Gobble.

Here's a secret....Pride and Prejudice is my favorite movie.
I made the mistake (is it?) of purchasing it on itunes, so it is with me wherever I go...as long as my laptop is available. I don't even have to have wifi. I've watched it three times in the past three days. I am going to take a break from it now, though, so I can always savor its scenes, and I never get sick of it. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Or is there?

Chatsworth House, which acts as Pemberley estate in the movie. It is thought that Jane Austen had the place in mind, when she created Mr.Darcy's property in the novel. I will be going there. Oh, you better believe it. They have holiday cottages you can rent out. Can you get any more romantic?





It is THANKSGIVING!!!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll. I have so much to be thankful for. We all do. My family, my friends, my education, my life, my health, my culture, my closet......I am so blessed. I cannot wait to give back. I am in good ole Lake Charles, LA, where my grandmother, grand aunt, and great grandmother live. I am trying to find the balance between family time and studying, though unfortunately the latter is occupying my mind&body. I am overwhelmed with the stress and of COURSE, I am procrastinating. The good news is I can procrastinate while being fed delicious curries and tomorrow, thanksgiving delights. I plan on camping out in Starbucks from 8 am til 1 pm, when I come home to gorge myself. The joys of Pre-Med. I can't wait until Christmas break. End of the semester. No more homework.

God bless all of you! Especially those of you who partake in Black Friday. It is a dog-eat-dog world.

Since and Sinceabilitay

You might be wondering what in the world the title of this post means. It's actually hilarious. It should read, "Sense and Sensibility" but lately, I repeat things in my head with a Russian accent. Because Organic Chemistry takes over my life, and my professor is Russian. So, with a Russian accent, that's how you'd pronounce it.

I'm due for a blog post. Even though this tends to be a blog for my travels, so that my short term memory can prove itself useful for the long term, I feel oddly compelled to have a somewhat reflective post from my sedentary life. I am only a part-time jetsetter, after all. Forgive me for the rambling that's going to ensue. Oh, and the stream of consciousness.

This week was an Organic Chemistry week, and therefore, exhausting. So, the only thing I wanted to do last night was curl in my bed with a good book. I brought Harry Potter 7 from my house last week in the vain hopes of being able to read it before the premiere. We'll see how that works out. Instead, I went out to dinner with two friends that I met last year. They are a year older than me, both out of state, and absolutely amazing girls. We have such a great time together, and I truly feel like they'll make a difference in the world. Then, I went to an 80s party. I had the perfect 80s outfit. I wasn't really in the party mood though, so it was kind of a buzz kill, but the party was precious. I came home, turned up the heat, and put in the movie "Penelope." If you haven't seen it, you must. It is absolutely glorious and tells a fantastical story of a girl born with a pignose and how she needs to be accepted by her own kind to break the curse. Of course, there is a precious romance that takes place, and a happy ending, as there should be. I cried during the happy ending though. I think because I am excited to feel that way about someone. The weather here is finally fall and fresh. I feel a pep in my step as I walk to class. I smile for no reason when the wind picks up and when a falling leaf gets caught in my hair. A college campus in the fall is a beautiful thing, but I think fall makes everything beautiful. It's funny how seasons work. Sometimes, you embrace them, sometimes you miss the prior, sometimes you solely anticipate the one that is months away. With fall, I do all three. I don't know. I say "I don't know" a lot to myself lately, and I'm not really sure what I don't know that I have to keep saying it. I think it's an odd reflection of the state I'm in, the way I've felt that I've matured in the past year. The way I feel that I've figure a lot of things out, though I never thought of them as things that needed figuring out. If you were to ask me what in the world I was talking about, I'd probably tell you I didn't know.

After "Penelope," I watched "Becoming Jane," a fictitious account of Jane Austen's early adulthood and her tragic love affair. Wikipedia calls it "fictitious" but I really think it's true. I know it's probably bold of me to say that Wikipedia is wrong (I mean, it is the internet and thus, extremely reliable all the time ha-ha), but I looked it up for myself and found that Jane had written her sister about Tom Lefroy several times, complimenting him and excited. She probably downplayed it later in life (as did he) when they were asked because it is the logical thing to do. Who would volunteer information about losing your one true love because you were victims of circumstance, and then you never loved again? I sure wouldn't. I'd dismiss it with a wave, calling it puppy love, and lying through my teeth that I was glad it didn't go far because it wouldn't have worked out anyway. So, yes, I went to sleep at 5 AM as a result. And then just now watched "Sense and Sensibility." I figured, why not, I freaking love Jane Austen. I think I was inspired. Inspired by the beauty she creates and inspired by the beauty love creates. Not to mention the English countryside.

Speaking of the English countryside, I've decided to study abroad next fall. I talked it over with my advisor, and as long as I'm accepted into the program (it is pretty competitive), I will be at Oxford for Fall 2011. It is so long away, but so soon. And I cannot wait!!!!!!! I am so excited. I have no idea what to expect, and that excites me. I decided it was time to put myself in a new situation, make my life a little bit more exciting, and meet people that are from a different world. The best part is they all speak English (with a marvelous accent) and UGA at Oxford is pretty established, so transfers with credits, etc. are not going to be a pain in my neck. Oh, and I want to take up piano again. And painting. And sewing. And exercising.

That is all for now. I am going to study for Biology, which I've avoided, and enjoy my own company. My roommates are having people over, but I doubt I'll leave my room except to get water every few hours.

Pip pip cheerio.

Blogging from Bulldog Country

Blog, it's been too long! How I've missed you! And don't you dare think that I'm writing a post only because I'm procrastinating doing my Organic Chemistry lab. I would never do that to you.

