A Room of My Own

Autumn in Minnesota

2011-10-16T14:08:00.003-04:00

Hello,

Today is a gorgeous, crisp, sunny day in Minnesota. I walked around lake of the isles this morning with Morgan. I love the energy I feel when walking around the lakes here, people just seem to enjoy and be happy. The air was fairly cool, but the sun shining big and bright made it a little better.

After our walk we stopped at Isles Buns for a cinnamon roll, it was glorious! It is so nice to be in a city I love. I've missed it here.

I moved back to Minneapolis at the very end of August and signed a lease on a new place in the uptown area. So far, I am very pleased with my decision to move back here. I am living with Travis, working at an elementary charter school and hanging out with both of my parents who live in the area. Not to mention my two best friends, Morgan and Mia, are also living in the area. It is hard to complain, that is for sure.

I want to blog about so many things... about my new job, about my journey to losing weight, about my relationship, about what I want to dress as this Halloween, haha. But there's too much! Like anything, I think you just need to start one step at a time.

I started my job the week of Oct. 3rd, for that week my goal was just to focus on work.

Last week, my goal was to focus on exercising 3 times a week.

This week, my goal is to focus on my eating habits.

So I will hopefully report good news from the week. I am very disciplined when it comes to work and school, but for some reason when it comes to my own personal life with eating and exercising, I cannot stay focused. I think that when it comes to work and school, I am working to please someone else. For example, my efforts at work directly help other people and are recognized by my supervisor. In school, my efforts were to please the professor so that I would get a good grade. With food and exercise, I am only working to please myself. Why do I not have a problem letting myself down? That absolutely is not acceptable. I will not let myself down this week.

I will not let myself down this week. I will not let myself down this week. I will not let myself down this week. I will not let myself down this week....

Sending love <3

Vanessa

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T12:17:00.002-04:00

Happy Independence day to you all! What do you need to be freed from in your life? Think about the things that weigh you down in your life, is it your job? An unsuccessful relationship? If you haven't guessed, mine right now is FOOD! It is controlling me and I am working to free myself. For my 4th of July post I will make a plan to free myself from the pressures of over-eating.

I am sitting in bed on this beautiful summer morning, reading a book and catching up on some blogs. I am trying to plan out my day ahead and I realize that my mind tends to plan in terms of FOOD! Instead of planning out the great activities I want to do today, I am planning out what I want to do for lunch/dinner/ice cream.. etc. I have learned from Weight Watchers that it is very important to plan your meals ahead of time - BUT your brain shouldn't be thinking only about what your next meal is going to be.

Today I would like to do some of the following ACTIVITIES:
- Go on a nice bike ride
- Read my book on the beach
- Play "Catch Phrase" with friends who are coming over later
- Wear Glow Sticks while watching the fireworks!!

Now that I have some fun activities going on, I hope I'll be less likely to sit at home and eat everything in the fridge. I am going to plan out my meals though, especially my night time meal to make sure I don't binge eat at the BBQ tonight.

Okay so...
- Corn on the Cob (with lime juice and cumin instead of butter and salt) 2 Points Each
- Fat Free Brats (no bun - ketchup and mustard) 1 point each
- Freshly cut Cantelope - 0 Points!
- Ice Cream Cake with Blueberries and Strawberries (1/2 cup) 6 points

That sounds pretty healthy to me, with the ice cream cake being my special treat :) The problem is DRINKS! Each alcoholic drink is at least 4 points. So I going to make Mojitos using Rum, Mojito flavored crystal light, mint and lime! I'll let myself have 2 for a total of 8 points.

Which leaves me with only 9 points from now until the festivities arise... oh boy.. lot's of fruit today!

Okay I am going on my nice bike ride.

Happy 4th of July to you! Today, learn to overcome the negative pressures around you.

All love,

Vanessa

Let it go..

2011-06-28T00:59:00.004-04:00

Let go of all of the pounds I have gained since college! When I went to college in 2006 I weighed somewhere around 117-120 pounds. In December of 2006 when I went home for Christmas break I weighed 141 pounds!! I can't believe how fast this transition can occur!

Here is a picture of me before I left for college.. I know its silly but look how thin I was! This was taken in August of 2006

And then just a few months later, I believe this picture was taken in December 2006!

I have tried dropping these pounds, but as soon as they go away they seem to appear back before I know it. So this summer I have tried something more drastic.

I JOINED WEIGHT WATCHERS!

I know it is kind of silly, but I really think it has helped me. When I went in for my first visit (5 weeks ago) I weighed 138.8 pounds. My goal weight is 118.8 pounds, so I have 20 pounds ahead of me.

I have lost a total of 4.6 pounds in 5 weeks. Someone asked me the other day how I could have drastically changed my diet, started exercising more and still only managed to lose less than a pound a week. I will admit this is frustrating, but if you think about it - that means you would lose close to 52 pounds a year. And that's pretty amazing!

I didn't do very well eating or tracking this past week. I was very stressed out and I am most definitely a stress eater. For some reason I think I "deserve" more to eat when I am stressed. That is a silly notion. I have my weigh-in tomorrow afternoon and I just know that my weight isn't going to have gone down. But what I have to remember is that even if I didn't eat perfectly, I still made healthier decisions because of Weight Watchers than I would have normally.

I've already started this week off much better.

Good luck, me!

All love,

NessaGirl

Feeling a little sad in 2011

2011-01-04T22:24:00.001-05:00

Hello Readers,

I am writing with some feelings of sadness here today. I spent the past two weeks with my lovely boyfriend Travis and now that I am back in Tahoe, I'm feeling quite lonely.

I have no one to blame but myself, as it was my decision to keep a long-distance relationship up and going.

It is really hard for me to feel a purpose here. I love my job, but I feel aimless in other areas. Today I had the opportunity to go out and be active in the sunshine, but instead I was drawn to my bed and took a nap. If i want to see changes in my life, I need to be that change.

Here is to change for 2011.

Sending love,

Vanessa

Cooking

2010-11-24T19:49:00.004-05:00

Cooking has become a new hobby of mine. Living with three other girls, we each have a night to cook so that Monday - Thursday we have something nutritious and delicious to eat while only having to spend the time and money one night a week! I eat gluten free and my roommate Grace is a vegetarian so the meals we choose have to be well thought out and creative! Quinoa has recently been my grain of choice, as it is Gluten Free, and a great addition to most meals!

Here is a meal I have made and am making again tonight for my boyfriend, who also eats gluten free. I have made my additions in purple. I found it here:

Delicious Big Bowl - Quinoa Recipe

2 cups white quinoa, rinsed well
4 scant cups water
1 teaspoon salt
a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil
3 - 4 medium/large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, etc)
1-2 cups lightly cooked asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon of Pepper
Pinch of Basil or Rosemary

another splash or two of good olive oil or citrus dressing

Bring the quinoa, water and salt to a boil in a large thick-bottomed pot. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa opens up revealing a little spiral and is soft and pleasant to chew. If there is any remaining liquid at this point, drain it off and set the quinoa aside. Put a little extra splash of olive oil in the quinoa right after it is finished, it gives it a good flavor.

Warm a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the potatoes and a couple pinches of salt. Toss to coat the potatoes and cover for a few minutes to allow the insides of the potatoes to sweat and cook. Put rosemary or basil on the potatoes for a little extra spice.Uncover, toss again, then cook a few minutes longer (uncovered) until the potatoes start to get some color. Continue tossing every few minutes to get more color and crispness. When they are cooked through and pleasantly crunchy, season to taste with salt and scoop out onto a plate. Set aside. Add to the big pot of Quinoa

Cook the asparagus in a separate skillet. I like to add lemon juice and a bit of salt and pepper. I put the pine nuts in with the asparagus so they get a similar flavor.

In the same skillet (no need to clean) warm another splash of oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they soften up a bit.

Toss everything together in one big bowl and serve it up family-style.

Serves 4 - 6.

A big update.

2010-11-22T11:28:00.002-05:00

Time passes and I forget to write. Time passes and I forget to stop and reflect. Time passes and I forget!

Now it is the middle (almost the end) of November and I have spent the last three months in a gorgeous place with a wonderful job and I have forgotten the details. I'll do my best to make up for the lost time here.

In the end of August, Travis and I drove the 30 or so hours to Incline Village, Nevada. My new home. The very day we made it to our destination we SAW A BEAR! I have since seen 4 bears in my life, and I am still counting. I love seeing bears. Every time it is a ZEN moment when it seems like all of the world stops around you. People stop talking, the wind stops blowing, all to take in the beautiful sight of a big, furry animal waddling through the town.

I pledged my commitment to America in the beginning of September. "I will get things done for America" were the exact words I had to say to announce my commitment to AmeriCorps. Kind of cool and honorable.

I started work at Tahoe's Connection for Families that very same day. I work at a parenting education facility with a complete childhood development program as well. In laymen terms that means that from 9-noon every morning I hang out with families and their kids. We play games, sing songs, recreate. The parents go into a class for about an hour of that time with varying topics such as potty training, discipline, sleeping, food, etc. while Pattye (one of my coworkers) and I play with kids and feed them snack.

From noon-5 every day I assist in all of the things it takes to run a business. I answer phones, respond to emails, manage money, apply for grants, organize fundraisers, translate documents to Spanish, work on the website (www.tcfkids.com) and any other thing that needs to be done. It is pretty great. I truly love my job.

Living in Lake Tahoe is awesome. It is hands down the most beautiful place I have ever lived in my life. To see the Lake glowing and mountains hovering in the background is such an energizing sight. It has a very calming and healing nature about it.

I live with three girls named Cora, Grace and Lyndsay. We have a small little condo which serves us very well. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom. And we even have a fireplace in our living room! Fireplaces make everything so cozy!

Okay, I have to go. But I will make an effort to keep things updated. Not really for anyone else other than myself. But I would also love it if others would read it!

Sending love,

Vanessa.

2010-08-05T19:41:00.003-04:00

Today I am taking care of Ryan, my little 6 month old friend. He is 6 months old today!! It is amazing how much power this little boy has over me. If he is sad, I'll do anything I can until he is happy again. If he is happy, my heart is simply filled with joy. I am so glad that I have this opportunity for the summer because starting in September I will be working with babies every day. It has been a great way for me to ease into my job as get to fall so deeply for this baby. Here are some pictures of this handsome young man.

well he is waking up so i better go!!

sending love,

vanessa

A New Adventure

2010-07-27T17:42:00.004-04:00

Hello blog readers (mostly just my dad),

In light of my NEW adventure coming up in the next month I have decided to start up my blog once again. For those of you who do not know, since writing last, I GRADUATED COLLEGE! I graduated on the 23rd of May with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Education as well as my secondary teaching certificate in the Spanish language. After four years of hard work, it was a wonderful feeling to walk down the steps of Old West and receive a diploma. Here is a photo of me in my Cap and Gown.

Since then, I moved back to sunny Minnesota and moved back into my Mom's house. I've been enjoying the summer tremendously by relaxing with friends and working as a nanny for a 5 month old baby. The baby has made this summer so great! His name is Ryan and he is just a doll.

So back to my new ADVENTURE! On September 1st I will begin my new job for Tahoe's Connection for Families in Incline Village, Nevada. This is a position through Americorps, which works very similarly to the Peace Corps. It is a government funded group that provides community service outreach programs to several different places around the country and recruits qualified people to work for them. My specific placement with the TCF (tahoe's connection for Families) is a community center in the Lake Tahoe area which provides services to families with children up to age 3. It is a resource center for parents to take classes, ask for help, create a community amongst other parents and a place for children to develop. So I will be working with very young kids, developing curriculum projects for them to participate in.

I will be driving out there on August 26th with my boyfriend, Travis. Oh yes, I should mention that I have started dating a new handsome young boy named Travis. He has been my friend since I was 16 but just recently did we discover how much greater life can be when we're with each other. I'll post a picture of us, just so you can get a visual.

So yes, we are leaving on August 26th and driving straight to Boulder, where we will spend two nights. Travis has a brother that lives in Boulder and I have several friends that live out there as well. Then we either drive straight through to Incline Village (about 14 hours) or we will break it up into two days, and stay one night in Salt Lake City. We'll see how we feel.

Then I am moving into a new condo in Incline Village with three girls I have never met! Which is sort of scary but I am hoping that they will be great people. They are all participating in different Americorps programs so they are obviously good people looking to help the world become a better place.

I will upload some pictures of the place as soon as I can.

Well, I am leaving one month from yesterday and so I am trying to develop some strong rituals that will make the transition a bit easier. So, I am trying to write and run each day. I will write to reflect on my thoughts and feelings and I will run to let out energy and gain energy (strange how that happens). I will hopefully be writing on here many of the days.

So you'll be hearing more from me in the next couple of days.

Hope you're filled with love and smiles today,

Vanessa

PS - I'm really into this Minneapolis local band called Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lappelles. I strongly suggest you check out her music on itunes or wherever you have access.

Christmas Wish List

2009-12-07T17:20:00.009-05:00

1. Some New DVDS

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2. A new to-go coffee mug!

3. Some Spanish Stickers that I can put on students work

4. New Clothing/Gift Certificates to:

5. This is definetely a WISH! but the video game system: WII

Here are just some wishes around xmas time.....

* Vanessa*

Back in the U.S.A

2009-07-16T15:29:00.006-04:00

Well, after five months of studying in Chile, I am now back in sunny Minnesota. I finished off the program with my trip to the DESERT* sorry for the typo in the last entry.. its a hard word to spell! Although, it could kind of be considered to the dessert to top off my trip to Chile. My last trip was incredible, to recap all that we did I am going to copy down some excerpts from my journal.

Day 1: We went to Valle de la Luna and Valle de la muerte. The terrain is so hard to explain, it is a really dry desert but is topped with salt formations that look like crstals. We went through a cave that was twisty and windy but really cool. We saw rock formations called the three marias that were supposed to look like mother mary's praying. We made our back to the sand dunes of Valle de La Luna (Moon Valley) for the sunset. I meditated for a moment focusing on my feet gorwing into the earth, connecting me to this mysterious world with mountains that peak and sun that shines.

