Winter Beach

Strangely enough, Rochester has not seen any type of major snowfall yet this season. Day after day I hear news reports about how this time last year we already had seen four feet of snow. This year? Nothing!

I figure our luck will run out soon, so I drove about 15 minutes away from the city to Lake Ontario beach to snap a few shots before the snow hits. Due to some lake effect snow last night, there was some actually snow on the beach. I was also literally the only person on the huge beach, which was a little bit eerie. Walking around the abandoned beach made for a peaceful way to spend an afternoon. Makes me wish I lived walking distance to a place like this, maybe minus the snow though. 

The coast of Lake Ontario

This lake is HUGE. Can you see Canada on the other side? 

Gotta love that winter sky

Icelandic Adventure

Remember last year when I used my tax refund to go Turkey? Well now that it is almost the end of another year, I have again started to think about how to spend my refund. I will actually be sticking to a destination from my original "Where Should I Go Next" list. Iceland!

I will be traveling with two of my closest friends this time instead of going solo. While traveling so far alone was certainly an adventure, I am looking forward to having company in my debauchery on this trip.

The trip will be at the end of March so that we are there during the prime viewing season of the Northern Lights. So far our trip will include:

1. Whale Watching
2. The Blue Lagoon
3. Puffin Island
4. Eating puffin (apparently it's like chicken there)
5. Going to the Elf Museum
6. Northern Lights

There are several more attractions being considered, but the above are definitely going to happen. Right now we are in our planning and discovery phase of the trip, so almost everything sounds awesome. We also watched the Bizarre Foods and No Reservations Iceland episodes to prepare. If anyone has any books, movies or music I should check out before the trip please let me know!

Chincoteague

This weekend we made the trip to Chincoteague Island to visit a friend from college who works there. Seeing the city melt away behind us was the best feeling in the world. I am going to apologize up front because I forgot to take pictures of all the pretty things, I was having too much fun for that.

Saturday night I looked up and saw a sky full of stars. In DC the sky is always an eerie orange color at night and stars are nowhere to be found. They were really pretty and I appreciated being in the middle of nowhere for a little while.

Chincateague is known for its ponies, but what a lot of people don't know is that there is a wildlife refuge there as well as several Navy and NASA programs. The friend we went to visit has clearance to go to the NASA beach. No joke. She showed a badge, filled out a form, and we got our own private beach for the day. Well, we had to share them with the ghost crabs and horseshoe crab moltings, but that was better than the hordes of people the other beach had. It reminded me of Dan Brown's "Deception Point" actually because of the proximity to the ocean and all the gear that was there for NASA. I also learned that the station we were next to is meant to protect DC from missiles fired from the ocean. I never would've guessed that we are being protected by some guns 3.5 hours away.

I was really impressed by nature friend's knowledge of the random stuff we were finding on the beach. In my head I know it's her job to know these things, but she is only person I know who can tell you exactly what kind of shell you just picked up. She is also fearless and had a stand down with a giant ghost crab. Most of the ones we saw were babies you could barely see (pictured above) because of their camouflage. This one was huge and did not run away from us.

And now I have to re-enter the real world which makes my soul want to leap from my body and go back to Chincoteague.

Day Trips: Annapolis

I have been getting something like cabin fever again in DC. After being here a while I just really need to get out. And it's not for lack of fun things to do, DC has so many I don't think I could ever do them all. It's a change of scenery kind of thing. After driving down the same roads to go to the same job and eating at the same places you just need to spice it up.

So this weekend a friend and I took a day trip to Annapolis. It is where the Naval Academy is located, as well as some very pretty places to walk around and eat by the docks. We also found a place called the "Red Red Wine Bar." They didn't serve enough food to eat lunch there but it is now on my list of places to get drunk. If you haven't noticed, wine is my favorite.

Getting away from where you are all week can be so calming. Just driving farther from the city cleared my head. And being with Wifey with Brit Brit blasting helped too. And, in 2 weeks, we will be all the way in Chincoteague. There will be pictures for that one.

Let's Try New Things!

I was reading another awesome blog, Yes and Yes, and saw that Sarah Von wants to do 32 new things before her 32nd birthday. We wish her the very best of luck and thank her for the idea! I've been cooking new things, but there are so many areas of life that I need to explore other than just the kitchen.