So, I'm a sophomore in college. Wait. Stop. What?
And It's almost OCTOBER?! But I'm so in love with this school. Last weekend, I went to my first UGA homegame of the 2010 season, and it was kind of like breathing again. The spirit is just overwhelmingly something you've never experienced before. Yes, transcendant. And I also want you to keep in mind that I'm saying this about a tradition with the phrase "Nothing greater in the land than a drunk, obnoxious bulldog fan." Let's go dawgs. I also only say that with a southern drawl because it's necessary.

I travelled and failed to blog about it. I am embarrassed, and I promise it will never happen again. Two weekends ago, I ventured over to our lovely little neighbor, Canada. Toronto, to be precise, for my cousin Arjun's wedding. The last time I saw this guy, he was probably 21 and pretty shy but adorable nonetheless. And the first time I ever met him, he was like 17, with blonde hair. He is brown like me...and he had blonde hair. Oh, Canadians.

My dad and I flew in Friday night and flew back Sunday morning (and got on the flights first try!!! Miraculous). We stayed in the Radisson off of the interstate that was next to an Armenian church and Armenian Community Center. There were Armenians everywhere- a statement I've never made before. But, that's the great thing about Toronto. It is so incredibly diverse!! I mean, there is really no majority or minority, instead, there is representation from every nationality. My dad and I are both pretty seasoned adventurers (and foodies, as you know), and all I wanted to do was go to downtown Toronto and eat my way through the city. Indian food? check. Thai? Chinese? Korean? Armenian? Middle Eastern? Italian? Japanese? Check, check, check. And all completely legitimate and probably family-owned. The entire time I was there I didn't feel like I was in a different country. That would probably make some people upset, and I'm not trying to offend, but Canada [Toronto] really felt like the 51st, freezing state [with universal healthcare]. This is not a political blog. Oh yeah, and it was freezing. I was actually dreaming about the humid Georgia heat by the end of two days, which is something I laugh at now, as I walk to the busstop and wipe away the sweat forming around my brow.


The wedding was small and amazingly fun. My cousins and aunts and uncles from NJ and NY made road trips, so it was like a big family reunion. We also met some third cousins for the first time!! Exciting. It was definitely some good father-daughter bonding, especially since I forgot my GPS and we improvised with a ghetto laptop-camera system. It sounds complicated because it was.


As for UGA, I can't complain. Life is crazy, as are my classes (like I said, I have an Ochem lab to do), but I can't imagine having a crazy life anywhere else. My grandma, however, is in the hospital in India, doing well thank God. Keep her in your prayers. She fell last week and broke her hip and had to undergo surgery. It makes me think that there is a necessary trip to India in my near future. It's been four years since I've visited the motherland!! And I definitely miss it so.

P.S.
Life without mealplan is a good life. I have only taken pictures of 2 culinary creations, but I will upload them soon!! For the most part, I subsist on salads...and chicken. My mom also spoiled me by making some curries that lasted me awhile. Yeah. Good stuff.

Julie & Julia

So, as I mentioned earlier, I've been reading the book "Julie & Julia," and I love it. I love it because it's real, as in, it's about this crazy 30 year-old who wants to accomplish something solely for her sanity. I also love it because it's about FOOD.

This post is dedicated to Julie. Why? Because I'm now a chef. I made my very first chicken curry today!
I decided to do it spontaneously yesterday, when my dad called me.
"Katherine, we are watching Glee and eating pizza that I grilled. It's delicious."
"Dad! That is awesome...save me some pizza. I'm making Chicken curry tomorrow."
"What? No way! That sounds like a great plan. I'll make the na'an."

Just like that. For those of you who don't know, na'an is that delicious, buttery, Indian flat bread they put out in baskets at Indian restaurants. So, I was going to make chicken curry. I had the recipe, and I'd done it before with my mom. It was going to actually happen. What? Me being a domestic Indian woman? (Is it just me, or is referring to yourself as a woman when you're 19 completely weird? I want to call myself a girl, but then that seems nondescript because I'm almost 20. Weird identitiy crisis tangent. Sorry.)

After sleeping in (a summer luxury I am going to miss), I went to the dentist. And then to Kroger. I felt so..grown-up. It was also a preview of what's to come this fall, when I take on the kitchen in my apartment- every. single. day. I hope I don't regret dropping the mealplan. And, I promise I will only blog about interesting dishes. (And not bore you with preparing easy mac or something).

Anyway, the chicken curry turned out pretty good, especially for my first time. Nothing can touch my mom's though. God, she is so good. Maybe that's how it should be anyway. I should just tweak the recipe, so it's different, and it's not like trying to compete with hers. Also, note that chickens are pretty gross to wrestle. I didn't actually wrestle the chicken, but my poultry knife did. It was intense.

Seattle: Days 5/6

First of all, sorry about the consolidating of days. But, I just get really super lazy, if I'm being completely honest with you. But, I love blogging. In "Julie & Julia," Julie mentioned that there's something so strange about blogging because it's publishing information about your ordinary life, which can be so boring compared to the lives of people actually making a difference in the world (fighting a war, curing a disease, etc.), on a publicly accessible webpage, but just the fact that you are taking the time to write down events & that people actually read about it makes it special in itself.
I don't know if I agree on the former part of her argument, seeing as I really do aspire to make a difference in this world, which is why I chose to go to Peru for 10 days and why I'm working so hard in school and stressing myself out about scheduling. It's all towards the singular goal of becoming a doctor. And just the philosophy of a doctor is to make a difference. It's inevitable. What if I prescribe amoxycilin to a kid who is going to grow up and invent a time travel device? Exactly.