That night we went to the SPACE tour into the freezing desert night to learn about the constelations of the southern sky. The main guy explained to us about the southern cross and how to find scorpio and also told us that the nearest star to the earth would take 80,000 years to get to with the fastest rocket ship we have to day. Even if we traveled at the speed of light it would take 4.4 years to ge there.

Day 2: We went on a tour of the Flamenco conservatory, salt flats and Laguna Miscanti. It was crazy to see flamingos even though we weren't very close. It was also crazy to see the salt formations up close, it looked almost like quartz, they were so intricate. It wassuch an incredible place, you could turn in a full circle 360 degrees of complete beauty, mountains enclosing. The lagunas were beautiful in color, vibrant blues and greens that contrasted well with the desert terrain.

Day 3: We had a free morning so we woke on our own, did some yoga in the courtyard of our hostel, and made our way into town to do a little shopping in the overpriced touristy stores. Then we went to the local museum where I learned a lot about the history of the place. First of all, I learned that all native south americans came from Asia through the bearing straight as many as 40,000 years ago! Later, I learned that the influence of the Bolivians incorporated relgious and spiritual concepts. They cherished the sun as a deity and used the "Puerta del sol" or "door of the sun" which were tablets used for halucinating and coming in contact with the higher powers. I also learned about the Incas and how much terrain they actually conquered. They made their way down through about the middle of Chile, where the mapuche indigenous tribe foughtt hem off.

Later in the afternoon we went on another tour to Lagunas Cejas, which ended up being my favorite tour. Our first stop was a salt lagoon in the middle of nowhere, where you could swim but without having to kick your feet or move your arms. You floated with the water. It was such a cool feeling! Next, we went to a second lagoon which was basically like a mirror the water was so flat and reflected all the the mountains around it. Lastly, we arrived to the third lagoon which was bigger than the others and lined with big white salt deposits all around it. Here the sun was starting to go down and we saw some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. The red mountains reflected in the lagoon as we watched the sun set and the moon rise. It moved my soul. After the sun went down, we piled back into our car and drove back to the town. The tour guide played pink floyd as we drove what seemed like a path to nowhere, watching the stars appear in the sky I felt more love for the world than I ever knew possible.

Day 4: Our last day of tours we got up at 3:30 in the morning for the Geyser tour. We got on a tour bus and drove about 2 hours up steep elevation to reach the top of a mountain where 64 gurgling geysers are located. It was incredible to see water boiling in the ground and shooting up like a real life waterfall. We watched the sunrise over these geysers, which was incredible, but my friend Kathleen got really sick with altitude sickness, which was scary! We went over to the other side of the geysers to this place where you could go swimming and I was struck again by the beauty of the world. The ride home from the geysers was incredible, full of wildlife and small little villages that you would never belive someone could actually live in. We stopped at one of these small villages and ate llama on a stick!! It was actually delicious :) After what seemsed like a really long day, we got back into the town around 12:30, I guess when you start your morning at 3:30 time seems different.

We ended the trip at this little coffee shop, playing cards and reminiscing about our favorite moments from Chile. It was an AWESOME trip which I will remember for the rest of my life.

The last three days of the trip were fairly rushed but I had a great going away dinner with my host family at a little seafood restaurant in Concon and got to spend a few quality moments with the friends I had made.

It seems like too big of an entry to write my reflection of my whole experience here now, so you will just have to wait a few days for a reflection of my experiences. All i will leave you with is that if you ever have the chance to study abroad or live abroad or go abroad, TAKE IT! It will honestly change your life.

Sending love from Lake minnetonka where I am currently laying out in the sun :)

Vanessa Lynn.

Volvemos a la energia del amor en nuestra madre tierra.

2009-07-03T17:05:00.002-04:00

Friends and family

I know its been too long since I've updated with my life. I just finished up my last week of classes in Chile! Which is crazy to think about, I turned in all of my last essays and took my last tests and to be honest feel a great sense of relief today. Although, when i left the campus of my school yesterday, I thought to myself how unbelievable that i would never return there as a student. I took pictures of the buildings and a few videos of my bus ride to school, because I think it is so beautiful.

Last night I had my very last celebration with my group of girlfriends here. We all met up at a hostel in Valparaíso, which was decorated really cool! Each room had its own theme with paintings of the city and really beautiful art work. It was a really cool old house, which no one else stayed in, so we had the whole house to ourselves. We made some tacos and brownies, drank some wine and just enjoyed each other's company. I have truly found something with these girls, they have seeped into my skin and my bones. We stayed up late talking and listening to music, all in one bed. Today I had to say goodbye to Maggie, as she goes on to Ecuador and Brazil for the rest of her summer. The rest of us girls are going on a trip this weekend though!

Today I am packing up to go to San Pedro Atacama, Chile's dessert. If you search on google for the "driest place on the planet" it will come up with this dessert. We are leaving early tomorrow morning, so we are sleeping in the Santiago airport tonight and then flying from there. We have a pretty busy schedule of events for the next couple of days, checking out massive sand dunes, salt flats, flamingo habitats and geysers! I can't wait to be in touch with the our mother nature (nuestra madre tierra).

I'll be back on Wednesday afternoon, and I will have until Saturday night here in Viña del Mar, before leaving to go back to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! I can't believe that after almost 6 months of living outside of the country, I will be returning in just a little over a week.

I feel just about every emotion that exists about this. I am so happy to be going back into summer and seeing my family and my friends! But this place has become part of me, part of my soul. It will forever be in my heart...

Oh boy, well I'm off to enjoy a wonderful 5 days with darling friends in the dessert. It will be weird to have the 4th of July tomorrow, i feel so distant from that celebration. But i WILL celebrate for the love of my country :) Will update with pictures from this awesome trip when I get back.

Hope this finds you happy and full of love,

Vanessa.

A piece of Art.

2009-06-26T14:58:00.003-04:00

El amor lo cura todo

2009-06-23T17:28:00.004-04:00

Hi Guys :)

I am so sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. I am reaching the end of my program here, so I am swamped with homework assignments and trying to fit in all of the last things I want to do before I head back to the United States. I will be home on July 12th, which is about two and a half weeks from now! Sort of hard to imagine, but I am sure looking forward to being home. Mostly, I am excited for the warm weather :)

Since I am still swamped with school, I don't have a lot of time to write an update, but I would like to share some photos that i have taken over the past couple of weeks. Here they are:

Valparaíso is truly a beautiful city. These are some photos of the Valparaíso port, an ascensor (which is kind of like an elavator to go up all of the hills), some more local graffiti and a snapshot of AMELIE (a character from my favorite movie)

I've been living a lot, trying to take advantage of the beauty around me. This place has helped me grow so much, it will forever be in my heart. All of the things I have learned here and all of the people I have met... will forever by in my fondest of memories.

Off to write more of a paper so that I can make it to Salsa Dancing tonight!

Sending love and a kiss :)

*Nessagirl*

Ps -

"No hay mal que por bien no venga"
Roughly translated: Everything "bad" that happens causes some form of good.

FUTBOL!

2009-06-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

This past week was excitingly busy. I busied myself with all different types of fun, none of which included doing homework and now I find a million things piled up before me.

Most excitingly, i went to a soccer game between CHILE and BOLIVIA. This was such an awesome experience because Chile is actually doing really well this year. They are currently in third place in all of south america, and slowly creeping into second place. We left on wednesday afternoon around 4 to go into Santiago to the national stadium. We dressed in our newly purchased chilean soccer jerseys and hats and flags, etc. On the bus there we met a really awesome group of chileans who taught us a lot of the cheers and about the traditions of chilean soccer games. At the stadium, I learned more swear words than I new possible and just about lost my voice screaming one of the many cheers. Chile ended up winning 4 to 0, so needless to say it was a game full of excitement. There was a war between Chile and bolivia many many years ago over land in the north of chile. Bolivia was fighting for the territory that touched the ocean, because they wanted parted of the shoreline. Chile also wanted this land and ended up winning. For that reason, many of the cheers at the soccer game were about this war. For example, one cheer says..

" Ole ole ole, ole ole ole ola
los que no saltan no tienen mar'

or "those who aren't jumping don't have an ocean" and then all of the chileans start jumping up and down. When the cheer is over, the WAVE begins, starting at one end of the stadium all the way around. Just re-emphasizing that we have the ocean and they do not.

It was a great cultural experience and a ton of fun.

Another fun adventure of this week was yesterday when a few friends and I went into the Casablanca region to go wine tasting. Casablanca is about 45 minutes from here and has a lot of beauty in this small town. We went to a vineyard called Casa de la bosque. We learned a lot about the different types of wine, and how to tell what different scents each wine has. We tasted five different wines and then afterwards bought a bottle of one we hadn't tried yet. After the tour, we spent the afternoon drinking wine and eating cheese and crackers and chatting. All in all it was a fantastic day overlooking beautiful mountains and other scenery.

It is Sunday night now and I am exhausted so I am off to bed.

HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!!!!

*Vanessa*

Abrazame

2009-06-07T16:40:00.003-04:00

Amigos!

Sunday morning here, woke up to the sound of men walking on the road outside my window yelling.. "PALTA, PALMERA, PALTA" meaning he is selling avocado and these deliciously sweet pastry things. I can actually still hear him yelling. Oh chile...

I had a very restful and relaxing weekend. It started thursday night, since I don't have classes Friday (which is seriously the best thing ever) I went down to Cafe Vienes, which is this little bar down the street from my house. It has a great atmosphere because there are paintings hung on all of the walls and there is almost always a jazz group playing. It is a really nice atmosphere, other than way too much smoke. So I went down there with Elizabeth, Cali and Cali's friend who is visiting from the United States. We drank Pisco Sours, which is Chile's traditional drink. Ooo it was tasty! We talked about girl things and laughed a lot and went home relatively early.

Friday I didn't do much of anything, I woke up and had a video chat with Ryan, which was lovely. He leaves on Tuesday to go back to the United States. It is weird that he is leaving to go home, he feels weird about it too because Spain has been such a big part of his life and all of the sudden he just has to go home, back into his old life. It is like reverse culture shock. I'm so proud of all that he has done though. He has traveled so much through Europe and met so many new people. I like that boy.

I also cooked for most of the day with my host grandma. I wish i had a picture to post of her and I, we have become really good friends lately. Family ties here are incredible. My host grandma and host mom don't even get along that well, always bickering over small things, YET anytime my host mom needs help around the house my grandma is here to make dinner, clean the house, whatever she needs. And that is just the way things are here, you just do that for the people in your family. It is sort of beautiful really.

I don't really feel like giving a night by night recap of my weekend, but instead telling you how blessed I am with the friendships i have made here. I don't know how I got so lucky.. I think the world heard my calling before I left for Chile about the need for new wonderful people in my life. (Not that the old people aren't wonderful too!) But I have met the girls who have truly melted themselves into my heart. Girls who are so strong and capable and goofy and loving. Girls who are so smart, intelectually and emotionally, but have no problem going wild, laughing until they cry or talking about poop for hours (its a strong asset).

I spent a lot of time with them last weekend and this weekend as well, and couldn't be more thankful. Thank you world for blessing me with lifelong friendships.

Love,
Vanessa.

Open Air Museum

2009-05-30T18:45:00.003-04:00

On Thursday my friend Sarah and I took a walk through the "museo del aire libre" or Open air museum which is a collection of murals and paintings on the walls of these streets. The point of the museum is to get lost in the city's beauty, so it doesn't really have a set out order. It was great to be inspired my the talent of Valparaiso.

These are just a few of many inspirational photos from this incredible place.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend :)

*Vanessa*

Valparaiso, Mi Amor

2009-05-24T21:02:00.005-04:00

Queridos Lectores (dearest readers)

I've been living up some cultural/touristy things in Valparaiso lately.. trying to soak up all that I can in my last two months here. I will write you a little list of all of the fun things I have done.

1. Lancha Tour of Valparaiso Bay: Kathleen and her boyfriend who was visiting from the U.S invited me to go out on a boat tour of the bay of Valparaiso. We took a "collectivo" boat, which means that is full of all different families and people. The tour was only about a half an hour long, but we went by a lot of naval boats, boats that ship out Chilean fruits and vegetables, some sea lions, and we saw some beautiful views looking back on Valparaiso. This little boy, no older than 13 gave us our tour, explaining to us a little bit about the history of Valparaiso. He was very cute and a really good worker. It was cool to be out on the bay for several reasons, one because that is where all of this area was started. Valparaiso started as nothing more than a port town, where boats would stop on there way around the southern tip of South America and come up to the other side of the Americas. Also, it was cool because a lot of the literature written about Chile takes place in that bay. So many of Pablo Neruda's famous poems are about that bay, as well as Manuel Rojas. So that was neat to be there.

2. Chorillana @ Casino Social J. Cruz: A Chorillana is one of Valparaiso's typical foods. It is a greasy plate of french fries, covered in steak meat, onions and an egg. It sounds as delicious/gross as it is. The place where we went is supposedly the very first place to invent this meal. It took as awhile to find it because it really is a hole in the wall.. impossible to find because it is down this little alley. When we walked in, it was covered with random photos and extremely awkward statues. Haha, it was an interesting place. The food was wonderfully disgusting but there was no way we could finish all of it.

3. Celebration of 21 de Mayo: The 21st of May is a huge celebration in chile, i believe it celebrates the winning of the war against peru for the top part of land that is now considered part of Chile. Anyway, it is a huge celebration of all of the military forces and the president comes to Valparaiso to give a speech. She gave her speech (bc chile's president is a woman, how cool!) But then there was basically a HUGE parade around the city, full of all types of military men and women. It was complete caos to be honest! People running from one street to the next, trying to find where the other part of the parade was. Very chilean, if you will.

4. Flamenco Show at Teatro Municipal de Valparaiso: Last night I went to a show of flamenco dancers in a really old theater in Valparaiso. The theater was filled with character and little quirks, I really loved the design. The dancers were beyond incredible! A woman who works at my study abroad program was actually one of the dancers, she was also probably the best dancer out there! The colors were incredible as were there movements. A couple of times throughout the show the had spanish guitarists and spanish singers, ooo it actually brought a tear to my eye it was so beautiful. I don't have any photos yet

So those are just a couple of things I've been up to here in this city. Lately I have kind of had the home bug, meaning i've kind of wanted to be home... I gotta snap out of it because there is so much to see and so much to do here, I need to just live it all up!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend, more updates to come :)

*Vanessa*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

2009-05-20T11:23:00.002-04:00

I´m sorry, I hate to give away your age.... but today my dad is turning 50!!!!