As I've mentioned previously, today is the one year anniversary of my college graduation. There are several things I want to do before the 2 year anniversary. My list is below:

1. Go to a water park. Not that I haven't been before, but I was much younger and it wasn't a park dedicated to water fun.
2. Get a matching tattoo with my sisters in our Dad's honor.
3. Take some kind of writing class/workshop.
4. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
5. Read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
6. Go bungee jumping or sky diving
7. Write at least 2 full chapters of a book
8. Learn to make a tart
9. Make my own piece of art, whether it be an amateur painting or a piece of pottery.
10. Be able to do 200 sit ups. That's right people, this is a historic day. I have created a goal related to physical activity.
11. Eat heart. doesn't matter from what kind of animal. Andrew Zimmern is my inspiration on this one.
12. Own a plant. And not kill it.

That is all on my list for the next year. I will keep you all updated on when any of the above is completed.

Where Should I Go Next?

My next trip won't be until next year, when my tax return comes in again, but I have Travel Fever now and want to start looking into options. And I need your help readers! I want your input and suggestions about where I should head next.

Some ground rules:

- I don't want to go anywhere typical. Eventually I'll do the European tourist thing, but for now I want to steer clear of most of Europe. No France, Spain, Italy.

- My decisions will be influenced a lot by price, so Australia is probably out.

- I like adventure, I don't want to go anywhere without that

Some places I am considering:

1. Iceland. Natural hot springs, geysers, tranquil beauty. Also the potential to see the Northern Lights which is on my bucket list. There are also glacier and cavern tours.
2. Guyana. Tours of the rain forest and the Essequibo River. I have always wanted to visit the rain forest. Well, except for the potential of deadly bugs and snakes.

That is as far as I have gotten with my list. I am open to other suggestions, as long as they fit the above criteria. Help me figure out my next adventure!

Istanbul Adventure (With Pictures)

Well readers, I'm back in DC with my camera cord and have lots of pictures to share with you.

The picture to the left is the Blue Mosque. The exterior is stunning, as you can see. The interior, while not

grotesque, did not meet the expectations of beauty I had held for it. Visitors are required to take off their shoes before entering and put them in plastic bags supplied outside. I'm grateful I decided on shoes that were easy to slip off. I learned on my tour that there are 2700 mosques in Istanbul. There are also 125 churches and 6 synagogues. All of this to serve a population of 13 million.

The most famous church of the city is the Hagia Sophia, or St. Sophia in english. It is made of Red Granite which attributes to it lasting for so long. Apparently red granite can withstand a lot weather wise. It's picture is below on the left. The dome of the church is extremely wide, which you can't really tell by looking up on the inside. The only way to really tell is by following all the X marks on the floor. They were placed around as a reference point for the builders.

Inside of the church were 8 of the plaques like the one to the right. All stood for something different. One was for Alah, because before it was a church the St. Sophia was a mosque. One is for Muhamed. And I honestly cannot remember what the other 6 stood for. I just remember they were pretty.

There were 2 other major sites I saw while in Istanbul, but only one has good pictures. The first, without a good picture, was the Topkapi Palace. Its use was discontinued in

the 1850s so it is no longer lavishly decorated. Most of it has been turned into a museum to showcase the religious relics and jewels of the royal family when they lived there.

The last site I went to was the Beylerbeyi palace. It was used by the Sultan as a

summer home and I could definitely see why. No pictures were allowed to be taken inside but the decorations were stunning. There was a very ornate chandelier in every room. Most of them were made one-of-a-kind from China or Persia. The ceilings were all painted. The carpeting was still original and some of the finest in Turkey. I learned while there that the difference between Persian carpets and Turkish ones is that the Turks use double knots while the Persians use single. It is situated right on the water with gates that lead right to private docks on the Bosphorus. The gardens of this palace are also amazing and include a secluded pool. I think I liked it most just because it was still so ornately decorated. The Rope Room was my favorite. Except for maybe the sitting room that included a wading pool and fountain in the middle. The tour guide claimed it was used as a cooling system because it was a summer house after all. I think the Sultan wanted to swim in his living room.