Anyway back to Seattle...sorry about that tangent. Finally went into the city!!! Gosh, I LOVE this city. Someone asked me if I would be able to live here, and I hestitated a little because, as you know, I love Atlanta sooo much. But, then I thought to myself, I actually could live here. I don't mind the rain. I love the cold (because it's an excuse to bundle up and drink coffee/tea 24/7). I love the quirky but ridiculously cool culture. AND I'm completely into the organic, "green," nature-loving scene.
It's a 30 minute ferry ride to Seattle from Bainbridge. Mom & I jumped it around 11:00 and walked straight to Pike Street Market Center, home to mom&pop food stands, fresh fruit and vegetables from the greater Seattle area, and the most beautiful bouqets you will ever see (for amazing prices). I had this idea that was inspired by my hero, Anthony Bourdain, to just eat our way through the city. As in, avoid sitting down in a restaurant or anything and just eat things we thought looked good. Kind of like "tapas on the go." It was a great idea. We had a chicken samosa, some shrimp tempura, delicious fresh peaches and mangoes, samples of dried fruit and bread with basil olive oil, a smoked salmon piroshky, AND coffee from the original starbucks. Um does it get better than that?
Then, we made our way over to University district, so I could see the University of Washington. Why, you ask? Because it's one of the top 10 Medical schools in the country! I know! But, Emory is still #1 on my list. I mean, it was cute and everything, but I guess I'm really hard to please. Anyway, then we went to International District and got some Chinese food. A lot of good walking and eating in this place. OH and I can't leave out the shopping. Let's just say it's a good thing I have a big closet in my new apartment...


So today, we took our boys into the city again..but this time for the renowned tour "Ride the Duck." Basically, there is a group of 30 or so in a huge white boat..that has wheels. So, the tour is both on land and water. And it was incredible! Not only did I learn so much about this city that I didn't know before, but I enjoyed it 100% and so did the boys. Impressing 8,10 and 11-year old boys (not to mention keeping their attention span satiated) is a feat in itself. Great great time. Do it if you ever find yourself in this city. So, after that we went to Pike's Market again because it's so hard to stay away from. Then, we lunched at Ivar's Seafood Restaurant, which is located right on the water and famous for its clam chowder (and the gratuitous company of seagulls). We took the ferry back to get our bags, and next thing you know, we were on it again. I swear, sometimes I feel like I live on that thing. It was really hard to say goodbye. I love being home so much AND I miss my boys so much! I just wish I could be in multiple places at once. OR that all of my family was in a 1 mile radius. Completely unrealistic, but it would make it all so much easier. Anyway, the good thing is next time I see them...I see Seattle again.


I'm going to end this post with cool facts I learned about Seattle on our tour (quack, quack!):

- Lake Union is the site of where Bill Boeing flew a seaplane for the first time and went on to start an entirely new industry..commercial flight. He also came up with the idea of Stewardesses (who he required had to be RN's, for safety purposes)

- There are over 410 Starbucks Coffee locations in Seattle...the CITY. This includes the original Starbucks, the busiest in the country.

- Bill Nye filmed his show in Seattle. Rock on.

- Jimi Hendrix bought his first guitar in a pawn shop on 1st Avenue that's now a Money Mart.

- Home to the 1962 World Fair.

- Best Public Transportation system EVER.

- The Beatles stayed in the Edgewater hotel (Room 272), and now you can stay there too. It's probably ridiculously priced..but who cares.

- Sleepless in Seattle. Need I say more?

- 50% of this country's seafood goes through Seattle.

- Home to the country's first automated car wash. And Elvis took his Cadillac there.

- Public Art is a staple. I mean, they have a huge statue of a Troll under Fremont Bridge. (Scene from 10 Things I Hate About You).

Okay, that's all for now, folks. I have to run to my gate and then catch a flight. See you on the other coast :)

Seattle: Days 3/4

Today & yesterday have been a continuation of the previous two days. Basically, a lot of great food, beautiful weather, and quality time with the family. I picked up "Julie & Julia" from my aunt's bookshelf because I've been wanting to read it ever since the movie came out. I also have a strict rule about seeing movies before reading the books they are based on. I feel like that's cheating the system. So far, it's really good. Extremely entertaining, actually. And it's not some far out story about princesses or a lonely teen who finds love on an airplane or bonding sisters or anything. It's about this woman who feels like her life isn't as she'd pictured it would be at 30 years of age, and so, she takes on this project of cooking her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the technique of French Cooking." She blogs about it, and her husband supports her, and it's really witty and endearing. Like, how the little things you commit to really can bring you back to life.
Maybe I just like that she has a blog? No, it's a good read. I recommend it.

Watched The Bachelorette yesterday with my mom & it was INTENSE. She was down to 3 guys, and I knew she was going to pick Frank in the end, but then he decided he was still in love with his ex-girlfriend and backed out of the show. SO sad for her because he was her favorite, and it was really kind of heartbreaking. Until you realize the whole show is ridiculous, and all 4 people involved (at this point) are not only extremely good looking but also intelligent and sweet, and in reality would never be single. So, I could only pity her for a solid 5 minutes and then move on.

ALSO, I watched my mom make chicken curry yesterday, and I wrote down every step. Don't laugh, but Indian food is the only thing my family really uses to maintain our ethnicity, so the fact I am learning how to make it is so exciting for me!! Not to mention, the food is just so tasty I can't stand it. I will definitely update when I put the recipe to use for the first time.

Visited Lytle beach today. It was sunny with a cool breeze & my cousins spent the hour skipping rocks and trying to sink a dead crab. The joys of childhood. Mom & I are hitting up the city tomorrow.

Seattle: Day 2

I was absolutely exhausted last night. Which, if you think about it, is an amazing feeling because it is the result of productivity or too much fun. Either way, I slept like a baby and woke up to pancakes with the family. And more of that killer cappuccino that I now know how to make. The product name is Nespresso (by Nestle) and is pretty legit. When I say pretty, I mean really. Google it.