He is currently out being adventurous like always, hiking the grand canyon and exploring more of Arizona. He is always on some kind of an adventure!

Five little things I love about my dad
1. He still opens every door for me when we are out together.
2. He calls me bubba and always refers to himself as ¨pops¨ (even though i´ve never called him that)
3. He always wants to go out for breakfast at the original pancake house
4. He consistently reminds me to ¨not take this day for granted¨
5. He reminds me at least once weekly how much he loves me and proud he is of me.

I LOVE YOU DAD! I hope you have a FANTASTIC 50th BIRTHDAY FULL OF CELEBRATION!

Wish I could be there with you today, but I did happen to pick you up a little chilean birthday present, so when I get back it will be coming your way.

Sending all of my love,

Vanessa.

Dr. Dr. Sick in Bed

2009-05-14T17:29:00.002-04:00

So it has been far too long since I've updated. It has been a crazy week and half that seemed to have flown by, without really being conscious of it. I guess for starters a couple of big things happened.

1. When I returned back from my trip to La Serena, a large sum of money was stolen from its hiding place in my room and all of the signs pointed to the fact that our maid took it. So that was a really hard week because it was an awkward position of accusing people and feeling taken advantage. In the end, we fired the maid and my host mom is paying me back for the money taken. (Since I was not given a secure locked box to hold important documents, which was required by my abroad program)

2. I somehow got super sick! I was feeling not 100% on Tuesday, but figured I was just sleepy and bogged down with a lot of work. But when i woke up Wednesday morning I knew something was up, I had an exam Wednesday morning and so I took it and then came home and slept all day long (for 6 hours) When my host mom came home we took my temperature and it was 101.3! Which is pretty high for an adult. So anyway I just took it easy and got a ton of sleep. Today I woke up feeling just as bad and went to the doctor and it turns out i have tonsilitis! I know this is gross, but I came home and looked at my tonsils in the mirror and There were huge and had big white dots on them. Eeew!

So I guess I would say I have good reason that I haven't updated! Other, less somber things... last weekend I went to a really fun party on the beach, a discoteque with a bunch of friends. I also went to Olmue (small village where host mom's boyfriend has family cabin) for Mother's day on Sunday.

HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY MOMMA! (i know we talked, but did you get my post card and email?)

Other than that, I went to the regular Tuesday night salsa sessions, and I think I'm getting pretty good. Haha, that might be my biased opinion someday I'll take video and pics of the event. It is so much fun! I love doing it!

Oh, and I went on an excursion with a bunch of girls from my study abroad group and we went to this museum and had a really nice afternoon in Valparaiso. Here are some photos:

So I'm supposed to stay in bed pretty much until I feel better, so this has the possibility of being a super boring weekend, haha.

Sending a restful and healthy weekend,

Vanessa.

La Serena, Vicuña y Valle de Elqui

2009-05-04T18:05:00.005-04:00

I was fortunate enough to travel again this past weekend. I traveled with two girlfriends, Cali and Elizabeth and we traveled north up the coast. It was fun to be on an adventure and fun to explore! We learned a lot in these three short days of traveling.

We left friday morning at 8:00am and were on the bus alll day until about 5:0opm when we got into La Serena. We checked into a cute little hostel, with a really quaint family feel. We explored the town a little bit, found some really cool art shops and then had a nice dinner in town. We also got ice cream after which always makes for a great day. The town was pretty upscale, but the buildings were very old, which was a really nice feel.

Saturday morning we explore La Serena a bit more, and then took a 2 o clock bus to Vicuña, which was a fairly small town, which felt very much in the countryside. Everything was just a little smaller and a little slower there. We really liked the feel of it though, the people were very friendly and we were surrounded everywhere by mountains. We checked into another hostel, which was a house owned by an older german woman. She was so friendly! No one else was staying there so the three of us girls got reign over the kitchen, the living room and our really comfy room and bathroom. We explored the town a bit and visited the museum of Gabriela Mistral (famous chilean poet) For dinner, made a delicious stir fry (which we bought all of the ingredients for 3 dollars since it was all vegetables and we were in farmlands) then Saturday night we went to an Astronomers Observatory. This was rated one of the 6 best places in the WORLD to view stars, given the caliber of the telescope and clarity of the sky. It was an incredible experience! We were up in the middle of nowhere for about 2 hours which just 6 other people and two guides who knew EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. The coolest thing was seeing the moon up close through the telescope. i REALLY liked that part. We learned so much in that short 2 hour period!

Sunday morning we got up and ate a delicious meal served by our Germany hostel lady, then we took a bus into Valle de Elqui... the bus ride in was incredible, passing the greenest vineyards surrounded by the mountains and the bluest sky. We took a tour of a pisco vineyard (pisco is a type of alcohol that is typical to chile and peru and is made from the fermentation of grapes) The tour was really interesting and gave us some free taste testing and then an entire pisco sour at the end. We took all of our tours in spanish, and it was a really great way to practice. it was also cool that we were learning so much in a hands-on way. I really enjoyed my time there. After the tour, we took a little lunch break where we are out picnic we had packed for ourselves (sandwhiches with fresh avocado, tomato and cheese - again purchased lunch for under 3 dollars in TOTAL) Then we embarked on about a 1.5 mile walk through the Valley into another small town, Monte Grande. This walk was so gorgeous and filled with natural beauty. In Monte Grande we viewed Gabriel Mistrals house and then took a bus back to get our stuff in Vicuña, ate another delicious dinner with some friend we met in the hostel, and took the bus back to La Serena.

Unfortunately, the trip ended a little bit on a bad note. We thought we had tickets for the middle of the night 1am on sunday night or monday morning, but we had been confused and the tickets were actually for Sunday morning at 1 am, meaning saturday night... so we were stuck in the bus terminal without a way back. We waited another 2 hours, until 3 in the morning where we boarded a bus back to Santiago, (because none were going to our place) and then took a 2 hour bus back to Viña del mar. Needless to say I am very tired today!

But all in all it was a great trip! Pretty relaxed but also a ton of fun. Cali and Elizabeth were really good travel partners who stayed upbeat the whole time and always seemed interested in doing the same things i was interested in doing! Overall it was a great experience! I feel so lucky to be out and seeing the world!!

Sending Adventures your way,

Nessagirl.

Momma's and Steve's Visit

2009-04-27T16:14:00.002-04:00

We had a really great 9 days together, it went by extremely quickly though, almost within the blink of an eye. I have got to get used to time flying because it always seems to do that here. Here are some photos of our trip: Fisherman in Zapallar (the beach town we visited), "La Chascona" which is one of Pablo Neruda's homes, bike tour of santiago, me infront of awesome graffiti and mom&me. It was a really great trip!

Thanks so much for coming all the way out here to visit me Mom and Steve, it really was nice to have a little taste of home!

My mom and I talked this morning about what home is anyway. Home isn't a place i've decided. I have a home in Minnesota, but also one in Arizona(dad), in Pennsylvania(school), in California(ryan) and now in Chile. So instead of associating a certain place with home, I just have to carry my "home" around with me on my shoulders.. "wherever i lay my hat, is home"

Hope you all had a nice weekend as well!

*Vanessa*

Please say he doesn't wear a gold chain, please :)

2009-04-23T14:22:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I am sitting in my room, listening to Mason Jennings and packing up for my weekend trip with my Mom and her boyfriend Steve. We are leaving in about an hour to go to Zapallar ( a small beach town a little north from here ). We are staying there just tonight and the day tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon we are going to drive into Santiago and spend Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night in Santiago. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my family and exploring this beautiful country I have been living in.

here are some photos of the beautiful weather and relaxing times we have had at my parents hotel:

Completely unrelated...

Isn't it crazy how you can listen to a song and be completely taken back to a place, a moment? I am always amazed that I could totally forget about a moment from my past but then the second music hits me just right, everything comes surging back .. deeper than a photograph. Today I have been listening to Mason Jennings all day (as I mentioned before) and I listened to a song called "Something about your love" and I was taken back immediately to last summer when I went to visit Ryan. I left four days after getting out of school and we spent about two weeks driving the California coast. We saw a Mason Jennings concert my first night in town and that was the first time he played the song "Something about your love" and Ryan and I were there to witness it! About a week later, his new album came out while Ryan and I were hanging out in San Francisco. I remember walking into this record store and buying two copies of it, one for me and one for Ry. We came back to our hotel, put the CD in Ry's computer and listened to the whole album. For me it was one of the happiest moments ... just reminiscing :)

Something about your lovee... ooooh something about your love
aint no modern love gonna set me free
like the kind of love that you give to me
I'm coming home to be with you
something about your love... oooh something about your love.

Hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend,

Vanessa.

Rabuco (pueblito en el campo)

2009-04-18T11:01:00.002-04:00

My program took a small day trip to a little pueblo in the middle of the countryside... We went to a grape factory that produces grapes for Dole! We learned to dance the queca (chile's national dance) and competed in some universal field games like a sack race and carrying an egg on a spoon. It was some quality time with some good friends.

Today my mom and her boyfriend Steve came in from the United States to visit me!!! We had a wonderful day walking through Viña along the ocean. It is absolutely perfect today, sunny and bright!! Then we went to the botanical gardens to celebrate the birthday of one of my good friends. It was so cool to have my mom and steve there.

Now i am relaxing a bit before we go out to dinner tonight with my host family and me! Its going to be a lot of translating, haha.

Besos,

Vanessa.

That Great Feeling

2009-04-14T17:52:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you all so much for your comments about my feeling homesick, I hope you know how much your words impact me. And luckily, I am now feeling much better. I have been thinking that even though I think I will always miss being away from my family and friends and home, I am only here for such a short period of time so I need to live it up!

I have a really great moment yesterday.. I walked down to get on the bus to go to my class, just like any other day here. And i walked onto the bus and there was a man standing and playing the guitar and singing beautifully in spanish. The music flowed through the bus, but no one even noticed, it was just another day to them. We took the bus along the coast (cause that is how you get to my university) and i looked out and pondered the vast seas that flow. To everyone else this was just another day on the bus, but for me... it was another reminder that I am in CHILE and the world really is a wonderful place.

Other than that, I bought a plant. I bought a plant of orange gerbera daisies, (my favorite) and they are currently sitting happily and healthily in my room. They really do light up a space.

Un mar de sueños,

nessa.

Some photos of Valparaiso

2009-04-12T17:33:00.002-04:00

Valparaiso isn't the most beautiful city on first glance, it isn't fancy and it isn't modernized and in all honesty it is quite dangerous. But i have really fallen in love with the colors of life of this place. I don't like here, but my classes are there. The colors just lighten up my life. Back in the day, people didn't have enough money to buy paint for their houses so they would wait for the sailers to come into shore. The sailers would always paint their ships before going into the shore, for best appearnce, so they would give their extra paint to the people. That is why there are so many vibrant colored houses. It didn't matter to them what the color was, or if they even had enough paint to cover the whole thing.. they would paint their house half red and half green if that was the only option they had. Pretty interesting stuff.

I visited a really cool cemetery ( i think that is an oxy moron) But it is really old and has a lot of cool stories to it. This is the grave of a woman Emilie Dubois who was actually a theif and a murderer! She would rob and kill the rich and give to the poor. She actually killed a lot of people, and so she was jailed and when she was buried her bones were just thrown into a pile with other criminals. However, the poor people of Chile saw her as a hero.. almost like a Robin Hood figure. So a lot of money was saved up to make a nice shrine place and her grave is the most visited grave in Valparaiso. Criminals and prostitutes worship her and there are signs everywhere thanking her for what she helped them to achieve. So interesting!

Sending inner peace,

vanessa.

Feeling Sad.

2009-04-07T16:52:00.003-04:00

Today I am feeling sad, I am feeling homesick and I am feeling exhausted.

All of this fun is finally catching up to me, it isn't easy being so far away from everything you are comfortable with. I feel really honored to be able to travel and explore like I have been doing, but I should note that there are times when I want nothing more but the comfort of a familiar place. That which is especially hard is the distance between my boyfriend Ryan and I. We always have a long distance relationship, but it is very difficult to stay connected while we are so far apart. I also feel distant from my parents, although I can talk to them easier (since they are just in the U.S) and I don't feel like i need that every day communication, but I do feel far away from them.

I had a scary realization today, that I am getting old, growing up... but I am not quite ready for it. I have been living far away from my family since I moved to college, only seeing each other occasionally, but it is all starting to catch up with me. As you most likely know, my dad is living in Arizona now, my mom in Minnesota and me in Pennsylvania (or Chile right now) Even if I were to move back to Minnesota, I still wouldn't be in the presence of both of my parents. Plus, I don't want to settle down in Minnesota. But I DO want to lead a life where I am very close with my parents.

It is also hard with friends, I feel as though the friendships I have and the friendships I am making are wonderful, but it is almost impossible to be forever lasting because they live all over the country. On the one hand, it is wonderful because I will have friends in every region of the country to visit.. but in terms of a day to day schedule.. I am ready for something settled, for something permanent. I am ready for a daily life that isn't always changing from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, or Arizona to Home, or the U.S to chile. I am looking for a family that is settled.. not having to travel just to see a loved one.. and even for being in a relationship where I don't have to travel a million miles just to see the person.

Everything is so temporary, and I don't think it will be permanent for a very long time. So what do I do? At this moment, the only thing that is permanent is my relationship with myself. I am always with me. I will always be there for myself, so that is the goal of right now. To develop a relationship with myself that is unbreakable, unbeatable... to have a strong internal force, to learn about myself and to grow!

I don't think there is any better place to do it than right here, in Chile, being challenged yet being supported. Ironically my angel card of the day was "resilience."

keep on fighting nessagirl!

cheers to working on strengthening our individual selves,

vanessa.

ps - feelings of sadness are normal, please don't judge.

Brittany Spears

2009-04-03T12:00:00.002-04:00

Buenos Dias!