The People I've Met in Istanbul

23 Turkish men who want "Yes please?"

3 Turkish men who claim they love me

6 German men wearing Canadian suits

2 Italian men who were gay, thank goodness

1 Cardiologist from Cyprus (I'm not sure what nationality that is, Cyprusian?)

1 Couple from New York who loved Dunkin Donuts as much as I do

2 Tour Guides

1 Typical Man who would rather watch 6 soccer games than talk

1 Turkish Jeweler

2 bartenders against talking on the job

Istanbul vs DC

There are so many subtle things in life that lend to a culture. It took coming to Turkey for me to realize them. I have several examples below but also need to take this time to tell you all that pictures will only go up after I return to the states. I forgot my camera cord and cannot upload them yet.

So, subtle cultural differences.

1. While the Turks drive on the same side of the road as we do, I have yet to see an automatic car.
2. The salt and pepper shakers are backwards. In the US salt is the one with less holes "because it's bad for us," or so my mother told me. Here salt has 3 holes and pepper 1.
3. The way they count their floors here has me all confused. It starts at 0 and then goes up. The first floor is not the lobby floor. No, No, No, that would be too easy for me to grasp.
4. Taksi drivers don't try to rip you off. Leaving the Grand Bazaar today I got a little lost. And by that I mean I never knew where I was to begin with. I walked around for a while hoping I'd see something familiar. Luckily I did so I knew I was in the right part of town, but had no idea where to go. I got in a taksi, told him where I was going as he drove off. He stopped and told me to walk, it was literally around the corner. And charged me nothing. In DC they would've taken me the 20 feet and over charged.

I'm off to find a place to eat!

What Could be Worse?

*Note: Post written in airport, but airport wanted me to pay for Wi-fi. So being posted now.

I have to pee. If you know me at all, you know that this fact rarely makes me act. One of the most popular phrases that leaves my lips is “I have to pee, but that involves getting up.” I would much rather wait until I can literally no longer stand the uncomfortable feeling of urine filling my bladder to actually get up and use the bathroom.

Now I’m in an airport. Having to pee is much more difficult than just getting up. When traveling alone, like I am currently, there is no one to watch your bags as you pee. No, I am going to have to bring my luggage with me. And lug it into the stall. Try not to put it down in a puddle of something. Then lug it back out and try to find someplace else to sit.

The flight itself does not help the need to pee. Many flights have cut the snacks, but will still supply beverages. It seems great at the time, getting a little extra from the money you spent on the plane ticket. Then the flight attendant pours that plastic cup with as much liquid as the ice permits, and hands you the can with the remaining liquid. It is refreshing as it goes down, but wait 20 minutes, then tell me how you feel. I bet it is very similar to the way I feel right now.

I still have to pee.

Prep Work

Today I'm leaving for Turkey. And I'm scared to death I'm going to forget something important. Like my shoes. Or my passport. I also began to pack 12 hours before flight time. Mostly because I hadn't had a chance to do my laundry before then. Don't judge me, I had very good friends in town that I hadn't seen in months. putting off laundry/packing was worth it.

I have a tendency to be extreme when it comes to packing. Either I plan on wearing pretty much the same thing every day, or I feel the need to have 3 options for every day. I refuse to check luggage so I'm going to hope less options work.

Vital things that I may need in a foreign country are as follows:

1. Advil. I don't know what it is called there or if the strength is the same or where it's sold. It's coming with me.
2. Power Adapter. None of my American electronics will work in the outlets without one. Lucky for you guys I bought one before my trip.
3. Cash. ATMs over sees charge even more fees than here in the US. I know, it's hard to believe.
4. An open mind. It sounds corny but you know it's true.

Wish me luck!

Our Weekend in Lewisburg

Shikole and I in Lewisburg!

The street our hotel was on with the most random shops ever

Our hotel courtyard

Me in front of the Susquehanna river looking patriotic....?

Shikole in our huge room!

More of Lewisburg

Shikole at Bucknell

A pretty view from the Bucknell campus

It was so awesome to see Shikole this weekend and enjoy everything that the town of Lewisburg, PA has to offer. We walked around the quaint town, visited Bucknell University (which is huge!), ate, drank, and relaxed. I'd say these photos sum up our stay nicely. Also, if by any chance we have readers that go to Bucknell, be sure to be on the watch for our business cards, we definitely put them everywhere around your campus!

