Wands in a Lifetime

So I'm hoping this wasn't just a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but visiting Hogwarts felt so magical. and wonderful. and precious. and perfect. 

Two weeks ago I accomplished one of my most exciting bucket list goals: visit Harry Potter World! This whole thing began when Reese, ever so supportive of book nerd goals everywhere, noticed that I was really getting into Harry mania. I read the entire series last year. She lent me the books, watched the movies with me (I still have to finish the last two), and planned this awesome weekend to Orlando to make these dreams a reality. I went with two people that I already know and love: Reese and Michal. Then I also got to meet their friends from college, Sarah and Esther, who went too, and now I know and love them as well! I know very few friend groups who can adopt a new girl into their plans so quickly and kindly like they have to me. I've been so blessed by Brian's college friends and this was just one of those icing-on-the-cake experiences. Waiting in line to ride the Hogwarts Express didn't feel so long with these four to talk to. 

We packed five of us into a one-room Airbnb condo and kicked off the weekend by meeting our enthusiastic 70-year-old hosts at midnight to get the keys, learn the layout of the area, and hear all of their precious musings and marriage advice. They must've thought we were here to party, because they decked out the room in Mardi Gras beads and decor, chocolates, brochures, and a bottle of Chardonnay that tasted like old perfume. The whole gesture was almost too adorable for me to handle. Little did they know we were totally here to pretend to be Hogwarts students for two days. No beads necessary. 

All I can say about the park is that IT EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS. The RIDES. The TRAIN. The DRAGON. THE FROZEN BUTTERBEER. (I was skeptical if I would like ButterBeer...ummm...so fantastic in frozen form.) It was all just magical. I took the quizzes to be sorted (we all did at some point either prior to this weekend or while in line for one of the rides) and was put into Ravenclaw, which I can embrace. Then I took the quiz for my hybrid house and it put me in RavenPuff, which is TOTALLY me. I am definitely interested in rebranding Hufflepuff as a baller house to join. Kindness, friendship, and loyalty? Yes please. 

At a few points throughout the weekend, I caught myself just looking around with a big dopey smile on my face. A thought creeped into my head: Am I too old to be this happy visiting a place like this? And that thought would quickly vanish when one of the other four would point to the next most awe-inspiring thing and we'd be off to visit that. Nope, not too old. I'm probably just now old enough to appreciate the place with some appropriate respect. With each passing year I'm kind of loving getting older. I don't wish to be 21 again or even 18. Sure, some memories make me nostalgic, but I like that with each stage of life comes its own dose of adventure and experience. I love that with each stage I find more people that prove to me that God is good. 

One funny little detail about this trip was that it coincided with Valentine's Day. Brian and some of his guy friends also had a little weekend trip, so I didn't feel too bad about leaving. I have to say, it was one of the best Valentine experiences of my life. To me, one of the things that makes J.K. such a strong voice is her intuition for eternal and important themes. I mean what on earth does Harry Potter stand for if not friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unconditional love? 

It only lasted for about 48 hours, but Valentine weekend seemed like it lasted for several sunlit days. It was that good. 

It's hard to take selfies sometimes. The other four look good, though :) 

One Year Cheer

As you can see from the last post, it's been one fabulous year of marriage. Imperfect, sometimes tricky, funny, adorable, and yes, fabulous. Brian and I are so quirky in our own ways and I'm so glad to have someone as weird a me. What better way to commemorate than with a trip! 

We celebrated with a one night stay at the Pfister Hotel (fancy!) in Milwaukee. I've always wanted to stay there and it was just as interesting and old and cool as I envisioned. We took a tour of Lakefront Brewery, strolled along the river walk, got coffee, shopped, got free treats from our hotel, and decided that one day everyone should move to Milwaukee. It is Chicago's friendlier, smaller, less-traffic-riddled, more-local-feeling kid sister. I love it. We ate at La Merenda and could not believe our taste buds with plates full of goat cheese, Spanish potatoes, pork empanadas, chorizo, spinach, risotto, and veal. It was so stinking delicious that my mouth is watering more with every word typed.  We have my brother Alex to thank for the restaurant recommendation. The next day we strolled around the marketplace in the Third Ward neighborhood and ate lunch at Benelux (reallll good as well). It was the perfect way to celebrate one year of marriage together. 

Sorry to our checking account, Brian, but I liked it so much that we need to celebrate every year with a little trip somewhere, right? Or at least will you guys all move to Milwaukee with us? I'd like to take over a small city with everyone I know and make it mine. Okay cool. Sounds great. 

