years until it was struck by lightning. As he saws it down, he tells the stories of the rings in the tree's core and how it withstood human conflict, tough weather, and societal change.</div>
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Reading about trees and their lives while surrounded by many tall, healthy trees (we were out of the charred zone) made for a lovely moment on this trip.</div>
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We all awoke the next morning, ate breakfast and packed out. The drive back to Phoenix was a bit longer than anticipated, but we stopped in Wilcox to explore abandoned buildings, and stopped in Tucson to eat tamales and look at a book store.</div>
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All in all, it was a great weekend getaway from the beginning of Phoenix's summer heat, and I hope to go backpacking with these two (and perhaps some others) again.</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Chiricahua National Monument, E Bonita Canyon Rd, Willcox, AZ 85643, USA32.0031812 -109.352365599999986.4811467 -150.66095959999998 57.525215700000004 -68.043771599999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-21899373530964921742016-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:002016-05-09T15:56:26.573-07:00#DontGetSaltonWithMeI spend all day <a href="http://facebook.com/acnsc" target="_blank">staring at a computer screen for my job</a>, and I've tried to be more intentional with <a href="http://mandalyn93.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my other blog</a> lately as well--which has totally led to neglecting this blog.<br />
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But I'm back! And eventually I'll tell you about my <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2016/01/dallas-tx-moving-hannah.html" target="_blank">January trip to Dallas</a>, <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2016/01/las-vegas-new-years-celebration.html" target="_blank">New Years' trip to Vegas</a>, and...yeah. I think that's all the traveling I've done this year, sadly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First-time travel partner!</td></tr>
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Well, I also went to the Salton Sea the weekend before Easter.<br />
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My friend Jackie and I were roommates during my junior (her sophomore) year of college. We didn't know each other at all when I found out I'd be living with her. I signed up to live in the ASU downtown dorms two days after the cutoff, and anxiously waited to learn who my roommate would be (praying she wouldn't be absolutely crazy/messy and would somehow be telepathic and know exactly what I was thinking).<br />
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As soon as I found out Jackie was my roommate, I Facebook stalked her and found her and messaged her and said "Hey, I think we're going to be roommates!" One thing led to another and BOOM, we were talking about and exchanging links to Vice pieces about the Salton Sea.<br />
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It was somewhere we'd both been intrigued by and interested in visiting, and we tossed around the idea of taking a trip. Two and a half years later, we actually did it.<br />
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We left Phoenix on a Friday evening and drove to Brawley, California, where we stayed at a hotel that gave us a bar of chocolate and a hand written note thanking us for staying with them. We also walked to a doughnut shop after Jackie asked me "how safe is this city?" and I gave her the crime report statistics because that's actually something I totally looked into before deciding we were staying there for the night.<br />
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For the record, Brawley is slightly safer than Phoenix. It just looks kinda sketchy at night when you're walking past an alley way to get to the 24-hour doughnut shop that also sells Conchas next to the Von's grocery store.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDJKHV2hAn3/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A video posted by A M A N D A (@mandalyn93)</a> on <time datetime="2016-03-19T17:31:59+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 19, 2016 at 10:31am PDT</time></div>
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In the morning we packed up shop and left the hotel. Our first major stop was Salvation Mountain, located in Niland, California.<br />
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For starters, I don't know many people* who are willing to leave Phoenix for a trip to California that will involve dead fish, a putrid lake, a beach made of fish bones and a man-made mountain of hay, tires, dirt and latex paint constructed entirely as a testament to God's love...but Jackie is one of those people, and I'm so grateful for that.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*actually, I know a lot of people who would be willing to do this, but they all live in Portland.</span><br />
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Welcome to<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Mountain" target="_blank"> Salvation Mountain.</a> It's bright and happy, and surrounded by absolutely nothing. When you climb to the top (which you can do) all you can see is dirt, concrete slabs, and the occasional RV occupied by someone who is either ATV-ing for the weekend or trying to escape real life out here, in the desert of California.<br />
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I'm stoked we got to see Salvation Mountain for a few reasons. One, a ton of my friends (read: the ones who live in Portland now) have visited multiple times and have always told me to go. Two, my favorite <a href="http://petapixel.com/2014/11/10/photography-4-year-old-hawkeye-huey-son-nat-geo-photographer-aaron-huey/" target="_blank">National Geographer photographer and his son</a> frequently visit and photograph the area, which makes me super happy. Three, I love the story of<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-leonard-mountain-20140210-story.html" target="_blank"> Leonard Knight</a>, the artist who created Salvation Mountain. I'm bummed I'll never be able to meet him, though, as he passed away a few years ago.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>I hope my future grandchildren find this someday and think "Damn, my grandma was a badass." </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I didn't find anything particularly noteworthy--just some graffiti, some dirty clothing and an old computer monitor.</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBseR9TgMXQbvH-z26xGBKRCDMyt5xxJG1tpTj6ympFmeQJccLWmjfvRWdlVLzucJ5Yh3eJ06uCfWsyuXyxKaifyj7w2a-iwO5ImmzidRCYhZrr-rPeccSmsWDOcfUgIr4srVxeaMBA0Fr/s1600/salton+sea+batch+1-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBseR9TgMXQbvH-z26xGBKRCDMyt5xxJG1tpTj6ympFmeQJccLWmjfvRWdlVLzucJ5Yh3eJ06uCfWsyuXyxKaifyj7w2a-iwO5ImmzidRCYhZrr-rPeccSmsWDOcfUgIr4srVxeaMBA0Fr/s640/salton+sea+batch+1-42.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our next stop was about thirty minutes away--Bombay Beach. Jackie pegged the location as "what she thinks of when she thinks of the Salton Sea," and I knew relatively little about it.<br />
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When the Salton Sea was first created (by a complete fluke of nature), it flooded a basin in southern California and paved the way for waterfront vacation properties to pop up. Long story short, the sea had no outflow, so the salinity rose and everything died--including the waterfront towns.<br />
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Bombay Beach currently has about six square blocks of <i>actual, living </i>residents as well as the rickety bones and sunken foundations of former buildings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This may have been a crane once upon a time.</i></span></td></tr>
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We explored the shoreline and saw everything from old, metal school desk chairs scattered in the water off the beach to a camper/trailer completely sunk into sand up to its roof. Had it not been for a crowd of Good Samaritans preparing to tow a car ahead of us, we would have also accidentally driven into some loose gravelly sand and been stuck.<br />
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After nearly driving into the quicksand (which it was not, but for story's sake, let's call it that) we decided we'd had enough of the barren beach and wanted shade, rest and lunch.<br />
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It was time to head to the campground.<br />
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A video posted by Jackie Cotton (@jackiebcotton) on <time datetime="2016-03-19T21:02:00+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 19, 2016 at 2:02pm PDT</time></div>
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When I first told Jackie I wanted to camp, I think she was apprehensive--but she handled it like a pro. If you click the video above, you'll notice we set up the tent in our dresses, because <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIdFa1qLgNQ" target="_blank">#femalesarestrongashell</a>. We spent the entire afternoon sitting behind her car/in her car/eating salami/reading books/talking about adulthood and what life is like after graduation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thank you for always taking my photo, Jackie.</span></i></td></tr>
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Come sunset, we went down to the beach (which we could see from our campsite) and took a ton of photos. We both enjoy photography and definitely took advantage of the different settings we experienced throughout the day. Also, why else would we have stayed in our dresses? <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDEu5hVhAlz/?taken-by=mandalyn93" target="_blank">Gotta get those #liveauthentic pics.</a><br />
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After photos, we opened a bottle of wine (if you know us, you know we pretend to be wine connoisseurs) and cooked cans of soup over a nifty propane burner I bought not too long ago!<br />
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We soon went to sleep--the sun sucked the life from us that day, and gave me a nice burn too.<br />
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I slept like a rock and woke up at 7:30 to Jackie swearing at the yapping birds, calling them "procreating fiends."<br />
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<i>Her word choice is one of the reasons she's one of my three closest friends. </i><br />
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Granted, we'll never know what kind of birds they were--<a href="http://www.wired.com/2012/09/salton-sea-saga/all/" target="_blank">2/3 of the types of birds</a> found in the United States can be found at the Salton Sea, on account of it being one of the only water sources available for miles and miles on the migratory route.<br />
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That's the funny thing about the Salton Sea--it's a great irony. A superb juxtaposition. It was never meant to exist. It's a product of an accident that drew life to it, and then quickly began to expel all living things. But through the years of its existence, the sea has become <a href="http://ca.audubon.org/conservation/salton-sea" target="_blank">both a life sustainer</a> and a life taker.<br />
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The birds wouldn't be able to survive without it, but its salty and toxic nature ultimately takes a few bird lives every year.<br />
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There's something beautiful in that deadly juxtaposition, and we got to encounter it on our weekend trip to a very dreary and gorgeous place in southern California.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Look how stinking cute we are! And how sunburned my arm is!</span></i></td></tr>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Salton Sea, California, USA33.3286185 -115.8434121999999932.903977999999995 -116.4888592 33.753259 -115.19796519999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-24634238248145749982016-01-11T16:05:00.000-08:002016-04-05T16:07:00.569-07:00Dallas, TX || Moving Hannah<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This is a literal copy-and-paste of a post from my <a href="http://mandalyn93.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">other, more-often-updated blog</a>.</span></i><br />
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I spent a weekend in January with my best friend Hannah. We were glued at the hip for hours and hours--and I don't know when I'll see her next.<br />
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A photo posted by 🌵 A M A N D A 🌵 (@mandalyn93) on <time datetime="2016-01-09T17:41:02+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 9, 2016 at 9:41am PST</time></div>
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Together we embarked on a 14-16 hour drive that left her in Texas and left me bawling my eyes out at the airport.<br />
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She accepted a job with Geico which meant she needed to move from Arizona to Texas, the land of the oil fields and smelly flatlands.<br />
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I was (obviously) super bummed to be leaving her in a different state. She's my oldest and closest friend, and also the fifth or sixth of my friends to move out of state in the past two years. Arizona is starting to feel pretty lonely.<br />
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But, on the flip side of the loneliness, it was really cool to help her move and be a part of that life event. She even let me decorate her wall <3<br />
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Helping Hannah move made me even more excited to move. I got to think about how I'll decorate my room and get an idea of how little stuff I actually need in my new apartment (hello, minimal chic?) It was definitely a bummer leaving her in Texas (even the TSA agent sympathized with me while I was bawling at the security checkpoint) but I got a sweet, simple taste of moving.<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Dallas, TX, USA32.7766642 -96.79698789999997632.3496592 -97.442434899999981 33.2036692 -96.151540899999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-61396338699952406112016-01-02T08:51:00.000-08:002016-03-31T09:24:02.327-07:00Las Vegas || New Years' Celebration<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flix, Waters, Me, Pox and Paddles. Gotta love camp nicknames.</td></tr>
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I went to Las Vegas for New Years.<br />
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Before you start freaking out, though, you should know who I went with--two of my camp friends who are 19. And we stayed with another camp friend who is 19, and her then boyfriend* (also a camp friend) who may have been 20.<br />
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At 22, I was the oldest--and also on some crazy cough meds because I had a case of bronchitis that led to two cracked ribs. So there was absolutely no cliche Vegas-style partying.<br />
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And cough meds meant I didn't have to drive! At all! Pox and Waters did all of the driving while I just sat in the passenger's seat, playing DJ and jamming out to Switchfoot and Kendrick Lamar and eating Sonic and reveling in how much I missed my camp friends.<br />
