a wanderlusted wanderlost

You know that Reflection song where Mulan is singing to her geisha-esque reflection in the water? I've been thinking about that song a lot since returning from our trip.

And no, not because I've been wearing geisha makeup or planning a career change or that California reminded me of China in any way. Just FYI.

This California trip was really eye-opening. Which, gag me, sounds so cliche. I know. Oh, this trip changed my life! Total nirvana moment. I'm not walking around saying those things (yet), but this trip came at a great time. A time when I needed a reminder that life is so much more than your job. Than your hometown. Than your own little life bubble. Yes, all of these things are important to one's overall life, but they shouldn't rule and consume life.

Side note: promise I'm not saying we should not treat work and other things like they are important and slack off. I'm a firm believer of working hard and doing your best. Cali did not make me that kind of a hippie. Cross my heart. 

Two summers ago when my grandmother died I went into panic mode. Life had never felt so short. Of course, everyone always says Life is short, life is short. But after she died and the world kept spinning and the sun kept rising and setting, life suddenly felt super short. Which is probably why fourth months after her death I broke down to Freds about how short life was (good thing I filled him in on that secret) and how I wanted to be married and not wait to start our life together. I promise I was a super fun girlfriend most of the non-breaking down times. 

Last summer when my grandfather died I went into a somewhat different kind of panic mode. I was still in the life is short/the days are short/everything goes by too fast panic mode, but when he died I saw a different side of life and it's room for potential. He left behind a huge legacy. The stories people came to tell about his time in the war, or as a reporter, or as a civil rights activist, or as a father were all wonderful. He chose a career that wasn't even a career to him. He loved what he did and it wasn't a job. With that mindset he was able to do anything and everything and touched so many people along the way. I will never forget turning the corner into the church for his memorial service and seeing the amount of people sitting and standing just being there for him.

This summer on our California trip we went to the Walt Disney Family museum in San Fran. Disneyland wasn't enough for these Disney nerds over here. Let me tell you what (on a few different accounts) A) that museum is amazing and I think we could have spent all weekend day there. Go there if you're ever that way. And B) That man is even more magical and innovative than I realized. Talk about someone who went for it, no matter what. Someone who loved life and it shined through everything he touched and accomplished.

This is the view from the museum, by the way. Talk about magical...

So...

How can I live my life to the fullest in the short amount of time we are given? What should I be doing? Where are we supposed to be?

???

My head has been a reeling non-stop thinking mess over here since we returned. Sleep is not happening, but I'll blame that on the time change. Pacific to Eastern is the worst "jet lag"--you can quote me on that. 

Even though I don't have all the answers and I don't know what the next step is and I don't know where I should be or what I should be doing and I don't know who Christina Aguilera or Mulan think I should see when I look at my own reflection, I do know that Charleston is a pretty amazing place to be and I get to be here with a pretty amazing guy.

Life, show me what you got.
The End.

p.s.--come back next week for the real and non-emo recaps. Promise. 

daisy dukes, bikinis on top

Holy Cow and a Half. We are back from California and the post vacation blues are in full force. As they should be. I don't know which way is up right now. Side note: I do know which way is down because all of the laundry resides down on the floor and it's kinda hard to miss. I also know which way is down because SC is flat as a pancake compared to Cali and I feel a little strange not hiking or driving up and down and up and down every time I go somewhere. 

I have a minimum of about 700 pictures from the vaca. Max is probably at about a gazillion right now. I mean, hello, traveling with 6 people who all take a trillion pictures per day for 9 days equals like a gazillion pictures or something. Look at us, using math every day!

So while I collect my thoughts and dirty laundry and sleep and time change confusion, I will leave you with some pretty pretty scenery pictures. 

Don't worry, there's half a trillion more where these came from.

cinco de friday

A picture is worth a thousand words. 

It is also worth five facts. Five behind the scenes facts. Five behind the scenes facts on a Friday. Fun!

one

This is me and Wi. Her real name is Laura, but even typing that feels wrong. So wrong. We haven't called her that in about 15 years. Ish. There were so many Laura's in our ballet company that we gave them all nicknames based off of their last names. So, blog world, meet Wi. 

two

This is the same park where mine and Fred's engagement pictures were taken. What what. 

three

We got this jumpy picture on the first try. Okay, that's a lie. I really don't remember because it was a million years ago (meaning probs about 5-6 [million] years ago). But for the sake of us my brother, the photographer, looking awesome let's say we got it on the first try. 

four

Ballet lesson of the day: this step is a called a sissonne. Say it with me: Sea-sawn.

five

T-minus nine hours until I am on a plane and headed towards this leaping Wi!!!