So, anyway, my cousins have a newfound love for...skateboarding. It is the cutest thing ever. They have vans and nikes (sweet kicks, right?) and today Matthew wore a flannel shirt. Mini hipster & I am LOVING it. Bainbridge has a skate park, so I drove them to it twice yesterday and once today. A skate park looks like a really large, artistically designed, unfilled pool with grafitti all over it (and plenty of inappropriate things on there, mind you). Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my 11 year olds clueless. Don't even start me on being 8 and 9 and knowing curse words or anything remotely profane besides "butt." But (haha) I am definitely old fashioned because all of the above is true for my sweet sweet baby cousins. At least they are aware of the difference between appropriate and inappropriate. They also know that smoking kills. We discussed it loudly next to a group of teenage boys who pulled out their smokes for a nicotine break in between skateboarding sessions. I doubt they were even legal - they looked 16. There were a couple of adorable sightings at the skate park, though. A skater dad! I mean, he was like 45 and still a complete skater. Too cool. Also, one kid was watching my cousins in a kind of "aw that's adorable" way and ended up volunteering to teach them a few moves. What a doll!

So, we went to the skate park again today. Then, we played a few games of tag, which I enjoyed for ONLY the first 5 minutes because I was reminded how slow I am in comparison to 4 boys. Not cool. I did catch a couple of them, but then I started panting like a crazed person and ended up going inside during the middle of a pursuit for water. Lame, I know.
Did some reading, when I could. The weather was cold again this morning, but the sun came out (as it did yesterday) around noon. Then, it hit a solid 70 degrees and was perfect.

Attended mass, and my uncle sang in the choir. It was beautiful! I love the classically Latin hymns. Gosh, I cannot wait to attend mass in the Vatican someday.

I'm now wonderfully full with gourmet burgers and vanilla bean ice cream with peaches & toasted pecans. Mmm mm good.

Seattle: Day 1

After 1 full day at the airport (Wednesday) and a day at home to recup (Thursday), I finally made it to Seattle. Lord, it was a miracle too, and probably only because I used a high priority status.
Anyway, it feels good to be back! It also feels like winter. I am currently wearing leggings, athletic shorts, a tshirt, and a northface while typing this because I am still cold from being outside. I went to my cousin's soccer game at 9 this morning!! Can't believe I woke up for that. But I also enjoyed some fresh baked goods and a cappuccino (sp?) courtesy of my Aunt. Seeing him play soccer makes me wish I had. Especially after the world cup. But I can't complain because I basically did everything else possible as a kid. Piano, tennis, softball, dance, guitar, violin, art... Soccer is such a great sport, though. I think my parents stayed away from getting me involved because it screwed up my aunt's knee when she was younger. Who knows.

I'm in Seattle because my maternal aunt, her husband, and her three adorable boys live here. We try to make a trip once a year because it's so far away, and the boys are really super adorable. Now they are 8, 10, and 11, so they are no longer "cute" because I'm not allowed to call them that. But I do anyway. I'm not actually IN Seattle, though. I'm 45 minutes away, by ferry boat, on Bainbridge Island. My descriptions won't do this place justice, but I'll try. Basically, it is green everywhere and home to mom and pop bakeries, restaurants, and stores. Everyone is classy and there are a ton of Europeans. Virtually every family has an au pair. (My cousins have a French au pair & she is ADORABLE).

Today is a lazy family day. Don't you love those? My cousins have a newfound interest in skateboarding that is accompanied by scrapes and torn up shoes, not to mention my anxiety. But, I enjoy watched them "olly". I have no idea how to spell that. Yesterday, we played hide-and-seek around the house. I love being a kid. We're scheduled for a bbq later, which may or may not feature fish that my uncle and cousins caught last week in the Pacific. Mom and I may or may not venture intot Seattle...it is the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, after all :). The sun is starting to peek through the clouds. This is good news because it means WARMTH! You can take the Southerner out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the Southerner.

That's it for now. More adventures to come!

Drink Coffee. Do good.

I wouldn't call myself a coffee addict - I can survive without it, though it does make my day run a little more smoothly && I rather enjoy a cup every morning, especially during the school year. However, I am definitely a coffee advocate/lover. So, when Angela wanted to go to this cute coffee house in Roswell, I was all for it. Okay. Stop. Rewind. I am totally a coffee addict.

The inside is cozy && adorable. And what's better is that the proceeds of the café go to communities in Rwanda. AKA I want you to check this place out. For you coffee lovers, it is DELISH. I ordered a french press small, which was about $2.50, and it was enough coffee for 3 full cups. Work it.
Name: Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee
http://www.drinkcoffeedogood.com/




I bought a bumper sticker for my car :) So, be on the lookout for it next time you see my mean green SUV.

Plans for the day include cozying up with my novel and dogs and maybe venturing off to Old Navy for some shorts. I'm running low. Oh and apparently I'm going to Maine tomorrow?

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

I spent the weekend of the 4th in the beautiful, historic city of Savannah, Georgia.
I went with 3 of my girls, and we stayed at the Inn at Ellis Square, a nice hotel right in the middle of historic district. (I definitely recommend it). We arrived on the 2nd and spent the day getting acquainted with the city. I've been once before, probably 8 or 9 years ago, so my memories of Savannah were quite blurry. But the Spanish moss, the cobblestone streets, the roudy drunkards on River street, and the southern twang in every "how are you today?" made me realize why I loved Savannah so much.

Day 1: Sightseeing & ghost touring.

We walked around Savannah, staying near the Inn and Historic District. Everyone is SO nice in Savannah! Really love that Southern Hospitality. One of the traits that allows me to pride myself in having been born and raised in the South. We ate in a Pub on River St. where I had some Deep fried grouper and fries. Mmm :) There were some drunk guys next to us, so that kept things interesting. Fourth of July weekend meant a lot of drunk people at all hours of the day. It's five o'clock somewhere...