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When we got to Vegas, we immediately started celebrating. We took of our road trip clothes and changed into cute night-on-the-town clothes, and then went to get sushi.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoHGldpCgftEX_hZUPN12UlM7JGMAATKfIwSe0eXaNfCAkStlMTSgbeZPwa5Zu09uwIzI5rQcye5H-VygGx28nzEJn-ywcVRsmnX5bqPKjHO04yZorzDJa01w9mbs6DiCHvT-Az0yeEJA/s1600/12552777_10208500103599554_3419045841433265584_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoHGldpCgftEX_hZUPN12UlM7JGMAATKfIwSe0eXaNfCAkStlMTSgbeZPwa5Zu09uwIzI5rQcye5H-VygGx28nzEJn-ywcVRsmnX5bqPKjHO04yZorzDJa01w9mbs6DiCHvT-Az0yeEJA/s1600/12552777_10208500103599554_3419045841433265584_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>"Look Ma, I'm a walrus!" // Pox is my camp roommate and a ray of sunshine.</i></span></td></tr>
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Sushi is kind of my go-to whenever I visit Flix in Vegas. I met up with her when I was in Vegas in <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2015_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">September</a>, and we had sushi then--so, of course, we had sushi now too. It was delicious and perfect and so so so much fun.</div>
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Camp friends are awesome because our friendships sprouted in a time when we had <i>z e r o</i> cares in the world--we just had to wake up, go to a breakfast meeting, eat food, and do our jobs. And our jobs were hanging out with kids all day--so we're all basically glorified children with responsibilities, which means whenever you throw a group of us together, we're <i>still</i> glorified children with responsibilities. But we're not afraid to be totally ridiculous.</div>
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A-n-y-w-a-y...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshZhlvExfI5GL0m-fVn7dPjQ9isQiodFslRXJBaELEaz6Abi3cM_bQYt-YTe7PStKWmUBoOfFxRp3U_3LTA_kZwGkWs-VNwtiwupXsMzcRu1XCwD1C02DWvzr3VdPz4T7CkTbACWQ9Ar-/s1600/12439058_10208500106999639_7804073433035104304_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshZhlvExfI5GL0m-fVn7dPjQ9isQiodFslRXJBaELEaz6Abi3cM_bQYt-YTe7PStKWmUBoOfFxRp3U_3LTA_kZwGkWs-VNwtiwupXsMzcRu1XCwD1C02DWvzr3VdPz4T7CkTbACWQ9Ar-/s640/12439058_10208500106999639_7804073433035104304_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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The rest of our New Years Eve was spent at Dutch Brothers (le duh, DB is a HUGE deal for camp kids), WalMart and then back at Flix's dad's house where we poured some Martinelli's and toasted the new year! Then we ran outside and popped party poppers to our hearts content.</div>
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Night #2 was actually spent walking around The Strip, because it's really not a trip to Vegas without doing that. It's always fun to see how different people interact with and react on the strip. All of us camp kids took it chill and enjoyed the lengthy walk, the bright lights, and the crazy people.</div>
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I'm pretty sure there's nobody else I'd rather explore Las Vegas with. I love how lowkey New Years was with this crew, and I'd gladly travel with them again.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*the timestamp on this is January 2016, but I'm definitely writing it on March 31, 2016</span></i></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Las Vegas, NV, USA36.1699412 -115.1398295999999835.7602007 -115.78527659999999 36.579681699999995 -114.49438259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-49374464350419659102015-12-28T08:47:00.001-08:002015-12-28T08:49:41.654-08:00That September "Family" Road Trip<i>Ok, it's now the final week of 2015 so I'm finishing and posting this bleeping blog post.</i><br />
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I'm now a college graduate.<br />
Let that sink in.<br />
<br />
<i>Even more, I have a job--but more on that later.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-adventure-that-started-it-all.html" target="_blank">The adventure that started it all</a> took place more than four years ago, and I'm ready to embark on a new adventure: the work world.<br />
<br />
So before all that happens, my parents and I decided to go on one final hoorah--a three week family vacation.<br />
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Only, the three week vacation turned in to a two week vacation after I fell and broke my knee. The Industrial Commission only allows Workers Comp recipients to leave the state for 14 days max, and since I broke my knee while I was on the clock...the vacation got cut short.<br />
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Which was ultimately okay.<br />
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The vacation also didn't end up being a family vacation because my mom got sick the morning she and I were supposed to leave for Las Vegas.<br />
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<i>This vacation was also, like, two months ago.*</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsRDWYPuKZkMxMyotWYCQp4LT9qd-14DgkZW8W_smWnqoHr9BF_oKr01dWmZfx4DR1juX_f8H3RHpf3goSpL66jbmLOkUuhLTxGQNJ1yrl_1Sypu0eXdOZizKW3XhEuScyLVkRQbgWel2/s1600/kch6VNPykXKXWiQjwDARe6Q6CPa0K93AM0Vrl4it2O0%252C7a6QdHIdUkc_y3euIEFXfrw9aTT44JQqCtWvzTmvKhE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsRDWYPuKZkMxMyotWYCQp4LT9qd-14DgkZW8W_smWnqoHr9BF_oKr01dWmZfx4DR1juX_f8H3RHpf3goSpL66jbmLOkUuhLTxGQNJ1yrl_1Sypu0eXdOZizKW3XhEuScyLVkRQbgWel2/s640/kch6VNPykXKXWiQjwDARe6Q6CPa0K93AM0Vrl4it2O0%252C7a6QdHIdUkc_y3euIEFXfrw9aTT44JQqCtWvzTmvKhE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom's sick face.</td></tr>
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So, when Mom realized she wasn't going to make it from Phoenix to Vegas to Sacramento, we enlisted my (now ex) boyfriend to help me drive to Vegas and Sacramento. So at 6 pm (way later than intended) Joel and I said goodbye to Phoenix and hello to the road.<br />
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We made it to Vegas at 11:30 pm, promptly dropped our bags off at the hotel room, and hit the strip--because there's no better time to see the Las Vegas strip than at midnight.<br />
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We slept in incredibly late, explored the strip during the day, went out for coffee and sushi and record shopping with a friend from camp who lives in Vegas, and went to bed relatively early that night with Mike's Hard Lemonade and HGTV because Vegas bars are gross and expensive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxpgWPLULNlN_85sZNnl7a2iTEeGd31Lhq8eMA4fvynAFXbVwyIHftyUqd_gcAylSUshTvpc7ivREp-8FpTR5HCHAgvwj5cGCvWZFR7z6GxlZytbov6cmUIbCA3xJ2loI6OUei5T1GgMk/s1600/AA001A-Edit2Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxpgWPLULNlN_85sZNnl7a2iTEeGd31Lhq8eMA4fvynAFXbVwyIHftyUqd_gcAylSUshTvpc7ivREp-8FpTR5HCHAgvwj5cGCvWZFR7z6GxlZytbov6cmUIbCA3xJ2loI6OUei5T1GgMk/s640/AA001A-Edit2Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprisingly, Vegas has cool architecture.</td></tr>
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The following morning we ate breakfast burritos (and said farewell to Mexican food for the next few days, because the Pacific North West doesn't really have Mexican food) and headed out on the road.<br />
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We stopped a lot. This is the first road trip I've been on where we frequently stopped along the side of the road, because Joel is a photographer and loves capturing things on the side of the road, and I really enjoyed it. We got to explore an old abandoned road-side store as well as something called South Tufa at Mono Lake.<br />
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There were a ton of tall rock pillars that looked very supernatural. Unfortunately, we didn't get to explore them very much because we were a) hungry, and b) trying to get to Sacramento by that night. But they were gorgeous, and somewhere I really want to visit again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aT5lYRGOKe5-10xCazcBvvrA2QK6XlQGrA6kegdewk90YUGHZoJFFriv8SbvryZ9WOoFFRhVQEbXoqZlw5QbInhabJUWW6CudzBCnx-nJ0iwaqgbYGBt1FZTvHhVOrmH26G_K3-MqwFl/s1600/AA003A-Edit4Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aT5lYRGOKe5-10xCazcBvvrA2QK6XlQGrA6kegdewk90YUGHZoJFFriv8SbvryZ9WOoFFRhVQEbXoqZlw5QbInhabJUWW6CudzBCnx-nJ0iwaqgbYGBt1FZTvHhVOrmH26G_K3-MqwFl/s640/AA003A-Edit4Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoned</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiej0akNG0r9f7Doo_mgHjDB_7iPieSikX7YThGYIIhmm4xPmDv8TwU74jbIY50Pw1NB_SvcTz6dXqPY3xx5RxqdkOUHCvjRH4KsgnkEyu-vR4uMEK9I3LrcJJVo9m3auJH8BXLeb5AWlJX/s1600/AA016A17Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiej0akNG0r9f7Doo_mgHjDB_7iPieSikX7YThGYIIhmm4xPmDv8TwU74jbIY50Pw1NB_SvcTz6dXqPY3xx5RxqdkOUHCvjRH4KsgnkEyu-vR4uMEK9I3LrcJJVo9m3auJH8BXLeb5AWlJX/s640/AA016A17Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mono Lake</td></tr>
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Our route went through Nevada into California, which meant we got to drive on the CA 120. It was gorgeous--we drove up and through the mountains, and I got to see an amazing alpenglow during sunset.<br />
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The goal, however, was to be in Sacramento by 9 pm to pick dad up from his flight. We ended up being at the airport a little closer to 10, but dad was fine with it. We were on an adventure, after all.<br />
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After picking him up from the airport, we went and checked in at the Delta King, an old riverboat converted into a floating hotel. The staff was alright. Not incredibly helpful or accommodating, but we were a few hours later than we expected to be. Ultimately, we got our room and got to sleep.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyN88fYAQDL897Y-xWmhbJqoVLYv2EggEfeC9ezJUexeQe1gIWQVJt42Bhyphenhypheno2wOvyGniAwAUX0nEaHfaq2CO-ej2rhNh2ek2KhEkezEEmOS_BGYuYj0wxWzwUZBXxXq3miOK2_buFvxe0/s1600/AA021A22Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyN88fYAQDL897Y-xWmhbJqoVLYv2EggEfeC9ezJUexeQe1gIWQVJt42Bhyphenhypheno2wOvyGniAwAUX0nEaHfaq2CO-ej2rhNh2ek2KhEkezEEmOS_BGYuYj0wxWzwUZBXxXq3miOK2_buFvxe0/s640/AA021A22Amana+Vegas150908.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad!</td></tr>
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Our reservations with the Delta King included breakfast (hallelujah) and we appreciated that very much. The meal was served in the restaurant, which overlooked the river.<br />
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This happened in September, and I'm now picking this post back up in the end of December* so I'm just going to summarize the rest of this.<br />
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We took my (ex) boyfriend to the airport that day, and then met with one of my former professors (who is also the former editor of the Sacramento Bee and an all around great person) for lunch, and caught up on life.<br />
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We stayed one more night in Sacramento, then we headed north to Portland, stopping in Redding, Calif. so I could visit my friends Heidi and Shane (whom I met in <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/09/wedding-bells-pa.html" target="_blank">Eva's wedding</a>) and my friend Sarah from camp.<br />
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In Portland, dad and I just chilled a lot. It was almost overwhelming, the whole being in Portland thing. Initially, mom was supposed to join us and I had planned that she and dad were going to spend time together reading or whatever, and I was going to go explore Portland more, but since mom didn't come, Dad and I spent a lot of time together, which was great, but I felt kind of bad leaving him alone to go hang out with friends a bit.<br />
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But that doesn't mean I left him alone all the time. We went out for dinner with my friends Andie and Liz one night, and checked out Olympic Provision co. We ate meats and cheeses and olives and goodies like that, and it was lovely.<br />
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I also saw Brenna a lot, who was her usual sassy self, and <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/07/portland.html" target="_blank">Rhea</a>. It was so so good to see Rhea and her little baby Lucy (who is now a year old.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh225dKJYY73JxOK3cGYKwNezB_b-4YEjsLfZIcT2sx6Co2mBEtYq_fUVpme3Ky6WoEgnbZWFYGM3wJXITtHHJrYAwml_YOF9NDlzUI3ACJCJ3tqb9KseI08wcZZZ1LbI6YHao_yxCHt-Lt/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh225dKJYY73JxOK3cGYKwNezB_b-4YEjsLfZIcT2sx6Co2mBEtYq_fUVpme3Ky6WoEgnbZWFYGM3wJXITtHHJrYAwml_YOF9NDlzUI3ACJCJ3tqb9KseI08wcZZZ1LbI6YHao_yxCHt-Lt/s640/DSC_0106.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Redwoods are huuuuge and I'd like to live in the forest.</td></tr>
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After lunch with Rhea on the last day in Portland, dad and I headed to Tillamook and then coasted down the coast. We saw redwoods, we saw ocean, we drove and we drove and we drove.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiXOJe-0f3vHjY1UjZzwTGdwFZb3lQ4Nm0AxECyIzrCV_PqHaXC9TA7iEnECZdob2BTIWWDl6ZJmx7LivIvQ5wGHZw_gQq0OB_xYr720N85gn5ndRqDxBZtmroIm2Iv4QM2EB17vVQ8w0/s1600/DSC_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiXOJe-0f3vHjY1UjZzwTGdwFZb3lQ4Nm0AxECyIzrCV_PqHaXC9TA7iEnECZdob2BTIWWDl6ZJmx7LivIvQ5wGHZw_gQq0OB_xYr720N85gn5ndRqDxBZtmroIm2Iv4QM2EB17vVQ8w0/s640/DSC_0187.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battery Spencer, we shall meet again.</td></tr>
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We tried really hard to see the Golden Gate Bridge, but the fog was horrendous from Battery Spencer for the most part. When we drove over the bridge, I got to see some of it, but I also got to explore the creepy and freaky and abandoned Battery Spencer, which was rad.<br />
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And at some point after seeing the Bixby Bridge, we decided we didn't want to see anymore sights. We were driving alongside the ocean as the sun was setting, and realized that we wouldn't see any more ocean until the sun rose the next morning. We'd had enough ocean. We wanted to go home, to the desert and to see mom, so we drove through the night and ended up in Phoenix right after sunrise and surprised mom and ended our road trip in the same speedy haze it began.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-j0_4ihGkVHdzWy8WHFYvBprseYqMmjqPGqzIvaPFeAfnyhEhjDNxe3o05urI2gYDoM2ooVHvqQPYqwVUB7ySIb6GB6cYzrVCqiSWoXE6NZwTdi5qQTTFWq-R4oxhFL5Fw3ZY65xGJ45/s1600/DSC_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-j0_4ihGkVHdzWy8WHFYvBprseYqMmjqPGqzIvaPFeAfnyhEhjDNxe3o05urI2gYDoM2ooVHvqQPYqwVUB7ySIb6GB6cYzrVCqiSWoXE6NZwTdi5qQTTFWq-R4oxhFL5Fw3ZY65xGJ45/s640/DSC_0325.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad is probably my favorite person to travel with.</td></tr>
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<i>I think I had a hard time writing about this because it's a difficult time to look back on. I'm not in the relationship that kicked off the start of the trip, I was still recovering from a broken knee, and my mom was unable to join us on what was supossed to be a family vacation. The trip itself didn't go as planned, and it was absolutely amazing to spend time with dad, but the trip is still a lot to process. I still haven't gone through all the digital photos from it, and I still have a roll of undeveloped film. I also feel like this was my last large Portland adventure for a while. The city just felt...fake. I remember getting doughntus at Pip's and seeing potted cacti and cliche-cute western decor everywhere and wanting to vomit. Tiny cacti don't belong in Portland, they belong in Phoenix--and so do I.</i>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-87300080950207432702015-12-13T22:54:00.000-08:002015-12-13T22:54:32.522-08:00Michigan<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/148840893" width="580" height="400" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/148840893">Michigan Bound</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/amandalacasse">Amanda LaCasse</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
I went to Michigan and you can watch a short video about it.