#yousgirlsgoeast

Sometimes I can't believe I get to have my family as my family. The previous post to this one delved a little bit deeper into why it's such a big influence and source of joy in my life. Two of the best things about my family are named Karley and Liz. When cousins are your best friends, that means you get to keep them for life! We decided around Christmastime that this summer called for a cousins road trip. I conveniently also wanted to visit my brothers out on the east coast, and boom! plans were made. Rudi and Stephanie are in suburban New York, living in New Jersey, while Alex and Heidi are in suburban D.C., living in Alexandria, Virginia. We had such a good time seeing family, sightseeing, and soaking up a week of no work or obligation.

Want to know what I've discovered? Donuts are my favorite (although this has been a life long love affair, not a recent discovery), the east coat has incredible history, and I miss my family.

Brian and I are the closest to my parents of all my siblings at a 2-hour car ride away. Although don't feel too sorry for them, since it's become almost impossible to keep up with their travels and schedule anyway :) There is, though, a part of my heart that breaks in this process of adulthood carrying on, the process of people I love following their dreams. I'm all about people forging their own paths and seeking the Lord's call, no matter what....in theory. And then it takes people I love very, very far away from me and then I am tested in this faith of mine. I am reminded that God has each of us right where that needs to be, whether that's 2 hours, 2 days, or 2 weeks worth of travel away. Even my two partners in crime, travel buddies extraordinaire, Karley and Liz are looking like they aren't on the same geographic path as me. That's hard for me to take, but it's okay. I love them to pieces.

Here are a few pictures of our adventure out east this summer. (Have I mentioned how sweet it is to be a teacher during the summer? It is so sweet.)

 

We're Back Baby!

Please forgive the two-week long blogging hiatus, I've been a tad busy! We had a little event on July 12, you know, a small gathering, and then went on a little vacation. NBD.

But for real, the wedding was a dream and the honeymoon was amazing. Whoever thought of a beach vacation for a week following the busiest and most exhausting and most joyful day of your life was a smart person. I would like to shake his or her hand. 

Brian and I went to St. Thomas and stayed at the Ritz-Carlton...this was a good decision. From the turquoise water to the relax-it's-the-caribbean attitude, we enjoyed ourselves and not having to stick to a schedule for anyone. We also happened to get into the TV series The Wire, and are now hooked on battling corruption in Baltimore. Let me know if you want to talk details on this one, we are now proud members of the Jimmy McNulty fan club. Other than HBO, there was a lot of reading, laying out, beaching, snorkeling, eating, and of course a little drinking too. Obviously we didn't have the foresight to bring a proper camera with us, so here is a collection of iPhone pics to give you an idea of what our week looked like.

Weekend in D.C.

Last weekend, which now looking back seems so far away, was bliss. I had the opportunity to fly to D.C. to visit my brother and sister-in-law for the weekend along with my mom. I was there for three days and often scroll through my phone wishing I was back in the middle of a long weekend again. Maybe it's the fact that I'm writing this on a Sunday night that gives me such a sense of melancholy, maybe it's the I'm-a-teacher-and-it's-almost-Thanksgiving-break blues. Who knows. But either way, looking back on these pictures gives me a small sense of happiness in the midst of my planning session.

We spent time talking, catching up, eating, and exploring. I think that's the best way to spend time, don't you think? My mom and I spent almost all day on Friday at the Newseum, which was incredible. One of the best tourist things I've done yet. Here's my weekend in six pictures. 'Til next time, D.C.!

Great cupcakes. Love the tag line. 

Serious happy hour conversations. Like whether or not to order Tater Tots. We decided
to go forward with two orders, and it turned out to be a great decision. 

The Newseum displayed all the major front pages from September 11. This was my favorite. 

A trip to Alex and Heidi guarantees a great coffee shop. 

So proud of Alex! 

My little buddy for the weekend. 

We're Goin' to Kentucky

The title of this post is from a chanting game we do in my second grade room. It starts: "We're goin' to Kentucky, we're goin' to the fair, to see the Señoritas, with flowers in their hair!..." (it goes on, and if you'd like I can perform it for you sometime). Well, I really did go to Kentucky to go see some señoritas two weeks ago! A batch of my beloved friends from my semester in Spain go to school in Asbury, Kentucky and a few others congregated there with me for the weekend for an awesome reunion. It was SO SO SO good to see them. I feel like reunions are something that just brings joy to my life like nothing else. Just look on the right side of this blog's screen, click the "reunions" tag and see for yourself. I love me a good reunion. Always will.

Me, Lisa, Angie, Chelsea, Emily, and Linnea

We got to hang out at Asbury, hang out at Chelsea's house, get Sushi and Japanese food at a fabulous restaurant, stop by Chik-Fil-A, and get some southern BBQ. Hmm. That was a lot of food I just listed now. Oh well. 

