i was on such a good roll with blogging. at most it was once a week after i went visited a place, and now it's been two months! to be fair, i did have a lot going on now that i think about it. a week after getting back from turkey, megan and her family was in town for a few days, then i headed back to the states for a week for david and michelle's wedding, then beth and patrick came over to visit which included traveling for a few weekends together (okay, two weekends), then the next weekend the roomies and i went to paris because we found cheap tickets ages ago and now i am so done with traveling!! first world problems, well aware.
i didn't think that i would have a chance to see megan while abroad so it was a wonderful surprise when she told me she'd be coming with her mom and brothers. i took the day off and we did everything touristy possible in one day! first we headed to the tower of london, which i still hadn't been to since moving here. they had a special installation with ceramic poppies to commemorate the fallen soldiers of WWI. i've really wanted to go to the tower most because the crown jewels are there, and boy are they something. i can't get my head around the orbs though. are they really necessary?? we had some afternoon tea which included free flowing bubbles, and then ended the day with a jack the ripper tour. it was really interesting to learn more about him, and crazy to think that they still have no clue who he was!
going back home was great even though it was short. it was just so nice to be able to make it for david and michelle's wedding. it was such a beautiful wedding. true to michelle's roots, there was a mariachi band and her grandma, who used to be a famous singer in mexico sang a few songs which was amazing! the only downside was that it was in chico and about 100 degrees which meant we were sweating underneath our fancy garb. i was the genius who thought it would be cute to wear a long sleeve dress. on second thought, i feel like that might've covered some of the smell, haha.
on my birthday back in april, beth sent me an email that to tell me she and patrick were coming in september! next thing you knew, it was time for them to arrive! i took the train to amsterdam and met them there for the weekend. amsterdam is such a charming city with canals running throughout. because of all the canals, the preferred mode of transportation is biking which means in addition to watching out for cars when you cross the street, you also need to avoid the bikers. it got a little hairy at times but we left the city unscathed. we were able to get into the anne frank house which is something that i've always wanted to see. it's crazy to think they spent about 2 years in hiding before someone betrayed them. you could still see the cutouts that anne put up on her wall as decorations.
of course being in amsterdam, we had to check out the red light district. it was something alright. the girls rent rooms there for i think around €200/night and if you walk by and see a curtain, it means they are occupado. otherwise, they're open for business. most of the prostitutes are from eastern europe and when we were there, it seemed like everyone had on some version of a naughty school outfit. i guess that's what sells?
the next weekend, we flew to copenhagen since that's where beth and patrick were flying back to the states from. copenhagen is one of the happiest countries in the world, and you could sense that when you were there. everyone we spoke with was very friendly, easy going and gave off good vibes. we had a great time exploring on bikes, though beth had a tougher time because they are so tall there that they don't have ones that fit her! copenhagen is home to noma which is arguably the world's best restaurant right now. we didn't eat there, but ate at a restaurant (bror) which is owned by a former noma chef for a fraction of the price! it was definitely a solid meal. the nyt just published an updated 36 hours article on copenhagen that adam sent us (thanks babes), so we used that to find some cool hidden bars to spend an exorbitant amount on cocktails :)
then there was paris! this was a nice change of pace because the roomies and i were taking the train there which meant less traveling! we had all been to paris before, so this was a nice laid back trip to wander and eat! we headed to a cool jazz bar for brunch that my coworker recommended. the live singing was cool, when it happened, but the food really left little to be desired. who knew b. spears' toxic could be sung in a jazzy tune? despite having all been to paris prior, we still hit up the eiffel tower and sacre coeur in montmartre because why not!?
now this leads me to some bigger news, though i feel like a lot of people already know. i've resigned from adap.tv.
so bittersweet.
so...scary.
and exciting.
my visa runs out on 11/28 so i will work until then, travel all of december then head back to the states on january 7th! it's been a rewarding 3 years of being at a company filled with super smart people, seeing it grow and being part of an acquisition. for a multitude of reasons, it's time for me to move on. i'm not sure if it will still be in the same industry or not. it's no secret that i am a wee bit passionate about food, so maybe i'll be able to find a job that combines food with technology. i'm not going to lie, i'm scared. i've been in the same industry since i graduated so it's scary to step outside of what i know. wish me luck!
the tower
with megs and mama clark
meg and nick
a trio of bright dresses!
the gang with the newlyweds!
there was good lighting, so we had to take pics!
hair is already dying from the heat
breeden is PUMPED to be married :)
cutest couple ever!
after party!
on my birthday back in april, beth sent me an email that to tell me she and patrick were coming in september! next thing you knew, it was time for them to arrive! i took the train to amsterdam and met them there for the weekend. amsterdam is such a charming city with canals running throughout. because of all the canals, the preferred mode of transportation is biking which means in addition to watching out for cars when you cross the street, you also need to avoid the bikers. it got a little hairy at times but we left the city unscathed. we were able to get into the anne frank house which is something that i've always wanted to see. it's crazy to think they spent about 2 years in hiding before someone betrayed them. you could still see the cutouts that anne put up on her wall as decorations.
of course being in amsterdam, we had to check out the red light district. it was something alright. the girls rent rooms there for i think around €200/night and if you walk by and see a curtain, it means they are occupado. otherwise, they're open for business. most of the prostitutes are from eastern europe and when we were there, it seemed like everyone had on some version of a naughty school outfit. i guess that's what sells?
can't leave amsterdam without one of these pics!
bike tour
canals galore
beth and patrick
the next weekend, we flew to copenhagen since that's where beth and patrick were flying back to the states from. copenhagen is one of the happiest countries in the world, and you could sense that when you were there. everyone we spoke with was very friendly, easy going and gave off good vibes. we had a great time exploring on bikes, though beth had a tougher time because they are so tall there that they don't have ones that fit her! copenhagen is home to noma which is arguably the world's best restaurant right now. we didn't eat there, but ate at a restaurant (bror) which is owned by a former noma chef for a fraction of the price! it was definitely a solid meal. the nyt just published an updated 36 hours article on copenhagen that adam sent us (thanks babes), so we used that to find some cool hidden bars to spend an exorbitant amount on cocktails :)
scandinavian food = dill dill and more dill
nice little shadow of the guy taking the pic for us ;)
the most photographed statue in cph: the little mermaid
fancy drinks at tucked away lidkoeb
cute house we found behind the design museum
so many chairs in the museum. so. many.
strolling in the city
more strolling
boat tour!
then there was paris! this was a nice change of pace because the roomies and i were taking the train there which meant less traveling! we had all been to paris before, so this was a nice laid back trip to wander and eat! we headed to a cool jazz bar for brunch that my coworker recommended. the live singing was cool, when it happened, but the food really left little to be desired. who knew b. spears' toxic could be sung in a jazzy tune? despite having all been to paris prior, we still hit up the eiffel tower and sacre coeur in montmartre because why not!?
brunch at le réservoir
pedicab squeeze
le tour eiffel
gorgeous sacré coeur
the view from sacré coeur
pierre and lisa
the 17 eckford street family
afternoon tea & desert at angelina with a side of bitchy waitress
so bittersweet.
so...scary.
and exciting.
my visa runs out on 11/28 so i will work until then, travel all of december then head back to the states on january 7th! it's been a rewarding 3 years of being at a company filled with super smart people, seeing it grow and being part of an acquisition. for a multitude of reasons, it's time for me to move on. i'm not sure if it will still be in the same industry or not. it's no secret that i am a wee bit passionate about food, so maybe i'll be able to find a job that combines food with technology. i'm not going to lie, i'm scared. i've been in the same industry since i graduated so it's scary to step outside of what i know. wish me luck!
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