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-81474662092958384662015-11-07T13:20:00.002-08:002015-11-10T08:28:48.920-08:00The Questival<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="5" style="background: #FFF; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: -webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width: 99.375%; width: calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/9zE5V_BAic/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Pickle or cactus? 🌵 #QAZ #cotopaxi #questival</a></div>
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A photo posted by Amanda (@mandalyn93) on <time datetime="2015-11-07T21:06:07+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 7, 2015 at 1:06pm PST</time></div>
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My friends Jackie and Dillon are currently participating in a 24-hour scavenger hunt with me! So far, we've climbed a tall, netted thing in Mesa; hiked to Hole In The Rock at Papago; ridden a snake slide at McDowell Mountain Regional Park area; and now we're finally going to go eat spaghetti. Because we're hungry. And we need to act out Lady and the Tramp ❤️Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-667024207500760282015-09-24T10:35:00.003-07:002015-09-24T10:49:44.245-07:00Farewell, Summer.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo3oej6GbDznqKfDTSxgxO_xve5alpGLuFLgqMdzzJbE-VUq1xJZtAd48RKaCl0f1ycRV6Xyk35iblYOCo2H8EQPxVXJbPbAdFVGW1dvG5YrtP41zciM_Gno89V1sjwZ0oc6LN8T1JecT/s1600/11391198_10207010932571209_908621303542696787_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo3oej6GbDznqKfDTSxgxO_xve5alpGLuFLgqMdzzJbE-VUq1xJZtAd48RKaCl0f1ycRV6Xyk35iblYOCo2H8EQPxVXJbPbAdFVGW1dvG5YrtP41zciM_Gno89V1sjwZ0oc6LN8T1JecT/s640/11391198_10207010932571209_908621303542696787_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Want your life to change forever, in a good way? Work at a summer camp with amazing people.</i></td></tr>
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My summer at camp ended not with a fizzle--but with a bang.<br />
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A bang into a rock, that is.<br />
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I was rappelling while working at UCYC and fell backwards over a cliff. It's a stupid little thing, and I only broke my knee. After I fell backwards, my equipment caught me, swinging me into the rock.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L18FSYSULg2Y1IIyyzMvZkD8_UKswakk3HJlMP7iPmTTGbbDE859tdn5Ug1c1794GkYXEM-l4rMsmJZ8j7knQVW4KDfUvb0EonDfVb6bLu8yTKhA7lP2bXZ2DoEYMRo2o546cjosT083/s1600/11813250_10207394942091207_8589856597882603760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L18FSYSULg2Y1IIyyzMvZkD8_UKswakk3HJlMP7iPmTTGbbDE859tdn5Ug1c1794GkYXEM-l4rMsmJZ8j7knQVW4KDfUvb0EonDfVb6bLu8yTKhA7lP2bXZ2DoEYMRo2o546cjosT083/s640/11813250_10207394942091207_8589856597882603760_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mama Rachel fed me jello in the hospital.</i></td></tr>
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That was about two months ago, and I'm all better now. I'm almost done with physical therapy, and I spent a solid month sitting around watching Netflix (I'm almost done with Breaking Bad) and walking around with crutches (Yeah! Arm muscles!)<br />
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In turn, I did not get to go on the mission trip to Ecuador, which is a bummer because I raised nearly all the funds I needed to raise. I will, however, be going on another mission trip to Ecuador or to the Dominican Republic later this year. I also didn't get to go to Texas to help Hannah move back or to see Natalie.<br />
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Another bummer that came with breaking my knee is that our family road trip had to be reduced from three weeks to only two weeks, meaning I only made it as far north as Portland, as the Industrial Commission only allows you out of the state for two weeks at a time when you're on Workers' Compensation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpAqOn2kgHBPrOfozkA_-mCKTcqOsDcByUiwy1MZaCeChqNacWXhjKekggs9zCn9tcPDUl38am35-FVAolUO6aFoDELwm7nzdAn1qL6LRI1Wg8gQDe8CQwZ08veg9RMz7ROAZ3UL-EpT3/s1600/11800529_10207394944131258_8263909555237124685_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpAqOn2kgHBPrOfozkA_-mCKTcqOsDcByUiwy1MZaCeChqNacWXhjKekggs9zCn9tcPDUl38am35-FVAolUO6aFoDELwm7nzdAn1qL6LRI1Wg8gQDe8CQwZ08veg9RMz7ROAZ3UL-EpT3/s640/11800529_10207394944131258_8263909555237124685_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I met so many encouraging people this summer, it's amazing.</i></td></tr>
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But the road trip--that's another story for another post, which will be coming soon! For now, the summer (as great as it was) is now over.<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Prescott, AZ, USA34.5400242 -112.468502534.3308897 -112.791226 34.749158699999995 -112.145779tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-75405744237031422932015-06-21T13:34:00.000-07:002015-06-21T13:34:21.538-07:00Upcoming AdventuresLong time, no talk! I haven't blogged in more than a month.<br />
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If you haven't heard, I'm spending the whole summer adventuring in Prescott, Arizona. I'm working at the summer camp I attended as a child (<a href="https://instagram.com/p/29HVHGBAgC/?taken-by=mandalyn93" target="_blank">United Christian Youth Camp</a>, which is full of beautiful outdoors.) My job is to help kids climb a giant rock face at Watson Lake, and I enjoy it quite a bit.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tsozlA3-PGhvUIp1E_jF9TEdwtrxA-6iqMsw8HsNjR2aHpnXLIRy8b1NFcYQjJTf41ymfhDWOGw7ktu6kM4GTYeyEnNlDfJCP1P1qwyA-ZSMZemnigV7gr1sRXfgEqG4JFdXSP999Oa5/s1600/11094292_10206901217188393_5532414240969290313_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tsozlA3-PGhvUIp1E_jF9TEdwtrxA-6iqMsw8HsNjR2aHpnXLIRy8b1NFcYQjJTf41ymfhDWOGw7ktu6kM4GTYeyEnNlDfJCP1P1qwyA-ZSMZemnigV7gr1sRXfgEqG4JFdXSP999Oa5/s640/11094292_10206901217188393_5532414240969290313_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing, rappelling; day in, day out. It's a great life.</td></tr>
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But this is my entire summer. I've been able to take day trips to Bartlett Lake and Flagstaff, and eat a few <a href="https://instagram.com/p/3zo3ffBArV/" target="_blank">donuts</a>, but I haven't gone many other places or done many other things.<br />
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However, that doesn't mean I'm going to sit around as soon as the summer is over. I have plans to go to Ecuador (yeah, you read that right), Texas and Canada.<br />
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UCYC is taking a group of summer and full time staff members to Ecuador to build a sustainable farm and share the love of Jesus. The trip itself is about $2000 dollars, and I am starting to fundraise for it (which is rough. But, hey, God will provide, right?)<br />
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<a href="http://www.gofundme.com/x3wuxs" target="_blank">In fact, <b>you should check out my gofundme and give me a few dollars. Please. Pretty pretty please.</b></a><br />
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After Ecuador, I'll be going to Texas to visit my friend Natalie in Austin and help <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2013/08/second-annual-california-birthday.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a> move back from Dallas when her internship ends. I'm really stoked for that trip because Hannah's mom paid for my airfare to get out there, and I'm going to get to ride an Amtrak from Austin to Dallas. And we all know I love Amtrak.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVthsH31tAwsnmGB51-BkCx-qISB_WzY7diKsYsp1INs1PG-AKYWehNz0laMHDmCvQ6tLoKBkBBniPDBL55gCBrJBQdlRJT4wFQZPDcHgRzrJiqPZBLoaico4vP73xG-0qWT3g8jEZAkv/s1600/amtrak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVthsH31tAwsnmGB51-BkCx-qISB_WzY7diKsYsp1INs1PG-AKYWehNz0laMHDmCvQ6tLoKBkBBniPDBL55gCBrJBQdlRJT4wFQZPDcHgRzrJiqPZBLoaico4vP73xG-0qWT3g8jEZAkv/s640/amtrak.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gorgeous alpenglow shot during sunrise last time I was on an Amtrak.</td></tr>
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Despues de Texas, I'll be taking a three week long road trip with my parents. We're starting to plan it out, and it will include Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Vancouver BC. The outsetting trip will be me and my mom, and then my dad will fly to join us, and then my mom will fly home and my dad and I will drive back (visiting as many national parks as we can on the way).</div>
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To be honest, I'm a little skeptical as to if my parents are actually up for the trip, as they haven't started making reservations for hotels or anything, but I'm hoping they jump to that and do it. Because I'm ready to finally make it to Canada, and take a stop in the Bay Area, and see all my beautiful Portlandites, and visit Yosemite.</div>
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But we'll see where this all goes!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Prescott, AZ, USA34.5400242 -112.468502534.3308897 -112.791226 34.749158699999995 -112.145779tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-27027406217552248052015-05-12T01:12:00.000-07:002015-05-12T11:44:56.666-07:00Calischmorina || I'm done with college.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve0nv5aPKE5EqMOsmPVX7Qydro8zrTl5-9D8yMXx1gDG_qPVxVZScEgENy_9NeO03t138RmA3cy9dWNAgp80qq23aolCsZqX2kqXth8UcfR1rIgyiD1KKKWqFtTTVlYIGNSWGBTdDwa9F/s1600/2015-05-02+14.06.25-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve0nv5aPKE5EqMOsmPVX7Qydro8zrTl5-9D8yMXx1gDG_qPVxVZScEgENy_9NeO03t138RmA3cy9dWNAgp80qq23aolCsZqX2kqXth8UcfR1rIgyiD1KKKWqFtTTVlYIGNSWGBTdDwa9F/s640/2015-05-02+14.06.25-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm freeeeeee</i></td></tr>
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I celebrated the end of my senior year of college by driving to California by myself to visit <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/10/cali-take-1.html" target="_blank">Mitch</a> and <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/10/cali-take-2.html" target="_blank">Jess</a>. The trip was borderline not-going-to happen, but I decided to go after my depth reporting professor told me my story on immigration patterns in <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2015/03/oh-right-i-went-to-nicaragua.html" target="_blank">Nicaragua</a> was at a great next-to-final-draft stage, and that I would only have minor edits to do.</div>
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<i>hallelujah for finishing that on time</i></div>
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As soon as I got the email from my professor, I texted Jess and Mitch and told them it was a go. That was Thursday, and I left Phoenix the following Saturday.</div>
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It was the first time I'd ever driven to California by myself, but it was great. I spent time listening to podcasts and music, and stopped to take ridiculously great photos of myself like the one above.</div>
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When I finally arrived at Mitch's house (the traffic in Azusa and Pasadena was horrendous) I quickly set up my laptop and realized I had a paper due in my photography class the day I would return to Phoenix. (Spoiler: I didn't write the paper until the night before it was due.)</div>
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Mitch and I hung out, caught up, and just enjoyed seeing each other. He moved back to California from Phoenix in October or November, after getting a really sweet job in television production.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerpLe03aK4R7QzsJY6sGtuH4-VvHI6EcvbBh_ifXLG2daQyNwXEkK8B53r4mU0JSjN6W87WJ6FESm38sU5CTMfTB_teGWMDUOw1glPmKxroESmWtJxXrxxjUQK9gr0cfRTdHSNf9arh9B/s1600/2015-05-03+14.22.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerpLe03aK4R7QzsJY6sGtuH4-VvHI6EcvbBh_ifXLG2daQyNwXEkK8B53r4mU0JSjN6W87WJ6FESm38sU5CTMfTB_teGWMDUOw1glPmKxroESmWtJxXrxxjUQK9gr0cfRTdHSNf9arh9B/s640/2015-05-03+14.22.19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Saturday was spent hanging out with his parents at Taste of the Town, a local food and wine event to benefit charity. The best food there was tri-tip barbecue and these ridiculously delicious chocolate covered strawberries and sugar cookies. And cold brew coffee. And cupcakes. And other delicious sweets that I ate W A Y too much of.</div>
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It was also really sunny that afternoon and I got ridiculously burnt, but I loved spending time with Mitch's mom and dad; they're an absolute riot. My family isn't particularly good at back-and-forth banter, but his parents are, and I really enjoy that I can make humorous, sarcastic, funny comments with them without offending anyone.</div>
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Monday was spent at Disneyland and California Adventures, which was the original intent of this trip. Mitch told me he wanted to take me to Disneyland before I graduated, so I made it happen by wrapping up all of my homework before I left.<br />
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We started the day off in Disneyland and hit up all of the necessary rides (Indiana Jones, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean) and made dinner reservations for the Blue Bayou.<br />
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At that point, we hopped over to California Adventures and ate at Carthay Circle, a historic and delicious restaurant I was unaware existed. We had deep fried cheese-filled biscuits. It was awesome.<br />