Last night I went out with two of my gringa friends and then a group of Chilean boys and girls that I just met last night. One of the boys I met was very flamboyant with very tight pants and danced in his seat almost the entire night. After people were getting ready to go, he asked if we wanted to go with him to another bar. So, four of us girls walked over to the next bar that just so happened to be a gay bar.

I have never been to a gay bar before, and my oh my was it an experience!! There was a screen behind the bar that played every Brittany Spears song along with the music videos to each. The bar was packed with Chilean men who couldn't understand a word of english yet knew EVERY WORD to EVERY SINGLE SONG that Brittany sang. Not only that, but a lot of them knew the exact choreographed dances to the songs. The boy we went with knew all the dances and loved showing us, haha. He was actually pretty good at them. He also practiced his soprano singing skills with me.

After an hour or two I thought I was exhausted of watching men in tight shirts kiss, I was about to leave when the lights went out and the stage lit up. To my great surprise, there was a drag show on the bar! The first person to get on looked so much like a woman! She wore a tiny little jean jacket and a jean skirt that barely covered anything. The next person wore a long white dress, and danced almost a tango. Truly an experience of a lifetime :)

I don't know much about the Chilean society in terms of homosexuality, one would think that because it is so Catholic it would not be acceptable. I loved being in a place where everyone felt so comfortable being themselves, even if it was a wee bit awkward for me at first. It was cool to see people with the freedom to express themselves.

Celebrating Brittany Spears and awesome gay guys,

*nessagirl*

Clocks and Classes

2009-04-02T08:56:00.002-04:00

A note about the culture of Chile:

All of my literature classes have been cancelled today so that the students and professors may attend the protest that is going on in Valparaiso today. This will be the 5th class cancelled for one of my courses, and we have been in session for 4 weeks. They just push the material for that day back to the next class period. Apparently, if they push it back too much then it just continues on until you no longer have a break. Craziness.

Just another little side note: There are no clocks in our house. There is one alarm clock in my mom's room but she never uses it. There is, however a church right outside of our apartment that rings every hour on the hour. This is honestly how my host family figures out the time. It is no wonder that they don't leave the house until the time they are supposed to be there because if they are supposed to be somewhere at 2, they wait till they hear 2 bells and then they leave. How fascinating.

Sometimes I get frustrated with how late people are here, or how they walk so slowly, not understanding that you have to be somewhere. But since thinking about it, I have realized that we are slaves to the clock in the U.S. My lifestyle there is something that can be written down on a calendar, knowing ahead of time where I will be at every moment. I realized that this place gives you more time to create your life, maybe it is just my life here compared to my life in the U.S but I suddenly feel liberated from the hands of the clock.

Find some time to liberate yourself today from the ticking of minutes.

Sending Love,

Vanessa.

p.s - here is a poem I wrote yesterday

Pewen

Fruta saborosa mia,
decoras tu cuerpo con armadura
como un soldado en guerra.
Pero que estas luchando?
Para que necesitas este proteccion?

La dulzura de tu mismo
esta escondido a mis ojos
debajo de tu concha dura
porque no abres para mi?

Yo ofrece mi boca lista
y tu como el pewen,
eres dificil a pelar.
Ahora ensucio mis manos
para revelar
el sabor de tu corazon.

Translation:

Pewen ( a type of fruit)

Flavorful fruit of mine
you decorate your body with armor
like a soldier in war
But what are you fighting?
Why do you need protection?

The sweetness of your self
is hidden from my eyes
underneath your hard shell
why wont you open for me?

I offer my ready mouth
and you, like the fruit
are difficult to peal.
Now i dirty my hands
to reveal
the flavor of your soul.

Finally Back :)

2009-03-31T10:17:00.004-04:00

Here are some photos of my incredible trip:

The trip taught me a lot about life as it was a lot of hard work. I think the biggest lesson I learned is that even when things are looking straight uphill and you are exhausted, you should keep going, because almost always there is a peak that is so worth the hike. Metaphor for life... when things are looking tough just keep putting one foot in front of the other because it is worth fighting to get to the other side. I also learned a lot about balancing personalities and how to deal with 7 girls feelings. I had some practice with leadership and also learned a lot about being a follower. It was an excellent trip!! We had such a great time, lots of laughter.. which is always fun.

Even though the trip was great, I was very happy to be back in my Chilean home with a comfy bed and sheets that only I have slept in! Haha.. also it was so wonderful to have food to eat at all times, instead of just relying on the tortillas and cheese we carried throughout the trip. Of course, it was also nice to see my host family. I really did feel like this was my home when I came back, which is an excellent feeling.

Finally, this week I have a lot of schoolwork. So I have been busy working on that as well as just getting unpacked, laundry done etc. Yesterday was my first day back of classes and it went pretty well. I saw a boy from my class out at a bar a couple of weeks ago, and so I talked to him yesterday in class. After class, he invited me and my other gringa friend Kathleen for a cup of coffee.. there we met up with a bunch of his friends and it was great just hanging out with chileans. They are all literature students so I have several classes with them! So hopefully I can make friends with them :)

Off to dance class now.. you should see my professor dance. he shakes better than Shakira ( no joke!!!)

"You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser
you gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
you gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you got to sing together
all i know is love will save the day"

... Vanessa...

Losing Sight of Shores

2009-03-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

Dear Readers,

Tonight I am embarking on my adventure. I am really looking forward to it, and realizing that this is one of the most adventurous things I have ever done! Going on a trek to the southernmost point of the world (not including antarctica) with 6 other girls I just met 3 weeks ago! It is fun to be on an adventure, a place not widely traveled. I can't wait to get back and show you photos of all that I have seen. I have heard that this place has what feels almost like mystical powers, I am going with an open heart and I can't wait to be inspired.

(In case you don't know what I'm talking about, scroll down to the bottom of my last post, I outline all that I am going to be doing over the next 10 days!)

I am hoping to find internet access in one of the several hostels that we are staying in, but I am not certain. So I wish you all a very happy 10 days and I will update when I get back.

Thanks for reading!

Here are some photos of the entire fam:

Celebrating love,

Vanessa.

Susie Blue

2009-03-15T10:36:00.005-04:00

It is amazing the power of music, I don't understand how it has the power to move mountains and shake the sky! What is your favorite song? That is too hard of a question, what is the song that you most enjoy in this exact moment? I will leave a list of the songs I'm moved by today.

1. Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis
2. Stars Shine Quietly - Mason Jennings
3 . Day Dreaming - Aretha Franklin
4. Susie Blue - Ben harper
5. Love and Happiness - Al Green
6. I know - Meghan Smith
7. Cowgirl Lovesong - Lake Street Dive
8. Back up this train - Al green
9. Rock Me Baby - B.B King
10. Un Amor - Gypsy Kings

Go to the itunes store and listen to them, if you're anything like me your bones will even wiggle with these tunes.

Today is a beautiful sunday and I am about to spend the day at my host mom's aunts home which is really close to the beach and has a pool, and there is also raquetball and paddle ball to play! It should be a fun day :) I ran this morning, down to the beach! Any day I see the beach I am happy, and so far I have seen the beach EVERY day since I've been here haha, maybe that explains the smiling.

It has been a amazing weekend here, I went to the 'farmers market" full of fruits and vegetables yesterday with my host family. It was a ton of fun.. so full of color! I swear the fair itself was a work of art! Here are some pics from it...

In other exciting news, it has now been exactly 4 weeks since I've been here! It is hard to believe that a month has already passed, although it doesn't quite feel that long because I've only been with my host family for 2.5 weeks, which I feel like was the real start of my experience here. I have read a lot of studying abroad materials and almost every resource says that for the first while you are in the "honeymoon" stage where you are so in love with the country! It says that after awhile things kind of slow down and you start missing home for a little, and then after that you mellow out and are sort of in between that honeymoon and the homesick stage. I would love to stay in this honeymoon stage, haha!

Other exciting news, I am going on my first excursion here next week!
Thursday the 19th of March: Overnight bus to Pucon, Chile (9 hrs south of here)
Friday 20th: Indigenous Village (learning about their customs and participating in a lot of traditions with them!)
Saturday 21st: Choice between hang gliding, climbing the volcano, white water rafting or taking horses up the volcano. I'm not sure which of the options i want to do!
Sunday 22nd: Visiting hot springs!

From there, I have planned a week long trip down even further south. Not quite to the "end of the world" in Tierra Del Fuego, but almost the southern tip. This is the southernmost place in the world, besides Antarctica of course! We (me and 6 other girls on my program) are going to explore, do hiking and see the world. Here is our plan

Sunday 22nd: Take a bus from Pucon to Puerto Montt (6 hr bus ride)
Monday 23rd: Fly from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas
Take an immediate bus to Puerto Natales
Explore Puerto Natales, settle into Hostel
Tuesday 24th: Visit Torres Del Paine national park
Do an all-day hike to the Torres del Paine lookout spot
Wednesday 25th: Take a boat to the other side of Torres Del Paine
Climb the Lago Grey Trail
Thursday 26th: Rent Kayaks and kayak through the glacial water!
Take bus back to Punta Arenas and stay the night there
Friday 27th: Go to the Island of Penguins!!
Saturday 28th: Fly home to Santiago
Take bus to Viña del Mar and sleep in own bed!

It has been so fun researching these plans, plus it has been a lot of spanish practice since I had to go to the travels agency and call around to different hostels and everything. It has been fun. So I don't usually talk about money too much, but we already purchased all of the plane trips and bus trips through our Travel Agency.. and guess how much it is? In total!! For all of the traveling, it is $200 US Dollars. The Hostel we are staying in is $10 a night... So we're being pretty thrifty and getting an awesome deal!

here are some pics i stole from google of Torres Del Paine

Feeling really lucky for all of this natural beauty and all of these opportunities.. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for letting me come here, and thanks everyone else too so giving me the courage to do all of this adventuring!

Besos from Chile!!!!

*Vanessa*

Manijar rocks my world.

2009-03-11T19:05:00.003-04:00

Como estaispo?
(a typical chilean greeting, accompanied by un "besito" a kiss on the cheek)

I'm still feeling happy. I don't know what it is about this place that keeps the corners of my lips turned upwards haha.. I guess I am exaggerating by saying that I am smiling all the time.. but everyday i have that feeling, that feeling like there is nowhere else i would rather be. i like that feeling.

today i was leaving one of my classes and trying to race to another class to get there in time. in the U.S i probably would have been grumpy and anxious trying to get to class on time, here though, it is impossible! Because as i was speed walking i passed a farmers market the size of a gigantic macy's store full of only fruits, vegetables, flowers and fresh fish. imagine all of the colors on a color wheel right in front of you and all stuff that you can touch and even EAT! that is how I imagine heaven, haha.. colorful and full of wonderful food :)

I have had all of my classes at least one time now, and I am pretty content with them. I am taking :

1. Universal Themes of LIterature
2. Contemporary Spanish Literature
3. Chilean Culture and Composition
4. Typical Chilean Dance
5. Valparaiso: The history, film and literature

Keep in mind, all but two are with all other chilean students so it isn't exactly going to be a breeze in the park.. but hopefully they are all do-able! For monday I have to read 100 pages of Voltaire in SPANISH! I can't even understand Voltaire in English so we'll see.. haha, the professor told me to first read it in english though, so that I understand the concepts. She also said that when the other students have exams, i will not take the same exam as them. That is nice, because this class is going to be really difficult. The other ones seem pretty good though, like they will challenge me but I will for sure be able to finish them.

other interesting things... i feel like i could probably write a book write now with all that is new or different or scary or exciting but i will spare you. i'll do some bullet points..

* went out dancing until 5 in the morning like a typical chilean, i danced salsa merengue regaton and pop
* went to a house party where 5 chileans had a huge drum circle and played like crazy while everyone else danced
* went to the beach where the women next to me had a seizure!! we had to call the ambulance and everything!!
* went to a bar where there were acrobats (cirque de solei style) climbing on cloth right next to me!
* went to an intense soccer game where there was a huge fire and a stampede!!
* went to a coffee house and drank mate the customary way, where everyone passes it around!
* made new chilean friends!
* talked for hours with my host mom about relationships and men, haha (in spanish of course!)
* ate mussels and clams and seabass and all types of fish

here are some photos of my fam!

pretty cute, huh?

ok i'm off to reading about a nudist indigenous village in the southernmost point of chile where there are only 30 members left and only 2 who speak the original language! isn't it crazy that an entire culture can be erased???

besos y abrazos (kisses and hugs)

vanessa.
(bah-nay-sahhh)

Snapshots of my new home :)

2009-03-04T10:20:00.003-05:00

View from my room :)

My pretty bed, penguin included

The Kitchen

Living Room and Dinner Table (my fav place)

Now you have at least a little bit of an idea where I am at :) Wish you were all here with me!

*Vanessa*

Finally

2009-03-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

note: will post pics later :)

Amigos,

Sorry it has been so long since I updated. A lot has happened, and I don’t want to write a novel so I am going to do some bullet points since the last time I wrote.

• I moved into my new home!
• I live with a host mom and host sister
• My mom’s name is Rossana and she is a stock brocker here in Chile, she is so loving and easy going and great for conversation. She is independent and strong but also feminine and maternal.
• My host sisters name is Valentina, she is 14 and loves to surf! She is absolutely gorgeous with long dark hair and a tall and skinny frame. She is more introverted but also very sweet, we have started to become good friends.
• My room is darling (see pics)
• So far the people on my program are incredible! I couldn’t have asked for a better group. Not only are they easy going, but also seekers of all types of knowledge. They love to go out and have fun, but they more enjoy the style of fun I have, relaxed. No one dresses up to go out (maybe a little on the weekend) its very tranquil and a great time.
• I’m just choosing my classes now, so I don’t know what they will be yet. They start next Monday, I’m a bit nervous about that.

Now that we’re caught up a bit, I feel like writing about the way I feel instead of what I’ve been doing in every moment.