There's definitely something eerie about going on a ghost tour in a city that is built on its dead. If you have never heard this before, I will elaborate. Savannah was originally planned on 4 squares, so naturally when people died, they were buried outside of these 4 squares. But since the city became a popular destination and port, it expanded...on top of the cemeteries. As a result, ghosts run amok. If you believe in that sort of thing ;)
I'm winking as if I don't, but I definitely do. It freaks the heck out of me. I do think it's really cool at the same time, and most of the "horror" ghost stories are kind of lessons in karma. Don't piss people off in this life, or the real crazies will come back and do something to you after their dead. So, be nice to everyone. Pretty good thing to live by, eh?

We met 3 nice marines on the tour. Very timely, considering we were there for Independence Day. They were stationed in NC, so they obviously weren't dodging bullets on a daily basis, but a couple of them had been in Iraq for 13 months stay. Incredible. Fighting for your country is a concept beyond the majority of us. Yes, It's a last resort for a lot of people, but it doesn't change the fact that it is remarkably selfless and brave, and the rest of us sit around sipping on Starbucks or picking up bananas at Publix. I guess that's the folly of it all. I never know what to say to soldiers, though, especially since they are all around my age now. I want to say "Thank you for serving us." but it seems as lame as saying "Thank you come again." And it's kind of awkward. It shouldn't be, but it is. Especially if they are in uniform because then the fact they are fighting for you is as blatant as the fact they are human beings. So, I ended up parting with a "Good luck, guys." I think there was an understanding there.

Note: If you ever get the chance, purchase a caramel chocolate dipped apple from the Savannah Candy Factory. Best $6 I ever spent.

Day 2: Beach...or Not.

We woke up bright and early on Saturday, expecting a full day of lazing and tanning (well, just me) on Tybee Island. But the beach had a different idea. The wind speeds seemed telling of a tropical storm and the lashing of sands on our bathing suit clad bodies had us on and off of Tybee Island within an hour and a half.

The pool at the Inn was a nice refuge (and way to wash off the sand, which managed to stay with us for the remainder of the trip) and we met a nice Scandinavian family there.

After swimming, we took showers and long naps, which didn't thrill 2/4 of our party. If you know me, you know that I was one of the ones sleeping. And happy. Then, we went on a long walk in search of Mrs.Wilks' Boarding House, which is known for its Southern food, and I had been craving some good ole Southern cooking the entire trip. But we got there only to see it was closed, and we ended up eating at Mellow Mushroom. Mellow never disappoints. The nice part of this, though, was that it was in the more residential part of the city and absolutely beautiful. I would love to live in one of those houses. We pretty much gave the stink eye to anyone who came out of a house, appearing to be a resident. After eating, we went to River St., where the entertainment is always 100%. Whether it's eating, people watching, shopping, I am never bored there.

Day 3: Red, White, and Blue

It was surreal to be in Savannah for the fourth of July because that city was there in 1776. We stuck around River St. for most of the day. Entertainment was at it's PEAK. There was a radio station broadcasting from the pavillion, and a bunch of tents set up in a festival - fashion. The fireworks were beautiful, but probably would have been better if people were more courteous and hadn't stood up in front of the families & groups of people (including us) who had laid out blankets hours in advance to reserve a spot. People these days.


I'm so proud to be a GA girl

A Rainbow over Athens.

I've heard horror stories about driving in the pouring rain, but I never had the opportunity to personally experience this (as if it were an honor) until my drive to Athens on Friday. WOW it was literally hailing on my car. Luckily, Herb is not easily worn down, but I did pull out the Catholicism & hold the rosary hanging from my rearview mirror for a couple of seconds. Obviously, I lived to tell the tale, but it did scare the living daylights out of me. What's worse is that people were driving at normal speeds next to me! Crazies. I was going at max 25 mph, while the bozo next to me was going 55 in a hail storm with broken traffic lights.

Anyway, I got to Athens, and the storm subsided. And as I was pulling in...there was a rainbow! I took a pic on my camera phone. Haha. Luckily, I had my Chaco's in the backseat, so I made a shoe swap, and it looked as if I'd properly prepared for the weather. Luck.

We ate at the Grit, an Athens classic. Everything vegan, everything delicious. The waitors and waitresses are hipsters or hippies and the music is perfect. I think there was some Otis Redding, Neil Young, Talking Heads. You know, the greats.
I ordered a spinach quesadilla...that I left in Mal's fridge. Just remembered that. I hope she eats it! After eating, we spent an hour at AthFest with the rain and the crowds. Dave Dondero was fantastic - bluegrass/folk. Apparently, he's on the "greatest songwriters of our time" list with some little stars like Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan. No big deal. After Dave, we watched Modern Skirts, a local Athens band who've I've heard about, but knew nothing of their music. I personally am not a fan. Kind of cacophonous and incohesive. I felt like I was listening to a bunch of shwasted people playing their instruments. Come to think of it, I probably was.

Ah, but it was so nice to be back in Athens. I really missed it. Someone told me the perfect description for Athens was "fun" and nothing more. I couldn't disagree more. I think it's famous for its bars, the nightlife, those nights people can't remember, but Athens has such a big personality aside from that. It's the cool kid that doesn't try. It's organic, artsy, and quaint. It's this secret that only some people are clued into. Clearly, I'm kind of in love with it.

So, Athens was Friday night into Saturday morning. I left around 8:30 AM after hitting up the Five Points WaHo and getting a caramel capp at Jittery Joe's. Then, MICKEY MOUSE! The day was a blur, and the party was a big success. I have that picture I promised, but it's on my dad's camera, so I'll post it when he emails it to me. The aftermath was Christmas in June. I have never seen so many birthday presents. We had some very happy 4-year-old's.

EC breezy.

We are finally to present time!! This is so exciting. I did a lot of summarizing and left a lot of things out, but this is a blog not a journal. Plus, I can go on and on about pretty much everything, so really I am selfless and sparing you gruesome details of every activity I partake in.