!!!!

!!!!

!!!!

Happy Freakin' Weekend!

on being able to rent a car

Birthdays are a big deal. Especially when you get older and have to make an even bigger birthday deal just to recreate some of the birthday magic from when you were a kid. Following? Basically let's just all agree that there is no greater feeling than being a kid and waking up on your birthday morning. Joy. Pure joyous joy. 

Can you believe this was the first year I've had to work on my birthday? Hashtag: spoiled. Hashtag: just kidding. Hashtag: more like that's what happens when you have a summer birthday and spent every growing up summer at ballet intensives and every adult summer being a teacher. Hashtag: enough hashtags. 

But working on my birthday turned out to be the greatest thing. Ever. I mean who could complain about going into work early for a doughnut breakfast and also being presented with a box of King St. Cookies. Oh, you've never heard of King St. Cookies? Well, imagine what the cookie store/milk bar in heaven will be like (because duh, there will be one) and that's what King St. Cookie is like. Yum to the my. In my tummy. Add in a day full of kids who randomly serenade you, birthday song style, and you just took a tour of the first 7 hours of my birthday. 

How exciting for you!

Drooling. 

Post-work celebrations included truffle mac and cheese and truffle parmesan fries and a burger that had some truffle oil from the truffle fries soaked in it and I was a truffle-y ruffle-y mess of a birthday girl. 

Please enjoy the note that was on the bottom of the card from my sister (don't make fun of my handwriting). Being the youngest sibling has obviously taken it's toll of her, bless her heart ;)

Freddiehusband and my fam-a-dam were there every step of the way. I'd call this first married birthday a success. My Hey, I'm still living off of peanut butter cheesecake and King St. Cookies belly is also calling it a success.

brb, gotta go live it up being 25. 

monday musings

Good friends are like good chocolate. They're/it's simply just the best. Especially when they visit Charleston and agree to eat mounds of DeSano's pizza followed by more mounds of Jeni's ice cream. Write those restaurant names down. You will want to eat at them when you visit. Promise.

Beach days are also like good chocolate. Even if these beach days are slowly turning me into one giant freckle. 

Can you tell it's one day away from my birthday and I've found a reason to eat chocolate every day? Because I have done that and I will continue to do so until midnight on July 31. I will especially be downing the chocolate tomorrow. All. Day. Long. 

We leave for California so soon. Like so soon. Like why has no one told me what to wear in the non-humid California weather yet soon?

via

I'm spending my week choreographing for a production of High School Musical Jr. This means I have been not-so-shamelessly watching YouTube videos on "How to pop and lock." Which, by the way, looks a little off on this ballet trained body over here. Boy oh boy, that does not stop be from popping and lizzocking it everywhere. Man, also...when did people stop adding the "iz" to all the words? Let's totally bring that back. Bizzack.

That being said...it's time to go pop and lizzock it to celebrate my Birthday Eve!

life is like...

Life is just a bowl full of cherries. 

You've heard that saying before, am I right? The thing is... I don't really like cherries so a bowl full of cherries is not something I wish my life to be like. Because that would be gross.

Now a bowl full of peanut butter, extra chunky please, is something with which I could totally get down.

 Life is just a bowl full of super chunk peanut butter.

Mmmm, that sounds better. 

In case you didn't know, last Friday was the Fourth of July. I know you're thinking that the Fourth of July is not as exciting as the Fifteenth of July and you would be correct in that thinking. But....but, but, but...the Fourth is a close runner-up to the day of my birth. Anyways, this Fourth marked the first Fourth I celebrated as an official beach resident. And it was everything you would expect a beachy Fourth to be. 

There were bathing suits and beach chairs involved. There were many applications of sunscreen and toes in the sand involved. There were red, white, and blue fruit kabobs and sandy sammiches involved. Sand! Stop getting everywhere!