Honestly, I’ve been here two weeks and I already feel like a new person. My eyes are so wide, like a newborn baby taking in all that this world has to offer. Because everything is new, it is sort of like a new start. I am questioning why I do things the way I do, or why we believe certain things in the U.S. One astonishing thing here, is that they talk about weight very often. If someone is very skinny they say, “ay, flaquita” which means, oh my little skinny girl. Sort of like a term of endearment. Likewise, they also say “ay, gordita” which means oh my little fat girl. When I first heard it, I was thinking to myself oh my god, I can’t believe how rude they are. But they say it as a term of endearment and no one seems to mind. Also, for a black person, they say “negrito” meaning little black boy. This is so politically incorrect in the U.S. What I realized though, is that it is us in the United States that gives value to people being skinny. Here, it is more just an observation like oh that girl is a little chubby… rather than judging her thinking, oh man that girl is so fat. I explained to my host mom that in the U.S we would never call someone fat because they would be offended. And she was shocked! I told her about all of the pressures to be thin, and she was appalled by it! Which is funny to me because she is very thin and “beautiful” according to U.S standards. That was just an observation I made, that because I am used the united states standards of beauty I think of “gordita” as bad, instead of a characteristic like brown hair or brown eyes.

Bueno, I am going to go out now so I can’t write much more… other than I have felt truly happy for the past week. I feel happiness in my bones, down to my core, shining on corners and crevices that haven’t seen light in some time. I feel full, like my blood is warm. It feels good.

Hope you have the full feeling today,

Nessagirl.

This was supposed to be posted yesterday!

2009-02-25T17:41:00.001-05:00

new note: tried posting this yesterday, but was unable to get access. i'm now with my host family and will update more about them later tonight. everything is really peachy though!

Here I am sitting in hot springs at the top of a mountain in the Andes.

We stayed at this most unbelievable bed and breakfast, in the middle of farmlands. The house was an old white home, it kind of looked like an italian villa. The views of the mountains were everywhere, and it was just a really relaxing place. The owner, Mary, was so kind to us and spoiled us with excellent food! We visited a winery on saturday, my very first time. and that was a lot of fun! We sampled some reds and whites and even though I don't quite have a pallet(sp?) for wine yet, it was very nice. Sunday, however, was my favoirte day. We drove up through part of the andes to see some of the most incredible views. We saw several glacier topped mountains, which is a new thing for me! The view honestly took my breath away. They cause you to think only in the present moment, which was very nice for me. We finally made it through a 20 mile unpaved road to these incredible hot springs. There were about 5 different pools with beautiul views of the andes. We bathed in a few of them, and even covered ourselves in mud. This is the tradition for the people, apparently the mud has healing qualities so we soaked ourselves in mud as well. All in all, it was a wonderful adventure.

Monday morning we got up early and drove to the Santiago Airport (we had a lot of problems getting there, but this gracious man ended up driving to the airpoort while we followed behind. I honestly don't think we would have gotten there without him. I was so impressed with his generosity. I said my goodbyes to Sherry and my dad and met up with the other kids on the program. Everyone was spread out across the floor on one area of the airport, so it was really intimidating to just go up and talk to people. But i felt really confident that morning, so I gained up some energy and started introducing myself around. All in all, the people here are so impressive. They each have incredible tales and so far, have been very open to expressing themselves. We had to randomly choose two other roommates to stay with these next couple of days, so I am staying with some girls i met on the bus. They are very nice and good to talk to. I can see myself becoming closer friends with a lot of these people, but at this point it is hard to really form strong bonds. It will happen sooner rather than later I am sure.

Today we have just been having an orientation, which we will be having many more orientations in the days to come. Later today I will find out who my host family is, and I will meet them and move in with them tomorrow afternoon. I am a little anxious about it, but I trust that this future family will be wonderful.

Sorry for all of the writing, if you made it this far, thanks for reading :)

I've been able to have internet access here, which has been really great. So drop me a line, cause I'm able to see it!

May you find happiness today in life's simple pleasures, that is my goal as well.

Sending love from Chile,

Nessa

technical difficulties

2009-02-20T17:26:00.002-05:00

Sorry guys, I am having trouble uploading photos because the internet is so slow. I hope to get them up sooner rather than later though!

Just as an update. we have spent the past two days exploring Viña del mar and Valparaiso. We also made our way down to some smaller beach towns called Reñaca and Concon. It is incredible how many people are out and about. I have never seen so many people in the same place at the same time!! And they are all over the beaches! It is nice to see so many families out together. Almost everyone on the beach is a family with kids (old or young) it is a really nice sight.

anyway, tomorrow morning we are getting up early and driving inland to a vineyard called Concho y Toro. We have been drinking excellent wine here! If you are a wine drinker, i suggest tasting some chilean wine. It should be a really relaxing weekend before meeting up with the whole group. I am really excited about meeting all of the other kids from the U.S - just from touching base briefly on facebook I can tell that they are going to be a really good group!

anyway, off to shower and then enjoy my last night here (at least for another couple of days)

Sending love from the wonderful country of chile,

vanessa!!

ps - both my dad and I got really sick yesterday with stomach issues. His were more digestive, but mine was more like sharp pains. we aren't sure if it is from the food or what, but hopefully we'll be back to good in no time!

I made it!

2009-02-18T16:37:00.002-05:00

Hola friends and family!

So I made it to Chile! The flight wasn´t too bad, i met up with my dad and sherry in Atlanta, Georgia and then took a 9 hour flight to Santiago. I took a sleeping pill and pretty much watched a few TV episodes on the the airplane and then fell asleep. It wasn´t exactly the most comfortable sleep because my my neck was all stiff but it worked out.

We got into Santiago at 9am and it was sort of overwhelming, but overall it was a very orderly airport. we found our bags, no problem, and took a cab to our hotel. the roads were exceptionally nice and from the taxi you could see mountains in every direction and a lot of lush green. we checked into our hotel and immediately went out walking the city. Santiago is huge, wayyyy bigger than any other city i´ve ever been to. but it is very clean and has a lot of natural life. to be honest, within the first few hours I had already fallen in love with the city.

we took a bus tour around santiago later that day and saw all sorts of things, it is hard to describe them all really. it is similar to europe in ways, but it has its very distinct local flavor. that night we went out for wine (local from a neearby vineyard) and then to a seafeood restaurant for dinner. i had the chilean sea bass, and it was the most incredible fish i have ever had in my life. i couldn´t believe how good it was!

Tuesday was another busy day, we used the metro (subway) and went to a big mountain thing, we took a funicular which is sort of like a cable car up. That was really scary because it went straight up the mountain! then we took a gondola over the city. after, we explored the city a lot more on foot. It is seriously one of my favorite places i´ve ever been.

we had dinner at a pizza place and went to bed early so that we could drive to Vina del mar (the place where i´´ll be living) this morning.

All in all, this has been a wonderful time. I haven´t felt too much culture shock yet because i have been with my dad and sherry and i have felt very welcomed by the people. i have been speaking spanish at every place, and have been complimented several times which helps me to raise my confidence and speak even more.

today when we got into vina, i was a little worried because our hotel was in a unique part of town. after walking the beach for awhile, i decided this is definietely a place i could live. it is so strange to think about the fact that i will actually be living here everyday for the next 6 months. i have really high hopes for it though, and thus far i have no negative remarks.

we layed on the beach today for most of the afternoon and are now in the hotel cleaning up before going out for dinner. i downloaded most of my pictures onto my computer yesterday, so i just need to find a place with wireless in order to post them. (right now i am on the free computer in the hotel) anyway, i´ve been taking a billion pictures and i really can´t wait to show them to you.

i really thank you for reading my blog, and for all of the comments. it feels so grea to know that you are out there supporting me. i hope all is well with you!

all of my love,

vanessa.

p.s you know how we have crossguards, people dressed in yellow that stop traffic with flags... well here all of the crossguards are young girls, and then twirl their flags like buttons. it is so cool to see, almost like they are puttng on a show. haha, just a little side note about one of the many many many unique things here.

My Last Post in the USA

2009-02-15T00:32:00.005-05:00

Querido Lectores,

Today I am very nervous. What the hell did I get myself into? I have been longing to get away and experience something new.. really do something different! But today I am kicking myself for this adventurous soul of mine. My heart and my head love to battle. My heart is so willing to try new things and get out of my comfort zone. My heart is so excited to experience this incredible world of ours. My head, on the other hand, is lecturing me. What could have possibly convinced me that leaving my home, my family, my friends and any sense of normalcy and moving to South America would be a good idea? I have had knots in my stomach for the past two days. I know that what I am about to embark on is an experience that I am so fortunate to have. I am so blessed to have the means and the time to take this trip, and I will most likely never have an experience like this again. That is why I have to listen to Jack Johnson when he says:

"You don't always have to hold your head, higher than you heart"

For those of you who don't exactly know where Chile is... here you go! Here is where I am going to spend the next 6 months.

So last night my mom threw a wonderful going away party for me at our country club. We had the most delicious chilean food! It was a four course meal with Scallops, Shepards Pie, Chicken with chilean sauce and a chilean type of cookie for dessert. It was incredible! I hope that all food in Chile is that delicious. I had 4 friends come and then Steve's family also came to celebrate with us. It was a ton of fun, full of sombrero hats and salsa dancing (which i'm sure is more mexican than anything else, but we were creative with what we had) It was a really nice send off.

I really enjoyed the going away party, and thank you to everyone who came to say goodbye to me. It really meant a lot to me to have you there, encouraging me in my dreams.

So tomorrow I board a plane at 3:30pm from Minneapolis, I have a layover in Atlanta, Georgia where I meet up with my dad and sherry. We then take a 9.5 hour flight to Santiago, Chile. Oh goodness.

Thanks for reading my blog, it feels so nice to know that people are following me and helping me get through this big leap of faith. I hope you all find peace in your hearts today and dream a little about the adventures you are going to have throughout your life.

Sending my all of my love in my final moments in the United States, Happy Valentine's day too!

*vanessa*

P.S - "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time"

Oo valentines surprise!

2009-02-12T15:17:00.007-05:00

I found a little treat outside my door this morning! My good friend Morgan's mom sent me a little valentine's day care package! What a darling woman. Thank you Mrs. Siegrist, you spoil me :) It was full of popcorn, sweethearts, chocolate hearts, jelly beans and the most darling little monkey! The note said : "Miss you, have fun in Chile! And happy valentine's day!" It honestly made my day!

I am almost finished packing!! My mom and I spent the afternoon shoving clothes into the space saver bag things, and I officially have more than enough room! Which is always nice :) Now just throwing in the final things like photos, stuff to decorate my room, health and beauty aids... and other things! Oh boy, countdown is down.

Sending love, Thanks again Mrs. Siegrist!!

*Vanessa*

Ps - I took my computer into the Apple store because it wasn't working well and I ended up getting almost EVERYTHING re-done. I got a new battery, a new charger, a new keyboard and front screen, and new inner workings. haha. Apple Care is amazing.. i got it all for free!! Buy Apple. And buy apple Care.

4 days left.

2009-02-11T13:39:00.003-05:00

Good Afternoon Blog Readers,

I have been passing out cards with my blog address on it, so I hope that means there are going to be more and more readers! Just as a little hint, I LOVE comments.. so leave 'em. :)

I have had a really great couple of days around here. My friend Peter came back from Korea (where he has been living the past 1.5 years) to visit for a month, and he just went back home today! But everyone has been trying to squeeze in as much peter time as possible so we have been doing a lot of fun things. My favorite was that on Monday night, we went out dancing at Famous Daves to live music. I think there were some good pictures taken, so hopefully i can post them later.

I had a big test to take on Monday, it was called the PRAXIS exam which is a basic knowledge test that everyone who is considering being a teacher needs to take. In order to go on with the education program, you must first pass thist test. I studied most of the weekend, and when I got to the test on Monday morning, I was highly prepared. It was a 5 hour test.. so it was a long day. Luckily, I got 95% on the math section and 98% on the reading section. The writing section is graded and then sent to you in the mail, so assuming I passed that one too.. then I'm in the clear!

Otherwise I have been packing like crazy. I pretty much have everything i want to bring downstairs laying in piles on the floor. Haha, today my mom is coming home early and we are going to sit down and go through all of my clothes, to make sure I am bringing enough/not too much. I have been throwing in a lot of sentiemental things like old notes and a photobook... i just feel like if I get homesick I can rely on those. Also, i want to use the pictures to decorate my room a little bit in chile, make it feel more like my own.

Other than that, i sent out 30 valentines this year :) I took some pictures so after the big day, i will post them. I worked pretty hard on them!

Well I am off to enjoying my last four days at home. I hope all is well with you.

Until next time,

vanessa.

p.s - listen to the beatles today, they will change your life.

First Woman in the North Pole

2009-02-07T15:04:00.002-05:00

So I had the pleasure of hearing and meeting Ann Bancroft, the first woman who went to the North Pole and who has explored Antarctica several times. She is a actually from Minnesota and she has a foundation where she gives grants to girls in Minnesota who are looking to discover a passion but cannot afford it. For example, the grants will cover lessons to learn to play an instrument, or they will pay for a summer camp focusing on outdoors...etc. So there is a group of I want to say 8 women, who are on this Ann Bancroft Foundation committee. My beautiful mother just happens to be one of these generous women :) So needless to say I have an 'in' with this woman.

So yesterday my mom and I went to the Best Buy headquarters to listen to her speak. What an inspirational woman! She told her stories and showed pictures of her times exploring. Her photos were fantastic but mostly I loved hearing about how she kept going in a field of work - 'exploration' where no other women were exploring. She talked about how there were times when she thought she couldn't go on, and how she gained the courage to continue. All in all, it was a perfect sending off for me, giving me so much inspiration for my trip.

When life is tough, just remember it is an adventure and go exploring.

Sending encouragement,

Vanessa.

Home :)

2009-02-05T10:50:00.002-05:00

So my trip to Madison was unbelievable! I had the most fantastic time with Mia, her roommates and all. Friday night we went out for Hibachi (meaning the japanese style restaurant that cooks right in front of you!) and had sake bombs! Then after that, we went out to our friend from home, Joe's house for a house party. We had a ton of fun there. It was weird to go out at a different school, cause the social aspect is so different.

( a pic of mia and I from this weekend, being goofy!)

Saturday we had a nice lunch, went shopping along state street and saturday night we made a home-cooked meal (or katherine cooked for us) and we drank wine and played board games with about 5 people. It was a lot of fun, I LOVE board games! So it was my kinda night.