I am home in EC. Home in my (still messy) room. The great thing is my house smells of yellow cake because my stepmom just baked some for my brothers' birthday party on Saturday. They are turning 4, and the party is Mickey Mouse themed. The house is buzzing with Mickey energy. I wouldn't have it any other way. And if you're worried I won't post pictures of the clan clad in Mickey wear, think again. Totally will.

I just got back from Screen on the Green. I went with my amazing friends Angela, Elaine, and Rahul (who I call Garab. Note this for all future entries regarding him). The four of us crack me up, mainly because we all became such good friends after consistently failing at Physics lab senior year. Of course, we were all friends before. I met Angela sophomore year, when we went to Europe with Orchestra. I met Garab sophomore year, too, in AP European History. Elaine and I have been friends since we were 8 years old. Lots of ups and a few downs, you know, typical for a long lasting friendship. We've pretty much grown up together. Anyway, now we love to have Physics Group Reunions. So, today Angela recommended Screen on the Green, so we went!
They were playing Star Wars. The first one...and let's be real. I have never seen the first 3 Star Wars movies. I tried to once, years ago, when I was stuck in rural Connecticut with my cousins, but it was a failed attempt. I have only seen the last three aka the most recent, starring the beautiful Hayden Christiansen. And if you're thinking, the only reason I saw it was for eye candy...you are right on the money.

So, we didn't watch the movie. We did get lost on the way there. We also enjoyed the adventure of finding Piedmont Park, which proved to be kind of difficult sans GPS. We also met up with Ryan, another high school friend. He is hilarious, and I missed him. AND we also probably walked an estimated 2 miles because we parked far away. I try to see it positively though. We got some extra sightseeing in. But wow, how I love Atlanta. I really do. I seem to fall in love with it more each year. It is a little rough around the edges, but when you hit a beautiful part of Atlanta, it really does take your breath away. I mean, all of midtown and the Piedmont Park area -- what's not to love? I'd live here my whole life. I've been to so many places, and I guess I can't speak for where I'm going to be living 10 years from now, but man, Atlanta really and truly is home.

Tomorrow, ATHENS. It's been two months too long.

Fist pump like a Champ.

I spent June 13th to 20th in New Jersey. That's right folks, home of Jersey Shore. However, Jersey to me is more of my summer home because I've spent my summers there my whole life. When I was younger, I'd go for months at a time, but it gradually decreased as my cousins (who live there) and I got older. I'm the oldest cousin on both sides. The defacto role model (obvs). Haha, I probably shouldn't flatter myself. Anyway, I'm 19, Ayesha is 18, and Nisha is 15. We have always called ourselves the Krazy Kousins. With "K's" because it adds more character.

Ayesha graduated high school. Still can't believe it's been a year since I graduated highschool, and to make matters worse, we are now BOTH collegiate! This blows my mind, considering I remember making mush stew in the backyard.

I went to Jersey to see her graduate. She goes to a Health magnet school called Academy for Allied Health Sciences. Approximate size of graduating class: 60. Crazy! Multiply that by 11 and get the size of my graduating class at Walton. Shout out, Raiders Class of 09. Anyway, graduation was on Friday. And school was every day for Ayesh and Nish, so I spent my days with a friend of my aunt's, Dr.Monteiro.

I knocked on Dr.Monteiro's door every morning at 7:45 for four days. Then, we'd drive to Newark, where she worked at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She's an associate professor there and a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. Legit.
I shadowed her. Basically what this means is I was a student observer, and that's how she introduced me to her patients.
I got to see her perform an endoscopy and a biopsy of the esophagus. That was way cool. She told me to turn to the wall if I got squeamish. Surprisingly, I wasn't squeamish at all. I was just so excited and impressed, there was no room to be squeamish. The only time I felt slightly anxious was when she removed a feeding tube from a 5 year old. It really wasn't that complicated and kind of just pulled out without any discomfort to the patient, but there was all this mucous and stuff. I won't go into details. Haha. Anyway for the most part, I would sit in with her as she talked to patients who had been referred to her. Problems were usually constipation, acid reflux, Crohn's disease, metabolism issues, and things like this. I learned really interesting things and I loved being around the kids. Also, there was a huge spanish-speaking population in Newark, so it was great to be able to use my spanish skills. Dr.Monteiro spoke it pretty well. Shows how important it is to know Spanish as a physician.
My four days with her cemented my plans of going into Pediatrics. I most definitely will be a Pediatrician. Whether or not I want to specialize is another story, though. It's just hard to think that far ahead. The life of a Medical student, as most know, is not an easy one.
4 years undergrad + 4 years Medical school + 3 years residency = Family Practitioner/Pediatrician.
Specialist? Add another 3 years. Surgery? Lord, add some more.

It's overwhelming, yes, but I know I want to do it. I can't see my life spent any other way.

Ayesha's graduation was adorable. Small and sweet. The speeches were a little overdramatic and summoned a few eye-rolls, but it's tough to write a good speech that everyone loves. So, I'll cut them a little bit of slack. There were a lot of tears on her part and that of her sister. I didn't cry, of course, because it didn't make a difference to me. We've spent our whole lives apart, most of the time. Even though she's one of the closest people to me, I only see her once a year. Twice at most.
So, yeah. Her graduation wasn't too emotional for me, but it did call for reflection on my behalf. This past year and how quickly it's gone by. How much I loved high school and how much I love UGA. Sometimes, I think about what my life would be if I were at another school. But, UGA is such a good match for me. I'm proud to be a Georgia Bulldawg.

Glory, glory!

Blood pressure, llamas, and Pisco Sour.

Peru, te extraño.

Peru is such a wonderful country. It is beautiful, too, but I didn't plan an excursion of sorts to explore that aspect of it! I just had the ISL Lima trip, which allowed me the simple interactions with a fascinating culture with gentle people and, may I say, delicious food. Let it be known, I'm totes going back to see Macchu Picchu. It's officially on my to-do list.