 

 

Holy Freckles and Gross Kissing Pictures Batman.
Thanks to Sister Ann for being our holiday paparazzi. 

But the best thing involved? That would be our view for the fireworks.

Bee. Hay. You. Tea. Full. 

So yeah, life at the beach may be hard, but...

 life here is just a view full of ocean, sand, and blue skies. 

And that's the best. 

currently: birthday around the corner edition

It's already 2 whole days into my birthday month (gasp) so from here until July 16 everything on this blog will be birthday related.

I'm only kidding, of course. Only 80% of everything on this blog will be birthday related...

wishing

If I tell you then it won't come true, right? But since I'm all about breaking the rules I'll go ahead and tell you. I'm wishing it was already my birthday so I can be stuffing my face with a chocolate ice cream cake. But...why wait? I'll go ahead and eat some every day this month! Celebration time.

celebrating

America, duh. The two most important things are celebrated during this month: America and Emily. 

wearing

Well, technically I am currently wearing leotard and tights as I head out the door to teach. But for the sake of having a more fun post I'll say I'm wearing all things red, white, and blue. 

cooking

Absotootley nothing. I'm back home with my Freddiehusband which means I'm back to being the couch slob while Freds slaves away is in heaven in the kitchen. Crab legs is on the menu for tomorrow night. Crab legs! I tell ya what. Life at the beach is where it's at. 

planning

Our California trip is right around the corner. Insert all the virtual screams because eeeeeeee!! I really am eeee-ing and squealing over here. I'm attempting to plan the impossible task of what to pack for a Cali trip. I hear this crazy thing I've been carrying around with me my whole Southern life (read: humidity) doesn't really exist in California. So...yeah. That's cool. Not helpful. Now. What do I pack?

How are you celebrating my birthday month? I mean, America's month. 

haircuts and rainbows

This past week was a whirlwind. A pretty fan-freaking-tastic whirlwind. A last minute work trip sent me to Atlanta for 4 days of pure bliss (minus the approximate 4 hours per day I sat in traffic. Every. Day.) (Have I mentioned how great my now 8-minute work commute is?)

Oh, Atlanta. You and your not 8-minute commute. 

Let's back up. Since I was home I took full advantage of all the things. Like hair cuts and Sprayberry's brunswick stew and stuff. 

Meet Cheri. 

The lady has been cutting my hair since I was 11ish. Remember that age? 11-ish. Such a good one. She also did all of the hur at my wedding, as seen above. Anyways she knows every split end, every grease spot, and every cow lick on my head of hair and finding someone in Charleston to replace her has been impossible. Sure, I miss my Georgia dentist. Sure, I miss my Atlanta gynecologist (except...is it possible to "miss" a gyno?...). But a hair dresser is turning out to be the hardest thing to replace. 

...so I haven't yet. I just wait until a random home trip and Voila! Fancy pants hair, courtesy of Cheri the Hair Goddess.

Another exciting part of whirlwind work trips? Getting to catch up/work with my former boss lady and good 'ole friend, Lindsey. Who also happens to make the most You-are-so-cute-I-could-eat-you-up babies. How's that for an adjective?

This is called a hug. Not to be confused with an infant headlock. 

But the best part about working back in the ATL? 

The students. My first little students who aren't so little anymore. 

If you ever want to feel like you are the Queen of Awesome and are truly, deeply, wonderfully loved then hang out with kids. True story. Here's what I heard all day Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday. And Saturday.

Miss Emily!!!! ::followed my screaming::

I've thought about you every day since you left!

Why did you leave us?!

Why aren't you teaching me anymore?!

When you and Freddie get into a fight please come live with me.

No! Don't live with her. Live with me.

When are you coming back?!

Don't leave us again!

Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!

You get the picture? The picture of me being the Queen of Awesome? Wink. I have several videos on my phone of girls giggling things like We don't like you Freddie! You took our Emily away! I guess they don't realize I'm the one who said yes to a marriage and life in Charleston. Shh, don't tell them ;)

After many student selfies and many my mom is a crazy dog lady pictures...

Example A:

...it was time for me to head back to the lowcountry. As I drove up to the Ravenel bridge I was greeted by a beautiful rainbow. 

And I thought well dang, Charleston, I missed ya too.