Other than that, we did yoga, went to see "new in town", made a couple more dinners, had thai food.. etc. All in all it was a WONDERFUL trip!

On tuesday morning at 5 am i left madison and took a 4 hours bus to Chicago. I had to go to El Consulado de Chile to receive my visa! One cool story, so I was taking the elevator up to the "consulado" and another couple in the elevator was speaking spanish, talking to me, so I spoke back to them (in spanish). As we were getting up there, the man asked me "Are you chilean?" He told me that he was. Meaning a man from Chile, possibly believed that i was from there! And when i said no, he said.." you have a very good accent!" That was really flattering that a man FROM chile thought that a) i looked chilean and b) my spanish wasn't so bad.

Anyway, then I spent a couple of hours in chicago, and then got back on a bus and spent 8 hours going home. All in all it was a day of 20 hours of traveling. Oh boy.. i was exhausted!

Today I work at 4, other than that I will just be finishing my valentines! And packing and what not. Good day i hope :)

Happy Thursday

Much Love,

Vanessa.

Weekend Plans.

2009-01-29T21:13:00.002-05:00

Querido lectores,

This weekend I have a lot of fun plans :) Tomorrow morning I am boarding a double decker coach bus and driving down to Madison, Wisconsin. My best friend Mia goes to school there so I am spending the weekend there through Tuesday morning. Then I am driving down to Chicago to pick up my VISA for Chile and then taking the bus back to Minneapolis.

I am really looking forward to some quality time Mia :) We always have so much fun together.

Hope you have a great weekend as well!

Much Love,

Vanessa.

Goodbyes.

2009-01-25T12:45:00.003-05:00

So even though my program starts SO incredibly late (February 15th), it is still difficult when talking about goodbyes to people. I am going to be gone for about 5.5 months.. which is longer than I have ever been away from my family.

On friday I said my last goodbye to Ryan before he embarks on his study abroad adventures to Pamplona, Spain. Even though Ryan and I have been doing the long distance thing for about a year and a half now, we have been fortunate enough to see each other every 2 -3 months. Our abroad experience is double that and with limited contact.

Don't get me wrong, I am INCREDIBLY excited for my experience and for his experience. I just can't help but be emotional about being separated for so long. We have a accumulated a lot of "tricks" if you will about finding ways to feel together even when we are apart... and I am sure we will develop even more. I think this actually strengthens our relationship, and I am sure that being apart will only help us to grow closer. But it is still scary.

Well, if you ever think of me, kneel down and kiss the earth :)

Hope you all are having lovely Sundays!

Sending love,

Vanessa.

Quote of Today

2009-01-17T13:06:00.001-05:00

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science." - Albert Einstein

New Look!

2009-01-15T22:13:00.005-05:00

I decided that my blog needed a new look so I cooked up this puppy.. whadya think?

Today is January 15th, meaning that I leave in exactly a month for my adventure. Today I was thinking about the title of my blog and I decided that it is quite perfect, even for my abroad experience. Though I originally made it with the intent of having a place where I can always express my feelings or be perfectly me, it also could mean that I will always a have a room or a home to feel safe in, regardless of where I am. I like that.

I got this in the mail today! A belated christmas gift from Mary Grace ( a friend from Dickinson) I LOVED IT! THank you so much mary grace! I will for sure take it with me to Chile! You're the greatest!.

Also, this is a little late. But after my travels to aspen with Ryan, I took an extra day on my layover in Denver to visit my dear friend Ramsay. Ramsay is actually my "little" in my sorority but has turned out to be one of the greatest friends. I stayed with her family just for one night, but it was so nice to meet all of them. If you read this... Hi Phil, Sarah, Ramsay, Zack (even though i didn't meet you), Amos and Gus! Here are some snapshots of their quaint and loving home.

(my favorite addition to the kitchen!)

Well thats all for now,

sending peace your way!

*nessa*

Monday Monday..

2009-01-12T21:30:00.002-05:00

Hello Bloggers,

Today I went out shopping with my best friend Mia. We went out to the Mall of America even though it was in the middle of a snowstorm! We had a lot of fun together because we always have fun together, but also because we scored some great deals.

It is so hard to know exactly what I will want while I am in Chile. It is impossible to really gage the type of clothing that is "fashionable" to wear there, but also practical. I don't want to bring like three huge suitcases full of stuff I will never use so I am trying to be smart. Today i got two beautiful skirts from urban outfitters and then a couple of tops form J.Crew (def. my favorite store) Shopping made me really excited about my trip, instead of thinking of it as so far off I know see it right on the horizon. Oh boy.

Last night I went to my friend Pat's house for a little goodbye celebration for his trip to South Africa. Two of his cousins were there and they were so wise and helpful about studying abroad. They both studied during their college experiences in spain, and then afterward they have both had adventures throughout the world. Their number one piece of advice was to get out there and do things. His cousin said that his biggest regret in studying abroad was that he didn't say "yes" to enough things. He said even if you just want to be comfortable and feel safe in your own bed, you should do what you are offered. I thought that was good advice.

Anyway, tonight I am hanging in and just reading and relaxing. In the middle of a book called "God on a Harley" I will write more once I finish the book. (Thanks for the book, Sherry)

Sending love,

Vanessa.

Traveling Abroad

2009-01-09T11:59:00.003-05:00

Many of my friends have already left for their trips abroad!

I am envious that they already get to start their adventures, yet at the same time I am thankful for a couple more weeks of comfort. I can't believe how many people I know will be all around the world.

List

Morgan - Cameroon, Africa
Kaitlin - Cameroon, Africa
Anna - Morocco, Africa
Patrick - South Africa
Juan - Barcelona, Spain
Ryan - Pamplona, Spain
Molly - Toulouse, France
Mary - Australia
Ben - back to England

.. those are just to name a few!! What a worldly bunch!

if you are interested in reading any other blogs, Molly and Kaitlin have both started blogspots and so I put a link to their profile under "blogs I like" check out "molly's blog" http://mollyenfrance.blogspot.com/ or kaitlin's blog!!

Well, I am off to enjoy a day in a country i am used to, gotta soak up these days cause they won't last for long!

Sending love,

vanessa.

New Year Resolutions for 2009

2009-01-05T17:28:00.003-05:00

*"What do you got, if you ain't got love?" Show love to all people, speak words of kindness, open your heart to all those who bless your presence.

* There is no ONE WAY that things should be done. Imagine new options and CHOOSE the best thing for you.

* Make new friendships with everyone you meet, search in souls and don't let judgement stand in the way

* TRY almost everything you are offered. Doing, eating, saying the same things you've always done, ate, said will only lead to the same old results.

* Use drive to keep exercising regularly and eating healthy. Your body is a gift, be kind.

* Use time abroad to gain dependence on yourself and nobody else. This may be the hardest transition you'll ever have to make, but also the greatest life- long skill.

* GO OUT! Do things that scare and challenge you.

* Learn to be the master of your emotions - use meditation, breathing and exercising as forms of escape.

* Negativity turns blood cold - clear all thoughts of darkness, judgement, anger or jealousy. Be a warm-blooded being.

* Keep relationships strong with parents. Go out of the way to keep in contact and stay as close as we have become.

* Learn to be more comfortable in your own skin, before others can accept you you must first accept yourself - for ALL that you are.

* Improve the world through involvement in important things: use your capable hands for the impaired, use your voice for the silenced.

* Remember that the world is just one big playground - climb the monkeybars, play tag, build a sandcastle. LIVE YOUR LIFE!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-03T12:09:00.002-05:00

WoW! I can't believe it is 2009... never thought I'd see the day!

I am still in Aspen, Colorado with Ryan and his family. I have been having a really great time here. It hasn't been too cold, like it was in Minnesota at least, so I haven't quite felt the winter bliss. But today, right now in fact, I am sitting in bed looking out of the window and the snow is coming down so hard, piling up on the evergreen trees and the snowy pure white ground.

Here is a one of my winter wonderland creations, hehe.. Ryan, his sister Laura and I all worked on this cute little guy.

Other than that, we celebrated Ryan's 21st Birthday yesterday!! We went ice skating (will post pictures later) and spent a couple of hours walking through art galleries in town. We had a great lunch at Boogies which has great burgers and milkshakes and then went out for a really nice dinner with his parents. After that, we took Ryan out to the bars. We only went to a couple of them, but it was a lot of fun.

We only have a couple more days here, until Tuesday I believe. Then I am stopping in Denver for a quick visit with my dear friend Ramsay from school, and then flying on back to the land of the ice and snow. Oh goodie! I am actually looking forward to being home with my friends.

May you find peace in your heart in 2009!

Sending Love,

Vanessa.

Christmas Update

2008-12-30T20:05:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays to all of you!

I just spent a little over a week in sunny Arizona where my dad is currently living. Luckily, my mom and her boyfriend were down in Arizona for the holidays as well so I was able to have the whole family in close places. Also, I was fortunate enough to have Ryan celebrate the holidays with me. We truly had a wonderful time.

Christmas Eve, Ryan and I celebrated with my mom and steve. During the day we just hung out around the house playing pool and foosball. We opened presents periodically throughout the day, which i decided that I like more than all at once. Ryan celebrated his first christmas, since his family is jewish, so his first present was COAL delivered straight from the north pole!!! Hahah.. i guess he has to work harder this year :) In the evening, we all worked together to make homemade eggplant parmesean which was truly tasty!! It was a really nice day. Nice to spend time with my mom and steve.
Picture of mom and steve

Christmas day we spent with my dad and sherry. We opened presents in the morning and were blessed with lots of goodies this year! Then, we went to see Yes Man with Jim Carrey, i don't know what the critics think, but I really liked it! Then we came home and started cooking the homemade vegetarian lasagna and a seafood linguini. It was a delicious and lovely meal. Again, it was so nice to be with my dad and sherry. It is hard going to school so far away from home and then having dad live in a different place too. So I was so thankful to have the chance to celebrate with both families this holiday!
picture of dad, ryan and I hiking in South Mountain (Phoenix)

Ryan and I were in Phoenix until this morning and now we are celebrating the new year with his family in Aspen, Colorado. We are so fortunate to have wonderful families and the means to travel between them. Thank you so much to all of our family for allowing us to have such a wonderful holiday break together.

picture of Ryan and I playing with our favorite christmas present (velcro hats and balls - its called Butthead)

I hope the holidays find you happy and healthy,

Nessa Boogie

P.S - With hopes of writing more regularly during my trip to Chile, I am hoping to start writing more as I lead up to the trip. As a reminder, I leave February 15th!

November Stuff

2008-11-21T10:19:00.004-05:00

A couple of items of interest.

1. I TURNED 21!! On november 12th I became legal! Haha, now would anyone like to share a glass of wine with me?

2. Ryan came out to visit for my birthday, I took him on a surprise trip to Philadelphia! Which was a lot of fun because neither of us have really ever spent any time there. It is only about 2 hours away from here so we just took the train up and stayed for one night. We visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute (science museum) and we also saw the liberty bell. It was pretty neat. We also visited his cousin who goes to University of Pennsylvania. It was really nice spending time with my darling.

3. The Syrens Concert was last Friday! I think it went over pretty well. I had two solos this semester. I sang "So Complicated" By Carolyn Dawn Johnson and also "Mother, We just can't get enough" by the New Radicals. If i can ever figure out how to put up vidoes on here, i will. Because I know there is a way!!

4. This weekend my good friend Ashley is visiting Dickinson. She transferred out of Dickinson last year, and so it is so wonderful to have her back here. It just feels so natural for her to be here with us all! So we have a lot of really fun things planned for the weekend!

5. I get to go home for thanksgiving THIS TUESDAY!! I cannot wait. I haven't seen my mom since August 8th, that means I haven't seen her in three and half months. So i am really looking forward to it! Also, even though my dad is living in Arizona this winter, he is coming home for the holiday as well! And of course, all of my friends will be home! So i am so excited about the week ahead of me.

Top List of Things I am Excited About

1. Driving My Car
2. Sleeping in my own bed
3. Showering in my own shower, without shower shoes
4. Eating at all of my fav restaurants
5. Getting to talk with my family, face to face, instead of over the phone
6. Have days where there is NOTHING i HAVE to do!

I hope that you are enjoying this late november, it snowed for the first time here!! So wherever you are, hope you are enjoying the weather.. ( Dad - i know it is 90 and sunny where you are, so dont even try to rub it in! :)

Sending All of My Love,

Vanessa.

Announcement!

2008-11-09T12:44:00.003-05:00

Hello Blog Readers,

For those of you who do not yet know, I will be spending next semester overseas studying in Valparaiso, Chile!!

I just received the final acceptance letter from CIEE (the organization I studying abroad through). SO I will be starting my trip in February, flying to Santiago to meet up with the 30 other kids from around the world that will be studying in Chile with me. Then we will take a bus to Viña del Mar, Chile, which is the suburb next to Valparaiso.

I will be living with a host family in Viña del Mar, I don't know who they are yet, but I can already guess how amazing they are going to be! I will be taking four classes - two of which will be with only CIEE students and a CIEE professor. The other two classes, I will enroll in the local university called Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso. These classes will be with other Chileans, studying whichever topics I am interested in! All of my classes will be taught in Spanish, and all of the people I encounter will speak spanish. What an excellent opportunity!

Here are some images I have found of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar

Can't wait for this amazing opportunity! Don't worry - I will be updating this blog often while I am there, so you can hear about my stories!

A lot of love and exciting adventures,

Vanessa

YES WE CAN!

2008-11-05T22:23:00.003-05:00

" Now, I know that the easiest thing in the world is for young people to do nothing at all. To turn off the TV, put down the newspaper, and walk away from the stories about Iraq and Darfur or the rising levels of joblessness and the hopelessness in our communities. To go about their busy lives, wishing these problems away, expecting someone else to solve them. To remain detached and indifferent. But I hope they don't do what is easy -- because sometimes, there are moments when what's truly risky is not to act. What's truly risky is to accept things as they are instead of working for what could be."

- Our Next President, Barack Obama

I am so inspired by this man. He gives me hope for good in the world, for the power of the people to make the changes they wish to see and most importantly hope in my own life. I don't care who you voted for, or what you believe.. but how can you not believe in yourself?? You are capable... now get out there and make a change!