Myself, Linnea, and Angie

My favorite night was Saturday night, where we technically didn't really do anything. But it was a lot to me. When we were in Spain we never got to hang out with each other in our Señoras' homes. We were always out and about doing something out in the street or in restaurants. It was amazing to be able to sit in Chelsea's house, paint nails, get haircuts (she has her cosmetology license), watch Pitch Perfect (I've seen this movie 4,579 times and it never gets old), and laugh our heads off. It was a good old fashioned sleepover and it could not have been better. Midwest girls like myself enjoy this good clean fun, even when we're probably too old for it. I'll never be too old for nights like this. 

I hadn't seen these people in two years and we got to pick up right where we left off. I got to see how they've grown, changed, and gone down their own cool paths. I got to share my own path and share how I've grown in my own ways. And, yet again, here I was afforded the opportunity to sit back and reflect on how good I have it. I was thinking about all this stuff on the long trip home. The goodness just always keeps on coming, even when there's hard stuff mixed in there. I got to reflect on the people in my life and be reminded of how good they are. I got to reflect on the places I've been led and the good grace I've been granted to get me through each stage. I got to reflect on how a good God has filled this world with good things, people, and places. That is good stuff. 

I miraculously did not ruin my nails within 30 seconds of painting them as I usually do

This is Chelsea. I love this picture. 

Not the plate of food that I ordered, but I had to document this spread
of pulled pork, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. So southern. 

Why did the Easter Egg Hide?

....because he was a little chicken!

Okay. Weak joke. But not even a terrible pun can bring me down because I just had an awesome time visiting Alex and Heidi over Easter weekend and the first half of my (glorious) spring break. It's not your typical SUPER SICK SB13 PCB kind of week, but it's much better, in my opinion. I flew back to Chicago tonight and I am already missing D.C. and the people I left behind. My parents were with me for half of the time, and I got the privilege of staying at Alex and Heidi's new (and beautiful) townhouse for the whole visit. Here are a few highlights for you to relive the goodness right along with me. Read below each photo for the deets.

Easter dinner. This picture about sums up the extent to which my mad cooking skillz were utilized for this big event. (Hint: I don't have mad cooking skillz) Alex is somewhat (alottawhat) a foodie and embraced this opportunity to dazzle us with his talents in the kitchen. He made some fantastic salmon and did a top-chef-calibur demonstration for us guests. I think I could even recreate it someday. In other news, the wine was delicious.

One of the absolute highlights of my trip was a visit to the famous Georgetown Cupcakes shop of the TV show on TLC, DC Cupcakes. While the rest of my family saw the line and immediately admitted defeat, Heidi stood dutifully with me down the block for the hour long wait until we finally got to order our box of a half-dozen cupcakes. I will say, it was worth the wait. We stopped and ate the cupcakes on the steps of a beautiful multimillion dollar home that was for sale. We thought it might attract potential buyers to see four strange Wisconsinites chowing down on baked goods on the front steps. Nobody came to see the house while we were there. Odd. 

I've added this picture purely for the fact that this is classic Dad: button-down dress shirt, dress pants, hiking all-weather shoes, cupcake in hand, posing for a picture and yet also somehow in mid-sentence.

Happening upon this sign was a significant moment for me. Sure, to the average onlooker, it could just be some dumb old Charles Dickens quote. But to me, it is the moment that March weather was so perfectly articulated like I have never been able to articulate on my own. It was outside a great coffee shop in Georgetown called Baked and Wired and I read it aloud three times in a row (passersby were confused at my excitement). I was always a little wishy washy on Charles Dickens, but now I am officially in his allegiance. It's pure genius. March weather totally is summer in the light and winter in the shade; it is absolutely when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold. That is exactly what it is like.  It is the best description of spring weather I have ever beheld. 

I like me some hard cider. I asked the waitress to bring me whatever cider they had, and this is what she brought to me. Original Sin. And I was out to eat with my parents! How scandalous. How risqué.  

My parents left after the weekend, leaving me with Alex and Heidi to chill on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday night they took me out for some Vietnamese goodness. This soup is called pho. I finished not even half of it and was insanely full. It was really good. I also suck at using chopsticks. The sophistication comes in stages, people. 

This was from Tuesday night when Alex, Heidi, and I were invited over to a friend of theirs' apartment for dinner (I had a really hard time figuring out the correct pluralization of that phrase and am still perplexed about whether or not it is correct.). I was exploring downtown when he was about to pick me up. Then he dropped it on me. Out of nowhere. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. It's officially passing on to the next generation. Brian Gesch would be so proud. 