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My favorite part of Disneyland was, by far, visiting Cars Land.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kf5pEhPRuuaIldo70ru2sRi15lqj6qRf-C6P8L_1YHPcx2nb4bqwiY98TWsti_aD4hHI_v2NZqseGxtEA5v1MZ6D9RxO8fqdObxSxPdcWLhx_OmvgBjxbD0pd9GhCcicEJLfx6AWgMZf/s1600/2015-05-04+15.40.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kf5pEhPRuuaIldo70ru2sRi15lqj6qRf-C6P8L_1YHPcx2nb4bqwiY98TWsti_aD4hHI_v2NZqseGxtEA5v1MZ6D9RxO8fqdObxSxPdcWLhx_OmvgBjxbD0pd9GhCcicEJLfx6AWgMZf/s640/2015-05-04+15.40.32.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>this ride is my dream. CARS LAND IS MY DREAM.</i></td></tr>
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Here's a fact about me: I'm a Cars fanatic. It is, without a doubt, my favorite Diseny-Pixar film. I love the soundtrack, the plot, the characters, the colors, the lights, everything. I love everything about that movie, and being able to ride Radiator Springs Racers (complete with ANIMATRONIC CARS CHARACTERS. I GOT TO SEE MATER AND LIGHTNING MCQUEEN) was a dream come true.<br />
<br />
That's the magic of Disneyland--your wildest imaginations can come true.<br />
<br />
And, of course, the second best part of visiting Disneyland was visiting with Mitch. He's one of my best friends, and he knows so much about the park (and a lot of park employees). It was a great experience with him--also because we both agreed that riding the train around Disneyland for 45 minutes was a good idea when we were 210% exhausted.<br />
<br />
Disneyland closed at 7:30 that Monday night, and California Adventures closed at 9--right after we got off Radiator Springs Racers for the second time that day.<br />
<br />
But the early closing times were alright, because Mitch had to catch a flight the next morning, and I had plans to meet Jess at her coffee shop in the morning as well.<br />
<br />
I surprised Jess when I walked into Holy Grounds. She greeted me as a customer, then realized .5 seconds later that it was me. Before long, we were on our way to the Grand Central Market for lunch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wXn7DuyBl46u5vsKovxkva2R24vJZDw_v4ZvIlQaWDKh7tZKnJGOOa892tueKic2O-HNClm7Jz9iFoP7H2SDv3nm8FWF0qgJ_SapmHKu4HS5Gl4ot2Hvq3FcWNV_tMUV11Uud35EkRMn/s1600/2015-05-05+12.29.34-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wXn7DuyBl46u5vsKovxkva2R24vJZDw_v4ZvIlQaWDKh7tZKnJGOOa892tueKic2O-HNClm7Jz9iFoP7H2SDv3nm8FWF0qgJ_SapmHKu4HS5Gl4ot2Hvq3FcWNV_tMUV11Uud35EkRMn/s640/2015-05-05+12.29.34-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We got giant burritos.</i></td></tr>
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I hadn't been to the Grand Central Market in 8 years, which was the first time I was in LA. I actually attribute my love of cities to that 2007 trip; maybe I'll write a post about it sometime.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Jess had never been there (or at least didn't know how to get there) so we let her sister Sara lead the way. After walking through the glorious city, we arrived and it was just as I remembered. Crowded, delicious looking, and very urban. The Grand Central Market is something I dream for Phoenix to have someday (and I think the new DeSoto Central Market is the closest thing we've got.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
After scoping the place out, we found a burrito place and each got giant burritos. We sat outside, in the breezy weather, and ate our burritos. It was amazing. It was also, coincidentally, Cinco de Mayo.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Purely coincidental.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
After the market we visited The Last Bookstore. If you haven't been there/heard of it, I highly suggest you check it out. It's like the Powell's of LA, only smaller and less industrial looking inside. It's like Powell's and Bookman's got together and had a baby.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I bought two David Sedaris books (he's one of my favorites, partially because I had to write a long paper about him during my senior year of high school) and we decided to go to Starbucks/Glendale Galleria (a mall where famous people hang out) and read.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We stopped and bought really fancy chocolate because coffee and nice chocolate on a cloudy day with a good book is a great way to celebrate time with friends.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also played a really great game called try-to-guess-the-famous-person, and in one instance, it went like this:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There was a guy with red pants who walked past us with a camera slung over his shoulder.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We all stared at him, figured he wasn't famous (but was handsome) and continued staring.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
He stared right back and continued walking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_x_EBtzl8kdfOTwsASbn_RCAAJsdlE94z6In382u7QxQLTqvhzcGUmCp69uid7-wW2G4QaCEaLPRv2aax67n7HOx4mLMBMtFaqJ5Z-Bh4SA7PIUnCaJfn3kmbgxh_XkWUMwC561kyumqw/s1600/2015-05-05+15.56.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_x_EBtzl8kdfOTwsASbn_RCAAJsdlE94z6In382u7QxQLTqvhzcGUmCp69uid7-wW2G4QaCEaLPRv2aax67n7HOx4mLMBMtFaqJ5Z-Bh4SA7PIUnCaJfn3kmbgxh_XkWUMwC561kyumqw/s640/2015-05-05+15.56.32.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ten minutes later, he came back, introduced himself, and asked Jess if he could take her photo because he liked her sundress and sun hat and book.</div>
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<div>
We died laughing because we had been talking about him, and now here he was--taking Jess' photo! Like she was famous or something!<br />
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That was the most LA thing to happen to us while we were at Glendale Galleria. We didn't see anyone we absolutely knew was famous, but we saw pretty people being pretty.<br />
<br />
And there were a lot of <a href="http://lmgtfy.com/?q=man+bun" target="_blank">man buns</a>, which is my personal favorite.<br />
<br />
Our calm afternoon turned crazy when we hit up the rock gym.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2vTxWWZrdrwSZdKHe3V0ngLoC0OMOMmCj9ufh6DUI6F497IWAxx2xqmCV_R4xfSCK0K2lOOBzuPyngeOKRlEb9lGJgKI1hm7dwAs2hQg36yhUFWsVxG3lfPchFuRGLRfHR7nnMQPop9x/s1600/2015-05-05+19.01.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2vTxWWZrdrwSZdKHe3V0ngLoC0OMOMmCj9ufh6DUI6F497IWAxx2xqmCV_R4xfSCK0K2lOOBzuPyngeOKRlEb9lGJgKI1hm7dwAs2hQg36yhUFWsVxG3lfPchFuRGLRfHR7nnMQPop9x/s640/2015-05-05+19.01.15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Jess is a devoted member, and is very good at it.<br />
<br />
And by "very good" I mean much better than me.<br />
<br />
I saw her climb walls I probably wouldn't be able to climb anytime within the next few months, no matter how much I trained.<br />
<br />
She's been at this for a while, and is really good at what she does.<br />
<br />
I, on the other hand, fell ~10ish feet from a 12 foot wall with no ropes.<br />
<br />
Relax, there was a mat to catch me.<br />
<br />
But when I got up, I reflexively started crying because that's what your body <i>does</i> when it thinks it had a near-death experience.<br />
<br />
I redeemed myself by climbing a different 12-foot path without ropes.<br />
<br />
It was such a good workout; I was sore for at least 4 days afterwards. I think I may get a rock gym membership when I get a job after camp this summer, because my parents live very close to a rock gym, and I like the sort of full-body exercise you achieve from rock climbing.<br />
<br />
After we tired of that (after I couldn't climb or stand any longer) we went on an adventure searching for chips and guacamole and headed home where Jess and Sara went to bed and where I wrote a three page paper on an amazing <a href="https://instagram.com/kevinruss/" target="_blank">photographer named Kevin Russ</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>There are far worse topics I could have written on.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I eventually went to bed and woke up the next morning to Maroussi, Jess' dog, in bed with us.<br />
<br />
Jess warned me that Maroussi was super cuddly in the mornings, but I didn't know that meant he liked spooning and pawing and kissing whoever was in bed. During one of the pup's wiggle and cuddle sessions, I took a very solid paw to the face and laughed it off. Soon after, we all got dressed, loaded the car, and headed back to Phoenix--with Jess and Sara in tow, of course, because Jess wanted to visit Phoenix and for goodness' sakes, driving alone is nowhere near as fun as driving with another person.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZOT2-T-Q_5e5yYfLapVagS2Ul-0cT3HtpZxbv3QFLaqei4olMsFkP7dw3JeTxf0_3c3xE428Sq_Xi8-S7fxdV9qwOs4o0IP6qMGPN2R08qpq_60SGPxA8hIImy45sOAiwOi87_mI7nfa/s1600/2015-05-06+08.12.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZOT2-T-Q_5e5yYfLapVagS2Ul-0cT3HtpZxbv3QFLaqei4olMsFkP7dw3JeTxf0_3c3xE428Sq_Xi8-S7fxdV9qwOs4o0IP6qMGPN2R08qpq_60SGPxA8hIImy45sOAiwOi87_mI7nfa/s640/2015-05-06+08.12.51.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<i>Stay tuned for post-college adventures, like living in a different city for three months!</i><br />
<br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0522342 -118.243684933.2099567 -119.5345784 34.8945117 -116.95279140000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-40775188626556824612015-04-15T23:56:00.003-07:002015-04-15T23:56:53.408-07:00What next?!I forget where I was or who I was talking to, but somebody asked me what my next big adventure is.<br />
<br />
Well, let me tell you: It involves living in northern Arizona for three months.<br />
<br />
I'm going to be a CAMP COUNSELOR! Or, something like that. I could also end up doing photo/video for the camp, but counselor is a close enough description.<br />
<br />
When I applied for an internship with the Associated Press in January, I also applied for a position at United Christian Youth Camp--where I went basically every summer between fourth and eighth grade.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0EaFF7wtZnzEVLo7UCixOxyUbB8AgIUrNHRnwzCwkI1bRplj7NgeHaBfkrmDDGqq9dU_ETlUwL-5OdblMhB2lycFHhLUWqkCDiXKgU3Zf50IZzxCEd_hSYFa0hQQ26uk5NBFOn1lqs-q/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0EaFF7wtZnzEVLo7UCixOxyUbB8AgIUrNHRnwzCwkI1bRplj7NgeHaBfkrmDDGqq9dU_ETlUwL-5OdblMhB2lycFHhLUWqkCDiXKgU3Zf50IZzxCEd_hSYFa0hQQ26uk5NBFOn1lqs-q/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="317" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was probably fourth or fifth grade. Can you find me?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've wanted to be a summer staff member there since I was in eighth grade (maybe even before then) but it hasn't worked out until this summer.<br />
<br />
And, so, that's my next adventure! I'll be moving to Prescott in about a month, and will remain there until the beginning of August.<br />
<br />
While I'm there, I hope to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Do some outdoorsy stuff (kayaking, biking, swimming, etc?)</li>
<li>Be the cliché camp counselor with a ukulele, yoyo, fanny pack and cowgirl hat</li>
<li>Take photos/video for UCYC promo material (and to make this look good on a journalistic resume)</li>
<li>Complete an online history of photography class so I can <i>officially</i> graduate in May</li>
</ul>
<div>
Before then, I'll also (hopefully) be taking a quick trip to California to go to Disneyland with my friend <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/10/cali-take-1.html" target="_blank">Mitch </a>and to climb some rocks and eat crepes with my friend Jess (who moved back to California <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/10/cali-take-2.html" target="_blank">after I helped move her back to Arizona</a>...)<br />
<br />
And after camp, I'm going to help move my friend Hannah back from Dallas and visit my friend Natalie in Austin while I'm in Texas.<br />
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Later, I'm road tripping with my parents.<br />
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As you can see, I've got a lot of adventures planned for the rest of the year :) It's really never a boring moment in my life, so brace yourselves for a summer of adventure with me!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-67711506110693064642015-03-24T00:03:00.000-07:002015-03-24T00:21:23.381-07:00Oh, right, I went to Nicaragua.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24ZayMAKpCTS0xNWTB1VnhbLfzy-5PYZMK1nT_PNoiQ88uJ3ljztIzBEI_DPqgZGry6smju3L7FxcDT6KslGaQG8D0wes8uhmUDsou-yOh_zU6XaNcBVM3To8p_zsFPAJZCM4fKxGArKE/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24ZayMAKpCTS0xNWTB1VnhbLfzy-5PYZMK1nT_PNoiQ88uJ3ljztIzBEI_DPqgZGry6smju3L7FxcDT6KslGaQG8D0wes8uhmUDsou-yOh_zU6XaNcBVM3To8p_zsFPAJZCM4fKxGArKE/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything is so bright.</td></tr>
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Everyone keeps asking me...<br />
<br />
"How was Nicaragua?"<br />
"Oh my gosh! You're back! How was it?"<br />
<br />
And, really, all I remember is doing a lot of walking and trying to figure out what I'm going to write about. Because, by the time I left the US, I had two weeks, maybe three max, to start up a new story and make a <i>new, </i>different set of contacts in Nicaragua. It was like the entire first quarter of the year had disappeared and I was starting fresh.<br />
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I actually have detailed logs of the trip, because we needed to send them to our professors to send to the school to show that we actually spent the money we said we did, and the professors didn't just use the money to buy things unrelated to the trip.<br />
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My logs are great, and became a little sassy by the end of the trip.<br />
<ul>
<li>Thursday: Took an airplane to Managua then a bus to Granada, and then used our feet to go to dinner, exchange money and purchase a cell phone.</li>
<li>Sunday: Woke up, ate breakfast at the hotel, walked to Pan de Vida and spent ~1.5 hours photographing and talking to Andrea, a 39 year old Canadian expat. Walked to hotel. Walked back to Granada cathedral square. Ate lunch. Walked back to hotel. Watched Lightroom tutorial videos. Organized photos in Lightroom. Contacted Nica gov't (again). Found address for office of immigration in Managua (planning on stopping by on Tuesday and requesting to speak to someone. Preparing to be turned down.) Attended group meeting. Assisted organizing after group meeting. Walked to grocery store and pizza place. Walked back. Ate food. Read a book. Now going to bed.</li>