City of my Smiles

2008-11-02T11:30:00.003-05:00

Hello Blog Readers! My dad and sherry just left here to fly on back to Phoenix, Arizona. We had a really wonderful weekend together. You wouldn't believe the beautiful fall weather we had here! Sherry took some gorgeous photos of the trees and the views we saw, once she sends a couple to me I will put them up on here! It was so nice to have a little slice of home here, it's been a pretty rough year and so it is nice being with people I love.

On a homesick note, my friend Juan is an amazing photographer and took this photos on Minneapolis, down by the stone arch bridge. I was happy to see just another little touch of home!

Look at these!

So beautiful! Well, off to dig in on some homework for the week. I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Sending love,

Vanessa.

Bogged Down

2008-10-29T22:24:00.002-04:00

Oh man, I'm so exhausted today. College is such a cool stage of life but I am consistently tired and over-worked. I am not going to complain about all of of the expectations that are required of me, or that i require of myself because that isn't productive. But it is important to learn how to deal with all of the stress. I read a quote today that said:

"The problems aren't the problem, it is the coping that is hard to figure out"

I thought that was interesting. Anyway, I don't have time to write, believe it or not, haha, but I will say that my dad and Sherry are coming to visit this weekend and I can't wait to spend time with them! i just feel terrible because I will be so overworked at this point that I wont have as much energy as I would like to take them to do fun things. I will do my best though, that's the best anyone can do at any time... just their best.

Do your best today, and don't strive for anything more,

sending love,

Vanessa.

Something - The Beatles

2008-10-22T15:25:00.005-04:00

Hello Blog Readers!

Sorry it has been awhile! Let me try to update you!

SO! Most excitingly, I had my fall pause from school on the 9th through the 14th of October so I went to visit Ryan in Los Angeles. We had the most wonderful time, as we always do when we are together. His Dad was visiting for parent's weekend so we got to spend time with him. We went to the USC football game, made home made enchiladas, went into Santa Monica a couple of times, visited his cousins at their new home.. lots of wonderful things!

I came home last Wednesday and was spoiled with another wonderful evening. Morgan, Mary Grace and Morgan's mom and mom's friend all went out to see Elton John in concert!!!!! It was a really amazing show!! It was so cool seeing all of the songs I have loved growing up being performed right in front me. It was so nice being with Morgan and Mary Grace because we don't always spend a lot of time together this semester. It was really great!

Other than that, I've been chugging along with school. Lots of papers and tests and projects and presentations as always. I've learned a lot this year, and a throughout my time at college.. but it seems to me that the most important lessons thus far have been outside of any book or lecture. It is the knowledge I have accumulated from the people I have met and the emotional things I have been put through that have taught me most.

Well, I'm off to go learn some more... love some more... live some more...

Keep Learning and Loving,

*Nessa*

Saturday Afternoon.

2008-09-27T17:41:00.003-04:00

Hello All!

The past few days have been so cloudy and rainy! Last night I woke up at 4 in the morning to the loudest thunder I've ever heard. Something about rainy days makes me so cozy, knowing that I was warm underneath all of my blankets while rain was pouring overhead. I worked on a paper all day today. I am writing about Romanticism in the 19th century in Spain. We read the story of Don Juan so i am using that play to show the characteristics of the Romanticism. It might sound boring, but I think its kind of fun! I have been thinking in spanish all day though, because I have been writing in it.. haha.. good practice though!

Last night, we had a party as a sorority so I went to that. Here is a picture of my and my roomie Nicole!

Nicole has been so great to live with. We didn't know each other very well going into the whole rooming thing, so I really lucked out. She is in R.O.T.C (where you train to be in the army while going to school) so she gets up every morning bright and early to train before classes even start. Then she has 5 classes (most people only take 4) and they are hard classes like Chemistry and Physics. She also has an internship at a vet clinic that she does two times a week. Needless to say, she has her head on her shoulders. I've really enjoyed her company lately.

Well, going to go to dinner with some friends, happy weekend!!

*Nessagirly*

Life Here

2008-09-24T19:41:00.002-04:00

Some Fall Images of beautiful Carlisle. The top picture is our academic quad, where all of my classes happen. The next picture is my favorite street in Carlisle. For some reason I just love the way the colors of the houses blend together. It is unique with the purple coloring and everything. The last picture is the result of our first day of CARES!

We had our first session with the kids yesterday and we have 9 students this year, many new ones!! We also have a lot of new mentors from Dickinson and so it has been fun getting to know everyone. So we could remember their names, I had them decorate hats to wear. They had a great time decorating them. Next week is a bake sale for the kids to raise money for the field trips we go on throughout the year. And the week after that is a field trip to an APPLE ORCHARD! We have a lot of fun things in store for the kids! Yipee!

Big economics test tomorrow, so I am off to study!!

Happy Wednesday!

*nessa*

Delta Nu Weekend!

2008-09-15T09:47:00.002-04:00

This weekend was the majority of the recruitment process for the new members of delta nu! We ended up getting a class of 28 girls! What a treat! Here are some pictures of the weekend.

LITB,

Vanessa

A poem I wrote!

2008-09-11T09:29:00.002-04:00

A Minnesota Evening Over Lake Minnetonka.

Under the crackled planks I hear
The subtle movement of a fish,
Attending a social party.
As I lean back, my eyes catch nocturnal spiders
Gliding through their woven homes.
A murky cloud disappears above
Uncovering the freckles of stars that
Glow while taking no notice to me,
Though, I am watching them contently.
The mossy green water beneath me
Moves only slightly when water bugs land,
Creating a very small ripple
In the glass mirror that reflects the moon.
With the gust of a breeze my lids fall shut
And I feel the desire to share this moment
But then, I realize, there can be no better lover
Than this.

Eyes still closed,
The sound of insects tickles my ear
And I am finally home.

** I wrote this for my poetry class, the class all talked about it for about 10 minutes so I know I have a lot of changes to make! But it was fun writing it, it let me relive my summer nights, if only for a moment! ***

Have a good thursday,

Vanessa.

Snapshots of My Room

2008-09-06T16:11:00.002-04:00

My room is actually quite spacious.. which is nice. I share my room with nicole, a girl in my sorority, but I didn't want to invade her privacy by showing you her side of the room. My sorority house is complete with three floors, five bathrooms, two kitchens, two outside patios and a couple of extra rooms to hang out in. My favorite room in the house is on the thrid floor, leading out to the balcony. The walls of the room have been painted for many years and you can see the things that my sisters drew way back in the 70s. So that is pretty neat. Kind of crazy living with 16 girls though.. but it works!

Its a rainy saturday here.. going to go over to a friend's house for chinese food and girltalk and then i have a semi-formal party tonight so I am kind of excited about that :)

Have a very nice weekend!

*Vanessa*

Class Time.

2008-09-05T14:50:00.002-04:00

So after many problems with getting into classes and having to change my classes and what not, I finally have landed on 4 amazing courses to take this semester.

1. Spanish 330: 18th and 19th Spanish Literature

In this class we basically read different novels, plays and poems from Spanish authors in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a very challenging class, since all of the texts, papers and presentations are done in spanish.. but I think it will challenge my skills before going abroad (hopefully) this spring!

2. Micro-economics

I am taking this class to fill a distribution requirement but I basically have been learning about supply and demand and the different things that cause an effect on the cost of things. Pretty interesting because we talk a lot about issues today, such as the housing market and gas prices and other heated issues.

3. Love, Sex and Hebrew Texts

Incredibly interesting course taught by an Israeli who has published 4 novels and 3 books of poetry all in hebrew. She is a very inspiring woman, every day i leave the class feeling enlightened. We basically look at all different parts of hebrew texts from scriptures in the torah and the kabbalah and talk about gender issues.

4. Creative Writing: Poetry

My last class is a poetry class where we read poems by contemporary poets and also write a couple of poems a week. I used to love poetry when I was younger but I was never too good at it so I'm taking this class to get better! I will post a poem in a little while in case you want to hear :)

So that is about it for classes! In terms of my other cocurricular events...

My singing group, the SYRENS, just added 6 new members!! All freshman with beautiful voices! Can't wait to see where the year will take us!

Also, DELTA NU, my sorority is in full motion with our recruitment of new members. We have been meeting with 170 girls in order to get a Pledge Class around 35 people. Its a lot of work, but it's really fun getting know all of these new girls!

With CARES, the tutoring program, we just met with the teacher at the elementary school today and she is very eager to get things going, as are we! We have several new children this semester who have come from Puerto Rico.. i suppose it is time for me to practice my spanish skills!

My apologies for my untimeliness in writing but as you can see I have a lot on my plate!

Hope that you are doing very well in whatever you are doing today!

Much Love,

vanessa.

Overdue Trip Photo Update

2008-08-26T23:25:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos from my most recent trip out to California!
I spent about 4 days in Los Angeles and 4 days in San Diego.. I'm in love with California.

A view from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles

A buzzing bee on a flower in the gardens of the Getty

Beautiful Del Mar (San Diego) Beach

(My Darling and I)

(A sunset over Seaside in Solana Beach)

Life Update: I'm back at school now, I had my second day of classes today. I will post pictures of my new room soon, it is still a work in progress. Also, I'll let you know what classes I'm taking.. should be some interesting ones this semester!

Sending Love from CARLISLE Pennsylvania,

Nessabug.

Gift from India

2008-08-13T17:32:00.004-04:00

Anna brought back some awesome things from India! She bought this tie-dye scarf thing that is very typical to india and she also bought me this journal! I have been looking for a new journal so I decided to make it my primary one!

Purple is my favorite color..

First page!

Oh goodness... Summer's almost over!

Much Love,

Vanessa.

A painting in my bathroom

2008-08-10T18:20:00.002-04:00

I love this painting. I think it tells of many unspoken fears and things of excitement in a woman's life.

So cool! Out to dinner with my father tonight. Another beautiful Minnesota day!

*Vanessa*

Beatles.

2008-08-07T17:41:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile.. i've been enjoying my summer weeks very much! I've been spending my last couple of weeks with my clients that I've been working with all summer. I've been running almost every other day. My friend Anna came back from her summer in India, so I've been spending lots of time with her. Went up to a friends cabin last weekend. Lot's of fun things going on before i go back to school A WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!! AHH!!

New inspirations? A few.. but nothing beats the old inspiration of the Beatles. Every day their music inspires me in different ways. Can you imagine being a beatle? Knowing that your music single handedly changed so many people's lives? So amazing. I saw Paul McCartney in concert a couple of years back.. i was in tears the whole time. Oo their songs make me happy.

Much love to you!

Spending my thursday night with Anna, her mother and my mother! A little mother daughter event! How sweet :)

XOXO,

Vanessa.

Pottery Sale

2008-07-27T20:21:00.003-04:00

My good friend Brady has quite the artistic talent when it comes to making pottery. He has been working for a couple of years in high school and college learning the basics and he has made some really beautiful things. Today we had a pottery sale for him in my dad's backyard. He has a little over 50 works in total and he sold 23 pieces today!! It was really cool to see the interest in his pottery, he really has a talent.

Great sale today! Congrats Brady!

** Special thanks to my dad and Sherry for letting us use their backyard!**

Happy Sunday,

Vanessa.

Oh Mama Mia!

2008-07-25T12:23:00.003-04:00

Last night I went to see Mama Mia in theaters and it blew my mind! So many wonderful images and beautiful colors! Not to mention a hilarious story line. My mom and aunt saw the actual play in the theater in London but the movie was so wonderful. Here are some of my favorite scenes.

Very inspiring. I saw it with my best friend Mia.. both of us were so inspired to LIVE after the movie!

Go see it with a bunch of girlfriends, thats my suggestion.

Much Love,

Nessa.

Inspiration.

2008-07-23T10:37:00.005-04:00

Elsie Inspires me every day. I decided to create a page using one of Elsie's as a guide. Here it is!

look at elsies too

Much Love Today,

Nessa Girl.

A New Project.

2008-07-20T15:38:00.002-04:00

I know I should know how to do this already, but I just learned today how to use a sewing machine. My mom got me one for Christmas, but with school and life I never ended up using it. I took it out the other day to play with but my mom taught me the basics today. It was a lot of fun. Plus I felt like I was living in the olden days when like that was a mother's job - to teach her daughters how to sew. Here is what we made...

What do you think?? know its not anything spectacular. But pretty cool to say I made it!

Have a creative day,

Vanessa.

Ps- I also happened to create a little bracelet.. I'll take a pic and show you later.

I've been MIA.

2008-07-17T18:59:00.002-04:00

Mister Ryan Morgan came to visit me this weekend! What a great time we had! He visited once last summer, so he had seen some highlights of our great state but not enough.

We went out boating on Lake Minnetonka, viewed an art exhibit on the stone arch bridge on the Mississippi river, went mini-golfing at the sculpture garden in minneapolis, went to the farmers market and many other wonderful things. It was a great adventure filled long weekend. We are okay not living in the same city, but we've decided it is wayyyy more fun when we do!

*Mia*Ryan* at the farmers Market

*How can you not love that face?*

Sorry i've been missing! Hope you've been having a wonderful week!

Summer Job.

2008-07-09T13:25:00.002-04:00

I don't think I've ever written about my job this summer, which is unfortunate because it has turned out to be one of the best experiences!

I am working this summer as a PCA (personal care assistant) for a non profit organization called St. Davids. St. Davids was started back in the 60's and works on improving the lives on people with special needs ages 3 - 80. It is truly an amazing place. There is a school for pre-school and kindergardeners where they mainstream all students. I have a lot of friends who went to the school for kindergarden and speak very highly of the school there. For my job, I have been assigned to three different kids to work one on one with during the days. For confidentiality reasons, I cannot tell you much about my clients other than they are amazing and have really impacted me this summer. I have learned so much from these wonderful kids and I hope they have also learned from me :)

Well, I'm off to work!

Hope you enjoy your job as much as I enjoy mine,

*nessssssssaaaaa*

Recognize It's Summertime.

2008-07-07T11:48:00.003-04:00

Images from this summer:

Lately I have been having such a lovely time. I have been having SOO much fun with my friends here and I am really thankful for the beautiful weather and my beautiful state and city.

I hope that you are enjoying the summer!