You Be (Road)Trippin'

I just returned home from a really great weekend reunion with Spain friends in...drumroll please...the great state of...Kentucky! Yes, Kentucky. I've only ever driven through it, but now after spending a solid two days with some of its finest residents, I can now say that it is a wonderful place. I'll be posting who I actually got to see while I was there later on this week, but first I want to talk about the process of getting there. That's right, the road trip. I drove the six hours each way on my own, and I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. The trip went straight south all the way through the great state of Indiana, through Louisville as I entered Kentucky, and then on to my destination in Lexington. This is a special part of the country we call home, let me tell you. Here's a few distinctive features of a great road trip to Kentucky.

First, I started the day on a breakfast date with my mom. Granted, not all road trips can begin this way, but I highly recommend it. She coincidentally was meeting her sisters in the city for lunch, so she came a few hours earlier to see me first. It was wonderful. We ate at a place called Sweet Maple Cafe in University Village (the neighborhood just north of mine) and it was deeeeelish.

The next key to a great road trip is the food. Every road trip needs road trip candy. I had my quintessential nerds and gum (I'm a chain chewer). Plus, you GOTS to make a stop at an unhealthy restaurant. This time, I chose Culver's. Culver's, Chik Fil-A, and Sonic round out my trifecta of best road-trip-lunch-stops, and this one was just south of Indianapolis. Not only was it a great excuse for consuming lots of barbeque sauce, it was a great opportunity to people watch. I have to say that I saw one pervading theme: poorly fitting denim. It was everywhere. People of Indiana, get yourselves to a GAP store IMMEDIATELY.

Finally, the best part of a road trip is, of course, the radio. This drive had lots of great ads for things that people in Indiana are interested in, like fishing boats and GED completion courses. One thing I loved about this particular drive through the Midwest was that just about every other station I scanned to was a country music station. This is something that brings me back to my roots as a hick Wisconsinite as well as summers in Indiana visiting Karley and her friends. There was a lot of Blake, a lot of George, and a lot of Tim. Not to mention the classic rock stations that I don't have in Chicago. It was nice to hear Tom Petty again. When I wasn't listening to some good homestyle music, I perused the pop stations. I think I heard The Lumineers' Ho! Hey! more times than I can express. (You all need to chill on that song. It's great, but give it a rest.) After that, I did what every roadtripper does: indulge in the guilty pleasure music. You know what that means. Justin Bieber. Ha! Oh yikes. I'm a little ashamed to admit that instead of switching the station when the song below came on the radio, I turned the volume up just slightly. It couldn't be helped.

You know you all love it too.

And now you have all the ingredients for a great trip to Kentucky. Plan your weekend soon!

California Dreamin'

Over break I got to (finally) visit my dear friend Lauren Haney in Visalia, California! IT HAD BEEN FAR TOO LONG. I missed this chick. As a bonus, my friend from my English classes Kailyn went and visited her on the same days and I got to hang out/get to know her better as well (she is like awesome already at being a grownup...watch out publishing world, she is coming to conquer you). It was wonderful to spend a week with girls who are thinking on the same life wavelength as me.

Kailyn, Lauren, and yours truly. Braving the elements to bring this picture to you. 

Let me tell you a little something about Lauren Haney. She is badass, in my opinion. I met her as a freshman on the soccer team at Trinity Christian College when she was a sophomore. She was an RA, OPC kid, east-coaster, fiercely independent, involved in everything, and possessed probably too much confidence for a nineteen-year-old. But, alas, she pulled it off. She has been such a blessing to me. She's the one who took me out for pancakes after my little freshman-in-college heart was broken by some guy and told me that I'd be happy it didn't work out. (She was right.) She's the one who refused to accept that it was winter and made her dorm look like a surf shack year round. She's the one who wore soccer clothes erry stinking day of college and then BAM turns into a glamatron when she graduated college (yet she was a knockout either way). She is just an original. Her insight, advice, and perspective has been invaluable to me at some very important junctures in my college life and beyond. To me, she is equal parts hilarious, intelligent, inspirational, and blonde. I could go on, but it's 9:50 and in a teacher's world that is late night stuff. Now just let's all scheme a way to get her to move to Chicago. Here are some snapshots of the time we three got to spend together.

Literally though. After 7 hours in an airport and no food all night, I commemorated
this momentous meal on the wall of a pizzeria in LA.

Although the weather did not really cooperate, (ummm 35 degrees and raining and cloudy? THANKS CALI. 'PRECIATE IT.) we got to fit in a fair amount of goodness. We did the LA/Beverly Hills/Wine Tasting/Classy thing the first weekend, and then spent the second half of the trip in full blown hick paradise. Lauren is dating a dairy farmer, so we spent some time touring the dairy farm, riding in the back of demolition derby cars, and ringing in the new year in a barn. What a life I lead.

Moo. 

Mountains! I am starting to get the urge to live by mountains someday.