<li>Friday: We flew back.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD0Y5-TtEQhx0HoKiZtNjzNKtN88Mvt2djhxtD-BlOSHAk9jqW7wdG8j18TUIzGprqnLGuBS70kJvPPhUoQrQd9pQqGWKDUDFQ1qOXw8oJSJcsPrBIJb-zE9U_ZqHg0MNrJF_9fH004tZ/s1600/63100008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD0Y5-TtEQhx0HoKiZtNjzNKtN88Mvt2djhxtD-BlOSHAk9jqW7wdG8j18TUIzGprqnLGuBS70kJvPPhUoQrQd9pQqGWKDUDFQ1qOXw8oJSJcsPrBIJb-zE9U_ZqHg0MNrJF_9fH004tZ/s1600/63100008.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Film photo after our group dinner on the last night.</td></tr>
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<div>
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<div>
I didn't get to complete an interview for my story until Tuesday, which was really late considering we arrived in Nicaragua on the previous Thursday. But! I still learned a lot!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I learned a lot about photojournalism, mostly in light of the fact that it's really hard to do photojournalism and written journalism at the same time. I was able to identify that writing comes naturally to me, while taking photos is a skill I definitely need to work on. It is also incredibly difficult to focus on photographing, improving my photography, and writing at the same time because the story I'm working on is incredibly nascent and needs a lot of attention.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, while my camera is still my baby, I didn't take a lot of photos I can show people. I got to photograph a Canadian expat who owns a bakery with her husband, and I got to take some photos at a wind farm, but I also was very, very preoccupied by the issue at hand--I had no clue what I was going to do with my immigration story, and trying to figure that out took precedence over driving hours to the border just to take a few photos (because I really actually wanted to drive to the Costa Rica border and photograph it, but that didn't happen.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_jUPwvhBiLYAGtAqpptuXIDVtyqYqdXgidEMeVgCl6g-as9t0yUcf6rFnuEcH1RMPaEq0F2AoUq1zvYZvWXELfXqksm1BV8ZC-RB1l194sHM4GrtBmPuNVE-ALwIgIz9U5UoNEHqArLQ/s1600/63100013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_jUPwvhBiLYAGtAqpptuXIDVtyqYqdXgidEMeVgCl6g-as9t0yUcf6rFnuEcH1RMPaEq0F2AoUq1zvYZvWXELfXqksm1BV8ZC-RB1l194sHM4GrtBmPuNVE-ALwIgIz9U5UoNEHqArLQ/s1600/63100013.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Film photo of Andrea Pellegrino, co-owner of Pan de Vida bakery. Their cinnamon buns are amazing.</td></tr>
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<div>
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<div>
Ultimately, I think I'm also in a little bit of shock from the trip. It was crazy. Being thrown in to another country, hanging out with people for 24/7 for a little more than a week, trying to figure out what I'm going to write about and who I'm going to talk to....yeah. It was crazy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the end, I made some really great contacts that are yielding fruitful interviews and I will be able to pull off a story on south to south immigration, from Nicaragua to Costa Rica.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I type that "I will be able to..." I just kinda can't believe that it's going to happen. I have so much work to do. SO MUCH WORK. Even as I type this, I'm listening to an hour long interview I completed in Spanish with the assistance of my friend Molly. The homework never ends, and I really don't want to think or talk about this trip until, like, EVER, because it's so deeply associated with how much work I have to do for this class. It's like a stress trigger.<br />
<br />
So is the word "canal." OMG plz don't mention that around me.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPvvVJrLy8IFX0HP2Pjr_pjkv6hG9FhE2vvgqJztwSQ-SwjOMWsrLs3wSjSJpmL0P2tIndRMbrCH8WgvJdj5kEVKUBE4VcBARDOmmTdYSzML4O0PdtapR6mDyV8nhb1MJMtlMyctRsM99/s1600/DSC_0169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPvvVJrLy8IFX0HP2Pjr_pjkv6hG9FhE2vvgqJztwSQ-SwjOMWsrLs3wSjSJpmL0P2tIndRMbrCH8WgvJdj5kEVKUBE4VcBARDOmmTdYSzML4O0PdtapR6mDyV8nhb1MJMtlMyctRsM99/s1600/DSC_0169.JPG" height="422" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We named her Rosie. She had street smarts and followed us around for a few days.</td></tr>
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<div>
Ok. Deep breaths. Look at the picture of the puppy. In light of the stressed homework-y tone of this post, I did have some very good times. There were plenty of chances to bond with my classmates, and learn who likes who, who is scared of who, who is the craziest egg in the basket...the normal stuff.<br />
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<div>
I sat on the roof of our hotel many nights discussing life and religion over Toña and Victoria, two of the local beers in Nicaragua. I also got to eat a lot of really good food, namely gallo pinto, tostones y queso, and guyaba jam on toast. But mostly, gallo pinto. I also had my first macuá and got to use a burner phone for a week. I felt like such a secret agent; it was great.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
What I got most out of this trip was 1) the ability to speak Spanish in stressful situations, 2) the understanding that I shouldn't compare myself to others too much when it comes to progress, 3) the general acclamation that comes with going to a foreign country for a few weeks. days. whatever.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It felt like weeks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOL1f0egtwLQO83EMGYXtu6w-U4Ar7iagBkeUAmLnbe19nVQ_nP-K95xVGI7hTnt8VvRRqYqjmEDzIWeAlbBeV2a_QsUwU2iicSjXJfXbjh9Kl3AMOfuqy2dz9rzYtkYh1xGNMgSBl1Kg/s1600/63100006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOL1f0egtwLQO83EMGYXtu6w-U4Ar7iagBkeUAmLnbe19nVQ_nP-K95xVGI7hTnt8VvRRqYqjmEDzIWeAlbBeV2a_QsUwU2iicSjXJfXbjh9Kl3AMOfuqy2dz9rzYtkYh1xGNMgSBl1Kg/s1600/63100006.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the time we flew home, I was ready to be in Arizona. If I go to Nica again, it will be as a tourist--and I will surf.</td></tr>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Granada, Nicaragua11.933333 -85.94999999999998911.871189999999999 -86.030680999999987 11.995476 -85.86931899999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-17362448913800323182015-03-04T15:14:00.001-08:002015-03-04T15:14:30.429-08:00Nicaragua✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️<div>Here we go! </div><div>I'm writing about immigration from Nicaragua to Costa Rica, and have interviews set up. I have two bags (a massive backpack that weighs 24 pounds and a checked suitcase that probably also weighs 24 pounds) and am so ready for this.</div><div>I'm also incredibly nervous. This is my first major journalism adventure out of the country. I'm still working on what I'm focused on, and will probably be refocusing as the trip goes on.</div><div><br></div><div>But it's also a learning experience, so that's okay.</div><div><br></div><div>I went to Welcome Chicken and Donuts this afternoon and told Michael (the owner) about my trip, and he said he's proud of all us journalism students; that we're hard working and willing to get dirty while reporting. He called us the kitchen workers of the journalism world. We make great product in a stressful, intense environment.</div><div><br></div><div>And that is some encouragement I needed to hear.</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-3440822194053146612015-02-18T12:33:00.003-08:002015-02-18T12:53:55.572-08:00Preparation: NicaraguaI leave for Nicaragua in two weeks, and I am quickly realizing just how short a span of time that is.<br />
<br />
I have so much to do in preparation, mostly including outlining the story I'm writing, receiving my extra camera battery and LED camera-top light in the mail, and packing 3/4 of my things in my carry on. Mostly because I'm bringing a lot of equipment, but also because I need to bring underwear and toiletries in case they lose my suitcase.<br />
<br />
But, on the bright side, I get to flex my journalist muscles and enjoy one of the most beautiful an (someone told me) one of the oldest countries in the western hemisphere.<br />
<br />
I need to fact check that before I write it somewhere.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-5963106332607766892015-01-28T15:55:00.001-08:002015-01-28T15:55:47.518-08:002015 Plans2015.<br />
The year is here.<br />
I am graduating, which means I need to find a job and start saving for things like an apartment and cell phone bill and food.<br />
<br />
That doesn't mean I'm not traveling, though.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping to head out to a few different places this year, including<br />
<br />
<b>Nicaragua</b><br />
I think I've already mentioned this, but I'm going to Nicaragua to get journalism stuff done.<br />
And a grant is paying for it.<br />
<br />
HALLELUJAH AMEN<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Canada..fo real this time.</b><br />
Remember last summer when I said I'd be road tripping to Portland/Seattle/Canada with my friend Natalie? Well, that's actually happening this summer. Me + Natalie + Adam (my boyfriend) and a few of his friends.<br />
<br />
We'll take his 1991 Izusu Trooper and a bunch of camera equipment, and film a documentary. Which I should start working on now.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sacramento? Los Angeles? Prescott?</b><br />
I applied for an internship in Sacramento/LA, and a job in Prescott. I could end up working for the Associated Press this summer, or with UCYC--a summer camp for church kiddos.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-24770397572012452952014-12-28T10:15:00.000-08:002015-05-12T11:49:09.329-07:00Denver!Dear me, oh my!<br />
<br />
I haven't mentioned that I went to Denver for Thanksgiving!<br />
<br />
I blame it on the crazy amount of final projects I had.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sawyer + Sarah</td></tr>
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So, yes. My final trip of 2014 was to Denver, Colorado. It was a short trip--I left Phoenix Wednesday night at 10:40 pm, and arrived back in Phoenix Saturday morning at 9 am. However, the brevity of the trip did not detract from the adventure.<br />
<br />
This was my third (fourth?) and final year spending Thanksgiving in a different state than my parents. I initially was going to go to Tucson with them (to stay at the Hotel Congress and watch the ASU vs U of A game) but they stalled in making hotel reservations.<br />
<br />
I found out in September that two of my friends, Sarah and Sawyer, would be unable to return to Phoenix for neither Thanksgiving nor Christmas, so I booked a plane ticket to Denver.<br />
<br />
<i>Life lesson: Consider checking your savings account before you book a plane ticket on a whim when you're in college. It may take months to recover. Not to say that happened to me.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>As the weeks passed and as Thanskgiving drew nearer, I became increasingly excited to leave my homework behind for a while and head out to a new territory.<br />
<br />
I've visited <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2013/07/longmont-boulder-westminster-denver.html" target="_blank">Denver once</a> before, but this was my first time flying into Denver and spending time in the southern side, and my first time going in the winter.<br />
<br />
It was basically freezing when I arrived. I'm so glad I bought a coat for this trip. When my flight landed, I took a moment to enjoy the art in the Denver airport (there are a lot of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjjIy1DO0gs" target="_blank">conspiracy theories</a> about it) before getting in Sarah and Sawyer's car and going home and to bed.<br />
<br />
I slept soundly on the <b>most. comfortable. </b> air mattress <b>ever.</b> created. As soon as I awoke, we began drinking coffee and cooking food. I made my favorite dish, green bean casserole with fresh green beans. It was heavenly.<br />
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We ate Thanksgiving dinner picnic-style and discussed what we are most thankful for this year.<br />
<br />
My list included my parents' house, Sarah + Sawyer, my boyfriend Adam, the ability to travel, and my education.<br />
<br />
Because we ate so early, we had a full afternoon of time to kill. We sat around. We watched tv. We ate pie. We drank wine. We went shopping at 6 pm on Thanksgiving day.<br />
<br />
Yeah, I just said that.<br />
<br />
It was my first Black Friday experience, and it wasn't even on Black Friday. It was also incredibly tame--the line to enter Target had dismantled by the time we got there, and there were still piles of large televisions for people to purchase.<br />
<br />
I bought two pairs of gloves and that was it.<br />
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We went to World of Beer afterwards and enjoyed the potluck there (our second Thanksgiving dinner) and local pumpkin ale. It was a very peaceful, low-key holiday, and I loved it.<br />
<br />
Friday was spent crafting and watching the ASU vs U of A game on the air mattress.<br />
<br />
Sarah has picked up watercolors as a hobby, and she's really good at it. Like, Etsy-good.<br />
<br />
I, on the other hand, created glamorous stockings for Adam and I. They are argyle and metallic and shiny and spectacular.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I awoke incredibly early Saturday morning to head home to Phoenix. It was a rough early morning, but the sunrise was beautiful from the Southwest gate and the view of snowcapped mountains under my airplane's wing really made for a gorgeous end to my trip.<br />
<br />