Guess What

This weekend Shikole and I will be meeting up in Pennsylvania! Since we both started working full time, we haven't been able to see each other at all due to our limited time off and the lack of college breaks. Since D.C. is 7ish hours from Rochester, we wanted to make things easier on each other and decided that we would meet in the middle! (Just like the Diamond Rio song, "I'd start walking your way and you'd start walking mine, we'd meet in the middle....") Okay.. no one else's parents made them listen to country music when they were little? Moving on...

After some intense google mapping we settled on Lewisburg, P.A. ,which is apparently right near Bucknell University and exactly 3.5 hours from both of our homes (to the minute).

We're hoping to spend our weekend relaxing and walking around the presumably cute college town, maybe window shopping a little, doing some blog networking, having a few drinks in the evening, and just getting away from our normal lives for two days.

Since we will be in the same place, we are going to take lots of pictures, and maybe even some video for you guys to see! I know I'm always so curious to see what bloggers sound like in real life, plus I have this flip video camera that I barely use.. so... we're making one!

I know that it's only Tuesday and we have a few more days before this little trip, but we are both overly excited and in need of a break from our respective cities. Do you guys look forward to weekend getaways as much as we do? Let us know in the comments. :)

I'm Booked

Remember my post a few months ago about wanting to go to Istanbul? Well, Readers, I have booked my trip and it is official. My tax refund came in yesterday, which is one of the things I was waiting on to do this. The other thing was permission to take time off from my boss.

I emailed him as soon as the refund came and he was surprisingly supportive. He actually called me to talk about the trip and tell me of places I should go while there. So once I got the green light from work, I logged onto Expedia.

I will be going from April 6 through the 11th, and of course you will all be kept informed with posts and pictures of my adventures. I booked a couple tours with my itinerary including a visit to the Blue Mosque and the Beylerbeyi Palace.

Now that it is official I have also been trying to find some good books to read based in Turkey. The Museum of Innocence looks good but I can't seem to find a free e-book for it. I may have to break down and spend the $12 to get it on my Nook.

I think that learning a few Turkish phrases can't hurt either. The Nook has a free 25 language phrase book I've already downloaded. I think knowing how to say things like "bathroom," "how much?" and "thank you" would come in handy.

If any of you have been to Istanbul I would love recommendations on places to go!

Istanbul or Bust

During our giveaway a reader had requested more posts about travel. Lucky for Rachel, I plan on doing just that when I get my tax return. I have been considering many places to go for my 10 vacation days from work. I was thinking Israel because I love Jewish men, and also Germany because I'm German and love beer. I considered Maldives because my roommate showed me a gorgeous hotel and resort there that has an underwater restaurant. But I think I have decided that I really want to go to Istanbul. I went online and found a round trip plane ticket as well as 7 nights at a hotel for only $850. I would go in March around my birthday and fly out during the week which cuts down on flight costs.

Hotel Agan is the best one I found. It is located within walking distance of the Blue Mosque, one of the many sights I plan on seeing while there. It's officially called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque but gained it's nickname because of the blue tiles inside.

The Topkapi Palace is another site I plan on visiting. It was the main residence for the Sultan during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. I would love to walk through such a beautiful building and gardens that has been in existence for so long. I'm especially interested in visiting the Harem. I've read about them in so many books and want to actually see what one looks like.

The last place currently on my list of places to visit is the Grand Bazaar. Haggling with the Turks sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon.

Any other suggestions on where to go in Istanbul?

7 Things to Do While Unemployed

By Shikole Struber

It's been 3 months and you are still unemployed. Now what? Twiddle your thumbs?

• Start a blog/write a book/column


• Travel (if you can afford it, or talk your parents into paying, now is the best time!)


• Create things! I have a good friend who just started to make bracelets and sell them online.


• Volunteer. If you can't find paid work it will look really good on a resume if you are doing some good while being discouraged in the job market.


• Read. For fun. I know, it's a foreign concept but get going on that list that's been building up.


• Excersie. While this is a foreign concept to me personally, I've talked to a few friends who are passing the time with yoga classes and the like. Zumba is another big excercise class craze.


• Cook new things. It's cheaper to cook at home than it is to get takeout or even to go out. Try to make some tapas or try out that new cake recipe.

What are you doing to pass the time while unemployed?