It is still surreal to me that I have already been to Peru and back this summer! It's so weird how you can get on a plane in one world and land in an entirely different one. I apologize for the crazy posts that seem to be all over the place. I'm going to try to summarize the trip with some finality, so then I can move on until I reach present time.

We'd go into the villages every day around 8:30 AM and do clinic work in whatever space the village coordinator provided us with, which ended up being a Church for both the places we were in: San Lorenzo and Josué. Then for lunch we were fed by Sandra's (our Peruvian trip leader) mother. It was the cutest thing. Sometimes we'd go to her house, where we got to meet her family and her dad is the cutest peruvian man who wears glasses and sweater vests, or other times she'd bring the meal to us at the church. We wore scrubs, a stethoscope, and a nametag everyday. Clinic work was the following: there were 4 groups of 4 and 1 pharmacist. We'd sit in groups and patients would walk in and sit with whichever group was available, so we all usually had a patient. Then we'd go through a family history/symptoms/details sheet and diagnose the issue. Then, the working doctor with us for the day would come around and confirm or change our diagnosis and then prescribe treatment. The doctor with us for the first two days of clinic was really nice, but kind of incompetent. The schooling in Peru is really different. Basically, people enter medical school right out of high school and just continue with it for 7 years and graduate as M.D.'s unless they continue for specialization. So, he was just really fresh and pretty lacking in confidence about what he was doing. The doctor for the second part of the trip was Dr. Roxy Roa, but the guys called her Foxy Roxy because she was so pretty. And she was on top of it. I mean, you go girl. She knew exactly what she was doing and would teach us everything as she diagnosed. Also, she's a surgeon and she's 24. Talk about hardcore/impossible in the US. Well, unless you are one of those 12 year old prodigies.

We'd usually finish up with clinical work around 5 and head back to the hotel, where we'd relax for 30 minutes to an hour and then go out on the town. The signature Peruvian dish is Lomo Saltado. A delicious beef sauteé (like fajitas) with onions, potatoes, and tomatoes, served with white rice. The signature Peruvian drinks are the Pisco Sour and Algorrabina, among others. Everything was delicious. We were never hungry. Good thing, too, because the trail mix I bought at Wal-Mart had been expired for a month when I bought it. I didn't know because they were individually wrapped in a box. Thanks Wal-Mart.
The water situation was kind of a pain. We were in a nice hotel, but they were really wary about the water being contaminated or whatever, so we had to fill up water bottles everyday from 1 of 2 of the rooms that had huge jugs in there for us. And we had to use bottled water to brush our teeth. I ended up being like well to heck with it and using the tap water to brush my teeth because really, I'd been eating food all week that had been cooked and washed with Peruvian water, and I'm still alive to tell the tale.
So yeah. The shopping was great, we did that A LOT. I am now a proud owner of an Alpaca sweater, Alpaca legwarmers, and an Alpaca blanket. We also visited the super exclusive district of Lima, Miraflores. SO nice. It was weird going there because it was almost not Peru at all. Super touristy and rich and tons of American shopping stores. Also, it was on the shore, so I felt like it was a commercial version of Malibu beach.
There is so much more to tell but I think I've covered most of it. We traveled by bus everywhere and had a lot of bonding time. Haha. Oh man. And something else was that I ended up staying an extra day than everyone else because I was on the Delta direct flight which only leaves at midnight, and everyone else was on the American Airlines connecting flight that left at 7 AM, so I spent the day with the new group and got to know them. Such a big difference. We were 17, and they are 5. However, they were pretty amazing kids! We are facebook friends. Haha. Figures. The greatest thing about the trip is that we were all from UGA...

Can't wait for Perunions in ATH!

Trust your instinct. Not "getting ready to go" guides.

Never leave home without jeans.

ISL told me not to bring jeans, and for some reason, I heeded their advice. Why? I have no earthly idea. All I know is that I ended up staying in a 4 star hotel in the historical district of Lima...and I didn't have jeans to wear, when we went out to eat every single night. Nor did I have at least 1 nice top or neutrals like tanks or v-necks. And you know how I get about clothes (or now you do). Haha, so I ended up wearing khakis every night. Khakis purchased at Goodwill after ISL's handbook told me that I shouldn't bring clothes I wanted to keep. I think I'm going to rewrite the "Getting Ready to Go" guide because it made me think I was going to a remote Peruvian village. Which, I'll add, some people do with ISL. Plenty stay in huts in Costa Rica or in the Amazon jungles. But we were in central Lima. Honestly, my only complaint of the trip- Begrudgingly looking terrible...constantly. Thank God for my charm.

Here is my second email from Lima:

Greetings again! Just wanted to drop in and tell you that the trip is going wonderfully.
We have successfully completed 2 days of clinical work and 2 days of house visits (we go from door to door in the communities to make clinic appointments). Today I did souvenier shopping. Too much fun. Peru is just in general a very cool place (I am loving that I can practice my spanish) and this trip is absolutely amazing. Hope everything back home is doing well. Give Alex, Hayden, Chevy, and Maggie a hug for me!!! Will be writing again soon. Heard about the Natalie Holloway Dutch man murdering someone in Lima this past weekend. Don´t worry though, we always travel in one big group with our advisors. Plus, he´s supposedly in Chile now and luckily none of us are retarded enough to go back with a rando person to their house. That is creepy. And he is psycho.

brazos y besos (hugs and kisses),
Katherine

Peru, at last.