I arrived back in Phoenix well rested and ready to finish the semester off.<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Denver, CO, USA39.7384357 -104.9848592999999839.3478557 -105.63030629999999 40.1290157 -104.33941229999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-66224692019951434972014-11-06T21:59:00.001-08:002014-11-06T21:59:41.426-08:00Adventures: Past and Future<b>I've done a lot of learning as I've traveled in 2014.</b><br />
<br />
My trip to <a href="http://postcardstophoenix.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/austin-texas-or-how-to-be-spontaneous/" target="_blank">Austin</a> in February taught me to be spontaneous, which is really the biggest lesson I've learned. That, and to always remove my laptop from my luggage before going through TSA.<br />
<br />
In March, I learned that I am just as badass as one of the boys when it comes to <a href="http://postcardstophoenix.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/rogers-trough/" target="_blank">backpacking</a>, camping, hiking, etc. That was the trip where we drove to the Superstitions, arrived late, hiked in and set up camp in the pitch black night, were rained on, and nearly rained into the canyon. This is also when I had a bee fly into my backpack (while I was wearing it) and woke up to a beetle in my sleeping bag. And I didn't freak out either time.<br />
<br />
May is when I committed to my trip to Oakland and Portland, spending more money on transportation than I ever have.<br />
<br />
When that trip came around in June, I had learned a lot about being flexible. My plans never really materialized until a week before I left, and I didn't have my travel date for moving from OAK to PDX set until I had already arrived in Oakland.<br />
<br />
I spent a lot of time by myself (especially in <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/07/oaklandberkeleysan-francisco.html" target="_blank">Oakland/San Francisco</a>) and that was a beautiful thing. There's an art to getting lost--lost in a city, lost in thought. I mastered that art and made some wonderful life revelations in my time spent alone with a cup of coffee, camera and notebook.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/07/portland.html" target="_blank">Portland</a> brought its own joys, one of which being Rhea, my mentor. Seeing her may have been one of the single best events of this year, partially because I realized what I want to report on, as a journalist.<br />
<br />
<b>Which brings me to where I am today.</b><br />
<br />
I've got a lot of adventures under my belt for 2014, but I have an even bigger adventure ahead.<br />
<br />
For one, I'm graduating from Arizona State in May (gasp, how did that happen), so I'm going to have to find a job, and it will hopefully look like an immigration reporting/photojournalism job and not a coffee job (although I'd really love to do that for a while.)<br />
<br />
For twosies, I got into a fairly competitive border reporting class and will be traveling to Nicaragua in March 2015 to report on immigration between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The two countries have a similar immigration disposition to Mexico and the United States.<br />
<br />
I first learned about this class nearly two years ago (and even <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2013/04/cuba.html" target="_blank">blogged about it</a>) as a means for Cronkite students to get experience reporting about border-related issues in other countries, and I nearly can't believe I'm getting to join it this year.<br />
<br />
Huzzah!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-17713014368369928732014-11-05T00:05:00.005-08:002014-11-09T23:14:17.517-08:00Fall Break in Portland<b>That title is misleading. It was mostly Fall Break</b> in the car, and a day and a half in Oregon.<br />
<br />
<i>It's been hard to write about this. I did, after all, move my best friend to a city that is roughly 1,300 miles away. Round trip, this adventure was 2651.1</i><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span>miles of driving.</i></span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brother sister</td></tr>
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I went up to Portland with three of my best friends and returned with two. Nobody died, it was just a moving trip. We took two cars and a bike and a lot of stuff and drove up in two days, stayed in Portland for a day and a half, and then took a day and a half to drive back with infinitely less stuff, and one less car and one less person.<br />
<span id="goog_1341608453"></span><br />
<br />
The drive itself was far more enjoyable than I would have imagined. We were impatient to get to Portland, but we were able to stay with my friend Shane (who I met at Eva's wedding in August) in Redding, and meet his sister and friends. It was awesome because I don't really know him all that well, but he and his friends got along really well with me and my friends. We drank beer and talked about backpacking and got coffee and oatmeal for breakfast the next morning.<br />
<br />
The short time I spent in Portland was categorized by coffee (duh) beer (also duh) and old, lovely friends. It felt like a giant reunion. It was the first stretch of time I had spent with Ben and Raquel and Brenna together, plus Liz and Cassie and Sydney who all moved to Portland earlier this year.<br />
<br />
We just spent life together, and it was so so sweet to see everyone like the <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2013/06/pinetop-part-2-cabin.html" target="_blank">good ol' days</a>.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">family dinner</td></tr>
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Then we just left Brenna there (she's doing well--we talk frequently) and headed back to Phoenix. The route we took was very desolate--through the top corner of California and south through Nevada. The sound of my car's tires on the barren road was the perfect soundtrack for our somber drive back.<br />
<br />
And I also got to witness a bear run across the road in front of me.<br />
<br />
And Ben got a speeding ticket.<br />
<br />
And we explored some beautiful, lonely places like Bordertown, CA and Lunning, NV.<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-17754305195762454712014-10-06T00:50:00.000-07:002014-10-06T00:50:59.107-07:00Cali: Take 2I can hardly believe it was only two nights ago when I was loading Jess and Dave's bags into the back of my car for my second weekend in California. I can confidently say, though, that it will be the first and last time I ever do an overnight road trip. Leaving Phoenix at midnight was brutal, but it was what we needed to do to make it in time. Not only did we make it in time, but we also made great time, and got to see a nice sunrise when we arrived at Jess' dad's house in California.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAJs4p_X73R7ujHoQF9qZ7ylPNJ9aqaBOuE4A3ABlENZ2zxU5g-qG_2wg7Aj2u3YUz5UB63PhHCPv9vv0g_wL44mDLSwMlSoa7eKB8mZgrNSDrnWcHuF7zS0dvUFssgzldtlzviVupkNH/s1600/10623941_10205048670475883_426537487228067544_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAJs4p_X73R7ujHoQF9qZ7ylPNJ9aqaBOuE4A3ABlENZ2zxU5g-qG_2wg7Aj2u3YUz5UB63PhHCPv9vv0g_wL44mDLSwMlSoa7eKB8mZgrNSDrnWcHuF7zS0dvUFssgzldtlzviVupkNH/s1600/10623941_10205048670475883_426537487228067544_o.jpg" height="168" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountain behind the house gave us a great viewing spot.</td></tr>
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After our sunrise hike, we headed out to Venice Beach where I completely zonked out on a beach towel for an hour or so (I only slept an hour and a half on the car ride) and only got lightly sunburned. I think Dave used the term "splotchy." By the time I woke up, everyone else was disenchanted with the beach (which is a sentiment I <i>completely do <b>not</b> </i>understand) and wanted to sleep. All I wanted was coffee.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHJhaCDxA37dptjOjtYleBz8Ex1t27k9tqJSRur7g0zT4G-X0kFg6jgrpW4kgd_fC7PL01a9toppbS_UnSA0QsOto_3kRZtnbavUEXlkwlRxrIZjA9Y-N-RghFyLX9AFNKzw70zlILGSc/s1600/1798835_10205052385608759_6652320493630386948_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHJhaCDxA37dptjOjtYleBz8Ex1t27k9tqJSRur7g0zT4G-X0kFg6jgrpW4kgd_fC7PL01a9toppbS_UnSA0QsOto_3kRZtnbavUEXlkwlRxrIZjA9Y-N-RghFyLX9AFNKzw70zlILGSc/s1600/1798835_10205052385608759_6652320493630386948_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew.</td></tr>
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Everyone was a good sport when we piled back into the car and I drove to Intelligentsia on Abbott Kinney. Intelligentisa is the first third wave coffee shop I ever learned about, so it was really nice to pay a visit and drink a cold brew.<br />
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Once we got home, we all rested, ate lunch, watched a movie and then headed out for second lunch. Because apparently we're a bunch of Hobbits who like to eat multiple meals.<br />
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Jess stayed home but we (it was her sister Sarah's birthday weekend, too, and her friends spent the whole time hanging out with us as well) drove into downtown Los Angeles to eat at Syrup, a coffee/breakfast cafe.<br />
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I was really hoping it was an old school soda fountain, but I was completely and pleasantly surprised when I saw it was a coffee shop similar to Samba Latte and Caffe Medici, narrow with multiple stories. I had a crepe that rivaled Jobot's, and we all played Jenga and enjoyed the air conditioning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKGHSdRP0LVcQ7ScqYR96d-WJbmtSuZqGaIaDBeOXvTHFVEpUGNp4XBTlOLny9YXW75vqn8X1kSZBQq77PIxbq8Pygjd56UBZfjRI7SVuQ9tuFci6xDH827yGgay2whlibY7pv7D5_y1l/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKGHSdRP0LVcQ7ScqYR96d-WJbmtSuZqGaIaDBeOXvTHFVEpUGNp4XBTlOLny9YXW75vqn8X1kSZBQq77PIxbq8Pygjd56UBZfjRI7SVuQ9tuFci6xDH827yGgay2whlibY7pv7D5_y1l/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bendix building. I have no clue what it is.</td></tr>
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With time to kill and food to walk off, we jaunted down to the fashion district on a hunt for gym shorts and a suit for Dave. All we really found were overpriced USB drives and gangsta' basketball shorts. And a lot of fabric. And a lot of crowds. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but the old buildings, populated alleyways and general skyscrapers pleased my eye.<br />
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Once we returned home, I did homework and napped a sweet, sweet nap, bringing the total amount of time I slept up to approximately four hours.<br />
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Our evening was spent preparing to see Rocky Horror Picture Show for Sarah's sweet 16th. The show started at midnight (a short 24 hours after we first left Phoenix) and the movie didn't actually start until 1 am, leaving us leaving the theater at 2:45 am.<br />
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I fell asleep as soon as I got home (and washed the red lipstick off my face--apparently it's normal to draw on people who are seeing the show for the first time) and then woke up at 10 am this morning, a short hour before we planned on leaving to return to Phoenix.<br />
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Oh, right. The other point of this trip was to move Jess home to Phoenix. It took a grand total of twenty minutes to load all her stuff in my car, and she did most if it while I was still asleep this morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalDWnX2MLlIEPaV_z58G_QSPzPKAWyrdpJQIQvqszSBe1DPpZFTblGg1sKNYj_ivdmP6v9kVsKfxSQOLGDF3n-AKHHqmwAmrHlSG0hOiNt9cAIivpeNPJMGcmNY5yGP5VOrY3nv5H7OmA/s1600/10703954_10205067514186964_8423807953765785086_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalDWnX2MLlIEPaV_z58G_QSPzPKAWyrdpJQIQvqszSBe1DPpZFTblGg1sKNYj_ivdmP6v9kVsKfxSQOLGDF3n-AKHHqmwAmrHlSG0hOiNt9cAIivpeNPJMGcmNY5yGP5VOrY3nv5H7OmA/s1600/10703954_10205067514186964_8423807953765785086_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Los Angeles, I love you so.</td></tr>
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And so, we left after a fun/amazing/crammed/spectacular weekend in Los Angeles, and returned to Phoenix with a rat, a bike and a few boxes of other things Jess owns. And a lot of stinking great photos on my phone.<br />
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I honestly feel like I've done more living in the past 48 hours than I did from Monday through Friday, which makes me wonder how much living I'll be doing in Portland over fall break. Now, excuse me as I go take my laundry out of the dryer and finish packing. I leave again in three days.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com1Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0522342 -118.243684933.2099567 -119.5345784 34.8945117 -116.95279140000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-12067491465836267152014-10-02T23:15:00.001-07:002014-11-09T23:06:32.065-08:00Cali: Take 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NG8BeduUUpXL9_Lt5Bx1nQcaLiSwrJCczxP08iKHo3cZNrxXLBYNtVCkLyXmCjEVVXarn8x7m0J8kg3HQ9lBZLEc8ZgOuqe8BeZyAsV8XkkdorwkVKEE9NJO9e0dp-iAXN1XIjGW99MM/s1600/blogger-image--712273492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NG8BeduUUpXL9_Lt5Bx1nQcaLiSwrJCczxP08iKHo3cZNrxXLBYNtVCkLyXmCjEVVXarn8x7m0J8kg3HQ9lBZLEc8ZgOuqe8BeZyAsV8XkkdorwkVKEE9NJO9e0dp-iAXN1XIjGW99MM/s200/blogger-image--712273492.jpg" width="150" /></a>I'm back from the first of two back-to-back weekends in California. I've been back since Sunday, and I'm heading out late tomorrow night for my next adventure.<br />
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Last weekend I went to Santa Clarita or Valencia or somewhere in that region <i>for free</i> with my friend Mitch, because he's a great person and knows I love travel.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggB5XFW3EFhN84fxWxZzPOdu1UVjdfOZ-b57s5HkwxqhyphenhyphenDGhsqgUNbb-mrlVadTlya0ZVgSOGPL_Iqz48Qxi6d3NU_XFqQJ3UtwhjocJOOMMjoqMFgZJxTunXWF72dlF7BdozOMQvXrJtr/s640/blogger-image-724493236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a></div>
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He also knows I'm a dependable person who enjoys offering a helping hand, which is what I did. This was a volunteering trip, although it didn't feel like much work to me!</div>