I'm off of work today, so I'm going to be scrapbooking. ALL DAY LONG!

Woo Hoo,

Ness.

Happy 4th!!

2008-07-04T15:47:00.004-04:00

Whatever it is that you do today, I hope you enjoy it!!!

For me, I've been out in the sun finishing up my book and going to see fireworks with friends later tonight:)

Happy Independence Today. Today I am thankful for the wonderful country that I live in.

Enjoy the fireworks,

Nessa.

10-Day Challenge!

2008-07-01T20:07:00.005-04:00

I'm sick of counting down days.
This time I am going to do something different.
I am going to make each day COUNT until I get to TEN. So my ten day challenge consists of me doing one thing for at least 1 hour a day that improves my overall being and is something that I enjoy. Today is day NUMBER 2!

Day 1 - Sitting in a beautiful place (Norenberg Gardens) and reading a good book.

Day 2 - Going for a run around Lake Calhoun, an upbeat and happy place.

Day 3 - We will just have to see what tomorrow will bring!

Happy Birthday, Mia!

2008-06-30T16:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Mia's 20th Birthday! She is a youngen still. :)

Her parents had a very nice barbeque for us full of wonderful food and a lot of laughs. They played this game called the "tomato dance" where you have to put a tomato between your foreheads and dance together. It was a lot of fun.

Other than that we ate wonderful food, talked about birthday and dinner inappropriate topics and inhaled helium so that we would sound like chipmunks or oompa lumpas haha. it was a lovely birthday celebration.

Sending you sunshine today,

Vanessa

Look what a little birdie delivered...

2008-06-28T12:42:00.003-04:00

My favorite flowers: Gerbera Daisies :)

Aren't they beautiful?

I am truly a fortunate girl, so lucky.

"I don't know what it is about you that opens and closes, only something in me understands."

Happy One Year. Filled with more love than I ever knew possible. Held in a blanket of warmth and ever growing ideas.

May you find peace and love in your heart today,

Nessa Girl.

My phone went swimming.

2008-06-27T11:02:00.004-04:00

My phone went swimming last night!!!!!!!

I didn't want to jump in, but apparently my phone wanted to.

So now I am off to the Verizon store for a new one.

Will update more later :)

Have a SUPER happy FRIDAY!

*Nessagirl*

Looking for new music?

2008-06-26T10:52:00.005-04:00

If you are anything like me, you look for artists who not only have beautiful music but also write incredible lyrics.

Mason Jennings, a minneapolis singer song-writer, has been my obsession for the past couple of years. When I am in a rut, or feeling a certain emotion so strongly, I will randomly choose a Mason Jennings and somehow every time I feel as though he is speaking directly to me. His lyrics talk about the "real stuff" in life.

Want to download a couple?? Suggestions:

* Stars Shine Quietly

* Butterfly

* Never the only one

* If you ain't got love

* I love you and buddha too

This man truly inspires! I have seen him in concert twice, once in May and then a second time just last weekend. He is currently on tour as an opening band for Jack Johnson. Good stuff!

Off to run some errands!

Have Fun Filled Day!

"Life has no limit, if you're not afraid to get in it" - Mason Jennings

*Nessa*

Images from my home-made STUDIO!

2008-06-25T17:28:00.006-04:00

Upon moving into this new home, I discovered that I could turn the storage room into a little studio. Being a college student, I have no money... but I do have an imagination! So I took empty boxes and a piece of wood to make a desk. I have been finding little goodies here and there to spice up the studio. WHAT DO YOU THINK??

I found these beautiful old photographs in storage that I decided to hang up. This is one of my grandmother back in the day.

Using some creative ideas to store my gadgets:)

Well now that I have a studio, I am off to scrap in it!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Peace In your Direction,

Nessa Girl

New Summer House

2008-06-24T19:09:00.005-04:00

We are currently living on a quaint home on Beach Lane... the name is quite appropriate!

<3
Check out the living room

Most importantly, MY ROOM!

Last but not least, the BEACH PART of the house

Home sweet home :) For the summer at least!

CHICAGO!

2008-04-17T23:09:00.005-04:00

Last Weekend I went to visit two of my BESTEST friends in Chicago... We had such a great time!

The weather has been SOOO perfect here!!!!! We played a little volleyball yesterday...

So much love this evening,

*Nessagirl*

Have you registered to vote??

2008-03-18T12:33:00.003-04:00

I don't care who you are voting for, I just want to make sure you are knowledgeable about your facts and that you get out there and VOTE!!!

Do you ever feel like so much of politics is made deceitful? I always find it hard to know who I really favor because people always say things, without real proof in order to get their candidate in better standing. Can I offer you a piece of advice? Go to each website of the candidate and really look at the issues.

John McCain
http://www.johnmccain.com/

Hillary Clinton
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/?splash=1

Barack Obama
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_34.php

If you are not registered, REGISTER! If you haven't done your research, RESEARCH NOW!

Part of being a democracy and staying a healthy democracy is that we need people to vote and make an educated vote!!

Do your part!

What's on your mind?

2008-03-02T17:51:00.003-05:00

What's on your mind today?? I've been thinking a lot about beauty, here is what I've found!

For attractive lips, Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.

The Next time you are feeling ugly, think of these beauty tips by Audrey Hepburn and discover your true inner beauty.

You are beautiful!

~Nessa~

New Things, Happy Things

2008-02-23T13:01:00.003-05:00

What happens to be new these days?

Life has been pretty great here at school. I know I am so terrible and updating, but life moves quickly when there is a lot going on. I have been working really hard and getting a lot of fun time with friends too :)

I've been spending silly time with my sorority sisters, tutoring the CARES kids, singing in my choir :), doing lots of homework and not to mention some good quality time with the roomies!

Whats new with you? What beautiful things have graced your presence today?

Much Love!

*Vanessa*

A little update :)

2008-02-11T15:02:00.001-05:00

These little CARES kids just melt my heart. So precious!

Friday Night Back :)

2008-01-26T14:53:00.001-05:00

a little twister fun:)

and a little dress-up fun :)

Happy Weekend! Celebrate little victories, you made it through the week! For me it was a big week, my first week back in classes.. it is definitely worth celebrating!!

'Ol Dickinson

2008-01-21T21:06:00.000-05:00

I am back at good ol' dickinson now :) Feels pretty good to be back actually. Feels like a second home.

Yesterday I got in and went out to dinner with the three roomies, so good to catch up about the past 6 weeks apart!!

Today was my first day of classes! I had two classes today, both spanish classes that seem like they should be pretty good classes. One of my professors looks like the dad from the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" which is one of my favs, so i already love him! Hahaha.. books are so expensive though! Only bought 4 books today but they added up to like 60 dollars, now imagine 4 books for 4 classes and then some... goodness...

This evening was as busy as ever, already back into things with clubs.. had 3 meetings tonight. busy. but now i'm home doing a little reading and chatting with my roomie Ashley. Good stuff. Got some new curtains when i was home, don't they make the room a little cosier? I like to think so!

Well tomorrow I have two more classes, an english course on gender and literature and a religion course on contemporary issues and the bible! (OOOHH.. and I also have Basketball tomorrow, that's right! I will be playing basketball two times a week.. haha.. what a laugh.)

Hope you had a great day!

*Vanessa*

Surprise!

2008-01-19T10:46:00.000-05:00

surprise!!

Best

2008-01-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

Do you have those people that make you feel complete? Those people who you see and your heart is just at ease because the feeling you get when you are with them is the same feeling you get when crawling into bed at night. You feel so comfortable, so warm and so loved.

These people are hard to find, or maybe it just takes time to develop that sense of closeness.. luckily for me I have that feeling! YES! My best friend Mia! She is home today from her travels and I am home now from mine and so we finally get to see one another :) Don't know what we are going to get up to yet, but probably a lot of catching up!

Hope that you have a very great day!

Nessa Love!

No Day But Today..

2008-01-16T12:34:00.001-05:00

"If you keep doing the things you've always been doing, then you will keep getting the things you've always been getting"

post inspired by "How To Be Happy, A Cynic's Guide to Spiritual Happiness"

Are there some things in your life that you want to be different, but you just don't know how fix them? Well what I have been learning is, that you've just got to get out there and change them. At first the change may seem unwanted, like pulling a band-aid off of a wound, it hurts at first! But if you give it time, you realize that this is the only way to true and actual healing.

What changes will you make today?

Me... I don't know yet. Or maybe I do but I'm not going to tell :)

THERE IS NO BETTER DAY THAN TODAY.

:) trip update

2008-01-16T00:44:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve :)

2007-12-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!

Tonight, my mom, her boyfriend Steve and I are celebrating with Lobster and Pesto Pasta... and maybe we'll eat this treat for dessert!!

What do you have in store for this evening??

An Early Christmas!

2007-12-23T00:16:00.000-05:00

I am celebrating an early christmas this weekend. We are now in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with my entire mom's side of the family. There is only one time each year when all of my family gets together, CHRISTMAS TIME! So i am so happy to be with them this year :) I have some great photos of my cousin's baby Liam. He's my favorite (shh.. don't tell the rest of the fam, although i bet they agree with me)

Hope you are having a good weekend!

be careful on those roads, drivin today was pretty dangerous!

Much Love

Vanessa.

Van Morrison

2007-12-20T18:06:00.001-05:00

So, one of my early christmas presents! Tonight I am going to go see Van Morrison in concert with my very dear friend Patrick! I get to see the all so famous, brown-eyed girl, Dancing in the moonlight, tupelo honey! Can't wait!

Hope that you have fun things planned for this snowy thursday night!

Are you still alive?

2007-12-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

Hello Bloggers,

I guess even though I haven't updated my blog in 3 months, you have learned one thing about me... I am a bad blogger when things are buys. Haha, 3 months have passed and so many things have happened in my life. Want to hear a quick update?

1. I joined a sorority! Delta Nu... the movers and shakers of Dickinson College
Quick history of my sorority: Back in the 70s, all sorority's were not allowing people of color in, my sorority, which at the time was called Chi Omega would not allow us to admit Patricia Love, an African American woman to our chapter. The president of the sorority at the time thought this was ridiculous! So after several months of fighting, we started our own sorority called
Delta Nu (literally meaning "a new change"). We were social radicals, making progress in human rights. I'm so glad to be a part
of it :)

** When i wrote last I was an only child, not I have hundreds of sisters

2. I have been running a program (with my friend Andrea) called CARES, I did it last year as well, but this year I am in charge. It is a tutoring program for immigrant elementary aged students. This year we have 9 students, all of whom warm my heart every week. This has been one of the most fulfilling things for me, they always help me to see what truly matters in the world.

3. My singing group had a great semester! We had our concert a couple of weeks ago and it was a great hit. I had a solo singing "Wide Open Spaces" by the Dixie Chicks. However, the real show winner was our rendition of "All I want For Christmas" The girls in my singing group continue to be a large part of my back bone, keeping me sane, alive and happy :)

4. I turned 20 years old!!!! That's right.. I may be short, but I am officially old. Haha, I'm just kidding, but I am no longer a teenager!

** Picture Taken on my birthday celebration, I may be 20, but I still like board games.

5. I completed 4 very difficult classes and grew in so many ways! I took 2 spanish classes, a sociology class and an education class (my favorite) This semester was probably the most difficult semester I've ever had, academically speaking, but also one of the most rewarding. Looking forward to 4 new classes next semester :) Oh dickinson college....

Well, I realize that update was very short, but it is the main summary of events. Now I am off of school for about 5 weeks so I will hopefully be better at updating this.

I give my blessings to everyone out there and hope that these past three months have been filled with joy and health.

Much Love,

Vanessa.

Just Keep Swimming

2007-09-13T13:49:00.000-04:00

Greetings My Friends!!

Today is a bueaitful day here, in tmers of the weather, a little chilly but really it is ultimately quite nice.

I am struggling today, struggling to get done all that needs to be done today. I love not having classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays but I end up being so busy with other things on those days that I never really have any free time. Generally, even my weekends are so filled that I don't have much time to relax. The one good thing though, is that I have been going to bed very early. For that, I am very grateful. I have early mornings here, i usually am up at 7 30, which doesn't sound so early to the normal world but in the college world that is like ridiculously early. I am always the first one on my hall up, it is kind of nice though. Some time to myself to take a shower, while my roomates are asleep I get ready quietly in our common room. It is a peaceful time of day.

Today though, I am struggling to find inspiration, I am struggling to keep on going. I'm exhausted and have been working all day long and will have to work all night too and my brain is telling me to give it a rest. But i know that I HAVE TO KEEP GOING! I hope you have a better time than me today. I need to remind myself to..like the say in finding nemo..

JUST KEEP SWIMMING, JUST KEEP SWIMING...

Have a fabulous Thursday!

*Vanessa*

My New Room!

2007-09-04T23:36:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has taken so long to update anything, you can imagine how busy things get here... here are some pictures of my room thus far!!

I am feeling very at home here...

How are you??

I hope things are going well with you, let me know!

Love to you!!

*Vanessa*

Last Day Here

2007-08-21T15:55:00.000-04:00

Man, the countdown has gone fast.. it went from one week left, last weekend, to my very last day here.

Are you ever afraid?

I am so nervous.

I know I have already been to school and so I know how everything goes, I have a wonderful group of friends to be going to and I have so many great things going on once I am there. I am just so nervous to leave home. It is scary, leaving the comfortable cradle that I have lived in for so many years. Finally, I have to suck it up, and become an adult. I am scared to wake up in a place where I have no family anywhere close, nobody who has known me for more than a year.. I am scared to not have a my moms bed only one floor above mine to go crawl into on those nights where you just can't sleep.

It is scary.

But it is a challenge that I know I will face and learn and grow from it. I know that once I get into the swing of things back at school, i will look back on this entry and laugh... no great success can come without risk. And I think going to school half way across the country was a good idea, I am experiencing a new part of the country, with new kinds of people and I am learning!

Well for now, I am going to enjoy a nice evening with my friends for a final dinner.

The past couple of days have been so wonderful with friends! I am going to miss them a alot! But I know that they are all going to experience their own new things, just as I am experiencing mine.

Here are some pictures from the past couple of days..

Have a great day!

*Vanessa*