Oh my goodness, preparing for my trip to Peru consumed my entire being. I was definitely a Katherine-on-edge. Not to mention, my room was (and still is) a confused disaster, stuck somewhere between moving out and moving in (leaving the dorm and now getting ready for my first apartment). I first found out about the trip through UGA Without Borders, who sent me notifications on the listserv (email). It was advertised as a third-party organization, International Service Learning, that hosted trips in Latin America and Tanzania that ranged from 10 days to 2 weeks among other things. There are medical trips, those concerned with dentistry, education, construction. Plenty of things to satisfy any volunteer. Anyway, I chose Peru. I've heard nothing but praise for the country, especially since a fairly large group of kids from my high school went to Peru with their church in 2009. Apparently, I found out about the trip a little late. So, when I signed up, there was all this confusion about what dates I was going on and blah blah blah. The trip coordinator, Diane, was terrible. She was nothing but a name to us, signed at the bottom of forwarded emails. Pick up phone calls? Funny joke. Reply to emails? Don't make me laugh. Let's just say, she became our best friend very quickly.

I kept telling myself that she was misrepresenting the program & I was going to have a fantastic time. I clenched my fist and trudged through the motions of payment and total preparation because I knew it would be worth it. And it was.

I'm slacking, and I haven't uploaded pictures yet, but here is my first email to my parents from Lima. Note the irony of the opening sentence:

So as much as I wanted to have a blog, I've decided it takes way too
much effort so I'm going to write you emails instead! Today was
surreal. First off we are staying at the hotel continental in lima in
the middle of the city. Yesterday was a nice introduction to the trip.
We had a breakfast in the hotel and then an orientation on ISL and the
trip. Then, we walked around Lima and came back and ate lunch. After
that we had a medical orientation that was Way too cool. Doctor Pedro
taught us about basic common Peruvian diseases and how to check vitals
and take a glucose reading. Dinner ran late yesterday so we ended up
waking up at 8 today instead of the usual 730 which will be our wake
up time tomorrow. The hotel feeds us a cute continental bfast with
cafe and fresh juices and fruit. Then we were bussed to San Lorenzo,
which is a suburb of the city located in the mountains, where we went
from house to house making appointments for those who are sick in the
community because we will have a clinic in the local church for
Tuesday and wednesday. It was completely surreal. I spoke Spanish to
all the locals and stood there in my scrubs as they described their
symptoms to me and my group issued them a clinic appointment. ah I
still can't believe I an here! Then when we were done scheduling we
headed to our group leader's house and ate homemade Peruvian food
prepared by her mom. It was so delicious. You know, Peru reminds me so
much of India and Spain. It's like if the two had a baby. Anyway after
eating we went on a tour bus to the top of one if the mountains of the
city where there stands a big beautiful cross called the cruz de San
Cristobal or the cross of st. Christopher. ahh! Wonderful. And the
best part is that all of us get along so well. We are all constantly
laughing and having such a great time AND we are all pre med
bulldawgs! In peru! So far I have just bought some saint bracelets and
an awesome green alpaca sweater that you will see in pictures.
Tomorrow is the first day of clinical work so keep us in your
prayers!!

Love,
Katherine

How about that ride in? Must be why they call it Sin City. Ha ha ha.

I went to Vegas from May 9 to May 13. Yes, I missed Mother's Day to spend a week in Sin City...but my mom forgave me because she is amazing. Why did I go to Vegas, you ask? Well, one of the girls who lived on my hall this past year, Mckee, graciously invited me. Her dad works for an electronic distributing company (EDS), which was hosting a trade show at the Paris Hotel Casino in LV, baby! The deal included 4 nights in the Paris Hotel, 2 meals a day (sometimes 3), and $375. Holla!
We woke up around 6:45 every morning to arrive, polished and fed, at the Conference center at 7:45. Those of you who know me are probably amazed at those hours. I'm amazed, too. For those of you who don't know my sleeping habits, let's just say for 8 AM Calculus fall semester, I literally rolled out of bed at 7:45 and managed to get to class on time, looking like a complete disaster. Lucky for me, everyone in the class was constantly in a stupor they'd made it themselves and nobody really gave a hoot about what each other looked like.
Back to Vegas. Of course, you have to be 21 to gamble/party in Vegas because gambling involves free alcoholic beverages. So, sadly, Mckee and I couldn't really partake. BUT, we did see The Lion King at Mandalay Bay and did a heck of a lot of sightseeing. The great thing about Vegas is that it really is alive at night. You don't have to be under the influence of anything (though most are) to have a great time. We were usually back in the hotel room by 10 PM, though, since we had to report so early every morning. No complaints here, though. Definitely going to go back in a few years..Post - 21 years of age.


Me and the Strip!


View from our hotel room. Pretty bossy.


EDS trade show! Had some great conversations with men in business attire. My personal favorite? A German-Canadian who told me about his philosophy of life. Incredibly interesting. Of course, I can't remember his name because this happened a month and a half ago, but he was such a character. Charming and 69 years old. He told me he swam and ran everyday and took it upon himself to constantly want more out of life. Amen to that.

This is quite overdue.

Ello lovelies!
The last time I kept a blog/journal/xanga was in 7th grade, so I might hit a few speedbumps as I try to reacquaint myself with this. Bear with me :)
Okay, so where do I begin? Today has been a lovely day. I woke up at 11 am, cursing myself for being a bum. This happens almost every other day, when my cell phone alarm fails to go off or happens to be set on silent. I wonder who does that...I then took Herb (my SUV) on a trip down Shallowford Rd. to eat lunch with my lovely friend Amanda, who I haven't seen in a month. We overstayed our welcome in Mellow Mushroom, but they thanked us for dining with them regardless. Haha.

So, I created this blog because I love to travel, and I have already done quite a bit of travelling in my 19 years. This summer, I went to Las Vegas, Peru, and New Jersey. I have a scheduled roadtrip to Savannah, GA (a bit more local) for the 4th of July, and I am spending a week and a half in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle/Vancouver). Then, August 13th, I move into my home for the year: an apartment in Athens with 3 of my favorite girls.

I suppose I'm going about this in kind of a backwards fashion because 3 of my 5 summer trips have already happened. But, I am going to briefly talk about them and their purpose and post some pictures, too!