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My weekend was spent brushing elbows with influential TV set designers and movie producers and head animators and all sorts of people I'd probably never meet otherwise.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me+my camera+ocean</td></tr>
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I helped out with the grunt work associated with a Disney art and wine auction, where the proceeds will go to scholarships for CalARTS students. Let me just say, it was a blast, but it felt SO weird being surrounded by so many "influential" people.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NG8BeduUUpXL9_Lt5Bx1nQcaLiSwrJCczxP08iKHo3cZNrxXLBYNtVCkLyXmCjEVVXarn8x7m0J8kg3HQ9lBZLEc8ZgOuqe8BeZyAsV8XkkdorwkVKEE9NJO9e0dp-iAXN1XIjGW99MM/s640/blogger-image--712273492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a></div>
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I'm really comfortable bumming around in my Birkenstocks, and while I enjoyed getting super dressy and seeing a Salvador Dali print, I was much more comfortable when I got to go to the beach the next day with Mitch and his family.</div>
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Who, by the way, are incredibly nice people. I love his parents. They're so witty. And generous.<br />
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So, yeah. That was weekend one. Art+famous people+beach. Now, weekend two!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-32183423282593348612014-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:002014-09-28T10:12:05.195-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://downtowndevil.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/da_post.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Amanda LaCasse/DD)</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://downtowndevil.com/2014/09/12/60311/devils-advocate-downtown-phoenix/" target="_blank">Check out this piece I wrote about how Phoenix is (and will somehow always be) my home.</a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-39239924397732689082014-09-08T00:23:00.000-07:002014-09-08T00:24:26.644-07:00Wedding Bells, PAI'm back from a gorgeous wedding in Pennsylvania (and I've been back for a while.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDkzT2ZNr2CjzoBfklYayP_D0YhFw326uvYwebnqME5vRw_Hh-NHJ9um0YqRKY2v0UToVSlo4B8TYtVCd60FuYkhzhqsBS5-wUk8JFUNMDFF6m4yGVVaqNReZqSV8igch0fOZhAHy_0Xd/s1600/10616008_10204718897431763_6759823230223668937_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDkzT2ZNr2CjzoBfklYayP_D0YhFw326uvYwebnqME5vRw_Hh-NHJ9um0YqRKY2v0UToVSlo4B8TYtVCd60FuYkhzhqsBS5-wUk8JFUNMDFF6m4yGVVaqNReZqSV8igch0fOZhAHy_0Xd/s1600/10616008_10204718897431763_6759823230223668937_n.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eva and Mama Wilson</td></tr>
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Pennsylvania was full of beautiful surprises. It was nice to see my friend Eva, the bride, as it had been <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2012/09/allentown-pennsylvania.html" target="_blank">two full years</a> since the last time I saw her. Her wedding was put together largely by her mother, whose organizational skills are envied by moi. (Seriously, she did SUCH a good job organizing everyone and planning out meals and who was staying where. Mad props to her.)<br />
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The wedding was great, of course. I was a bridesmaid, and didn't hate it. I actually really loved it, and not just because I was escorted down the aisle by two men in uniform (although that wasn't too shabby.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh193Qzuh9YMGTfp_ourXYWxvC925TFs4lBdfjIJRLUCAl0dSVnXRKvFPYTVTXKKoc4YMo9vDTbupSTJCrzDu-qxjJEduWZnKGds0jrAEDfaB4ncddlV7LWMSa3kY6AMoJ9PClWgNgXiph2/s1600/10629703_10204741779243794_4998591765406840093_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh193Qzuh9YMGTfp_ourXYWxvC925TFs4lBdfjIJRLUCAl0dSVnXRKvFPYTVTXKKoc4YMo9vDTbupSTJCrzDu-qxjJEduWZnKGds0jrAEDfaB4ncddlV7LWMSa3kY6AMoJ9PClWgNgXiph2/s1600/10629703_10204741779243794_4998591765406840093_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheer joy.</td></tr>
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In fact, this was the fifth wedding I attended this summer, and I can confidently say I don't hate weddings anymore. I guess I've been bitten by a love bug or something.<br />
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Very little occurred in Pennsylvania that wasn't associated with the wedding. We all (bridal and grooms party, family, extended family, out of town friends) spent a lot of time together, which brought me back to my roots. I rediscovered how much I <b>love</b> eating food with other people, and bonding that way.<br />
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Of course, there were a few other shenanigans.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD11Kb-YZaIyN7ReC69wCmBHmPQtfkm_cNRNbhAsNggS25bj9tcYduMXA2Pj1yHkBaL1iHZts-jtkKjJmTRrBBFy12_Xe-mbxyScZm9-pFRIdfWaMGGbmOnZrM9L7-zOn2uB3DGMDeunrC/s1600/10389471_10204718899391812_5955527249418364155_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD11Kb-YZaIyN7ReC69wCmBHmPQtfkm_cNRNbhAsNggS25bj9tcYduMXA2Pj1yHkBaL1iHZts-jtkKjJmTRrBBFy12_Xe-mbxyScZm9-pFRIdfWaMGGbmOnZrM9L7-zOn2uB3DGMDeunrC/s1600/10389471_10204718899391812_5955527249418364155_n.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DSLR selfies are the best selfies.</td></tr>
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Namely, a really kickass wedding after party, including all the groomsmen (most of whom were British) singing Mumford and Sons on karaoke, a few of us playing pool, and the obligatory DSLR selfie.<br />
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All fun and games and relationshippy things aside, this trip was just glorious because I made friends.<br />
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Heidi (pictured next to me) is one of Eva's oldest friends, and I'd heard a lot about her, and it was so great to finally meet her. I can see how she and Eva have been friends for so long--she and I are a lot alike.<br />
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I also met a traveling buddy as I got in line to print my boarding pass at the airport. He saw my ASU sweatshirt and said "Oh, you're heading to Arizona?" and <b>BAM</b> I had a traveling buddy to sit with on the plane and eat dinner with during our two hour layover in Chicago between Philadelphia and Phoenix (for him, Tucson.)<br />
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It always makes me happy to meet fellow travelers on the road. (Or in the air.)<br />
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At the beginning of the summer, I was hesitant to take this trip, but in hindsight, I am so glad I did. This has been a summer filled with travel, and I couldn't imagine a better way to end my summer (but not ending my travel.)<br />
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Until next time, friends.<br />
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I'm going to LA twice within the next six weeks, and Oregon once.<br />
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<i>I'm always going places.</i>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0Allentown, PA, USA40.6084305 -75.49018330000001240.5119705 -75.651544800000011 40.7048905 -75.328821800000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-20889623624120080182014-08-16T17:14:00.001-07:002015-05-12T11:46:55.489-07:00Washington, DC // Reflection Pool<i>This is the part where I got smart, and realized I could draft posts on the airplane.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7WJZrLO0Qq3PyC6Uc_t_1drOVrd1F0ingV5fN9PbYF5-16tzkU20caKVroityiDUoEXBTv1WwPGb4HudV_FYKUxWy_1jW4c7PuNGg-3Ds8j_0DVmh5RK02iDOQ-aZcA3LljZdtvaojwn/s1600/DSC_0508+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7WJZrLO0Qq3PyC6Uc_t_1drOVrd1F0ingV5fN9PbYF5-16tzkU20caKVroityiDUoEXBTv1WwPGb4HudV_FYKUxWy_1jW4c7PuNGg-3Ds8j_0DVmh5RK02iDOQ-aZcA3LljZdtvaojwn/s640/DSC_0508+(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC's Metro make my heart soar.</td></tr>
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So as I type this, I am flying somewhere over mid America.</div>
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I like the way that sounds.</div>
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And typing on my iPod touch (this technology is almost four years old) makes me feel particularly poetic, because this is where I write stuff sometimes.</div>
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Nonetheless, I digress.</div>
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I'm flying home from Washington DC. I haven't been on an airplane since the day before yesterday, and my next airplane ride is a whopping 10 days away.</div>
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DC was good. As with any two-day conference, there is a lot to process and digest, but I feel it moreso after a conference with USAS. At least I have a good concept of where USAS-ASU will be directing attention this year. Also, there was a gorgeous party last night, and I exercised my right as a 21-year-old and purchased a box of wine (not Franzia--who do you think I am?) and enjoyed drinking that out of Starbucks cups on the roof of an old townhouse in downtown DC while talking about Zines with my friend Alyssa.</div>
<div>
I'm really digging all this travel, but I kinda miss my cat, who I've actually only had for a week anyway. Her name is Hayduke, after the Edward Abbey character.</div>
<div>
But, again, I like this solo travel because it gives me time I stop, think, write, listen and contemplate.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-Osut8Xrl-J5BYjueN3ZIMRaSqyo8UrhyUS9jtDM6ifFYqGPiPfuQoMcHmV6D0u8ScHXqyEU8Rh3Ia2nnCOTuWr-5QXDaZbdSJ9dbjnb9egpYtFKrXVYmSvBdeYBmUjzMTGowlACmp8f/s1600/DSC_0820+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-Osut8Xrl-J5BYjueN3ZIMRaSqyo8UrhyUS9jtDM6ifFYqGPiPfuQoMcHmV6D0u8ScHXqyEU8Rh3Ia2nnCOTuWr-5QXDaZbdSJ9dbjnb9egpYtFKrXVYmSvBdeYBmUjzMTGowlACmp8f/s640/DSC_0820+(4).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">home. Phoenix. love.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've stopped a lot and double checked directions. Paid more attention to my surroundings (and not just to stay safe--to <i>be</i> in the moment, <i>in</i> the space I'm in). I've thought a lot about minimalism, gypsy living, just how long I can <i>go</i> without a shower. I've written a little bit about flying and landing. (I realized this flight I am now on is my tenth flight this year. <b>Tenth.</b> That means I (or others who have graciously assisted me) have spent at least WELL more than 1k to spend at LEAST 24 hours midair in this beautiful metal contraption that never stops astounding me.) I've listened to other people, their stories. Accepted them where they are at (just like I do for cities). I've also listened to a lot of new music, courtesy of Zia, Stinkweeds, an friends. Architecture in Helsinki (not Helinski, as I spent most of my life pronouncing it), and have been jamming out to Bon Iver's new track (no shock, there) as well as Anberlin's final album. As for contemplation, I've been thinking about everything. I remember praying in June/July while I was in Oakland or Portland, and asking God for energy and endurance, particularly for this upcoming school year. And I think I've got it! I'm so <i>ready</i> to do border reporting. I think it's really what I want to do in the long run. I mean, it's got me fired up like nothing else. <i>Think back to that Cuba post.</i></div>
<div>
And I'm pretty confident everything else will just fall into place sooner or later. I'll get a job after graduation. It'll all be fine.</div>
<div>
And if there's one thing I've learned this summer, it's that I will always be up for traveling. After a summer of unemployment <b>and</b> a lot of travel, I know a lack of money will basically never stop me from adventuring.</div>
<div>
<i>That being said, bring on the $200 bridesmaid dress and trip to Pennsylvania!</i></div>
<div>
<i>Edit: written on 8/10</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-75585570645434130742014-07-31T18:24:00.001-07:002014-07-31T18:24:32.050-07:00The adventure never ends.<b>It's true, the adventure is really never over.</b><br />
<br />
I'm back to housesitting adventures right now, and this particular stint has involved a wild animal entering the house, prickly pear spines being spilled on the floor, a water pipe leak beneath the floorboards, and a massive, massive thunderstorm.<br />
<br />
As well as margaritas.<br />
<br />
But, even moreso, I still have <i>two</i> more airplane-inclusive adventures ahead of me <i>before</i> school begins in three weeks, as well as at least <i>one </i>road trip.<br />
<br />
I can't believe it! I've already<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Gone to</b> Georgia, Pinetop, Oakland, and Portland</li>
<li><b>Met </b>my penpal, Oakland/San Francisco strangers, and a handful of sweet people in Portland</li>
<li><b>Seen </b>The Mountain Goats, mewithoutYou, Blitzen Trapper and S. Carey</li>
</ul>
<div>
And now, I have a trip to Washington DC in a week (yeah, I just had my ticket booked TODAY), a turnaround trip to Tucson to see Iron and Wine (Sam Beam is my 2nd favorite singer in the whole wide world) and then a trip to Pennsylvania <i>right</i> when school starts (cue wedding bells!)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Rumor has it, I'll be returning to Portland before 2014 comes to a close as well, not to mention a handful of trips to the AZ/Mexico border for some reporting.</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4158888901069853529.post-38237927333773200512014-07-28T23:25:00.003-07:002014-11-09T23:09:52.926-08:00Portland<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Have you read </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2014/07/oaklandberkeleysan-francisco.html"><b><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">part one</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> yet?
I was in Oakland before Portland!</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoA7iEW4J28MQhqdiDMf2gIALRSitFhyphenhyphenuMKhbR_0VO82NzJ2p_G_kwAQuy_TtqOJiJTA8MCYzoYKlPlkYc5P5hy9eMQWCo8XO1tDL2n9LAnQoABSlF54M5PZLVGG_EODZEcaaVovAdYrb5/s1600/25560022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoA7iEW4J28MQhqdiDMf2gIALRSitFhyphenhyphenuMKhbR_0VO82NzJ2p_G_kwAQuy_TtqOJiJTA8MCYzoYKlPlkYc5P5hy9eMQWCo8XO1tDL2n9LAnQoABSlF54M5PZLVGG_EODZEcaaVovAdYrb5/s1600/25560022.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little 35mm love from Oakland.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello,
blogosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve been
without internet ever since I got back from Portland. My roommate cancelled it
because she’s been housesitting (as have I) and she didn’t really see a need to
pay for it if she (we) wasn’t around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I'm not upset that the internet is gone, I'm just upset that she didn't ask me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I’ve been
typing this on Word for the past three weeks and have now uploaded it so you fine folks can read about
my time in Portland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I'm a big fan of Portlandia, but moreso, I'm a fan of Portland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A place with towering historic buildings, few vacant lots, plenty
of public parks and a city-wide free restroom program? Sign me up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But really. Portland feels like home (and by home, I mean downtown
Phoenix) to me. The only differences are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Portland
has a lot of apartment building infill<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
lot of people smoke in Portland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Bikers <i>actually</i> wear
helmets in Portland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">So, basically, Phoenix, but filled with more...er, free spirited
individuals. <i>That is me trying to avoid the h-word. </i>Here's the lowdown on my time spent there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Amtrak<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I took a train from Oakland (well, Emeryville) to Portland. It was
my first Amtrak
experience, sans-Surfliner when I was a wee kiddo. My mom was
super nervous about the whole ordeal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">"I want you to keep your wallet on you at all times."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Are you sure you don't want to fly? What about homeless
people."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">"If you can upgrade, do it."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ah, mom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The train ride was inspiring. The Coastal Starlight left the
Emeryville station at 11 pm, which left me chugging along through the north Bay
Area at night, with yellow industrial lights shining through my window seat and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Explosions in the Sky</i> streaming
through my earbuds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24DdQquNvm4UeOEksjq5ZqhGtBM3arLrBxXKQoj7kLcfmbA6r_SdIzT33fqna7qN_2dNopYdMryk8SyiKV_32g-PCEic5Ful2ob85Jxt1sMHmH6B2NUoUo1X6SmBSjunWccOhgBVkE_p5/s1600/25560004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24DdQquNvm4UeOEksjq5ZqhGtBM3arLrBxXKQoj7kLcfmbA6r_SdIzT33fqna7qN_2dNopYdMryk8SyiKV_32g-PCEic5Ful2ob85Jxt1sMHmH6B2NUoUo1X6SmBSjunWccOhgBVkE_p5/s1600/25560004.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geri</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I'd like to describe it as romantic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At least
until I had someone sit down next to me. The moment disappeared when I realized
I had to sleep in a chair all night, which was uncomfortable to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
bright side, Geri, the lady I sat next to on the 17 hour ride, was incredibly
nice. We spent time talking about how it takes a very particular type of person
to be a nurse, how weird it is to be an only child, and I concluded my little
photographic adventure with her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Portland, NW<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you don’t
know, Portland is divided into quadrants. There is NW, SW, NE and SE, which
makes navigating really easy once you understand it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was able
to do a good bit of exploring in Portland. Unlike Oakland/Berkeley/San
Francisco, I had a tour guide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I spent the
entire week I was in Portland with Rhea, my mentor and former youth pastor. She
and her husband moved up there a little over a year ago because they wanted to
start a family.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9TFj-WCxst1kB6MEWzstc4_8LSKAFbfnzZHJ_HbCxsAeiCUlFTbdeRx7cI4XV68Lpty1wq-FkCsrYap8sUjv1um6FFiCanYOyIWcsYbYsC8HWBIDc6UWxlprJonW0qnAzQV4IXH_7NTv/s1600/DSC_0637+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9TFj-WCxst1kB6MEWzstc4_8LSKAFbfnzZHJ_HbCxsAeiCUlFTbdeRx7cI4XV68Lpty1wq-FkCsrYap8sUjv1um6FFiCanYOyIWcsYbYsC8HWBIDc6UWxlprJonW0qnAzQV4IXH_7NTv/s1600/DSC_0637+(2).JPG" height="419" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Garden + Rhea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, she is
pregnant, and she and Brandon are living in a one bedroom, one bathroom
apartment with a dog and a cat (which is actually the spawn of Satan, and I
generally <i>like</i> cats).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The apartment was our home base when we were running around eating ice cream at
Salt and Straw, walking to or from McMennimans, hiking up to and around Washington
City Park and whatever other crazy adventures we embarked upon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMProMxAkIzx4odLu5sB0cg2ZRLaYyrvPEqiTbbEXuT48TjGcv_xUKWuy1bwLLFGSf5df-ImH6sSuRIXEqsiUKJARnnxPWadOvA5CSDUgvB5fgdGtnfI-i5EEFNMF4ecXrwDJGx1_yXfZ/s1600/25550017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMProMxAkIzx4odLu5sB0cg2ZRLaYyrvPEqiTbbEXuT48TjGcv_xUKWuy1bwLLFGSf5df-ImH6sSuRIXEqsiUKJARnnxPWadOvA5CSDUgvB5fgdGtnfI-i5EEFNMF4ecXrwDJGx1_yXfZ/s1600/25550017.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speakeasy hidden here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I also had
the chance to see my friend Sydney in Portland. She moved there (from Phoenix)
the exact same time I was coming to visit, so we went out one evening, found a
speakeasy (ok, hidden underground bar) and ate pizza, drank beer and listened
to live music. It was <i>really</i>
disorienting seeing her in Portland, since the entire time I’ve known her we’d
both been in Phoenix.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Portland, SW<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXt2xJddBQyJq353QWOaF1zBd6zcPEzVFL49nN74PTfqpy62gd-hMfmN8tPN2zcqdWqrFsR4RzfQUmMcS-x8UAb93XtMs5Id1KM_79gixBPWNh-rxn5hrxsezlNPr6rKmM6xwdOKv2u69/s1600/IMG_20140703_131440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXt2xJddBQyJq353QWOaF1zBd6zcPEzVFL49nN74PTfqpy62gd-hMfmN8tPN2zcqdWqrFsR4RzfQUmMcS-x8UAb93XtMs5Id1KM_79gixBPWNh-rxn5hrxsezlNPr6rKmM6xwdOKv2u69/s1600/IMG_20140703_131440.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">blueberry+bourbon+basil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My favorite
part of SW is the combination of doughnuts for grownups from Blue Star,
and
really good coffee from Heart. Rhea, Brandon and I spent a lot of time walking
around the day we went to find out whether Rhea’s baby was a boy or girl. And
later, we went to a park and had a gender reveal party (which was actually in
NW but whatever, I’m grouping it here with the day of doughnuts and good
coffee.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Portland SW
also includes (I think) the Saturday market. I remember going with <a href="http://mandalyntravels.blogspot.com/2012/11/oregon-photos.html" target="_blank">Whittley and Becca two summers ago</a>, but I liked it more with Rhea. We took time wandering through stalls, but also didn't take <i>forever</i>. We also split an elephant ear and I didn’t
vomit (which happened last time I ate one of those.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Portland, NE</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20.700000762939453px;">I wasn't surprised when I found out Rhea was involved in <i>two</i> different churches. One of the two, Door of Hope, is fairly popular and just relocated to NE. We spent a good bit of time with people there, beginning with Church in the Park on Wednesday night. It was really encouraging to see a bunch of people--families, children, teens, older adults--gather in a public park with food and picnic blankets to worship God and listen to a pastor. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20.700000762939453px;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPyoaVQrMunUEljj2o1vDyV_EhW4IfoA23MYX6JbIBkrwIwMVKYyCwhz4CfdbhmyoYagqlnndJZ40ek_INAFG-0W7-LAjEZW09zqYUCCLXKDYaTw9itJC2H4ZUoWkMtqzLFME88U8SMbK/s1600/IMG_20140701_230755_522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPyoaVQrMunUEljj2o1vDyV_EhW4IfoA23MYX6JbIBkrwIwMVKYyCwhz4CfdbhmyoYagqlnndJZ40ek_INAFG-0W7-LAjEZW09zqYUCCLXKDYaTw9itJC2H4ZUoWkMtqzLFME88U8SMbK/s1600/IMG_20140701_230755_522.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 20.700000762939453px;">The other really nifty thing that happened in NE was a $3 Blitzen Trapper show. If you aren't familiar with their music, Blitzen Trapper is a modern folk-rock-country band from Portland. They are fairly popular, and a $3 show was a big deal. We saw them on a whim my first night in town, and it was a great pacesetter for the rest of my time in Portland.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Portland, SE</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We ventured to the
Hawthorne District my final day. We tried the night before, and
arrived after most everything was closed. It had been a long (and really hot)
day, and it took a lot of energy to leave the apartment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But the drive across the Willammette was all worth it for the
sticker I bought at Powell's Hawthorne. I'd been on a mission to find one of
those little Oregon outline stickers with the green heart in it, and I finally
found one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We also stopped inside the Hawthorne Goodwill. It was by far the
fanciest Goodwill I have ever been to. Usually I enjoy thrift shops because it
is so difficult to find good things (read: deliciously out-of-style but still
in style things), but this Goodwill was teeming with upscale resale. It was
thoroughly amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To be
honest, I can’t believe I’ve been back for three weeks now. I’ve been back for longer
than I’d been gone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Coming back
to Phoenix was weird. It seemed like nothing had changed in the good ol’ PHX,
but a lot changed within myself while I was away. I realized that I want to be a border reporter (think: Arizona/Mexico, Dominican Republic/Haiti, Cuba/America, etc). I also realized that I enjoy spending time by myself, especially in a new atmosphere. I have a tendency to accept places as they are, and not wish for them to be any different. I also really like traveling alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I actually already have plans to go back to Portland in October.
One of my best friends (Brenna, she was in Colorado on my birthday last year)
is moving to Portland, and I’m joining the caravan of people moving her up
there.</span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08961586141476554391noreply@blogger.com0